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Veteran U.K. rock act James has inked a U.S. deal with Decca Records for the release of its first new album in seven years. “Hey Ma” will be released Sept. 16 and will be supported by as-yet-unannounced North American tour dates.

“Hey Ma,” which debuted at No. 10 on the U.K. album chart last month, is the follow-up to 2001’s “Pleased To Meet You.” Sources say there will be an upcoming U.S. TV ad campaign featuring album track “Whiteboy” for an as-yet-unnamed major car manufacturer.

James will introduce the new material to U.S. listeners during a June 5 performance and interview on KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic.” Additionally, U.K. dates are on tap for mid-December.

Veteran U.K. rock act James has inked a U.S. deal with Decca Records for the release of its first new album in seven years. “Hey Ma” will be released Sept. 16 and will be supported by as-yet-unannounced North American tour dates.

“Hey Ma,” which debuted at No. 10 on the U.K. album chart last month, is the follow-up to 2001’s “Pleased To Meet You.” Sources say there will be an upcoming U.S. TV ad campaign featuring album track “Whiteboy” for an as-yet-unnamed major car manufacturer.

James will introduce the new material to U.S. listeners during a June 5 performance and interview on KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic.” Additionally, U.K. dates are on tap for mid-December.

James formed in Manchester, England back in the early 1980s, and throughout that whole decade struggled to “make it.” The decade also was full of upheaval as the band changed managers, and members, finally settling into the line up that would become known as The Magnificent Seven. With the’90s came success and a string of hit singles like “Sit Down” and “Laid.” The mid-‘90s found the band in a series of critically acclaimed area shows supporting Duran Duran followed by an exhaustive touring schedule of their own. Lead singer Tim Booth took a break in ’01 and though James never announced a break up, the band became inactive.

James produced nine studio albums between 1986 and 2001, as well as a series of EPs, soundtrack appearances—“Laid” was featured in the movie American Pie—two live recordings and several compilation albums. “The Best Of,” a 1998 James compilation hit #1 in the UK. IN 2006, Tim Booth, Jim Glennie and Larry Gott got together for some jam time and inspiration struck. The trio and the remaining four of the seven matched back up for a series of 2007 European Festivals.

With their tenth studio album, “Hey Ma,” and a tour kicking off, James are back. They’ve been around since the early ‘80s, always indie, and always at the forefront of British music. The band has an extensive discography, including Top Ten placers “Gold Mother,” “Seven” and “Millionaires,” and now in 2008 with the new album “Hey Ma.” The album was recorded with producer Lee “Muddy” Baker at Chateau Warsy in France and boasts 11 songs by the seven members most commonly identified as the definitive James lineup.

James has always been a band that was better live—they’re known for their improvisational style and spontaneous jams, an ambience that comes across better on stage. Their early albums feel almost restrained when compared to later releases where the band had more control, and the guys were able to let their unique blend come through.

Recently reunited British rock band James’s 10th studio album, Hey Ma, hit stores in the U.K. on April 8, courtesy of Mercury Records. While the band’s sound hasn’t changed much from early albums like 1993’s Laid, the band takes a decidedly political tone this time around; Hey Ma’s anti-war title track laments “the boys in body bags,” and “Upside” tells the tale of immigrant workers trying to provide for their families back home.

The Hey Ma cover art—a baby reaching for a handgun next to a pile of building blocks that spell out the album’s title—is perhaps its most political statement, and has already stirred up a storm of controversy across the Atlantic. The U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority banned the artwork from appearing in any billboard campaigns promoting Hey Ma.

Despite the advertising ban, the band elected not to change the album cover. Guitarist Larry Gott said the art was inspired by the story of an American infant who was accidentally issued a firearms license, and is meant to convey a powerful message. “The scale of the reaction has been a surprise, but we kind of expected there’d be some ripples”, guitarist Larry Gott told Dotmusic. “Firearms are dangerous, they’re not to be taken likely, and we as a society are becoming overfamiliarised with the image of guns and gun culture.”

James will kick off a full-fledged European tour tonight in Bradford. No U.S. dates have been announced at this time, and Hey Ma has yet to be picked up by a Stateside distributor.

Where the neighbors will complain about the noises above:

April

8 – Bradford @ Bradford St. George’s Hall

10 – Derby @ Derby Assembly Rooms

11 – Lincoln @ Lincoln Engine Shed

12 – Liverpool @ Liverpool University

14 – Newcastle @ Newcastle Carling Academy

15 – Sheffield @ Sheffield Carling Academy

17 – London @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire

18 – Norwich @ Norwich UEA

19 – Oxford @ Oxford New Theatre

21 – Bristol @ Bristol Colston Hall

22 – Blackpool @ Blackpool Empress Ballroom

24 – Edinburgh @ Edinburgh Corn Exchange

25 – Aberdeen @ Aberdeen AECC

May

2 – Murcia @ SOS Festival Murcia

10 – Colmbra, Portugal @ Praca da Cancao

11 – Braga, Portugal @ Braga Municipal Park

June

15 – Isle of Wight @ Isle of Wight Festival

28 – Athens, Greece @ Ejekt Festival

December

11 – Leeds @ Leeds Carling Academy

12 – Glasgow @ Glasgow SECC

13 – Birmingham @ Birmingham NIA

15 – London @ Brixton Academy

16 – London @ Brixton Academy

19 – Manchester @ G-Mex/Manchester Central

Hey Ma tracklist:

1. Bubbles

2. Hey Ma

3. Waterfall

4. Oh My Heart

5. Boom Boom

6. Semaphore

7. Upside

8. Whiteboy

9. 72

10. Of Monsters And Heroes And Men

11. I Wanna Go Home

WHILE The Courteeners are indisputably the ‘new’ sound of the Rainy City, one of their biggest fans is the singer of one of Manchester’s most legendary pop bands.

Tim Booth, the frontman of James, even compared Courteeners frontman Liam Fray to Manc legend Morrissey when he spoke to the M.E.N.

After a special in-store gig at the HMV store in the city centre – which hundreds of fans queued for hours to watch – Tim said: “It is fabulous to be back with a new album. The music scene here is so healthy these days and there are some amazing bands around.

“I love the Courteeners album. Liam has the swagger but he is also a really perceptive lyricist too. I think he is very much like Morrissey when it comes to his lyrics.

“To have Liam quoting us and name-checking James is great. It means a lot of young fans are now coming on board who probably wouldn’t have listened to James otherwise.”

Winning over new young fans doesn’t seem to be a problem though.

Caitlain Smith could well be the youngest fan of the band. Aged 6, she is such a huge fan that she and her mum Dawn, 36, from Droylsden, pitched up a tent and camped outside HMV in Manchester from 5pm on Sunday – just to make sure they got to se the band perform yesterday (Monday).

Mum Dawn says: “She knows all the songs on the new album – and it’s only just been released today [Monday].”

Joining the Smiths for a chilly overnight stay outside the store was another mum and daughter – Michelle Sutherland, 38, from Stockport, and daughter Natalie, 18.

Michelle said: “Natalie was a fan before she was even born. She came out singing Sit Down.”

The reunited band was in Manchester for the launch of their new album, Hey Ma – their first recording for seven years.

MANCHESTER James are to play a set in their home city to mark the release of their new album.

The band, who reformed last year, will play at the HMV store on Market Street on Monday at 12.30pm and then sign copies of their 10th studio album, Hey Ma.

The group formed at Manchester University when the trademark dancing of frontman Tim Booth, pictured, attracted the attention of bassist Jim Glennie.

The veteran outfit, whose biggest hits during the Madchester years included Sit Down and Come Home, played their first show together at Eccles British Legion in 1980.

Fans need wristbands to get into the HMV gig. They will be available at the store from 8am.

The hit-making seven piece line-up of James are back in the saddle. How goes the “big dysfunctional family” reunion?

A little older, a little less intense, the seven-strong “glory years” line-up of James are back touring and recording together. The Word’s photographer is gently persuading them to restage an old press photo from 1990. Singer Tim Booth got into a fight with their drummer on stage in the 80s, and when he auditioned a new one, a pianist and a trumpet player turned up too. Which is how they came by the big-top festival sound that defined hits like Sit Down and Come Home.

After further personnel change they ceased recording in 2001, by which time they had become “a big dysfunctional family”. Have they deliberately reformed the line-up that had the biggest hits? “I would never shape anything I do in order to please a commercial public,” declares Booth. (“Head to the left, that’s it!” the snapper barks)

Age hasn’t withered them much. “Maturity’s a funny word,” says Larry Gott, fingering roll-ups on the fire escape. He’s just happy the band can bear to be in the same room again. But Tim Booth has a faraway look in his eyes. He’s found a spiritual home in the hills of Topanga, LA County, where he’s worked with Twin Peaks composer Angelo Badalamenti. “Topanga’s full of amazing things – fires, snakes. I want to be there all the time…” Catch him before he disappears back up the mountain.

The cover for the new James album has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority, it has been confirmed.

The artwork for “Hey Ma” (pictured), the band’s first record in seven years, features a baby reaching for a gun.

The watchdog have decided the image is unsuitable and will not be featured on billboards to promote the LP.

Guitarist Larry Gott said the band had decided to go with the “strong image” despite its controversial tone.

He explained: “We talked at length about hitting a problem with the Advertising Standards Authority, but it’s such a strong image we decided it go with it anyway.

“The scale of the reaction has been a surprise, but we kind of expected there’d be some ripples”, said Gott.

“We were looking at lots of ideas with the designers and they came up with an image of a baby and a gun that related to a story in America of a ten month old child that had been issued a firearms certificate.

“Firearms are dangerous, they’re not to be taken likely, and we as a society are becoming over familiarised with the image of gun and gun culture”, he continued.

James release “Hey Ma” on April 7.

The artwork for James’ first album for seven years has been banned from being advertised on street billboards by the Advertising Standards Authority.

The artwork for ‘Hey Ma’ features an image of a baby reaching for a gun, following a story that a ten-month old child had been issued a US fire arms certificate.

In an exclusive interview with Xfm, lead guitarist Larry Gott admitted he’s been surprised by the scale of the reaction, but said the artwork is meant to make ‘people stop and think about the ease of access of firearms’.

He said: “We talked at length about hitting a problem with the Advertising Standards Authority, but it’s such a strong image we decided it go with it anyway.

“The scale of the reaction has been a surprise, but we kind of expected there’d be some ripples. We were looking at lots of ideas with the designers and they came up with an image of a baby and a gun that related to a story in America of a ten month old child that had been issued a firearms certificate.

“Firearms are dangerous, they’re not to be taken likely, and we as a society are becoming over familiarised with the image of gun and gun culture.”

Gott revealed the band may go with a more innocent image to use for the advertising billboards.

“There is a slip case that goes over the album that shows the child playing with a toy gun. It’s like a joke. The toy gun is on the front cover and then you reveal the real album artwork underneath.”

James forthcoming tenth studio album ‘Hey Ma’ will be released on April 7, followed by a tour of the UK kicking off April 8 at Bradford’s St. George’s Hall.

‘Hey Ma’ controversial cover already banned

James have announced details of their first album in seven years.

‘Hey Ma’, the band’s tenth LP, will be released on April 7.

The LP’s cover art has already caused controversy, as it features an image of a baby reaching to pick up a handgun.

Outdoor media owner JC Decaux has already banned the album’s poster campaign because it goes against the company’s policy of depicting guns on posters Mad.co.uk.

The album’s tracklisting is:

‘Bubbles’

‘Hey Ma’

‘Waterfall’

‘Oh My Heart’

‘Boom Boom’

‘Semaphore’

‘Upside’

‘Whiteboy’

’72’

‘Monsters And Heroes And Men’

The band get political…

by Scott Colothan on 14/03/2008

Indie veterans James have unveiled the controversial artwork to their new album ‘Hey Ma’ which features an image of a baby about to pick up a handgun.

The hard-hitting image has apparently seen advertising execs give the album a wide berth, meaning that it is very unlikely to feature on major PR campaigns.

The record itself, released through Fontana/Mercury Records on April 17, also deals with very poignant subject matter and the current hostile world climate.

Story continues below…

There’s imagery about 9/11 through lyrics about “falling towers” and “dust in the air”, while the Afghan and Iraqi conflicts are brushed upon in the lines “1-2-3. What are we fighting for?” and “Hey Ma, the boys in body bags.”

‘Hey Ma’ is James’ tenth album and the follow-up to 2001’s ‘Pleased To Meet You.’ It was recorded at Warsy Chateau in northern France with producer Lee ‘Muddy’ Baker.

Outdoor media owner JC Decaux has banned a poster campaign for the new James album because it goes against the company’s policy of depicting guns in posters.

The James album cover for Hey Ma has been designed by Manchester creative agency Love and launches in stores on the 30 April.

The cover depicts a baby with a handgun at its feet with the albums title spelt out on building blocks.

The cover was designed by Manchester creative agency Love. Darren Hughes, creative head at the agency said that the idea behind the cover was to show the “boldness and curiosity” of gun culture “to engage in the debate”.

Hughes said: “You need only to have a passing acquaintance with the headlines to be aware of the unfolding horror show of gun culture amongst kids in the UK. Whilst the media are quick to show condemnation and, in the governments barricading of not just our airports but now our train and bus stations and schools with metal detectors, armed police and dogs, their strong armed ‘climate of fear-inducing’ response.

“But we seem less able, less curious to raise the vital question, as to what has brought our country, our culture our kids to be so taken with Guns?”

Hey Ma is the group’s first studio album in seven years. Since their debut, James has recorded 10 albums and sold more than 12 million units since the band first formed in the mid-80s.

MediaCom was responsible for the media planning and buying and said that different creatives were being prepared in order to be featured at JC Decaux sites.

The ads will also appear in music magazines and there are no planned in-store or POS creatives.

Love was first appointed by James last year to design a new logo for the band to aid their re-launch and nationwide tour.