Wendy James ‘The Shape Of History’ Deluxe 12” & 10″ Vinyl + Hi Res Download
Wendy James ‘The Shape Of History’ Deluxe 12” & 10″ Vinyl + Hi Res Download
The vinyl is now in production for test pressings!
With audio quality top of mind I am splitting the album into 2 vinyls! 9 songs on the 12″ and the remaining 4 songs on 10″. The 10″ vinyl is packaged inside the 12″ sleeve! This way you get the deepest grooves, the best sound!
I have 4 12” TEST PRESSINGS LEFT:
I have 10 companion 10” TEST PRESSINGS AVAILABLE:
Artwork to be revealed! (It’s BEAUTIFUL! STUNNING!)
Buy Deluxe Vinyl Artwork Proof (Signed/Personalized, specify at checkout) here:
Buy Deluxe CD Artwork Proof (Signed/Personalized, specify at checkout) here:
ALBUM LENGTH – 56:30
12” SIDE A
1. Sweet Like Love (03:41)
2. A Happy Life (03:09)
3. Everything Is Magic (05:23)
4. May I Kiss You? (Just Enough To Get Us Into Trouble (04:13)
5.The Crack And The Boom Of The Creeps And The Goons (03.35)
12” SIDE B
6. A Big Vicious Rumble – (05:53)
7. Do You Dig It? Do You Love It? Is It Groovy? (03.53)
8. Don’t Let Daylight Into Magic (04:35)
9. This Declaration Of Love – (04:21)
10” SIDE A
10. Freedomsville (05:47)
11. Step Aside Roadkill (04:36)
10” SIDE B
12. Thank You For The Time We Shared (02:23)
13. The Shape Of History (04:31)
Written and Produced and Mixed by Wendy James
Recording Engineer – Tomas Gagliardo assisted by Rosendo Zinny at LeMob Studios, West London, UK, Al Lawson at Mix Studios, West London, UK, Ben Rice at Degraw Sound, Brooklyn NY, USA
Mix Engineer: Jesse Nichols at Atomic Garden West Recording Studio, Oakland, CA. USA
Mastering Engineer: Frederic Kevorkian at Kevorkian Mastering Inc. Brooklyn, NY, USA
Lead & Backing Vocals – Wendy James
Lead & Rhythm Guitar, Piano, Keys, Clarinet – Alex Ward
Additional Lead & Rhythm Guitar – Louis Eliot
Piano, Organs, Keys – Dave ‘The Moose’ Sherman
Bass – Harry Bohay
Drums & Percussion – James Sclavunos
All songs written and composed by Wendy James. Released by The Wendy James Label.
Pre-order your copy of Wendy James Album 10 ‘The Shape Of History’ Deluxe 12” & 10″ Vinyl today!
(This image is a placeholder image until official artwork is designed)
AND!!!!!
PS! I have ONE test pressing left of ‘I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS’:
SOMEONE GET IT! It’s a magnificent album and one I’m so proud of! How far we’ve come
*Signed and Personalized (specify your preference at checkout)
Thank you and with all my love!
I will have bonafide confirmed promo dates to announce very soon, it’s all being organized right now, in record stores around the UK, to Q&A, sign, meet and greet and….. play a few tunes!
Wendy xoxo
FOR ALL WENDY ITEMS, INCLUDING ALL ‘THE SHAPE OF HISTORY’ https://thewendyjames.com/store
*******and I have some final Transvision Vamp items to sell, message me at enquiries@thewendyjames.com
Xoxoxo
THE SHAPE OF HISTORY
Hi Everyone,
Since getting back from San Francisco and my album mix with Jesse Nichols, he and I have undergone 3 lots of revisions of the final mixes! Tonight is the last one!
The record will go off to Fred Kevorkian for mastering in Brooklyn, NY and be in the manufacturing plant in Poland by June 1
It sounds AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!! perfection!!!!!!!! Can’t believe it!!!!!!!!
– and the artwork is coming together beautifully too! That needs to be into the pressing plant by mid-June!
Exquisite photos taken by David Dodd (he also did Queen High Straight, my previous double album)
I have release dates to announce! 3 singles (digital) upfront!
More elaboration on the formatting of the release! The Vinyl and CD are advertised as deluxe and boy are they deluxe
So…… I’m moving forward!
There will be q&as, signing and performance at all the ROUGH TRADE stores around the UK, Berlin and NYC too, a gig to announce in London and touring for all 2025 in support of my 10th Album
Visuals will be filmed by Douglas Hart (originally Jesus and Mary Chain and now a fabulous video director!)
THE SHAPE OF HISTORY
So, preorder!
https://thewendyjames.com/storeWith Much Love,
Wendy xxxx
THE SHAPE OF HISTORY
April, Wednesday 17th!
I’m back at home after having been in Oakland, CA USA mixing my 10th album ‘THE SHAPE OF HISTORY’ with mix engineer Jesse Nichols (you may remember, he mixed a previous album of mine, The Price Of The Ticket).
The album is finished!!
Mastering has to happen of course, with Fred Kevorkian in Brooklyn NY. I’m going to listen to the album tomorrow and make notes! I know I have such a perfect album and I know you’re going to love it!
It’s got the mix I usually deliver: from alt rock indie punk new wave pop through to hard core guitar stomps and soft and intimate ballading….
I’ve started designing the artwork and next week 26-28 April I will shoot the photo session for the album art.
Then the album, once mastered, will go off to be manufactured and that will determine the release date, to be announced soon!
I started tracking the recording in West London in May 2023 and I finished mixing with 2 minutes to spare, last Saturday night in Oakland!
Recording Engineer – Tomas Gagliardo assisted by Rosendo Zinny at LeMob Studios, West London, UK, Al Lawson at Mix Studios, West London, UK, Ben Rice at Degraw Sound, Brooklyn NY, USA
Mix Engineer: Jesse Nichols at Atomic Garden West Recording Studio, Oakland, CA. USA
Lead & Backing Vocals – Wendy James
Lead & Rhythm Guitar, Piano, Keys, Clarinet – Alex Ward
Additional Lead & Rhythm Guitar – Louis Eliot
Piano, Organs, Keys – Dave ‘The Moose’ Sherman
Bass – Harry Bohay
Drums & Percussion – James Sclavunos
I have made an immense 13 track album!
1. SWEET LIKE LOVE
2. A HAPPY LIFE
3. EVERYTHING IS MAGIC
4. MAY I KISS YOU? (JUST ENOUGH TO GET US INTO TROUBLE)
5. THE CRACK AND THE BOOM OF THE CREEPS AND THE GOONS
6. A BIG VICIOUS RUMBLE
7. DO YOU DIG IT? DO YOU LOVE IT? IS IT GROOVY?
8. DON’T LET DAYLIGHT INTO MAGIC
9. THIS DECLARATION OF LOVE
10. FREEDOMSVILLE
11. STEP ASIDE ROADKILL
12. THANK YOU FOR THE TIME WE SHARED
13. THE SHAPE OF HISTORY
Thank you to all of you who’ve pre ordered!
– and if you’ve not already then PLEASE DO! https://thewendyjames.com/store every preorder counts toward a chart position in the opening week!
– Thank you to all the VIPs who visited the studio! and to everyone who’s sent an enthusiastic and encouraging message along the way!
THE SHAPE OF HISTORY is complete!
Love
Wendy xoxo
THE MIX!
My 10th album ‘THE SHAPE OF HISTORY’ is moving onto the MIX STAG
– and I’ve decided to mix it with Jesse Nichols who mixed THE PRICE OF THE TICKET with me back in 2015 (released February 2016)
The Price Of The Ticket was of course, the legend filled album of #JamesWilliamson (#IggyandtheStooges) #LennyKaye (#ThePattiSmithGroup) #GlenMatlock (#SexPistols) and #JamesSclavunos (#NickCaveandtheBadSeeds) recording engineer #IvanJulian (#RichardHellandtheVoidoids)
We mixed in #Berkeley, #California at #FantasyStudios, which is now closed, so Jesse has his own place in #Oakland. My flight is booked! I go to #SanFrancisco on March 30th and we mix straight through until the 14th April….
Yes! It’s real!
So, may I extend the VIP pass to anyone in the USA (or anywhere) that fancies a little time in Oakland CA… come to San Francisco, see Alcratraz! Visit China and Japan Town, take a look around Berkeley, take in the Oakland A’s and…. come VIP with me!
VIP PASS available here: https://thewendyjames.com/store
So, it’s crunch time…… no second chances, no do-overs. Al Lawson and I have recorded exceptional music from James Sclavunos, Alex Ward, Harry Bohay, Dave The Moose Sherman and Louis Eliot and now it’s time to get those faders up and make something of it.
13 Brand New Songs, written by me:
1. SWEET LIKE LOVE
2. A HAPPY LIFE
3. EVERYTHING IS MAGIC
4. MAY I KISS YOU? (JUST ENOUGH TO GET US INTO TROUBLE)
5. THE CRACK AND THE BOOM OF THE CREEPS AND THE GOONS
6. A BIG VICIOUS RUMBLE
7. DO YOU DIG IT? DO YOU LOVE IT? IS IT GROOVY?
8. DON’T LET DAYLIGHT INTO MAGIC
9. THIS DECLARATION OF LOVE
10. FREEDOMSVILLE
11. STEP ASIDE ROADKILL
12. THANK YOU FOR THE TIME WE SHARED
13. THE SHAPE OF HISTORY
I am very much looking forward to reuniting with Jesse. He is a BAD-ASS!
Suffice to say, this next step brings me a massively closer to having a finished album to go to manufacture with! My 10th Album ‘THE SHAPE OF HISTORY… very happy, very excited!
Thank you all so much
and simply put: PRE-ORDER ALBUM 10 here: https://thewendyjames.com/store !!!!
and VIP in SAN FRANCISCO/BERKELEY/OAKLAND too!
Love
Wendy xo
THE SHAPE OF HISTORY
It is official! My 10th album ‘THE SHAPE OF HISTORY’ is finished in the recording process. What started last May 2023 and has involved about 16 weeks of recording, in 2 week increments, has now completed.
You can scroll back through my feed and see the day I caught the bus along Marylebone Road to Scrubs Lane for the first day of live recording.
I am so lucky to be surrounded by JAMES SCLAVUNOS on drums and percussion, ALEX WARD on lead, rhythm guitar and keyboards of all sorts, HARRY BOHAY on bass, DAVE SHERMAN on piano and keyboards, with guitar overdubs from LOUIS ELIOT.
Engineers Tomas Gagliardo, Al Lawson and Ben Rice. Al Lawson being the main recording engineer, on whom I relied so intensely.
I thank you all for your incredible talent and undoubtable friendship. The album wouldn’t have turned out so well as it has, were it not for you all.
I thank all the wonderful VIP guests who visited the recording process and in turn helped the recording process, it was a pleasure to meet each of you!
I thank every single pre-order and purchase from my store https://thewendyames.com/store.
I pay my own way, what I earn, I spend on the next record. I couldn’t do it without you and I thank you so much and encourage you to buy more!!!
NEXT: MIXING
I will be sorting out who the mix engineer is going to be over the next week or 2 and when the mix will happen.
Then Master!
Then Manufacture!
Then Release!
But, for today: I’ve listened to the reference mixes I walked out of the studio with at 9pm on Saturday night and they are GREAT. I am excited and confident.
So, Thank you all…..
With love
Wendy xoxo
PRE-ORDER ‘THE SHAPE OF HISTORY’ and all purchases of all my albums, all my fabulous merchandise and extras, including box fresh Transvision Vamp vinyl, signed and personalized
Here: https://thewendyjames.com/store
Twitter: https://twitter.com/THEWENDYJAMES
Instagram: http://instagram.com/thewendyjames
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
I hope you all had a good old time of it!
Next week, for two weeks: 15th January – 27th January, I will be back in West London, for what I think will be the final recording session of my 10th Album. I began recording last spring and so many sessions have happened since then! Full band sessions, overdub sessions, the NY piano and keyboards overdubs and now it’s time for James Sclavunos and Alex Ward to come in and put their cherry on top: Percussion, Keyboards, Guitar and finally I will sing all the backing vocals I’ve written: not just harmonies but also whole arrangements.
So many of you have VIP accompanied me in the studio, and just like VIP gigs, it’s a pleasure for me to meet you, spend time with you and get to know you.
From POP ART, VELVETEEN, LITTLE MAGNETS VS THE BUBBLE OF BABBLE, NOW AIN’T THE TIME FOR YOUR TEARS, RACINE 1, RACINE 2, I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS, THE PRICE OF THE TICKET, QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT and now… THE SHAPE OF HISTORY.
Please do pre order ALBUM 10 Deluxe CD, Deluxe Vinyl, Test Pressings, Posters, T-shirts, Artwork Proofs and all my albums on delicious vinyl and CD’s, including some box-fresh TVV vinyls and cds which can be personalized!
https://thewendyjames.com/store
Every sale is going toward the album budget and every sale of THE SHAPE OF HISTORY adds to its first week chart position.
If you want to VIP this final session, please do here:
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-vip-studio-visit/
You will, at this stage of the VIP Visit, either see me/Jim/Alex performing or you’ll literally hear multiple songs from the album!
Your own private listening party!!
Let me know what date suits you: enquiries@thewendyjames.com
My love and thanks as always…
Wendy xoxoxoxoxoxo
Gosh! November! Thanksgiving for Americans….
I posted these pictures on my instagram page of the giant Snoopy balloon floating around 5th Avenue and Central Park, the aerial shot and a brilliant photograph of Snoopy’s head passing by the window of two girls’ apartment block! Captured magically by Elliott Erwitt during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. New York City, 1988.
So, thank you indeed! Just think! Transvision Vamp were already releasing records and having hits when this photo was taken!
SO! ALBUM 10 ‘THE SHAPE OF HISTORY’
I was in London a couple of weeks ago, doing the previous session, integrating all the piano parts I’d recorded in NYC, into the master recordings, and making qualified reference mixes, mixes I can sit at home with and hear everything going on and make detailed criticisms, knowing what needs to happen next. I can say definitively that the last recording session for ALBUM 10 in London will be January 15th-27th so for those of you curious to see and hear what happens in the studio, this is your final chance to attend a recoding session.
Here is how THE SHAPE OF HISTORY opens! Played beautifully by Dave ’The Moose’ Sherman in Brooklyn, NY the other week… it’s the opener for track 1 ’Sweet Like Love’
– Ain’t it pretty!
I think I will make the mix sessions available for VIP but I’m not yet certain who is going to be the mix engineer or where it’s going to happen, so I’d say get your VIP now! Anyone who’s attended will tell you what a pleasure it is for both them and me, (and Al, the engineer) to share the hours together, I chat and get to know you as much as work permits and at the same time, you get to hear and see my new album being made! I recommend the experience!
I’ll be singing backing vocals and Jim and Alex will be in for final guitar, final keyboards and all percussion. Plus more reference mixes.
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-vip-studio-visit/
There’s a vague timeline in my mind for 2024: Finish recording in January. Find a mix engineer and mix the album in March/April-ish, Master in May, get in the manufacturing queue for Vinyl, make the artwork, whilst waiting for vinyl to press, and basically release the
album early summer, with touring to promote for the back end of 2024……
All of this is subject to change of course, one cannot predict other people’s diaries!
Either way, Album 10 ‘THE SHAPE OF HISTORY’ is rounding the last couple of corners and you’ll have it soon. It is SO musical, both direct and subtle, depending on the song and I know you’re going to be in love with it! If you’ve not yet preordered, then Vinyl, CD, Poster, T-Shirt, Artwork Proof and Test Pressings are all available for preorder here:
https://thewendyjames.com/product-category/wendy-james-album-10/
LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FESTIVE SEASON!
Decorations and trees are going up, for those who celebrate Christmas, on the streets there is an abundance of glittering lights! I love Christmas lights! I love fireworks too… Some things never change, I’ve always been delighted by the twinkling magic of nighttime lights and fireworks bursting in the sky… I hope you’ve got a few days respite from your daily routines and a plan to be with people you care about and who care about you, or… if you’re happy being alone and just need some space!! I get that too! I’ll write again in a few weeks time to say “Merry Christmas” but for now, I remind you I’ve got some seriously good quality picture discs in stock: RACINE 2 and Splatter Pattern vinyl for I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS reissue, I’ve got test pressings, rare and collectable, some original Transvision Vamp vinyl I can sign to you (or whomever) and really great merch: from the classic t-shirts: Kurt, Icon, Face, Tatler, to my luxurious hoodies, the ‘1989’ world tour hoodie and the ‘Revolution Baby’ image hoodie, both 4ply organic thick fleecy hoodies! From super cool stickers and patches to a preorder of an artwork proof and of course, my many albums on cd and vinyl… many, many presents for anyone who loves music, art and clothes!!
Buy here: https://thewendyjames.com/store
Here’s a promo clip of the picture disc ‘RACINE 2’ vinyl!
I’M FREAKING OUT, REISSUE PICTURE DISC RACINE 2
I send tons of love, as always, infinite thanks! And see you soon
Wendy xoxo
An update for the next recording sessions!
Hello! Love to you all, I hope all is well!
– An update for the next recording sessions!
– This time last week I was walking alongside the Hudson from Battery Park to W.14th Street, glorious it was too….
During my NYC time I recorded all the keyboards with Dave ‘Moose’ Sherman for my 10th Album ‘THE SHAPE OF HISTORY’. Wonderful work!
Now I’m headed to LDN Shepherds Bush to finish editing the lead guitar and now, all the keyboard parts. A two week stretch! You can get your VIP pass to see/hear the action from my webstore:
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-vip-studio-visit/
I’m at the stage where anyone VIP’ing will hear, more of less, the entire album! It is without a doubt my most advanced record of my life, with songs and production so perfect they defy belief!!! I couldn’t be more happy or more inspired.
After this November editing stage, strings will happen in LA, USA and then backing vocals/percussion/additional overdubs in London…… dates to be announced.
Then…………………. it’s done
Then………………….it’s mix time…..
Wow!
So come to the VIP it’s a pleasure for me to meet you and spend time with you!
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-vip-studio-visit/
– and preorder ‘THE SHAPE OF HISTORY’ every preorder goes toward week one chart position…
https://thewendyjames.com/product-category/wendy-james-album-10/
My last two albums charted at 14 and 16 respectively…. would be lovely to break the top 10……….
I Love You!!
Thank you!!
Wendy xoxo
I am MID-RECORDING!!
Hello Everyone! How has summer been for you?
I am MID-RECORDING!!
Yes, I would say I’m half way through recording ALBUM 10 ‘THE SHAPE OF HISTORY’
– AND it is MAGNIFICENT!
There are multiples of my trademark choppy, new wave, punky songs and there is a stretch too! A 7 minute 80’s dance track, no.10 ‘FREEDOMSVILLE’, combining sounds as wide as Blondie’s ‘Call Me’ to Klaus Nomi to Transvision Vamp’s ‘Trash City’ and another favorite of mine, currently trk 11 ‘THANK YOU FOR THE TIME WE SHARED’ clocking in at only 2.25 minutes but SO soulful, in the vibe of CALIFORNIA SOUL by Marlena Shaw….
BLONDIE – CALL ME: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StKVS0eI85I
KLAUS NOMI – THE COLD SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnkVgKzKPt8
TRANSVISION VAMP – TRASH CITY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3ii6HRL2Vc
MARLENA SHAW – CALIFORNIA SOUL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC2QK6KHnEA
Musicians so far:
WENDY JAMES – VOCALS
JAMES SCLAVUNOS – DRUMS/PERCUSSION
HARRY BOHAY – BASS
ALEX WARD – RHYTHM/LEAD GUITAR + WURLITZER AND PIANO
LOUIS ELIOT – ADDITIONAL GUITAR
Here are two stonking solo’s done by Alex and Louis…… I LOVE them!!!!!!!!!
GUITAR SOLO IN TRACK 11 ‘STEP ASIDE ROADKILL’
GUITAR SOLO IN TRACK 12 ’THANK YOU FOR THE TIME WE SHARED’
I’m off, in two weeks time, back to NYC to record DAVE ‘MOOSE’ SHERMAN (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds) on all keyboard instruments! From Grand Piano to electric synth sounds to theremin and harp!!!!!
I’ll return to London to edit in these parts, do some ref mixes and send them out to Hollywood where Adam Peters, (who used to remix TVV) an orchestral composer and arranger, will write some string parts for the album.
GET A VIP PASS TO THE RECORDING STUDIO! COME AND SEE/HEAR IT HAPPEN! SPEND AN AFTERNOON WITH ME IN THE STUDIO! Next sessions available: the first two weeks of November! Everyone who has done it, has loved it… fascinating behind the scenes times and we get to spend some time together too!
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-vip-studio-visit/
I will then sing all my backing vocals, Jim Sclavunos will do his percussion, any other instruments will be considered at this stage: Horn Section etc or other overdubs….
– and that get’s us to END OF RECORDING!!!!!!
For this album I think I’m going to go looking for a specific MIX ENGINEER, someone who specializes in mixing hit records… it is my 10th album, it is full of musical arrangements and needs to show itself off in the very best way. Mix engineers tend to have different ears to producer ears.
So, all things being said and done, expect to have a finished album by springtime 2024, in manufacture for 3 months and a release date of early summer 2024!
*****Please do preorder, I think I’ve said before, as well as the obvious help it gives me, paying for everything, every preorder is chart eligible so the more I sell before release date the more it helps a healthy chart position.
There is a deluxe VINYL w/ download and a deluxe CD, there are test pressings, artwork proofs, an official tshirt, an official poster – all signed by me xo
https://thewendyjames.com/product-category/wendy-james-album-10/
I have replenished my webstore, which ran a bit low earlier in the year, all the t-shirts are now back in stock:
OFFICIAL ‘THE SHAPE OF HISTORY’
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-official-t-shirt/
THE IMPRESSION OF NORMALCY
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-the-impression-of-normalcy-t-shirt/
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT (BLACK)
https://thewendyjames.com/product/queen-high-straight-official-t-shirt/
TATLER
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-tatler-magazine-t-shirt/
THE FACE
https://thewendyjames.com/product/wendy-james-face-magazine-t-shirt/
THE KURT SHIRT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/wendy-james-transvision-vamp-kurt-shirt-t-shirt/
ICON (BLACK)
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-icon-t-shirt/
THE PRICE OF THE TICKET (WHITE)
https://thewendyjames.com/product/wendy-james-the-price-of-the-ticket-t-shirt/
REVOLUTION BABY HOODIE
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-revolution-baby-hoodie/
TRANSVISION VAMP TOUR HOODIE 1989
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-1989-hoodie/
I have 2 test pressings for I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS
I have the wonderful splatter pattern vinyls (pink/white & red/blue) for I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS
I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS Special Edition Reissue Splatter Pattern Colour 12″ Vinyl *RARE:
https://thewendyjames.com/product/i-came-here-to-blow-minds-12-vinyl-special-edition-reissue-splatter-pattern-colour-vinyl/
I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS Special Edition Reissue Splatter Pattern Colour 12″ Vinyl
https://thewendyjames.com/product/i-came-here-to-blow-minds-special-edition-reissue-splatter-pattern-colour-12″-vinyl/
I have RACINE 2 PICTURE DISC VINYL
https://thewendyjames.com/product/racine-2-picture-disc-12-vinyl-lp/
And – a few box fresh Transvision Vamp vinyl and cd and cassettes to sell………
ALBUM 10 ‘THE SHAPE OF HISTORY’ will be a brilliant bit of work and I am proud to say, marks my 10th album release in all glory for the long, long journey it’s been! So many adventures, trials, jubilations, lessons, struggles, obstacles, life lessons, time changes (from 1987 to 2024!) and yet… of all the things that remain constant: YOU, ME, MUSIC – it hasn’t changed. It remains so joyful and lovely to see you at gigs, hear from you by email and know you via social media posts…… I am so, so, so, grateful and I love you all so much!
Thank you
Love
Wendy xoxoxoxoxoxoxo infinity.
RECORDING ALBUM 10! ‘THE SHAPE OF HISTORY’
Well, the first session is complete! We tracked drums, bass and rhythm guitar… plus guide vocals.
What an incredible session is was…. Smooth, stress free, and full of great music and incredible playing! All 13 songs, each with their own personalities starting to show themselves.
It’s interesting, I have no plan when I write, I look at my large collection of lyrics, pick up the guitar and start playing around, until something, a melody, a rhythm, a lyrical hook develops. I never know what direction the song is going to go in until the chords start suggesting a vibe to me, and then I pick up the trail and start pursuing it!
James Sclavunos joins me on Drums (again), Alex Ward on Rhythm Guitar and Harry Bohay on Bass. All three played on Queen High Straight (although Alex was saxophone on that album, not guitar…)
I shall be playing rhythm guitar too, plus a lead guitarist, a lead piano and organ player, strings, who knows what else!
I can already tell, the album will be incredible… there’s a way to go but it is going to be incredible. Not one detail will be compromised and I shall give everything I have to achieve the very best piece of music.
Having my VIP guests was a delight… you know I relish the chance to meet you, know you, become friends with you and this opportunity I opened up in the studio was just that. I welcomed people into the studio where they watched us rehearse, create and record whichever track we were doing on the day they visited. Thank you all for your presence, we all loved having you with us.
The VIP sessions will continue during the overdub stage so, if you feel like witnessing my work in progress, please do buy here: https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-vip-studio-visit/
There will be many, many dates, so you can find one that works for you. I will announce the next session dates soon.
So! 13 songs – these are the song titles:
WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 ‘THE SHAPE OF HISTORY’
1. SWEET LIKE LOVE
2. A HAPPY LIFE
3. EVERYTHING IS MAGIC
4. MAY I KISS YOU? (JUST ENOUGH TO GET US INTO TROUBLE)
5. THE CRACK AND THE BOOM OF THE CREEPS AND THE GOONS
6. A BIG VICIOUS RUMBLE
7. DO YOU DIG IT? DO YOU LOVE IT? IS IT GROOVY?
8. DON’T LET DAYLIGHT INTO MAGIC
9. THIS DECLARATION OF LOVE
10. FREEDOMSVILLE
11. STEP ASIDE ROADKILL
12. THANK YOU FOR THE TIME WE SHARED
13. THE SHAPE OF HISTORY
We worked 10 days straight per 10 hour days, I’m a little burnt right now, but after a couple of days recovery I shall be ‘up and at ‘em’. It was a fun routine catching the bus along Marylebone Road on the way to the studio, past Regents Park into Harrow Road and my original area, Ladbroke Grove, West London… and at night, taking an Uber back along the Westway, lights and tower blocks twinkling in the night.
So! Onwards… the next stage will be master lead vocals and that will happen in a few weeks time
My 10th Album will be everything you want it to be!
Thank you so much for all your love and support
Preorder THE SHAPE OF HISTORY here: https://thewendyjames.com/product-category/the-shape-of-history/
And of course the many brilliant pieces of music and merchandise I have in store at https://thewendyjames.com/store including a couple of test pressings I still have! ‘Queen High Straight’ double vinyl, Splatter Pattern ‘I Came Here To Blow Minds’ and picture disc ‘Racine 2’, and all my classic t-shirts and posters!
I send you much love, as always
Wendy xoxo
Newsletter Special Announcement!
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10
is called
‘THE SHAPE OF HISTORY’
I shall be writing soon, to all of you who’ve preordered a VIP pass to the recording studio and we can start filling in your diary dates!
Please go ahead and preorder a studio vip here: https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-vip-studio-visit/
I am very excited! I shall be joined, so far, in a musician line-up of James Sclavunos (drums/percussion) Alex Ward (guitar, keyboard, other) David ‘Moose’ Sherman (piano/keys) Adam Peters (strings, other) with more to be announced!!!!
These songs are perfectly constructed for a simple acoustic rendition and very ready for a large production! We shall make something wonderful!
This is my 10th album and it is: THE SHAPE OF HISTORY
Please do go ahead and preorder here: https://thewendyjames.com/product-category/wendy-james-album-10/
With so much love
Wendy xoxo
(This image is a placeholder image until official artwork is designed)
‘I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS’ SPLATTER PATTERN COLOUR VINYL REISSUE IS NOW IN STOCK!
*STOP THE PRESS!
Hello everyone!
This newsletter was scheduled for last Tuesday. However, when the vinyl for ‘I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS’ splatter pattern reissue arrived in the UK, ready for distribution, I discovered that the colour choice I’d ordered was not the same as the vinyl delivered.
I do love the new one, I approve it, so it has immediately become a collector rarity, because I’ve held back 45 copies and the rest are being swapped out for my original colour choice. So, the 45 additional very rare copies are now up for grabs……
For all of you who preordered, your record is on the way and you have something special!
For all you who who did not! Please order a copy! You will briefly (as long as stock lasts) have the choice to receive the Pink/White version in 4 weeks time or the specialty Red/White/Blue now…
RED/WHITE/BLUE Rarity:
PINK/WHITE Original:
As for the vinyl package itself:
This is my ‘break-out’ LP and features 13 original compositions.The songs are typically ranging from my love of New York New Wave Rock n Roll through to more Country Ballad and Phil Spector ‘Wall Of Sound’ production. Reissued now as a Special Edition Colour Splatter 12” vinyl. Not only that… the artwork: jacket, inner-sleeve and labels have been re-envisioned and updated, clearly this is a one-off run of vinyls!
TRACK LISTING
SIDE ONE
1. The Moon Dead in the River (4.57)
2. Where Have You Been, So Long? (4.27)
3. Don’t Shoot – I Ain’t Dillinger (4.41)
4. Municipal Blues (3.26)
5. New Wave Flowered Up Main Street Acid Baby (2.44)
6. Speedball (3.59)
Side One – Total running time: 23 minutes
SIDE TWO
7. No Dice (3.22)
8. You Tell Me (3.46)
9. King Hoodlum (3.26)
10. One Evening, in a Small Café (3.45)
11. These Beggar Memories (4.21)
12. You’re a Fucking Mess, But You Sure Is Pretty (2.19)
13. I Came Here to Blow Minds (3.21)
Side Two – Total running time: 23 minutes
Total Running Time: 46 Minutes
MUSICIANS
Wendy James – Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Keys
Jeremy Orsel – Rhythm & Lead Guitar, Bass Guitar
Hadrien Grange – Drums
Brock Fitzgerald – Guitar
Wade Keighran – Bass, Percussion
Sam Pearton – Drums
All songs written and produced by Wendy James
All songs mixed by Wendy James & Scott Horscroft
Photography by James Traill
Art Direction by Wendy James & China Heights
*Mastered for Vinyl
There are 2 accompanying Artwork Proofs left, which are beautiful and I will personalize to you, and I have 1 Vinyl Test Pressing as well, which I can also sign and personalize AND some hand-written lyrics!
I Came Here To Blow Minds Artwork Proofs:
https://thewendyjames.com/product/i-came-here-to-blow-minds-special-original-artwork-proof-12-vinyl-reissue-signed-personalized/
I Came Here To Blow Minds 12” Vinyl Test Pressing:
https://thewendyjames.com/product/i-came-here-to-blow-minds-12-vinyl-test-pressing-signed-personalized/
IN OTHER GOOD NEWS…
ALBUM 10
Here is a video message I prerecorded at the end of last week! Not only announcing ‘I Came Here To Blow Minds’ availability but also the fact that I’ve finished demo-ing Song 9 of The Wendy James Album 10, it’s called ‘This Declaration Of Love’.
I know I’ve said all along that there would be 10 songs for Album 10 but I do have 2 further ideas so it might be that Album 10 has 12 songs on it!
Either way, the wait for the writing stage is nearly over and I’ll be able to start scheduling the recording sessions and therefore the VIP studio visits too! Don’t worry – the recording process will stretch out over half a year I’m sure, so there will be many dates to choose from!
ALBUM 10
Song Titles so far are:
1. SWEET LIKE LOVE
2. A HAPPY LIFE
3. EVERYTHING IS MAGIC
4. MAY I KISS YOU? (JUST ENOUGH TO GET US INTO TROUBLE)
5. THE CRACK AND THE BOOM OF THE CREEPS AND THE GOONS
6. A BIG VICIOUS RUMBLE
7. DO YOU DIG IT? DO YOU LOVE IT? IS IT GROOVY?
8. DON’T LET DAYLIGHT INTO MAGIC
9. THIS DECLARATION OF LOVE
– and they’re all great!!
Preorder Album 10 at https://thewendyjames.com/product-category/wendy-james-album-10/in a handful of different formats, some of which will include extras and bonuses too (to be decided!)
So, I hope you’re all good and Thank you as always and Love as always
Wendy xo
Splatter Pattern 12″ vinyl ‘I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS’ artwork proofs are in!!
Well, well well…. I have the artwork proofs for my reissue splatter pattern 12″ vinyl of ‘I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS’
They are all correct! So we are into the final 3rd of the pressing!
For those of you who’ve pre ordered the vinyl, the wait is nearly over!
For those of you who’ve bought one of these artwork proofs, I’ll be dedicating them to you and shipping this week!
I ordered 10 proofs, 7 are gone, so there are 3 left at:
There is a test pressing 12″ white label vinyl available:
I love this album so much and am so excited to see it arrive in the splatter pattern version!
Get your copy here:
Tons of love
Wendy xoxo
PS. Reminder that i’m playing at FOREVER YOUNG in Ireland on Saturday 16th July, if you want to VIP!
Here’s the link: https://thewendyjames.com/product/v-i-p-the-wendy-james-gig-pass/
ALBUM 10, AUCTION 3 AND MORE…
Hello Everyone!
I hope you’re all well!
ALBUM 10
I haven’t done a newsletter in a while! I’ve been getting on with my writing of Album 10. I want to have it all written by the end of summer so I can then start scheduling recording sessions. Those of you who’ve bought VIP for the recording sessions will be able to start to choose which dates to come on! If you want a VIP RECORDING spot, where you get to come for the day, see and hear the recording session and hang out, here is the link:
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-vip-studio-visit/
I am up to writing song 8! So, three songs to go, I think 10 songs for Album 10.
I’ve written some beautiful, gentle and sparse numbers, with a lot of emotion and depth going into my lyrics, and, of course, some songs which are instant (Hits! Exciting!! I’m so pleased…) speed rocking grunge, the type of song I seem to come up with, time and time again, on each album! I want to continue pushing myself to write songs which you can all dance to and sing along to and relate to… It will be a big moment for me when I finish writing, and am able to announce it to you all! – and start sending the demos out to my chosen musicians for Album 10 and for them to start making themselves familiar with the songs. Please preorder ALBUM 10, it’s available on Deluxe Vinyl, Deluxe CD, Standard CD, plus preorder of artwork proofs, test pressings, official t-shirt, official poster and of course the VIP studio visits… here:
https://thewendyjames.com/product-category/wendy-james-album-10/
THE WENDY JAMES TRANSVISION VAMP ARCHIVE AUCTION 3
Here it is then! The 3rd part of The Wendy James Transvision Vamp Archive Auction!
This time there is a wider variety of items, ranging from the incredible Enrique Badulescu original collage artworks of photos and design for the campaign of Transvision Vamp’s third and final album Little Magnets versus The Bubble Of Babble, through to Japanese mini discs, still sealed, artwork proofs for the cover of Born To Be Sold and Little Magnets, two Wendy notepads (!), some 12” vinyl picture discs, a Bad Valentine test pressing, some promo only vinyl, a collection of magazine Wendy cover postcards and a couple of VHS performance videos with extras… and they all come bundled with a glossy print photo and 1989 Velveteen Backstage Pass! I will happily sign (and dedicate), so please let me know at checkout when you win your bid! The auction lasts 5 days…
There is something affordable there for everyone, right through to high value collectables…
The auction will be live between 5pm GMT Friday 20th May until 5pm Wednesday 25th May.
Enjoy!!
Here’s the full list:
1. WENDY NOTEPAD (2)
2. ‘THE BUBBLE OF BABBLE’ ARTWORK TEMPLATE (1)
3. ‘BORN TO BE SOLD’ ARTWORK TEMPLATE (1)
4. ‘BAD VALENTINE’ 12” TEST PRESSING (1)
5. ‘POP ART’ 12” PROMO VINYL (1)
6. ‘BABY, I DON’T CARE’ 12” PROMO VINYL (1)
7. ‘REVOLUTION BABY’ 7” VINYL SINGLE (1)
8. ‘THE VELVETEEN SINGLES’ VHS VIDEO COMPILATION (1)
9. ‘IF LOOKS COULD KILL’ VHS VIDEO COMPILATION (1)
10. ‘B WITH U’ 12” WHITE LABEL VINYL (4)
11. ‘I WANT YOUR LOVE’ 12” VINYL MAXI SINGLE (1)
12. ‘POP ART’ 12” VINYL PICTURE DISC (3)
13. ‘REVOLUTION BABY’ 12” VINYL PICTURE DISC (1)
14. ‘BABY, I DON’T CARE’ JAPANESE MINI DISC (1)
15. ‘TELL THAT GIRL TO SHUT UP’ JAPANESE MINI DISC (2)
16. ‘I WANT YOUR LOVE’ JAPANESE MINI DISC (2)
17. ‘LANDSLIDE OF LOVE’ JAPANESE MINI DISC (1)
18. WENDY JAMES MAGAZINE COVER POSTCARD PULL OUT (1)
19. ‘(I JUST WANNA) B WITH U’ ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY ENRIQUE BADULESCU
20. ‘(I JUST WANNA) B WITH U’ ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY ENRIQUE BADULESCU (ALT)
21. ‘WENDY AS A GANGSTER’ ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY ENRIQUE BADULESCU 1
22. ‘WENDY AS A GANGSTER’ ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY ENRIQUE BADULESCU 2
Here is the link to AUCTION 3:
https://thewendyjames.com/product-category/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-archive-auction/
I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS 12” VINYL REISSUE
The splatter pattern 12” vinyl reissue of I Came Here To Blow Minds is in the final stages of manufacture, I should have the artwork proofs ready to send out to those of you who’ve bought them, very soon! The vinyl itself was approved a while ago, but because of Brexit, Covid and a general shortage of Pressing Plants around the world, the queue for vinyl has been more lengthy than usual! My eta for delivery is the summer months… none-the-less, when I do have the vinyls and you have them in your hands, it will have been worth the wait! Not only is it a great album, containing some of my favorite songs, but the look and quality of the vinyl will be so nice! I think there is a test pressing still available for ICHTBM and there are a couple more artwork proofs too…..
I think there is a test pressing still available for ICHTBM and there are a couple more artwork proofs too….. so get those!
Preorder your reissue I Came Here To Blow Minds! Vinyl, Test Pressing, Artwork Proof here:
And finally…….
A GIG!
Though I’m in songwriting stage, I have said I’ll do a special performance in Ireland on Saturday July 16th… it’s at the Forever Young Festival held at Palmerston House Estate in Kildare! I do have some VIP passes available so! See you there! It’ll be so much fun I’m sure!! Here’s the VIP link:
A busy summer! But a good one!
I send my love out to you all…… see you soon, and as always… Thank you
Love
Wendy xoxo
“MAY I KISS YOU? (JUST ENOUGH TO GET US INTO TROUBLE)”
Well… here’s a video of me, playing acoustically, one of my songs I’m writing for ALBUM 10.
I thought you’d all like to hear and see it, I find it very charming, playing like this, and I think I’ll do more as I proceed through my songwriting for Album 10.
I hope you love it…
And pls do preorder Album 10 here: https://thewendyjames.com/product-category/wendy-james-album-10/
So far available are:
MUSIC FORMATS
DELUXE VINYL + DOWNLOAD
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-deluxe-12-vinyl-download-signed/
DELUXE CD
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-deluxe-cd-signed/
STANDARD CD
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-standard-cd-signed/
ARTWORK PROOFS
DELUXE VINYL + DOWNLOAD
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-ltd-edition-original-artwork-proof-deluxe-12-vinyl-signed-personalized/
VINYL 12” TEST PRESSING
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-deluxe-12-vinyl-test-pressing-signed-personalized/
OFFICIAL T-SHIRT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-official-t-shirt/
OFFICIAL POSTER
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-official-poster/
RECORDING STUDIO PASS
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-vip-studio-visit/
Love Wendy xoxo
… and Thank you x
ps. THE VIP PASSES for FOREVER YOUNG FESTIVAL in Ireland at Palmerston House Estate, Kildare on July 16th are now available: https://thewendyjames.com/product/v-i-p-the-wendy-james-gig-pass/
xo
PS. I forgot to mention (!!!)
Also, with this new pressing of ‘I Came Here To Blow Minds’ color splatter 12” vinyl, comes a couple of 12” Vinyl Test Pressings and five full Artwork Proofs!
As you know, the manufacturers and pressing plant send the test pressings to me to check that the master vinyl is correct, before the full run goes into production and ditto the artwork proofs, so I can check every detail/color and also give them the green light to go into production
Both of which I will sign, number and personalize to you!
Both such lovely things to own and frame! I would buy all three, if this is one of your favorite albums, or if you’re a collector! The splatter color vinyl 12”, the test pressing and the artwork proof!
Two very desirable collectors pieces along side the special edition splatter vinyl!
I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS
Special Edition 12” Color Splatter Vinyl
I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS
Special Edition Full Artwork Proof
I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS
12” Vinyl Test Pressing
Much love
Wendy xoxo
HAPPY NEW YEAR! VINYL REISSUE NEWS!!
Happy New Year everyone! I hope you’re all great!
– I have vinyl reissue news!
I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS is in production for vinyl reissue! Not only that… it’s had an upgrade!
It is now as a special edition color splatter 12” vinyl and the artwork: jacket, inner-sleeve and labels have been reimagined and updated! This is a one-off run of vinyls! I love this splatter vinyl color choice and the artwork looks wonderful! I’m very pleased! I love it!
– I love this album so much, it contains so many of my favorite songs, ranging from my love of New York New Wave Rock n Roll through to more Country Ballad and Phil Spector ‘Wall Of Sound’ production, and it also brings me so many great memories! I wrote the album in my apartment in Greenwich Village, NYC, I recorded it with French indie musicians in the left bank of Paris in the tiny and brilliant basement recording studio of the atelier clothing label APC! Such good times! Getting the metro to Rue de Rennes from Trinité – d’Estienne d’Orves on line 12, each morning, grabbing a coffee and pastry and heading in for whole days of magic with the French Musicians: Jeremy Orsel – Rhythm & Lead Guitar, Bass Guitar, Hadrien Grange – Drums.
However! One of the songs, ‘Speedball’ didn’t get done in Paris! It was done in Sydney, Australia in the Surry Hills Area… I was over there DJ’ing and I met a Sydney Indie Band and we decided to go in the studio where one of them worked! It happened to be the studio belonging to Scott Horscroft, a known and successful Australian record producer… we all mic’d and amped up and the whole song was recorded live, including my vocals… Sydney Musicians: Brock Fitzgerald – Guitar, Wade Keighran – Bass, Sam Pearton – Drums,
The whole atmosphere was so enjoyable and yielded such great results that I decided to have Scott co-mix the album with me and wow, it came out great. I actually re-recorded and played everything on ‘These Beggar Memories’ in the control booth of Scotts studio and it is naturally so personal and up-close in it’s sound.
When the whole mix was complete I awoke the next morning and stared out of my warehouse window, across the rooftops of Surry Hills, I put on Nina Simone’s ‘Mr Bojangles’ and was filled with one of those magic moments, where life feels perfect. I love a good rooftop view across a city and it felt so joyous to have made a record I knew was great and which I’d love for ever!
The photographs were taken early, early in the morning by my friend James Traill, outside, on the curb, waking up, going into a photo session by a different photographer. I was barely awake, in my socks! Smoking (I’ve since given up!!) and drinking coffee. The artwork layout was done by the people who’s warehouse loft I was staying in, called China Heights.
Finally the record was mastered for vinyl, expertly by Fred Kevorkian back in NYC, he has mastered all my music for me ever since!
Thank you to all involved!
TRACK LISTING
SIDE ONE
1. The Moon Dead in the River (4.57)
2. Where Have You Been, So Long? (4.27)
3. Don’t Shoot – I Ain’t Dillinger (4.41)
4. Municipal Blues (3.26)
5. New Wave Flowered Up Main Street Acid Baby (2.44)
6. Speedball (3.59)
Side One – Total running time: 23 minutes
SIDE TWO
7. No Dice (3.22)
8. You Tell Me (3.46)
9. King Hoodlum (3.26)
10. One Evening, in a Small Café (3.45)
11. These Beggar Memories (4.21)
12. You’re a Fucking Mess, But You Sure Is Pretty (2.19)
13. I Came Here to Blow Minds (3.21)
Side Two – Total running time: 23 minutes
Total Running Time: 46 Minutes
All songs written and produced by Wendy James
I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS vinyl reissue is currently a preorder here:
****In other news: I have done a stock check on which of my t-shirts are running low and not in production again, so snap up these last limited t-shirts:
Queen High Straight T-Shirt in Black
Small – 4 left, medium – 1 left, xxl – 4 left
https://thewendyjames.com/product/queen-high-straight-official-t-shirt/
Face Magazine
Small – 6 left, XXL – 4 left
https://thewendyjames.com/product/wendy-james-face-magazine-t-shirt/
The Impression Of Normalcy
Small – 4 left, Large – 2 left, XL – 3 left, XXL – 3 left
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-the-impression-of-normalcy-t-shirt/
Every Song Is Dope
XXL – 1 left
https://thewendyjames.com/product/wendy-james-every-song-is-dope-classic-t-shirt/
Tatler
XXL – 2 left
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-tatler-magazine-t-shirt/
So, get yours now!
Much, much LOVE!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Wendy xo
CHRISTMAS WISHES AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS UPDATE
Dear Everyone…
I would like to wish you all a ‘Very Merry Christmas’ and ‘Happy Holidays!’
I hope you are with the people you love and who love you!
If you prefer to be alone, then I hope you’re having a really good time doing what you choose!
– However you decide to spend these last couple of weeks of 2021 and wherever you are…
I send my fondest love and all my thanks for sharing this year with me!
To all of you who came out to my tour! I loved playing for you, I loved meeting so many of you! It was a fantastic time for all of us!
To all of you, not in the UK Mainland where the tour happened, well: I guess I need to start playing shows farther afield and seeing all of you! News to come!
Album 10 will start recording in 2022! So, I look forward to meeting all of you who’ve booked a day as a VIP in the recording studio with me! Details to come! If you like the idea of this, then https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-vip-studio-visit/ for the pass!
Remember my storewide sale is in effect until Midnight GM time December 31st, so get your 15% reduction of everything there… keep going until you’ve got ALL the music! ALL the t-shirts! ALL the posters! ALL the hoodies! ALL preorders for ALBUM 10 and so much more! https://thewendyjames.com/store
Code at checkout: DecemberSale15
I love you all so much!
Thank you for a wonderful time this year
Take care of yourselves and have the best time!
Love
Wendy xoxoxo
THE WENDY JAMES STORE CHRISTMAS SALE IS HERE AGAIN!!
For the month of December 1-31st if you add the code DecemberSale15 at checkout you will get 15% off everything in the store!
https://thewendyjames.com/store
Here’s what you can get:
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT DELUXE DOUBLE VINYL *SIGNED
https://thewendyjames.com/product/queen-high-straight-deluxe-double-gatefold-12-vinyl-signed/
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT DELUXE CD *SIGNED
https://thewendyjames.com/product/queen-high-straight-deluxe-2cd-signed/
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT STANDARD CD
https://thewendyjames.com/product/queen-high-straight-regular-cd/
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
https://thewendyjames.com/product/queen-high-straight-20-track-digital-download/
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT OFFICIAL POSTER
https://thewendyjames.com/product/queen-high-straight-official-poster/
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT OFFICIAL T-SHIRT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/queen-high-straight-official-t-shirt/
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT RECORDING SESSION LYRIC SHEETS *SIGNED & PERSONALIZED
https://thewendyjames.com/product/original-and-one-of-a-kind-wendy-james-queen-high-straight-notated-and-personalized-lyric-sheet-signed/
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT RECORDING SESSION MIX NOTES *SIGNED & PERSONALIZED
https://thewendyjames.com/product/original-and-one-of-a-kind-wendy-james-queen-high-straight-personalized-recording-and-mix-notes-signed/
THE OFFICIAL ‘THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’ T-SHIRT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-official-the-price-of-the-ticket-t-shirt-in-colour/
THE TATLER MAGAZINE T-SHIRT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-tatler-magazine-t-shirt/
THE WENDY JAMES ‘EVERY SONG IS DOPE T-SHIRT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/wendy-james-every-song-is-dope-classic-t-shirt/
THE WENDY JAMES / FACE MAGAZINE T-SHIRT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/wendy-james-face-magazine-t-shirt/
THE WENDY JAMES / TRANSVISION VAMP ‘KURT SHIRT’ T-SHIRT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/wendy-james-transvision-vamp-kurt-shirt-t-shirt/
THE WENDY JAMES ‘THE IMPRESSION OF NORMALCY’ T-SHIRT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-the-impression-of-normalcy-t-shirt/
THE WENDY JAMES / TRANSVISION VAMP ‘ICON’ T-SHIRT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-icon-t-shirt/
THE WENDY JAMES / TRANSVISION VAMP ’1989’ HOODIE
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-1989-hoodie/
THE WENDY JAMES / TRANSVISION VAMP ‘REVOLUTION BABY’ HOODIE
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-revolution-baby-hoodie/
THE PRICE OF THE TICKET CD
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-price-of-the-ticket-cd/
YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER + FAREWELL TO LOVE 7” VINYL
https://thewendyjames.com/product/youre-a-dirtbomb-lester-farewell-to-love-7-vinyl/
RACINE 2 12″ VINYL PICTURE DISC
https://thewendyjames.com/product/racine-2-picture-disc-12-vinyl-lp/
RACINE 2 DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
https://thewendyjames.com/product/racine-2-digital-download/
ICON POSTER
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-icon-poster/
IF LOOKS COULD KILL POSTER
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-if-looks-could-kill-poster/
THE WENDY FUCKING JAMES PATCH
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-patch/
THE WENDY FUCKING JAMES STICKERS
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-stickers/
You can also pre-order a selection of WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10!
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 DELUXE 12” VINYL
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-deluxe-12-vinyl-download-signed/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 DELUXE CD
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-deluxe-cd-signed/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 STANDARD CD
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-standard-cd-signed/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 OFFICIAL T-SHIRT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-official-t-shirt/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 OFFICIAL POSTER
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-official-poster/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 ORIGINAL ARTWORK PROOF 12” VINYL
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-ltd-edition-original-artwork-proof-deluxe-12-vinyl-signed-personalized/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 ORIGINAL ARTWORK PROOF DELUXE CD
https://thewendyjames.com/product/he-wendy-james-album-10-ltd-edition-original-artwork-proof-deluxe-cd/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 ORIGINAL ARTWORK PROOF STANDARD CD
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-ltd-edition-original-artwork-proof-standard-cd-signed-personalized/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 12” VINYL TEST PRESSING
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-deluxe-12-vinyl-test-pressing-signed-personalized/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 RECORDING STUDIO VISIT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-vip-studio-visit/
I ship worldwide!
https://thewendyjames.com/store
Have the best December everyone! Enjoy the sale and fill your stockings and under your tree with THE WENDY JAMES STORE
*If you don’t do Christmas, well – just treat yourself and take advantage of the discount!
xoxoxo
NEW TSHIRT AND RESTOCKED MERCH
I’m so excited to announce to you my new design T-Shirt!
‘THE IMPRESSION OF NORMALCY’
You’ll recognize the photo from my video shoot for THE IMPRESSION OF NORMALCY by David Leigh Dodd – my speed-punk number from Queen High Straight.
In the shot:
A vintage 1967 #FenderTwinReverb amplifier and all round microphone classic #ShureSM58gig mic. (I use the Beta58 when I sing live).
This photo is just too damn good to not be a t-shirt. Preorder now, delivery in about 10 days…
The T-Shirt features the photo, the title, some lyrics from THE IMPRESSION OF NORMALCY and is produced on 100% soft white cotton in a classic unisex round neck, straight cut shape and available in S. M. L. XL. XXL.
I LOVE IT!
Get one now!
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-the-impression-of-normalcy-t-shirt/
Love
Wendy xx
PS. I’ve stocked up on all the merchandise that sold out on tour so there are good amounts of everything instore again now AND some new releases to be announced asap!
THE WENDY JAMES STORE: https://thewendyjames.com/store
I’m so excited to announce a DECEMBER 22ND LONDON SHOW!
THE WENDY JAMES BAND will be performing at the legendary 100 CLUB on Wednesday 22nd December!
Doors 8 – 12pm
On Stage 9pm
Late Bar!
TICKETS: https://bit.ly/3oTqEh0
VIP: https://thewendyjames.com/store
So many of you came to repeat shows throughout my UK tour and the gigs were incredible, so let’s have one last blow out of the year!!
Come to THE 100 CLUB for the BEST GIG IN TOWN!
THE WENDY JAMES BAND
Love
Wendy xo
WHAT A GREAT TOUR!
Hi Everyone!
How are you all? I hope very well!
The Tour
It is now 9 days after the final show on my 28 date UK tour with THE WENDY JAMES BAND!
My first two days home were spent unpacking and sleeping! I’m just about getting back in the swing of things but there is so much to do!
I’m desperately trying to reach an empty headspace and calendar where I can just immerse myself in the constant writing of my ALBUM 10. Next week I will listen to the songs I had demo’d before setting out on tour and then move on from that. I want to make Album 10 as spectacular as I possibly can, something that will musically and lyrically amaze both you and me. I have my sights set high and my ideas are coming together for both the direction and production.
*Please do preorder all manner of ALBUM 10 items: Vinyl, CD’s T-Shirts, Posters, rare Test Pressings, Artwork Proofs etc, as before, limited numbers apply, there are finite amounts of test pressings and artwork proofs I can receive…
Order here: https://thewendyjames.com/product-category/wendy-james-album-10/
Playing all my varied songs on this tour The Wendy James Band has just done made me so, so happy, to play, to sing, to hear and feel all the music I’ve written and then to see you all react to it, older songs and newer songs, favorites alike. I tend to live in the moment, not the past or the future, and so it’s been exhilarating and really life affirming to meet you all and hear your stories of how you first saw me perform a gig or on television, where you were, how old you were and what it meant to you. The history I now carry with me, and in you, all the emotions and stories, I am so lucky to have lived my life like this. Thank you!
Thank you for your reactions to the shows! To see you loving the music and the performance is everything I wish for.
Thank you for all those brilliant after-show merchandise signings/selfies/stories! Wow! … And my V. I.P. guests, who are now part of our traveling Rock n Roll family! So many faces to names have been synched! I recognize many of your names from social media comments or when you buy something from my store, but not really what you look like, now I know and it’s wonderful! We can greet each other with very happy familiarity next time!
The Wendy James Band are so very good! We had the best fun touring around the UK (I love motorway stops and cheese sandwiches!), of course we worked very hard in rehearsals and arrived at our first show in Blackpool match fit. We rehearsed 10 hours a day for 2 weeks and then the shows themselves! Our gigs reached a level of quality you can only get when you do a lengthy tour, when you hone the music perfectly, hit cruise control and really enjoy it. You’ve now all witnessed Jordan Cook on Drums, Leo Kurunis on Bass, Andrew Saunders and Alex Ward on Guitar and Keyboards and Pip Stakem on lead Guitar! It’s a very good band! A band that can handle and achieve anything!
I have a big touring idea, which I am now, just beginning, to explore with an agent and a promoter. It would get me into international territories and bring both my old music and new music to countries outside of the UK. I will make this announcement when it’s ‘for sure’. Toward the end of this tour we just completed, I did start telling people my idea! So I know some of you know and I know it was met with 100% approval!
THANK YOU!
The Merchandise
All my Music, T-Shirts and Posters are now back in my online store, so if you missed out on any of them on the road, here they are: https://thewendyjames.com/store
Nearly all the hoodies sold out, so I’ve ordered more of those, ditto the Kurt Shirt and The Icon T-Shirt!
Here are the last numbers for these items, so get them now!
Every Song Is Dope T-Shirt
https://thewendyjames.com/product/wendy-james-every-song-is-dope-classic-t-shirt/
S – OUT OF STOCK
M – OUT OF STOCK
L – 1
XL – OUT OF STOCK
XXL – 1
You’re A Dirtbomb, Lester 7” Vinyl – 21
https://thewendyjames.com/product/youre-a-dirtbomb-lester-farewell-to-love-7-vinyl/
Queen High Straight T-Shirt
https://thewendyjames.com/product/queen-high-straight-official-t-shirt/
S – 4
M – 1
L – OUT OF STOCK
XL OUT OF STOCK
XXL – 4
Tatler T-Shirt
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-tatler-magazine-t-shirt
S – OUT OF STOCK
M – OUT OF STOCK
L – OUT OF STOCK
XL – OUT OF STOCK
XXL – 2
RACINE 2 Picture Disc – 25
https://thewendyjames.com/product/racine-2-picture-disc-12-vinyl-lp/
Queen High Straight Poster – 25
https://thewendyjames.com/product/queen-high-straight-official-poster/
There is a new t-shirt coming online soon, and some re-pressed vinyl for I Came Here To Blow Minds and The Price Of The Ticket. I’ll let you know when you can put your orders in!
Mission Accomplished
So! Mission Accomplished! After 3 Covid delays my tour happened without any hitch, without anyone getting ill and in some amazing venues! Thank you to all the bookers and promoters who brought my band into their venues! There is not a gig I didn’t love… I had no idea anything could be better than the amazing reception we received in Blackpool! But boy oh boy, how incredible you all were! Leeds Brudenell, Glasgow King Tuts, Brighton Patterns, London o2 Islington, Manchester Deaf Institute, Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach… I’m just going to list them all! Nottingham Bodega, Norwich Arts Centre, Stoke Sugarmil, Truro Old Bakery, Bristol Fleece, Oxford o2, Guildford Boileroom, Cambridge Junction, Tunbridge Wells Forum, Queens Hall Nuneaton, Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms, Gloucester Guildhall, Barrow Underground Music Society, Jimmys Liverpool, Birmingham Institute, Leicester Firebug, Newcastle Cluny, Edinburgh Bannermans, Swansea Cinema & Co and The Parish in Huddersfield!
I’m just so grateful and happy to have played for you all, to have met so many of you and for it to have been such a success. We all needed this to happen, after such a long wait, missing live shows for so long and having been away from gatherings, it was so exciting, so necessary for us to all be together again. It felt so good!
Once again: Thank you.
There will be more news soon!
So… take care, tons of love
Always
Wendy xo
THE IMPRESSION OF NORMALCY
Shot in Rome last Saturday… Here is the video for…
THE IMPRESSION OF NORMALCY
‘The Impression Of Normalcy’ is track 16 of my 20 Track Deluxe Album ‘QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT’. It is a perfect speed-punk moment in the last quarter of the album! Originally I’d written it more in the vein of Nirvana: quiet verse, loud chorus and I guess it was mid-tempo. Having started in on recording rehearsals, James Sclavunos put his sticks in the air, from behind his drum kit, and said “Can we speed this fucking song up?”
So… we went to the extreme and basically thrashed and shredded this song out, I then edited it down so it’s a perfect three and a half minutes of pop speed punk!
Video by Doddywood
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT is out on Deluxe Double Vinyl, Deluxe CD, Standard CD and Download
Plus there is a 15% discount offered throughout my webstore: https://thewendyjames.com/store until this coming Saturday night! Code at checkout: AllJuly15
See you on tour!
Direct ticket links and VIP via https://thewendyjames.com/live
Wendy xo
WENDY JAMES WILL (FINALLY) TOUR THE UK AUGUST, SEPTEMBER + OCTOBER 2021
TOUR PREVIEW:
When Wendy James released her 5th solo album QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT on 1st May 2020 to critical acclaim, she was supposed to be heading out on a UK tour. But as Covid-19 hit and the world went into lockdown, Wendy had to reschedule her tour three times.
Reflecting, Wendy says, “The venues, who’ve been under extraordinary pressure to stay afloat, were inundated with every single band rescheduling! But! We did it… Thank you to the venues, the promoters and of course thank you to the National Health Service, my love to anyone and everyone who has lost someone to this pandemic, thank you to you all for getting vaccinated and helping open our collective lives again! And… Thank you to THE WENDY JAMES BAND! Most musicians have had to find other ways of money earning because they simply couldn’t work their chosen vocation… very hard indeed, but my band did what they had to do, and we’re still standing and happier than ever to be heading into rehearsals to get this mammoth setlist learnt and then hit the road! Finally!”
She will embark on a whopping 28-date tour of the UK on 26th August. “From Truro to Paisley and from Norwich to Swansea and everywhere in between!” she exclaims with her infectious enthusiasm. “Not only are we celebrating a return to live venues, we are celebrating my No.16 album QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT, and also a different set list every night, from Transvision Vamp through all my albums! It’s a tour not to miss, and one which will not happen again, like this!”
An English singer-songwriter born in London, Wendy exploded onto the British music scene in 1988 as the fearless front woman of chart-topping alt-rockers Transvision Vamp. When the band broke up Wendy went on to collaborate with Elvis Costello, James Williamson (Iggy & the Stooges), Lenny Kaye (The Patti Smith Group) and James Sclavunos (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds), who joins her on drums and percussions for QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT. Also joining her on this album are James Sedwards (lead guitar), Harry Bohay (bass), Alex J. Ward & Terry Edwards (horn section) and Louis Vause (accordion).
Wendy began writing QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT after a long stretch of writing/recording/delivering/touring her previous album ‘The Price Of The Ticket’, which charted in the UK at No.14. Wendy says of the title track, “I gravitated toward some jazzy type of chords which lent a gentle lilt to the song, it sounded smooth and it reminded me of when I was a young child listening to Sergio Mendes ‘Brasil ’66’! Some of those lovely chord progressions, some of that lovely harmonizing the singers did and of course Bacharach and David.”
“Overall, my taste and style have not changed with time,” Wendy says. “The music that excites me now, ultimately, is the same as when I was starting out songwriting and back through my days in Transvision Vamp. I continue to marvel at Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground, I continue to be blown away by The Stooges, I continue to be everlastingly enthralled by Bob Dylan, but of course, the older one gets the more one discovers and I am now informed more cohesively and fully by all the music, new and old, which settles into my consciousness.
“My track listings are never altered from the order in which I write the songs, maybe it’s because it’s too tangential for me to try to shuffle songs around but really I think, in some kind of holistic way, the order in which the songs are written must surely be the very most natural order for them to be listed in. Around song 14 ‘Bliss Hotel’ I hit a wall. I did not know where the inspiration was going to come from! But then somehow, miraculously, it comes again and one pushes on through, as it turned out, to some of my favourite songs on the entire album. My perfect moment? song 18 ‘Cancel It… I’ll See Him On Monday’; it was a ‘Eureka’ moment. I ran outside and started dancing, “I’ve got it! I’ve got it!!!”
Elsewhere on the album, Wendy embraces Motown with ‘Here Comes The Beautiful One’ and ‘Little Melvin’, she returns, once again, to her favourite guitar guttural filth and sex for ‘Perilous Beauty’ and an unlikely sounding love song in ‘Chicken Street’, 90’s pop groove in ‘Ratfucking’, melancholia in ‘Testimonial’, Django Reinhardt whimsy in ‘I’ll Be Here When The Morning Comes’. On ‘The Impression Of Normalcy’, Wendy says, “Thanks to James Sclavunos, who told me to “speed the fucking song up”, I have a proper speed punk song.” Finally, track 20 ‘Kill Some Time Blues’ is the ultimate 60’s girl group number.
Wendy last toured the UK in 2019 with THE WENDY JAMES BAND opening for The Psychedelic Furs, and was a huge success.
TOUR DATES
BLACKPOOL WATERLOO MUSIC BAR – THURSDAY 26TH AUGUST
NORWICH ARTS CENTRE – FRIDAY 27TH AUGUST
STOKE SUGARMILL – SATURDAY 28TH AUGUST
TRURO OLD BAKERY STUDIOS – TUESDAY 31ST AUGUST
CARDIFF CLWB IFOR BACH – WEDNESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER
BRISTOL FLEECE – THURSDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER
OXFORD O2 ACADEMY2 – FRIDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER
GUILDFORD BOILEROOM – SATURDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER
CAMBRIDGE JUNCTION – TUESDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER
TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM – WEDNESDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER
QUEENS HALL NUNEATON – THURSDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER
PORTSMOUTH WEDGEWOOD ROOMS – FRIDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER
GLOUCESTER GUILDHALL – SATURDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER
BARROW UNDERGROUND MUSIC SOCIETY – TUESDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER
MANCHESTER DEAF INSTITUTE – WEDNESDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER
NOTTINGHAM BODEGA – THURSDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER
LIVERPOOL JIMMY’S – FRIDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER
BIRMINGHAM O2 INSTITUTE3 – SATURDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER
LEICESTER FIREBUG – TUESDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER
NEWCASTLE CLUNY – WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER
GLASGOW KING TUTS – THURSDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER
PAISLEY ROCKNROLLAS – FRIDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER
EDINBURGH BANNERMANS – SATURDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER
SWANSEA CINEMA & CO – TUESDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER
LEEDS BRUDENELL – WEDNESDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER
BRIGHTON CONCORDE 2 – THURSDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER
LONDON O2 ACADEMY2 ISLINGTON – FRIDAY 1ST OCTOBER
HUDDERSFIELD THE PARISH – SATURDAY 2ND OCTOBER
Tickets available via: https://thewendyjames.com/live/
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT TRACK LISTING
1. Queen High Straight
2. Perilous Beauty
3. Free Man Walk
4. Stomp Down, Snuck Up
5. Little Melvin
6. Marlene et Fleur
7. A Heart Breaking Liar’s Promise
8. Here Comes The Beautiful One
9. Chicken Street
10. Testimonial
11. Bar Room Brawl & Benzedrine Blues
12. Ratfucking
13. She Likes To Be (Underneath Somebody)
14. Bliss Hotel
15. Freak In
16. The Impression Of Normalcy
17. I’ll Be Here When The Morning Comes
18. Cancel It… I’ll See Him On Monday
19. Sugar Boy
20. Kill Some Time Blues
All songs written, produced and mixed by Wendy James.
The album is available as a 20-track deluxe gatefold double vinyl, gatefold deluxe CD, regular CD and Digital Download / Streaming.
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT is available from https://thewendyjames.com/store and this store is the main driver for all of Wendy’s recordings and associated art, t-shirts, all things Wendy.
For further information please contact Alix Wenmouth at Wasted Youth PR on 07760 105469 or email alix@wastedyouthpr.com
THE WENDY JAMES STORE SUMMER SALE!!
Hello Everyone!! I hope you’re all well!
I’m doing a Summer Sale on everything at THE WENDY JAMES STORE
For the entire month of July you can get 15% by adding the code at checkout: AllJuly15
Here is what’s in the store:
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT DELUXE DOUBLE VINYL *SIGNED
https://thewendyjames.com/product/queen-high-straight-deluxe-double-gatefold-12-vinyl-signed/
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT DELUXE CD *SIGNED
https://thewendyjames.com/product/queen-high-straight-deluxe-2cd-signed/
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT STANDARD CD *SIGNED
https://thewendyjames.com/product/queen-high-straight-regular-cd-signed/
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
https://thewendyjames.com/product/queen-high-straight-20-track-digital-download/
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT OFFICIAL POSTER
https://thewendyjames.com/product/queen-high-straight-official-poster/
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT OFFICIAL T-SHIRT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/queen-high-straight-official-t-shirt/
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT DOUBLE 12” VINYL TEST PRESSING (ONLY 2 SETS AVAILABLE) *SIGNED AND PERSONALIZED
https://thewendyjames.com/product/queen-high-straight-double-12-vinyl-test-pressing-signed-2/
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT RECORDING SESSION LYRIC SHEETS *SIGNED & PERSONALIZED
https://thewendyjames.com/product/original-and-one-of-a-kind-wendy-james-queen-high-straight-notated-and-personalized-lyric-sheet-signed/
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT RECORDING SESSION MIX NOTES *SIGNED & PERSONALIZED
https://thewendyjames.com/product/original-and-one-of-a-kind-wendy-james-queen-high-straight-personalized-recording-and-mix-notes-signed/
THE OFFICIAL ‘THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’ T-SHIRT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-official-the-price-of-the-ticket-t-shirt-in-colour/
THE TATLER MAGAZINE T-SHIRT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-tatler-magazine-t-shirt/
THE WENDY JAMES / FACE MAGAZINE T-SHIRT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/wendy-james-face-magazine-t-shirt/
THE WENDY JAMES / TRANSVISION VAMP ‘KURT SHIRT’ T-SHIRT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/wendy-james-transvision-vamp-kurt-shirt-t-shirt/
ICON T-SHIRT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-icon-t-shirt/
1989 HOODIE
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-1989-hoodie/
REVOLUTION BABY HOODIE
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-revolution-baby-hoodie/
ALL GIGS VIP PASS
https://thewendyjames.com/product/v-i-p-the-wendy-james-gig-pass/
THE PRICE OF THE TICKET CD
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-price-of-the-ticket-cd/
YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER + FAREWELL TO LOVE 7” VINYL
https://thewendyjames.com/product/youre-a-dirtbomb-lester-farewell-to-love-7-vinyl/
RACINE 2 12″ VINYL PICTURE DISC
https://thewendyjames.com/product/racine-2-picture-disc-12-vinyl-lp/
ICON POSTER
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-icon-poster/
IF LOOKS COULD KILL POSTER
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-if-looks-could-kill-poster/
THE WENDY FUCKING JAMES PATCH AND STICKER SET
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-patch-and-stickers-bundle/
THE WENDY FUCKING JAMES PATCH
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-patch/
THE WENDY FUCKING JAMES STICKER SET
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-stickers/
YOU CAN ALSO PRE-ORDER A SELECTION OF THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10
– which is coming along really well! I’m very excited, inspired and happy with the songs I’ve written so far!
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 DELUXE 12” VINYL
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-deluxe-12-vinyl-download-signed/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 STANDARD CD
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-standard-cd-signed/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 OFFICIAL T-SHIRT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-official-t-shirt/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 OFFICIAL POSTER
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-official-poster/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 ORIGINAL ARTWORK PROOF 12” VINYL
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-ltd-edition-original-artwork-proof-deluxe-12-vinyl-signed-personalized/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 ORIGINAL ARTWORK PROOF DELUXE CD
https://thewendyjames.com/product/he-wendy-james-album-10-ltd-edition-original-artwork-proof-deluxe-cd/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 ORIGINAL ARTWORK PROOF STANDARD CD
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-ltd-edition-original-artwork-proof-standard-cd-signed-personalized/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 12” VINYL TEST PRESSING
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-deluxe-12-vinyl-test-pressing-signed-personalized/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 RECORDING STUDIO VISIT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-vip-studio-visit/
I ship worldwide!
ENJOY YOUR SUMMER!
ENJOY MY SUMMER SALE!
Add code: AllJuly15 at checkout!
AND SEE YOU ON THE WENDY JAMES UK TOUR FROM AUGUST 26TH UNTIL OCTOBER 2ND!
GET YOUR TICKETS HERE: https://thewendyjames.com/live
GET YOUR VIP PASSES HERE: https://thewendyjames.com/store
Love,
Wendy xxxx
1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT’S RELEASE
1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT’S RELEASE
Hi Everyone!
Today is May 1st, incredibly… one whole year since the release of QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT, last year in pandemic year 2020!
I thought I’d take a moment to remember the making of and the run up to it’s release!
Quite a few of you visited the various recording studios I worked in on Queen High Straight and saw the kind of intense detail that went into the recording, some of you saw vocal sessions! Some of you saw whole band sessions and if I recall correctly, some saw the horn and woodwind overdubs too!
I have incredible musical memories from the recording sessions, aided and abetted by world class engineers who worked hours and hours and hours to help me get onto tape what it was, as producer, I needed to hear.
One particular memory is trumpet player Terry Edwards playing in unison with James Sedwards perfect guitar solo in Track 17 ‘I’ll Be Here When The Morning Comes’ to watch and hear them play with this feel and precision was awesome. The clarinet playing on Track 1 ‘Queen High Straight’ is Alex Ward improvising from the top of the song to the bottom and playing so many beautiful motifs from which I could cherry pick, and it makes the whole song so dreamy. Louis Vause’s extraordinary accordion playing in the Middle 8 of Track 18 ‘Cancel It… I’ll See Him On Monday’ makes that whole hobo sound of jumping on freight trains somewhere out in the dust bowl of the USA and making it to Nashville!
My music, as well as being well written pop and rock songs, also create little musical movies, the lyrics and the sounds tell each song’s story…
Video for Queen High Straight
I flit from the night-time streets of Soho, London in the 1950’s and ’60s, in the French House and the Colony Rooms with London’s underworld hi and lo in Track 10 ‘Testimonial’, through to 1970’s Malibu and the Pacific Coast Highway in Track 4 ‘Stomp Down, Snuck Up’, Ladies of the night on Rue Saint Denis in Paris in Track 13 ‘She Likes To Be (Underneath Somebody)’, Street Crime in 1990’s Baltimore, USA in Track 5 ‘Little Melvin’, The pursuit and fight for Civil Rights in Track 3 ‘Free Man Walk’, and back in time for Track 6 ‘Marlene et Fleur’ conjuring the annexation of Jewish Ghettos in Germany before the mass extermination began in World War II. A war that was fought to preserve Democracy in the West against the rise of Fascism. I love track 14 ‘Bliss Hotel’, I sing “Just hit your marks, Stay in the light and Do the same thing, Do the same thing, Do the same thing…” about the somewhat rote banality of finding a formula for success and then just rinse and repeat. Something I can genuinely say I’ve avoided in my musical life! I love my speed punk Track 16 ‘The Impression Of Normalcy’ – as I wrote in the liner notes for the Double Vinyl and Deluxe CD release of Queen High Straight, my demo for this song was far more along the lines of a Nirvana-esque mid-tempo quiet verse, loud chorus but my wonderful drummer James Sclavunos shouted out from behind his kit, after a few practice runs, “Can we speed the fucking thing up?” And how right he was! – it’s one of my favorite songs on the album and I’m still intending to make it back to Rome to shoot a video for it with David Leigh Dodd, who you all know by now as the photographer for the entire presentation of this album and also the accompanying videos, which unbelievably he shoots on iPhone and edits too…
Video for Cancel It… I’ll See Him On Monday’
All the musicians on Queen High Straight are phenomenal, Harry Bohay came up with and played the most perfect bass lines and in the studio had them down within 2 takes, he is just so naturally gifted, if you follow him on instagram you get to see him play guitar, bass, and beautiful pedal steel. James Sedwards on lead and rhythm guitar, James came into the studio loaded with so many perfect melodies for the guitar as well as the power riffs I love so much! I am in a very happy place musically where I work with such gifted musicians.
Once the album was finished, the artwork complete, off went the parts, as they are called, to the pressing plant in Poland in December. Little did we know that a pandemic was looming!! I was in New York in January as the news from China was permeating and now we know cases were already in the US, from China and from The UK and Europe, I remember saying “there’s no way it will still be around in May” when my tour for Queen High Straight was originally scheduled to start! Of course how uninformed and naive we all were… now one year later we are slowly making our way out of emergency measures and my tour, having been rescheduled 3 times is now going ahead, later in the year! The poor pressing plant in Poland was hit badly, people sick and otherwise furloughed like nearly every business during pandemic, but somehow, thanks to the coordinator Liz Brown at Key Production, everything was delivered perfectly and on time, including the lovely man from Lithuania who drove from Poland to France to bring me thousands of covers to sign, then drove them back to Poland to be assembled with their CD’s and Vinyls! The poor guy arrived one day early and so with masks and gloves on, we helped him forklift the boxes from his lorry and carry them up flights of stairs to a room where I emptied all the boxes and just sat there and signed, signed, signed until about 6pm that same day where we loaded them back onto the lorry, gave him some food (he was only eating mini-packs of cereal) and off he went. Miraculously the records made it to their distribution hubs in Los Angeles and London and with the inevitable postal delays of COVID permitting, we delivered QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT, to those of you who’d preordered, on May 1 or during that week!
The rest is history, right? The best reviews of my life! Not least of all from you, the fans, you’ve all been so incredible in telling me how much you’ve loved this album, to this day, many of you say it’s still on constant play As it should be!! We’ve communicated well! Even having you choose your pick of a single to go to Radio! Track 6 ‘Marlene et Fleur,’ coupled with Track 20 ‘Kill Some Time Blues’
Video for Kill Some Time Blues
So! Thank you very much for your love of QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT – if you don’t yet have it, you must!
Buy here: https://thewendyjames.com/store
Here’s a look back at the video I made and released on May 1 2020 to celebrate the release!
Video for Wendy’s party of 1 in COVID isolation!
2021 TOUR NEWS!
My live band THE WENDY JAMES BAND are Wendy James on Vocals, Leo Kurunis on Bass Jordan Cook on Drums, Rupert Greaves on Keyboard and Guitar, Pip Stakem on Guitar, Alex Ward on Keyboard and Guitar. Finally! We will see you out on the road in a few months time! Starting on August 26th in Blackpool, the much delayed tour is now going ahead! We are traversing mainland UK for 5 nights on, 2 nights off for 5 straight weeks! Taking in everywhere from Truro to Paisley!
Get your tickets here: https://thewendyjames.com/live
Get your VIP passes here: https://thewendyjames.com/product/v-i-p-the-wendy-james-gig-pass/
We will go further afield in 2022, coming to Northern and Southern Ireland and Europe for sure and then on to USA, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and more I hope!
My band and I are rehearsing up 3 hours worth of material from all my albums, from Transvision Vamp, through to the two RACINE albums, I Came Here To Blow Minds, The Price Of The Ticket and of course a large helping of Queen High Straight. From this massive list of songs we will be able to do a revolving and different set list per night! So, if you can, come to more than one show! It’s a massive and comprehensive tour of the UK and one I cannot think I will do again! So this could well be the last time you get to see me live in so many places on the map! It will be an incredible tour, we are all so looking forward to it. Rehearsals are booked for the 1st August and we will be ready for you on August 26th! Back in the van, loaded high with Alan Partridge DVD’s – here we come!!
See you there!
ALBUM 10 NEWS!
Now, I’m so happy with Album 10 progress.. I’m nearly onto Song 4, and the first three songs are dynamite. I am really, really pushing myself, I am trying for melodies, which as soon as you’ve heard them, you cannot stop singing! Once again, I can start to imagine the full production and the thrill of recording with the musicians…
This album inevitably is rather special. It’s my 10th Album and I mean to make it one to love and cherish. A landmark piece of work.
Please do go ahead and preorder THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 here: https://thewendyjames.com/product-category/wendy-james-album-10/
There are various formats available, official posters, t-shirts, and the limited edition of artwork proofs… which I sign and personalize. There is also the chance, once again, to visit the studio during recording!
**I’ve also added to the items in my store, as you know: the Icon and If Looks Could Kill posters, the t-shirts and the Revolution Baby and 1989 hoodies!
For clothing and posters here:
https://thewendyjames.com/product/racine-2-picture-disc-12-vinyl-lp/
So, now, I must go back to my guitar and see if I remember what I wrote last night! That’s how I test it out, if it sticks then it sticks, if it doesn’t then it doesn’t!
A2 IF LOOKS COULD KILL & ICON POSTER
My love to you all! See you soon!
And Congratulations QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT! You’re one year old!
Lots of love
Wendy xo
SPRING WEEKEND
Hello Everyone!! I hope you’re well!
NEWS!
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10
Song 1 of THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 is complete in guide form! I’m very excited about this! I can already hear the production I want for this song and soon I’m going to send it out to my musicians to start having a play around with it! I’m actively writing Song 2 as I break off to write this update!
You can preorder ALBUM 10 in various forms here: https://thewendyjames.com/product-category/wendy-james-album-10/
This is what is available to date:
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 DELUXE 12” VINYL
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-deluxe-12-vinyl-download-signed/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 DELUXE CD
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-deluxe-cd-signed/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 STANDARD CD
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-standard-cd-signed/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 OFFICIAL T-SHIRT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-official-t-shirt/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 OFFICIAL POSTER
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-official-poster/
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 ORIGINAL ARTWORK PROOF 12” VINYL
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 ORIGINAL ARTWORK PROOF DELUXE CD
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 ORIGINAL ARTWORK PROOF STANDARD CD
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 12” VINYL TEST PRESSING
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 RECORDING STUDIO VISIT
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-album-10-vip-studio-visit/
Of course any purchase you make goes toward the enormous climb it is, each time, to afford to record an album… I don’t have a record label or a huge amount of savings to make this easy! It’s purely down to what I earn… so, I Thank you in advance and I promise the music will not disappoint, I’m sure you know that!!
NEW MERCHANDISE
Buy here: https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-1989-hoodie/
Buy here: https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-revolution-baby-hoodie/
Buy here: https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-icon-t-shirt/
Yes, indeed! I have added to the store 2 Hoodies! The ‘1989’ Wendy James/Transvision Vamp Tour Hoodie and the ‘Revolution Baby’ Wendy James / Transvision Vamp Hoodie AND the Wendy James / Transvision Vamp ‘Icon’ T-Shirt! They are amazing! The ‘Icon’ t-shirt is rapidly becoming a best seller, along side the ‘Kurt Shirt’ and the hoodies are just so luxurious! The ‘1989’ is incredible, in as much that with your help, my agents, my old managers help and various online data bases, I managed to compile every gig we played in the breakout year of 1989 – a full world tour! So for all of you who attended one or more of these shows, then this hoodie is for you! The ‘Revolution Baby’ hoodie is in black and I love it so much! I love the shot of me and I love the logo on the back with lyrics from the song ‘Revolution Baby’.
The other two new items in the store are 2 companion posters!
The Wendy James / Transvision Vamp ‘If Looks Could Kill’ poster… this is the image which is on the ‘Kurt Shirt’ and was Transvison Vamp’s tour t-shirt in 1991 to promote Little Magnets versus The Bubble Of Babble. The ‘Icon’ poster is literally the companion to the ‘Icon’ T-Shirt and is simply one of my favorite photos of all time. Both posters in ‘silk matte’ finish and A2 in size… WONDERFUL!
You can buy those here:
IF LOOKS COULD KILL POSTER
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-if-looks-could-kill-poster/
ICON POSTER
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-icon-poster/
THE WENDY JAMES BAND UK CLUB TOUR IS GOING AHEAD!
It really does look like 3 is the magic number! We’ve had to delay from May 2020 to September 2020, from September 2020 to March/April 2021, from March/April 2021 to finally: August/September 2021! I’m even adding more dates! *To Be Announced! There will be a different set list every night of the tour! I’m going to play as many songs from Transvision Vamp and all my solo albums as possible and of course play you the tracks of Queen High Straight! It will be wonderful! I’ll start rehearsing the band at the front of August and we will hit the ground running on August 26th in Blackpool!! Every ticket you’ve already bought is still valid, every VIP pass you’ve spent is still valid and I look forward very much to seeing/meeting you all!
If you don’t yet have a ticket, now’s the time to do it! On the live page of my website are direct links to each venue’s box office: https://thewendyjames.com/live and if you’d like to VIP and come and spend soundcheck and the evening with me and the band, then the VIP pass is here: https://thewendyjames.com/product/v-i-p-the-wendy-james-gig-pass/
In case you’d forgotten (!!) Here are the reviews for QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT:
“packed with 20 songs, remarkably filler-free, brimming with colourful vocabulary, catty character study (a Supremes-y Little Melvin), melodic excellence and stylistic dexterity… There’s everything from Bitter Sweet MOR (Testimonial) to kitsch-pop (Ratfucking), but few nail flat-out punk rock as convincingly as does James on Perilous Beauty and The Impression of Normalcy. She means it, man, and it’s a joy throughout.” – 4/5 MOJO
“A superior collection of cosmopolitan pop music, the 20-song set is both catchy and complex. “I spend each day in splendid isolation, the quintessential intersection of nothing,” she sings on the waltz-time wonder that is Free Man Walk. In doing so, she might just have written the anthem that best describes the lives of everyone who hears it.” – The Telegraph
“A Motown flecked ode” (Little Melvin) – The Times
“A characteristically ambitious album, a double, 20 songs… a varied retro-pop clutch; James knows her way around the chords, and how to keep things moving. But the charm lies in their personality…” – Metro
“Written, produced and mixed by (ex-Transivision Vamp) Wendy James fronting a strong band and dabbling in a dizzying variety of styles.” – Classic Rock
“stylish, vintage sounds, in thrall to the Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan and 1960s pop.” – 4/5 Mail on Sunday
“Wendy gets the last laugh with an up-for-it 20-song double album of punk, rock & roll and general mayhem. Just as energetic as the Vamps, the songs are sharper than ever.” – Daily Star
“James specialising in a Stooges belligerence as she rampages across half the album as if about to wreak terrible vengeance on the speakers. There’s an insouciant poise throughout, as James ensures her devilment is backed up by strong tunes… It’s impressive, showcasing what an under-rated writer and producer James has matured into.” – Classic Pop
“Reflective music from a real queen… an album for James fans and newcomers alike.” – Vive Le Rock
Wendy xoxo
ANNOUNCING TWO ICONIC POSTERS TO THE WENDY JAMES STORE!
Hi Everyone! I hope you’re all doing well!
I am so happy to announce two new posters to add to the growing collection in my webstore!
1. THE WENDY JAMES / TRANSVISION VAMP ‘IF LOOKS COULD KILL’ POSTER
The famous shot from the ‘Kurt Shirt’ i.e the Transvision Vamp ‘If Looks Could Kill’ shot, turned into the touring t-shirt for the year 1991. Kurt Cobain bought his shirt from the US leg of world touring and proceeded to wear often!
The ‘Kurt Shirt’ is in store here:
THE WENDY JAMES / TRANSVISION VAMP ORIGINAL ‘KURT SHIRT’ T-SHIRT
The ‘If Looks Could Kill’ Poster is printed on quality rich paper, in matte and is A2 size: 420 x 594 cm. It is unique to this store.
*A2 Size
*Quality rich matte paper
*Buy now
LINK: https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-if-looks-could-kill-poster/
2. THE WENDY JAMES / TRANSVISION VAMP ‘ICON’ POSTER
A companion poster to the ‘ICON’ T-Shirt!
You can buy the ICON T-Shirt here:
THE WENDY JAMES / TRANSVISION VAMP ‘ICON’ T-SHIRT
This photo of Wendy is truly iconic! One of her most famous and recognizable shots… It is printed on quality rich paper, in matte and is A2 size: 420 x 594 cm. It is unique to this store.
*A2 Size
*Quality rich paper
*Buy now
LINK: https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-icon-poster/
I decided to go A2 on these, hopefully you’ll buy both as a set! I really love both of these shots, they represent so much to me, and I’m sure in your memories too! Typically I’m not one to linger in a nostalgic past but these two shots (and a handful more) are timeless and I think they deserve to be available….
Much Love, talk soon with news of ALBUM 10 writing progress and more!
Wendy xx
Happy New Year!!!!!! 2021!!!!!
Hello Everyone! How are you? Did you have a good Christmas and holiday? I hope so!! Are you cranking up the gears into the new year?
I want to announce and present to you 3 new clothing items in the web store and I’m BEYOND excited and thrilled with them!
THE WENDY JAMES / TRANSVISION VAMP ‘REVOLUTION BABY’ HOODIE!!
This stunning photo of Wendy was originally on a picture disc for a remix of Transvision Vamp’s first ever single ‘Revolution Baby’. Now the picture disc artwork has been restored and is an Official Wendy James Hoodie. The hi-resolution image of Wendy is on the front of the hoodie and the Transvision Vamp logo is on the back with the Revolution Baby lyrics:
“I’m so bored of this institution
I need something to set me loose and
Music’s gonna be my Revolution Baby”
“I’ve had enough of burnt out reunions
I need someone to set me loose and
I want you to be my Revolution Baby”
“I’m so tired of all this confusion
Everyone talking like there’s no solution
When a change of heart could be the Revolution Baby”
“You could be that Revolution Baby”
The hoodie itself is in black and extremely high quality. It is Combed 3ply organic cotton, certified ‘Vegan approved’. It is a classic unisex styling with the kangaroo pocket on the front, raglan sleeves and drawstring double face hood.
*Unisex S. M. L. XL. XXL.
*Buy Now
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-revolution-baby-hoodie/
THE WENDY JAMES / TRANSVISION VAMP ‘1989’ HOODIE
This hoodie is the ultimate Transvision Vamp tour hoodie! Between databases, agents, managers and fans (!) all the tour dates, starting in May 1989, for Transvision Vamp’s momentous year out on the road, gigging the No.1 hit album ‘Velveteen’ and the previous No.4 hit album ‘Pop Art’, have been gathered and put in order. The tour dates are on the back of the hoodie, find the ones you went to! This ‘1989’ hoodie is for you!
Transvision Vamp
1989
May
18 Bari Azzurro Teatro Petruzzelli
20 Bari Azzurro Teatro Petruzzelli
June
4 Törnävänsaari Seinäjokini Provinssirock
11 Bristol Studio
12 Brighton Top Rank
13 Portsmouth Guildhall
15 Oxford Apollo
16 London Brixton Academy
17 Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall
18 Birmingham Aston Villa Leisure Centre
19 Leeds University
21 Glasgow Barrowland
22 Edinburgh Playhouse
23 Aberdeen Music Hall
24 Manchester International II
25 Liverpool Royal Court Theatre
26 Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
27 Cambridge Corn Exchange
28 London Brixton Academy
July
1 Leysin Festival Centre des Sports
21 Tokyo Ink Stick
22 Tokyo Ink Stick
27 Brisbane Seagulls R.L.F.C.
28 Brisbane Alexandra Hills Hotel
29 Brisbane Calamvale Hotel
31 Melbourne Metro Nightclub
August
1 Melbourne Metro Nightclub
4 Melbourne Festival Hall
5 Canberra Tuggeranong Hotel
6 Jindabyne Lake Hotel
7 Jindabyne Lake Hotel
9 Newcastle Workers Club
10 Sydney Selinas Nightclub
11 Sydney Horden Pavillion
12 Sydney Horden Pavillion
14 Adelaide Old Lion Hotel
16 Perth Stadium Herdsman Hotel
17 Perth Palladium Nightclub
18 Perth Palladium Nightclub
19 Perth Cargos Nightclub
23 Los Angeles The Roxy
29 New York City The Cat Club
September
9 Verona Festivalbar Arena di Verona
18 Hamburg Markthalle
19 Berlin Metropol
20 Bochum Zeche
21 Bonn Biskuithalle
22 Amsterdam Paradiso
24 Frankfurt Batschkapp
25 Stuttgart LKA Longhorn
27 Munich Theaterfabrik
28 Zurich Schützenhaus Albisgütli
29 Vienna Das Zelt
October
1 Milan Rolling Stone
3 Valencia Arena Auditorium
4 Madrid Sala Jácara
5 Barcelona Zeleste
7 Paris Le Palace
8 Brussels Ancienne Belgique
15 Aberdeen Capital
16 Edinburgh Playhouse
17 Glasgow Barrowlands
18 Glasgow Barrowlands
20 Sheffield City Hall
22 Newcastle City Hall
23 Manchester Apollo
24 Manchester Apollo
25 Hanley Victoria Hall
27 London Hammersmith Odeon
28 London Hammersmith Odeon
29 London Hammersmith Odeon
30 Poole Arts Centre
November
1 Newport Centre
2 Newport Centre
3 Birmingham Aston Villa Leisure Centre
4 Birmingham Aston Villa Leisure Centre
5 Birmingham Aston Villa Leisure Centre
7 Exeter University
8 Cornwall St Austell Coliseum
9 London Brixton Academy
10 London Brixton Academy
11 Liverpool Royal Court Theatre
12 Dublin Point Theatre
13 Belfast Ulster Hall
30 Lisbon Pavilhão de Belenenses
December
1 Oporto Pavilhão Infante de Sagres
On the front is a well known and loved, classic shot of Wendy in her denim jacket. A version of this image was, in fact, on an original tour t-shirt and a massive poster, but it is now a hi resolution print on a luxurious hoodie!
The hoodie itself is in white and extremely high quality. It is Combed 3ply organic cotton, certified ‘Vegan approved’. It is a classic unisex styling with the kangaroo pocket on the front, raglan sleeves and drawstring double face hood.
*Unisex S. M. L. XL. XXL.
*Buy Now
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-1989-hoodie/
THE WENDY JAMES / TRANSVISION VAMP ‘ICON’ T-SHIRT
This T-Shirt is truly iconic! One of the most famous and recognizable shots of Wendy in Transvision Vamp is now a beautiful hi-resolution print on a 100% soft black cotton t-shirt in a classic unisex round neck, straight cut shape and available in S. M. L. XL. XXL. Bound to rival The Wendy James / Transvision Vamp ‘Kurt Shirt’ in popularity!
*100% Soft Cotton Classic Black T-Shirt
*Unisex S. M. L. XL. XXL.
*Buy Now
https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-transvision-vamp-icon-t-shirt/
I’m so in love with all three of these items! I have a size small sample of each and I have not stopped wearing them! Let me tell you: The ‘Revolution Baby’ and ‘1989’ Hoodies are so thick and luxurious and the quality of the prints are exceptional. I love them! And the ‘Icon’ T-Shirt is so, so, so cool and the hi res print is amazing! It’s perfect! – and really pleasing to have the t-shirt in black!
They are, all three, must-haves! They are a piece of history and of the present!
To other matters:
Well, I’m fully underway writing ALBUM 10 and I will post updates on the progress I make as I complete a demo for each song!
Pre-Order here: https://thewendyjames.com/product-category/wendy-james-album-10/
The RACINE 2 picture disc has shipped to those of you who preordered and is now available in the store!
Buy Here: https://thewendyjames.com/product/racine-2-picture-disc-12-vinyl-lp/
I’ve rescheduled THE WENDY JAMES BAND 2021 UK Club Tour for August / September, not one slip up, not one date lost and I know we all cannot wait to be at the shows!
Direct Ticket Links here: https://thewendyjames.com/live
VIP Gig Passes here: https://thewendyjames.com/store
You may also notice now, how https://thewendyjames.com/store has been redesigned to show off all the different aspects i.e Music, T-Shirts, Posters and Artwork Proofs and more.. I think it’s very good indeed!
So! Happy New Year Everyone! and I present to you the three new classics! The ‘Revolution Baby’ and ’1989’ Hoodies and The ‘Icon’ T-Shirt!
Much, Much Love
Wendy xoxo
THE RACINE 2 DOUBLE SIDED PICTURE DISC IS NOW SHIPPING!!
If you’ve not already made a preorder then now’s the time to buy this limited edition picture disc!
THE RACINE 2 DOUBLE SIDED PICTURE DISC IS NOW SHIPPING!!This is my second official solo album. (*Not including my post Transvision Vamp previous release, collaboration with Elvis Costello, ’Now Ain’t The Time For Your Tears’).
RACINE 2 was recorded in New Jersey and Brooklyn, USA and mixed in Brooklyn, USA and Tokyo, Japan. It has 11 original songs on it and really planted the flag for my production and sound going forward. Under the name Racine, I wrote and produced and co-mixed this album and made clear my musical intentions. RACINE 2 only ever came out on CD in 2006! Now, here it is on Picture Disc Vinyl, with fully printed matte inner-sleeve and jacket cover, consistent with the original artwork of RACINE 2.
WHERE THERE’S A WILL… AND THERE IS A FUCKING WILL…
I can’t believe it’s 14 years since RACINE 2 came out on CD. To this day I play these songs live and they always thrill me. Now, with momentum gathering after I Came Here To Blow Minds, The Price Of The Ticket and Queen High Straight, it seems to me a perfect moment to reissue RACINE 2 but this time on vinyl!
I’ve chosen to do a double sided picture disc, the art extrapolated from the original label, with lovely matte printed inner sleeves for lyrics and credits and the vinyl jacket remains integral to the original artwork, too.
I think the presentation is wonderful! The music rocks! I am reminded of all the places I traveled to, to record and mix this album! From Hoboken, New Jersey, to Brooklyn, New York to Tokyo, Japan!
In my original liner notes I wrote:
“Remember the Path train and 6th Avenue and Dunkin Donuts? There is nothing better in the world than being in a band and feeling like a gang.” “This album is the recorded moments of getting in a live room and laying down some sweet, sweet vibes”
How true and how some things never change!
Thank you to everyone from the first time around! Thank you to all of you now, as we continue on with more and more music in front of us.
Love
Wendy 2020
Running Time – 35.01
TRACK LISTING
Side A
1. WAY – 2:48
2. I’M FREAKING OUT – 1:58
3. RACINE – 4:14
4. BOBBY’S GOING ELECTRIC – 2:58
5. YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, SISTER – 3:16
6. THERE AIN’T NO WAY – I CAN’T DO NO TWENNY IN THIS – 5:00
Running Time -19:34
Side B
7. OUI OU NON – A STRAIGHT BOOGALOO – 2:48
8. STONED, RIPPED AND TWISTED – 4:00
9. ESSEX DOG – 3:01
10. THOSE LEG MOTHERFUCKERS – 2:52
11. BITTER FUNNY – 3:26
Running Time – 15:27
MUSICIANS
Vocals – Wendy James
Guitar & Bass – Henric Strahl
Bass – James Meynell
Drums & Percussion – Ray Sullivan
Written, Produced and Mixed by Wendy James
Recording Engineers – Ted Young & Josh Copp
Mix Engineer – Glen Robinson
Recorded and Mixed at Water Music, Hoboken NJ, McKibbin Street, Brooklyn NY & Atomic Studios, Brooklyn NY
*I’m Freaking Out, Oui ou Non – A Straight Boogaloo, Essex Dog & Bitter Funny – Mixed by Kunihko Imai and Hideyuki Matsuhashi at IRc2 Studio Tokyo, Japan
All tracks mastered by Howie Weinberg at Masterdisk, NYC
*Remastered by Fred Kevorkian, NYC
Photography – James Traill
Art Direction – Wendy James
Layout Jeremy Lawson & Angela Won-Yin Mak at A•WY•M Studio
*Mastered for Vinyl
*Limited Edition 250 copies only
*Buy Now
THE RACINE 2 DOUBLE SIDED PICTURE DISC IS NOW SHIPPING!!Much love and thank you
Wendy xoxo
THE WENDY JAMES BAND 2021 UK CLUB TOUR
Hi everyone!
We are moving the tour! This time we are pushing back to August and September 2021. The dates are set and confirmed and all your tickets and VIP remain valid. All direct ticket links can be found at https://thewendyjames.com/live
I know we are all looking forward to this and have been for a year now! The pandemic of COVID19 hit us in January 2020 and since then we’ve all been playing counter-punch to the virus. I’ve spoken with all the promoters on this tour and no-one thinks that enough vaccinations will have been administered in time for un-socially distanced venues and that’s what we’re looking for! A hot, steamy venue where we are all up close and personal and deep in the music!
So! Let’s get it together and put COVID19 in the rear view mirror! Sit tight one more time, for August/September 2021.
These are the dates, venues and links (with more to add!):
BLACKPOOL WATERLOO MUSIC BAR – THURSDAY 26TH AUGUST
http://skiddle.com/e/27322881
NORWICH ARTS CENTRE – FRIDAY 27TH AUGUST
http://bit.ly/WendyJamesNAC
STOKE SUGARMILL – SATURDAY 28TH AUGUST
https://bit.ly/2RoOfUu
CARDIFF CLWB IFOR BACH – WEDNESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER
bit.ly/WendyJamesBand-CDF
BRISTOL FLEECE – THURSDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER
https://bit.ly/2S14Iji
OXFORD O2 ACADEMY2 – FRIDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER
https://bit.ly/2YXmh5W
GUILDFORD BOILEROOM – SATURDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER
https://link.dice.fm/J8AGKCcoi3
CAMBRIDGE JUNCTION – TUESDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER
https://bit.ly/2tpSXt3
TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM – WEDNESDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER
https://bit.ly/39eTwoP
QUEENS HALL NUNEATON – THURSDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER
https://t.ly/8c3f
PORTSMOUTH WEDGEWOOD ROOMS – FRIDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER
https://tinyurl.com/wpgqqoy
BRIGHTON CONCORDE 2 – TUESDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER
https://bit.ly/36xv9C2
MANCHESTER DEAF INSTITUTE – WEDNESDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER
http://bit.ly/35rYHQ3
NOTTINGHAM BODEGA – THURSDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER
http://bit.ly/2uQnMaJ
LIVERPOOL JIMMY’S – FRIDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER
https://bit.ly/38FdUC9
BIRMINGHAM O2 INSTITUTE3 – SATURDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER http://bit.ly/WJInstitute
NEWCASTLE CLUNY – WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER
https://bit.ly/2s5k8ZE
GLASGOW KING TUTS – THURSDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER
ktwwh.co/wendyjames
PAISLEY ROCKNROLLAS – FRIDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER
www.rocknrollas.co.uk
EDINBURGH BANNERMANS – SATURDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER
http://t-s.co/wend0
SWANSEA CINEMA & CO – TUESDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER
https://buff.ly/2NGe01q
LEEDS BRUDENELL – WEDNESDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER
http://bit.ly/WJamesLds
LONDON O2 ACADEMY2 ISLINGTON – FRIDAY 1ST OCTOBER
http://bit.ly/WJIslington
One of the things that has happened in the year since we originally were meant to be out gigging Queen High Straight in May 2020 is that I’ve had the time to listen back to my previous albums. I loved what I heard and have so many favorites, as I’m sure you do, so I’ve made a decision and a commitment to play a varied set list every night of the UK 2021 club tour so all these songs can have their moment and of course, play you Queen High Straight!
Personally it’s been very tough for me to not be with my band, rehearsing and all the camaraderie that goes along with that and so I am as ready as anyone to get this show on the road.
Onwards!!
I miss you all!!!!
Mark your calendars! We are moving to August / September!
Get your tickets now and get your VIP if you want to spend time with me and the band, see the soundcheck and through the whole evening for the show!
VIP here: https://thewendyjames.com/product/v-i-p-the-wendy-james-gig-pass/
My love as always
Wendy xoxo
THE WENDY JAMES CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
Hello Everyone…
Today is the 23rd December and I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and the loveliest time over the holidays.
I hope you all have managed to survive this pandemic year 2020 with as little fallout economically, physically and emotionally as possible!
Beyond how our daily lives, loves and work have been affected and how we’ve all had to adapt to manage to cobble together some semblance of reality which isn’t too upsetting, keeping in mind all the tragedy this pandemic has wreaked and all the resolve and bravery it has engendered in parents, teachers, health care professionals, volunteers, friends, co-workers and extended family members, this holiday season is one for us all to take care of each other and thank goodness we have 2021 to move into!
May 1st, 2020 was and always shall be a treasured calendar date for me! It’s he day that my 20 Track Deluxe Album QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT was released! It took me 3 and a half years to make this album, from the first chord of the demo of the track Queen High Straight through to my mastering engineer sending me over a zip file of hi definition masters to go off to the pressing plant.
In that journey I worked with some amazing engineers, some incredible musicians, a fantastic photographer and make up artist, graphic designers, some wonderful, hard working and dedicated people in the manufacturing, fulfillment and distribution of the album, brilliant PR people, some great DJ’s at radio and my marvelously obsessive team who help me run my website and store.
Also in the journey there was, of course, as always: YOU. You who’ve not left my side since 1986! When Transvision Vamp began and you all first started liking, digging, loving the music I make. Boy oh boy, I wouldn’t be here without you, it’s that simple… From your letters to fan clubs in the early days, through to messages on social media, we’ve always had a good exchange. I try to give as much time and consideration to every message that comes my way, and in turn, you give me love, excitement and resilience to finish what I start and to deliver without compromise. I am so proud of how far we’ve come, I’m so happy to be able to view Transvision Vamp with pride and I am so happily astonished by the albums I’ve made since: Now Aint’ The Time For Your Tears, Racine No.1, Racine 2, I Came Here To Blow Minds, The Price Of The Ticket, Queen High Straight and now I am so confident in the future for (working title) Album 10.
Queen High Straight received the best reviews I’ve ever had for any record I’ve made! And how lovely that was! It was manufactured at the height of the first wave of COVID19 and yet, thanks to everyone involved, it suffered no delays. The only subsequent delays were related to delivery by a hobbled international postal service, but you got your albums and you loved it! The excitement and rush throughout June and July as you discovered the album with a daily wave of amazing reaction is something I’m just so happy and grateful for.
There is much to be done! Primarily there are tours to go on, gigs to play (finally! How wonderful it will feel for us all to be at shows again!) I can’t wait to start rehearsals with my band and having had the time to listen back to my previous albums and been pleased with what I heard, I’ve made a commitment to play a varied set list every night of the UK 2021 club tour! My band and I have 3 hours of material to rehearse up so that a set list per night can serve up different favorites. For a musician, this is a lot of work and it’s challenge to know 44 songs (that’s the number) off by heart and then perform them as effortlessly as needs must! But it’s a challenge we relish and I know the songs, including some from Racine No.1 are going to get fleshed out and sound incredible. I am so fortunate to have the band I love… I am hopeful that the March / April dates will go ahead, thanks to the Scientists and NHS for upcoming vaccinations and the promoters who’ve been flexible, to say the least! They’ve been run ragged rescheduling so many bands dates amid being furloughed and with their venues in doubt. If March and April are not viable then fear not, I have a pencilled and confirmed delayed schedule for later in the year. Buy your tickets now because it helps me and importantly it helps the venues: all ticket links and vip: https://thewendyjames.com/live. I also hope The Wendy James Band get booked onto some festivals for 2021. There is an EU tour being booked for October ’21 and I can tell you, also afoot, are exciting tour plans for 2022!
When I’m not rehearsing and gigging I will be writing ‘Album 10’. I have my notes made, I have done the preliminary work I tend to do, to launch into the songwriting stage. I have my musical ideas I want to explore! and on January 1st I will sit down, on my bed, guitar in hand, like all the other albums I’ve made, this is how it starts, and Track 1 will begin! Album 10 will be an anniversary album and as much as I can’t quite figure out how to top Queen High Straight, I am determined I shall and to serve up some completely desirous and moreish songs! Songs that will freak me out, in retrospect, as to how on earth I ever did them! It’s always a retroactive mystery to me! I listen to Queen High Straight and I marvel at it, yet in the moment, my process is clear and intentioned and I know exactly what I’m doing! Hopefully some of you will come on studio visits! And I’m going to ask David Leigh Dodd to start filming the whole process for a documentary!
Thank you for every purchase you’ve made… You know it turns right back around and goes toward enabling more work. Alongside the love you show me and my music, your purchases help make my new albums and tours become reality.
The Wendy James Store ‘Happy December’ Sale is still on! Please take advantage of that discount and get your free patch and stickers too!
Add the codes: DecemberSale15 and FreeSet15 at the checkout.
So! Enough about me, what about you?
Well… I hope you have family and loved ones, in some shape or form on speed dial, on Zoom, on WhatsApp, on Skype, on FaceTime and in a limited manner, in person. I hope you eat and drink until you’re fit to bust! I hope you’re warm and loved and that for a few days you don’t worry about so much, you let loose, you relax. For all of us who are in a position of, if not wealth, at least relative comfort, let’s give a thought and even a good deed to help someone who might not be so fortunate. Times are hard at the best of times, and for some people who, in their own life stories, have fallen into difficulty, in a cold winter with social restrictions, when money and food and basic well being are an exhausting and daunting destination far off, mental and physical stability can seem beyond reach. Spare a moment for everyone around the world, without color, creed, gender, sexuality or religion factoring into judgment, just simply the fundamental humanity of us all.
There’s nothing more warming, elevating and nourishing than someones love and it’s the easiest and least expensive thing to give.
I think 2021 will be wonderful for many of us! I hope as many as possible… and for my part, I will not slack in any effort or commitment I make to you.
Have a wonderful Christmas, a lovely holiday season and thank you for everything.
Love Wendy xoxo
23.12.20
THE WENDY JAMES STORE ‘HAPPY DECEMBER’ SALE
Well, it’s going to be a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays throughout the month of December at The Wendy James Store!
At the checkout add the code DecemberSale15 and you will get 15% off all your items.
If you’ve not already got your copy of Queen High Straight or you think of someone you know who would love it, then now’s the time! The poster for Queen High Straight is beautiful too, why not add that in?! There are two *rare & collectable Queen High Straight double vinyl test pressings, the T-Shirts of course, all classics! The RACINE 2 remastered vinyl picture disc, there are 11 ‘I Came Here To Blow Minds’ cd’s left, 4 Queen High Straight Artwork Proof + T-Shirts bundles left (signed and personalized) and now you can pre-order THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 too! And much much more…
ADDITIONALLY…
For the month of December I am giving away 100 patch and stickers sets. Comprising of ‘The Wendy Fucking James’ embroidered patch and 2 ‘It’s all in the hips, the lips, the eyes & the thighs’ stickers: one with white text, one with black text.
At the checkout add the code FreeSet15 and you will get your Patch and Stickers set for free
*The free Patch and Stickers Set is applicable to all store items except the Digital Downloads, VIP passes and The Wendy James Album 10 pre-order. You can also buy the patches, stickers and sets by themselves or as an add on.
The code for your 15% discount is: DecemberSale15 and the code for your free Patch and Stickers Set is: FreeSet15 and you enter them both at the checkout.
WHAT’S IN THE WENDY JAMES STORE
I have:
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT DELUXE DOUBLE VINYL *SIGNED
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT DELUXE CD *SIGNED
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT STANDARD CD *SIGNED
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT OFFICIAL POSTER
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT OFFICIAL T-SHIRT
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT DOUBLE 12” VINYL TEST PRESSING (ONLY 2 SETS AVAILABLE) *SIGNED AND PERSONALIZED
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT RECORDING SESSION LYRIC SHEETS *SIGNED & PERSONALIZED
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT RECORDING SESSION MIX NOTES *SIGNED & PERSONALIZED
THE OFFICIAL ‘THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’ T-SHIRT
THE WENDY JAMES ‘EVERY SONG IS DOPE T-SHIRT
THE WENDY JAMES / FACE MAGAZINE T-SHIRT
THE WENDY JAMES / TRANSVISION VAMP ‘KURT SHIRT’ T-SHIRT
YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER + FAREWELL TO LOVE 7” VINYL
I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS CD (11 left)
RACINE 2 12″ VINYL PICTURE DISC
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 DELUXE 12” VINYL (pre-order)
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 DELUXE CD (pre-order)
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 STANDARD CD (pre-order)
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 OFFICIAL T-SHIRT (pre-order)
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 OFFICIAL POSTER (pre-order)
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 ORIGINAL ARTWORK PROOF 12” VINYL (pre-order)
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 ORIGINAL ARTWORK PROOF DELUXE CD (pre-order)
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 ORIGINAL ARTWORK PROOF STANDARD CD(pre-order)
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 12” VINYL TEST PRESSING (pre-order)
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10 RECORDING STUDIO VISIT (pre-order)
THE WENDY JAMES PATCH & STICKERS SET
I’ll write again for a holiday round-up, well wishes for all and to celebrate the year of Queen High Straight and to look forward to next year, but for now… Good shopping!
The code for your 15% discount is: DecemberSale15 and the code for your free Patch and Stickers Set is: FreeSet15 and you enter them both at the checkout.
I ship worldwide
Yay!!
Happy December!!
Much love
Wendy xoxo
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10
Hello Everyone! I’ve a lot of tell you! Some updates and some new news!
THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10
I’ve started! It took a while to get my head around going deep back into the songwriting process but… that’s what I do and that’s what I’m doing! I cannot make any predictions about the album yet… (although you know I will post whenever I’ve had a ‘Eureka’ moment!) I have some notes and I have some influences I want to look into, I also want to expand the sound again! It was so musically rewarding to have such complex backing vocals, piano and organ playing, horn section and accordion on QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT and I’ve always been a sucker for a big arrangement! Whether it’s Phil Spector or Motown or Bacharach and David or even Lou Reed… I am tempted to see if I can get some orchestral arrangement into my sound, my sound which forever will be rooted in crunchy, edgy guitar New Wave and Pop.
To this end: I’ve launched the pre-order campaign for THE WENDY JAMES ALBUM 10!
ORIGINAL ARTWORK PROOF 12” VINYL
ORIGINAL ARTWORK PROOF DELUXE CD
ORIGINAL ARTWORK PROOF STANDARD CD
Just as we managed together with Queen High Straight, the more you pre-order the more it helps me realize the budgets necessary for recording…
Let’s begin now!
ALBUM 10 will be an anniversary album, a landmark album, and I am determined to make it INCREDIBLE!!
THE RACINE 2 12” PICTURE DISC
I had word last night from my manufacturing company that there are now delays on delivery of the RACINE 2 picture disc. The Pressing Plant is in the Czech Republic and they are being hit very hard by COVID with some of their workers on sick leave, plus… it’s now running into Christmas deliveries and rushed orders, so I’m afraid our lovely Picture Disc will not reach us until January 2021. I’m so sorry… Of course everyone I work with is ensuring, to the best of their abilities, to deliver the album as soon as possible!
If you’ve not yet got a copy, pls do! I remastered for vinyl and we changed and adapted the original CD art around to suit the vinyl presentation. It’s a two sided picture disc, there are fully printed inner sleeves with lyrics and my signature liner notes! And of course a fully designed thick matte card album jacket.
Many of you congratulated me or observed the high quality of the pressing and packaging for Queen High Straight and this release, as with all my releases, shall be no less!
Order your copy of RACINE 2 here.
NEW MERCHANDISE
I’m in production making these two new amazing pieces!
A double faced, soft brushed, organic, heavyweight cotton, cream colored hoodie with TWFJ emblazoned hi res across the chest and a cream, double layer knit, ribbed, watch cap with the TWFJ logo on the cuff!
*visuals of hat to be updated
I’ve sourced a really high quality hoodie and watch cap (beanie). Both are going to be perfect and so, so good for the winter months, come to think of it – all year around! I love wearing a beanie watch cap in the winter, down over my ears and then you pull your hoodie up over it… very cool, very effective and very functional!
You can order them here:
TWFJ Hoodie Sm. M. L. XL. XXL. for the Hoodie
A perfect holiday gift!
Order them separately or as a bundle!
The Wendy Fucking James
MORE VINYL REISSUES IN THE PLANNING WORKS
I’m looking at the art and logistics for reissuing ‘I Came Here To Blow Minds’ on vinyl and also ‘The Price Of The Ticket’. With the latter I’m researching possible format combinations that would get, for the first time, all 13 tracks onto vinyl. Obviously with the first release, because of vinyl groove limits, I released 9 songs on Vinyl, 13 on CD, so I’m thinking about ways to insert a 7” vinyl or EP into the package, containing the missing four songs from the original vinyl. An item you’ll be able to buy by itself to make up your vinyl collection or if you don’t have The Price Of The Ticket on vinyl yet, then you naturally receive all 13 songs!
Finally… the UK MARCH/APRIL WENDY JAMES BAND TOUR
This tour was originally on the books for May 1 2020 when QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT was released. I remember last January thinking “surely COVID will have passed by May!!” But not so… we rescheduled into September 2020 and that came and went (I forgot I’d booked hotel rooms in some locations and lost my money! Grrrr) and now we’re into March / April 2021. Who knows… if a vaccine becomes available and districts start to open up, we might be ok… if it’s slower then sure enough we will have a contingency to reschedule until later in the year… BUT THE SHOWS WILL GO ON!
I’ve had extra time to think things through and as you know I have listened back to my previous albums and therefore have ambitiously decided to produce a different set list each night, so I can show off the many, many songs I’ve now written and some that truly deserve fleshing out on stage with my band!
It will be GREAT…
Get your tickets and VIP here: https://thewendyjames.com/live
Know this: if dates change, then all tickets and vip remain valid until FINALLY we get the performance we’re wanting to give and to receive!
So… in closing:
I miss you all! I hope you’re all ok, I hope you’re more than ok! I hope you’re fine!
Please do pre-order the next album, I know it’s a way off, but we can start to involve ourselves now and it will arrive sooner than we think!
When you buy the hoodie and hat, send me photos of you wearing them! – I’d love to see us all decked out in TWFJ! Owning those streets!!
– And of course… continue to enjoy Queen High Straight and all my previous albums! In due course they’ll all be on this site.
My love to you all. STAY SAFE!!!
Talk soon
Love
Wendy xoxo
CANCEL IT… I’LL SEE HIM ON MONDAY
Well… here it is then…
The ‘video for ‘CANCEL IT… I’LL SEE HIM ON MONDAY’
(my favorite song on Queen High Straight)
If there was radio DJ justice in the world, this song would be on maximum rotation playlists in every nation! And.. we’d all be singing the damn chorus again and again and again!!!
When I wrote this song, which is track 18 of 20! (can you imagine having a eureka moment this far into the songwriting process of an album?!!) I ran outside shouting “I’ve done it! I’ve done it” – a perfect song!
Complemented, infinitely, by the playing of James Sclavunos on drums/percussion, Harry Bohay on bass, James Sedwards on lead and rhythm guitar, Alex Ward and Terry Edwards on horn section, Louis Vause on accordion and me on vocals, backing vocals and keys….
Expertly recording engineered along the way by Ian Dowling, Joe Sage, Al Lawson and mix engineered by Tim Morris
and now……. THE VIDEO
Filmed and Edited by David Leigh Dodd
(he also did all the photos for the album presentation by the way)
Make Up by Domitilla Coni
We shot in Fabrica di Roma on this deserted and perfect train track… we climbed into the old railway through a gap in the barbed wire fencing, despite CCTV warnings, dumped our bags of make up, lightings, tripods and so on and started in before the thunderous rainstorm hit us two hours later.
I was sold by the station itself – that lovely Roman yellow washed stone and the overgrown train tracks, but when we discovered a discarded old train carriage a bit further down, then providence truly smiled upon us, as it always does when one embarks on an unknown adventure!
I LOVE IT!!
ENJOY!!
– and of course, please do, without hesitation, go and buy QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT from https://thewendyjames.com/store
It’s all KILLER! No filler!
20 TRACK DELUXE ALBUM
All albums, posters, t-shirts, artwork, lyrics, vip – https://thewendyjames.com/store (and if you want stuff you’ve bought from my webstore, personalized, just drop me a line at enquiries@thewendyjames.com
Thank you to all!
Love
Wendy xo
NEWS LETTER 2ND OCTOBER 2020
Hi Everyone!
How are you all doing?
I figured it was high time for me to write!
ITALY AND VIDEOS
I just returned from Rome, Italy, where I met up with David Leigh Dodd, once again, this time to shoot two videos: one for ‘Cancel It… I’ll See Him On Monday’ – one of my favorites from QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT and ‘Perilous Beauty’, another of my favorites! Tracks 18 and 2 respectively.
The first video we shot was ‘Cancel It… I’ll See Him On Monday’. We traveled to a deserted railway station and tracks in a little place called Fabrica di Roma. It was an incredible location to shoot a video depicting the determination and joie de vivre of the song! Styled in a 60’s kind of happy go lucky girl way with a miniature suitcase and a sixties sailor cap, we had a ball… dancing along the old platform, the tracks, the waiting room…and finished just seconds before a massive and torrential downpour which didn’t let up for 48 hours!
Here’s the teaser trailer for the video!
Cancel It… I’ll See Him On Monday
After a rainy Sunday in Rome, doing some wonderful tourist stuff, I rose on Monday to attend a fitting for a dress to wear the next day in the video of ‘Perilous Beauty’. A dress of bright, roman, cardinal red silk…
The location for filming Perilous Beauty was once again an hour outside Rome but in the other direction, to the great castle ‘Villa Borghese’. The Borghese family are a long, long line of Roman nobility with Popes and Cardinals numbered among them. The Castle was one of the locations for Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 movie Romeo and Juliet and the balcony where Juliet exclaims “Romeo, Romeo where art thou Romeo” is the actual balcony of Castle Borghese.
Juliet’s Balcony
Pope Paul V, born Camillo Borghese
Princess Borghese aka Nike Arrighi was an actress when she was younger and as fate would have it, she is in one of my all time favorite movies called ‘LA NUIT AMERICAINE’ or in English: ‘Day for Night’ starring #JacquelineBisset and #JeanPaulLeaud, shot by #FrancoisTruffaut. The music, the soundtrack is heaven and composed by a #GeorgesDelerue. Nike plays ‘Odile the make up artist’.
La Nuit Américaine or Day For Night
The world is getting smaller, indeed it is! She is the loveliest of ladies… and here in this video is our story of the whole day and and you see Nike showing me her ancient instrument from China, she held the lights for our video and she lit candles all up the curved enormous staircase of her home, she poured me wine and brought me crisps! She showed us the loveliest hospitality and instant friendship…
Thank you to Nike, to her daughter Flavia, to David Leigh Dodd… and Domitilla Coni who did this amazing make-up!
David and I are editing both videos now and I am so excited to share them with you when they’re done!!
As I said: both songs are from QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT so do get your copy of the vinyl, the cds, the poster, the original artwork and the T-Shirt! https://thewendyjames.com/store
RACINE 2 TEST PRESSINGS
As luck would have it, the factory have sent me an additional 5 test pressings for RACINE 2… they are unlike any other I’ve dealt with, the white vinyl denotes where the picture disc will be, so instead of white label on black vinyl, these test pressings are thick solid white vinyl… and they come packaged in an inner sleeve and the most amazing professional cover. A really lovely surprise for me and for you too!
Five of you out there can now have a test pressing! An unexpected and rare treat! I sign and personalize them to you so – first come, first served.
RACINE 2 PICTURE DISC VINYL is officially in production now, I remastered it for vinyl and I couldn’t be more happy to have this reissue on vinyl 14 years after it originally came out on CD! Get RACINE 2 here:
THE WENDY JAMES BAND TOUR MARCH / APRIL 2021
I’m so, so excited for this tour!!
A different set list every night!
Long overdue for all of us. I will play you QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT and many, many, many other songs from what is now an extensive collection of songs!
Buy your tickets now!
ALL DIRECT TICKET LINKS via: https://thewendyjames.com/live
ALL VIP PASSES: https://thewendyjames.com/store
It’s going to be amazing!
AND… IN OTHER NEWS…
I’m just about to pull the trigger and go into production with this beauty, for winter! A double faced 100% organic brushed soft thick cotton hoodie! The Wendy Fucking James!!! Quite right too… I know I will proudly wear it all winter and there’s nothing better than a high quality hoodie in the winter to keep your ears warm!
And….. I think I will reissue I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS on vinyl as well…. It’s such a great album and deserves to be in stock. You can currently get the CD in the store here but the vinyl sold out a while ago. I am thinking it through and will no doubt do something with the artwork to make clear it is a second round of production and different from the first! I like things to be special each time…
So, as winter closes in I’m going to finish editing the videos, get some production going for hoodies and vinyls and sit down and start learning all my songs again!! If I start now, I should be ready for March 2021!
Much Love, always
Wendy xoxo
ps. Of course all the t-shirts are continuously in stock so – grab some today!! https://thewendyjames.com/store
xx
News Letter 28th August
Here it is!!
RACINE 2 PICTURE DISC 12” VINYL LP
A LIMITED EDITION, DOUBLE SIDED PICTURE DISC VINYL WITH FULLY PRINTED MATTE INNER SLEEVE AND JACKET
Buy here: https://thewendyjames.com/product/racine-2-picture-disc-12-vinyl-lp/
I’m also making the TEST PRESSINGS available as a collector’s item. These Test Pressings are made so I can listen to the sound quality, the running order, the spacing of the songs and give my approval for the full production. They will never be re-produced and are a real collectors item.
This is my second official solo album. (*Not including post Transvision Vamp previous release, collaboration with Elvis Costello).
RACINE 2 was recorded in New Jersey and Brooklyn, USA and mixed in Brooklyn, USA and Tokyo, Japan.
It has 11 original songs on it and really planted the flag for my production and sound going forward.
Running Time – 35.01
TRACK LISTING
Side A
1. WAY – 2:48
2. I’M FREAKING OUT – 1:58
3. RACINE – 4:14
4. BOBBY’S GOING ELECTRIC – 2:58
5. YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, SISTER – 3:16
6. THERE AIN’T NO WAY – I CAN’T DO NO TWENNY IN THIS – 5:00
Running Time -19:34
Side B
7. OUI OU NON – A STRAIGHT BOOGALOO – 2:48
8. STONED, RIPPED AND TWISTED – 4:00
9. ESSEX DOG – 3:01
10. THOSE LEG MOTHERFUCKERS – 2:52
11. BITTER FUNNY – 3:26
Running Time – 15:27
MUSICIANS
Vocals – Wendy James
Guitar & Bass – Henric Strahl
Bass – James Meynell
Drums & Percussion – Ray Sullivan
Written, Produced and Mixed by Wendy James
Recording Engineers – Ted Young & Josh Copp
Mix Engineer – Glen Robinson
Recorded and Mixed at Water Music, Hoboken NJ, McKibbin Street, Brooklyn NY & Atomic Studios, Brooklyn NY
*I’m Freaking Out, Oui ou Non – A Straight Boogaloo, Essex Dog & Bitter Funny – Mixed by Kunihko Imai and Hideyuki Matsuhashi at IRc2 Studio Tokyo, Japan
All tracks mastered by Howie Weinberg at Masterdisk, NYC
*Stoned, Ripped & Twisted re-mastered by Fred Kevorkian, NYC
Photography – James Traill
Art Direction – Wendy James
Layout Jeremy Lawson & Angela Won-Yin Mak at A•WY•M Studio
*Mastered for Vinyl
*Limited Edition
*Pre-Order (8-10 weeks for delivery approximately)
+ Packaging and Shipping
https://thewendyjames.com/store
YAY!!!!!
News!
I am looking for RACINE 2 masters to potentially run an amount of Vinyl for RACINE 2. I listened to the album last night! Yeah… it’s great!!
I am keeping in mind what you all witnessed, if you joined Tim Burgess Listening Party: Doing a live show playing VELVETEEN top to bottom! Listening with all of you who joined was so exciting and it was a pleasure to hear Velveteen again! My band THE WENDY JAMES BAND could do this so, so well!
AND… most importantly, as crazy as it seems, I have begun to start to think about writing my next album… I can’t help the impulse in me to make music! I have started looking at my lyrics and notes and started to adapt to the reality of writing a new album!!
I am not letting go of QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT yet, as far as I’m concerned, it is to be celebrated all year long, in terms of the work I do, (I’m going to make a video for ‘Cancel It… I’ll See Him On Monday’ in September) and come next March I will be in rehearsals to tour the UK, playing it and other good hits from previous albums!
I have listened to I Came Here To Blow Minds and it’s epic too… all my albums are: The Price Of The Ticket… and when I play live I’ll be bringing out TVV hits alongside a large helping of all my solo work, including RACINE 2. Racine 1 has some amazing songs on it too… I must do something with that as well!!
Yes, a great, great Live Set is coming up, I will alternate setlists per show! My musicians are incredibly good! and I cannot wait to see you all!
So there is lots to be done!
Do get your tour tickets now, the tour will sell out! Get your tickets and support my tour and support the venues sooner than later! COVID is particularly tough on live venues and musicians for whom live gigging is their way of making a living.
ALL LIVE TICKETS via: https://thewendyjames.com/live
ALL VIP PASSES via: https://thewendyjames.com/store
So, enjoy and make the most of all the music and art available at my webstore: https://thewendyjames.com/store
I hope your summers are somehow working out, whether it’s back at work or with some time off.
My dearest love to you
Wendy xoxo
Queen High Straight
Kill Some Time Blues
T-SHIRTS GALORE!!
I’ve generated two more T-Shirts!
Prompted by questions about the original, official ‘THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’ t-shirt, which sold out a long time ago, I’ve ordered up another run but this time, up’d my game a little by making it the original color photograph from the album cover! It’s rather wonderful!
Link: https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-official-the-price-of-the-ticket-t-shirt-in-colour/
Also…
THE WENDY JAMES / TATLER MAGAZINE t-shirt!!
This is the first front cover I ever did. Photographed by legendary David Bailey and styled by an icon of the fashion world, Isabella Blow. I think it looks amazing too!
Link: https://thewendyjames.com/product/the-wendy-james-tatler-magazine-t-shirt/
Of course…
There are these beauties too…..
THE OFFICIAL QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT t-shirt
Featuring artwork from the album and photography by David Leigh Dodd
Link: https://thewendyjames.com/product/queen-high-straight-official-t-shirt/
THE WENDY JAMES ‘EVERY SONG IS DOPE’ t-shirt
Designed by Spanish artist Elena Gallen
Link: https://thewendyjames.com/product/wendy-james-every-song-is-dope-classic-t-shirt/
THE WENDY JAMES / FACE MAGAZINE t-shirt
Iconic magazine and photographed by famous and renowned Jurgen Teller
Link: https://thewendyjames.com/product/wendy-james-face-magazine-t-shirt/
and….
THE TRANSVISION VAMP/ KURT COBAIN ‘KURT SHIRT’ t-shirt
Famously worn by Kurt Cobain on multiple occasions including live performance on MTV
Link: https://thewendyjames.com/product/wendy-james-transvision-vamp-kurt-shirt-t-shirt/
All the t-shirts are produced on 100% soft cotton in a classic unisex round neck, straight cut shape and available in S. M. L. XL. XXL.
Plus at the moment, through until August 15th there is ‘SUMMER LUV-IN’ discount available for any item in the store…
After you’ve added your choice of items to the cart use the code SummerLuvIn15 at the checkout for your discounted purchase price!
So…
OTHER NEWS!
Another gig has added onto the March / April tour! To be announced…
THE WENDY JAMES BAND TOUR is getting bigger and bigger and I really think it’s going to work out to everyone’s advantage that the delay has happened…
For all direct ticket links go to https://thewendyjames.com/live and also ALL VIP passes here: https://thewendyjames.com/store
I would encourage you all to buy your tickets sooner than later and support your venue of choice and my tour!
And… I’m in the middle of designing the box set of 5 x 7” Singles from Queen High Straight AND listening through to my demos of Queen High Straight with a view to making them available as well!
For ALL items: https://thewendyjames.com/store
I’l keep it interesting for everyone!
I hope you’re all well out there, I hope your lives are continuing as best as possible, take caution with your health and those around you.
My love
Wendy xoxo
The Wendy James ©2019
The Sale
MORE NEWS!!
THE SALE
I am so happy to announce my month long SUMMER LUV-IN SALE 15% from July 15th until August 15th!
The sale applies to all items at https://thewendyjames.com/store
EVERYTHING ANYONE EVER WANTED OR NEEDED!
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT DELUXE DOUBLE VINYL *SIGNED
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT DELUXE CD *SIGNED
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT STANDARD CD *SIGNED
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT OFFICIAL POSTER
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT OFFICIAL T-SHIRT
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT LTD ARTWORK PROOF / DELUXE CD *SIGNED & PERSONALIZED
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT LTD ARTWORK PROOF / STANDARD CD *SIGNED & PERSONALIZED
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT DOUBLE 12” VINYL TEST PRESSING (ONLY 3 SETS AVAILABLE) *SIGNED AND PERSONALIZED
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT RECORDING SESSION LYRIC SHEETS *SIGNED & PERSONALIZED
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT RECORDING SESSION MIX NOTES *SIGNED & PERSONALIZED
THE WENDY JAMES ‘EVERY SONG IS DOPE T-SHIRT
THE WENDY JAMES / FACE MAGAZINE T-SHIRT
THE WENDY JAMES / TRANSVISION VAMP ‘KURT SHIRT’ T-SHIRT
ALL GIGS VIP PASS
THE PRICE OF THE TICKET CD
YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER + FAREWELL TO LOVE 7” VINYL
I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS VINYL
I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS CD
After you’ve added your choice of items to the cart use the code SummerLuvIn15 at the checkout for your discounted purchase price!
Enjoy!
Love, Wendy xo
#SummerLuvIn
THE WENDY JAMES BAND TOUR 2021!
Hi everyone!
How are you all?!
Here is the video for ‘KILL SOME TIME BLUES’
I’m thrilled with the video, I wanted to close out my 20 track album Queen High Straight with a ‘wall-of-sound’ 60’s girl group sounding song, a big number! The horn sections played by Terry Edwards and Alex Ward are marvelous! The guitar parts played by James Sedwards are magnificent and the drumming and percussion by James Sclavunos and bass playing by Harry Bohay, superlative! – and I must say I’m rather pleased with my singing too!
To this end, I went on a video clip treasure hunt to find some great shots of The Supremes, The Ronettes, The Vandellas, The Shangri-Las, and I stumbled upon some fabulous old footage of 60’s girls letting loose and getting their freak on! Spliced and cross-faded into this wonderful footage is footage of me performing live at Hultsfred Festival in Sweden and a performance on a broadcast tv show called Live At The Dome.
The video is masterfully timed out, edited and presented by David Leigh Dodd, who has been the photographer and videographer for the entire presentation of Queen High Straight.
I think the video is an enormous success and it serves to amplify this great song! Chosen by you all to be a double-a-side single along with Marlene et Fleur!
THE WENDY JAMES BAND TOUR 2021!
– is rescheduled and expanded! It is now a 22 date tour (with more to announce!) and is happening in March / April 2021!
Get your tickets and VIP passes now via https://thewendyjames.com/live
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT IS OUT NOW!
Here are some of the wonderful press quotes its’ garnered…. Not least of all you, who have taken it to heart and are loving it! Long may it continue!
“packed with 20 songs, remarkably filler-free, brimming with colorful vocabulary, catty character study, melodic excellence and stylistic dexterity… She means it, man, and it’s a joy throughout.” – 4/5 MOJO
“A superior collection of cosmopolitan pop music, the 20-song set is both catchy and complex.” – The Telegraph
“A Motown flecked ode” (Little Melvin) – The Times
“A characteristically ambitious album, a double, 20 songs… a varied retro-pop clutch; James knows her way around the chords, and how to keep things moving. But the charm lies in their personality…” – Metro
“Written, produced and mixed by (ex-Transvision Vamp) Wendy James fronting a strong band and dabbling in a dizzying variety of styles.” – Classic Rock
“stylish, vintage sounds, in thrall to the Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan and 1960s pop.” – 4/5 Mail on Sunday
“Wendy gets the last laugh with an up-for-it 20-song double album of punk, rock & roll and general mayhem. Just as energetic as the Vamps, the songs are sharper than ever.” – Daily Star
“James specializing in a Stooges belligerence as she rampages across half the album as if about to wreak terrible vengeance on the speakers. There’s an insouciant poise throughout, as James ensures her devilment is backed up by strong tunes… It’s impressive, showcasing what an under-rated writer and producer James has matured into.” – Classic Pop
“Reflective music from a real queen… an album for James fans and newcomers alike.” – Vive Le Roc
So! Onwards! Enjoy the videos and more news coming soon!
Much love
Wendy xo
Here is the video for ‘QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT’
The Tour
…. is rescheduled into April 2021!
Can you believe it? A whole year, minus one month, on from when THE WENDY JAMES BAND were originally set to gig the UK this year.
I have been waiting as long as I could, to see if it was likely that gigs would go ahead this year without detriment to peoples health.
The practice of social distancing is kind of redundant in a gig setting… that’s the whole point, big and small venues alike, we all want to get up close and personal with the shared, communal, musical experience.
Some of the venues I’m scheduled to perform in aren’t even considering opening until November at the earliest… and it became apparent the whole thing needed to be moved to what, we hope, will be a safer 2021.
Back in May, when I first rescheduled to September 2020, I really did think that was enough time! How ridiculous it seems now… ‘curves’ may be ‘flattening’ but a second wave of COVID19 is anticipated for Autumn and until there is a vaccine I think we must all remain cognizant of our health and that of those around us.
For the venues, it’s a disaster… to open up with social distancing would mean financial doom for them, worse even than shuttering, so there is no doubt, in my mind, that this is the correct course to take.
UPSIDE:
I have added OXFORD 02 and PAISLEY ROCKNROLLAS into the tour AND… to be confirmed: Liverpool, Sheffield and I expect some dates in Ireland and Northern Ireland too, preceding the mainland tour.
I’ve also been offered MEXICO and USA! Plus, I know there are a couple of big ticket announcements for 2021, where I will be a very choice opening act for a couple of bands… to be revealed!
So, once again, we make lemonade from lemons! And move forward!
Now there really is NO EXCUSE for a single person in the audience to not know QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT by then!!
All TICKET LINKS REMAIN VALID. ALL TICKETS REMAIN VALID. ALL VIP REMAIN VALID
ALL can been accessed via https://thewendyjames.com/live
Print out your local flyer from the carousel and go spread the news!!
THE ALBUM!!!!!
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT surges forward with universally ecstatic listeners! As always I am overjoyed by the comments you make to me on different social media sites!
Your handpicked double a-side single KILL SOME TIME BLUES + MARLENE ET FLEUR is going up to radio at the moment and I hope it finds some friends there! Don’t hesitate to tweet the shows you listen to and ask them to play it!
I have added additional links on the QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT page of my website: https://thewendyjames.com/queen-high-straight/ so for those of you who want to view the album Liner Notes and Lyrics can:
Queen High Straight Liner Notes: https://thewendyjames.com/liner-notes/
Queen High Straight Lyrics: https://thewendyjames.com/lyrics/
If you want your favorite song’s lyrics, in the form of my recording session notes (and the mix notes), then I can personalize them to you and send them…
The artwork proofs of QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT can also be yours. I have them here and I will personalize them over to you and ship them out.
And the TEST PRESSINGS, 3 sets left… they are expensive! but they will forever be extremely rare and finite.
WENDY JAMES SOHO GARAGE ON SOHO RADIO
Last Friday, 19th June, I hosted Soho Garage on Soho Radio, standing in for James Meynell. I thoroughly loved the experience and I think it went well!
Listen back to the mixcloud archive here:
So, as much as I am going to snatch victory in 2021 from the jaws of COVID19 for THE WENDY JAMES BAND, I also hope that you all…….. are coping with the adjustments having to be made for the pandemic and the culture changing marches and movements across the planet that beckon in a better future for us all.
My love and gratitude to you remains constant
Wendy xo
Buy Queen High Straight here: https://thewendyjames.com/store
THE WENDY JAMES Newsletter No. 16
Hi Everyone!
How are you all?
Did you watch the BRUDENELL TV live broadcast? I was interviewed for an hour by Dave Simpson of The Guardian Newspaper. I enjoyed it, thoroughly and I’ve posted it to YouTube:
I also LOVED the QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT live streaming session that preceded the interview! I couldn’t keep up with everyone’s comments, so many were there! The passion and enthusiasm you shared with me for Queen High Straight is so wonderful! Thank you so, so much!
If you haven’t got your copy of Queen High Straight then PLEASE DO.
https://thewendyjames.com/storeNEWS
RADIO
On Friday, 19th June I’ll be standing in for James Meynell on Soho Radio SOHO GARAGE between 2-4pm GMT!
Tune in! I’m very excited and will obviously be choosing some great cuts to play! and talk about… Who knows what comes to mind!
To listen live: https://sohoradiolondon.com
THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE POLL
You all voted for your favorite two songs from QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT over a period of a couple of weeks to decide which songs would be the next Double A-Side Single to go to radio and the winners were KILL SOME TIME BLUES + MARLENE ET FLEUR! Very good choices.
Thank you all so much for participating and with such determination and vested interest to have your favorites be the winners!
Here is the artwork for the single and I will let you know when we’re going to radio with it!! I hope you all have the golden touch!
PRESS
ALL KILLER! NO FILLER!
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT has been getting so much good press… here are some examples:
“packed with 20 songs, remarkably filler-free, brimming with colourful vocabulary, catty character study (a Supremes-y Little Melvin), melodic excellence and stylistic dexterity… There’s everything from Bitter Sweet MOR (Testimonial) to kitsch-pop (Ratfucking), but few nail flat-out punk rock as convincingly as does James on Perilous Beauty and The Impression of Normalcy. She means it, man, and it’s a joy throughout.” – 4/5 MOJO
“A superior collection of cosmopolitan pop music, the 20-song set is both catchy and complex. “I spend each day in splendid isolation, the quintessential intersection of nothing,” she sings on the waltz-time wonder that is Free Man Walk. In doing so, she might just have written the anthem that best describes the lives of everyone who hears it.” – The Telegraph
“A Motown flecked ode” (Little Melvin) – The Times
“A characteristically ambitious album, a double, 20 songs… a varied retro-pop clutch; James knows her way around the chords, and how to keep things moving. But the charm lies in their personality…” – Metro
“Written, produced and mixed by (ex-Transivision Vamp) Wendy James fronting a strong band and dabbling in a dizzying variety of styles.” – Classic Rock
“stylish, vintage sounds, in thrall to the Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan and 1960s pop.” – 4/5 Mail on Sunday
“Wendy gets the last laugh with an up-for-it 20-song double album of punk, rock & roll and general mayhem. Just as energetic as the Vamps, the songs are sharper than ever.” – Daily Star
“James specialising in a Stooges belligerence as she rampages across half the album as if about to wreak terrible vengeance on the speakers. There’s an insouciant poise throughout, as James ensures her devilment is backed up by strong tunes… It’s impressive, showcasing what an under-rated writer and producer James has matured into.” – Classic Pop
And… THE TOUR!
My band THE WENDY JAMES BAND is still currently scheduled for our September dates and I would love to be certain they will go ahead… of course, safety for everyone is the only concern so if venues tell me that it’s not possible for September to go ahead then I will simply reschedule, once again, into the future when it’s more likely to be possible.
All tickets are valid, all VIPS are valid and all links to both are working!
DATES AND TICKETS: https://thewendyjames.com/live
VIP GIG PASS: https://thewendyjames.com/product/v-i-p-the-wendy-james-gig-pass/
So! ONWARDS…
Keep on playing and listening and loving QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT and make sure you’ve got the t-shirt! the poster! the personalized artwork proofs (which are massive by the way!) the test pressings, the personalized lyric sheets or mix notes! And previous albums and 7” singles are in the store too! https://thewendyjames.com/store
Much, much, much, much love!
Wendy xoxo
– And here is the QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT video again…
BRUDENELL TV!
I am so excited to announce a bona-fide ‘happening’ next Wednesday June 03!
Leeds Brudenell Social Club (iconic venue which THE WENDY JAMES BAND will be playing later in the year) are live streaming, direct to multi platforms: Facebook and YouTube among them!
BRUDENELL TV!
On Wednesday June 3rd I shall be on air, first with an interactive listening party for QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT
We will listen down to the album and I will comment on the songs, their meaning, the recording anecdotes and memories, the musicians and the adventures we had making my 20 Track Deluxe Album! You can live message any questions you may have, or observations, on QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT or any kind of question, within reason!!
In the second hour of broadcast I will be joined on split screen by renowned journalist for The Guardian, Dave Simpson and he will be conducting an hour long interview with me! About Queen High Straight and about my life in music, from the beginning!
What a treat! What a night!
Please all mark this off in your diaries and join me for this unique event!
UK TIME:
7.30PM – QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT LIVE STREAM
8.30PM – IN CONVERSATION WITH Dave Simpson
Broadcasting on YOUTUBE / FACEBOOK LIVE / PERISCOPE
Buy QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT here: https://thewendyjames.com/store
BRUDENELL TV YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwiiMxhpJskI1O-7-W8vXXw
BRUDENELL SOCIAL CLUB FB: https://www.facebook.com/brudenellsocialclub/
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT ENTERED THE UK INDEPENDENT ALBUM CHART AT NO.16!
So! Congratulations to US!
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT ENTERED THE UK INDEPENDENT ALBUM CHART AT NO.16!
MARCH 14TH, 2020
Let’s go up this week! Let’s go TOP TEN!!
Double Vinyl, Deluxe CD, Standard CD
THE WENDY JAMES DOUBLE A-SIDE SINGLE PEOPLE’S CHOICE POLL
This idea came to mind because so many of you, now owning the 20 Track Deluxe Album QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT, are posting to different social media your various favorites!
I am going to go to radio at least 5 times with Double A-Side Singles this year and in the Autumn of 2020 I will present a box set of all the 7” Vinyl Singles from Queen High Straight.
So, for the next single I think you guys should decide which songs ‘win’ the two top spots for the next Double A-Side Single!
Firstly, you obviously need to be in possession of the whole album. Be it Double Vinyl, Deluxe CD, Standard CD or Digital Download and therefore you will own and be getting familiar with all 20 songs!
Secondly, easy as pie…
Simply choose your two favorites!
I am going to leave the poll running for a couple of weeks through until Friday May 29th and you can monitor which songs are rising to to winning spots!
How exciting!
The next single to go to radio will be YOUR CHOICE!
I thank you all and I am very excited to see the results!
SO GO VOTE NOW! CLICK HERE
And please keep buying QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT! LET’S GO TOP TEN! BUY HERE
AND NOW! THE OFFICIAL QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT T-SHIRT IS IN PRODUCTION AND IT IS GLORIOUS!!
I will be able to ship this T-Shirt in 4 days from now!
I freaked out when I received my sample… it’s so great!
The T-Shirt is produced in black 100% soft cotton in a classic unisex round neck, straight cut shape and available in S. M. L. XL. XXL.
Thank you all so much! Your comments, love and support of my music is everything to me!!
LET’S GO TOP TEN! CLICK HERE
My love,
Wendy X
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT is out
Friday May 1, 2020
It’s here!
Today, now… May 1, this morning! QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT is out. It’s released. It is delivered.
– Where should I begin?
– I’ll begin with THANK YOU.
You, who have been with me throughout the making of my album, including the 1 year, 2 months you stayed connected with me while I wrote it and then proceeding through the next 2 years it took to record and complete this epic piece of work!
Most often it’s your responses to the bits of news I share on social media that sustain and propel me forward. Not for nothing are you the very best of people!
For some, life on social media comes naturally… for me, I tend toward a more private inclination and especially so when I’m working, I simply don’t have time, or desire, to break off and do a selfie or this and that, but I’ve adapted and now I look forward to engaging and I find the reward of interacting with you all has been so very worth it. These platforms we communicate on bring us all closer and enable us to feel like a community.
Some of you visited the recording studio and observed the labor we all put in – me, the musicians, the engineers: the detail and precision and obsessive quest for perfection we are all driven by. At the same time, we shared so many laughs, between ourselves and with you! What joyful memories to always have. Up in Lincolnshire when the band went residential through to the various studios around London when I did my vocal sessions and the musicians came in for their overdub sessions.
Thank you all so much for sharing some of these moments.
Thank you for the preorders you made, which have helped deliver Queen High Straight. All the records I’ve done since Racine No.1, Racine 2, I Came Here To Blow Minds, The Price Of The Ticket and now Queen High Straight have been self funded. I have to work to earn to record to work to earn to record and so on…
Philosophically and retrospectively I think this has played to my advantage because, tricky as it’s been at times, the breaks I’ve been forced to take to earn money to continue on have provided me with the artistic headspace and the clarity with which to make right decisions. I do think my music has benefited from this circumstance and none more so than Queen High Straight.
Queen High Straight is so complex in its arrangements and musicality that to attempt to do all of this in one go would have been reckless and foolish. One would have blundered into muddled decisions and with no overview. Overview which is essential to hear the ‘finish’ in ones head, to know what it is one is attempting to achieve.
Moments I’m most proud of?
There were quite a lot of Eureka moments when I was writing the album. Let’s be real! There were 20 Eureka moments each time a song completed. I have so many memories attached to each song, vividly recalling sitting on the bed, staring out of the window, noodling my guitar, looking at my lyrics, imagining the sentiment of where I was headed and searching out the chords to express that. Queen High Straight was the first song I wrote and it took me by surprise, I stumbled upon inversions of chords that suggested a more jazzy type of sound and immediately my mind was drawn to childhood when Bacharach and David and Sergio Mendes ‘Brazil ’66’ were in the background. Osmosis is everything! I love the content of the lyric and the way the song builds and arcs. The feeling when I’d finished writing and recording the demo for Queen High Straight was “Ok, I have begun…” Very exciting and very confident in the face of now having to commit to writing 19 more perfect songs!
I could repeat this story out for all the songs as they completed, I remember ‘Perilous Beauty’ (it’s on Facebook and Instagram, a little video of me playing the demo in the basement of the house in the South of France where I was staying), I remember ‘Little Melvin’, dancing and jubilant and playing it back on my phone. I remember them all… I remember being thrilled by ‘I’ll Be Here When The Morning Comes’ because it evoked a favorite, funny scene in a Steve Martin movie called ‘The Jerk’ where he sings a lonesome, tender ditty with his true love in the movie, Bernadette Peters. ‘Cancel It… I’ll see him on Monday’ – when I finished this song (and I love the title by the way) I flew down the stairs and outside shouting “I’ve written a hit, I’ve written a hit” (I filmed and posted me dancing along to that demo too!). At the end of last year I played it on Soho Radio and as the sound went around the foyer of the building and into peoples ears I was in wonderment, it sounds so damn good!
The whole album is a resounding success for me. I know, for myself, I’ve reached great musical and lyrical heights with Queen High Straight and what makes it all the sweeter are the myriad memories infused in each note, each arrangement, each edit, each session with the musicians. I’m so proud of the way we, the musicians, came together and made this music. We all have that indefatigable drive to push for performances which are exquisite and we succeeded.
To those involved:
The Musicians on this album are incredible, versatile, supremely gifted people, they also are nice! They are so nice to be around. The perfect blend of total dedication and pursuit of the ultimate performance and humble, funny, generous, caring people. I thank James Sclavunos, James Sedwards, Harry Bohay, Alex Ward, Terry Edwards and Louis Vause. Friends for life!
The Engineers… it’s funny, whenever I go to initial meetings with engineers, I always warn them that I work long hours and I cannot let anything go or settle for anything other than that which I need or want. They always say “sure, they are used to working in intense situations of long hours of focus and sometimes obsessive demands”, but even they have lost it with me on occasion, when we get into the weeds and struggle with an edit or the workload ahead of us, but, I am happy to say we come out the other side and, to a man, they have heard the record and are proud of it. I am so grateful to Ian Dowling, Joe Sage, Pieter Riekerk, Al Lawson, Tim Morris and Fred Kevorkian. They are my conduit from imagination and vision to reality.
The Photographer David Leigh Dodd. What a terrific story that turned out to be. Originally David was meant to come on a studio visit and he hoped to get some photos of me there, working, but the schedule never panned out, so instead, during the summer of 2019 I jumped on a plane to Rome, where he lives, and stayed for a long weekend. On the back of his moped we drove out to the area of Rome designed by Mussolini called EUR (Esposizione Universale Roma). It is deeply impressive with its enormous, conforming buildings, originally meant to celebrate Mussolini’s Fascism, very imposing, a great setting for some photos (and a tourist spot!). We got up the next day and took the metro (which broke down and we had to change to a bus, all in Italian on the outskirts of Rome!), destination Cinecittà, the iconic Italian movie studios and home to the great Frederico Fellini. We paid our money and joined the tour and while the guide was lecturing the party, we snuck off and took all the cinematic stills we could! In 100 degrees! We spotted a (typical) fountain and square in central Rome, near the hotel I was staying in, not a big important square or fountain but beautiful and a bit shabby too. We shot there and then finally wandering the backstreets of old Rome at night. What a haul of photos we got, and so much tomato, buffalo mozzarella and basil along the way! David has taken some of the finest photos of me ever taken, I give my everlasting thanks to him, and I must say I would not have looked so fine had it not been for The Make-Up Artist Domitilla Coni who made perfect cat-eyes for me and used make up which miraculously didn’t melt off in the extreme heat! So, Thank you to her too.
The Graphic Artist Stuart Preston. Poor Stuart… I worked him hard. You cannot even begin to get your head around how labor intensive the layout has been for 4 different formats of music, poster, t-shirts, tour flyers, vip pass and banners. The Deluxe CD alone comes with a 16 page booklet containing all the lyrics, technical aspects, liner notes, credits and 16 pages worth of photographic layout too! So many words for him to check, double check, line up, triple check, space out and on and on. It took us 6 months to make all this artwork. He freaked out only twice! What a star. My thanks and friendship to Stuart for ever. The presentation of this album is exceptional. It is precision engineering! He is a marvel.
The Website Manager Pete. Peter and his team built my website and they keep it running with great efficiency. Goodness knows the coding they had to do to add all the items into the store, create the Queen High Straight page and embed carousels for showing all of the artwork.The website is completely integral for me to get my music and items to you. Thank you Pete.
And now…
So what now? Well… please buy Queen High Straight and all it’s lovely trimmings!!
The T-Shirt is so cool, The Poster is so beautiful, The Lyric Sheets and Mix Notes are lovely things to own and I dedicate them to you, on the song/s of your choice. There are limited edition Artwork Proofs of the Deluxe CD and Standard CD, once again I personalize them to you and, for 3 lucky people – 3 sets of Double Vinyl Test Pressings.
Enjoy the album! I love it. It’s going to take you a good while to choose your favorites. 20 songs. Which ones will be your favorites?
I hope you find the finished album rewarding for the wait of three years. I think you will.
The tour for Queen High Straight, originally scheduled for May, has had to be delayed, as you know, but we are on for September, by which time, I hope, you will all know the lyrics and have your favorites! On the live page of the website there are all the direct ticket links per venue and of course the associated VIP pass per gig.
So…
It’s here.
I have done it.
We have done it.
Stay well out there! And Enjoy QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT
With all my love
Wendy xo
01.05. 20
TO BUY: https://thewendyjames.com/store
THE WENDY JAMES News Letter No.15
Hi Everyone
How are you all in this strange time?
I hope safe and healthy!
Everything’s fine with me, as you know I managed to delay THE WENDY JAMES BAND May tour until September, which I hope proves to be an accurate guestimate as to when we might all be back to some kind of sociability!
All the tickets you bought remain valid and the ticket links for purchase and the new dates are on https://thewendyjames.com/live and also the VIP passes which are available to each of the 19 shows!
I look forward to seeing you all in September!!
Buy VIP pass here: https://thewendyjames.com/product/v-i-p-the-wendy-james-gig-pass/
Also, I often find myself having to watch YouTube tutorials to learn something new for instagram or whatever and so it gave me the idea to film myself giving a tutorial of how to use my website to purchase Queen High Straight (or any Wendy item in the store). It took me ages to do! And I end up talking about some of the details of the recording process too… so enjoy the tutorial!!
Meantime….
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT is nearly released!!
It is out on May 1 and shipping to you to arrive on May 1 (postage prevailing).
I thought I’d preview a song from the album, which none of you have heard, to pique your interest, called LITTLE MELVIN.
It is track 5 from the 20 songs on the album and this one shows a real lean into a Motown sound and feel. I worked hard on the backing vocals and I really enjoy singing along to them as well as the lead vocal! Great musicianship, of course, by James Sclavunos on drums and percussion, Harry Bohay on bass, James Sedwards on guitar and the horn section comprised of Terry Edwards and Alex Ward. I love this song and I think you’re going to say “Wow” and play it on repeat!
Listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/the-wendy-james/5-little-melvin-1
Listen on Website iPlayer: https://thewendyjames.com/queen-high-straight/
And finally!
Masses of covers Queen High Straight vinyl, deluxe cd and cd all arrived at my place a few days ago for me to sign, which took 3 days, so my signature might be a bit off!! (Ha ha) but anyway they are all signed and have been shipped back to the pressing plant to be assembled with the music and then sent out to USA and EU and UK to be distributed to you all around the world.
Yes….. it’s happening!
Here are two funny pictures of the driver who came to pick them all up…
Buy QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT here: https://thewendyjames.com/store
It is the best album of my life!
And enjoy LITTLE MELVIN alongside PERILOUS BEAUTY and CHICKEN STREET… it’s going to be good!
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/the-wendy-james
Website iPlayer: https://thewendyjames.com/queen-high-straight/
I send my love to you all,
Wendy xoxo
THE WENDY JAMES News Letter No.14
HELLO my dear friends and fans!
SO……..
THE TOUR OF MAY 2020 FOR QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT IS POSTPONED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2020
By doing simple math, it was easy for me to see that in one months time, when I’d be due to begin rehearsals in April in LDN, was just not going to happen, nor an all-clear of COVID19 by May 5th when my tour was scheduled to begin. So making a calculation as best as possible, I have postponed all the dates until September 2020.
All the ticket links are still valid and working!
All the VIP are still valid and welcome!
Upside:
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT will have been with you all through the summer months and I expect you to all be able to sing every lyric along with me in September! A successful record could make these gigs very electric!
So….
In short… No Cancellations, but simply a delay, I’ve done what was necessary for THE WENDY. JAMES TOUR and indeed all of us.
Please get you tickets NOW! Support the tour!
– we shall be meeting in September!
TICKETS AND DATES:
1. BRISTOL FLEECE – THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 3RD
2. SWANSEA CINEMA & CO – FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 4TH
3. CARDIFF CLWB IFOR BACH – SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 5TH
4. BRIGHTON CONCORDE 2 – TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 8TH
5. CAMBRIDGE JUNCTION – WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 9TH
6. BIRMINGHAM INSTITUTE 3 – THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10TH
7. STOKE SUGARMILL – FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 11TH
8. PORTSMOUTH WEDGEWOOD ROOMS – SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12TH
9. NOTTINGHAM BODEGA – TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 15TH
10. MANCHESTER DEAF INSTITUTE – WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 16TH
11. LEEDS BRUDENELL – THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17TH
12. BLACKPOOL WATERLOO MUSIC BAR – FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18TH
13. NEWCASTLE CLUNY – SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 19TH
14. GUILDFORD BOILEROOM – MONDAY SEPTEMBER 21ST
https://link.dice.fm/J8AGKCcoi3
15. TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM – TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 22ND
16. LONDON ISLINGTON 02 – WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 23RD
17. GLASGOW KING TUTS – SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26TH
18. EDINBURGH BANNERMANS – SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 27TH
19. NORWICH ARTS CENTRE – TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 29TH
TOUR VIP:
For those of you who want the VIP experience of hanging out with me at soundcheck and priority access at the shows, then please do! I sign your records or photos and we get to spend some time together and you get to see us and be with us from soundcheck onwards!
Buy VIP here: https://thewendyjames.com/product/v-i-p-the-wendy-james-gig-pass/
MY LOVE TO YOU ALL.
STAY SAFE and the TOUR IS ON!!!!
Wendy xo
– and… you MUST PRE-ORDER!
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT
LISTEN HERE: https://thewendyjames.com/queen-high-straight/
BUY HERE: https://thewendyjames.com/store
THE WENDY JAMES News Letter
ANNOUNCING!
PERILOUS BEAUTY / CHICKEN STREET
Double A-Side Single
Going To Radio Now!
Streaming Only
LISTEN HERE:
WEBSITE – https://thewendyjames.com/queen-high-straight/
SOUNDCLOUD – https://soundcloud.com/the-wendy-james/sets/wendy-james-first-single
(7” Vinyl to be made available at a later date)
Wendy James Double A-Side 7” Single
A. Perilous Beauty (4.13)
A. Chicken Street (4.08)
from
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT
20 Track Deluxe Album
ALBUM OUT ON MAY 1 2020
Pre-Order here: https://thewendyjames.com/store
The Tour
THE WENDY JAMES BAND MAY 2020 TOUR!
DATES ANNOUNCED AND TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
This is going to be AMAZING!
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT Launch (and yes! Some big TVV numbers too…)
TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM – TUESDAY 5TH MAY
https://bit.ly/39eTwoP
SWANSEA CINEMA & CO – WEDNESDAY MAY 6TH
https://buff.ly/2NGe01q
BRISTOL FLEECE – THURSDAY MAY 7TH
https://bit.ly/2S14Iji
NORWICH ARTS CENTRE – FRIDAY MAY 8TH
http://bit.ly/WendyJamesNAC
STOKE ON TRENT THE SUGAR MILL – SATURDAY MAY 9TH
https://bit.ly/2RoOfUu
NOTTINGHAM RESCUE ROOMS – MONDAY MAY 11TH
http://bit.ly/2uQnMaJ
MANCHESTER DEAF INSTITUTE – TUESDAY MAY 12TH
http://bit.ly/35rYHQ3
BRIGHTON CONCORDE 2 – WEDNESDAY MAY 13TH
https://bit.ly/36xv9C2
LONDON ISLINGTON 02 – THURSDAY MAY 14TH
http://bit.ly/WJIslington
CARDIFF CLWB IFOR BACH – FRIDAY MAY 15TH
bit.ly/WendyJamesBand-CDF
PORTSMOUTH WEDGEWOOD ROOMS – SATURDAY MAY 16TH
https://tinyurl.com/wpgqqoy
GUILDFORD BOILEROOM – SUNDAY MAY 17TH
https://link.dice.fm/J8AGKCcoi3
LEEDS BRUDENELL SOCIAL CLUB – TUESDAY MAY 19TH
http://bit.ly/WJamesLds
NEWCASTLE CLUNY – WEDNESDAY MAY 20TH
https://bit.ly/2s5k8ZE
GLASGOW GIG TUTS – THURSDAY MAY 21ST
ktwwh.co/wendyjames
BIRMINGHAM INSTITUTE 3 – FRIDAY MAY 22ND
http://bit.ly/WJInstitute
CAMBRIDGE JUNCTION – SATURDAY MAY 23RD
https://bit.ly/2tpSXt3
BLACKPOOL THE WATERLOO MUSIC BAR – SUNDAY MAY 24TH
http://skiddle.com/e/13735481
EDINBURGH BANNERMANS – MONDAY MAY 25TH
http://t-s.co/wend0
FOR ALL VIP ACCESS: https://thewendyjames.com/store
TO PRE-ORDER QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT https://thewendyjames.com/store
TO BUY YOUR T-SHIRTS: https://thewendyjames.com/store
See you all soon!
Much Love
Wendy xo
THE WENDY JAMES News Letter No.12
February 5th 2020
Happy New Year!!
How’s it going? Well, I hope!
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT
Things are getting busier and busier as I move toward the release date of QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT on May 1st!
Firstly, let me tell you that I have approved the test pressings for QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT. I have 5 of them (10 discs, it’s a double vinyl of course) and I’ve spent the last 3 days going through all of them to be certain that all the music, the levels, the spacing, the tracking listing is correct.
It truly sounds wonderful! I knew this anyway but seeing it revolve on a turn-table is another landmark in the progress of this record!
Please do preorder your copies here: https://thewendyjames.com/store
If you want to own one of 5 Test Pressing packages they are an incredible artifact, a collectors item, then please do, I’ve made them available here:
The deadline for being on the Certificate Of Contributors is looming, artwork has been sent off to the manufacturers and soon they will have to print, I’d say there are about 3 weeks left… the Certificate of Contributors comes with either the Deluxe Vinyl here: or the Deluxe CD here:
Of course the lyrics/mix notes from my recording sessions are still available here.
The official Queen High Straight poster here.
The official Queen High Straight black t-shirts here.
The official Queen High Straight white t-shirts here.
– and of course the Kurt Shirt, The Face Magazine and Every Song Is Dope t-shirts are constantly available!
– and my picture disc for The Price Of The Ticket is here.
So…. get whatever you like!!
THE WENDY JAMES BAND May 2020 QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT Album Launch TOUR!
Yes! I have extensive dates around the UK based on the May 1 ALBUM LAUNCH tour…
Here they and with their ticket links:
TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM – TUESDAY 5TH MAY
https://bit.ly/39eTwoP
SWANSEA CINEMA & CO – WEDNESDAY MAY 6TH
https://buff.ly/2NGe01q
BRISTOL FLEECE – THURSDAY MAY 7TH
https://bit.ly/2S14Iji
NORWICH ARTS CENTRE – FRIDAY MAY 8TH
http://bit.ly/WendyJamesNAC
STOKE ON TRENT THE SUGAR MILL – SATURDAY MAY 9TH
https://bit.ly/2RoOfUu
NOTTINGHAM RESCUE ROOMS – MONDAY MAY 11TH
http://bit.ly/2uQnMaJ
MANCHESTER DEAF INSTITUTE – TUESDAY MAY 12TH
http://bit.ly/35rYHQ3
BRIGHTON CONCORDE 2 – WEDNESDAY MAY 13TH
https://bit.ly/36xv9C2
LONDON ISLINGTON 02 – THURSDAY MAY 14TH
http://bit.ly/WJIslington
CARDIFF CLWB IFOR BACH – FRIDAY MAY 15TH
bit.ly/WendyJamesBand-CDF
PORTSMOUTH WEDGEWOOD ROOMS – SATURDAY MAY 16TH
https://tinyurl.com/wpgqqoy
GUILDFORD BOILEROOM – SUNDAY MAY 17TH
https://link.dice.fm/J8AGKCcoi3
LEEDS BRUDENELL SOCIAL CLUB – TUESDAY MAY 19TH
http://bit.ly/WJamesLds
NEWCASTLE CLUNY – WEDNESDAY MAY 20TH
https://bit.ly/2s5k8ZE
GLASGOW GIG TUTS – THURSDAY MAY 21ST
ktwwh.co/wendyjames
BIRMINGHAM INSTITUTE 3 – FRIDAY MAY 22ND
http://bit.ly/WJInstitute
CAMBRIDGE JUNCTION – SATURDAY MAY 23RD
https://bit.ly/2tpSXt3
BLACKPOOL THE WATERLOO MUSIC BAR – SUNDAY MAY 24TH
http://skiddle.com/e/13735481
EDINBURGH BANNERMANS – MONDAY MAY 25TH
http://t-s.co/wend0
VIP
If you want to come VIP with me! Then click here…
This will get you into the soundcheck and to spend time with me and the band and see the show!
THE TOUR FLYERS
If you go to THE LIVE PAGE then you will once again see all the dates for the tour and also a carousel of all the flyers related to the gigs! Please feel free to download the one related to your location and print it out and spread them around your town, your local venues, clubs, music shops, any shops! Anywhere! It would be lovely to have some grass-roots ground operation for this tour!!
It’s all very, very exciting! Much to be done!
But as I sit here writing to you, Queen High Straight is on in the background and I have to tell you: it’s all worth it, I have truly made a record piece of work!
Thank you for all your loyalty, support, help…. it is everything to me!
Much Love
Wendy xxxx
MERRY CHRISTMAS! HAPPY HOLIDAYS! AND A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!
As this year rounds out I wish the happiest of times to you all, with whomever and however you’re spending the end of 2019.
It has been a very active year, this year, for me. Completing QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT with not a single note out of place or a single thing forgotten or overlooked in the recording, mixing and mastering. I am so, so pleased with this album, in fact ‘pleased’ is a polite understatement! I am thrilled and joyous! It is the best thing I’ve done in my life and I cannot wait for you all to have it and hear it!
I’ve set the release date for MAY 1!
I went on tour, opening for The Psychedelic Furs in October with my official band THE WENDY JAMES BAND. This band are the best band I’ve had. I love these guys! They are so talented, so hard working, so nimble with whatever happens, they are funny and honest and humble and they make me feel so effortlessly in top form on stage!
I have some gigs already confirmed for May to support the launch of the album and by the time May rolls around there will be plenty. I am also going to do instore signings on the days of the gigs, wherever possible, and I hope some live performances on regional and national radio too.
Keep an eye on my social media and the live page: https://thewendyjames.com/live for tickets and gig announcements and of course get your V.I.P. from my store!
For the remaining month of December there continues to be a 15% discount on everything at the web store: simply input the code seasonsgreetings15 at checkout!
I hope you are pleased with the work I’ve done this year! The artwork is beautiful, don’t you think? And the music will thrill you in 2020. I hope you enjoyed the gigs you came to and that I see you all and more out on the road next year.
I thank YOU for every single way you have given me care, love, support, enthusiasm and steadfast friendships and loyalty. I hope I met as many of you as wanted at the after show merch table experiences out on the road and signed as many of your items as I could and had many hugs and words with you all.
I wish you all the best time, the best of health, the best of life and the happiest of New Years. See you in 2020!
My love
Wendy xxx
Seasons Greetings
For the month of December take 15% off all items!
THE WENDY JAMES STORE
EVERYTHING ANYONE EVER WANTED OR NEEDED!
**In time for Black Friday too!
After you’ve added your choice of items to the cart use the code SeasonsGreetings15 at the checkout for your discounted purchase price!
Much Love
Wendy xxx
THE QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT Artwork Reveal!!
So! It is done! It was nearly as much of a mammoth task doing all the artwork for Queen High Straight as it was the music!
So what have we got?
THE DELUXE GATEFOLD DOUBLE VINYL
This presentation of Queen High Straight contains two 12” vinyls, five cuts a side. It contains liner notes on the inside gatefold, written by Wendy, it contains fully printed, art designed inner sleeves sides 1/2/3/4 with all of the lyrics and all of the technical credits from the album. All the artwork of this presentation is unique to the Deluxe Gatefold Vinyl, including the record labels themselves. As substantive as the music and lyrics are on Queen High Straight are, so too is the artwork.
*The music is mastered for Vinyl
THE DELUXE GATEFOLD CD
This is the Gatefold CD presentation of Queen High Straight. It has front, back and inside art unique to the Deluxe CD package, including full liner notes written by Wendy, part of a 16 page booklet which also has design unique to the Deluxe CD package and contains all of the lyrics per each 1-20 songs and a beautifully designed CD label.
*The music is mastered for CD
THE REGULAR CD
This is the Regular CD presentation of Queen High Straight. It has front and back jacket art unique to the Regular CD package and a beautifully designed CD label.
*The music is mastered for CD
THE DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
This is the Digital Download of QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT. It contains all 20 tracks of the Deluxe Album.
*The music is mastered for Hi Res Digital Download & Streaming.
ALL FORMATS CONTAIN ALL 20 SONGS!
Album running time
One Hour, 27 Minutes
Track Listing
1. Queen High Straight (4.32)
2. Perilous Beauty (4.05)
3. Free Man Walk (3.39)
4. Stomp Down, Snuck Up (4.14)
5. Little Melvin (4.52)
6. Marlene et Fleur (3.59)
7. A Heart Breaking Liar’s Promise (5.11)
8. Here Comes The Beautiful One (3.46)
9. Chicken Street (4.13)
10. Testimonial (4.18)
11. Bar Room Brawl & Benzedrine Blues (4.07)
12. Ratfucking (2.36)
13. She Likes To Be (Underneath Somebody) (3.21)
14. Bliss Hotel (3.59)
15. Freak In (3.05)
16. The Impression Of Normalcy (3.36)
17. I’ll Be Here When The Morning Comes (4.15)
18. Cancel It… I’ll See Him On Monday (3.37)
19. Sugar Boy (3.57)
20. Kill Some Time Blues (4.18)
ALSO REVEALED…
THE CERTIFICATE OF CONTRIBUTORS
The Contributor’s Certificate is a stand alone piece of artwork designed to name every person who bought this item and contributed to the making of Queen High Straight. The album was entirely self-funded and so a certificate is a wonderful testimonial to you all. It comes within the package for the Deluxe Double Gatefold 12” Vinyl or the Deluxe Gatefold CD and is lovely memento and thing to own.
PRE-ORDER VINYL CERTIFICATE HERE
THE OFFICIAL QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT POSTER
This is the official companion poster for Wendy James new 20 Track Deluxe Album. It features a combination of artwork from both the Deluxe LP and the Deluxe CD. All original photography of Wendy shot in Rome in the summer of 2019. The Poster is printed on quality rich card and is A1 size. It is unique to this store and to the presentation of Queen High Straight.
THE OFFICIAL QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT T-SHIRT
These are the official companion T-Shirts for Wendy James new 20 Track Deluxe Album. It features full color art of the Queen High Straight Certificate Of Contributors. Original photography of Wendy shot in Rome in the summer of 2019. The t-shirt is produced in black or white 100% soft cotton in a classic unisex round neck, straight cut shape and available in S. M. L. XL. XXL.
LIMITED EDITION ARTWORK PROOF ON VINYL TEMPLATE
This is a limited edition proof of the artwork for the Deluxe Vinyl package. The art is on thick card from the production company. These proofs are made so that approval can be given to go into full production. No more than 2 or 3 will ever be made. Wendy will sign and personalize with your name. This is a lovely artwork to own, to frame, to hang on the wall. A bona-fide collectors item.
MUSICIAN CREDITS
vocals, rhythm guitar, keys, melodica
WENDY JAMES
rhythm guitar, lead guitar
JAMES SEDWARDS
bass guitar
HARRY BOHAY
drums, percussion
JAMES SCLAVUNOS
alto sax
ALEX J. WARD
trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn, tenor & baritone sax
TERRY EDWARDS
accordion
LOUIS VAUSE
ENGINEER CREDITS
recording engineers
IAN DOWLING, JOE SAGE, AL LAWSON
assistant engineer
PIETER RIEKERK
mix engineer
TIM MORRIS
mastering engineer
FRED KEVORKIAN
recorded, mixed and mastered on location in uk and ny
ARTWORK CREDITS
photography
DAVID LEIGH DODD
graphic layout
STUART PRESTON
So! isn’t it all amazing!
I am THRILLED!!!! I am SO THRILLED!!!!!!!!!
I now have the master of the record finished and will begin to plan how and when is best to release it in 2020, I will set a firm date and on that date it will ship to you all and I will build my entire 2020 calendar around promoting it, gigging it and making sure, if I possibly can, that the world knows what a GREAT ALBUM THIS IS! My best! And I know you and I love all my records, but this one’s the best! I cannot wait for you to hear it!
So! Revel in the artwork! Pre-order your choices (and/or pre-existing items) and roll on 2020!
Much Love
Wendy xoxo
– and THANK YOU!
TO SEE FULL ARTWORK, PRE-ORDER OR BUY – CLICK HERE
Hello Everyone!!
15.10.19
Hello Everyone!!
So boy, oh boy…
The last two months =
MIX COMPLETE!
TOUR COMPLETE!
For those of you who came out to the shows around UK with us, The Wendy James Band, opening for The Psychedelic Furs: Thank you SO much! We had the best time, I know for sure we played great gigs and when I met you all after the show it seemed to me that every single one of us was happy and thrilled by it all!
I absolutely love the opportunity at each show to say Hi to as many of you as possible, reacquaint with old friends/fans who are repeat attendees! It’s such a great thing we all share between us.
So…
What Next?!
I am spending this week finishing the artwork and listening on my home stereo to the mix of the record. Then I will send the files off to NYC to be mastered for manufacturing and finally: templates/art and music will go off to be pressed and printed! Yikes! It is in the pipeline!
Tentatively working to a February 21, 2020 release and proposed new UK tour beginning on 23rd Feb, 2020. Neither of these things are written in stone but that’s my focus!
We certainly are planning far more touring for 2020 and further afield than simply UK, with EU, USA and AUS/JP being looked into.
As soon as the artwork is finished I will reveal, incrementally, the VINYL package, the CD packages, the Poster, the T-Shirts and the Contributors Certificate!
You will have access to buy one of the proofs of the artwork, which is a lovely thing to own and frame, and any of you wanting to be on the certificate, please do hurry because it’s going to have to end very soon so it can go off to the printers!
And FYI – I have re-stocked the KURT SHIRT, THE FACE MAG and EVERY SONG IS DOPE so if you didn’t get one on tour, then you can get one now!
And of course: Pre-Order QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT!
My band are truly perfect! James Sclavunos on Drums, Leo Kurunis on Bass, Alex J. Ward on Rhythm Guitar and Keyboards, Rupert Greaves on Rhythm Guitar, Keyboards and Backing Vocals and Pip Stakem on Lead Guitar. They make all the songs, old and new, sound as urgent, thundering and sexy as they should and could be!
Once again: TO YOU ALL. I am here because you want me to be and I thank you so much and I am so pleased you love my music and all it entails!
Love
Wendy xoxo
Wow!!! Me, James Sclavunos, Leo Kurunis, Pip Stakem, Alex J. Ward and Rupert Greaves – THE WENDY JAMES BAND!
Here are the remaining dates of our tour opening for The Psychedelic Furs around UK:
OCTOBER:
7th. Leeds Stylus
8th. Glasgow Academy
9th. Newcastle Academy
11th. Nottingham Rock City
12th. London Roundhouse
TICKETS:
https://www.aegpresents.co.uk/events/detail/the-psychedelic-furs-3
VIP:
https://thewendyjames.com/product/v-i-p-the-wendy-james-gig-pass/
YOU MUST COME!
Here’s a rather fabulous excerpt from a review in Manchester last week…
“A mixture of jangling indiepop with crunching garage rock- time has seemingly sharpened Wendy’s claws, added venom to her bite as her band throw themselves through supercharged versions of Transvision Vamp classics as well as a selection of Wendy’s solo material, including new songs that will feature on her upcoming album ‘Queen High Straight’ including the raucous, punky “Impression Of Normalcy”. You’re A Good Man, Sister’s glam stomp is as authentic as any from the mid-70s, the band’s throwback sound working wonders here, while Transvision classic “Baby I Don’t Care” positively bristles with power thank to huge crashing drums and fuzzy organ, still as carefree and fun as it was in 1989.
Wendy James has been able to avoid the pitfalls of the nostalgia loop, updating her original pop-punk-leaning sound to keep her material fresh, meaning that songs first heard on Pop Art and Velveteen some 30 years ago blend seamlessly into her new solo work, what was once a jangle is now a full-on six-string attack, at times only some additional distortion and feedback away from a proto-industrial grind, with Wendy’s poppy, at times almost deadpan delivery cutting above – ‘Bad Valentine’, a meditation on absent-minded romantic fumbles set to a swaying doo-wop rhythm, showcases Wendy’s individual style the best- a thin veneer of ‘little girl lost’ masking sarcastic dry wit and a rebellious streak a mile wide.”
Full text here:
https://soundsfromnowhere.com/2019/10/05/the-psychedelic-furs-the-wendy-james-band-o2-ritz-manchester-01-10-2019/
Pre-order QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT here:
https://thewendyjames.com/store
Photo by Sarah Lowe
MEAN, MOODY & MAGNIFICENT
“what is extraordinary about this album is it proceeds in many contrasting styles; hard, sexy, street smart and threatening yet romantic, whimsical, wistful and dreamy”
17.09.19
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT IS FINISHED!
Officially I have finished mixing my record!
What started off sitting on my bed, staring out of the window, picking up my guitar and beginning this epic journey of 20 songs is now concluded, in North West London!
It started with one year and 2 months writing time, then to Lincolnshire, UK for a residential time recording the drums, bass, scratch guitar and scratch vocals.
DRUMS: JAMES SCLAVUNOS
BASS: HARRY BOHAY
SCRATCH GUITAR AND VOCALS: WENDY JAMES
Engineered by Ian Dowling
Then it continued with me returning to the same residential studio and spending three weeks recording my rhythm guitar and my major vocals.
Engineered by Joe Sage
Asst. Engineer Pieter Riekerk
Then came pianos and rhythm and lead guitar with myself and
GUITARIST: JAMES SEDWARDS
– recorded in East London in the Borough of Hackney and moving studio to West London to record additional guitar, backing vocals, accordion and the horn sections.
TRUMPETS AND SAX: TERRY EDWARDS & ALEX J. WARD
ACCORDION: LOUIS VAUSE
Engineer: Al Lawson
Then finally the mix in NW London.
Mix Engineer Tim Morris
– with the additional musical wisdom of James Sclavunos!
So, it’s a WRAP.
During which time: Pledge went bust and I launched my own online store and made it to the finishing line!
GIGS
Now I am about to start rehearsals for the upcoming gigs opening for the Psychedelic Furs and my own show in Blackburn:
DATES AS FOLLOWS:
October
1st. Manchester Ritz
3rd. Portsmouth Pyramid Centre
4th. Brighton Dome
5th. Birmingham Institute
7th. Leeds Stylus
8th. Glasgow Academy
9th. Newcastle Academy
11th. Nottingham Rock City
12th. London Roundhouse
GET YOUR PSYCHEDELIC FURS TICKETS HERE
GET YOUR V.I.P. PASSES HERE
PRE-ORDER QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT HERE
When the tour is finished I will be mastering the album and sending it off for manufacture and the ARTWORK is moving toward a finishing point all the time! The first image at the top of this news letter is pulled from a selection that will comprise the whole package.
I have to offer, so far:
A Double Deluxe Gatefold Vinyl
A Deluxe Gatefold CD
A Regular CD
– and downloads and streaming…
Official T-Shirt and Poster
Rare Artwork Proofs and Test Pressings
There’s a lot going on!
– and more to come and more to announce, certainly as artwork concludes I will share it with you!
If you want to hear reference mixes of a handful of the songs then listen at Soundcloud
– or at my website
Thank you all for HELPNG ME GET HERE!
– for now the CERTIFICATE OF CONTRIBUTORS is available in both VINYL AND CD formats but I’ll call time on that soon so it can go to print! Do that now if you want to.
See you at the shows!
Do make sure you’re wearing one of my official t-shirts!
The KURT SHIRT here
WENDY JAMES/FACE MAGAZINE T-Shirt here
EVERY SONG IS DOPE here
WOW!
DONE!
Thank you!
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT
20 TRACK DELUXE LP
Photography: David Leigh Dodd
Graphic Layout: Stuart Preston
Much, much, much, much Love
Wendy xoxo
THE MIX
05.09.19
I’ve been in the studio 8 days now, 12 hour days and we just put down the first mix of TRACK 15 ‘FREAK IN’!
We’re generally managing two mixes a day with the aim of finishing all 20 songs first mixes by end of Friday night.
Next week we will begin the first round of revisions, alterations, improvements, based on mix notes I will make over the weekend. It’s sounding GREAT!
Here is a clip straight off the console!
THE GIGS
I will be mixing through until the 17th September, then fly to Dublin, perform at Feile 2019 on Friday 20th September in Tipperary, then back to LDN to rehearse THE WENDY JAMES BAND for the opening on The Psychedelic Furs UK Tour!
So!
If you haven’t got your tickets yet for The Psychedelic Furs & The Wendy James Band then you must!
Buy here: http://po.st/WendyJamesFurs19
VIP here
***If you want VIP for FEILE 2019 message me at enquiries@thewendyjames.com
VIP here
You absolutely need to wear one of my t-shirts to the shows!
THE KURT SHIRT here
WENDY JAMES/FACE MAGAZINE T-Shirt here
EVERY SONG IS DOPE here
THE RECORD
Of course, more important than anything – your copy of QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT on pre-order! The record is now within a tangible finishing line!!
Preorder here: https://thewendyjames.com/store
See you out on the road!
Much Love
Wendy xo
THE MIX OF QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT, THE ARTWORK FOR QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT, THE NEW T-SHIRTS AND THE UPCOMING TOUR!
Hi!
How are you all doing? Well, I hope!
THE MIX
So! the time is here! I leave for London on Tuesday 27th and begin mixing QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT the very next morning on 28th.
I have been listening to the album reference mixes, making notes and preparing myself to remember every single thing I want in each song. So many beautiful parts have been played by the musicians! James Sclavunos on Drums and Percussion, Harry Bohay on Bass, James Sedwards on Rhythm and Lead Guitar, Alex J. Ward on Alto Sax, Terry Edwards on Tenor and Baritone Sax, Flugelhorn, Cornet and Trumpet! and myself, of course, on Rhythm Guitar, Vocals, Backing Vocals, Piano and Keys and a Melodica on Track 18 ‘Cancel It… I’ll See Him On Monday’.
We (myself and the mix engineer) have allowed ourselves three weeks, 21 days to mix 20 songs. This may sound like a lot, or a comfortable schedule, but it’s not! That’s a real tall order to make 20 songs perfect in 21 days, usually one does recalls a few times to tweak and make perfect, but we will have to clear more than one song a day in order to be able to fit in that tweak time too!!
This is literally the last chance for a studio visit so if you want to come then click here.
(and let me know which day suits you!) (the studio is up in N.W London, I’ll give you full address etc)
I’m running out of the mix notes and lyric sheets from the session, but there are some and I can and will personalize them over to you!
Five of the reference mixes from QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT are now in a playlist on soundcloud here.
and on my website here: it’s going to be SO good!!
THE ARTWORK
Meantime the artwork for QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT is coming together and boy oh boy it’s a doozy! To begin with, all the new photos I took with David Leigh Dodd are incredible! After years of working with Ricardo Gomes, (who has now been taken by Madonna full time to document her every move!) I feel very lucky to have fallen into the extremely talented Mr. Dodd’s lens! Alongside the photos, the actual design of the artwork is heaven, it’s labor intensive! but very rewarding, I’m working with a graphic designer at night and around the hours of his day job as the lead graphic designer at the merchandise company who make my T-Shirts!
I’ll be able to do a big reveal very soon! and within that reveal will be the multiple formats! The Deluxe Gatefold Vinyl Package, the Deluxe Gatefold CD Package, the Regular CD, the Contributors Certificate, the Official T-Shirt and the Official Poster! (Single 7” releases and other formats to be decided!)
PRE-ORDER your choice of format or associated official poster/t-shirt for WENDY JAMES QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT here
Here are a couple of photographs I’ve already teased on social media from the shoot!
THE NEW T-SHIRTS!
Yes!!!! The Kurt Shirt!! OMG…. we did it! With my graphic designer we found the original art for the Transvision Vamp T-Shirt, derived of the 12” Vinyl single release of ‘(I Just Wanna) B with U’. I put out a public appeal for everyone to send me photos of their original ‘Kurt Shirt’ t-shirt, if they still owned one, so I could make sure everything was authentic and correct, it turns out that the one Kurt Cobain wore was the American version of the tour t-shirt, because I’ve now seen different iterations from the European leg of Transvision Vamp’s 1991 world tour, I’ve seen an Australian and NZ version and I’ve seen the American and UK version.
So! if you didn’t have one then, or if you did and it’s been lost or disintegrated since then, now you can replace it! or have one for the first time! It’s a classic T-Shirt and made all the more precious because it’s just super cool that Kurt wore it!
THE KURT SHIRT here
and… THE FACE MAGAZINE. I found a pristine copy of The Face Magazine which had me on the cover and we went to great lengths to scan it in the highest resolution possible so we’d get a great T-Shirt out of it and so it is! Classic! Photography by Jurgen Teller and I believe the highest selling edition of the iconic Face Magazine ever.
WENDY JAMES/FACE MAGAZINE T-Shirt here
EVERY SONG IS DOPE T-Shirt here
I am definitely wearing mine on the upcoming tour opening for the Psychedelic Furs around the UK!
THE GIGS
Remember to get your tickets for The Wendy James Band opening for The Psychedelic Furs:
Tickets here: http://po.st/WendyJamesFurs19
VIP gig pass here: https://thewendyjames.com/store
I have the pleasure of announcing my own show on October 2nd in Blackburn at King Georges Hall!
Tickets here: https://www.kinggeorgeshall.com/whats-on/wendy-james/
VIP gig pass here: https://thewendyjames.com/store
October
1st. Manchester Ritz
2nd. Blackburn King George Hall *Stand alone gig
3rd. Portsmouth Pyramid Centre
4th. Brighton Dome
5th. Birmingham Institute
7th. Leeds Stylus
8th. Glasgow Academy
9th. Newcastle Academy
11th. Nottingham Rock City
12th. London Roundhouse
It’s going to be a helluva couple of months, no sleep till…… dunno.
Love
Wendy xoxoxo
NOW AVAILABLE TO BUY!
Two ICONIC T-Shirts!
1. The WENDY JAMES / FACE MAGAZINE cover. Shot by world famous photographer Jurgen Teller
2. The WENDY JAMES / TRANSVISION VAMP Original ‘Kurt Shirt’.
The Wendy James / Transvision Vamp T-Shirt famously worn by Kurt Cobain on multiple occasions including live performance on MTV.
Both Classic White T-Shirts 100% Cotton Fruit Of The Loom Unisex S. M. L. XL.
Get your T-SHIRTS NOW!!
New Gig Added! VIP Gig Passes! Mix Studio VIP! Certificate of Contributors! Songs added to Soundcloud and more!!
GIGS!
As you know THE WENDY JAMES BAND is going out on the road opening for Psychedelic Furs.
Tickets here: http://po.st/WendyJamesFurs19
Tickets here: https://www.kinggeorgeshall.com/whats-on/wendy-james/
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT MIX!
Before these gigs even happen I am mixing Queen High Straight! I will be mixing in North West London from August 28th until September 17th. If you want to come and hear and see the final stage of the LP in process and meet me then get the VIP STUDIO VISIT here and specify which date suits you! The album already sounds wonderful in rough mix form so this final stage is going to send it rocketing to the sonic mountain top!
*To this end:
Mix Notes and Lyric Sheets from the sessions are something that I’m signing over and personalizing to whomever wants this little bit of history.
*To this end:
I have uploaded TRK 2 ‘PERILOUS BEAUTY’ (ref mix) and TRK 17 ‘I’LL BE HERE WHEN THE MORNING COMES’ (ref mix) to the iplayer here: https://thewendyjames.com/queen-high-straight/ and on soundcloud here: https://soundcloud.com/the-wendy-james
ARTWORK!
You know I was shooting the main photographs for the album art the other week and now it’s all being laid out by a graphic designer. The artwork and the album will go off to be manufactured while I’m out on the road! I will have the record mastered shortly after the mix is finished and then everything goes off (parts, as they are called) the parts all go off to different manufacturing plants. So! If you want your name on the ‘Certificate Of Contributors’ (sized for the Vinyl or the Deluxe CD) then I would have to say end of September is the deadline for that particular choice.
I’ll do a ‘reveal’ of some of the artwork soon and of course the proofs will go on sale at the store as well here.
A handful of large proofs sent to me from the manufacturer to approve going into mass production. Much like a test pressing for vinyl! (Which are also available at the store!) here.
My main tasks for August are to make all my final mix notes, learn my set list for the gigs! and oversee the artwork… if all that happens, (and it must!) then we are full speed ahead for a complete album and delivery set for 3rd Week Feb 2020 (I hope!!!) Preorder QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT here: https://thewendyjames.com/store
And btw – My agent is booking February 2020 for a QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT UK/EU tour so… that will all be coming along soon. As soon as I know, you will know!
Much Love,
Enjoy the now 5 ref mixes I’ve posted from QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT!
Wendy xoxo
October 2nd at King Georges Hall!
THE WENDY JAMES BAND are playing their own gig in Blackburn on October 2nd at King Georges Hall!
Get your tickets here: https://www.kinggeorgeshall.com/whats-on/wendy-james/
Get your VIP gig pass here
The final mix of QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT and more…
News!
The final mix of QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT is now scheduled for AUGUST 27TH through until SEPTEMBER 17TH in North West London – if you want to come on a studio visit for this momentous last part of the recording then please do! via my web store thewendyjames.com/store and just let me know which date you think suits you and it can be arranged!
The mix now being set I have begun the organize the design for the cover art! I have to put together a gatefold Vinyl, a gatefold CD, a regular CD, a download plus the liner notes, the inner sleeves, the booklet and of course the contributors certificate! I have a very good idea for the art and I’m talking to layout graphic designers at the moment to see who might do the job! To this end, I did four days of shooting new photographs for the album cover and for new press shots and there are some truly amazing photographs, I cannot wait to share them with you. I added into my web store the offer to own one of the proofs the production company will send me to sign off on the finished layout for cover art: there are only ever going to be a few proofs so it’s a collectors item and I will happily sign it over to you!
Ditto – I’ve added some new I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS on Vinyl and CD into the store, so for those of you who didn’t ever have a copy of that, then now you can!!
I’m about to announce an additional gig I’ve booked for OCT 2 up in Blackburn UK, sandwiched in-between the Psychedelic Furs tour I’m opening for and if you want VIP for that then as always: go to thewendyjames.com/store
It’s really exciting and as each stage completes then it brings enormous satisfaction with the results and of course gratitude to everyone that partakes and helps me! Whether it’s simply the supportive messages on FB and INSTA and Twitter which you know I enjoy and answer to, through to every single purchase which literally helps pay for the album to be finished, right through to the artists, photographers and musicians who are co-working with me on this!
Here are four short little insta story video clips!
1. I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS #ROMA:
2. YOU’RE SO GREAT #ROMA:
3. AMERICANO #ROMA:
And FYI – I’ve overhauled the web store so now there is a credit card option, an apple pay option and still PayPal plus we’ve input a postage algorithm which measures the weight and distance of your package and charges accordingly!
Phew!
Ok, I literally have to write out the chord charts now for THE WENDY JAMES BAND set list for all the musicians!
To hear 3 reference mixes from QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT use the iplayer on the website:
https://thewendyjames.com/queen-high-straight/
or soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/the-wendy-james
Much Love
Wendy xoxo
For all THE WENDY JAMES items here: thewendyjames.com/store
Subscribe to THE WENDY JAMES News Letters here:
THE WENDY JAMES ‘QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT’ DELUXE DOUBLE VINYL & CD NEWS!!
Yes! I have finished recording my new double album, 20 songs strong, ‘Queen High Straight’. You all know it took me a year and two months to write and now another year to record. It’s been a long process because simply so many variables have to fall into time together: the engineers schedule, the recording studio availability and schedule, the musicians schedule, in this case I have had to raise the budget myself and that is not always readily available! but I have to say, having recorded in increments: bass, drums and scratch vocals/guitar to begin with, then my real singing and my real guitar playing, then the additional rhythm guitar and piano, then the horn section, accordion and lead guitar overdubs, then the percussion and finally the backing vocals, sung by me. Because each recording session had a few weeks in-between each of them I had the very necessary time to maintain objectivity each time and thus make all the correct and clear-headed/clear-eared decisions for production ideas and requirements! My musicians are some of the very best musicians alive today! James Sclavunos on Drums and Percussion, Harry Bohay Nowell on Bass (he is now replaced by Leo Kurunis), James Sedwards on Rhythm Guitar (along side me) and on Lead Guitar, Alex J. Ward on Alto Sax, Terry Edwards on Tenor & Baritone Sax, Trumpet, Cornet and Flugelhorn and Louis Vause on Accordion. I’ve been enabled along the way by the engineering skills of Ian Dowling, Joe Sage and Al Lawson and it’s been an intense body of work to complete! But complete it is and now my attention turns to THE MIX. I am looking, once again, at engineers, schedules, studios and prices! I aim to do the final mix in July/August ending with the mastering of the record… so I am into the last two stages now!
You may now hear a small selection of preview reference mixes on the Queen High Straight page real-player: click here:
(or alternatively at my soundcloud page: click here)
And please go ahead and pre-order your copy of QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT from my web store www.thewendyjames.com/store click here
Thank you so much for all your love, solidarity, enthusiasm and encouragement!
Always
Wendy James 03/06/19
UPDATE APRIL 25TH!
Well!
– I’ve announced the fact that my band THE WENDY JAMES BAND are opening for The Psychedelic Furs in October and I THINK I’ll be able to announce further shows in the next week or so!
– Going out with the P. Furs is so exciting and makes me so happy… I know Richard Butler a little and see him at his painting exhibitions in NYC and as an audience member when The Psychedelic Furs play the East Coast of USA! Richard is a very good artist and decent chap too! As a teenager, I remember, like tons of us, singing along to Pretty In Pink imagining I was Molly Ringwald, from the wrong side of the tracks, in the movie Pretty In Pink and early on I owned The Psychedelic Furs LP ‘Talk Talk Talk’.
There are some good gig times ahead in 2019!
Tickets go on sale tomorrow here: http://po.st/WendyJamesFurs19
My band THE WENDY JAMES BAND are as great a line-up of musicians a person dare wish for! James Sedwards and Alex J. Ward on guitar (and other instruments)! I met both of these men through the recording of my new double LP QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT and they are heaven, their instinct and intuition for rhythm, feel, melody and style is perfect, I am happy and exhilarated in their company! Leo Kurunis is taking over bass playing from Harry Bohay-Nowell! He roomed with James Sedwards and he’s played with James Sclavunos and he is dynamite bass player! so that’s a win/win… and of course darling, most beloved genius drummer James Sclavunos who’s been drumming with me, percussioning with me, helping, advising and inspiring me for 7 years or so now… since the James Williamson/Jesse Nichols sessions out in California. I love James! James rules! and JAMES is phenomenal! So… it’s a bloody good line up and I’ve told Richard Butler (The Psychedelic Furs) that we’re gonna come ‘packing heat’ ! ha ha…
For THE WENDY JAMES GIG VIP Pass here: thewendyjames.com/store
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT! 20 SONGS DOUBLE LP!
Yes… the end is in sight, I feel bound to apologize for it taking so long! However when it’s 20 songs, multiple musicians, multiple studios, multiple schedules AND self-funded these things are perhaps more of a juggling act than the good-old, bad-old days when a major record label had an open expense account for studio hire… and may I add I absolutely believe the calendar delays have worked in my favor in as much that they’ve enabled me to keep objectivity over the content of the recording and make all the right choices and decisions critical to arrangement and production of the album. It is the most divine piece of work and I am completely proud of it! I head back into the studio on May 8th through until 18th for the last recording session: my backing vocals and the final reference mixes, before then heading off to do THE MIX. The Mix will take a month?! 20 songs, 20 days plus 10 for recalls and fixes… this is the luxurious estimate, it may be I only have enough money for half that time!! We’ll see! BUT whatever it is: I will not compromise and I will not skimp and I will leave the studio with nothing less than perfect!
FOR STUDIO VISIT VIP here:thewendyjames.com/store
PLEDGE MUSIC transitioning into THE WENDY JAMES STORE
I am waiting, like everyone else, for definitive news on the future of Pledge Music. I can fulfill all purchases made here at my store and in the meantime Pledge’s official statement is that they WILL honor all pre-existing Pledge pre-orders. Some people have had success in getting refunds, not through Pledge but through their credit card providers so hopefully this is a relief and an avenue for those of you who are concerned. The least I could do was immediately transition into my own online store which, thanks to my web manager, looks extremely good and functions effortlessly and practically. I can receive your pre-orders for all QHS items just as you used to through Pledge Music and I have all of my previous LPs and their merchandise on hand to ship immediately. I am also very happily signing and personalizing any items people buy and particularly ask of me.
The Stock Check is currently this:
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT PRE-ORDER ON ALL ITEMS!
*STUDIO VIP/*GIG VIP/*PERSONALIZED QHS LYRIC SHEETS AVAILABLE NOW!
THE PRICE OF THE TICKET
CD – Plenty
PICTURE DISC – Plenty
12” VINYL – 5 Only
TPOTT TSHIRT: Medium – 3 Only
TPOTT TSHIRT: Large – 3 Only
YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER 7” VINYL – Plenty
BAD INTENTIONS AND A BIT OF CRUELTY 7” Vinyl – 1 Only
TPOTT TEST PRESSING – 3 Only
I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS
CD – 7 Only
RACINE 2 + 1 DEMOS
CD – 1 Only
(message me at thewendyjamesstore@gmail.com – not available online)
WENDY JAMES ‘EVERY SONG IS DOPE’ T-SHIRT
All Sizes – Plenty
So! Thats a round-up of my news/information/status!
Thank you all for your completely loyal and loving support and literally your friendship too! I could not do it without you and I would not be here without you!
My Love and Thanks as always…
Wendy xoxo April 25 2019
THE WENDY JAMES BAND will be opening for THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS in October 2019
October
1st. Manchester Ritz
3rd. Portsmouth Pyramid centre
4th. Brighton Dome
5th. Birmingham Institute
7th. Leeds Stylus
8th. Glasgow Academy
9th. Newcastle Academy
11th. Nottingham Rock City
12th. London Roundhouse
Tickets to buy at: http://po.st/WendyJamesFurs19
Wendy James VIP gig passes here.
THE CLASSIC WENDY JAMES ‘EVERY SONG IS DOPE’ T-SHIRT IS NOW AVAILABLE IN THE ONLINE STORE!
100% Cotton Fruit Of The Loom Unisex White T-Shirt
Art by Elena Gallen
Unisex S. M. L. XL.
Get One Now!
ANNOUNCING!!! THE WENDY JAMES STORE is now OPEN for business!!
Prompted by demand following on from my Pledge preorder campaign I have now set up my own online store!
There are Available Now items from The Price Of The Ticket and I Came Here To Blow Minds LP’s plus certain VIP offers attached to gigging or recording studio visits and of course the Signed and Numbered Collectors Picture Disc Vinyl of The Price Of The Ticket. There are also all the Pre-Order formats for my upcoming and nearly finished (!!!) new Double Deluxe LP Queen High Straight… Gatefold Vinyl, Gatefold CD, regular CD and so on…
So Welcome and please take a look around and grab what you want!
It is my intention to make this location the buying hub for all my work and of course all the news as it happens regarding the progress of this new album, gigs and everything related…
Much Love
Wendy
NOVEMBER UPDATE
Hi Everyone!
I hope you are all well!
I’ve got to the final session of recording!
Let me tell you where I’ve got and what I’m up to…
I now have:
FINISHED:
DRUMS
BASS
ORGANS
PIANOS
RHYTHM GUITAR
LEAD GUITAR
LEAD VOCALS
and SOME BACKING VOCALS
TO DO:
REMAINING BACKING VOCALS/HARMONIES
PERCUSSION OVERDUBS
PEDAL STEEL OVERDUBS
SAXOPHONE OVERDUBS
ADDITIONAL RHYTHM GUITAR OVERDUBS
ACCORDION OVERDUBS
HANDCLAPS! FOOT STOMPING! AND MAYBE A KAZOO!!
I have been making copious amounts of production notes, literally from hours on the headphones listening out for timing, track glitches, bum notes and additional ideas!
On the whole the reference mixes I have in my possession are not complete or representative enough for me to let go of them, HOWEVER… these two songs are fairly accurate for their sounds so you can hear:
LISTEN TRACK 2: PERILOUS BEAUTY
LISTEN TRACK 17: I’LL BE HERE WHEN THE MORNING COMES
(both songs I kind of hinted at in little video clips, here and on instagram, when I was writing them… they’ve come a long way!)
James Sclavunos on Drums, Harry Bohay-Nowell on Bass, James Sedwards on Lead Guitar and me on Rhythm Guitar, Keys and Voice!
The timeline for the next two stages is looking like early February for two final weeks of recording in the UK (when I’ve got the confirmed dates I’ll let you know so I can open the time out to additional VIP visits…) and then I will take the hard drives and tapes (with James Sclavunos, if his diary permits!) to reunite with Jesse Nichols in Berkeley, CA and mix the thing!
OMG… then it’s done!
– Get it Mastered
– Send the Masters to the Pressing Plant
– Speed into action with Artwork Design and Layout
– Set a Release Date
– Hustle up some Press and Radio and TV
– Book some gigs!
– and there it is…
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT
DELUXE GATEFOLD DOUBLE LP on Vinyl, CD, Download and all the trimmings…
20 BRAND NEW SONGS and
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH ME EVERY STEP, EVERY INCH OF THE WAY, I COULDN’T DO IT WITHOUT YOU! AS WELL YOU KNOW!
TO PRE-ORDER ALL MUSIC AND OTHER ITEMS (INCLUDING MY LAST LP ‘THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’ ON PICTURE DISC!!) CLICK HERE.
Thank you Again
Much Love
Wendy xoxoxoxoxo
Ⓟ and © Wendy James 2018. All rights reserved. Unauthorized Duplication is a violation of all applicable laws
WENDY JAMES NEW ALBUM TITLE, TRACK LISTING & ART REVEAL ANNOUNCEMENT!
QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT
So! Here it is! My 5th solo album! 6th if you include the Elvis Costello one and 9th in total with my Transvision Vamp albums.
20 brand new songs to make up A Deluxe Double LP.
THE TRACK LISTING!!!!!!!
1. QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT
2. PERILOUS BEAUTY
3. FREE MAN WALK
4. STOMP DOWN, SNUCK UP
5. LITTLE MELVIN
6. MARLENE ET FLEUR
7. A HEART BREAKING LIAR’S PROMISE
8. HERE COMES THE BEAUTIFUL ONE
9. CHICKEN STREET
10. TESTIMONIAL
11. BAR ROOM BRAWL & BENZEDRINE BLUES
12. RAT FUCKING
13. SHE LIKES TO BE (UNDERNEATH SOMEBODY)
14. BLISS HOTEL
15. FREAK IN
16. THE IMPRESSION OF NORMALCY
17. I’LL BE HERE WHEN THE MORNING COMES
18. CANCEL IT… I’LL SEE HIM ON MONDAY
19. SUGAR BOY
20. KILL SOME TIME BLUES
It’s written! It took me a year and two months to write! The natural curve, perhaps, when writing new songs, is to have an outpouring of about 10 or 11 songs, but I found, this time, the more I pushed myself to write from scratch, i.e having exhausted all the little notes I write down to refresh my mind to a place or feeling that would inspire a direction, but instead to have to find the idea, find the melody, find the chords, to find the rhythm from scratch, I started coming up with pure melodies that evoke some of my favorite vibes from the decades of rock n roll and pop history running through my consciousness! There was no plan, no motive just pure music. I surprised myself and it has made me yet more confident in my ability to write a good song!
You’ve heard and seen little clips I’ve shared on social media, buzzing on a song, but I promise you when you finally unpack this new LP you’re going to think it’s my best so far! I hope so, one wouldn’t want to go backwards!
So, I am starting to add the math up, get everyone’s schedules and start to fit the next bit together!
THE RECORDING!!!!!!!
James Sclavunos once again is my trusty companion in this and we are talking to Jesse Nichols who engineered on The Price Of The Ticket. We are considering the geography of where everyone lives as well as their work commitments and we are looking at various studios across London, Paris, New York and Berkeley CA.
THE ART!!!!!!!
You now can see the main image that all the art campaign will derive from… I think it’s heaven and oh how good is it going to look on a T-shirt!!!
On my Pledge Music site I can now move full speed ahead with T-shirt and Poster sales because we have the graphic we’ll use and you can start deciding which other extras you might want to take part in or buy as the full compliment of items available becomes that much closer to realization!
To Pre-order and Buy click here
As soon as I have the musician line-up and the recording schedule and locations I will announce them and then of course once we’re in the studio I will update you with little musical and video nuggets and we can organize the invitations to visit!
Buy Studio Visit Pledge click here
You can see just a glimpse of how much and how many details go toward recording an album and I am so happy and excited to share it with you!!!
As always
Much love and thank you
Wendy xoxoxo
Here it is! The Wendy James New Album 2017 Pledge Campaign!
CLICK HERE TO PLEDGE
I’m half way through writing my next LP and this time, unlike ’The Price Of The Ticket’ where the record was already finished, this time my pledge campaign will take part in all the stages of making this record: From the writing, to the recording, to the mixing, to the mastering to the artwork and videos and finally a finished album! I will announce the title, the track listing, the band members and other all-important details! Along the way there will be the opportunity for studio visits, playback listening parties, live shows playing the new material, test pressings, original artwork, q&a live broadcasts and a certificate of contributors for those who would like their name included in the credits! The album is going come out on Regular CD, Deluxe CD with outtakes and bonus tracks, a Double Gatefold Vinyl containing all tracks and of course a Digital Download and I am certain there will be additional things I haven’t even anticipated yet! So… there is a lot of work to do! but it is all possible!
All the items that were still available from ‘The Price Of The Ticket’ campaign have moved onto this site, including the Picture Disc Vinyl individually numbered and signed within the vinyl itself. ‘The Price Of The Ticket’ continues to grow in reputation and I think there are even a few copies of my previous album ‘I Came Here To Blow Minds’ on CD and Vinyl too!
There is a lot here! So!
– As it has been said:
“Danceable art punk rhythm and blues, full of breathless New Wave rush. Razor sharp lyrics. Bare soul with beautiful harmony. An adrenaline fueled sound reminiscent of the Velvets or even a young Bobby D. The perfect cocktail of dirty blues and punk attitude. Sweet soul, arousing the lowdown groove that sparks the impressive and sensual sensation of Wendy James. Riffing garage pop/rock sliding. Seductive New Wave serenading. Quality boom and bap. Essential underground for your ears. Wendy James is for dancing like a jive-assed motherfucker. Every Song Is Dope”
“This is where it Counts. More Rock ‘N’ Roll, not one ounce of Fat or Bullshit on It!”
Thank you! and Much Love, Wendy
CLICK HERE TO PLEDGE
THE PRICE OF THE TICKET WENDY JAMES PLEDGE CAMPAIGN ANNIVERSARY UPDATE
Recollection and onwards…
A year ago today (19th February 2016) THE PRICE OF THE TICKET was released and entered the UK charts at No.15! THANK YOU to ALL of you who supported and loved this album! It was such a trip this album took!
From my bedroom in NYC writing the songs, demoing them up, meeting with James Williamson (The Stooges guitarist – Raw Power) and deciding to start recording with him and getting the wonderful James Sclavunos (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds) on drums. Jim (in his finest three-piece suit!) and I flew to Berkeley, CA and checked into a hookers roadside motel with nothing but a 4 channel TV screwed into the mustard wall, a plastic cup for a toothbrush, an ancient shower and an ice-machine in the forecourt! We rendezvous’d with James Williamson in the parking lot and made our way to Fantasy Recording Studios where we were joined by the legendary saxophonist from Fun House by The Stooges Steve Mackay (R.I.P.) and our great engineer Jesse Nichols. After this, back in NYC, the album progressed yet further and Lenny Kaye (The Patti Smith Group) came on board as the guitarist for the body of the album and of course my dear friend Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols) on bass.
How wonderful we all felt as we recorded! It was the depths of winter in New York City and distinctly I remember being up and out on Broadway at 8am each morning, through feets-high snow making my way to the East Village and, in part, Brooklyn to record with Ivan Julian (Richard Hell & The Voidoids) engineering… it was freezing! sub-zero icy blasts tearing through the grid system of New York streets, I was bundled with my guitar, bags full of pedals and leads and mix notes and lyrics! Head down against the freezing air. Dressed in the studio in sweaters, two coats, a hat, gloves and holding onto an old portable iron radiator to try and unfreeze my hands! We worked long hours and inspired each other from start to finish. It was a wonderful musical time… I am so grateful to all these musicians for this experience in my life! I am also so grateful to my friends who helped me get through times when reaching the finishing line seemed nearly impossible! but I got there and much in part to their support and help. I am lucky!
I flew back to Berkeley to mix with Jesse and once again my routine turned the clock inside out, up at 7am for coffee, walking to the studio through the pretty, sleepy streets of Berkeley with the pastel painted houses and front garden flower beds, starting to mix at 10am and finishing at midnight, getting a couple of beers from the 24 hour deli and back to the house I was staying in to make notes for the next day. As always in the studio, no matter how much time you have you never have enough and in the end Jesse and I pulled mammoth hours, we mixed two songs through the night on one occasion with Jesse going for a walk around the block at 3am to clear his ears and me just lying on the floor staring at the ceiling! We felt we were on a mission and we saw that mission completed and to success!
Then!!! Pledge Music came into my life and we started this adventure that has proven so perfect for my music, for me, for you! I work closely with a team at Pledge, helped by so many people within this empire that Malcom Dunbar is building, in particular Barney, Luke, Paula and now Anna… my team! Thank you! I must also mention and thank Randy Boyd out there in California who has distributed my music across the world for quite a few years now, he is such a constant figure of reliability in my life and honest as the day is long and Ian J. Taylor with whom I built my website and who works tirelessly on keeping it up to the moment. I did the photograph for the album cover in Paris on a Sunday morning with my friend Kym Ellery, I’d just flown in from NYC and caught a taxi direct from Charles de Gaulle to Kym’s apartment on the Rue de Rivoli and we had coffee, caught up and then I lay down on her sofa and she got the snap! The rest is history… THE PRICE OF THE TICKET came out and you all embraced it! We gigged, the live band incorporating James Meynell, Jared Fisher, Louis Elliot, Bob Wilson and Richey Rose with James Sclavunos and myself. I met a lot of you, we all bonded I think and we made a firm foundation for 2017 and beyond! It continues! I’ve rounded out the 2016 campaign by commissioning a picture disc of TPOTT, signed and numbered individually, a proper collectors item.
In a few days time I will be drawing a line under THE PRICE OF THE TICKET Pledge Campaign and re-opening THE WENDY JAMES NEW ALBUM 2017 campaign! Everything from TPOTT will carry over into the new campaign but it’s coming back bigger and better and more to find than ever and this time the campaign will follow through the whole process of the new album. I am on song 6 in my writing and I hope to have an album’s worth by April, then… gather musicians, book recording studios, and we’re off to the races again! I love you all! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU GIVE ME. It is love, it is friendship, it is generosity and it is loyalty. I hope I prove myself worthy of you all…
Love and my best regards to you all, Wendy xxxx
PLEDGE UPDATE READ HERE:
THE PRICE OF THE TICKET BUY HERE:
WENDY JAMES THE PRICE OF THE TICKET SIGNED & NUMBERED PICTURE DISCS
Great News!!
Wendy has commissioned a picture disc vinyl of her LP ‘THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’!!
The picture disc vinyl 12” will be numbered 1 through 250 copies and also signed by Wendy within the vinyl itself. A real collectors item.
The pre-order campaign begins NOW! with delivery aimed for Record Store Day on April 22nd!
Pre-order your copy now! Even if you don’t own a record player (Vinyl is making leaps and bounds in re-growth as a format for music and musicians) this picture disc is a thing of beauty to own in and of itself.
The official artwork has been re-formatted and overseen by Wendy and she personally will be signing the numbers and her signature onto the image before it is then pressed into the vinyl record.
Mastered for Vinyl. Collectors Item numbered and signed Picture Disc Vinyl.
PLAYERS:
WENDY JAMES – VOCALS/RHYTHM GUITAR/KEYS & PIANO
LENNY KAYE – RHYTHM/LEAD GUITAR (Patti Smith/Nuggets)
GLEN MATLOCK – BASS (Sex Pistols)
JAMES SCLAVUNOS – DRUMS (Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds)
All songs written and produced by Wendy James
All songs mixed by Wendy James & Jesse Nichols
Photography and Art Direction by Kym Ellery and Roze Hooij
THE PRICE OF THE TICKET VINYL TRACK LISTING
SIDE A
1 PALOMA’S DOWNS (5.45)
2 INDIGENT BLUES (3.41)
3 KING RAT (4.56)
4 LOVE FROM THE 9TH (2.45)
5 BAD INTENTIONS AND A BIT OF CRUELTY (3.41)
Side A – Total running time: 21 minutes
SIDE B
6 YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER (6.38)
7 FAREWELL TO LOVE (3.16)
8 COWBOY RHYTHM (5.20)
9 SITUATION NORMAL AT SURFRIDER (7.09)
Side B – Total running time: 23 minutes
TOTAL VINYL RUNNING TIME: 44 MINUTES
***INCLUDES THE PRICE OF THE TICKET DIGITAL DOWNLOAD ON FLAC OR MP3
TRACK LISTING
1 PALOMA’S DOWNS (5.45)
2 INDIGENT BLUES (3.41)
3 KING RAT (4.56)
4 LOVE FROM THE 9TH (2.45)
5 BAD INTENTIONS AND A BIT OF CRUELTY (3.41)
6 YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER (6.38)
7 SCREAMIN’ BACK WASHINGTON (Bonus) (3.14)
8 WHY OH WHY DO YOU HURT ME STILL? (Bonus) (1.55)
9 FAREWELL TO LOVE (3.16)
10 COWBOY RHYTHM (5.20)
11 SITUATION NORMAL AT SURFRIDER (7.09)
12 YOU’RE SO GREAT (Bonus) (3.26)
13 IT’S ALRIGHT MA (Bonus) (7.02)
PLAYERS:
WENDY JAMES – VOCALS/RHYTHM GUITAR/KEYS & PIANO
LENNY KAYE – RHYTHM/LEAD GUITAR (Patti Smith/Nuggets)
GLEN MATLOCK – BASS (Sex Pistols)
JAMES SCLAVUNOS – DRUMS (Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds)
JAMES WILLIAMSON – GUITAR & BASS. Track 12 & 13 (The Stooges)
STEVE MACKAY – BARITONE SAX. Track 12 & 13 (The Stooges)
All songs written and produced by Wendy James
All songs mixed by Wendy James & Jesse Nichols
**Tracks 12 &13 written by Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith & Bob Dylan
Photography and Art Direction by Kym Ellery and Roze Hooij
Release Date April 22nd 2017
SOHO GARAGE on SOHO RADIO LONDON
Wendy will be presenting SOHO GARAGE on SOHO RADIO LONDON this coming Friday 20th January from 2pm – 4pm UK time.
Listen in Live here: http://www.sohoradiolondon.com
MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIENDS!
Thank you for a wonderful year! Thank you for being with me for THE PRICE OF THE TICKET and my life as an artist. I send you all my fondest love and wish us all an even better 2017.
Love,
Wendy xxx
UPDATE ROUND-UP for WENDY JAMES ‘THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’ 2016
It’s been an amazing year for Wendy’s new LP ‘THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’. It debuted on the UK indie and LP charts at no.15 and no.13 respectively and the reviews have been wonderful across the board:
“Wendy James new album ‘The Price Of The Ticket’ is brave and tender, artful and wild, where courage and the dream of love give promise. A wild, moving, shocking, hilarious, raging, exhilarating, giant of an album. A dazzling performance that listeners will delight in, it is intelligent, witty, irresistibly relentless and forthright”.
-Village Voice
There have been two great singles offered on 7” vinyl from the LP, there has been an official poster on thick matte card and an official t-shirt on 100% cotton classic white T from American Apparel and of course there have been the live shows which showed off the band and the songs and also made it possible for Wendy to connect with you all before and after the shows.
In case you missed any of the items as they became available, here are all the different links available right now!
In the season of festivities go ahead and buy whichever items you think would suit someone you know for a long-lasting gift that keeps giving!
‘THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’ is written and produced by Wendy James and played by herself and an all-star line-up from some of the most iconic New Wave/Garage & Punk bands of all time:
WENDY JAMES VOCALS/RHYTHM GUITAR/KEYS & PIANO
LENNY KAYE – RHYTHM/LEAD GUITAR (Patti Smith/Nuggets)
GLEN MATLOCK – BASS (Sex Pistols)
JAMES SCLAVUNOS – DRUMS (Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds)
JAMES WILLIAMSON – GUITAR & BASS. Track 12 & 13 (Iggy and The Stooges)
STEVE MACKAY – BARITONE SAX. Track 13 (Iggy and The Stooges)
TRACK LISTING
1 PALOMA’S DOWNS (5.45)
2 INDIGENT BLUES (3.41)
3 KING RAT (4.56)
4 LOVE FROM THE 9TH (2.45)
5 BAD INTENTIONS AND A BIT OF CRUELTY (3.41)
6 YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER (6.38)
7 SCREAMIN’ BACK WASHINGTON (Bonus) (3.14)
8 WHY OH WHY DO YOU HURT ME STILL? (Bonus) (1.55)
9 FAREWELL TO LOVE (3.16)
10 COWBOY RHYTHM (5.20)
11 SITUATION NORMAL AT SURFRIDER (7.09)
12 YOU’RE SO GREAT (Bonus) (3.26)
13 IT’S ALRIGHT MA (Bonus) (7.02)
All songs written and produced by Wendy James
All songs mixed by Wendy James & Jesse Nichols
Photography and Art Direction by Kym Ellery and Roze Hooij
THE FIRST SINGLE ‘BAD INTENTIONS AND A BIT OF CRUELTY’ + ‘INDIGENT BLUES’ (Signed) Buy here:
THE SECOND SINGLE ‘YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER + FAREWELL TO LOVE’ (Signed) Buy here:
*There is a bundle offer for both signed singles on vinyl or The second single on signed vinyl + t-shirt Buy here: Buy here:
THE OFFICIAL POSTER featuring the LP cover art in black and white on thick matte card and a personal message from Wendy, dimensions Buy here:
THE OFFICIAL T-SHIRT on American Apparel Classic White T-shirt in Small,
Medium, Large, X Large featuring the LP art, photography by Kym Ellery, design by Roze Hooij. Buy here:
*There is a bundle offer for the T-shirt + Signed CD LP or T-shirt + Signed Vinyl LP
– And of course: THE MAGNIFICENT LP ‘THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’
on Vinyl, CD and DOWNLOAD – Buy CD here: Buy Vinyl here:
***FYI – if you’re missing Wendy’s previous LP ‘I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS’
on Vinyl – we have just 13 copies of that left! Buy here:
RELEASE DATE FOR THE NEW DOUBLE A-SIDE VINYL 7” SINGLE OUT TODAY!
BUY IT NOW!
The Single is taken from Wendy’s new LP THE PRICE OF THE TICKET
Double A Side
Title:
AA. YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER (Track Time: 6’ 12” 33BPM)
AA. FAREWELL TO LOVE (Track Time: 3’ 16” 45 BPM)
SINGLE RELEASE DATE 25/11/16
Musicians:
Wendy James – Vocals/Rhythm Guitar/Piano & Keys
Lenny Kaye – Rhythm and Lead guitar (Patti Smith/Nuggets)
Glen Matlock – Bass Guitar (Sex Pistols)
James Sclavunos – Drums (Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds)
All songs written and composed by Wendy James
Produced by Wendy James
Mixed by Wendy James and Jesse Nichols at Fantasy Studios
Berkeley, CA. USA
Photography – Ricardo Gomes
Art direction – Wendy James and Ricardo Gomes
Double A Side
Title:
AA. YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER (Track Time: 6’ 12” 33BPM)
AA. FAREWELL TO LOVE (Track Time: 3’ 16” 45 BPM)
SINGLE RELEASE DATE 25/11/16
TWO RADIO SHOWS THIS WEEK!
Wendy be co-hosting with Chris Sullivan this Saturday 26th from 4-5pm LONDON on PORTOBELLO RADIO:
Listen Live: http://portobelloradio.com/live.html
AND – taking over SOHO GARAGE with her guest LENNY KAYE this Friday 25th 2-4pm on SOHO RADIO LONDON
Listen Live: http://www.sohoradiolondon.com
AND!
WENDY JAMES NEW DOUBLE A-SIDE VINYL 7” SINGLE OUT THIS FRIDAY! BUY IT NOW!
Double A Side
Title:
AA. YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER (Track Time: 6’ 12” 33BPM)
AA. FAREWELL TO LOVE (Track Time: 3’ 16” 45 BPM)
SINGLE RELEASE DATE 25/11/16
YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER + FAREWELL TO LOVE
Next Friday 25th November to CELEBRATE the release of
Wendy’s new single ‘YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER’ + ‘FAREWELL TO LOVE’ she will be hosting from 2-4pm and taking over SOHO GARAGE on SOHO RADIO LONDON and her special guest will be her guitarist on ‘THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’, Patti Smith’s wing-man, the curator of Nuggets LP and SO much more… The Great and Iconic Lenny Kaye! A perfect guitarist and a man of enormous culture and wit and wisdom!
Tune IN! LIVE STREAM: http://www.sohoradiolondon.com
Buy YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER + FAREWELL TO LOVE single here:
Buy THE PRICE OF THE TICKET here:
SIGNED T-SHIRT AND 7″ BUNDLE EXCLUSIVE
Wendy’s second single release coming up on us fast November
25th and we’ve put together a pre-order bundle that will be valid only from now through until the release date!
If you buy the 7” Vinyl now with the official T-shirt featuring LP art, you can have them both signed by Wendy in time to mail out on
the 25th November!
The Single is taken from her new LP ‘THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’
Double A Side
Title:
AA. YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER (Track Time: 6’ 12” 33BPM)
AA. FAREWELL TO LOVE (Track Time: 3’ 16” 45 BPM)
SINGLE RELEASE DATE 25/11/16
Musicians:
Wendy James – Vocals/Rhythm Guitar/Piano & Keys
Lenny Kaye – Rhythm and Lead guitar (Patti Smith/Nuggets)
Glen Matlock – Bass Guitar (Sex Pistols)
James Sclavunos – Drums (Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds)
All songs written and composed by Wendy James
Produced by Wendy James
Mixed by Wendy James and Jesse Nichols at Fantasy Studios
Berkeley, CA. USA
Photography – Ricardo Gomes
Art direction – Wendy James and Ricardo Gomes
The Official T-Shirt is a Hi-Res Black and White image of the LP
THE PRICE OF THE TICKET cover. Photography by Kym Ellery and designed by Roze Hooij. Specify your size and pick your bundle!
Unisex XS, S, M, L, XL 100% COTTON AMERICAN APPAREL CLASSIC WHITE TSHIRT
Order your bundle today! – Buy here:
WENDY IS ON RICHEY ROSE RADIO SHOW TONIGHT!
ut of NYC! 4pm NYC, 9pm UK, 10pm EU. Tune in!
Listen live at kpiss.fm from 3 – 5 PM EST.
Wendy just signed 500 copies of her 2nd single from this LP campaign!
DOUBLE A SIDE SINGLE! ‘YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER’ + ‘FAREWELL TO LOVE’
GET YOUR COPY HERE
VERY RARE COLLECTOR ITEM TEST PRESSINGS FROM WENDY JAMES!
The only test pressings in existence apart from Wendy’s own copies!
Available at Pledge:
(Test Pressings for 2nd Single 7” Vinyl
YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER + FAREWELL TO LOVE – all sold out)
2 x Test Pressing for the original 7” Vinyl single
Title: BAD INTENTIONS AND A BIT OF CRUELTY + INDIGENT BLUES
Signed by Wendy
http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/wendyjames/items/185214
2 x Test Pressing LP ‘THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’ on Vinyl
Signed by Wendy
http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/wendyjames/items/185215
These are undoubtedly collectors items and of value… especially so as they will never be re-produced.
Own your bit of Wendy James history! Test pressings are an expensive but very necessary part of the chain of events that lead from the first note played in the writing of a new song to the whole finished LP being in shops and online. The manufacturer sets up the test according to the technical instructions given by the mix engineer, in this case: Fred Kevorkian, and then they are delivered to Wendy James and the mix engineer to listen to carefully in various settings to make sure all the frequencies, all the sonic choices are audible and performing to their maximum clarity and potential. It is only once these test pressings have been given the OK that a full run of production with artwork goes into effect. Test pressings are one the of most crucial stages in production and consequently very rare, never to be repeated! From here-on-in, whenever re-order of a record is made it is according to the original approved test pressings.
Here are two clips of Wendy and her band in Spain the other weekend…
One a miscellaneous departing the hotel for the venue and the other a hot and humid sound check featuring Transvision Vamp classic ‘Tell That Girl To Shut Up’
Enjoy!
Buy your copy of Wendy’s LP ‘THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’ CLICK HERE
Pre-order the new 7” Vinyl single CLICK HERE
Test Pressing! SUCCESS!
New 7″ Vinyl Single, Double A side:
‘YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER’ + ‘FAREWELL TO LOVE’
Musicians:
WENDY JAMES – vocals, rhythm guitar & keys
LENNY KAYE – rhythm & lead guitar
GLEN MATLOCK – bass guitar
JAMES SCLAVUNOS – drums
Out on NOVEMBER 25TH world-wide! CLICK TO PRE-ORDER now
HERE IS THE NEW VIDEO UPDATE FROM WENDY JAMES!
Taped in London during rehearsals for her upcoming Spanish gig she brings us up to date with all that’s been going on, all that has gone on and of course plenty more…
Enjoy this update and Wendy’s new LP ‘THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’ – on VINYL, CD, DOWNLOAD, Bundles, The first 7” Vinyl single, The new PRE-ORDER 7” Vinyl single,
The Official T-shirt, The Official Poster and VIP passes to Live Shows
Pre-Order The New SIGNED Wendy James Single!
GREAT NEWS!
Wendy James is releasing her second 7” single taken from her amazing new LP ‘THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’ RELEASE DATE: 25th November 2016
The two tracks, double a-sides, are YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER + FAREWELL TO LOVE. Both found to be favorites with her audiences when she has been playing live shows and two of her personal favorites from the entire album track listing.
Pre-order your copy of Signed 7″ You’re A Dirtbomb, Lester / Farewell To Love CLICK HERE
Pre-order the bundle of Signed 7″ You’re A Dirtbomb, Lester / Farewell To Love, AND Signed 7″ Bad Intentions & A Bit Of Cruelty / Indigent Blues CLICK HERE
AA side:
YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER – is a pure garage, new wave, forceful, powerful steam-roller of a song, with some of her most exceptional lyrics on the LP. Detailing a time when she lived in the then broken down Gramercy Park Hotel in Lower Manhattan and lived wide-eyed every moment, seeking out the sites of Andy Warhol’s Factory, Max’s Kansas City, The Bowery, CBGB, mixing with denizens of Lower Manhattan, Graffiti Artists, Downtown Musicians, Painters, Writers and imagining one of her all time female icon Edie Sedgwick, Andy Warhol’s delectable superstar, walking the same streets… through to a more philosophical third verse whereupon she quotes notable moments in history and the great American author Mark Twain, she suggests the force of energy to create and make progress is innate within us, whatever period of time you are born into and whatever mode of communication you choose: music, science, art, letters, politics and it is an unstoppable and wondrous energy.
Wendy has said of her time: “I went to NYC and walked down 5th Avenue and 57th street, onto Madison, onto Lexington, down to Union Square, down to The Bowery, down to Chinatown, down to Wall Street, I knew I’d be back to live. I wanted the wide avenues, I wanted the tall skyscrapers, I wanted the neon signs, I wanted Times Square, I wanted the Brooklyn Bridge and the Williamsburg Bridge and the Mid-Town Tunnel, I wanted the Gramercy Park Hotel, I wanted the Chelsea Hotel, I wanted CBGB, I wanted Max’s Kansas City, I wanted The Factory, I wanted the 5 Points, I wanted Canal Street, I wanted Washington Square Park, I wanted Greenwich Village, I wanted the East Village, I wanted Chelsea, I wanted Hells Kitchen, I wanted Chinatown, I wanted it all!!! I wanted the subways, I wanted the 24 hour deli’s, I wanted the yellow taxis, I wanted the Puerto Ricans, I wanted the Koreans, I wanted the Upper East Side, I wanted the Frick, I wanted The Met, The Guggenheim, I wanted Central Park, I wanted the Robber Barons, I wanted the dive bars, I wanted the cop cars, I wanted the sirens, I wanted the West-Side Highway, I wanted the East River, I wanted the elevators, I wanted Gloria Steinem, I wanted Doris Kearns Goodwin, I wanted Joan Didion, I wanted Abraham Lincoln, I wanted civil rights, I wanted black power, I wanted female liberation, I wanted cable tv, I wanted the movies, I wanted the delivery guys, I wanted the cable guys, I wanted the superintendents, I wanted it ALL. I wanted Hank Williams and Gene Vincent and Buddy Holly and The Killer, I wanted Bob Dylan, I wanted Altamont, I wanted Woodstock, I wanted Chess and Checker Records, I wanted the Sunset Strip, I wanted the Holiday Inn, I wanted the Four Seasons, I wanted it ALL. I wanted Robert Rauschenberg, I wanted Jackson Pollock, I wanted Frank Stella, I wanted Andy Warhol, I wanted Keith Haring, I wanted Graffiti. I wanted Mark Twain, I wanted Hunter Thompson, I wanted Elia Kazan, I wanted Arthur Miller, I wanted Marlon Brando, I wanted On The Waterfront, I wanted Martin Scorsese, I wanted Francis Ford Coppola, I wanted Peter Bogdanovich, I wanted John Ford, I wanted Nicholas Ray, I wanted Robert Frank’s The Americans and Robert Frank’s Cocksucker Blues, I wanted Grey Gardens, I wanted JFK and La Guardia, I wanted it ALL!”
The title is in honor of the legendary rock journalist for Creem and Rolling Stone Magazine, author LESTER BANGS (Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung).
LYRICS:
I was lying on my bed
I just lay there
With New Wave rockers and Graffiti
And music and kicks in Gramercy
It was a scene, those endless nights
I traced my melancholy
I saw it was a trap
I just wanted to play music
It was a magic thing, that thrill that I got
I was very happy
True love and anguish
I don’t know quite what it is
He said “Darlin’, I just don’t get ya”
I said “You’re a Dirtbomb, Lester”
That love was there
When the foundations of Rome were laid
When Christ was crucified
When the Conquerer created the British Isles
When Columbus sailed
When the massacre at Lexington was news
(Credit M. Twain)
True love and anguish
I don’t know quite what it is
He said “Darlin’, I just don’t get ya”
I said “You’re a Dirtbomb, Lester”
MUSICIANS
Wendy James – Vocals/Rhythm Guitar/Piano & Keys
Lenny Kaye – Rhythm and Lead Guitar
Glen Matlock – Bass Guitar
James Sclavunos – Drums
Produced by Wendy James
Mixed by Wendy James and Jesse Nichols at Fantasy Recording Studios, Berkeley, CA. USA
photography – Ricardo Gomes
art direction – Wendy James & Ricardo Gomes
All songs written and composed by Wendy James. Ⓟ and © Wendy James 2014.
All rights reserved. Unauthorized Duplication is a violation of all applicable laws.
Track Time: 6’.38”
AA side:
FAREWELL TO LOVE
Wendy’s end-of-the-line cowboy ballad for the finish of a love affair, so delicately and beautifully presented! She says: “I’m a harmony and backing vocal girl. I love harmonies and backing vocals and I love when my voice sings to my voice: the texture blends and becomes very full, very pure. Whether it’s Bacharach and David (all their wonderful songs with Dionne Warwick) especially so their original soundtrack for the movie ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’, in particular ‘South American Getaway’ or Keith Richards in his song ‘All About You’ on The Rolling Stones album ‘Emotional Rescue’ and on my song ‘Farewell To Love’, the harmonies evoke June Carter Cash and The Carter Family, Loretta Lynn, and Patsy Cline. Lenny Kaye plays the most wonderful (chorus echo) guitar melody in answer to my rhythm guitar, weaving in and out with simplicity and precision, he has the perfect touch. I’ve mixed Glen Matlock’s bass up loud on this song, it sounds like he’s in his own skin, so easy, so effortless, it sounds like he’s enjoying every note! I watched him across the live room as we tracked it and he was just bobbing along, eyes closed, really in a good place! James Sclavunos drumming, as always, he conducts us and makes the song groove and soar high. I overdubbed a delicate Wurlitzer piano part echoing Lenny’s guitar melody line. That’s all it is, it doesn’t need a single thing more. Lyrically it’s “get-out-of-town!”. The waste of time listening to someone go round in circles under the impression they’re saying something different to every time they’ve said the same thing before. When it’s done, it’s done and you can’t buy back character at the end.”
LYRICS:
Take your belongings
And get out before dark
I guess you can’t help
Being what you are
You just hang on
To what you got
But you can say
Farewell To Love
You came here
For absolution
You’d like to be set free
For what you’ve done
You think punishment
Will set you free
That’s why you’ve come
Farewell To Love
Good Luck, Fool
Nothing’s true
In your cock-eyed world
You can’t buy back your life when it’s finished
You wanna know something honey
I’m gonna busy myself elsewhere
When you’re belly-empty, hollow-hungry
Don’t come see me all dreamy with temperature
Ain’t no in-between
Listenin’ to you come clean
That time is done
Farewell To Love
MUSICIANS
Wendy James – Vocals/Rhythm Guitar/Piano & Keys
Lenny Kaye – Rhythm and Lead Guitar
Glen Matlock – Bass Guitar
James Sclavunos – Drums
Produced by Wendy James
Mixed by Wendy James and Jesse Nichols at Fantasy Recording Studios, Berkeley, CA. USA
photography – Ricardo Gomes
art direction – Wendy James & Ricardo Gomes
All songs written and composed by Wendy James. Ⓟ and © Wendy James 2014. All rights reserved. Unauthorized Duplication is a violation of all applicable laws.
Track Time: 3’.16”
Pre-order your copy of Signed 7″ You’re A Dirtbomb, Lester / Farewell To Love CLICK HERE
Pre-order the bundle of Signed 7″ You’re A Dirtbomb, Lester / Farewell To Love, AND Signed 7″ Bad Intentions & A Bit Of Cruelty / Indigent Blues CLICK HERE
Release date: 25th November 2016
Buy THE PRICE OF THE TICKET CLICK HERE
IN PRODUCTION!
New 7″ Vinyl Single for ‘YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER’ + ‘FAREWELL TO LOVE’
Double A-Side!
Buy THE PRICE OF THE TICKET here: CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW
Buy previous 7″ Vinyl Single here (only 27 left): CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW
I Came Here To Blow Minds Vinyl + New VIP Experiences Available
Good morning
I Came Here To Blow Minds Vinyl
Wendy James’s third solo album I Came Here To Blow Minds is now available in very limited supplies on this PledgeMusic project.
WENDY JAMES’ LTD EDITION VINYL 3RD SOLO ALBUM
‘I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS’
Written and Produced by Wendy James. Recorded in Paris and mixed in Sydney with Scott Horscroft.
This is Wendy’s ‘break-out’ LP and features 13 original compositions!
1. THE MOON DEAD IN THE RIVER
2. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, SO LONG?
3. DON’T SHOOT, I AIN’T DILLINGER
4. MUNICIPAL BLUES
5. NEW WAVE FLOWERED UP MAIN STREET ACID BABY
6. SPEEDBALL
7. NO DICE
8. YOU TELL ME
9. KING HOODLUM
10. ONE EVENING, IN A SMALL CAFE…
11. THESE BEGGAR MEMORIES
12. YOU’RE A FUCKING MESS, BUT YOU SURE IS PRETTY
13. I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS
The songs are typically ranging from Wendy’s love of New York New Wave Rock n Roll through to more Country Ballad and Phil Spector ‘Wall Of Sound’ production, finishing with the raw, self-reflective motif of the title track ‘I Came Here To Blow Minds’
Garnering wonderful reviews across the international music press, this album really builds on Wendy’s earlier RACINE albums and proved she had come into her own right as a song writer, musician, singer and producer.
LTD amount of VINYL, imported from USA available now from PLEDGE: Buy here
© Copyright Wendy James 2011US. All Rights Reserved
Unauthorized Duplication is a violation of all applicable laws
New VIP Experiences Available
Come to soundcheck and meet Wendy James before the show and have Wendy personalise all your items. Hang backstage, watch the show from a dedicated space and enjoy the full gig experience with Wendy and the band.
Friday September 2nd
Lemon Pop 21
Auditorio Municipal Parque Fofó
Calle Auditorium 2, Murcia, 30008, Spain
Stage time 11.40pm
Get your VIP Experience HERE
New Wendy James Interviews! Signed Vinyl and CD Update!!
Hi Everyone…
Two wonderful press articles, from Flaunt Magazine and AnOther Magazine respectively.Discovering some of Wendy’s thoughts on the making of THE PRICE OF THE TICKET, her life making music and records and other shared observations!
There are new Live Dates being booked and To Be Announced, once more for the UK, but this time also Europe. And a pressing of a new 7” Vinyl Double-A side featuring tracks ‘YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER’ and ‘FAREWELL TO LOVE’. Both Album tracks, and will include unseen artwork and content, and both tracks having proven favorites at Wendy’s Live Shows!
So! If you’ve not already got yourself a copy of THE PRICE OF THE TICKET, starring Wendy James, Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Group), Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols), James Sclavunos (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds), James Williamson (Stooges) and Steve Mackay (Stooges), on Vinyl, CD and Download then do so now! It is surely one of the best albums of 2016 and truly an all-star line-up!
ALL NEW SIGNED POSTER STOCK OF WENDY JAMES
ALL NEW SIGNED POSTER STOCK OF WENDY JAMES ‘THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’
IF YOU’VE NOT ALREADY BOUGHT YOUR COPY: BUY NOW!
PRINTED ON HIGH QUALITY THICK CARD AND BEAUTIFUL MATT FINISH.
Exclusive poster featuring original artwork from new Wendy James album The Price Of The Ticket. A1 Size, signed by Wendy James.
Photography and Art Direction by Kym Ellery and Roze Hooij
Buy your signed Wendy James poster HERE.
ALBUM BACK COVER IMAGE WITH PERSONAL THANK YOU NOTE BY WENDY:
Thank you
So important in the making of ‘The Price Of The Ticket’ is the encouragement, good will and enthusiasm I am lucky enough to receive from friends and fans alike. My female friends who support me with their fire-brand strength and determination. Old friends in London who remain as true to this day as they were when we were running about in Ladbroke Grove, W.11. Newer friends in New York City who make my present day life so full and thrilling and the city the place I call home. My friends in Paris, the love and hospitality you give me is such a large part of my life. All over the world I have some true friends who, whether I see you often or not, I know you are there for me. This is the stuff that keeps everything going. Old band members with whom I share memories and from whom I have learned lessons, you are as responsible for getting me here as anyone else. And Fans – the messages you send me are so sincere and often with such insight, sometimes a day can literally be made good by one message saying my music is playing a part in your life and for me to keep on!
The Price Of The Ticket Vinyl Update
ALL NEW SIGNED VINYL STOCK OF WENDY JAMES ‘THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’
LP NOW READY FOR DISPATCH!
IF YOU’VE NOT ALREADY BOUGHT YOUR COPY: BUY NOW!
Mastered for Vinyl. Includes printed and photograph inner sleeves.
PLAYERS:
WENDY JAMES – VOCALS/RHYTHM GUITAR/KEYS & PIANO
LENNY KAYE – RHYTHM/LEAD GUITAR (Patti Smith/Nuggets)
GLEN MATLOCK – BASS (Sex Pistols)
JAMES SCLAVUNOS – DRUMS (Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds)
All songs written and produced by Wendy James
All songs mixed by Wendy James & Jesse Nichols
Photography and Art Direction by Kym Ellery and Roze Hooij
THE PRICE OF THE TICKET VINYL TRACK LISTING
SIDE A
1 PALOMA’S DOWNS (5.45)
2 INDIGENT BLUES (3.41)
3 KING RAT (4.56)
4 LOVE FROM THE 9TH (2.45)
5 BAD INTENTIONS AND A BIT OF CRUELTY (3.41)
Side A – Total running time: 21 minutes
SIDE B
6 YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER (6.38)
7 FAREWELL TO LOVE (3.16)
8 COWBOY RHYTHM (5.20)
9 SITUATION NORMAL AT SURFRIDER (7.09)
Side B – Total running time: 23 minutes
TOTAL VINYL RUNNING TIME: 44 MINUTES
INCLUDES THE PRICE OF THE TICKET DIGITAL DOWNLOAD ON FLAC OR MP3
TRACK LISTING
1 PALOMA’S DOWNS (5.45)
2 INDIGENT BLUES (3.41)
3 KING RAT (4.56)
4 LOVE FROM THE 9TH (2.45)
5 BAD INTENTIONS AND A BIT OF CRUELTY (3.41)
6 YOU’RE A DIRTBOMB, LESTER (6.38)
7 SCREAMIN’ BACK WASHINGTON (Bonus) (3.14)
8 WHY OH WHY DO YOU HURT ME STILL? (Bonus) (1.55)
9 FAREWELL TO LOVE (3.16)
10 COWBOY RHYTHM (5.20)
11 SITUATION NORMAL AT SURFRIDER (7.09)
12 YOU’RE SO GREAT (Bonus) (3.26)
13 IT’S ALRIGHT MA (Bonus) (7.02)
WENDY JAMES UK TOUR VIP GIG PASSES!
WENDY JAMES IS PLAYING LIVE IN MAY AND JUNE AROUND THE UK.
PURCHASE YOUR VIP EXPERIENCE HERE:
Come to soundcheck and meet Wendy James before the show and have Wendy personalize all your items. Hang backstage, watch the show from a dedicated space and enjoy the full gig experience with Wendy and the band. There are ONLY 5 spaces available per gig! Customer must be in possession of a valid ticket for the show!
Choose from:
May. Thursday 19th, London, Brooklyn Bowl
May. Thursday 26th, Bristol, Fleece & Firkin
May. Saturday 28th, Coventry, Kasbah Club
May. Sunday 29th, Darwen Live 2016
June. Wednesday 1st, Derby, The Venue
June. Friday 3rd, Manchester, The Live Room
June. Saturday 4th, Bedford, Esquires
Wendy’s set list will include some songs from ‘The Price Of The Ticket’, some choice cuts from previous solo work and some favorites from Transvision Vamp. Customer must be in possession of a valid ticket for the show. Receipt for this item must be printed off and presented at the venue as proof of purchase, along with the original ticket. Times and details will be emailed to customers in advance of the event.
Series of WENDY JAMES photos by RICARDO GOMES
Paris, March 26th 2016.
THE PRICE OF THE TICKET – LP VINYL & CD, DOWNLOAD, VIP GIG PASSES,
OFFICIAL T-SHIRT, OFFICIAL POSTER, 7″ VINYL
Starring Wendy James, Lenny Kaye, James Williamson, Glen Matlock, James Sclavunos and Steve Mackay
Buy your own Official WENDYJAMES ‘THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’ T-Shirt
*Seen here: Wendy wearing her one!
Unisex XS, S, M, L, XL
100% COTTON AMERICAN APPAREL CLASSIC WHITE TSHIRT
FEATURING LP COVER SHOT IN HI-RES BLACK AND WHITE DEFINITION
T-Shirt photography by Kym Ellery
Promotion photography by Ricardo Gomes
NEWS UPDATE!
ALL EUROPEAN AND UK 7″ VINYL NOW SIGNED AND ONLINE TO BUY: Featuring current Radio Single ‘INDIGENT BLUES’ and previous ‘BAD INTENTIONS AND A BIT OF CRUELTY’
LIMITED NUMBER OF VIP PASSES TO DARWIN & BRISTOL
VIP BRISTOL X 1 SPACE (Thursday 26th May)
VIP COVENTRY X 5 SPACES (Sunday 28th May)
VIP DARWEN X 5 SPACES (Sunday 29th May)
(UK CHART) WE MADE NO.13 IN THE INDIE ALBUM CHART! AND NO.15 IN THE VINYL ALBUM CHART!
“THE PRICE OF THE TICKET” Starring Wendy James, Lenny Kaye, James Williamson, Glen Matlock, Steve Mackay & the magnificent James Sclavunos! Much in part thanks to everyone who made a Pledge Purchase! Thanks to Pledge Music! Thanks to Proper and Cobraside Distribution! Thanks to Rough Trade and HMV and all Indie Record Stores who made the LP available! Thanks to the Engineers! The Recording Studios! And…. Thanks to my personal friends without whom, at different stages, this thing might have stalled! Thank you EVERYONE WHO IS BUYING IT!! (more! more! more!) Onwards!!!! Love to ALL!
A short teaser from the upcoming video for the new single ‘Indigent Blues’
LP ‘THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’ OUT NOW: CD/VINYL/DOWNLOAD POSTER/TSHIRT/VIP
A Thank You from Wendy
Released Sunday 21st February 2016
It has been the most incredible month of UK shows, press, radio, rehearsals, laughs, love, challenges, triumphs, musical triumphs and moments with you: The Fans of my music, old and new, who have just kept on, kept on being with me, toe to toe, every step of the way!
THE PRICE OF THE TICKET is bona-fide OUT now and I can hardly believe all the memories of recording it in NYC with Lenny, Glen and Jim and then taking it over to Berkeley CA to mix with Jesse…I remember turning up in Paris to meet my friend Kym Ellery and shooting the cover/back cover shot and then preparing the artwork with her from Australia to New York with her team.
I remember working out all the logistics of releasing with Randy from my distribution company Cobraside and him making so much easy lifting of it all for me! I remember walking into the Pledge offices and meeting Malcom and Barney and Paul and how these men have literally made a business that has changed my life and the way YOU and I have been able to present and purchase my music with utter transparency and complete speed.
We made a video! With Pledge fans involved and with the most dynamic team led by Megan and Haf down at The Ivy House in Nunhead where everyone worked professionally and tirelessly and enthusiastically for a straight 18 hours. I expect and anticipate the edit of the video for Indigent Blues within days now! It will be beautiful!
We made a website! Thank you Ian! All these people, and YOU, all of you are people that
DO what they SAY they’re going to do. And I could not be more happy, more proud, more optimistic than I am now!
Dates are booking up for May, I’ve got two UK Television shows I admire asking for live performances and Radio is gradually getting on board and playing Bad Intentions and Indigent Blues.
Thank you to Sean who has worked tirelessly and continues to, for radio and television.
Thank you to Amanda in Scotland, Jules in Ramsgate, Ben and Cal in London, Bernie in London… Thank you to Ricardo who travelled to UK and took incredible Live shots and always takes the most beautiful photos of me!
THANK YOU TO JAMES MEYNELL, JAMES SCLAVUNOS, JARED FISHER AND BOB WILSON for being my BAND, MY FRIENDS, MY TRUSTED COMPANIONS, MY INSPIRATION, and for making me SO HAPPY.
Thank you my wonderful friends who are there for me, at all times 100% no question. Thank you to Wolfe, Paula and Sean who have been my family in London while I’ve been here!
And once again Thank YOU for being so truly amazing in your love and loyalty for my music and for me… Literally, I couldn’t do it without you.
Have a very good Sunday!
Love Wendy xxx
Chart!
‘THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’
Wendy James new album with Lenny Kaye, Glen Matlock, James Sclavunos and James Williamson is released next Friday 19th and available exclusively through Pledge until that date and it is CHART ELIGIBLE!
So! if you want to see Wendy in the charts again then buy your copy now on CD or Vinyl or Download.
Appear in Wendy James new ‘Indigent Blues’ video
For 10 lucky people, the opportunity to be in a video shoot for Wendy James’ new song ‘Indigent Blues’. The video will centre around a performance by Wendy and you can be one of the participating listeners and characters in the audience!
Filmed in a beautiful community owned venue called THE IVY HOUSE in SOUTH LONDON, this day is sure to be wonderful and memorable…. and you will be captured on film for ever! – Your part is to be a nonchalant and unique character audience member!
Wendy James announces exclusive VIP gig + party
On 19th February Wendy and her band will be playing an additional gig in a private members club in Central London. Not only will you get to see Wendy perform a private
gig that is NOT open at all to the public, but she and her bass player are then DJing afterwards until 2am the next morning! So spend as many hours as you like!
Take the whole night in! Meet Wendy, get your items signed and have truly a memorable night out in London with Wendy and her band! This is a one off NIGHT OUT for sure!
Only 45 VIP spots are available and exclusive through Pledge Music .
**Address will be revealed upon purchase.
Welcome to the official website for THE WENDY JAMES
The new album ’THE PRICE OF THE TICKET’ is released world wide on February 19th, 2016. You can pre-order all formats, Vinyl, CD, Download plus the accompanying T-Shirt and Poster via her PLEDGE MUSIC site – click here
’The Price Of The Ticket’ is written and produced by Wendy James and played by herself and an all-star line-up from some of the most iconic New Wave/Garage & Punk bands of all time:
WENDY JAMES VOCALS/RHYTHM GUITAR/KEYS & PIANO
LENNY KAYE – RHYTHM/LEAD GUITAR (Patti Smith/Nuggets)
GLEN MATLOCK – BASS (Sex Pistols)
JAMES SCLAVUNOS – DRUMS (Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds)
JAMES WILLIAMSON – GUITAR & BASS. Track 12 & 13 (Iggy and The Stooges)
STEVE MACKAY – BARITONE SAX. Track 13 (Iggy and The Stooges)
“Wendy James new album ‘The Price Of The Ticket’ is brave and tender, artful and wild, where courage and the dream of love give promise. A wild, moving, shocking, hilarious, raging, exhilarating, giant of an album. A dazzling performance that listeners will delight in, it is intelligent, witty, irresistibly relentless and forthright”.
-Village Voice
• Wendy James Interviews and Press – click here
• Wendy James Downloadable Press Kit – click to download PDF
• Wendy James Social Media Sites – click here to follow Wendy
• Listen to preview tracks from `The Price Of The Ticket’ here
• Wendy James is announcing a UK tour – click here for dates, venues & tickets
A message from Wendy James
So important in the making of ‘The Price Of The Ticket’ is the encouragement, good will and enthusiasm I am lucky enough to receive from friends and fans alike. My female friends who support me with their firebrand strength and determination. Old friends in London who remain as true to this day as they were when we were running about in Ladbroke Grove, W.11. Newer friends in New York City who make my present day life so full and thrilling and
the city the place I call home. My friends in Paris, the love and hospitality you give me is such a large part of my life. All over the world I have some true friends who, whether I see you often or not, I know you are there for me. This is the stuff that keeps everything going. Old band members with whom I share memories and from whom I have learned lessons, you are as responsible for getting me here as anyone else. And Fans the messages you send me are so sincere and often with such insight, sometimes a day can literally be made good by one message saying my music is playing a part in your life and for me to keep on!
Thank you