Japan

[Sits]

There are a couple of old threads but none appear just to be the band generally and I reckon they warrant one.

What's prompted this is that I suddenly realised today that their Sons of Pioneers farewell tour was under way, 40 years ago. I attended one of the final UK shows, at the Hammersmith Odeon somewhere between the 17th and 22nd of November 1982. I wore a tie.

Did anyone else go?

[diggedy derek]

David's got something brand new out. Reading Japanese poetry this time!

https://cortizona.bandcamp.com/album...fleeting-dream

[Benjm]

Mary Ann Hobbs is doing a Sylvian special on 6Music on the 27th, with input from the man himself.

I want to know more about Sits' tie. For the occasion, I hope it was very narrow and, ideally, red.

[Sits]

Well Benjm I’m glad you asked me that. While I had a wide selection of (cheap) skinny ties at that time (including a red leather one) I went outside the box with my choice. I wore a holey/knitted tie I pinched off my stepdad when he retired. You could get a tinier knot than with a normal tie and it had a square end rather than angled. Mustard yellow, almost exactly like this:

[Sits]

Here’s my playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1c...Tpu0PAe7zBSUZA

[hobbes]

I've always really wanted to like Japan. Especially when I was 15-ish (in the late 80s.) They seemed exactly the sort of cool I wanted to be.
Unfortunately, aside from side one of Tin Drum and a couple of tracks from Polaroids and Quiet Life I just couldn't concentrate on them while listening. My mind would wander. I didn't dislike them as such, just couldn't get into them.

[Auntie Beryl]

Huge fan here, was too young to have seen them when they were together, unfortunately. I'm a Gentlemen Take Polaroids guy, if I had to pick one album. Solo stuff started off incredible too, although in the gap between Secrets Of The Beehive and Dead Bees On A Cake he lost me somewhat.

Much later on I went to a Royal Festival Hall Sylvian gig, and it's fair to say he didn't lean on the hits too much:

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/david...-2bdea8a2.html

[elguapo4]

Used to be a big fan, but haven't even thought about them in years, I'll have to dig out their albums and have a listen

[Benjm]

I wore a holey/knitted tie I pinched off my stepdad when he retired. You could get a tinier knot than with a normal tie and it had a square end rather than angled. Mustard yellow, almost exactly like this:

That sounds like a fine tie. Was it sold as egg-proof?

I've got the Exorcising Ghosts Japan compilation* but, coming at them slightly after the event, found that Sylvian's at best ambiguous attitude towards his past didn't really encourage further exploration.

* - which I see has just been reissued on double vinyl for around...forty quid!?! Jeez.

[ale]

Not so keen on the early glam metal stuff. By the time they had evolved to Oil On Canvas though they were something else altogether. Night Porter is such a magnificent song it worthy of consideration in any best song of all time-though appreciate this may well be a personal opinion. And kudos for getting Ghosts into top 5.

[Jah Womble]

Not everyone’s cup of tea, but I liked them a lot once they’d ditched the ‘New York Dolls-wannabe’-shtick and started playing more interesting stuff. Tin Drum-era Japan is as good as anything released during that fertile time in British pop and rock.

[diggedy derek]

I was listening to Adolescent Sex a while back. Weird record, kind of a bunch of British kids trying to do Minneapolis funk, but keep on getting sucked into new wave. It's not that brilliant, but there's a couple of really striking bits that seem to be slept on on it.

[Sits]

I was never so keen on the first couple of albums but a few songs stand out: Stateline, Suburban Berlin and Obscure Alternatives from memory.

They hold a special place as - apart from Derek who I went to the Odeon with - not one friend or loved one has ever rated them any better than “weird” or “crap”.

[Sits]

Oh, and some Japan trivia I’ve shared before but might stand another airing. Pre-Tin Drum Japan guitarist Rob Dean went on to an interesting second career. My New Career, if you like:

[MsD]

One of the few bands I loved but never got to see play live, to my knowledge*.

* they may have been down the bill on an early punk gig, but I don't recall. Bear in mind I forgot I'd seen The Damned.

I still play Tin Drum now and again, love it. Massive Attack sampled from it, didn't they?

[Sits]

I still play Tin Drum now and again, love it. Massive Attack sampled from it, didn't they?

Well that's an Interesting Thing I Didn't Know Until Today.

[Sunderporinostesta]

Can’t stand their first two albums. Love the last three. I’ve only just found out about their reunion as Rain Tree Crow. How did I miss that? I’ll give it a go after motd.

Though this actually feels familiar

[Auntie Beryl]

Mary Ann Hobbs is doing a Sylvian special on 6Music on the 27th, with input from the man himself.

I got around to listening to this yesterday. He's still not doing interviews, so recorded his thoughts on various aspects of his work - I suspect in response to questions sent over by Hobbs - in audio form and sent them back. These are interwoven between Japan and solo songs, so it's a decent career retrospective if you're in the mood for musings.

It's all quite dry until the end, where he opens up a bit and lets a little more personality shine through.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001d5w7

[diggedy derek]

Recently: "I don’t do interviews or write articles. I did my first radio interview in 15 years or so. I’m already regretting that."

[Auntie Beryl]

He did say towards the end "if I listen back to any of this I'll probably delete it. So I won't". Same attitude to his Japan stuff. Infuriating but it's not a pose.

[Sits]

Just came across this when I was looking up Mick Karn after the mention of bass playing styles on another thread. I think it’s such a great photo for two reasons: (a) It’s so rare to see Japan having a laugh, especially Sylvian and (b) it’s especially poignant knowing how things ended up, especially for poor Mick Karn.

[Satchmo Distel]

"Ghosts" is a terrific single; one of the darkest to make the Top 10 in any era. And Radio 1 played it, at least Peter Powell did.

[Sits]

"Ghosts" is a terrific single; one of the darkest to make the Top 10 in any era. And Radio 1 played it, at least Peter Powell did.

It was like a miracle when that reached the top ten, Uncategorized Groups in the UK IIRC. I Second That Emotion and Quiet Life made more sense chart-wise but Ghosts was very different.

A song from Tin Drum with no drums.

[Jah Womble]

(Number five in the UK, to clarify.) Great record, but perhaps less of a miracle back in 1982 - when we'd seen O Superman reach # 2 just a few months previously.

Terrific era in the UK charts when pretty much anything stood a chance of breaking through.

[Sits]

(Number five in the UK, to clarify.)

Gah, fell victim to the OTF hashtag trap. I typed # 5, only without the space. Which results in Uncategorized Groups