This is really sad for me :'(
It's goodbye to a true hero of mine... Mick Karn, the former fretless bass player with Japan (who are still arguably my favourite band). I worshipped these guys, and the whole sound of Japan was based on Mick's incredible fretless bass playing (plus sax and oboe contributions). He also worked with Gary Numan and Kate Bush. I think he's one of the finest bass players ever.
(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01796/Mick-Karn-japan_1796937c.jpg)
"The 52-year-old musician, born Adonis Michaelides in Nicosia, Cyprus, had co-founded the band with schoolfriends from Catford but after its first demise in 1982, briefly formed Dali's Car with vocalist Peter Murphy, previously with postpunk bank Bauhaus"
This is what he did best...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flHWJoDt3Yo
Japan were a massive influence on me in the early eighties and still are. Mick's fretless bass playing was incredible. Check out Sons of Pioneers...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPPfhUphj-cSad loss
Monstorous bass
..you prompted me to look at a few vids on utube too>>>>
Hadn't really been a fan...until today:))
Saw a video of Mick karn with Angie bowie..Mick was playing a Wal bass.
Wow what groovy bass lines he was playing.. he had a fantastic feel for his instrument. I was very impressed....A groove pioneer indeed...
Nick
Sad. He was a great bassist and a big influence to loads of 80s bass players.
Sad. I sort of remember those guys from my teenage years. I checked out the clips posted here - the bass sound certainly makes them stand out from similar-sounding bands. Weren't groups like that part of the "New Romantics" movement?
Yet another incentive for me to get a bass of my own.
Very sad, I knew he was ill. A huge influence on me personally and on my bands in the 1980s. I saw them several times, but one of their later tours when they had Masami Tsuchiya on guitar (and Sandii and the Sunsetz supporting) was one of the best gigs ever for me.
One year younger than me as well. It's making me feel old......
Cheers,
Nigel
Quote from: chip withrow on January 06, 2011, 01:42:20 PMWeren't groups like that part of the "New Romantics" movement?
They were going at the same time but weren't quite in that category (although there were similarities). Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet typified the New Romantics whereas Japan were more arty and bit more alternative. Definitely some similarities but Japan were unique in many ways, especially with that bass sound and lack of guitars (in their later work).
Cheers,
Nigel
This is my favourite Japan track, from the period when they still had a guitarist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq-XvZ9TK98And if you want to hear how it influenced my band at the time, go here:
https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?topic=5657.0
to listen to a track from 1983. You will here that the approach to the instrumentation and playing is very influenced by Japan (although we were more aggressive than them).
Cheers,
Nigel
Quote from: Ferryman on January 07, 2011, 05:32:00 AMQuote from: chip withrow on January 06, 2011, 01:42:20 PMWeren't groups like that part of the "New Romantics" movement?
They were going at the same time but weren't quite in that category (although there were similarities). Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet typified the New Romantics whereas Japan were more arty and bit more alternative. Definitely some similarities but Japan were unique in many ways
For a time they had similar haircuts and suits as Spandau and Duran Duran, I think a lot of people were confused by that (and I daresay Japan were happy to ride the wave for a while). But Nigel is right, Japan had a lot more depth and artistic intent. Plus they'd already been around for several more alternative albums before the New Romantic times.
Gentlemen Take Polaroids is probably my favorite of their albums (and probably in my top 5 of all albums).
Quote from: Nick / odh on January 07, 2011, 06:43:04 AMQuote from: Ferryman on January 07, 2011, 05:32:00 AMQuote from: chip withrow on January 06, 2011, 01:42:20 PMWeren't groups like that part of the "New Romantics" movement?
They were going at the same time but weren't quite in that category (although there were similarities). Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet typified the New Romantics whereas Japan were more arty and bit more alternative. Definitely some similarities but Japan were unique in many ways
For a time they had similar haircuts and suits as Spandau and Duran Duran, I think a lot of people were confused by that (and I daresay Japan were happy to ride the wave for a while). But Nigel is right, Japan had a lot more depth and artistic intent. Plus they'd already been around for several more alternative albums before the New Romantic times.
Gentlemen Take Polaroids is probably my favorite of their albums (and probably in my top 5 of all albums).
Japan had a very strange history. They started out as glam rockers, so were completely out of kilter with what was happening musically around 1977 and 1978. They changed their names (early on) to variations of the members of the New York Dolls, and that was pretty much their style to start with. It's fair to say their eventual look and music (as was the case with a lot of new romantics) was VERY influenced by Roxy Music with a bit of Bowie on the side. Japan always were a cut above the other new romantic bands of the time. There's never really been anything before or since that sounded quite like them. I was 15 at the time, and worshipped them. I was a full-on new romantic back then, and David Sylvian was my style icon. Strangely, they sound as good to me today as they did then. 'Tin Drum' is my favourite album, but it's really close between that and 'Gentlemen...' and 'Quiet Life'.
Found a short documentary on Japan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnP0mUMx5DMI'm curious to hear some JBK music (Steve Jansen, Richard Barbieri, and Mick Karn). I've never heard them before. I think they released a few albums in the nineties.
Quote from: Greeny on January 07, 2011, 07:04:58 AMI was 15 at the time, and worshipped them. I was a full-on new romantic back then, and David Sylvian was my style icon.
Got any pictures of yourself from this time that you would like to share?
I used to have a David Sylvian style floppy fringe, I will see if I can find a photo......
Quote from: Ferryman on January 07, 2011, 08:12:37 AMI used to have a David Sylvian style floppy fringe, I will see if I can find a photo......
Photos people, we need photos!!!!!!!!!!
Quote from: Ferryman on January 07, 2011, 08:12:37 AMI used to have a David Sylvian style floppy fringe, I will see if I can find a photo......
Me too! I don't think I have a pic of it when it bleached, just dark red. Will have to see if I can find it. I even bought a leather box jacket like Sylvian has on the cover of quiet life. Sounds stupid now, lol.
Those are both cracking tracks, 64 guitars. I was only listening to Assemblage last week, and it's still a superb collection.
Quote from: Greeny on January 07, 2011, 08:45:48 AMQuote from: Ferryman on January 07, 2011, 08:12:37 AMI used to have a David Sylvian style floppy fringe, I will see if I can find a photo......
Me too! I don't think I have a pic of it when it bleached, just dark red. Will have to see if I can find it. I even bought a leather box jacket like Sylvian has on the cover of quiet life. Sounds stupid now, lol.
For the love of god people....we need photos...go dig out those shoe boxes full of old photos
Quote from: Bluesberry on January 07, 2011, 10:12:50 AMQuote from: Greeny on January 07, 2011, 08:45:48 AMQuote from: Ferryman on January 07, 2011, 08:12:37 AMI used to have a David Sylvian style floppy fringe, I will see if I can find a photo......
Me too! I don't think I have a pic of it when it bleached, just dark red. Will have to see if I can find it. I even bought a leather box jacket like Sylvian has on the cover of quiet life. Sounds stupid now, lol.
For the love of god people....we need photos...go dig out those shoe boxes full of old photos
When you get to a certain age and belly girth it's quite difficult looking at pics of your slender, youthful self!
It would be funny to see all our old pics though - and the fashions that happened to be in at the time. Like a Songcrafters time machine, lol.
Quote from: Bluesberry on January 07, 2011, 10:12:50 AMFor the love of god people....we need photos...go dig out those shoe boxes full of old photos
Later people....I have dug out the shoe boxes, now need to scan the photos and post them........