James were formed in 1982 by Paul Gilbertson and Jim Glennie (after whom the band was named), recruiting drama student Tim Booth on vocals and Gavan Whelan on drums (Gilbertson and Whelan were to leave the band before it attained commercial success). They released their first EP, "Jimone", on Factory Records in 1983 and attracted critical enthusiasm as well as the patronage of Morrissey. Sales of their two albums for Blanco y Negro Records, "Stutter" in 1986 and "Strip-mine" in 1988, were disappointing; at the time Madchester began, the band was using T-shirt sales to fund its own releases through Rough Trade Records. Madchester helped bring them commercial success and the single "Sit Down" became one of the most popular anthems of the era.