James
Manchester favorites James are celebrating their 40th anniversary with an album of 20 re-recorded classics and deeper cuts “re-imagined” with a 22-piece orchestra and an 8-piece choir — and they’re taking the orchestral show on the road this month in the U.K.
Check out the new version of “She’s a Star,” originally off of 1997’s Whiplash, below.
The double album Be Opened By The Wonderful: 40 Years Orchestrated is due out June 9 digitally and on double CD and double vinyl in the U.K. (Pre-order: Amazon.co.uk), though it appears it may only be a digital release in the U.S. (Pre-order: Amazon.com, Apple Music).
The record finds Tim Booth and Co. performing newly arranged versions of such favorites as “Sit Down,” “Say Something” and “Laid.” There are 20 songs in total on the digital and CD releases, but one song — “Hymn from a Village” — is omitted from the 19-track double-vinyl release.
Of the project, Booth says:
“Life begins at 40. For our midlife euphoria we recorded a double orchestral album of some of our deepest cuts.”
The band also is touring the U.K. in April and May with an orchestra, and also has a number of festival dates set for this summer.
Below, check out the new song, the full tracklist of the album — and those tour dates.
James, Be Opened By The Wonderful: 40 Years Orchestrated
DISC 1
1. “Sometimes”
2. “Love Make a Fool”
3. “We’re Gonna Miss You”
4. “Tomorrow”
5. “The Lake”
6. “She’s a Star”
7. “Lookaway”
8. “Sit Down”
9. “Alaskan Pipeline”
DISC 2
1. “Someone’s Got It in for Me”
2. “Hey Ma”
3. “Hello”
4. “Beautiful Beaches”
5. “Why So Close”
6. “Medieval”
7. “Hymn from a Village” *
8. “Say Something”
9. “Top of the World”
10. “Moving On”
11. “Laid”
* Does not appear on vinyl edition
James tour dates 2023
UK Orchestral Tour
April 25: Brighton Dome, Brighton, East Sussex
April 26: St David’s Hall,Cardiff, Wales
April 28: York Barbican, York, North Yorkshire
April 29: Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Scotland
May 1: SEC Armadillo, Glasgow, Scotland
May 2: O2 City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne
May 4: City Hall, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
May 5: Symphony Hall, Birmingham, West Midlands
May 7: Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool, Merseyside
May 9: The Apollo, Manchester
May 10: The Apollo, Manchester
May 12: Blackpool Opera House, Winter Gardens, Blackpool, Lancashire
May 13: Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, East Midlands
May 15: The Forum, Bath, Somerset
May 17: Royal Albert Hall, London
Summer Festival Season
May 28: In It Together Festival, Margam, Wales
June 20: The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton
June 23: Bristol Sounds, Canons Marsh Amphitheatre, Bristol Harbourside
July 2: On The Waterfront: Liverpool Pier Head, Liverpool, Merseyside
July 7: The Piece Hall, Halifax, West Yorkshire
July 8: The Piece Hall, Halifax, West Yorkshire
July 10: Odeon of Herodes Atticus (orchestral), Athens, Greece
July 12: Moni Lazariston, Thessaloniki, Greece
July 21: Forest Fest, Emo Village, County Laois, Ireland
July 23: Latitude Festival (orchestral), Henham Park, Suffolk
July 28: Slessor Gardens, Dundee
July 29: Y Not Festival, Pikehall, Derbyshire
Aug. 5: The Darlington Arena, Mowden Park, Darlington, County Durham
Aug. 11: South Facing Concert Series—Crystal Palace Bowl, London
Sept. 3: Weekender Jersey, Royal Jersey Showground, Trinity, Jersey
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- James announces new album ‘All the Colours Of You’ — hear 2020-inspired title track
- The Psychedelic Furs team up with James for North American tour this summer
- ‘One night only’: James to play New York next month in support of ‘La Petite Mort’
- James announces new album ‘La Petite Mort,’ streams new song ‘Frozen Britain’
- James enlists Echo & The Bunnymen for U.K. tour in support of ‘Gathering Sound’ box set
