| Gold Mother | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 4 June 1990 | |||
| Recorded | Mid 1989 | |||
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| Genre | Arena rock, indie rock | |||
| Length | 51:26 | |||
| Label | Fontana | |||
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| James chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Gold Mother | ||||
Gold Mother is the third studio album by English rock band James. It was released on 4 June 1990 on Fontana Records. With the addition of drummer David Baynton-Power, violinist/guitarist Saul Davies, and keyboardist Mark Hunter, James released the single "Sit Down" in June 1989, before going to record their next album. Sessions were held at Out of the Blue in Manchester, The Windings in Wrexham, Wales, with three band members and Nick Garside producing. Described as an arena rock and indie rock album, Gold Mother was compared to the likes of U2 and the Waterboys.
"Come Home" was released, through Rough Trade Records, as the lead single from Gold Mother in November 1989. Following this, the band switched from Rough Trade to Phonogram sublabel Fontana Records. "How Was It for You" appeared as the second single in April 1990; two months later, the band embarked on a UK tour. A Flood mix of "Come Home" was released as the album's third single in June 1990, followed by fourth single "Lose Control" in November 1990. The band ended the year with shows in the United Kingdom and Russia. A re-recorded version of "Sit Down" was released the album's fifth and final single in March 1991. Following this, Gold Mother was reissued in May 1991, with the Flood mix of "Come Home", "Lose Control", and "Sit Down" replacing some of the tracks.
Gold Mother received generally positive reviews from music critics, some of whom noted the album to contain some of James' best tracks. It initially reached number 16 in the UK; the reissue peaked at number two. "How Was It for You", the Flood mix of "Come Home", "Lose Control", and "Sit Down" all reached the top 40 in the UK, with "Sit Down" reaching the highest at number two. Gold Mother appeared on year-end album lists by the likes of NME, Melody Maker, and Vox, among others. In the UK, the album was certified gold, while "Sit Down" was certified platinum.