Plastics - Top Secret Man (SCTV stereodub)

[Christopher1889]

The Plastics is one of the most awesome bands!

[sidgenocid]

Beautiful!!!

[roughouse]

Japanese Devo.

[Doesumama]

The guy bakes a cake, while playing the keyboard... god the Japanese are so much ahead of us.

[stickernation]

I feel like I should get a prize for discovering this video, it's so amazing. Thank you so much.

[UKSlimming]

I saw the plastics in the early eighties. Can't remember where but it was still post-punk era and most of the audience were just standing and staring at them trying to look cool. My girlfriend, my best friend and I were dancing and enjoying ourselves on a stage to the side and they turned and played to us. Chica was gorgeous.

[jmonty3020]

Please Help! I must know where to find more music from this band. I am in love but I have no clue as to where to find downloads or anything. I would profoundly appreciate anybody who has a link to a discography or something. Seriously... this stuff is blowing my mind.

[xnonsuchx]

@jmonty3020 - It's hard to find original recording media (vinyl/cassette/CD) from them and I don't know of any online music stores that have them. Here's a page that has some info on them, though: wwwDOTrockofjapanDOTcom/plasti­csDOThtml

[sparkypresident]

@jmonty3020 Maybe not much help, but you can get them on Amazon's Japanese website. They will ship to the US. Welcome Plastics and Origato Plastico make up most of their output, but are only available from private sellers via amazon.co.jp. Forever Plastico, which is available, includes quite a bit of their total. A relatively new CD, Dr.VoBG, is a live recording of a reunion tour with most of the members. It's also available.

[SirHatchporch]

@jmonty3020 I've got the first two albums on CD. I have only seen them ONCE, used, at Amoeba Music in Hollywood, and I grabbed them for $15.99 each. Let me know if you don't have any luck getting ahold of them.

[gorgonzillawithchez]

@jmonty3020 Use the youtube mp3 converter just copy the url of this vid there and download the audio as is.

[Christopher1889]

@jmonty3020 Amazon.com has two cds. Expensive, $40 USD.

[jehouse]

@jmonty3020 Go to a record store.

[PerspectiveEngineer]

Cool.

[amonpapa1]

視聴者の感性のツボをいじる究極の楽曲 30年振りに聴いて、嬉し涙が出た。

[rg6025]

love at 1;59 the way shes scarface"n that pile of blow!!!

[ytinifninfinity]

JAPAN MEETS SIOUXSIE

[GANTZK9999]

more stuff like this?

[sdh483]

This is like the Japanese version of the B-52s

[SKOTP69]

Absolutely Brilliant in so many ways! I LOVE Chica Sato!

[elctromagnesiumslate]

smells like sexplastics

[kingorbit]

I bought one of these guys albums by mistake back in 81.

I thought the album said 'Plasmatics'

I have since learned to read good.

[sabalouie2000]

@kingorbit either one is remote and classic. U are in a small group away from normality...love it

[kmattar]

very tight and fun

[sabalouie2000]

The Plastics RoCk!!! Saw them at nightclub 9:30(Washington DC) about 1982

[ozzymotorhead]

@sabalouie2000 i've been there

[Anjesis]

I love this song!!! :)

[The096757]

i love the backup singing.

[SirHatchporch]

Ha, I did the same thing with this video once I tracked down The Plastics' "Welcome Plastics" CD...although mine starts and ends with a still shot of the single cover, excising the SCTV stuff. I first saw this episode in the late '80s and looked for anything by The Plastics for years. I didn't find anything until just a few years back. Thank goodness for Amoeba Music in Hollywood.

[innitgov]

@innitgov very hot Plastics trk !! ; )

[innitgov]

PRoPER DiSCO ThAt We PLAY WitH NasTY DoO WoP & 6T'S GRG PuNK BecoZ iT'S theRE....

[FlamingoKicker]

SCTV always picked the wierdest musical acts. NBC wanted them to play more commercial acts but they would have classical violinists and rockabilly singers and hip hop bands. And whatever happened to this band? Never heard of them after this.

[xnonsuchx]

@FlamingoKicker - They had a few EPs/albums in Japan and were around for about 5 years in the mid-70's to early 80's (the recordings are from the 1979-1981 years).

[eyevocal]

@FlamingoKicker Two of the members of the Plastics went on to form the band Melon, who recorded throughout the 80's (check out the video "Serious Japanese"). Chica Saito then went on to record with Pizzicato Five and Stereo Total.

[NYrocknrollbitch]

Too cute! and too Rockin'!

[ftsjr]

I never saw this before, even though I'm a huge SCTV fan. It's a great video. It reminds me of a number of other terrific videos from the early 80s.

[GLWillaims]

watch,dont fish and drive!

[TrollCapAmerica]

as if I needed more proof that Japanese culture was superior to our own.............

[creepbehindyourback2]

new vawe >><3

[AZthehedgehog]

This is way before my time, but thanks to the internet great songs such as this will live on forever...

[mariaonlyliveonce]

oh my god this is so good, i can't believe i didn't know this band, HAHA

[ZILOGz80VIDEOS]

what kind of a tv was that???/

[xnonsuchx]

@ZILOGz80VIDEOS - Mentioned in older comments... Panasonic 'TravelVision' TR-1010P (1981)

[ZILOGz80VIDEOS]

@xnonsuchx thank you

[mondocaneman]

@xnonsuchx I owned one before!

[mhicdhughil]

b 4 Shonen knife there was The Plastics

[mondocaneman]

@mhicdhughil before The Plastics there was The Tigers and Boowy.

[kbrsts]

これって、B52'の曲だと思っていた。当時は、P-MODEL­とヒカシューしか聞いていなかったから…。

[farswept]

Yes, I found it! I believe this is the first music video I ever saw, presented on a locally - produced music video show which was hosted by local radio djs on the local ABC affiliate. Those guitars on springs really stuck with me. I guess those local show guys must have seen this on SCTV.

[GoddessVidaLA]

Way before Pizzicato Five there was The Plastics! I loved this song back in the 80's!

E-e-eeverybody Knows!

[verbusen]

OMG, I was searching for SCTV bits to waste time watching and saw this Plastics clip. I saw this band in New York City as a warm up band, I'm going to guess for DEVO. Most forgettable, I think they got booed off of the stage. They weren't the only ones I saw in Central park that year that got booed off though so they don't hold that distinction alone. New Wave had a lot of bad along with the good music.

[XioJester]

hell yeah

[Jupitroid]

I had a TV like he's holding at 0:05. Got it 3 years ago at a flea market for $5-sold it for $80. It has a tiny picture tube behind a magnifying glass.

This version sounds different than what I have on my Plastics vinyl.Great version, and what a crazy video! The Plastics song that my friends and I were into back then was "Copy." I didn't hear anything but that and "Robot" until the mid '90s. We're lucky that we even heard of them in Utah.

[purejam]

すげえ！今でも古くない！！

[mattnara]

The way he introduces the video really get me excited to see this video. I was like 10 or something when I saw this episode of SCTV. I hope someone can upload the enitre skit.

[freebirth777]

i wish i had life

[Mind1973]

Yes! Thank you Youtube for letting me heae and see this gem once again. The full SCTV skit had Rick Moranis as an American VJ battling the Japanese VJ utilizing cheesy video dissolves and wipes until the cancel each other out. At the end of the segment we see a parody of a then communist Russia video show. I think Rick Moranis represented American music by playing a video from The Talking Heads. Can't remember which song though. Thanks for posting this!

[xnonsuchx]

@Mind1973 - "Once in a Lifetime"

[kyokogodai]

@Mind1973 Yes, Dave Thomas as "Tim Ishimuni" is awesome. This is a great vid. When are these going to show up on DVD??????

[xnonsuchx]

@kyokogodai - There are some available on DVD (where this vid was ripped from), but mostly only the older ones that were the 90-minute shows NBC showed after SNL as complete eps, but only a few compillations of later show (like the ones w/ Martin Short) skits. Check Amazon for some good deals.

[Neptuneman07]

@xnonsuchx It's on SCTV Volume 2 Box Set. Still in print too. Well-worth the entertainment.

[joeblowthehot]

OOOOPsss! NO NO NO Iam so wrong..sorry kids.

[xnonsuchx]

@joeblowthehot - Were you thinking YMO? Ryuichi Sakamoto from YMO co-wrote JAPAN's "Taking Islands In Africa"

[joeblowthehot]

one of them ended up in that 80s group JAPAN...

I like this version of this song the best.

[Christopher1889]

How do I get in touch with this group? I know they were short lived, but they may have a nice come back now.

If anyone knows, they can contact me at christopher1889@verizon.com.

[xnonsuchx]

@Christopher1889 - Dunno what you really hope to accomplish, but the lead singer's current website is: www4.airnet.ne.jp/mor/tosh/

[EnglishWebTeacher]

Brilliant video and nice music. Can't remember this group myself!

[shortminute]

Thanks for uploading this.

[McNabbulous]

What the hell is the deal with the freaking penguin?

[Aggedor1959]

Nice old-school New Wave Synth-Pop. Excellent post, xnonsuchx!

[bd594]

When I was a kid I caught the tail end of this video and could never figure out who they were. Now it's 2010 and voila.....the video is on you tube. Now I got 28 + years of catch-up on playback.

[mrdiamondheadTV]

Iv'e Got a Minute and I Get Up and Go.I've Got My Bags and I Run Through the Kitchen.Iv'e Got My Bicycle Riding Down the Highway.I Kiss Your Mouth and GO GO GO GO!

[desertlonghair]

I have the vinyl LP, AND the "Welcome Plastics" CD, but they contain "Top Secret," not "Top Secret Man" (two different recordings entirely) .... so where is "Top Secret Man" from? Any certain LP or single? I first bought the LP back in 1981, and even saw this SCTV vid when it first aired :)

[parkiecharler]

@desertlonghair

what? i've never heard of that. i'm sure this song is their second single and it was included on the "Welcome Plastics" LP and they both came out in jan 80.

by the way their third album "Welcome Back" contains re-recording of the song.

[desertlonghair]

@parkiecharler

Interesting... the version you hear in this SCTV video is not the version I have on the vinly LP from 1981 (the U.S. release, at least). The Import CD "Welcome Back" that I got a few years ago also contains the same tracks as my U.S. vinyl LP... so what I'm wondering is, where is THIS version that's in the video SCTV from? It's just an entirely different recorded song than what I have .....

[xnonsuchx]

@desertlonghair - It's supposedly the version from their first LP, "Welcome Plastics." Never heard of it just called "Top Secret," though!

[thomasmoredamian]

I adore the Plastics: sold their records years ago in Seattle.

[ecstasys]

mmmm now can see the fathers of Polysics

[goblinb]

This is totally nutty! I love it! I've never heard it before(although I think I've heard of the plastics before)

[Treydesu]

Everybody knows ba ba ba ba bout the Secret! Hellzin Yeahs. I Love this song. This is going on my IPodz.

[hardcorecrew]

joder esto es buenisimo

[joannazombie]

geniales (Y)

[guillou17]

welcomeback...

[VITIXER]

Tim Ishimuni!

[meismetwo2]

groveeee baby

[ScorpioRising100]

AH! Good old SCTV and this awesome, cool, groovy 80's new wave tune! I am totally addicted to this song! LOL!

And, oh, for the politically incorrect 80's again;

Dave Thomas in Japanese makeup/glasses:

"THE PWASTICS!" LOL!

Thanks for uploading this rockin' tune.

[xnonsuchx]

Well, others had uploaded the tune...I just synced it to a monophonic copy of the video.

[mrdiamondheadTV]

Not big on reminiscing,but the first time I saw video and the three members in the Santa outfits,dancing skinny ways,60s styling,was much too much joy for me.Thank You,Plastics!

[skull666crusher]

xDDDDD

AWESOME AWESOME SONG!!!!

hahaha!!

[jingodemail]

awesome.

[rachel112263]

Everybody knows!!! Fun for everyone!!! Thanks for posting this incredible song with such good quality.

[donutbrain]

Ditto!! :-)

[Edward80s]

Good song!

[parkiecharler]

do you know that rough trade records released the debut single of the plastics in november 79. and two months later the band made their record debut in japan with this song and album.

[classic7890]

i want one of those retro itty bitty tvs he`s holding

any idea on the manufacturer ?

[xnonsuchx]

It's a Panasonic 'TravelVision' TR-1010P that came out in 1981.

[El135o]

It's STILL ahead of its time.

What brand of keyboard can stand the punishment of steamed rice, though?

[xnonsuchx]

If you mean the synth that turns into cake, it appears to be a Roland SH-2.

[Neville6000]

@classic7890: Possibly Panasonic, and maybe very hard to find, and also probably not workable today (all TV being digital.) Good luck with your search, let me know what you can find, and if you can see anything on it.

[cpburrowes]

Damn it! why did i ebay my plastics vinyl a few years back?

[xnonsuchx]

As I mentioned in response to earlier comments, there is a WELCOME PLASTICS CD...but sells for ~$60 new and $25-30 used.

[spiff2268]

Holy crap, I actually remember watching this!

[bionicgforcecoffee]

Geez, don't let the PC Police see Dave Thomas acting like a japanese guy, it is no doubt horrifically offensive to Asians everywhere. I fogot how cool Plastics are- helluva lot more original and talented than Nickelback!

[xnonsuchx]

I think when there's a comedy 'troupe,' that doesn't have a certain demographic within the cast, it's accepted for them to pretend to be that rather than having to get an extra...as long as it's not in horribly bad taste.

[kdeviljay]

This is so addicting to watch. I can't stop watching and I don't know why. It is like Subway and NHL hockey.

[CaptainAgnostic]

Classic 80s!! Thanks for uploading it :D

[sonicjay007]

a 1979 par excellence of a song..it never fails to hit me like a Jack in a Box

[ThePoopsnak]

actually this is just as good as any other crazy 80s band .....love the surf tone

[Clockerstance]

Oh man what an awful video.

[xnonsuchx]

But a GOOD aweful...you know "aweful" means "full of awe," right? ;-)

[MNWildfan72]

No, Clockerstance would not know that. Too stupid.

[Clockerstance]

Haha, oh man, I just said I did not enjoy the video. The plastics are quite good, otherwise.

[collins2067]

thank you sooo much saw this when I was kid, in canada and it always stuck in my head, just saw it again now! i luv it! ironically enough i have lived in japan now for almost 16 great years! luv the plastics, luv Japan!

[ArcStormZ]

@collins2067 Why did you move out there, if you don't mind me asking? I am really curious about the culture.

[0mikako0]

この曲大好き!

[naizret]

Tim Ishimuni rules!

[Haystackable]

Changed my life. The greatest song and video ever!

[thehighwaychild]

Brilliant!

[MisterEvasion]

One of the things I looked forward to when I got the SCTV box set was the Gerry Todd show. This is typical of the new wave video of those days and not a bad song either.

[35sixer]

thanks for posting I remember seeing this vid and no one ever remembered the Plastics from Japan not a bad tune

[baronofbeef]

The album is GREAT! Mr Diamond Head roxxxxx

[rubinoos1]

Were all of the songs by this band in English?

[xnonsuchx]

As far as I know, yes...but most bands from ANY country in the 80's trying to make "pop music" usually did their songs in english.

[mellowild]

i think mix was about 50-50 English/Japanese, if memory serves.

[cro44magnum]

There's been alot of wild and unique takes on western pop music to come out of Japan. Punk, new wave, surf and so on. This song is a good example.

[valen0002]

i remember watching this on SCTV long ago, and I was blown away. Great music, video by obscure artist. A favorite, along with Polyrock.

[cogsturning]

whoa awesome! i love these guys but i had no idea they had any non-live videos.

[jrcasselman]

This was the first video I ever saw back in 1982!

[StaunchComic]

They are cool it reminds me of an asian version of the B'52's.

[Neptuneman07]

Definately a Japan's B-52's with PIL and DEVO influences. For me = Freakin' Awesome!

[InsertName125]

Ahh, but who's better: the plastics or the plasmatics?

[TwinkleSpaceGirl]

WEEEEEEEE~~~~!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dwdeclare]

cool man

[theorb747]

Unfortunately,I caught the Platics late when they warmed up for the B-52s yellow album.More energy.

[radiofan6872]

Wow, this is superb quality. Thanks for posting it!

[xnonsuchx]

Another Plastics song, "I Love You, Oh No!" has been used on a recent Dell TV ad too (though appears to have been re-recorded by another artist...I haven't compared the audio closely enough).

[impossiblefunky]

The cover is by Stereo Total.

[xnonsuchx]

Thanks! I actually just realized that recently, but for some reason, they call it, "I Love You, Ono" instead of "I Love You, Oh No!" (as it is on the Plastics album).

[theboomer61]

I was watching SCTV when this aired and taped this song. What a classic 80's song!!

[logician09]

Domo Origato Plastico!

True classic....thanks for posting this...

[bpoag]

More Devo than Devo.

[darksouldealer]

holy shit ive been looking for this!!!! memories! now to find the cd

[xnonsuchx]

I don't think their stuff was ever re-released on CD...unfortunately. If so, it would be a VERY obscure import.

[xnonsuchx]

I was wrong...there apparently IS a Japanese CD of the album "Welcome Plastics" including this song, but it seems to sell for about $60-65 new and at least $30-35 used. Search Amazon.

[landraiderares]

There's so much to love about this song and the video...and your stereo overdub is nicely done.

I still think that teeny TV is the cat's pyjamas, and I'd love to own one - too bad they blocked out the brand name with a piece of tape!

[xnonsuchx]

I think it's a Panasonic, if I remember correctly.

[Neville6000]

@landraiderares: The brand in question is Panasonic, the make and model is a TRAVELVISION TR-1010P, and if you Google it, you be able to find it.

[nyr1994]

Dave Thomas is friggin hilarious!!

[Neptuneman07]

Thanks for bringing this new wave classic back! Long Live The Plastics!

[warlocksarewatching]

Japanese comedy pretty much has to do with complete randomness...ie in the video there is a scene of the plastics in santa suits dancing on die lmao

[Vincek88]

Which is one of my favorite things on video ever. I will be using it on this year's e-Christmas card.

[Katrinawitch]

Holy Crap! I was thinking about this band/skit on SCTV recently, and here it is! I remember seeing this when it first aired. Thanks for posting!

[ThePacificSun]

Good job. Only one of today's self important self righteous powder puffs would be offended by Dave Thomas' portrayal of the awesome SCTV character Tim Ishumuni. Tim's appearances were always a bright spot for the show. The 1981-82 NBC SCTV season was one of the best. We loved his straight forward interview style and loved the CAN/USA's satirizations in many funny characters portrayed. Only American baby wipes(who aren't Japanese)would be offended by this.(bored I guess)Good Dub!

[xnonsuchx]

Thanks! YouTube's converter seems to very slightly offset the audio compared to my original file, but it was kind of a pain to get synced up since the video was getting about a sec. out of sync towards the end. Gave me some needed practice w/ video editing tools! :-)