Big in Japan (Alphaville song) explained

Big in Japan
Cover:Alphaville - Big in Japan Cover.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Alphaville
Album:Forever Young
B-Side:Seeds
Released:January 1984
Recorded:1983
Genre:Synth-pop[1]
Label:WEA
Producer:Orlando (Wolfgang Loos)
Next Title:Sounds Like a Melody
Next Year:1984

"Big in Japan" is the debut single of the German synth-pop band Alphaville from their 1984 album Forever Young.

The single was a success in many countries, including West Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. It was also the group's only UK Top 75 hit, reaching  8 on the UK Singles chart. The song also reached No. 1 on the Hot Dance Club Play in December 1984.

In a 2022 interview, Alphaville lead singer Marian Gold said that it was "a great privilege" to have "Big in Japan" and "Forever Young" in "their luggage" when touring, and that he was grateful to be able to perform the songs.[2]

Recording

"Big in Japan" and the single's B-side "Seeds" were two of the first three tracks recorded for Forever Young and was released as a single before Alphaville had finished recording the remainder of the album.[3]

The group employed a Roland System-100M to create the bassline. The timing of the song was influenced by "The Safety Dance", changing the speed to double-time halfway through the song. The melody was developed by all three members of the band, working in their home studio.[4]

Marian Gold developed most of the lyrics while visiting a dentist. The theme was based on two friends who were involved in the sordid drug scene of West Berlin's Zoo station. The refrain "big in Japan" symbolises the idea of being successful in another world, a fantasy about being drug-free. Gold said: "That line has a certain meaning. It means that if you're a complete loser, you're telling other people, 'I'm not a loser because in Japan I'm really big.' It's the lie of the loser and it fitted perfectly into the story of these junkies, which the song is about, in a very tragic way."[4] Gold later explained: "We originally weren’t sure whether we should put it on the album, because it’s a bit autobiographical in that it reflects my time in West Berlin in the late 70s, with the drug scene around the train station and the zoo, and all the underground things. It has nothing to do with Japan."[5]

The phrase was inspired by the name of the band Big in Japan. Gold said: "As you know, there's a considerable musical market in Japan. If you wanted to become famous, what you should do was to form a hard rock group and then release an album over there; it would definitely sell well ... so the story went ..."[6]

Release and promotion

In reaching No. 1 on the German singles chart, the song displaced "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, whose lead singer Holly Johnson had been a member of the band Big in Japan. Gold considered this a remarkable coincidence[4] and later said that "we never got to speak with him but he must have wondered 'who is this German group with a song named after my band?'"[5]

An accompanying music video was directed by Dieter Meier from the band Yello.[7] The cover art for the single is by .

Original 1984 release

Track listings

7" single
  1. "Big in Japan" (7" Version) – 3:52
  2. "Seeds" – 3:15
12" maxi
  1. "Big in Japan" (7" Version) – 3:52
  2. "Seeds" – 3:15
12" maxi Germany & France WEA 249417–0
  1. "Big in Japan" (Extended Remix) – 7:25
  2. "Big in Japan" (Extended Instrumental) – 6:10
12" maxi US WEA 0–86947
  1. "Big in Japan" (Extended Vocal) – 7:25
  2. "Big in Japan" (Instrumental Version) – 6:10
  3. "Big in Japan" (7" Version) – 3:58

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1984)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] 67
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[9] 1
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[10] 5
Spain (AFYVE)[11] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[12] 66
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play1

Year-end charts

Chart (1984)Rank
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[14] 26
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[15] 27
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] 35
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17] 42
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[18] 20
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 2
UK Singles (OCC)[20] 66
West Germany (Official German Charts)[21] 5

Certification

1992 re-release

Big in Japan 1992 A.D.
Cover:Alphaville - Big In Japan 1992 CD Cover.jpg
Alt:Big in Japan 1992 A.D. CD cover
Border:yes
Caption:Big in Japan 1992 A.D. CD cover
Type:single
Artist:Alphaville
A-Side:Big in Japan 1992 A.D.
Released:1992
Label:Warner Music
Prev Title:The Mysteries of Love
Prev Year:1990
Next Title:Fools
Next Year:1994

Alphaville rereleased the song, with new remixes, in 1992 to coincide with the release of their compilation album First Harvest 1984–92.

Track listings

EU CD single "Big in Japan 1992 A.D."
  1. "Big in Japan 1992 A.D. Freedom Mix (Single Edit)" – 3:14
  2. "Big in Japan The Mix (Single Edit)" – 4:14
  3. "Big in Japan 1992 A.D. Freedom Mix (Extended Version)" – 4:51
  4. "Big in Japan The Mix (Extended Version)" – 6:05 (same as the "Culture Mix" from First Harvest 1984–92)
EU CD single "Big in Japan Swemix Remix"
  1. "Big in Japan (Swemix Remix 7")" – 3:57
  2. "Big in Japan (Swemix Remix 12")" – 8:27
  3. "Big in Japan (Swemix DUB)" – 6:44
EU 12" vinyl single "Big in Japan 1992 A.D." (white vinyl)
  1. "Big in Japan 1992 A.D. Freedom Mix (Extended Version)" – 4:51
  2. "Big in Japan 1992 A.D. Freedom Dub" – 4:56
  3. "Big in Japan The Mix (Extended Version)" – 6:05

Charts

"Big in Japan 1992 AD" reached No. 2 in Finland and No. 15 in Sweden.[22]

Guano Apes version

Big in Japan
Cover:Guano apes -- big in japan -- singlecover.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Guano Apes
Album:Don't Give Me Names
Released:20 March 2000
Length:2:49
Label:Supersonic
Prev Title:Don't You Turn Your Back on Me
Prev Year:1999
Next Title:No Speech
Next Year:2000

In 2000, Guano Apes released a cover version of "Big in Japan" as the lead single for their second album Don't Give Me Names on 12 April 2000. The music video shows the band performing in an empty arena, followed by a fan trying to locate them.

Track listing

CD single

  1. Big in Japan – 2:49
  2. Gogan – 2:47
  3. I Want It – 3:17

7" single

  1. Big in Japan – 2:48
  2. I Want It – 3:15

Maxi single

  1. Big in Japan – 2:49
  2. Gogan – 2:47
  3. I Want It – 3:17
  4. La Noix – 2:19
  5. Big in Japan (Space Jazz Dubmen Mix) – 4:32

Charts

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Stewart . Mason . Big in Japan – Song Review . . 26 June 2013 .
  2. Web site: Pingitore . Silvia . 2022-09-12 . Interview with Alphaville's Marian Gold about Forever Young . 2023-07-30 . en-GB.
  3. Forever Young (Deluxe Edition) . 2018 . Warner Music.
  4. Marian . Gold . Marian Gold . Bernhard . Lloyd . Bernhard Lloyd . Duncan Haskell . How I wrote 'Big in Japan' by Alphaville . Songwriting Magazine . 15 March 2019 . 22 February 2020 .
  5. Douglas . McPherson . Godfathers of Pop: Marian Gold . . September 2019 . 30 June 2021 .
  6. so80s presents Alphaville . CD liner notes . . . 2014 . SC0344.
  7. Web site: Alphaville.de 20th anniversary edition. https://web.archive.org/web/20070712111419/http://www.alphaville.de/disco/singles.htm. dead. 12 July 2007.
  8. Web site: Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989 . Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien . 22 July 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131020025459/http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=21533&pages= . 20 October 2013.
  9. Web site: UK, Eurochart, Billboard & Cashbox No.1 Hits . MusicSeek.info . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060614052203/http://musicseek.info/no1hits/1984.htm . 14 June 2006.
  10. Web site: South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (A) . Rock.co.za . 20 July 2013 .
  11. Book: Salaverri, Fernando . September 2005 . Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 . 1st . Fundación Autor-SGAE . Spain . 84-8048-639-2 . es.
  12. Web site: Alphaville – Awards . . 20 July 2013 .
  13. Web site: OLiS – oficjalna lista airplay. OLiS. pl. 22 January 2024. Select week 13.01.2024–19.01.2024..
  14. Web site: Jahreshitparade 1984 . Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien . 1 February 2014 . de.
  15. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 1984 . Ultratop. Hung Medien . 1 February 2014 . nl.
  16. Web site: Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1984 . . 13 May 2016 . nl.
  17. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Single 1984 . Single Top 100. Hung Medien . 1 February 2014 . nl.
  18. Web site: Top 20 Hit Singles of 1984 . Rock.co.za . 1 February 2014 .
  19. Web site: Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1984 . Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien . 20 July 2013 . de.
  20. Top 100 Singles . . Morgan-Grampian plc . London, England . 37 . 26 January 1985 . 4 May 2022 .
  21. Web site: Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts: 1984 . Offiziellecharts.de . GfK Entertainment charts . https://web.archive.org/web/20150509000536/https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/single-jahr/for-date-1984 . 9 May 2015 . de.
  22. Web site: swedishcharts.com – Alphaville – Big In Japan 1992 A.D. . Swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien . 20 July 2013 .