The club was owned by Factory Records; Factory founder Tony Wilson wanted the band to sign with the label, and proposed making an album. The band felt they weren't ready to mark one, instead opting to record an EP. The resulting effort, the band's debut EP "Jimone", was released in November 1983. Over the course of the next year, the band disappeared publicly for a few reasons: they wished to work on their song-writing; Booth struggled with liver disease, which had plagued him throughout his teenage years; and Gilbertson's erratic behaviour, resulting in him not showing up for rehearsals, and often disrupting their live shows. By the time James released their second EP "James II" in February 1985, Gilbertson had been replaced by his guitar tutor Larry Gott.