JAMES - NEWS UPDATES - MARCH 2001

Update 31.3.01

HMV's release schedules show a yet untitled James single due for release on June 4th.

Update 16.3.01

James new album, provisionally entitled Space, was presented to the record company by Brian Eno on Wednesday evening.

The proposed tracklisting for the album included the tracks included 'Space', 'Falling Down', 'Saving Grace', 'Give It Away', 'Coffee And Toast', 'Fine', 'Gaudi', 'Junkie' and 'The Shining'.

The album should contain 11 or 12 tracks and was described by Eno to the NME as "the best they've ever made."

For more, take a look at Oneofthethree's special Space feature

Update 7.3.01

According to the official James site, James have actually now finished their new album, contradicting what was posted yesterday.

The album, containing 14 tracks, will be presented by Brian Eno to the record company at an unnamed London studio next Wednesday, 14 March. Following that, a decision will be made on the first single and a release schedule, as revealed here two days ago.

Update 6.3.01

According to the band's press office, there are no plans to release a single on April 16, as previously reported here and advertised in HMV.

The album is now almost completed and the band have just finished a break following the completion of most of the sessions and mixing, leaving one track to finish in the studio over the course of this week - according to the official website.

The press office added that  the band will present the album to the record company, who have not heard the final work yet, over the next couple of weeks.  Any first single from the album would not be released until May at the earliest and no song has been yet identified as the first single. 

The album should follow "in the summer", probably late June. It will feature as expected most of the songs previewed on the autumn UK tour.  No title has yet been decided on. Read more on the songs here.

The Warner Brothers compilation "Strange Dancing - The Early Years" is now likely to be released in May or June. Legal clearance is presently being sought for some of the tracks that will appear on the double album. 

With Warner taking over the rights to the London/Factory catalogue, the album will include the five tracks from Jimone and James II EPs (Village Fire EP) and should also include the b-sides from the Sire singles (Chain Mail, So Many Ways, What For and Ya Ho) although the tracklisting has not yet been finalised. It is unlikely that there will be any unreleased material on the compilation as a search of the Sire/WEA archives did not pick up any new tracks.

As previously reported, the band have finalised the tracklisting for the b-sides album which compromises of tracks from "early in their career" (which I take to mean How Was It For You? onwards) right through to the Millionaires b-sides. The tracklisting has yet to be presented to the record company and the release strategy (how it fits in with the new album) will be discussed at the aforementioned presentation, but it is still scheduled for this year.

The "Remasters" series is still in the planning stage. Gold Mother, Seven, Laid and Whiplash will get the treatment with new sleeve notes and possibly extra tracks. Gold Mother may feature the two tracks deleted from the original release back in 1991 - Hang On and Crescendo.

There are presently no confirmations of festival appearances - James had hoped to play Glastonbury, but it is probable that they will make an appearance at at least one of the summer festivals.

Update 5.3.01

According to a release schedule in HMV Romford, James have a new, as yet untitled, single due for release on April 16.