James Box Set Offers 20 Unreleased Songs
Two key albums in the long and influential career of British modern rock band James are to be re-released as a box set by Universal on March 23. 1993’s ‘Laid’ and the following year’s ‘Wah Wah’ will be available as a 4CD 12’x 12’ Super Deluxe box set featuring 20 previously unreleased recordings, among many other treats, now available to pre-order here.
The band, now back in great form with their current release ‘La Petite Mort’ and a recent sellout UK tour, have sold some 25 million albums worldwide in a career that stretches back over more than 30 years.
‘Laid’ is the album that featured James’ top 30 UK hit with the title track, which was No. 3 Modern Rock Tracks success in the States. The album reached No. 3 in the UK, while ‘Wah Wah,’ recorded during the same epic sessions at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios, hit No.11.
The new material in the box set includes rehearsals, out-takes, jams, B-sides, radio sessions and live tracks. The four discs will be accompanied by a 56-page hardcover book which includes an essay by Phill Savidge, plus rare photos, memorabilia, four button badges and four postcards.
There will also be a 2CD Deluxe package with a 28-page booklet; a double 180g LP of ‘Laid’ featuring printed inner sleeves and download code (with a limited run of 500 exclusive clear vinyl discs available from thesoundofvinyl.com here) and a double 180g LP package of ‘Wah Wah’ featuring printed inner sleeves and download code, with the same limited run at thesoundofvinyl.com here.
James frontman Tim Booth describes the two albums as “the culmination of playing four or five hours a day four or five days a week in Manchester and the new band adapting to that. It is about the transition of becoming more of a band but with Brian [Eno] at the helm.”
Pre-order the deluxe Laid/Wah-Wah boxset from the uDiscover store here
Pre-order the limited clear vinyl edition of Wah-Wah exclusively from the soundofvinyl.com here, and Laid here