Tony James
Encyclopedia
Tony James is a British musician
, best known as a bassist
of Generation X
and Sigue Sigue Sputnik
.
band London SS
, along with Brian James, (later of The Damned), and Mick Jones
plus Terry Chimes
(both future members of The Clash
).
Later, James joined the early punk band Chelsea
. The group included Billy Idol
(then William Broad) on the guitar
, John Towe on drums and Gene October
on vocals. Soon they left October to form Generation X
(named after a 1960s paperback novel, by Jane Deverson, not to be confused with the 1990s book by Douglas Coupland
), a British punk band of the late 1970s.
Tony James—after penning "Russian Roulette" for Stiv Bators
and The Lords of the New Church
and producing a Sex Gang Children
album—formed glam punk band Sigue Sigue Sputnik
with fashion designer-cum-singer Martin Degville
in the 1980s as his follow-up to Generation X. His "space bass" became the "sput style" trademark.
In 1990, Tony James became a member of The Sisters of Mercy
, and played bass on their Vision Thing album, he also played on the band's following live tours. James left the Sisters the following year.
He still tours today, and has reformed Sigue Sigue Sputnik
, crediting the internet for letting him see fans were still interested.
In 2002, James teamed up with Mick Jones
of The Clash
& Big Audio Dynamite
to form Carbon/Silicon
. He continues to work with Jones, now co-writing songs and playing guitar for the band. 0
In 2010 he helped a new up and comming band 'Patch William' produce a tour video for their single release.
During his tenure in Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Tony James was dating prominent journalist Janet Street-Porter
. Prior to that relationship, he was living with Magenta Devine
, who became a television personality.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, best known as a bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
of Generation X
Generation X (band)
Generation X was a British punk rock band, formed on 21 November 1976 by Billy Idol, Tony James and John Towe.-History:...
and Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Sigue Sigue Sputnik were a British new wave band created in 1982 by the former Generation X bassist Tony James. The band had three UK Top 40 hit singles, including the song "Love Missile F1-11".-Early years:...
.
Career
He was originally a member of the punkPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band London SS
London SS
London SS were an early British punk rock group founded in March 1975 by guitarist Mick Jones and bassist Tony James.The band spent most of their short history auditioning potential members. Besides Jones and James, however, guitarist Brian James was the only other semi-permanent member...
, along with Brian James, (later of The Damned), and Mick Jones
Mick Jones (The Clash)
Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones is the former lead guitarist, secondary vocalist and co-founder for the British punk rock band The Clash until his dismissal in 1983. He went on to form the band Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts before line-up changes led to the formation of Big Audio Dynamite II and...
plus Terry Chimes
Terry Chimes
Terry Chimes was the original drummer of punk rock group The Clash. He originally played with them from July 1976 to November 1976, January 1977 to April 1977, and again from May 1982 to February 1983. He was the drummer for Hanoi Rocks in 1985, before the band broke-up that same year...
(both future members of The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
).
Chelsea (band)
Chelsea are an English punk rock band, formed in London in 1976.Three of the four original band members went on to help found Generation X. More than two decades after its release, "Right to Work", Chelsea's debut single, was included in Mojo magazine's list of the best punk rock singles of all...
. The group included Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
(then William Broad) on the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, John Towe on drums and Gene October
Gene October
Gene October is an English musician, best known as the singer for the punk rock band, Chelsea.October was instrumental in the creation of the punk venue The Roxy, persuading the manager of gay London nightclub, 'Shageramas', to convert the club to cater for a punk clientele...
on vocals. Soon they left October to form Generation X
Generation X (band)
Generation X was a British punk rock band, formed on 21 November 1976 by Billy Idol, Tony James and John Towe.-History:...
(named after a 1960s paperback novel, by Jane Deverson, not to be confused with the 1990s book by Douglas Coupland
Douglas Coupland
Douglas Coupland is a Canadian novelist. His fiction is complemented by recognized works in design and visual art arising from his early formal training. His first novel, the 1991 international bestseller Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, popularized terms such as McJob and...
), a British punk band of the late 1970s.
Tony James—after penning "Russian Roulette" for Stiv Bators
Stiv Bators
Stiv Bators , was an American punk rockvocalist and guitarist from Youngstown, Ohio. He is best remembered for his bands, The Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church.- Music and film career :...
and The Lords of the New Church
The Lords of the New Church
The Lords of the New Church were an English/American post-punk supergroup with a line-up consisting of four musicians from prominent 1970s punk bands...
and producing a Sex Gang Children
Sex Gang Children
The Sex Gang Children are a positive punk group that formed in the early 1980s in England. Although the original group only released one official studio album, they remain one of the more well-known bands out of the early Batcave scene and have reformed for new albums and touring various times...
album—formed glam punk band Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Sigue Sigue Sputnik were a British new wave band created in 1982 by the former Generation X bassist Tony James. The band had three UK Top 40 hit singles, including the song "Love Missile F1-11".-Early years:...
with fashion designer-cum-singer Martin Degville
Martin Degville
Martin Degville was the lead singer and co-songwriter of the UK pop-cyberpunk band, Sigue Sigue Sputnik - which had a worldwide hit single in 1986 with "Love Missile F-1-11" - and six other EMI single releases...
in the 1980s as his follow-up to Generation X. His "space bass" became the "sput style" trademark.
In 1990, Tony James became a member of The Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy are an English rock band that formed in 1980. After achieving early underground fame in UK, the band had their commercial breakthrough in mid-1980s and sustained it until the early 1990s, when they stopped releasing new recorded output in protest against their record company...
, and played bass on their Vision Thing album, he also played on the band's following live tours. James left the Sisters the following year.
He still tours today, and has reformed Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Sigue Sigue Sputnik were a British new wave band created in 1982 by the former Generation X bassist Tony James. The band had three UK Top 40 hit singles, including the song "Love Missile F1-11".-Early years:...
, crediting the internet for letting him see fans were still interested.
In 2002, James teamed up with Mick Jones
Mick Jones (The Clash)
Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones is the former lead guitarist, secondary vocalist and co-founder for the British punk rock band The Clash until his dismissal in 1983. He went on to form the band Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts before line-up changes led to the formation of Big Audio Dynamite II and...
of The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
& Big Audio Dynamite
Big Audio Dynamite
Big Audio Dynamite are a British musical group formed in 1984 by the ex-guitarist and singer of the Clash, Mick Jones. The group are noted for their effective mixture of varied musical styles, incorporating elements of punk rock, dance music, hip hop, reggae, and funk...
to form Carbon/Silicon
Carbon/Silicon
Carbon/Silicon is a punk rock duo consisting of two experienced punk rock musicians: Mick Jones formerly of The Clash and former Generation X and Sigue Sigue Sputnik member Tony James. The band formed around 2002.-Career:...
. He continues to work with Jones, now co-writing songs and playing guitar for the band. 0
In 2010 he helped a new up and comming band 'Patch William' produce a tour video for their single release.
Personal life
After graduating from Brunel university with a First Class Honours Degree in mathematics and computing, Tony James worked as a computer programmer before playing music full-time.During his tenure in Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Tony James was dating prominent journalist Janet Street-Porter
Janet Street-Porter
Janet Street-Porter is a British media personality, journalist and television presenter. She was editor for two years of The Independent on Sunday. She relinquished the job to become editor-at-large in 2002...
. Prior to that relationship, he was living with Magenta Devine
Magenta Devine
Magenta Devine is a TV presenter and journalist. She is perhaps most known for presenting the youth travel programme, Rough Guide and "Reportage" on BBC2 in the 1990s. Then "Young, Gifted and Broke" for ITV.She began her career working for Queen/Thin Lizzy/Whitesnake publicist, the late Tony...
, who became a television personality.