JAMES WHO'S WHO? - L to P

DORIS LESSING

Famous American author described by Tim as one of the two women he wrote Sit Down as a thank you to.  Tim is still a keen reader of her work having mentioned her in a recent webcast.

LIFEWAVE

A spiritual group promising "enlightenment" that both Tim and Jim were members of between 1984 and 1988, causing them to meditate daily and abstain from alcohol and drugs. Their membership of the organisation cast a threat over the existence of the band, as Larry and Gavan feared Lifewave would ask Tim and Jim to give up James.  The group disbanded when it was found that the leader had been working his way through the female membership of the group.

STUART MACONIE

Radio DJ, established music journalist and long-term champion of James, Stuart is the author of the James biography, Folklore - The Official Story.

MAD DOG MANAGEMENT

The title of Peter Rudge's (the band's manager) management company based in New York that has been responsible for James worldwide since 1994.

MAN FROM DEL MONTE

Criminally ignored Manchester band fronted by bisexual Australian Mike West in the late eighties.  Supported James on many occassions in that period.  Larry produced their Will Nobody Save Louise single and Saul played violin on their follow-up My Love Is Like A Gift You Can't Return

GRAHAM MASSEY

One part of famous Manchester dance act 808 State who was originally brought in to mix the Gold Mother album before falling out spectacularly with Tim with Promised Land the only product of the sessions with him.

BEN MCDONAGH

Tim's son with manager Martine born in 1989. His birth is the inspiration behind the song Gold Mother.

MARTINE MCDONAGH

James manager from 1984 through to 1994 with a small break in the late eighties.  Was romantically involved with Tim until about 1990-1 and is the mother of Tim's son, Ben. She often accompanied the band on backing vocals and occassional guitar.

CLIVE MELLOR

A close friend of Larry's who played harmonica and maracas on several tracks on the Strip-Mine album.

MERCURY RECORDS

James present record label, having bought out Phonogram in the mid 1990s. Roster also includes Shania Twain, Texas, The Bluetones and The Beautiful South

MODEL TEAM INTERNATIONAL

The final name of the band prior to the change to James.  It came from the model agency in Manchester where Paul's girlfriend worked.  This allowed the band to use the agency's t-shirts to promote themselves until the agency manager found out and threatened to sue the band.

SIMON MORAN

Simon Moran was founder of SJM Concerts who have promoted James concerts since the middle of the 1980s even when they were unable to release records due to the Sire difficulties.

MORRISSEY

Lead singer of The Smiths, who took James out on tour with them in 1985 and also covered What's The World.  Morrissey described James as "the best band in the world" in 1984.  Throughout the eighties James were to suffer from comparisons with The Smiths.  Morrissey's 1992 hit We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful is allegedly written about James success. As a riposte, James opened their 1992 Glastonbury set, where they stood in for Morrissey at the last minute, with that song.

NEW FAST AUTOMATIC DAFFODILS

Another Manchester band on the Playtime label that supported James in 1988 and also on the summer 1989 tour.

GIL NORTON

Engineer on the Stutter album, Gil worked as producer with the Pixies, before being drafted in to produce the rerecorded version of Sit Down released in 1991.

DAVID OATES

A friend of Jim and Paul who introduced Gavan to them when they were looking for a drummer.

SINEAD O'CONNOR

Controversial Irish vocalist who featured on Vervaceous on the Millionaires album and on the duet I Defeat on the Fred Astaire single.

ONE MAN RECORDS

The name of the label set up by the band with the £12,000 Royal Bank of Scotland loan to release One Man Clapping, its one and only release, with the assistance of Rough Trade.

ADRIAN OXAAL - GUITAR 1996-2001

ROGER PARKS

Tim's music teacher at Shrewsbury School who Tim tricked into attending an Iggy Pop show at Manchester Apollo and then later organised other trips to concerts.

MIKE PICKERING

An A+R man at Factory Records in the early eighties, it was Pickering who picked up on the James demo tape and booked them for shows at the Hacienda.  Pickering was later to become a DJ at the Hacienda and a member of M People.

STEVE POWER

Power was the producer brought in by the band to remix the Strip Mine album prior to its release. He was also producer at the sessions that produced the original version of Sit Down.

PROMOTIONS

The PR company that was working as Factory's press officers in the early eighties including the promotion of James records. Their staff included Martine McDonagh who was to become James manager and Tim's partner.