6/20/24, 11:58 PM James Chance - Wikipedia

James Chance
James Chance, also known as James White
James Chance
(born James Siegfried, April 20, 1953 – June 18,
2024), was an American saxophonist, keyboard
player, and singer.

A key figure in no wave, Chance played a

combination of improvisational jazz-like music and
punk in the New York music scene from the late
1970s on, in such bands as Teenage Jesus and the
Jerks, James Chance and the Contortions, James
White and the Blacks (as he appeared in the film
Downtown 81), The Flaming Demonics, James
Chance & the Sardonic Symphonics, James Chance
and Terminal City, and James Chance and Les
Contortions.[1]

Chance at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival

Biography Background information
Born and raised in Milwaukee and Brookfield, Birth name James Siegfried
Wisconsin, Chance attended Michigan State
Also known as James White
University, then the Wisconsin Conservatory of
Music in Milwaukee.[1] There, Chance joined a band Born April 20, 1953
named Death, which performed covers of the Stooges Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
and the Velvet Underground before moving toward Died June 18, 2024 (aged 71)
original songs. At the end of 1975, Chance dropped New York City, U.S.
out and moved to New York City after the dissolution Genres No wave, avant-funk,
of the band and the death of its singer.[2] He quickly punk jazz, dance-punk
became active in both the free jazz and no wave punk Occupations Musician, singer, songwriter
rock scenes.[3] His first band in New York in 1976
Instruments Alto saxophone, keyboards,
was an instrumental quartet with violin, drums and
vocals
bass called Flaming Youth. He started Teenage Jesus
and the Jerks with Lydia Lunch the same year. In Years active 1976–2019
1977, after studying for a short time under David Labels ZE, ROIR
Murray, Chance formed The Contortions, who fused Formerly of Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
jazz improvisation and funky rhythms, with live James Chance and the
shows often ending in violence when Chance would Contortions, James White
confront audience members.[1] The Contortions and the Blacks
reached a wider audience with their contribution to
the Brian Eno-compiled No New York collection of No Wave acts.[1] The band appeared in Rosa
von Praunheim's film Das Todesmagazin in 1979.

While Chance shared an apartment with No Wave musical luminary Lydia Lunch, the duo created
seminal No Wave group Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, which Chance soon left.[1]

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Chance was noted for engaging in physical confrontations, from forcing the audience out of their
seats and getting in fist fights with his New York City audience, including rock critic Robert
Christgau. At first, this was just an attempt to engage the passive New York audience, but this
practice is reported to have somewhat diminished after audiences came to expect the physical
confrontations.[4] He discussed issues of race and working with black musicians in a number of
interviews.[5][6][7]

In 1979, Chance collaborated with Arto Lindsay, Bradley Field, and George Scott on the soundtrack
to Diego Cortez's film Grutzi Elvis.[1]

Chance's stage and musical persona were finalized by

romantic partner and agent Anya Phillips, who died of
cancer in 1981. Frictions between Chance and band
members eventually led to a breakup of the Contortions in
the fall of 1979.[3] The Contortions released one album, Buy
in late 1979, and another album, Off White, under the
pseudonym James White and the Blacks in 1980 (featuring
James Chance in 1981 Lydia Lunch under the pseudonym Stella Rico). Chance re-
formed James White and the Blacks with a completely
different lineup that appeared on the 1982 album Sax
Maniac which was dedicated to Phillips. The group released one more album, Melt Yourself Down,
a very limited Japanese release.

The first version of the Blacks was set up by Joseph Bowie. Shortly after, Defunkt emerged from
the Blacks. In 1982 Chance toured with the re-formed James White and the Blacks with his brother
David "Tremor" Siegfried and his band David and the Happenings from Carbondale, Illinois,
playing Chicago, their hometown Milwaukee, and much of the Midwest.

Chance briefly relocated to Paris, returning to New York City in 1983 to record the album James
White Presents The Flaming Demonics.[1]

In 1987, he contributed saxophone to The False Prophets' Implosion album.[1]

In 2001, Chance reunited with original Contortions members Jody Harris (guitar), Pat Place (slide
guitar), and Don Christensen (drums) for a few limited engagements. Original keyboard player
Adele Bertei appeared briefly, but bass player George Scott III had died of an accidental drug
overdose in 1980 and his slot was filled by Erik Sanko. The reunited group played twice at the All
Tomorrow's Parties music festival, and, in 2008, at the PS1 Warm Up series. Chance also recorded
with Blondie after coming out of semi-retirement. Tiger Style records released the 4-CD box set
retrospective Irresistible Impulse to critical acclaim in 2003. A live-DVD James Chance – Chance
of a Lifetime: Live in Chicago 2003 was released in 2005.

In addition to limited engagements with the original Contortions, Chance occasionally performed
and recorded with the Chicago band Watchers. In Europe, he performed with James Chance & Les
Contortions, French musicians who had been his backing band since 2006. They played a 15-show
Europe tour in April and May 2007 and were back in Europe in October 2007. In May 2012 they
released the CD Incorrigible! on the French label LADTK, comprising seven Chance originals and
two covers, all of them brand new recordings.

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In 2009 Chance made occasional appearances playing keyboards in NYC with a trio, with the
material restricted to close readings of jazz standards. In June 2012, Chance played in Portland,
Oregon with local group Ancient Heat as his backing band. They played a number of songs from
various points in his career, including a new cover of Gil Scott-Heron's "Home is Where The
Hatred Is."

In 2016, 19-year-old Dylan Greenberg directed James Chance

in the music video for a re-recorded version of Melt Yourself
Down, his first music video in nearly 20 years. The video
premiered on MOJO.[8] He gave his final performance in
2019.[9]

On June 18, 2024, James Chance died in New York at the age
of 71. His death was announced by his brother David Siegfried,
who did not specify a cause of death but noted that Chance's
health had been in decline for several years.[9]

Discography

Albums
Chance performing in 2010.
James Chance and the Contortions

Buy (ZE Records, 1979) (as Contortions)

Live aux Bains Douches (Invisible, France 1980)
Live in New York (ROIR cassette, 1981)
Soul Exorcism (ROIR cassette, 1991)
Lost Chance (ROIR 1995, recorded 1981)
Molotov Cocktail Lounge (Enemy Records, 1996)
Incorrigible! (LADTK, France 2012) (as James Chance et les Contortions)
The Flesh is Weak (True Groove, 2016)

James White and the Blacks

Off White (ZE Records, 1979)

Sax Maniac (Animal, 1982)
Melt Yourself Down (Selfish Records, Japan 1986)

James Chance and Pill Factory

Theme from Grutzi Elvis (EP) (ZE 1979)

James White's Flaming Demonics

James White's Flaming Demonics (ZE 1983)

James Chance and Terminal City

The Fix is In (decade 01 / Interbang Records IBR005 2010)

Solo

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James Chance – Chance of A Lifetime: Live in Chicago 2003 (RUNT 2005)

Appears On
No New York (compilation, 1978) (with The Contortions)
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks: Pre Teenage Jesus and the Jerks (EP ZE 1978) (prehistory of
the band)
Downtown 81 (soundtrack, 1981)
Debbie Harry: Rockbird (album, 1986)
Medium Cool (compilation, 1991), Chet Baker tribute with Alex Chilton, Adele Bertei, and Angel
Torsen[10]
Somewhere in the City (1998)
Blondie: No Exit (album, 1999) guest artist on alto saxophone
Red Hot Chili Peppers Jukebox[11] Track "Contort Yourself" (compilation, Mojo Magazine,
2004)
TV Party (2005)
Watchers: Rabble (guest artist) (album, 2006)
Watchers: Vampire Driver (guest artist) (album, 2006)
Acoustic Ladyland – Skinny Grin (album, 2006)
Kirin J. Callinan – Bravado (album, 2017)

See also
Mudd Club
Tier 3
Just Another Asshole
No wave music
No Wave Cinema

References
1. Strong, Martin C. (1999). The Great Alternative & Indie Discography ([Link]
greatalternative0000stro). Canongate. ISBN 0-86241-913-1.
2. Reynolds, 2009, p. 132
3. Masters, Marc, 2007, pp. 83-95
4. Georgopoulos, Alexis. "The Blow Up: James Chance" ([Link]
64745/[Link] The Blowup, LLC. Archived from the
original ([Link] on January 6, 2008. Retrieved
January 3, 2008.
5. "James Chance" ([Link] Pitchfork. April
2003. Archived ([Link]
erview/5904-james-chance/) from the original on June 20, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
6. Bangs, Lester (1979). "White Noise Supremacists" ([Link]
kcai/PoMoSeminar/Readings/[Link]) (PDF). Archived ([Link]
240620131931/[Link]
[Link]) (PDF) from the original on June 20, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2022.

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7. "James White a.k.a. James Chance by Tod Wizon – BOMB Magazine" ([Link]
org/articles/james-white-a-k-a-james-chance/). [Link]. Archived ([Link]
[Link]/web/20240620131936/[Link]
james-chance/) from the original on June 20, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
8. "James Chance Premieres Skronky, Yelpy New Song" ([Link]
4774/james-chance-premieres-skronky-yelpy-new-song). [Link]. Archived ([Link]
[Link]/web/20200217122950/[Link]
ce-premieres-skronky-yelpy-new-song) from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved
February 17, 2020.
9. "James Chance, No Wave Icon and Saxophonist of The Contortions, Dies at 71" ([Link]
[Link]/2024/music/news/james-chance-dead-no-wave-contortions-1236041979/). Variety. June
18, 2024. Archived ([Link]
sic/news/james-chance-dead-no-wave-contortions-1236041979/) from the original on June 20,
2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
10. Palmer, Robert (November 28, 1991), "Medium Cool: Imagination – A Chet Baker Tribute" (http
s://[Link]/artists/mediumcool/albums/album/170667/review/5941931/medium_c
ool_imagination__a_chet_baker_tribute), Rolling Stone, no. 618
11. "Various – Red Hot Chili Peppers Jukebox" ([Link]
ppers-Jukebox/release/373693). [Link]. Archived ([Link]
0143417/[Link]
from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020.

Sources
Masters, Marc. No Wave. London: Black Dog Publishing, 2007. ISBN 978-1-906155-02-5
Moore, Alan W., and Marc Miller (eds.). ABC No Rio Dinero: The Story of a Lower East Side Art
Gallery. New York: Collaborative Projects, 1985
Pearlman, Alison, Unpackaging Art of the 1980s. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 2003.
Reynolds, Simon. "Contort Yourself: No Wave New York." In Rip It Up and Start Again: Post-
punk 1978–84. London: Faber and Faber, Ltd., 2005.
Reynolds, Simon. Totally Wired: Post-Punk Interviews and Overviews. London: Faber and
Faber, 2009. ISBN 978-0-571-23549-0
Taylor, Marvin J. (ed.). The Downtown Book: The New York Art Scene, 1974–1984, foreword by
Lynn Gumpert. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2006. ISBN 0-691-12286-5

External links
Official website ([Link]
Discography ([Link] at
the Wayback Machine (archived October 27, 2009)
Biography of James Chance on ZE Records ([Link]
p://[Link]/2010/artists_biography.php?id=10)
James Chance ([Link] discography at Discogs
James Chance ([Link] at IMDb

Retrieved from "[Link]

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