Sit Down (song)

"Sit Down"
Single by James
B-side "Sky Is Falling"
Released June 1989, March 1991, November 1998
Format 7" single, cassette and CD single
Recorded Autumn 1988
Genre Madchester
Length 4:05 (original form 7:39)
Label Rough Trade/Mercury
Writer(s) Jim Glennie, Larry Gott, Tim Booth, Gavan Whelan
Producer(s) Gil Norton
James singles chronology
1988
"Ya Ho"		 1989
"Sit Down"		 1989
"Come Home"
Re-release cover
Cover of the 1991 release on Mercury
James re-release chronology
1990
"Lose Control"		 1991
"Sit Down" (Re-recording)		 1991
"Sound"
James Late 1990s chronology
1998
"Runaground"		 1998
"Sit Down '98" (Apollo 440 Mix)		 1999
"I Know What I'm Here For"

"Sit Down" is a song by James, originally released in 1989 by Rough Trade Records. In its seven-and-a-half-minute original form, the song only reached number 77 in the UK Singles Chart (although it did make number 8 in John Peel's Festive Fifty of that year). Due to this unimpressive performance their record label's managing director, Geoff Travis, told the band they were not a viable commercial proposition beyond an audience of 20,000.

The song's lyrics were written in the autumn of 1988 as a thank-you to two women who greatly inspired Tim Booth: author Doris Lessing and singer Patti Smith. After experiencing success as part of the Madchester music scene, a new version was released in March 1991 that was rockier, shorter and with new lyrics. It reached number 2 in the Singles Chart, spending three weeks there. It was the 20th best-selling single of 1991 in the UK, one of the highest selling singles of the year not to reach number one.[1]

After the release of their 'Best Of' album, the song was remixed by Apollo 440 and released as a single for a third time in November 1998, reaching number 7 (making it their biggest hit since the 1991 release).

The band had to sell the rights to the song to Mercury Records to help pay off debts to the record company.

In 2006, Sit Down was used as a featured song in BBC Three's Manchester Passion, in which lead singer, Tim Booth, also appeared as Judas Iscariot. Darren Morfitt in the role of Jesus sang a less upbeat rendition of the piece to his resting disciples while the presenter hand-signalled the audience to literally sit down. Although Booth did not perform the song during the show, he did sing it in an encore after the credits rolled.

In 2013, Sit Down placed 4th in a poll by BBC Radio 2 and the Official Charts Company to find the greatest track to miss out on the number one spot in the UK charts.[2] In the same year, James performed the song with Peter Kay for Comic Relief.

1989 original release

  1. "Sit Down" (7" and 8:31 extended version on 12")
  2. "Goin' Away" (12" and CD)
  3. "Sound Investment" (12" and CD)
  4. "Sky Is Falling" (7", 12" and CD)

1991 release

  1. "Sit Down" (new version) (7", 12" and CD)
  2. "Tonight" (12" and CD)
  3. "Sunday Morning" (Canadian CD)
  4. "Sit Down" (live at G-Mex) (7", 12" and CD)

Sit Down '98

CD1:

  1. "Sit Down '98" (Apollo 440 remix)
  2. "Sit Down" (original)
  3. "China Girl" (Radio One Iggy Pop tribute)

CD2:

  1. "Sit Down '98" (Apollo 440 remix)
  2. "What For" (Glr Session)
  3. "Sit Down" (Glr Session)

12" promo:

  1. "Sit Down '98" (Apollo 440 Remix)
  2. "Sit Down '98" (Oh Zidane Oh Zidane)

References

  1. ↑ "UK Top 100 Singles of 1991".
  2. ↑ "Ultravox's Vienna tops 'number two' poll". BBC News.
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