Tim Booth from James – “Sit Down? I’d rather keep dancing.”
Summary
Host Miranda Sawyer interviews James frontman Tim Booth about the band’s 1990s rise, discussing their formation, his near-death experience, and involvement with the LifeWave cult. They explore James’ unique improvisational songwriting, the success of hits like "Sit Down" and "Laid," and Booth’s solo work. The episode also covers touring challenges, including addiction issues within the band and hostile Lollapalooza audiences.
Topics discussed
Sponsor: Refund Club car finance compensation
Sponsor: Toyota summer sales event
Intro: Tim Booth joins Talk 90s To Me from Portugal
Tim's boarding school trauma and early performance instincts
How Tim Booth joined James after a beer dispute
Tim and Jimmy's involvement with the LifeWave cult
Leaving Factory Records and refusing US release of Sit Down
Sponsor: HBO Max DTF St. Louis
The myth of James' massive T-shirt sales revenue
James' improvisational songwriting process and Brian Eno
The making of Laid and the controversy over Please Fall In Love With Me
The maraca incident that ended James' European success
Dealing with homophobia and connecting with hostile audiences
Addiction, the band's hiatus, and the 'talking banana' meetings
Sponsors: Toyota and AG1
The new James documentary and aging in the music industry
Outro: Patreon, playlist pick, and final sponsors
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