Indeed, some cynics have suggested that they sold more T-shirts than they did records. Their success was to be short-lived, however. The following year, they were back on track with the release of Laid, which broke them in the States, selling 600,000 copies. A temporary split followed, during which Booth released a solo album. And for once the success appears to be continuing.
Booth considers it realistic rather than cynical, but that's what all cynics say.
His record company's marketing department recently presented him with a 20-page research document, but marketing isn't really Booth's bag. I'm not interested. I never know what chart position we're at. I only really care in terms of whether it can assure I can make another record. With his latest re-emergence, Booth finds himself in the midst of the new Britpop pack, surrounded by callow young wannabes who were barely out of nappies when James were first being hailed as the Next Big Thing.