Japan were the real deal. They had everything - the songs, the sounds, the arrangements, the musicianship, and style that launched dozens of imitators. Sadly, the imitators had more success than Japan, but that’s probably because these songs made a few more listening demands than Duran or Spandau. There is jazz here, there is prog, there is funk and ambient electronica, there is dance, there is Roxy, Bowie, Eno, and Fripp, all in a beautifully wrapped aural presentation box that still sounds gorgeous and fresh some forty years on. Truly unique. Everything from Quiet Life to Tin Drum is worth your time - the earlier glam recordings are almost from a different band (almost, but not entirely unconnected). But don’t miss out on what the band members did after Japan folded. There are numerous collaborations. There is the Japan-that-was-not in Rain Tree Crow. There’s David Sylvian’s solo career, which scales some extraordinary musical heights. There’s Mick Karn’s rubbery fretless bass playing - solo and with others, including with Bauhaus’ Pete Murphy for the short-lived Dali’s Car. There are the Jansen/Barbieri albums. If you’re just discovering Japan or you’ve not followed the later music made by its members, you have a beautiful and stimulating journey ahead, should you choose to explore. I hope it’s clear that I love this band as much today as I did when I discovered them in 1980. They’re worth your time and attention. The coolest and most musically gifted band no one ever talks about.
Right on brother. Great piece about the coolest band of the time. I like the Mick Karn's "rubbery bass' description. Perfect. Split up too soon but I think they'd been together for about ten years by then. Anyway, top piece mate.
We were spoilt for choice in the 80's but Japan were really good. My Managers wife, who happened to be japanese, gave me and my friend some tickets to see them at Hammersmith Odeon. I think they had just released Ghosts! Great night and amazing crowd!
I was an adopted kid and I went to see Japan live in the 80s. At the same gig, but unknown to me at the time, was a brother I never knew I had. Later on in life,, when searching for my biological family, I found my brother and we had quite a time sharing memories of that show and enjoying this song. Thanks Japan for helping bond my brother and I together! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wow, that's an amazing story! You've reminded me of my friend who was at the legendary early 80s U2 Phoenix Park concert, whose future boyfriend turned out to also have been there.
Yuri i saw these fantastic guys in the early 80s , ive adored them ever since ,, This guy was beautiful , his voice was to die for ,,,what utter joy xxxx Jane xx
As soon as I saw Duran Duran at the rum runner in 1981 I knew they had been influenced by Japan. One of the most underestimated bands of all time they had a massive effect on my music. Mick Karn sadly missed one of the great bass players.
In 1980 I walked into T.O.T.S. nightclub in Southend and this song was playing. I remember thinking "Who are these guys"?. I bought every record they made after that and still regularly play them today at 60 years of age. Brilliant musicians and song writers and way ahead of their time. The sadly late Mick Kahn's fretless base playing became their signature sound. Fantastic.
Its funny because the same scenario happened to me in 2021 haha. The music felt familiar but I had no idea who they were. Asked the barman if it was early Duran Duran. He laughed, insultingly I might add, but then told me who they were. Pretty much all I listend to for the next 6 months. And I'm an 80s baby too, they must have passed me by.
I first walked into the TOTS nightclub in Southend in 1986 and then got a job there a year later (and worked there until the year 2000). 😊 I would have loved to have been there just a few years earlier to hear Japan’s Quiet Life playing. Have been a huge fan of their music.
You like things in wee boxes 📦 categorise assimilate tedious bourgeois shit Smug supercilious bile David sylvian sounds nothing like bryan ferry its lazy and unimaginative As Mark E said Tedious Repetitive repition
Japan were a brilliant band of the early 80s, they were underrated, this is a great song, sounds similar to early Duran Duran, the early 80s was a great period in music history
Pretty sure they came out with this before Duran Duran did. There are a lot of similarities between this and Planet Earth & Rio. Even the looks were copied.
bazza powers had all their albums ,, ,,,totally loved them however they were just. Bit before Duran Duran and spandau hitting the big time ,,,,Japan had small success in the beginning,.,
David Silvian is a genius, and Japan's music is still mysterious and exciting today. I don't know why the band fell apart at the cusp of global success - their and Duran's sound defined the 80s, its sad they're not better known.
Even though I caught this comment a year late if you still want to know why they fell apart its bc David Sylvian stole the Bassist's (Mick Karn) gf and they got into a falling out
Absolutely timeless, so glad I was in my teens growing up listening to this band. Completely iconic, no one has a voice like David Sylvian, completely beautiful and stylish man and Mick Kahn was pure genius. I never tire of listening to their music.
You know when you look back at the music you were listening to as a 13 year old and can't believe the some of crap you liked them? Well I can't believe what good taste I must have had being a huge fan of Japan, still love this band 40 years on.
the bass line is out of this world, the synths, the singer, this is awesome my guys i just found this today, these people were ahead of their time, can't believe this came out in 1979. im going to rock this song the whole year! (im sad i didnt live this era of music, im 32 years old)
It was an amazing time to be a teenager, fantastic bands that could really sing and play instruments. Frighteningly, this song is closer in time to the beginning of WW2 than it is today.
For me this song heralded the beginning of the 80’s and my love for the music of that decade. I was 13 and just started boarding school. Music was everything to me and many songs of the 80’s were a soundtrack to my younger years. Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
this may just be my favorite video on youtube. the hazy, dreamlike filter, the sudden changes of camera angles. the band members faces are robotic and emotionless but you can still tell they're enjoying what they're doing. the vocalists' little smile as he slightly dances to the song. love it all!
Still such a gorgeous song and production sound. What I wouldn't give to disappear forever back into the time of my life when this song came out. Ah well..."The ghosts of my life"
If I could live in a San Junipero-esque 'year' after my death, I don't think I'd ever get sick of 1981......I was only 11 then and never realised that the wave of great, great music wouldn't last for ever.
Wonderful, brings back happy memories. I was in the audience at the Apollo then , At the time I was a Physics Student at Manchester University ,big Japan fan.
How can a band so young sound like the mid 70,s and early 80,s inspire a new generation of artists called new romantics then simply vanish boggles the mind. Japan were simply brilliant.
This song is something so extra special. I have listened to it countless of times and still it makes my endorphins go crazy. Some times everything just match and leaves a gem for later generations.
I just love this song. I decided to check out some of Japan’s music after seeing them recommended. I have listened to this song countless times over the last few days. I may have heard it on the radio as a very little kid but I’m not sure. I’m so glad I found this song and other gems by Japan.
No I can’t either but then as the great Sir Terry Pratchett once said “inside every old person is a young person wondering what the hell happened” I am that (nearly) old person 😂✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻🇬🇧
I live in Thailand, just heard this in a bar and had to wait for three or four more visits till it came on again to ask who it was? I just couldn't remember , I thought of Japan Tin Drum but had to find 'Quiet Life'. Great song!
I was 12 when this was released I loved it so much I couldn’t wait to go to the record shop to buy it. I never ever get sick of hearing it. It’s a classic track, it’s timeless and it has so many great memories attached to it for me.
Just a brilliant pioneering band. This brings back so many wonderful memories. I got heavily into Japan at 16 in 1982…perfect timing as I had the ‘pretty boy’ looks, David Sylvian hair and copied his dress sense (obviously not as good as Mr Sylvian)…I worked at my local Tesco in Northfield (Birmingham) and had a ‘fan club’ with girls waiting for me outside the store when I left, screaming and shouting 😂…I made the local paper, and got threatened with written warnings if they kept coming into the store screaming! I lived off that look for about 7 years, and got lots of attention - until pretty boys had their day and the girls moved on 😂 Life goes by so quickly, you move on, and you forget. Now 40 years later at 56 - I would need a wig to replicate the Sylvian hair, am heavily overweight, and the looks went in my late 40’s, but after hearing the sad news of Ruichi Sakamotos passing, I’ve been rediscovering Japan and David Sylvian, and forgot so many songs…it’s genuinely emotional hearing them all again and thinking back to truly brilliant times with a smile. Japan were a unique and ridiculously talented group, as is David Sylvian, so I’m looking forward to listening to everything he has been recording over the years with great anticipation.
Mark Silver….I did not realise Sakamoto had passed……I loved the music to Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence. I’m sure I would have been one of the girls waiting outside shop as I too loved David Sylvian 😊
@@lafreewaylafreeway Yes very sad x 1983 was a fab time for me…probably the closet you could get to celebrity status…getting stopped literally everywhere I went lol - roll on 40 years and nobody gives me a second glance…age is a cruel thing 😬
@@carlix1112 No lol was playing too much football for that at the time - plus Northfield was terrorised by a female Michael Jackson ‘double’ called Marilyn who would have targeted me if I did - you couldn’t make it 😂
Never was that fond of New Wave, until I started listening to Japan. Under recognized colossal talent perhaps. The success of Porcupine Tree might be bringing a few more ears to Japan and JBK music.
My fav band of all the 80s. A woman in her mid-teens who dressed in men's suits, shoes and ties, and had hair like David Sylvian. They remain totally unique today.
I had a picture of David that i couldnt stop looking at i thought he was just so beautiful, i recorded this on a tape recorder (remember those) and played the song to death. Happy days x ps weren' t we lucky to have such great music in the 80s.
As of September 2021, I may be only 19 years old but, courtesy of my dad mostly, I continue to dive deeper into the realm of music of the past century and further. I'm actually starting to teach my dad about music in his day he didn't even know about! Everything from this to the New Romantics/New Wave including Duran Duran, to Progressive Rock and all its subgenres including Progressive Metal and neo-prog (Richard Barbieri went on to join Porcupine Tree after Japan and Rain Tree Crow), Jazz Fusion and Classical. I wish more people my age, or at least in my age demographic, can listen to and appreciate older music. Born in 2002, I obviously wasn't around to witness the growth of these bands/artists (and consequently my heroes) in real time, but at least I have an unending stream of music to enjoy and discover for years to come. The fountain of all this music seems to replenish itself for me, and that is immensely satisfying. I really enjoy watching these videos precisely for the quality of the film (apart from the music of course). Right at the beginning at 0:02 when Barbieri is playing the opening theme, there's a flicker in the image that is so representative of that era, and I think it really adds to the aesthetic of the day. It's possible for me to be transported back in time and forget about the things that trouble me today through the time machine that is music and video. I pay homage and respect to this music by performing originals in my own band Lucidae. This music, and its beloved aesthetics, will never die. ❤
Quick Silver Messenger Service, Hot Tuna, Canned Heat, Hawkwind (1970s version), MC5, Death, Return to Forever, Weather Report, Parliament-Funkadelic, Mothers of Invention, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Cream, Yardbirds, ... you have lots of music to go.
@@The-Contractor Thanks for the suggestions! Only two I'm familiar with from that list are Weather Report and Return to Forever. Will keep these in mind!
@@The-Contractor ...and let's not forget Spear of Destiny, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Waterboys, The Teardrop Explodes, Erasure, Yazoo/Alison Moyet (what a voice), Orange Juice, The Beat, Scritti Politti, Sparks, The The, and oh so many more...
@TalorcMacAllan-k1k He's my baby. We thought we were going lose him last yr. He has MMM on his left side of his head and face. Google it mate. He's 9 and soft as snow.
Had he found a vocal style of his own instead of ripping off Bryan Ferry’s vocal style and his dress sense, he might not have been and I’m saying that as a fan of Japan. I bought both their first two albums when they came out, and still have them ✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻🇬🇧
I am a definite Mick Karn fan, but I love the almost twang Sylvian gets in his voice here when he sings "boys" in this song and the "swing" in the self-titled song. Brilliant! Also, I became a fan of Japan in 83 or so when Duran Duran's Simon and Nick were on MTV as guest DJs and played Visions of China, which hooked me immediately. I can hear in this song the influence on DD from their first album. Considering Nick Rhodes played Japan as a DJ at Rum Runners and was open about their influence, it's no surprise. Yes DD benefited, but they were also open about Japan's influence. Thankfully so, as I wouldn't have been exposed to Japan without them in the US when I was a pre-teen. I'm now in my early 50s and falling down the Japan rabbit hole again. With bonus other projects. Bestial Clusters should be delivered to me now in Italy in the next few days.
Japan were the real deal. They had everything - the songs, the sounds, the arrangements, the musicianship, and style that launched dozens of imitators.
Sadly, the imitators had more success than Japan, but that’s probably because these songs made a few more listening demands than Duran or Spandau. There is jazz here, there is prog, there is funk and ambient electronica, there is dance, there is Roxy, Bowie, Eno, and Fripp, all in a beautifully wrapped aural presentation box that still sounds gorgeous and fresh some forty years on. Truly unique.
Everything from Quiet Life to Tin Drum is worth your time - the earlier glam recordings are almost from a different band (almost, but not entirely unconnected).
But don’t miss out on what the band members did after Japan folded. There are numerous collaborations. There is the Japan-that-was-not in Rain Tree Crow. There’s David Sylvian’s solo career, which scales some extraordinary musical heights. There’s Mick Karn’s rubbery fretless bass playing - solo and with others, including with Bauhaus’ Pete Murphy for the short-lived Dali’s Car. There are the Jansen/Barbieri albums.
If you’re just discovering Japan or you’ve not followed the later music made by its members, you have a beautiful and stimulating journey ahead, should you choose to explore.
I hope it’s clear that I love this band as much today as I did when I discovered them in 1980. They’re worth your time and attention. The coolest and most musically gifted band no one ever talks about.
Thanks for giving all the info
Right on brother. Great piece about the coolest band of the time. I like the Mick Karn's "rubbery bass' description. Perfect. Split up too soon but I think they'd been together for about ten years by then. Anyway, top piece mate.
Thanks for sharing Peter, and I will most definitely listen to their catalogue
wow thanks
We were spoilt for choice in the 80's but Japan were really good.
My Managers wife, who happened to be japanese, gave me and my friend some tickets to see them at Hammersmith Odeon. I think they had just released Ghosts! Great night and amazing crowd!
I was an adopted kid and I went to see Japan live in the 80s. At the same gig, but unknown to me at the time, was a brother I never knew I had. Later on in life,, when searching for my biological family, I found my brother and we had quite a time sharing memories of that show and enjoying this song. Thanks Japan for helping bond my brother and I together! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wow, that's an amazing story! You've reminded me of my friend who was at the legendary early 80s U2 Phoenix Park concert, whose future boyfriend turned out to also have been there.
So happy for you both🙏😘
♥️
What a lovely story awwwwwww
Brilliant Sara ,just awesome.
Absolute tune. 55 year old granny from Scotland. My youth. Absolute excellence
granny at 55 ?
@@haxio17 fr ahahaha
I’m 57 and a proud mum to a 14 year old.
And these one of the most talented bands of all time! Great memories too ❤
Hi from anstruther Nicola!
your 55 and 3 months older now. Motherwell here. and Japan copied duran duran.
Here again..57 yrs old…eyes closed..listening with love👍🙏🥰🥰🥰❤️
I'm 63 and listening to this right now...
I’m 66 and I too am enjoying it
62 and still bopping to the beat of the nostalgic 80s
I'm 57.5, a die-hard fan of "Japan" and the whole New Romantic music scene of England...
I'm 52 and discovered Japan about a decade ago. They're amazing. I also love Comsat Angels and Sparks ❤ 🎶
Born 15 / 9 / 56 Listening at 00:50 on 12 / 8 / 24 soon be 68 , its gone quick
This band isn't talked about enough they had such great tracks
Yuri i saw these fantastic guys in the early 80s , ive adored them ever since ,, This guy was beautiful , his voice was to die for ,,,what utter joy xxxx Jane xx
¿Ya escucharon las canciones en solista de David Sylvian (el vocalista)?
Nearly 3 million views says otherwise
Such is the fate of many a great outfit.
Mick Karn's fretless bass playing is simply sublime.
A brilliant bassist. One of the best at his craft.
Loved him too on his Gary Numan appearances
As soon as I saw Duran Duran at the rum runner in 1981 I knew they had been influenced by Japan. One of the most underestimated bands of all time they had a massive effect on my music. Mick Karn sadly missed one of the great bass players.
So true , Duran Duran didn’t have quite the same polish . Japan were incredible.
Japan, a poor man's Roxy Music at best!😂
@@hughzapretti-boyden9187 subjective
@@Carmenetta fact.
@@hughzapretti-boyden9187 your taste not mine. I love Roxy Music but don’t feel Japan had the recognition they deserved.
Better than anything put out today. Still sounds as fresh as it did 40 years ago.
RIP Mick Karn, sadly gone but absolutely never forgotten.
Absolutely , what a bass
who ?
He was doing another songs with peter murphy, the first was dalis car after Bauhaus....
@@sadduck28 Mick Karn - the band's bass player. Who do you think?
When did he pass away?
The progression from punk to New romantic avant garde was a good time to be around. I lived this music.
Unbelievable. No way could better. Privileged
Lads dressing up - it was just a bit of innocent harmless fun - and a great laugh
/NewWave/SynthPop, so many names/variantions for this genre
New Romantic copied Japan.
Mick Karn was a brilliant bass player, real signature to his playing.
Mate you'll get there, I'm a frustrated guitarist, currently trying to learn Johnny Marr stuff.
R.I.P Mick
+65sparx Yes he certainly was.
MrChubbers he played fretless bass on a great song by China crisis called Christian.
Amazing rhythm section, listen to “methods of dance” amazing playing .... I purport to play drums no idea how to start with that song!
In 1980 I walked into T.O.T.S. nightclub in Southend and this song was playing. I remember thinking "Who are these guys"?. I bought every record they made after that and still regularly play them today at 60 years of age. Brilliant musicians and song writers and way ahead of their time. The sadly late Mick Kahn's fretless base playing became their signature sound. Fantastic.
Its funny because the same scenario happened to me in 2021 haha.
The music felt familiar but I had no idea who they were. Asked the barman if it was early Duran Duran. He laughed, insultingly I might add, but then told me who they were. Pretty much all I listend to for the next 6 months. And I'm an 80s baby too, they must have passed me by.
Same here, have all albums and still love them
I’m 61 and still listen …..excellent stuff, very underrated , lots of nightclub memories 😘
I first walked into the TOTS nightclub in Southend in 1986 and then got a job there a year later (and worked there until the year 2000). 😊 I would have loved to have been there just a few years earlier to hear Japan’s Quiet Life playing. Have been a huge fan of their music.
I used to walk into tots in those days as well ...fantastic ...a bloody bowling alley now .
Japan's music was the perfect place where the glam tradition of David Bowie and Roxy Music met the post-punk bleakness of the early '80s.
Spot on 👌🏼
Very poignant!
Horseshit 💩🐴
You like things in wee boxes 📦 categorise assimilate tedious bourgeois shit
Smug supercilious bile
David sylvian sounds nothing like bryan ferry its lazy and unimaginative
As Mark E said Tedious
Repetitive repition
It's the bass sound and the phaser (?) effect on the drums that really seals the deal for me
Japan were a brilliant band of the early 80s, they were underrated, this is a great song, sounds similar to early Duran Duran, the early 80s was a great period in music history
Agree with the Duran Duran reference - Planet Earth comes to mind.
@@DanielBlockMD and careless memories...
Similiar to duran duran and to nick rhodes himself!
Correction late 70s...japan first...
Pretty sure they came out with this before Duran Duran did. There are a lot of similarities between this and Planet Earth & Rio. Even the looks were copied.
Possibly the most underated band of all time.
met Talk Talk and speak later ;)
bazza powers had all their albums ,, ,,,totally loved them however they were just. Bit before Duran Duran and spandau hitting the big time ,,,,Japan had small success in the beginning,.,
That'd be The Prisoners or The Times for me....
But massively influential on the music scene.
They were the best 'Effeminate Futurists' i ever heard
Mick Karn probably one of the best bass players you'll ever hear.
What a dream of a tune with a hard hitting edge to it, awesome.
Pino Palldino was up there with them .
And also Nick Beggs😉 from group kajagoogoo with Limahl❤ he knows how to play a bass guitar😝 btw great group try to check it out😉 you will not regret😝
good choice - but Barry Adamson was AWESOME :)
He picked it up from *Percy Jones* of *Brand X* .. another greatly underappreciated bassist.
I 'd add Jaco Pastorius to that list too
Despite being born in the mid 2000s, I love this song. Just want all fans of this band to know that Japan's music is still influential.
For real.. I recently found this band and they are so great
Me too, early 2000s baby here
Yep, 2001 here. Japan still rules even through Gen Z :)
@TUbIuyola what a ray of sunshine
Same, born in 2003, found them out last year. I love their music!
スティーブのドラムが大好き❤です。
David Silvian is a genius, and Japan's music is still mysterious and exciting today. I don't know why the band fell apart at the cusp of global success - their and Duran's sound defined the 80s, its sad they're not better known.
Even though I caught this comment a year late if you still want to know why they fell apart its bc David Sylvian stole the Bassist's (Mick Karn) gf and they got into a falling out
@@WeirdoInc787 david sylvian works in asda in Milton Keynes, collecting trolleys.
Sylvian's voice is hypnotic. It's like a cat's purr
Absolutely timeless, so glad I was in my teens growing up listening to this band. Completely iconic, no one has a voice like David Sylvian, completely beautiful and stylish man and Mick Kahn was pure genius. I never tire of listening to their music.
How was Mick Karn not recognized as one of Earths greatest bassists of all time? RIP Mick! ❤
Really
He was, is
I've been aware.
Fab Bass player.
Takes me back to carefree summer days driving in my old 1984 XR3i. Great music, great car.
You know when you look back at the music you were listening to as a 13 year old and can't believe the some of crap you liked them? Well I can't believe what good taste I must have had being a huge fan of Japan, still love this band 40 years on.
the bass line is out of this world, the synths, the singer, this is awesome my guys i just found this today, these people were ahead of their time, can't believe this came out in 1979.
im going to rock this song the whole year!
(im sad i didnt live this era of music, im 32 years old)
It was an amazing time to be a teenager, fantastic bands that could really sing and play instruments. Frighteningly, this song is closer in time to the beginning of WW2 than it is today.
The Cure, Japan, Joy Division, Bauhaus...I am 51 now. I miss those days most of all.
70sUK rock はやっぱりいいですね？Japan大好き🍀😌🍀
I'm 59 now this song is my life. My wife of 28 years is into disco. Her loss you can't perfect perfection. Sylvia is a genius
I hate getting older 61 now you never think about been 60 plus but here we are listening to our favourite bands from the 80s
China chrises
Mick was a brilliant!!!! bass player. Listen to that bass. AMAZING!!!!!!!!!
For me this song heralded the beginning of the 80’s and my love for the music of that decade. I was 13 and just started boarding school. Music was everything to me and many songs of the 80’s were a soundtrack to my younger years. Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
There aren’t enough words to describe the mystery and gorgeousness of this song, this time, and David Sylvian. ❤️
David Sylivan is legit one of my favorite voices in music😍
This song feels incredibly nostalgic in all the best ways
Please tell me there is a Japanese band called Britain
nope
@@grammarnazi7428 Your "nope" should have a capital 'N'. You're welcome.
@@1989NickyD oh WoaH yoUrE SoOoo inteLlEcTUAl
@@patatacampesina8286 I know.
I’ve heard they like Wales
A great song in my opinion.I am proud to say I grew up listening to all these bands from my older siblings listening to them all.
this may just be my favorite video on youtube. the hazy, dreamlike filter, the sudden changes of camera angles. the band members faces are robotic and emotionless but you can still tell they're enjoying what they're doing. the vocalists' little smile as he slightly dances to the song. love it all!
. . this comes from a great time when to be noticed, you had to be GOOD 1
こんな時代にこんな素敵な歌があったなんて！！！
fantastic sound of my youth. glad i was young in this era.
私は、小学生時代、この曲を聞いてから、洋楽にハマりました。
Played some great stuff these guys, mick khan on Bass great player
元気がなくなると必ずJAPANの曲を聴いてます
私が高校生だった時に大好きになったJAPANに感謝です❤期間限定で良いから再結成しないかなｧ❔マジ大好き💕
Still such a gorgeous song and production sound. What I wouldn't give to disappear forever back into the time of my life when this song came out. Ah well..."The ghosts of my life"
+keith bickerdike yeah.Respect friend .
keith bickerdike is it like a saggy handbag now
Though I was only 9, I'd give half a leg to go back to '81.
Michael Screen I would really like that too Japan are my favourite group of all time
If I could live in a San Junipero-esque 'year' after my death, I don't think I'd ever get sick of 1981......I was only 11 then and never realised that the wave of great, great music wouldn't last for ever.
One of the most talented bands ever assembled.
Still superb 40+ years later.
Wonderful, brings back happy memories. I was in the audience at the Apollo then , At the time I was a Physics Student at Manchester University ,big Japan fan.
I took my younger brother to see Japan at the Glasgow Apollo. He just loved this group. Way head of the rest of the groups around.
How can a band so young sound like the mid 70,s and early 80,s inspire a new generation of artists called new romantics then simply vanish boggles the mind. Japan were simply brilliant.
@@ajaxt9333 they inspired nobody. New Romantics was already happening. A poor man's Roxy Music at best.
@@hughzapretti-boyden9187 in 1979 the wasn't new romantics. It was labelled much later.
This song is something so extra special. I have listened to it countless of times and still it makes my endorphins go crazy. Some times everything just match and leaves a gem for later generations.
I just love this song. I decided to check out some of Japan’s music after seeing them recommended. I have listened to this song countless times over the last few days. I may have heard it on the radio as a very little kid but I’m not sure. I’m so glad I found this song and other gems by Japan.
A me non so perché fa pensare a Rio dei duran duran
Listening to it now in 2023 one of my top 5 tunes of all time
British bands 70s and 80s, so very talented
I know
Except Duran Duran
John Seibold Duran weren’t talented??? All of the members were highly talented.
Aren’t I should say*
Bros, Dollar, Black Lace....... Ho-hum.
David Sylvian is the most beautiful man I've ever seen
Beautiful in looks and voice
Taylor Swift stole her looks from Sylvian.
He was actually voted ‘worlds most beautiful man’ at the time
@B Lannister that's a name that I haven't heard in a hot minute
Oooh yes , indeed .
Remember going to see them at Hammersmith odeon .. amazing
About to reach the FORTIETH anniversary of this studio recording...am I the only person who can't believe four decades have swept by?
No I can’t either but then as the great Sir Terry Pratchett once said “inside every old person is a young person wondering what the hell happened” I am that (nearly) old person 😂✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻🇬🇧
Yup, I feel I've been put on fast forward for 50 odd years.
Seems like yesterday until I look in the mirror.
You are not the one!!!!
And the beautiful green gartside. They don’t make people like this anymore. I miss these heroes.
I live in Thailand, just heard this in a bar and had to wait for three or four more visits till it came on again to ask who it was? I just couldn't remember , I thought of Japan Tin Drum but had to find 'Quiet Life'. Great song!
Listen Japan, filled the dancefloors, This was the sound! Bassline..
I was 12 when this was released I loved it so much I couldn’t wait to go to the record shop to buy it. I never ever get sick of hearing it. It’s a classic track, it’s timeless and it has so many great memories attached to it for me.
fantastic...crisp beat and some artfully drawn guitar lines.
Just a brilliant pioneering band. This brings back so many wonderful memories. I got heavily into Japan at 16 in 1982…perfect timing as I had the ‘pretty boy’ looks, David Sylvian hair and copied his dress sense (obviously not as good as Mr Sylvian)…I worked at my local Tesco in Northfield (Birmingham) and had a ‘fan club’ with girls waiting for me outside the store when I left, screaming and shouting 😂…I made the local paper, and got threatened with written warnings if they kept coming into the store screaming! I lived off that look for about 7 years, and got lots of attention - until pretty boys had their day and the girls moved on 😂 Life goes by so quickly, you move on, and you forget. Now 40 years later at 56 - I would need a wig to replicate the Sylvian hair, am heavily overweight, and the looks went in my late 40’s, but after hearing the sad news of Ruichi Sakamotos passing, I’ve been rediscovering Japan and David Sylvian, and forgot so many songs…it’s genuinely emotional hearing them all again and thinking back to truly brilliant times with a smile. Japan were a unique and ridiculously talented group, as is David Sylvian, so I’m looking forward to listening to everything he has been recording over the years with great anticipation.
thanks , you made me laugh , i never had the good looks in the first place , ha, ha ..
Mark Silver….I did not realise Sakamoto had passed……I loved the music to Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence. I’m sure I would have been one of the girls waiting outside shop as I too loved David Sylvian 😊
@@lafreewaylafreeway Yes very sad x 1983 was a fab time for me…probably the closet you could get to celebrity status…getting stopped literally everywhere I went lol - roll on 40 years and nobody gives me a second glance…age is a cruel thing 😬
Did you wear the makeup too?
@@carlix1112 No lol was playing too much football for that at the time - plus Northfield was terrorised by a female Michael Jackson ‘double’ called Marilyn who would have targeted me if I did - you couldn’t make it 😂
I can’t believe I didn’t appreciate this music when it came out. It took me a while to go from loud guitars to melodic synths.
This was actually released in 1979. Brilliant music. There was only one.
懐かしい！
Very underated band. Made a lot of good albums and singles. Great to see them live at Edinburgh playhouse in the 1980s .
Still a classic listening in 2024 👊🏻🙏🏻
A personal favourite of mine. They were good and they could really play. They weren't just posers. Good use of an e-bow too!
鈴カステラですね！
勉強のせずに必死に聴いてました、このアルバム。
やっぱりフェリーに似てるすね、当時は感じませんでしたが。
Always a cut above the run of the mill New Romantic bands.
i will be forever grateful for them inspiring duran duran enough to borrow a good chunk of their sound from them.
Never was that fond of New Wave, until I started listening to Japan.
Under recognized colossal talent perhaps. The success of Porcupine Tree might be bringing a few more ears to Japan and JBK music.
Their voices are so smooth and calm and they are so talented
Richard Barbieri is very underrated. His use of the sequencer really makes this song.
この映像、ビデオテープに録画したくて高いビデオデッキ購入しました❗
本当に大好きです。私の青春でした。
いまだに、この時代JAPANのフィルムコンサートで、知り合った、友達とは親友でいます。
My fav band of all the 80s. A woman in her mid-teens who dressed in men's suits, shoes and ties, and had hair like David Sylvian. They remain totally unique today.
Same! Loved suits and ties. Even had tri-toned hair at one point.
Come on David we need you back
He never left check out all his solo work and collaborations with other artists
I had a picture of David that i couldnt stop looking at i thought he was just so beautiful, i recorded this on a tape recorder (remember those) and played the song to death. Happy days x ps weren' t we lucky to have such great music in the 80s.
I believe at some stage was voted most beautiful man in Japan, saw them 3 times live.
When these fellas begin you sit up and listen.
Genius... Happy 65... David.. 😎👌✌️👏👍🎉🥂🍾🎂🎉
Great song, great album, brilliant band
Classic song from a classic album.
David Sylvian❤️❤️❤️
なつかしいわ～！美しいわ～！
カッコいい～😍
Japan
Is one of the finest band's ever and truly a kne off
Mick Karn on LEAD BASS! Amazing tune, Amazing musicians, still sounds Amazing after all these years ! RIP Mick Karn! dx
I have these guys since the late 70s!! This is such a good track!
As of September 2021, I may be only 19 years old but, courtesy of my dad mostly, I continue to dive deeper into the realm of music of the past century and further. I'm actually starting to teach my dad about music in his day he didn't even know about! Everything from this to the New Romantics/New Wave including Duran Duran, to Progressive Rock and all its subgenres including Progressive Metal and neo-prog (Richard Barbieri went on to join Porcupine Tree after Japan and Rain Tree Crow), Jazz Fusion and Classical. I wish more people my age, or at least in my age demographic, can listen to and appreciate older music. Born in 2002, I obviously wasn't around to witness the growth of these bands/artists (and consequently my heroes) in real time, but at least I have an unending stream of music to enjoy and discover for years to come. The fountain of all this music seems to replenish itself for me, and that is immensely satisfying. I really enjoy watching these videos precisely for the quality of the film (apart from the music of course). Right at the beginning at 0:02 when Barbieri is playing the opening theme, there's a flicker in the image that is so representative of that era, and I think it really adds to the aesthetic of the day. It's possible for me to be transported back in time and forget about the things that trouble me today through the time machine that is music and video. I pay homage and respect to this music by performing originals in my own band Lucidae. This music, and its beloved aesthetics, will never die. ❤
Quick Silver Messenger Service, Hot Tuna, Canned Heat, Hawkwind (1970s version), MC5, Death, Return to Forever, Weather Report, Parliament-Funkadelic, Mothers of Invention, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Cream, Yardbirds, ... you have lots of music to go.
@@The-Contractor Thanks for the suggestions! Only two I'm familiar with from that list are Weather Report and Return to Forever. Will keep these in mind!
@@The-Contractor ...and let's not forget Spear of Destiny, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Waterboys, The Teardrop Explodes, Erasure, Yazoo/Alison Moyet (what a voice), Orange Juice, The Beat, Scritti Politti, Sparks, The The, and oh so many more...
@@elizabethsaxton9296 Agreed, and all greats.
@@elizabethsaxton9296 Where can I listen to your music?
Brilliant 80s band this is how music was you cannot beat it
Very overlooked band saw them twice brilliant
My fav 80s band ~ these guys really evolved styles over the years - truly innovative
I have all their original vinyls. I'd never part with them. My 13yr old heart lies there.
@TalorcMacAllan-k1k He's my baby. We thought we were going lose him last yr. He has MMM on his left side of his head and face. Google it mate. He's 9 and soft as snow.
What a great band, very advanced for their time
This is authentic New Wave music
Seen this band 3 times in the 80s they were brilliant
Epic, timeless classic. This always got played at every house party. So many happy teenage memories.
The best !
But we had them for such a short time.
There music will be with us forever..
Loved this song in the 80s and I still do....David sylvian was so underrated.
Had he found a vocal style of his own instead of ripping off Bryan Ferry’s vocal style and his dress sense, he might not have been and I’m saying that as a fan of Japan. I bought both their first two albums when they came out, and still have them ✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻🇬🇧
And now we have got to put up with the Back Street Boys and Take That.
Such a glamorous slick 80s band with beautiful David Sylvian at the helm.
i saw these guys early 80s Wow what a bunch of slick dressers ,olso they sounded fab ,, ive loved them ever since lol xx
大好き過ぎます。
いつ聴いても彼らの曲は詩的で美しいです。
Never got to see Japan at their peak since I'm only 16, but they are defo my favourite band
I am a definite Mick Karn fan, but I love the almost twang Sylvian gets in his voice here when he sings "boys" in this song and the "swing" in the self-titled song. Brilliant! Also, I became a fan of Japan in 83 or so when Duran Duran's Simon and Nick were on MTV as guest DJs and played Visions of China, which hooked me immediately. I can hear in this song the influence on DD from their first album. Considering Nick Rhodes played Japan as a DJ at Rum Runners and was open about their influence, it's no surprise. Yes DD benefited, but they were also open about Japan's influence. Thankfully so, as I wouldn't have been exposed to Japan without them in the US when I was a pre-teen. I'm now in my early 50s and falling down the Japan rabbit hole again. With bonus other projects. Bestial Clusters should be delivered to me now in Italy in the next few days.
I saw these fantastic guys in Sheffield early 80s ,, WOW THEY WERE UTTER MAGIC XX