Luke James
Encyclopedia
Luke James is an English singer, a guitarist, and a writer who formed part of the New Wave
scene in Birmingham
as the lead singer and guitarist of post-punk
band Fàshiön Music from 1978 to 1980. After leaving the band, he left Britain and, since 1988, lives in San Francisco where he is currently dedicated to writing.
and drummer Dik Davis
, formed the band Fàshiön Music in 1978 and created their own "Fàshiön Music" label. They released their first three singles, Steady Eddie Steady, Citinite, and The Innocent, on it. Later signed to I.R.S. Records
, they released their Product Perfect
album in 1979. During those days, they formed part of the local Birmingham punk and new wave scene along with Duran Duran
(who opened some of their gigs), UB40
, Steel Pulse, and others, touring also with The Police, John Cooper Clarke, Squeeze, B52s, and U2.
In June 1980, after the release of the Silver Blades single and a gig in London with U2, James departed and moved to the USA. Mulligan and Dik revived the band simply as Fashion
in 1981 with another singer and guitarist, and their style became more synthpop
and new romantic
, causing them to become more commercially successful. The band, The Photos
, wrote and released a song in reference to him, called "Luke Come Back".
in Wall Of Voodoo
.
He travelled and lived in Bordeaux
, London, Los Angeles, and Charlottesville, Virginia
. During those travels, he worked as a train washer, a restaurant crooner, a night watchman on a car ferry, a street singer, a barman, and an antiques restorer.
In 1988, he arrived in San Francisco, California, where he still lives. In 2002, he played blues with a band called Wild Dogs.
, NRDC, and Doctors Without Borders.
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
scene in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
as the lead singer and guitarist of post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
band Fàshiön Music from 1978 to 1980. After leaving the band, he left Britain and, since 1988, lives in San Francisco where he is currently dedicated to writing.
Early years & Fàshiön Music
Brought up in Birmingham, England, James, along with bassist/keyboardist John MulliganJohn Mulligan
For the 19th-century baseball player, see John Mulligan .Joshua Salvator Mulligan is a Birmingham, England born new nave musician. He is most prominently known as the bassist and keyboardist of the band Fashion from 1978-1984....
and drummer Dik Davis
Dik Davis
Dik Davis was a drummer who played with english New Wave bands like Fashion, TinTin and, as guest, Earl Grey.Davis formed Fashion in 1978, alongside members Luke Sky on lead vocals and guitar and Mulligan on bass and keyboards. He and the latter remained in Fashion until 1984, when they split up...
, formed the band Fàshiön Music in 1978 and created their own "Fàshiön Music" label. They released their first three singles, Steady Eddie Steady, Citinite, and The Innocent, on it. Later signed to I.R.S. Records
I.R.S. Records
I.R.S. Records was a record label, started in the United States in 1979 by Miles Copeland III along with Jay Boberg and Carl Grasso. Miles was also the manager of Wishbone Ash, The Police, and later, Sting, as well as other bands. I.R.S. was the sister label of Copeland's Illegal Records .I.R.S...
, they released their Product Perfect
Product Perfect
Product Perfect was the debut album of Fàshiön Music , released in 1979. It is their only album to feature guitarist–vocalist Luke James...
album in 1979. During those days, they formed part of the local Birmingham punk and new wave scene along with Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
(who opened some of their gigs), UB40
UB40
UB40 are a British reggae/pop band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. The band has placed more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. One of the world's best-selling music artists, UB40 have sold over 70 million records.Their hit singles...
, Steel Pulse, and others, touring also with The Police, John Cooper Clarke, Squeeze, B52s, and U2.
In June 1980, after the release of the Silver Blades single and a gig in London with U2, James departed and moved to the USA. Mulligan and Dik revived the band simply as Fashion
Fashion (band)
Fashion were a British New Wave band consisting of Dee Harris, Al 'Luke Sky' James, Alan Darby, John Mulligan, Marlon Recchi, and Dik Davis.The band had two or three eras...
in 1981 with another singer and guitarist, and their style became more synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
and new romantic
New Romantic
New Romanticism , was a pop culture movement in the United Kingdom that began around 1979 and peaked around 1981. Developing in London nightclubs such as Billy's and The Blitz and spreading to other major cities in the UK, it was based around flamboyant, eccentric fashion and new wave music...
, causing them to become more commercially successful. The band, The Photos
The Photos
The Photos were a British new wave band fronted by Wendy Wu, who had a top 5 album in the UK in 1980.-History:The Photos were originally a punk band named Satan's Rats that formed in Evesham, Worcestershire in 1977, with the first stable line-up of Paul Rencher , Steve Eagles , Roy Wilkes , and...
, wrote and released a song in reference to him, called "Luke Come Back".
Travelling the world, San Francisco and writer
In London, he auditioned to replace the departed Stan RidgwayStan Ridgway
Stanard 'Stan' Ridgway is an American multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter known for his distinctive voice, dramatic lyrical narratives, and eclectic solo albums and was the original lead singer of the band Wall of Voodoo...
in Wall Of Voodoo
Wall of Voodoo
Wall of Voodoo was an American New Wave group from Los Angeles best known for the 1983 hit "Mexican Radio". The band had a sound that was a fusion of synthesizer-based New Wave music with the spaghetti western soundtrack style of Ennio Morricone.-Formation:...
.
He travelled and lived in Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, London, Los Angeles, and Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
. During those travels, he worked as a train washer, a restaurant crooner, a night watchman on a car ferry, a street singer, a barman, and an antiques restorer.
In 1988, he arrived in San Francisco, California, where he still lives. In 2002, he played blues with a band called Wild Dogs.
Current life
He now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, is married with two children. In addition to writing and recording new Fàshiön-style material, he is also working on an acoustic recording project and studying Flamenco guitar. He supports Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, NRDC, and Doctors Without Borders.
Books
- "Public House" (edited with Alan Black) An anthology of San Francisco writers
- Stairway To Nowhere OUT NOW - Buy "Stairway To Nowhere" here