Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (instrumental) explained

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
Cover:RyuichiSakamotoSingle.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Ryuichi Sakamoto
Album:Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence O.S.T
B-Side:Sowing the Seed
Released:September 1983
Genre:Electronic
Length:4:38
Label:Virgin
Producer:Ryuichi Sakamoto
Prev Title:Forbidden Colours
Prev Year:1983
Next Title:Field Work
Next Year:1985

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" is a 1983 instrumental single by Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto recorded for the film of the same name. The song has become a staple of Christmas music in the United States and Japan. A vocal version, "Forbidden Colours", features former Japan frontman David Sylvian and charted in the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart and Irish Singles Chart.

Watergate version

Heart of Asia
Type:single
Artist:Watergate
B-Side:"Infinity" (club mix)
Length:3:06 (radio edit)
Label:
  • Dance Division
  • Underdog
Producer:

In September 1999, a remix of Sakamoto's "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" titled "Heart of Asia" was released in Europe by German-Turkish disc jockey DJ Quicksilver, under the alias Watergate. This version was a success, reaching number three on the UK Singles Chart and number four in Denmark.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1999–2000)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[2] 98
Denmark (IFPI)[3] 4
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[4] 18

Year-end charts

Chart (2000)Position
Ireland (IRMA)[5] 98
UK Singles (OCC)[6] 86

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
Germany24 September 1999CD
United Kingdom1 May 2000Positiva[7]

Other versions

There is a 12-inch vinyl Italo disco cover version on the Italian record label Discomagic named "Clock on 5 – Theme from Furyo" which was released in 1984.[8] In 2004, Croatian pianist Maksim Mrvica included a piano remix of "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" on his third album, Variations Part I&II. Japanese-American R&B artist Hikaru Utada heavily sampled the theme for her 2009 song "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – FYI", from the album This Is the One.

In 2008, a cover version of "Forbidden Colours" was included on Hollywood Mon Amour,[9] a collection of songs from soundtracks of movies made in the 1980s, rearranged by Marc Collin of Nouvelle Vague with Nadeah Miranda providing the vocals. Also in 2008, UK Hardcore producer Orbit1 remixed the song and called it "Heart of Asia" – named after the 2000 Watergate remix. It came out on the Hardcore Nation 2009. In 2009, British singer Faryl Smith recorded a version of the song for her album Wonderland, entitled "Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence (Somewhere Far Away)".

Japanese post-hardcore band Fact recorded a track by the title "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" on their self-titled album. Tokyo Brass Style, a Japanese big band, recorded a cover of the title theme for their fifth album, Brass Style Xmas. Sherwood & Pinch released a version of the song on their 2017 LP Man vs Sofa.[10]

The 1985 French-Japanese documentary Tokyo Melody contains footage of Sakamoto playing the instrumental on a grand piano in his home.

Influence

Peter Buck, guitarist for R.E.M., has credited the film's theme song as an inspiration for the mandolin part he composed for the band's hit song "Losing My Religion".[11]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 263.
  2. Book: Ryan, Gavin. Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. 2011. Moonlight Publishing. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia.
  3. Top National Sellers. Music & Media. 16. 46. 23. 6 November 1999. 16 April 2020.
  4. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 17. 21. 11. 20 May 2000. 16 April 2020.
  5. Web site: Top 100 of 2000. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20040602112628/http://www.rte.ie/2fm/charts/top100_2000.html. 2 June 2004. 16 March 2022.
  6. Best Sellers of 2000: Singles Top 100. Music Week. 25. 20 January 2001.
  7. New Releases – For Week Starting May 1, 2000: Singles. Music Week. 27. 29 April 2000.
  8. Web site: Clock On 5 - Theme From Furyo (Vinyl) at Discogs . Discogs.com . 1 March 2012.
  9. Web site: Hollywood, Mon Amour - Hollywood, Mon Amour at Discogs . Discogs.com . 1 March 2012.
  10. Web site: Sherwood* & Pinch (2) - Man Vs. Sofa. Discogs. en. 23 May 2017.
  11. Web site: Myers. Marc. 12 April 2016. en-US. Behind R.E.M.'s Hit 'Losing My Religion'. Wall Street Journal. 11 May 2021.