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Japan (band)

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Japan

Japan were a British New Wave group, formed in 1974 in Lewisham, South London. The band achieved success in the late 1970s/early 1980s, when they were often associated with the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement (though the band themselves have downplayed any such connection).

History

Early years

Original members:

The band debuted on record with the 1978 album Adolescent Sex and followed up with Obscure Alternatives. Both albums sold well in Japan (where the band's name helped them to gain a devoted cult following) and the Netherlands where the single "Adolescent Sex" was a Top 30 hit, they also gained some popularity in Canada. However in their native Britain those albums were largely ignored.

Though influenced by artists such as the New York Dolls, Roxy Music and David Bowie, both albums were widely dismissed by the British music press as being distinctly outmoded at a time when punk and New Wave bands were in ascendence. The band were managed by Simon Napier-Bell who has also managed The Yardbirds, Marc Bolan, London and Wham!.

Mid-career

Their third album, 1979's Quiet Life, heralded a significant change in musical style from the earlier largely guitar-based music to a more electronic sound, with more emphasis on Barbieri's synthesisers, Sylvian's svelte baritone style of singing, Karn's distinctive fretless bass sound and Steve Jansen's odd-timbred and intricate percussion work with Dean's guitar playing becoming increasingly sparse and atmospheric. Quiet Life was their last studio album for Hansa-Ariola, though the label would later issue a compilation album (Assemblage) featuring highlights from the band's tenure on the label, followed by a series of remixed and re-released singles.

Final years

Their final two studio albums, Gentlemen Take Polaroids (1980) and Tin Drum (1981), were released on the Virgin label, and continued to expand their audience as the band refined its new sound and, somewhat unintentionally, became associated with the early-1980s New Romantic movement. Tin Drum in particular is critically regarded as one of the most innovative albums of the 1980s, with its startlingly original fusion of occidental and oriental sounds, and peaked just outside the UK Top 10. Its unconventional single "Ghosts" reached #5 on the UK charts, becoming Japan's biggest domestic hit and one of only a very few such 'minimalist' songs to achieve such heights.

With personality conflicts leading to rising tensions between band members, Tin Drum was to be the band's final studio album. Long-simmering differences among the bandmembers came to a head when Karn's girlfriend, photographer Yuka Fujii, moved in with Sylvian and the individual members forged ahead with their own projects. Rob Dean had already departed towards the end of the Gentlemen Take Polaroids sessions, as his electric guitar work was increasingly regarded as superfluous. During this period, Japanese multi-instrumentalist and experimental keyboardist Ryuichi Sakamoto briefly collaborated with the band, and worked directly alongside Sylvian on tracks such as "Taking Islands In Africa". He would continue to work with Sylvian after the band split, and the pair would achieve the hit singles "Bamboo Houses" (1982) and "Forbidden Colours" (1983).

The group's final UK performance came in November 1982, culminating in a six-night sell-out stint at London's Hammersmith Odeon. During this period, guitarist and keyboardist Masami Tsuchiya performed with the band on stage. Japan's last ever performance was on 16 December 1982 in Nagoya, Japan. The band's final Hammersmith concerts were recorded to produce Oil On Canvas, a live album and video released in June 1983. Ironically, the band decided to split just as they were beginning to obtain long-overdue commercial success both in their native UK and internationally, with Oil On Canvas becoming their highest charting British album, reaching #5. Both Hansa-Ariola and Virgin Records continued to release Japan singles into 1983.

All of the band members went on to work on other projects, with varying degrees of success. A reformation of the band members (Sylvian, Karn, Jansen, & Barbieri) in 1989-1990 under the name Rain Tree Crow produced only one eponymously-titled album, released in April 1991, which was well-received by music critics and reached the UK Top 25. Once again, the band dissolved following frictions between Sylvian and the other members.

Discography

Singles and EPs

  • "Don't Rain on My Parade"/"Stateline" (UK, Germany, Australia, Italy) 1978
  • "Adolescent Sex"/"Don't Rain On My Parade" (Spain) 1978
  • "The Unconventional"/"Lovers On Main Street" (Japan) 1978
  • "The Unconventional"/"Adolescent Sex (re-recorded version)" (UK) 1978
  • "Adolescent Sex (re-recorded version)"/"Transmission" (Italy) 1979
  • "Adolescent Sex (re-recorded version)"/"Sometimes I Feel So Low" (Germany, Holland, France) 1978
  • "Sometimes I Feel So Low"/"Love Is Infectious" (UK, USA, Japan) 1978
  • "Deviation"/"Suburban Berlin" (Holland) 1979
  • "Life In Tokyo"/"Life In Tokyo (Part Two)" (UK, USA, Canada, Germany, France, Japan, Australia, Italy) 1979
  • "Quiet Life"/"Halloween" (Japan) 1979
  • "I Second That Emotion"/"European Son" (Japan) 1980
  • "I Second That Emotion"/"Quiet Life" (UK, Germany, Holland) 1980
  • "Special Edition EP" (Canada) 1980
  • "Live In Japan EP" (Germany, Holland, Belgium) 1980
  • "Gentlemen Take Polaroids EP" (UK #60, Germany, Japan) 1980
  • "The Singles EP" (Japan) 1981
  • "The Art of Parties"/"Life Without Buildings" (UK #48) 1981 - also Canadian EP with two tracks from the "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" EP
  • "The Art of Parties"/"My New Career" (Australia, Japan) 1981
  • "Life In Tokyo"/"European Son" (UK, Germany) 1981
  • "Quiet Life"/"A Foreign Place" (UK #19) 1981
  • "Visions Of China"/"Taking Islands In Africa" (UK #32, Australia) 1981
  • "European Son (remix)"/"Alien" (UK #31, Germany) 1981
  • "Ghosts"/"The Art Of Parties (live version)" (UK #5 and most other countries except Japan) 1982
  • "Cantonese Boy"/"Burning Bridges" (UK #24) 1982 - also a double pack version with extra tracks
  • "I Second That Emotion (remix)"/"Halloween" (UK #9, Germany) 1982
  • "Life In Tokyo (remix)" (UK #28) 1982
  • "Nightporter"/"Ain't That Peculiar" (UK #29, Germany) 1982
  • "Nightporter EP" (Japan) 1982 - includes b sides from UK releases
  • "All Tomorrow's Parties"/"In Vogue" (UK #38) 1983
  • "Canton"/"Visions Of China" (live versions) (UK #42) 1983

[1]

Albums

Studio albums

Live albums

  • Oil on Canvas June 1983 (UK #5) — [Certified Gold in February 1988] (mainly live double album, featuring some new solo instrumental pieces).

Compilations

  • Assemblage 1981 (UK, Europe, Japan) (UK #26) — [Certified Gold in January 1983] - features Hansa-Ariola material (1978-80) including several non album singles.
  • Exorcising Ghosts 1984 (UK, Europe, Japan) Virgin (UK #45) — [Certified Gold in February 1997] - features material from the Virgin Records (1980-82) era.
  • Souvenir from Japan 1989 (UK) BMG 260 360 - features Hansa-Ariola material.
  • In Vogue 1996 (UK) BMG 74321 393382 - features Hansa-Ariola material including 12" versions of All Tomorrow's Parties, European Son and Life In Tokyo.
  • The Masters 1997 (UK, Europe) Eagle Records EAB CD 003 - features Hansa-Ariola material.
  • The Very Best of Japan 2006 (Worldwide) Virgin - features the remastered material from both the Hansa-Ariola and Virgin eras.[1]
  • The Collection 2009 (UK, Europe) Sony 88697556792 - features material from both the Hansa-Ariola and Virgin eras.

Video/DVD

  • "Oil On Canvas" 1983 (VHS, Beta, LD) - live material filmed at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1982.
  • "Instant Pictures" 1984 (VHS, Beta, LD) - promo videos and alternate versions of live tracks.
  • "Video Hits" 1999 (DVD), Japan only - early promo videos.
  • "The Very Best of Japan" 2006 (DVD) - includes the Oil On Canvas concert and a collection of promo videos.

Remasters

In 2003, Virgin Records re-issued remastered editions of Gentlemen Take Polaroids, Tin Drum and Oil on Canvas. BMG followed suit next year, and re-issued Adolescent Sex, Obscure Alternatives, Quiet Life, and Assemblage. All of these re-releases came in the 'digipak' format, collecting many bonus tracks. In 2006 all were repackaged in jewel cases to allow sale at a lower price point.

The Tin Drum digipak re-issue was of particular interest as it was packaged in a cardboard box and contained a bonus 5-inch single The Art of Parties, which comprised The Art of Parties (7" single and live versions), Ghosts (single version) and Life Without Buildings (B-side to The Art of Parties single). The package also included a booklet with black-and-white photos of the band members.

Rare material

The following Japan tracks appeared on vinyl but have not yet been released on CD:

  • "Quiet Life" (Japanese single version)
  • "Burning Bridges" (from the "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" EP) - an alternate version produced by David Sylvian
  • "Ain't That Peculiar" (version from the compilation album "Cash Cows" and b-side of "Nightporter, different from the version on the 'Polaroids' album)
  • "Nightporter" (Steve Nye remixed single and radio edit versions)
  • "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" (7" single version from the "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" EP)

Tribute Album

"Life In Tokyo - A Tribute to Japan" (BMG Japan) 1996

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 279. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
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