Wendy James

Wendy James

Wendy James is a singer-songwriter from East Sussex, United Kingdom, best known as the lead singer of the late-1980s pop-punk band Transvision Vamp and as the singer in Racine. Born in 1966, she is adopted soon after birth and leaves home at 16, moving to Brighton. There she studies drama and English at college before starting to sing in a nightclub, where she mainly performs Patti Smith cover versions. In Brighton she meets Nick Christian Sayer, begins a relationship with him, and starts writing songs with him, although he takes the main role in songwriting.

Transvision Vamp

James and Sayer move to London and join with Dave Parsons, Tex Axile and Pol Burton to form Transvision Vamp. The group’s first release, Revolution Baby, does not make much impact, but the third single, I Want Your Love, reaches the UK top 10 in 1988. The band releases three albums before splitting.

Solo work

After Transvision Vamp, James finds the move to a solo career difficult because she has little experience as a songwriter. She writes an open letter to Elvis Costello asking for help, and he responds by writing a full album’s worth of material for her. Those songs form her debut solo album, Now Ain’t the Time for Your Tears, released in 1993. The album does not do well in the UK and is poorly received by the British music press. She later releases I Came Here to Blow Minds in 2011.

Racine

After a period away from the music business, James moves from England to New York and learns to write and perform using computer and electronic equipment. In 2004 she returns as lead singer of Racine, who release their first album, Racine No1, that same year. She spends time performing in small venues around the UK and New York. Racine’s second album, Racine No 2, follows in 2008.

Public views

James is known for expressing strong views on subjects including Kylie Minogue, the press, ecology and animal rights.