NEW ALBUM : James have announced that Be Opened By The Wonderful, their new double album in celebration of their 40th Anniversary, will be released via Virgin Music on 9 June.

BE OPENED BY THE WONDERFUL LP // 9 JUNE 2023

40^TH ANNIVERSARY DOUBLE ALBUM OF GREATEST HITS AND FAN FAVOURITES REIMAGINED WITH ORCHESTRA AND CHOIR

JAMES have announced details of their new album in celebration of their 40^th Anniversary. BE OPENED BY THE WONDERFUL is a 20 track – 19 vinyl – double album of some of their most loved and rare tracks, reimagined with a 22 piece orchestra and eight piece choir. Released on 9 June via Virgin Music and available on DSPs, CD and vinyl, the album also includes a brand new track, Love Make A Fool, due to be released in April.

BE OPENED BY THE WONDERFUL was recorded at Blueprint Studios in Manchester, orchestrated and conducted by Joe Duddell with the ORCA22 Orchestra, led by Andra Vornicu, featuring the Manchester Inspirational Voices choir directed by Wayne Ellington. In further celebration of their 40^th Anniversary, the band will play a headline slot at Latitude Festival, performing as Special Guests on the Sunday afternoon at midday, a slot especially created for JAMES to honour their Anniversary. This performance will see them backed with orchestra and choir.

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.”

Joe Duddell says: “Having attended the first six years of Latitude Festival, I’m excited to be involved in James’ special Main Stage show this year in a UK festival exclusive. James have always been a great band at festivals, mixing their extensive and well loved back catalogue with newer songs which immediately sound as though they too have been around forever.”

As previously announced, JAMES will be headlining venues across the UK in April and May on their James Lasted tour, calling at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and Birmingham Symphony Hall and concluding at The Royal Albert Hall in London. Tickets for the tour sold out in a record time of 6 hours.

One of Britain’s most enduring success stories, JAMES have released sixteen studio albums, selling over 25 million copies, with their recent run of Top 5 albums proving to be a golden era for the band. All The Colours Of You, released in 2021, was their most critically acclaimed in many years, preceded by Living In Extraordinary Times in 2018, and Girl At The End Of The World, which narrowly missed out on the top spot to Adele in 2016.

 

CD TRACKLIST

 

CD #1

• Sometimes
• Love Make A Fool
• We’re Gonna Miss You
• Tomorrow
• The Lake
• She’s A Star
• Lookaway
• Sit Down
• Alaskan Pipeline

 

CD #2

• Someone’s Got It In For Me
• Hey Ma
• Hello
• Beautiful Beaches
• Why So Close
• Medieval
• Hymn From A Village
• Say Something
• Top Of The World
• Moving On
• Laid

 

VINYL TRACKLIST

 

SIDE A

• Sometimes
• Love Make A Fool
• We’re Gonna Miss You
• Tomorrow

 

SIDE B

• The Lake
• She’s A Star
• Lookaway
• Sit Down
• Alaskan Pipeline

 

SIDE C

• Someone’s Got It In For Me
• Hey Ma
• Hello
• Beautiful Beaches
• Why So Close

 

SIDE D

• Medieval
• Say Something
• Top Of The World
• Moving On
• Laid

 

HEADLINE TOUR

 

APRIL 

Tue        25          BRIGHTON                         Dome

Wed       26          CARDIFF                             St Davids Hall

Fri          28          YORK                                  Barbican

Sat         29          EDINBURGH                       Usher Hall

MAY 

Mon      01          GLASGOW                          SEC Armadillo

Tue        02          NEWCASTLE                       O2 City Hall

Thu        04          SHEFFIELD                          City Hall

Fri          05          BIRMINGHAM                   Symphony Hall

Sun        07          LIVERPOOL                         Philharmonic Hall

Tue        09          MANCHESTER                    O2 Apollo

Wed       10          MANCHESTER                    O2 Apollo

Fri          12          BLACKPOOL                       Opera House

Sat         13          NOTTINGHAM                   Royal Concert Hall

Mon      15          BATH                                  Forum

Wed       17          LONDON                            Royal Albert Hall

 

TICKETS AND INFO: https://james.tmstor.es/ | www.gigsandtours.com | www.ticketmaster.co.uk

 

UK FESTIVAL DATES

MAY

Sun        28          MARGAM                          In It Together

JUNE

Fri          23          BRISTOL                              Bristol Sounds

JULY

Sun        02          LIVERPOOL                         Outdoor

Fri          07          HALIFAX                             Piece Hall

Sat         08          HALIFAX                             Piece Hall

Fri          21          PORTLAOIS                        Forest Fest

Sun        23          SUFFOLK                             Latitude

Fri          28          DUNDEE                             Slessor Gardens

Sat         29          PIKEHALL                            Y Not

AUGUST

Fri          11          CRYSTAL PALACE               South Facing

 

JAMES are: Tim Booth, Jim Glennie, Saul Davies, Adrian Oxaal, David Baynton-Power, Mark Hunter, Andy Diagram, Chloe Alper and Deborah Knox-Hewson.

 

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