Image from the-raft.com
In their late teens, David Batt and his brother Steve stole some eyeliner from Bowie’s dressing room, some new last names from the New York Dolls, and sounds from both to create Japan. In a dyslexic homage to guitarist Sylvain Sylvain, Dave took up singing and became David Sylvian, while Steve dropped a few letters from “Johansen” to become Steve Jansen. Synthesizing the look and sound of glam rock with a touch of the emerging disco sound, Japan was soon signed to Hansa and released Adolescent Sex in 1978. While a minor hit in Japan, of all places, their look and sound were staggeringly out of touch with the post-punk times in the UK, where they were largely ignored. After an equally spotty 2nd album, in 1980 they hit upon the idea of incorporating elements of the emerging Moroder Euro disco sounds, all shimmering synths and backbeat, into pop songs performed in a rock band setting. This time their timing was perfect, and Quiet Life is one of the first classics of the post-Bowie New Romantic era.
MP3: “Quiet Life (Extended Version) – Japan
Buy it on Amazon
Japan, “Life In Tokyo” (Youtube clip)
Having jettisoned most of the sonic aspects of glam for this Japan 2.0, the band’s only real remaining debt to that movement was sartorial. But while continuing down the trail blazed by Eno and Bolan, Sylvian took androgyny to a new place by dialing it back and making it less cartoonlike, and thus more accessible. Ziggy was outrageous, alien and somewhat threatening to the masses. But Sylvian cloaked his gorgeous, pancaked visage with the suave, sophisticated suit – and vocal stylings – of the aggressively hetero Bryan Ferry. Amazingly, this “gay but straight” look became pretty mainstream, and indeed still encapsulates what it means to be “totally 80’s.”
(Left: David. Right: Nick. Or is it vice versa?)
Just as their sound was taking hold, Japan took an abrupt left turn and started to take more and more out of the music. By their last hit “Ghosts” all that was remained was a droning synth and a vocal. Abandoning Japan at the height of its glory, Sylvian left to pursue a solo career further in that minimalist direction. In the mean time, Nick Rhodes copped Japan’s 16th note sequencers and mascara brushes wholesale and brought the whole package to a level of unprecedented global domination.
MP3: “Girls on Film (Night Version) – Duran Duran
Buy it on Amazon
While Duran Duran’s debt to Japan is undeniable (and to a degree embarrassing: Nick, dude, don’t you even want to *try* and hide your influences?), somehow it seems like an appropriate passing of the baton, from one gazza ladra to another.
Nightporter – Japan fan site
Japan on Wikipedia
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I might have to add a David Sylvian track soon…….
Japan always had a weird streak that Duran Duran never did (until the very late period). I remember reading an interview with David Sylvian where he basically said “we tried hard to sound unique”. I love them for this.
Sylvian’s latest output is also great – his new “group” Nine Horses put out a great album (”Snow Borne Sorrow”) and some great singles.
Perhaps next you can explore the similarities between John Foxx’s “Metamatic” period and Gary Numan circa “Pleasure Principle”/”Telekon”.
John Foxx couldn’t write songs as good as Gary Numan’s and so never had the same success; but he could come up with some good musical sounds. Curiously, though the only real commercial success Foxx had was when he pinched the buzz-saw synthesized guitar-sound from Numan’s 1979 No.1 hit ‘Are Friend’s Electric’, and Numan’s vocal style for ‘Underpass’.
It’s funny that Nick Rhodes rarely mentions Japan as an influence, yet their first album clearly copped the Life In Tokyo, European Son and the Quiet Life album.
@ Coda – I know, I’m a huge fan of both bands/artists but Nick gets points off for how shady his reverence appears to be. Nick could have at least included a Japan song on their awful covers album and send a few royalty checks in Sylvian’s direction!
what can you do? nick rhodes is a self-absorbed little shit who’s apparently been going through some sort of midlife crisis by picking up trashy young socialites. at least john taylor remains a class act…and unlike mr. rhodes, he is downright gorgeous…absolutely G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S!!!!! simon ain’t so bad either. *drool*
The first time I saw Japan was at Barbarellas in Birmingham in 1978. I seem to remember that Nick Rhodes (or Bates as was then) was at the same concert. This was before the image change, but , Japan became increasingly popular as THE group which summed up the club scene in Birmingham. They encapsulated the look, sound and were more cool by being obscure and slightly edgy. The Sylvian look-a-likes were everywhere. I don’t think that Rhodes would have felt that he had to explain his look as he was the same as every other teenager at the Rum Runner.
It was Sylvian’s choice and Rhodes very good fortune that events materialised as they did. Of course, Japan were far superior and attracted a different audience. Japan were serious musicians who attracted an intellectual audience whereas Duran Duran were a teenybop group who later found more credibility outside the UK than they ever did within its shores (probably due to the fact that Japan were virtually unheard of in the USA). Japan never wanted the fame and strived for musical independence which they still retain today in their solo/collaborative careers. Their sacrifice was our loss. Duran Duran can be blamed for their music but not for taking any of the limelight away from Japan.
The irony of it all is that Sylvian in changing his image and adopting the blonde/brown two tone hair was paying homage to one of his idols…Andy Warhol. That a few years later, Warhol was courting the attention of Rhodes makes it all a little perverse. That in citing his musical and cultural tastes, Sylvian inadvertantly created a monster by feeding the hungry Rhodes with a plethora of fashion ideas and musical idols. The irony isn’t lost on me that Rhodes now turns up to the opening of every envelope in London Society along with his buddy…Bryan Ferry. He has become a legend in his own lifetime and I’m sure he pinches himself when he wakes up each morning and can’t believe his luck.
I haven’t set eyes on Rhodes since the Rum Runners days of the early 80’s before they were famous. But my last encounter with Sylvian was at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham in 2007 and I am as in love with him and his music now as I was 30 years ago. I’m sure that Duran fans feel the same about their idols and I am also sure that Sylvian doesn’t hold any grudges.
I suppose the most difficult part of them all growing older is that Bryan Ferry looks as good as he did 40 years ago, David Sylvian is unrecognisable with his more laid back image and Nick Rhodes now resembles the dearly departed Peter Cook. C’est la vie !!!!
Wow, amazingly well said! Interesting that you make the link to Warhol’s snap-on hairdo, I think you’re right about that. And speaking of Bryan Ferry, he was another one that both Rhodes and Sylvian were borrowing heavily from.
The late 70’s and early 80s must have been such an interesting time to be seeing live music in the UK. I imagine there must have been incredible class wars between this crue and my two other favorite Birmingham bands, ELO and Black Sabbath. With the passage of time I enjoy all four bands equally on my iTunes and in my DJ sets, but at the time would I have been crucified, or hailed as a visionary for not choosing a tribe?
Again, thank you for the great comment, AIB – whoever you are (Angela Bowie? Alec Baldwin?)
xx,
BvL
Roxy Music and Bowie were the two most influential acts which crossed over from the early 70’s in England and became the heroes of punk and later the catalyst for the “New Romantic” movement to give it a loose term. It was these Ferry/Bowie nights which were staged at various venues around the country to counter the disco movement which to many of us was not our taste and also did not mean anything to us as Brits (later so eloquently voiced by Morrissey……hang the blessed DJ, because the music they constantly play, says nothing to me about my life…). Punk had turned violent and most of us, brought up on Bowie and Roxy were looking for something more sophisticated. Rhodes & co do like to harp on about Birmingham and how awful it was. To Rhodes coming from that side of town, it probably was as the bus route into Birmingham from his house was depressive. But to me, Birmingham was a place of great invention. I didn’t see what they were seeing. I would spend hours in the art gallery looking at the paintings of the pre raphaelites and reading books on the Lunar society by day and dress up and party all night. Funnily enough, I am reading the Great Gatsby at the moment and can’t help but compare Rhodes to Gatsby himself. Changing names, aspiring to a better life, surrounding himself with things that will impress but really, having little substance or original ideas. However, that isn’t knocking his achievement.
Birmingham has many varied music legends that span the decades. But non of them complement each other or have similar connections/management like for instance the bands from Manchester. ELO and the Move / Denny Laine from the Moody Blues and Wings/ Steve Winwood/Led Zeppelin/Black Sabbath /Judas Priest…all from Birmingham but a different era and no musical influence on the bands which came out of the 80’s. Duran Duran were by far the luckiest….still can’t fathom it to this day ? UB40 broke at about the same time. Fine Young Cannibals and Dexys Midnight Runners, Steel Pulse. And if you haven’t come across them……another group from the Rum Runner called Fashion who still sound as fresh today as the music they created almost 30 years ago. But another irony here is that Nick Drake grew up and is buried only a couple of miles away from where Nick Rhodes and John Taylor grew up and yet who is it that quotes him as an influence on his music……..yes. SYLVIAN !!
And yes you were right. You couldn’t have been a fan of Black Sabbath and even hoped to have got across the threshold into the Rum Runner. They did have a very strict policy about letting only the “right” people in. Not that any Black Sabbath fans would have been seen dead hanging around with a bunch of men in make up !!