Wendy James
| Wendy James | |
|---|---|
| Born |
21 January 1966 London, England |
| Genres | Pop punk, alternative rock |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Labels | MCA Records |
| Associated acts |
Transvision Vamp Racine |
| Website | thewendyjames.com |
Wendy James (born 21 January 1966, London) is an English singer-songwriter most notable for her work with the pop band Transvision Vamp.
James was adopted soon after birth, and left home at the age of sixteen, moving to the English seaside resort town of Brighton. There she met Nick Christian Sayer, who became her boyfriend and musical collaborator. Sayer and James moved to London, where they teamed up with friends Dave Parsons, Tex Axile and Pol Burton, with whom they formed the pop-punk band, Transvision Vamp. James was the lead singer and focal point of the group, and attracted media attention with her sexually charged and rebellious image.
The band was signed by MCA in December 1986 and released a cover version of the Holly and the Italians song "Tell That Girl to Shut Up" in late 1987. Months later the follow-up single "I Want Your Love", with its pop/punk crossover appeal, entered the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart. The band went on to release the hit album Pop Art in October. 1989 was the band's most successful year, with the number 3 hit single "Baby I Don't Care" and hit album Velveteen which entered the UK Albums Chart at number one and was a hit worldwide. The next two singles, "I Want Your Love" and "Baby I Don't Care", respectively reached number five and number three in the UK singles charts.
When the decision had been made for Transvision Vamp to split, James wrote to Elvis Costello asking for his guidance. In response Costello, collaborating with his then wife Cait O'Riordan on some songs, wrote a full album's worth of material for James. These songs made up the tracks on her 1993 solo album Now Ain't the Time for Your Tears. Produced by Chris Kimsey, it reached No. 43 in the UK Albums Chart in March 1993. However the album failed to sell in significant numbers, and James "dropped from the music scene". She signed to One Little Indian and began work on an album entitled Lies in Chinatown, which was not completed.
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