Wendy James, most notable for her work with the punk-chewed bubblegum rock, Transvision Vamp, turned 56 today. I was quite a big fan of her—my muse!—back then. Still have a Vamp t-shirt in my closet!
Wendy James was the lead singer and focal point of the group, and she attracted media attention with her sexually charged and rebellious image. Her and the band enjoyed chart success in the late 1980s and early 1990s with “Baby I Don’t Care” and “I Want Your Love”, reached number five and number three in the UK singles chart, respectively.
After Transvision Vamp split up, 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 track on her 1993 solo album Now Ain’t the Time for Your Tears and it reached #43 in the UK Albums Chart. However, the album failed to sell significant numbers, and James disappeared from the music scene.
Her latest news, in October 2019 she was touring as The Wendy James Band in support of the Psychedelic Furs, promoting a new album, Queen High Straight.
Today, Wendy James mainly divides her time between New York City and France. Happy birthday, Wendy!
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