Truly one of the immaculate TOTP appearances
No wonder Mark Fisher, aged 14, was chilled in his bones, harrowed in his marrow *
Appearances like these are one of the reasons why the late 80s UK Hit Parade felt so disappointing - such a fall from Associates, Japan, et al.
Although the rot started as early as 1983 - the year after this was broadcast.
The whole 1982 episode is a good one
Imagination - their best song maybe, although the video is corny
The Gary Numan track, funnily enough, is from when he starts copying Japan - the fretless Karn-atic bass. A solid effort although nothing tops the Replicas / Pleasure Principle era material.
Alongside "Fade To Grey", this - "The Damned Don't Cry" is Visage's equal-first best tune. Is the video inspired by the Visconti movie?. Although a clothes horse, as a singer Steve Strange does pretty good job with the ashen Bowie-Low style.
Even the tune from Classic Nouveaux - godawful group, I thought at the time - is quite diverting. Those strange drums.
(Forgot to mention ABC, "Poison Arrow" - discussed in the comments)
Tight Fit is good honest British tack.
The only real slop is the Leo Sayer tune.
And then the incongruity of Derek and the Dominoes's "Layla" receiving a dance routine from one of Zoo. A flashback to a completely different rock zeitgeist. From a funny moment in the early '80s when various classic rock singles were reissued for reasons unknown and made the pop charts: Black Sabbath "Paranoid", Lynyrd Skynyrd "Freebird".
But Japan cut through it all with the astonishing stillness, the grace and gravity of Sylvian's performance
* my response to Mark's paean to Japan / The Tin Drum / "Ghosts" is in some ways the seed, or a seed, of Shock and Awe
As mentioned by Ed in comments, another apparition of "Ghosts" on BBC teevee - The Old Grey Whistle Test.
One of my earliest ever memories is being utterly terrified of the video for "Fade to Grey"...
ReplyDeleteThe early Thatcher era of eerie electro-melancholy ('Fade ...', 'Ashes to Ashes' 'Cars' , 'O Superman' 'Only You') still resonates.
And ABC. Let's not forget ABC! The Lexicon of Love is responsible for changing my whole look and focus from tough-looking (so I thought), politically active Clash/Gang of Four kid to suit-wearing romantic, complete with swooping side part. And then, of course, came their second album. and it was back to politics.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, I meant to mention ABC. Strange record. It's like their attempt to do an "I Will Survive", I think - but with an extra veneer of retro, a return to the Days of Quality and Distinction in music. Dorothy Squires playing five sold-out nights at the Palladium. A pre-rock, pre-pop variety / showbiz idea. The kettle drums. The suits.
DeleteBut apart from the strings, the music is completely modern - Horn overproducing to the hilt.
The music achieves ABC's fantasy, but the video shortfalls a bit - Martin Fry is nearly but not quite debonair, his hulking frame moves awkwardly inside that lame suit. But this adds a certain pathos that rescues it from shlock.
Talking of showbiz, the femme fatale is Lisa Vanderpump, as in Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Vanderpump Rules, etc. She "starred" with Martin Fry in the ABC movie Mantrap (prod. Julien Temple), which is unwatchable.
Vanderpump seems almost like a porn name. But equally brings to mind Engelbert Humperdinck.
I wasn't a Japan fan, but certainly realised I'd seen something special after this performance screened. Sylvian lookalikes (or perhaps I should say wannabes) were not an uncommon sight in suburban London around this time . . .
ReplyDeleteYes, I wasn't quite a fan, but I bought "Ghosts". "Art of Parties" is good, and I've come to realise, or notice, how amazing the full long version of "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" is.
DeleteThe musicianship is incredible. Their only critical supporter for a long while was Derek Jewell, the Sunday Times pop critic, who was really a jazz music buff.
The other Sylvian record at that time I paid for was the Bamboo Houses/Bamboo Music record with Sakamoto, which is extraordinary. And a hit single!
I had thought of that TOTP appearance for Ghosts as one of the two most memorable performances I ever saw on that show, along with the notorious This Town... by Sparks.
ReplyDeleteBut now I watch it again, I realise that what I actually saw was their equally amazing OGWT version: https://youtu.be/ij089OiN8cc?si=rNTX8dK2QwC12UeZ
Making it instead one of the two most memorable performances I ever saw on that show, along with Robert Wyatt doing Shipbuilding.
Closely followed, I have to add, by Neil Young doing Computer Age in concert. I know the Trans album is widely reviled, but Sonic Youth covered Computer Age around the time of Daydream Nation, so they clearly saw something in it, too.