Is it the work of Japan or should it be attributed to producer Giorgio Moroder??Either way, this 1979 release on red vinyl is a cracking bit of music:-
mp3 : Japan - Life In Tokyo (Long Version)
mp3 : Japan - Life In Tokyo (Short Version)
It wasn't a hit when first released.
It wasn't a hit on its second release in 1981.
But then, in October 1982, it was released for a third time in the UK and reached #28 in the singles chart.
It isn't very typical of the band and really is more akin to the disco sound that the Oscar-winning Italian composer and producer brought to the masses via his work with Donna Summer. And it still sounds great more than 30 years later.
The video has dated rather badly mind you.........
Happy Listening
8 comments:
Loved Japan. Thanks for the great tune.
SC
I haven't heard that song in ages. I must dance right now.
Woah-I'd forgotten how good that is.
Japan are one of my favourite bands...terrible news that Mick Karn passed away tragically young recently
lovely stuff jim i generally like upbeat music but i have to say with japan i prefered the darker side of them
if you ever get the urge a bit of sylvian & sakamoto would go down
nice
thanks again
son of the rock
By 1982, Japan, which most had written off 5 yrs earlier as out of date, out of fashion Glam Rock/Art Rock poseurs, could do no wrong. That has to be why they called it a day...that and a little matter of girlfriend stealing...
Life in Tokyo is sort of the final point in their transition from being behind the curve to leading it. They would follow it with Quiet Life and I Second That Emotion - a song where David Sylvian out Ferry-s Bryan Ferry himself.
RIP Mick Karn...
Loved them now and still do. And have stuck with Sylvian ever since. Brilliant Trees, Gone To Earth and Secrets of the Beehive are genius albums. Useless piece of rock and pop trivia is that Roddy Frame bought me my 12" copy of Forbidden Colours in '83...a bit strange when you consider Sakamoto would go on to produce the Boy Wonder about 10 years later.
I, too, love this record, but I also feel it was the song that impelled the increasingly under-used Rob Dean to leave the band. A great shame.
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