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Japan

Big Tabs said:
Some of my Japan collection - Too much phaff to find all the 7" singles, although there is a signed Cantonese Boy somewhere.

japan_zpsoj1aegrr.jpg
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Well, only took me 6 years to find the signed copy of Cantonese Boy o_O

Note: the signature on the far right is Masami Tsuchiya of Ippu-Do who was guitar on the tour as Rob Dean had left the band.

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this is the double 7” Cantonese Boy


More images

Japan – Cantonese Boy
Label: Virgin – VS502, Virgin – VS 502
Format:
2 x Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
Country: UK
Released: 13 May 1982
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Pop
Style: New Wave,
 
Big Tabs said:
Well, only took me 6 years to find the signed copy of Cantonese Boy o_O

Note: the signature on the far right is Masami Tsuchiya of Ippu-Do who was guitar on the tour as Rob Dean had left the band.

468-CD4-BD-EB73-4-D44-BE94-7-D89-AF65-BCD5.jpg


this is the double 7” Cantonese Boy


More images

Japan – Cantonese Boy
Label: Virgin – VS502, Virgin – VS 502
Format:
2 x Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
Country: UK
Released: 13 May 1982
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Pop
Style: New Wave,
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Fabulous...one if my favourite bands
 
I was playing Tin Drum last week and pondering whether, given current cultural sensitivities, a middle class white boy from Kent would get away with calling his band Japan, calling his album the Tin Drum, have an album cover picturing him in a Mao era Chinese apartment and singing about Cantonese boys to European beats in 2022. You could write a whole cultural studies dissertation unpicking that lot!

The times have certainly changed, but the album still sounds fabulous.
 
kjb said:
a middle class white boy from Kent would get away with calling his band Japan, calling his album the Tin Drum, have an album cover picturing him in a Mao era Chinese apartment and singing about Cantonese boys
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Ha ha, yeah, it’s a strange one. One of the very first albums I bought, as a school pal’s older brother was into them and I’d probably seen that performance of ‘Ghosts’ on TOTP.

I think I’m right in saying they were pretty big in Japan, so...
 
For synth spotters...


(After a quick search, I believe ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ was number 1 that week.)
 
kjb said:
I was playing Tin Drum last week and pondering whether, given current cultural sensitivities, a middle class white boy from Kent would get away with calling his band Japan, calling his album the Tin Drum, have an album cover picturing him in a Mao era Chinese apartment and singing about Cantonese boys to European beats in 2022. You could write a whole cultural studies dissertation unpicking that lot!

The times have certainly changed, but the album still sounds fabulous.
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I have far more concern about choosing a name like Rapeman for a band.

Coincidentally has cultural references to the Manga thread.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapeman
 
Band names are interesting things. It is unwise to view the name separately from the band and to assume there is no nuance, irony or whatever to its selection. I have lots of records from bands with controversial names (Sex Pistols, Slits, Joy Division, Throbbing Gristle, Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel, Dead Kennedys, Napalm Death etc etc) and in most cases I’ll defend them.
 
manicatel said:
One of my favourite bands.
If you listen to the Assemblage album, you can hear how the band progress from their early rock beginnings through some syncopated reggae type rhythms to the more minimal, synth lead sound they ended up with.
Fantastic playing, creative sounds & some interesting cover versions as well.
Top band.
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Must admit I like Assemblage too

I really like some of their extended versions on 12" too - eg European Son
 
I’ve got the quaintly titled ‘Songs About *******’. It has a very cool cover of Kraftwerk’s The Model on it!
 
Tony L said:
Band names are interesting things. It is unwise to view the name separately from the band and to assume there is no nuance, irony or whatever to its selection. I have lots of records from bands with controversial names (Sex Pistols, Slits, Joy Division, Throbbing Gristle, Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel, Dead Kennedys, Napalm Death etc etc) and in most cases I’ll defend them.
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I am not so shallow as to base a dislike purely on a name, and have records by all of the bands that you mention funnily enough. Rapeman is not musically up to much though, to my ears, I don’t like Shellac either and sold off my copy of ‘At Action Park’ ages ago.
 
Ah yes, I have a copy of ‘Locust Abortion Technician’ too. One can’t help but love a band with an album called ‘Hairway To Steven’.
 
I had an imaginary argument with Sylvian whilst walking in the Lake District a couple of years ago. He's often quoted as disavowing all of the Japan back catalogue aside from Ghosts, and I was trying to persuade him of the genius of 'Swing', with its multi-layered rhythms and alluringly opaque textures. He wouldn't have it though, at least in my imaginary dialogue. I'd like to think one day I'll chat to him in person and persuade him how great Japan were.
 
Tony L said:
Band names are interesting things. It is unwise to view the name separately from the band and to assume there is no nuance, irony or whatever to its selection. I have lots of records from bands with controversial names (Sex Pistols, Slits, Joy Division, Throbbing Gristle, Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel, Dead Kennedys, Napalm Death etc etc) and in most cases I’ll defend them.
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Would make for a great thread .... potentially
 
Big Tabs said:
I am not so shallow as to base a dislike purely on a name, and have records by all of the bands that you mention funnily enough. Rapeman is not musically up to much though, to my ears, I don’t like Shellac either and sold off my copy of ‘At Action Park’ ages ago.
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I never 'got' Shellac either. Not sure why.
 
Tony L said:
Ah yes, I have a copy of ‘Locust Abortion Technician’ too. One can’t help but love a band with an album called ‘Hairway To Steven’.
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Rembrandt Pussyhorse is a far better Butts album, but I do like Locust…
 
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