Music and Transformation, Tim Booth & James
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 มิ.ย. 2020
- The music of James contains one of the most complete records of the process of spiritual transformation in music. But until now, the author of these lyrics has not shared where his inspiration came from.
While most of the band's contemporaries in late 80s Manchester such as the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays were fuelled by hedonism and ecstasy, singer Tim Booth was deep in hardcore spiritual practice.
In this full and frank conversation with Rebel Wisdom's David Fuller, Tim explains the full backstory for the first time.
There is a Medium article alongside this film with links to many of the band's songs referenced in the film: / music-and-transformati...
You can listen to podcast versions of our films on Spotify or Apple Podcasts by searching 'Rebel Wisdom' or download episodes from our Podbean page: rebelwisdom.podbean.com/
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Ths was absolutely fantastic.
Thank you both for your work.
I have to share this experience with you....my bro in law died suddenly and we are both huge James fans...on the day of his funeral 2 lovely things happened in the hotel I was staying..the first was I had a James t shirt to wear and noticed the picture on the t shirt was of a demo tape with the year 1982..the same year my bro in law was born...then as I walked down the stairs of the hotel into the restaurant area James’ ‘we’re gonna miss you when your gone’ was playing on hotel restaurants speaker...that song is a fantastic song. It not 1 you would hear on the radio regular..something spiritual was going on that morn of his funeral...going back to the day after his death..the moment after we broke the news to the last of my children it started hail stoning heavily on our back garden for 5 mins or so...then stopped the clouds cleared blue sky and a rainbow appeared..may I add it was the middle of summer in August...my bro in law had a bad cocaine addiction and we felt he dumped hail stones on us as if to say ‘goodbye and he’s free now’ never seen or felt anything like those experiences before..sad but beutiful
Nice share bro
I had the pleasure of following James grow from an underground band to where they claimed their first top ten hit. I met Tim on numerous occasions at concerts and he was always willing to stop and chat for a while. A true gent. Their music helped me growing up in so many ways, and I still discover this when I hear the odd lyric that still resonates. Thanks Tim.
Oh man...I got 5 minutes in, then did a search for "James - Sometimes", and have been listening to his music throughout the day. Still haven't finished watching this RW piece, lol. Just wanted to say I'm really glad I discovered his music. I find it to be deeply moving. So thank you! :)
It's a blinding song. I have enjoyed it for years but only recently checked out the lyrics and thanks to this show I now get the meaning. He's a great wordsmith.
I love Tim and Saul .....my secret passions
In my advancing old age, I now realise that although my spiritual life is inextricably linked with musical revelation, I have long been missing out on the benefits of dance-driven trance. I have appreciated the band James for decades, through just thinking they had a great sound and inspiring lyrics. But it was only quite recently that I really noticed that Tim was interested in transcendence thru' less self-destructive means. My life experience has a great deal in common with Tim. My liking of this band was always based on a perception of them displaying empathy for the plight of ordinary people with ordinary problems. Their concerts sometimes look a bit like Manchester soccer fan singalongs, but it is great that their audiences can frequently return home after concerts in a constructive and happy frame of mind.
I've never been so intrigued by any artist in an interview like I have been while watching this. This video inspires me in several ways and I am grateful that I was introduced to James by my father at this young age.
Fantastic interview.. James kept me alive in the early 90s... 7 the album was by far the biggest driving force that helped me beat it..
Thank you Tim
7 the 1st I bought from James after listening in Pubs Sit Down, Sound but at last album cd risked and no longer played properly. Years later I could burn it from an internet website ❤
Wow, what a magnificent interview. I have always loved James' music, and to hear Tim talk about his journey and the meaning of the music so movingly just adds another layer. And "Ring the Bells" is one of the songs I want played at my funeral. ❤
Mine would be Everlasting Arms
Beautiful . Music is medicine ,says it all really.
Yep music is the escape a strong drug
Tim's story is personally so inspirational to me.Such a good soul and his music, lyrics and voice is truly transcendal and joyous.
This is the first time I have been encouraged and inspired by the comment section. There is hope.
Beautiful human being. Great interview. Thanks, Dave. 🙏
Totally impressed that you’ve produced this interview! They’ve become my favorite band as I have matured since the 90’s. They are hands down the deepest band for those of us who seek increasing awareness.
I’m a regular listener to Rebel Wisdom. Music plays a very small mart of my life but when it does it does so with intensity. I tingled as I listened to this.
I want to acknowledge you both. Douglas
What a fantastic, enlightening interview. I knew that James were different as a band, and that they were clearly trying to communicate something different in their music, but I had no idea it went this deep. Absolutely fascinating.
I really love what you're doing with this channel, David. More power to you!
David, thank you so much for this sincere and vulnerable interview. The dynamics between the two of you were magical. And thank you for introducing James to me, a band who makes music as it is meant to be: co creation in flow!
You guys keep colliding with some of my favorite things in life. First it was RW and Wilber, then RW and Circling and now RW and James. Such excellent content! Thank you greatly.
what a great interview thanks so much. I've been listening to James music since i was a teenager. Its one of the few teenage bands that have stayed with me and ive been playing their songs in plant medicine ceremonies for the last 7 years. so much humble wisdom presented in this interview with intelligent and thoughtful and insightful questions.
Bloody good job David. Again. I'm loving the conversations that you're having and the people you're having them with. Thank you.
First time I saw Tim perform @ the wonder ballroom in Portland. I was hooked. I felt Tim was singing directly to me as did every other audience member... it was awesome. I’ve since been fortunate to see James a few more times. As great as these shows were, my favorite was your COVID show a few weeks ago where my wife and I could dance in our living room with you and others through zoom. Thanks for everything you give to so many of us. Peace
I did not know that show exists. Is there a link to it somewhere. I would love to experience it.
@@nynoah yes link please!
Incredibly insightful, brilliant interview. I learnt a lot from this, thank you x
This was extraordinary thank you! Lots of love from a HUGE James fan. Xx
One of maybe only two or three TH-cam videos that have held my attention for its full length. What a fantastic hour and a half spent listening to an incredibly uplifting and intelligent interview.
Tim Booth is one of the greatest lyricists/singers/ frontmen to have ever lived such a genuinely inspiring man with a unique talent for making timeless and evocative art.
Brilliant interview, thank you for sharing x
James has been a soundtrack for my life for a long time. So happy to have been able to see them live!
How cool. Love James. Rebel Wisdom rocks! Thank you David.
Fatastic interview!
Well done Rebel Wisdom, much appreciated.
One of my favourite bands and music of all time. Much love.
I am not one for meditation etc. myself but I can appreciate what is being said here. If you can find equilibrium, a sense of calm through these methods then do it because we are living in a state of quiet hysteria ( actually, not so quiet given current events) at this moment in time. Obviously the msm is escalating it but so are some smaller platforms. So it's important to remain level headed in these troubled times.
Such a beautiful interview in dialog uncovering two exquisite souls in deep communion together!
yeah i am very pleased to stumble upon this interview, was actually looking for an introduction before i start teaching my social studies class about Buddhism and wasn't sure what i was looking for.... then "pop" Mr Booth with his music and mantra and meaning. That will do nicely. Listen to this class... (a bunch of 13 year old American kids and their Scottish teacher travel without moving)
This is a fantastic dialogue huge gratitude thoroughly enjoyed & also loving Rebel Wisdom!
Thank you for this!! Much Love!!
As I've travelled along the 90s music...I've settled on this band. Speaks on all elements of the living being... helps me evolve and grow the spirit into a free energy... many many blessings and gratitude ☆♡☆♡
Excellent ....Thank You Boyz!🎼💖🎼
Thank you for that I opener.
An unexpected and refreshing interview. I remember James being such a huge band in my Uni days, but I knew nothing about them till today.
Funny to hear someone who seems so 'spiritual' loathing the word 'spiritual'.
another beautiful person and many authentic experiences..not necessarily on the main track of "sensemakers", while even these are sidetracked..many of us on the move from sit next to me to under-standing and standing up, totally amazed what happened meanwhile..
Brilliant! One of my most favourite things to do in an afternoon is dance to James! Thank you!
Me too👍😃
Really great interview . Enjoyed the musical element too . A nice change
Thanks for using my vid and the plug at 46.17 :-)
Inspiring interview brother. Amazing. Love it.
Yesssss!!! I love James!!!
We used to follow James round until my husband had a major heart attack many years ago. Still love the band but …… can’t do it any more xxx
What a treat 🙏
I once said I wanted to be struck by lightening when I was a teenager, then I got severely electrically shocked on the third rail of the train tracks near my home in NYC. I almost died, but didn't, but could not walk for a long time. That was 25 years ago. Good to be here.
our oxygen is less available, our muscle culture to breathing must be consciously elevated, Wim Hoff is a master of such things and is determined our body can defeat our own lack of resistance to the virus already present in the billion already within our construct. Strength is to understand our independent resilience and not the comfort of fear.
Religion is built of the ‘one’ yet our human construct and honesty is built of three parts. The mother, the father and the child. When we use these three elements correctly in any construct, we learn equality, honesty and strength. No governance we use has these 3 elements, and yet for 100,000 yrs non colonial constructs rely on this honesty, and a chief to this honesty.
To be a child again is forever a destination, the child of no fear has no boundaries in exploration and newness.
Great interview. The only James song I know is Sit Down, interesting guy a lot of what he's experienced resontes with me.
Interesting and enjoyable. I was born in 1976 - James was just a few years before I was really aware and interested in pop music, I was 13/14 in 1990. James, as a band was seen (at least in my part of the UK and my teenage perspective), as I remember as a band listened to by middle class kids whose parents were teachers. Kids with longer hair who were trying to rebel or make a statement to their parents. Sit down was a big hit though - I bought the best of album in the 90's - I listened to it and enjoyed most of the tracks and wondered why the band hadn't been more popular (you can argue if you want but they really weren't that popular compared to the later Britpop bands) I looked at the track list on the best of album, and discovered that they were from several albums. Basically, IMO they were not consistent with their songs - Each album only had one or two good songs on. I loved their best of album and have recently rediscovered it. I love many of their songs now: Sit Down, Sometimes, Laid, Run Aground, Out to get you, Say Something, Tomorrow, Waltzing Along.... They seemed to be a band that were before Britpop but were much better than many Britpop bands by far. Great lyrics and tunes.
Tim is the manifestation of the maxim: "All art aspires to the condition of music"
I danced this morning. I mean "really danced" this morning in my kitchen today while cleaning up. Wish I had done that 20 years ago.
Superb Interview, are there many better front men and song writers than Tim Booth? And his voice is still strong. Very wise words regarding psychedelics too. Thank you RW.
had to check out Horses - great story telling
Top bloke. James rock
Pure Canopus. You guys should do a review of Doris Lessings Shikasta series. Its all about the Neccessity and very RW.
Poetry is hard rock candy
Flavour to savour
To tuck and suck
Not to crush and chew in a rush
A taste experience
A treat not meat
A sweet to soothe an aching soul
A medicine to make it whole
Hard rock healing
Dark energy is the invisible hand that continuously draws itself into existence.
Tim/James have saved my life in many ways... If I should talk about "religion", I would talk about James. No exaggeration...
I love Tim's perception of the world. His genuine expressions may be not well understanding by many people and even may be criticized... Aldous Huxley used to claim that drugs could unlock an unknown human potential. This is not the first time that someone with a sort of illumination talk about this.
I am only a few minutes in but I remember reading an early interview with Booth where he said something like "we imbibed huge amounts of pot via the lethally potent hotknives method". Inspirational words. At some point I am certain they smoked weed. Probably why the early recordings are so much better and much less mainstream.
Although I had not heard of the group James until this interview (surprisingly, since I was a teen in the 90s, and this style of music was a staple for us), I greatly enjoyed this interview!
I started down a more "spiritual" path a few years ago, which seemed to be triggered by a piece of 432hz meditative music I was listening to in order to try to calm myself and focus on a stressful project at my last job. Things took off from there, and the connection between spirituality and music has been a great interest. Earlier this year, I discovered a K-pop group called BTS, something I normally wouldn't have given the time of day to (I can listen to almost anything, but rock has always been my preference, and I felt like I was to old to be listening to BTS). Critics tend to dismiss this "boy band" from South Korea as a passing fad being propped up by a massive fan base of screaming teenage girls, but that is an unfair assessment. They have fans of all ages, races and genders, so many of which credit the magic of their music to inner healing. Over the last 7 years, their albums have matured to include Jungian concepts that encourage facing your shadow, self-acceptance and self-love, all delivered with catchy beats and mesmerizing dances that I never thought I'd find myself sucked into. They have bridged generation gaps between parents and children, inspired their fans to learn, grow and be generous, and just plain make people HAPPY! And at the end of the day, when my friends question why I am a fan of a "pop" group who sings in Korean, the only answer I need to give is that, much to even my surprise, their music resonates with my soul.🎶🌌
If anyone is curious I suggest checking out BTS' "On: Kinetic Manifesto Film Come Prima", from their recent album, and watch with the captions so you understand the message. 🙂
Interesting post will check them out. "the Nikola Tesla song ' th-cam.com/video/5aQBLMlATXo/w-d-xo.html is one of our songs for these times. Unity in Diversity, Blessings from New Zealand.
Dimensional deep and brought me to tears three times, your work is extraordinary David, deeply shamatically thank you.
Love James! Still getting away with it all messed up i see. Love through music.
Saw James at a festival in the 90s, I wasn't a big fan at the time but I remember thinking distinctly that everything they played was gold. Great interview, I hope Tim is wrong about how much time he has left ...
I think he refers to being aware that someday like all of us, he’s going to leave this world and somehow that makes him feel more alive.
@@carlossolorzanoorozco4651 I hope that's the case! And good reminder to make the most of the day, thanks :)
Robin Hobb writes about this kind of healing in the Assasin's Apprenice series
In the interest you have here I think you'd be interested in the documentary release :
Life and work of David Bohm,"infinite Potential"
best so far in my estimation David, thank you.
Tim's good spreading his music to the world. I shall, however, describe an uncomfortable feeling I had when listening to this (to do with myself rather than Tim).
It is to do with watching the stream trickle by and then wondering after a while what the surface area friction is in respect to volume is and how well it models turbulent flow. That apprehension of over consciousness when its not needed feeling.
I felt this because I'm wanting flow, but have too much of a technical angle (as my self-worth is tied up in that approach), and it's a very present struggle to recognise my limitations\trade-offs. Tim represents (to me) the other side of that mindset of flow into something technical.
Any more suggestions for a national anthem for the bipolar? I nominate Mania by Throwing Muses. Morrissey (if he can be mentioned in polite company) also has a song called I Am Two People.
Doris Lessing was a student and friend of the Sufi teacher Idries Shah.
"He said, congratulations, you did it, you broke free
You're just a fish like the rest of humanity."
"It just goes to show ya that your minds your own monster
Reality is what you make it, if you take it away
Your just a fish, like me, swimming in the powdered water."
Eyedea
&
Ability.
Also please at all costs keep politics out of the Psychedelic experience.
Young man you got to the point you are now from another point you will go forward to another point there is so much Wonder Joy and another half-a-dozen words like that the point you're at you should have left long ago join the reality that is so much more
never heard this band....seriously i don't....
but listen to the doors, velvet underground ....
Why does "Sometimes" have Lester Piggott's name in the title? I don't see the relevance. Anyone know?
I'm picturing this psuedo yogi bumping into mark E Smith on his travels that would be funny
anybody looking for enlightened music should check out Hearts of Space, you will dig it!
The particle physics is in question, the question is ‘what is a wave’ the two dimensional flat wave does not exist, it is our simplistic rendition of the spiral wave. If this were a truth, music then, screws itself into our brains with waves of our entity, not particles we insist are a solidity, when physics sees other possibilities to build ‘matter’.
th-cam.com/play/PLa8Pqohz29ZEGAsS3qfHTiuqDsPIWnXm3.html
You may enjoy this
Andy Williams sounds good, any solutions Andy, a great rap by any measure, sounds like what I used to be, then I stepped back to take measure of what to do?
Can’t wait to see them in Leeds 💙❤️
Did you get censored at 1hr 8 minutes?
His views around culture, society using a tree metaphor is he's concentrating on a branch of a tree espousing its the branch that defines the tree.
The branch in the wind is tethered to the trunk which is tethered to its root.
The root is MAN, WOMAN , CHILD carving out an existence predicated on the love of that child.
boom baby. Mic drop
the spirit is the ego-less, state, the insulated preservation to decide serendipities.
Great interview. Love what Tim said about unconscious dance rather than conscious. Though 5rythmns or ecstatic dance seems to exist in the liminal space between both unconscious and conscious states ... and speaking of terminology, I find it way more cringy when people try to avoid using the word spiritual. I get it, it carries a lot of New Age woo woo baggage, but it's way easier just owning it and moving on. If you do Shadow work, 5rythms and take Ayahuasca, you're god damn spiritual!
“Who paints brown owls eyes on a butterflies wings”
who gave the leopards spots and taught the birds to sing? I'm welling up listening to this and i'm only 18 mins in.
Mr D what a time it was! James didn’t get the love they deserved from the mainstream. I’ve got all their albums and been a huge fan since I discovered the album gold mother. Was staying with a foster family and their son liked them. I listened and I can tell you I learnt more about life from James and their music than I ever did from any other source! To anyone who discovers them and their lives r not great you can be sure they find solace in these great songs! Seven for me was their greatest works! So deep on many levels. We r all born into frustration! I’m sure you have experienced an epic journey that James tunes help you get through or understand to an extent!
Really? 'my dna was literally taken apart'? Why do we rush down cul-de-sacs from which we can't escape, then spend our lives rationalising our foolishness?
All music moves us emotionally for good and bad. To think that music is somehow the path to some kind of realization is seriously misguided. Mainstream music appeals too much to the emotions but the problems we face in this world requires far more than feelings or "incantations". Get Riane Eisler, Jean Lipman Blumen or Nancy Fraser on your films. We need deep thinkers because our problems run fucking deep. I like music too. Take, for instance, this track.
th-cam.com/video/F6pqdSVj_cw/w-d-xo.html OR THIS ONE th-cam.com/video/B1AIG_Hf0Gw/w-d-xo.html If they it don't make you cry, nothing will. As moving as these instrumentals may be, they only appeal to the emotions. In fact, they manipulate our feelings to make us feel good. To think of it as anything more than that i.e. spiritual- is misleading. It may FEEL that way, but it's not TRUE. Music can point the way, but music itself will not transform us at a deeper level. In fact, it's a distraction because it becomes an end in itself and therefore we are always getting our "fix" for more feel-good music. The artists are drug makers and the music industry are the drug pushers. They create songs about love yet know fucking nothing about what constitutes love at a deeper level. The divorce rate in the entertainment industry is twice as high compared to the american population yet we worship songwriters and actors like gods, giving them our money, our time, and our diminished capacity to realize the utter madness of it all. In this case, FUCK music! (I'm pissed about this)
sit down next to me x children of eve xx
"The language of god is silence. The rest is poor translation". Rumi
Thanks for the links. Love the first one. I am going to integrate it into my fusion dance music set. This seems so perfect to blues/tango/flow dance to.
I'm thinking Tim is a Bernie supporter
I love you shannon 🥰🐿🐿
Hv
When taking psychedelics, always trip under the guidance of an analyst/therapist (analrapist).
his wife knows he is a Shaman
"Existential but not Metaphysical" is what I have replaced "Spiritual but not Religious" with (and that replaced "Religious"). AUM =)
I liked James when they first came out, but I've never thought Tim was any kind of rational person, which he demonstrates so beautifully at the end with the distinctly unenlightened climate rhetoric and the eugenics statement. Why is it that these people that claim to be so 'spiritual' always end up being the ones that condone mass genocide? Well, if you believe in all that stuff, then you'll know there are two sides to channel from, and this clearly came from below.
What a strange comment. The genocide will be caused by our treatment of the planet and it will be nature that causes it. The spiritual people believe that we are all one so in order for 'us' to continue then great change has to happen.
What's your alternative explanation of how the world survives?
@@plym1969 The world is only in danger from charlatans, not nature. This I know because at every level of those claiming doomsday, not a single one has anything other than rhetoric or outright lies. No science, no proof, no evidence, nada, nothing, zilch, diddly squat. As a result, any kind of survival would be based on people plucking their heads out of their backside and joining the real world, so they might actually deal with real life problems, instead of pretending they are doing something via a 'spirit world' (i.e. code for doing nothing). As for anyone harping on about over population, just know how well linked that ideology is to 1930's Germany, and don't even bother trying to pretend to be a good person.
@@ICPR1200 what you have written is just anger based on sound bites. Science is telling us that climate change is real. Changing climate over time will mean we either adapt or die. What's your answer, in actual reality not angry rhetoric?
@@plym1969 Here's where you have decided to jump into waters you do not belong. Precisely what 'science' are you being gullible enough to believe in? For my part, I go with burden of proof, which requires either the scientific method, or the precautionary principle, and there is not a single person, nor institution in the world that can provide either. I know this because I ask them personally, and make sure I have written responses. So, as example, most climate cultists will definitely refer to the IPCC at some point, a body that is not scientific because it is political (clue is in the name), and not only can they not provide answer (despite claiming to collate all of the 'science' for their reports), but if you actually bothered to read AR6 they even admit themselves 'no likelihood of any scenario', which is obvious on account of the fact that their 'models' are across such a wide range that this by default is indication of being guff. Maybe get educated before you join a cult that reads nothing, speaks to nobody outside of the cult, and has not one clue about the methods of science you are claiming to cling to.
@@ICPR1200 if the number of flying insects in the UK has reduced by 60% in the last 20 years then this is not a problem? Where are the pollenators?
So inspiring but shame he drank the Russiagate kool aid
'spirtual' is indeed wanky :)
You just replaced a watching God with a watching nature. And a very jealous one at that. If you're into "goddess", nature worship or gaia theory, anything reasonable about it is in Revelations 12.
Also look up the hindu goddess Shakti, who is goddess of energy, otherwise known as delusion.
There are poor people, both in spirit or financial circumstances who have only just encountered the beautiful notion of "spirituality" please don't politically correct it yet.
Interesting but marred by the interviewer 's positive referencing of that reactionary charlatan Jordan Peterson
Reactionary charlatan??
i always preferred 'the charlatans' to James anyway.
Cretin.
New to this channel? Enjoy your stay!
Honest question Michael. Have you ever listened to any of Jordan Petersons Biblical lecture series?
hasn't written a decent song in 10 years