Love or hate Apollo 440’s version of ‘Sit Down’? Reckon James care that it has the Top 10, just like the original did seven years ago? Surely it will generate extra sales for that ‘Best Of’ album, already topping figures of half a million?
Certainly, the success of the remix is timely for James, who are also marking their return to the big arenas – something which hasn’t happened since the early Nineties. The tour is being promoted as a celebration, as opposed to a retrospective, with the promise of new songs off a forthcoming album. You get the feeling they haven’t given up on the Big Time; yet. A band who started their career at Factory Records (home of miserabilists Joy Division) and ended up being folky WOMAD faves. A band who would never let their pop anthems fake their orgasms. Flower power. The sound of violins. Well, the sound of one violin, anyway. And Tim Booth. An earnest voice with a penchant for high notes (move over youngster Brett Anderson) and the reason James will never become just another Hothouse Flowers – even though he converses with his angel (s) and knows the correct order of colours in a rainbow.
“Britain’s answer to Michael Stipe,” they’ll be saying. Again. Although, undoubtedly, he’s closer to Julian Cope. So shake off that wintertime apathy, polish your Cheshire cat smile. It’s that time
5 ASIDE – look out for
Since the Apollo 440 boys are reputedly very shy, watch out for the boys in disguise, trying to hide from all those hardcore James fans who hate the remix
Odds on, old James fave Brian Eno will be around
Listen out for new songs.
Listen out for old songs in new outfits. And watch out for occasional guest appearances too.
Try and get yourself invited back to Youth’s place. You can bet the band – or some of them – will be there, rather than at the after-show shindig.
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