Tag: Andy Warhol

Oil on Canvas

‘a moment of inspiration between the painter and the canvas’

On 1 March 1982, an album simply titled Japan was released in the US by the band of the same name. A deal with the Epic label gave the group a tilt at the American market. Japan’s members were on hiatus at the time, taking a break after the tensions of the Visions of China tour in late 1981, a chance to pursue solo and other projects or interests. There was a UK TV appearance for the BBC’s Old Grey Whistle Test on 4 March, with ‘Ghosts’ and ‘Cantonese Boy’ played live to promote the former’s release as a single (see ‘Ghosts – live’) but this was a brief reunion among other endeavours. Steve Jansen, Mick Karn and David Sylvian contributed to Akiko Yano’s album Ai Ga Nakucha Ne, sessions taking place in London in February ’82 with Ryuichi Sakamoto producing. Then Sylvian and Sakamoto headed into the studio to fulfil a long-held ambition for a joint project, the fruits of which were ‘Bamboo Music’ and ‘Bamboo Houses’.

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Nightporter

‘influenced by something relatively untouched’

Teenage musical memories often take hold for a lifetime. Early in the ’80s a friend of mine held a party at his family’s home. These were always good nights, an opportunity to spend time with friends outside of sixth form classes and the common room at school. A time to enjoy the music that was in and around the charts, and favourite past tracks from Bowie and others. At the end of the evening, most people having by now drifted away, someone took out the vinyl of Gentlemen Take Polaroids and dropped the needle mid-way through side B for ‘Nightporter’. I knew the song, of course, but here it was being played on a quality sound system and at a volume that wouldn’t have been possible back at home. The person who selected it then sat cross-legged on the floor, head bowed, eyes closed, transfixed by the music.

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