Be Opened By The Wonderful James

• 1Sometimes (Orchestral Version)06:03
• 2Love Make A Fool (Orchestral Version)04:46
• 3We're Gonna Miss You (Orchestral Version)04:32
• 4Tomorrow (Orchestral Version)04:21
• 5The Lake (Orchestral Version)05:16
• 6She's A Star (Orchestral Version)03:55
• 7Lookaway (Orchestral Version)03:59
• 8Sit Down (Orchestral Version)04:37
• 9Alaskan Pipeline (Orchestral Version)05:58
• 10Someone's Got It In For Me (Orchestral Version)04:34
• 11Hey Ma (Orchestral Version)04:45
• 12Hello (Orchestral Version)04:52
• 13Beautiful Beaches (Orchestral Version)03:25
• 14Why So Close (Orchestral Version)01:43
• 15Medieval (Orchestral Version)04:15
• 16Hymn From A Village (Orchestral Version)03:38
• 17Say Something (Orchestral Version)04:54
• 18Top Of The World (Orchestral Version)04:54
• 19Moving On (Orchestral Version)06:26
• 20Laid (Orchestral Version)03:40
• Total Runtime01:30:33

Info for Be Opened By The Wonderful

James will celebrate their 40th anniversary with the release on June 9th of the 22-track collection Be Opened By The Wonderful.

The album is set to comprise select songs from the band’s back catalogue which have been reimagined with a 22-piece orchestra and an 8-piece choir.

Be Opened By The Wonderful was recorded at Blueprint Studios in Manchester, orchestrated and conducted by Joe Duddell with the ORCA22 Orchestra lead by Andra Vornicu featuring the Manchester Inspirational Voices choir, directed by Wayne Ellington.

Tim Booth says “Life begins at 40. For our midlife euphoria we recorded a double orchestral album of some of our deepest cuts. If you already have a golden ticket, you’ll be catching this on tour and at Latitude festival. Bring your wings and come ready to fly.”

"I cannot stop listening to this album. The themes covered – such as war, climate change and death are at total odds with the beauty of the songs and the music, with the emotions and feelings of these new versions intensified ten fold by the orchestra and choir. By working once again (and this time recording with) Joe Duddell, James have given themselves and their fans the opportunity to make new musical memories whilst revisiting old ones. There are so many layers and details to these songs and I am still discovering more after numerous listens. My advice is to shut yourself away, pop on some headphones and lose yourself in the pure musical magic – let yourself be Opened By The Wonderful." (Natalie Royle, louderthanwar.com)

James

James
is a British rock band from Manchester, England. They formed in 1982 and were active throughout the 1980s, but most successful during the 1990s. Their hit singles include "Come Home", "Sit Down", and "She's a Star" as well as their American college radio hit "Laid". Tim, Jim and Larry continue to write lots of new material and even get to record a couple of new tracks for a proposed re-package of 1998's 'Best of'. Following the departure of lead singer Tim Booth in 2001, the band became inactive but re-formed in January 2007, returning for a new album and international tour. Up to 2010, the band had sold more than 25 million albums worldwide.

James are one of the country’s best-loved indie rock bands. With a collection of well-known anthems and an unbelievable live music showcase, James have acquired a reputation for the unhinged and the magnificent. The British band have cut their teeth at some of the biggest venues around the world, having come through the Manchester music juggernaut – with the likes of Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses. After a couple of band changes, the band took flight with the release of their second EP James II which brought them a feature article in renowned music magazine, NME.With streams of positive reviews following the release of the bands three opening EPs, the hot-shot band sent out their debut album, Stutter in 1986 to an excited fanbase. The band reached number 68 in the UK Album Charts. The band gained cult status in Manchester having entertained at the Manchester Polytechnic and at other iconic city venues. By the mid-eighties, James had performed at the Brixton Academy, London supporting New Order. They had won many admirers, not least the likes of Johnny Marr and Morrissey. The band went on to support The Smiths on their Meat is Murder tour in 1984.Their rise as a support act was cemented when they earned critical acclaim and became a fixture on the festival scene. James took to the stage at Glastonbury and W.O.M.A.D and headlined concerts in Germany while maintaining their stellar home-town reputation. 1989 saw them return to their roots and bring out an album, One Man Clapping which they financed independently. The album reached number one in the independent charts. By 1991 the band had brought Manchester to a standstill with 5000 revellers dancing in the streets to the band’s rooftop gig at Piccadilly Gardens.The band leapt back into the charts, notching their total involvement in the album charts up to a total of 172 weeks, and the single charts to 90 weeks. The band then made headway on the international scene, as they reached fame in the US – performing at the legendary Woodstock and such. And by the Millennium they became one of the first western bands to tour China when they headlined at the Heineken Festival in Beijing. They took to Spain’s Benicassim, headlined the Electron Festival in Greece, a charity ski event in Geneva and at Centurion Supersport Park in South Africa.

This album contains no booklet.