Japan: Adolescent Sex

[GDOBSSOR]

I came across this band by chance in an encyclopaedia of rock my mother gave me a couple of Christmases ago. Such a great band!!

[skippbitman]

At the risk of sounding gay, it is interesting to see how good looking Steve was. Better looking than his bro David.

[MiKa695]

80's !!! yeah!

[skippbitman]

@MiKa695 You dick! This was the 70s!!

[Troyman021]

I bought a T-shirt with the Adolescent Sex album cover on it! Just about everyone that asked about my shirt thought it was a logo for the actual country -.-, such a shame to come across few people that know of Japan, let alone anyone that knows that "Japan" is attributed to the name of a band and not just the country :P

[Dadoc68]

First single I had... still love it!

[Schizopantheist]

I had no idea until this moment there was a -glam rock- Japan. Amazing!

[cheytan]

pretty sissy boys ! :))) fantastic song

[VioletFlameScotland]

Classic stuff... way ahead of its time!

[chokeonpeanuts]

Can't get enough of this song.

[AKANEKOQUEEN]

カッコイイバンドでしたよね



[TheScoundrelDays]

JUST KEEP ON DANCING and listening to Japan!

[Waxingeuphoric]

Never a bad song by these guys. They massage my brain. Thank you JAPAN.

[diva430]

love watching this video. but the suggestions that youtube puts on the right side kind of scares me.

[Troyman021]

Man it's crazy how underrated Japan is. They're awesome in both glam rock and new wave form. They should've gotten more praise for their music, especially on Tin Drum. At least they had some moderate success here in Canada.

[Diesel90nl]

like the base........

[limaktba]

@Diesel90nl bass

[seanchristopherfranc]

thank god they matured... :-)

[nigelsmee]

Mick Karn is the fookin bass god.

[bajpskynet]

Wat een geweldig nummer!

[TheSweet567]

@bajpskynet of niet!

[CHANNELJUDGE]

Cheers

[SmoookeMyBooones]

2:13 - 2:24 :)

[mizi257]

mantapppppp?



[aikighost]

This was one of the classic albums of my youth, nobody else in school seemed to have heard of them at the times. Everyone else was too busy being into Simple Minds instead.

Also had the same problem with Shriekback.

[SweetSoulDevil]

It's my appeal to everyone: we must all get together and build a time machine!! There's no more time to waste!!!

[jrmetmoi]

@SweetSoulDevil Yeah save some of the hot androgynous looking musician guys for me man!

[annegie100]

Dit is zo'n "geil" nummer. Toendertijd was ik wel heeeeel jong maar ik vond het zo geweldig.

[dessertmoonface]

Absolutely fab! This is what inspired me to start my own band. They had it going on! Just after the death of Punk and the rebirth of Glam Rock. Later termed 'New Romantics' David Sylvian rocked! Oh, and Mick Karn, that bass line..

[GregoryBrownOnICE]

<3 <3 <3 Mick Karn <3 <3 <3

[ziggyharket]

They are so amazing. My God why are there so few bands around like this nowadays? And why can't guys dress like this anymore. David Sylvian is sooooo beautiful.

[jrmetmoi]

I just gotta know: Do ANY Americans know about Japan, you know - not the nation but the band -, at all? Have they ever been exposed to their audially and aesthetically pleasing awesomeness?? Ever??

[rusty1491]

@jrmetmoi This is my first time listening to Japan. The internet is changing everything. No longer a slave to some DJ playing top 40 radio.

[sudokuwkroku]

Anyone knows similar bands to Japan? I very like their sound. Sylvian solo is pretty good too.

[LittleEmoDancer]

@sudokuwkroku You can hear a lot of Japan flavor in in tons of slightly later bands. Bowie has a similar vocal style in his 70's work, the guitar and bass is pretty clear in english punk bands like Wire and to some extent the mod revival bands like The Jam. The melodic bass lines and keyboards came into their own with new romantic bands like Duran Duran, Adam and The Ants, etc. If you dig the beat, open the can of worms labeled "disco;" a lot to learn there.

[sudokuwkroku]

@LittleEmoDancer Thanks for your answer. See you know what's what. :)

[thegerrie19561]

Japan was and is one of the great bands. The first two albums were not as popular as the other ones, who care's

[jrmetmoi]

I'm surprised that the first two albums by Japan didn't reach America and make an impact. *shrugs shoulders* Especially since, 10 years from this vid a lot of bad US bands were ripping off this particular look and styling.

[IdleAl]

Brilliant, not seen this for years. They were the link between stuff like the New York Dolls and the 80's electropop bands like Human league etc.

[SexLeppardMaster]

Oh my Fuck...... and I mean that in a bad way

[tonyf12345]

Is that David Sylvean or Tori Spelling? ;) (just kididing.) I love Japan!

[fiendwithoutaface66]

@tonyf12345 yes this video and the others from their "glam" era are probably the stuff of his nightmares since he's such a serious artist now haha

[jrmetmoi]

@fiendwithoutaface66 LOL That's so funny! But David's got nothing to be ashamed of really. There's nothing wrong with this and everybody evolves.

[paintedship]

@jrmetmoi he's been embarrassed of this as far back as 1980 probably. I've heard him say in an interview from 1982 they didn't know what they were doing on their first two albums.

[jrmetmoi]

@paintedship That's so silly. Especially when in retrospect early or late Japan beats a lot of the popular stuff going today. I mean a lot of artists evolve with their sound and their presentation, and everybody has to start from somewhere but none of them have anything to be embarassed about. I wonder if Mick felt the same way? Hmmm....

[paintedship]

@jrmetmoi not sure but his book probably sheds light on this, didn't read it

[frazettastone]

i certainly wasn't trying to suggest that japan tried to sound like duran..only that the mutual. ecognition.japans constant progression and change. I just think that denying japan as an inflence ,when they plainly state they were, which i think was purely complimentary and praising.the LP 's after A.S. are even more in the sound duran persued.duran came out in 80.my intro to japan was thru them.i'm just greatful for that!

[frazettastone]

@beepollen1 i live ,right now anyway, in the usa. thats me in the backround pic on my channel. ..ps...YOU ARE gorgeous!

[frazettastone]

@beepollen1 I just looked it up..its "get on up"

[frazettastone]

@beepollen1 lol! no dought! i watched it and i'm no expert lip-reader but its seems like those glossy lipsticked lips are making a "p" and not a "v".

[frazettastone]

@beepollen1 ya know what..i dunno! in my head i always sang "can love take it much higher'. but i've heard it like twice since 1983 lol! they're probably saying something a bit more sassier! (like get it up). i'll have to look that one up.

[MechaGojira00]

Hahaha!, no man, the blueprint for Duran Duran might be The Archie's or The Patridge Family or who cares!, but it's not Japan!

[frazettastone]

@MechaGojira00 duran themselves explicitly (in the early 80's) named japan as an influence. ironic in many ways.1). japan were a bowie/glam rip off (with cheesy synths.kinda like..anyway).don't get me wrong i luv 'em but they were FAR from original.2). by '83 Japan were sounding like Duran (gentlemen take polaroids.).coinsidense? 3)early duran's appeal was a cross-breed of stuff like japan (bowie-esque glam), late 70's/early 80's funk/dance,and 'new wave' Partridge family? dont be stupid.

[fiendwithoutaface66]

@frazettastone Gentlemen Take Polaroids came out in 1980- Japan were split up by the end of 1982. They played their last concert Dec 1982. Duran Duran was definitely influenced by them and they have stated this a number of times. They even went with their first demo tape in the hopes that a member of Japan would help produce their first album.

Early Japan is much more influenced by the NY Dolls. I wouldn't name Bowie as the number one influence either on the later stuff, Roxy Music more so.

[fiendwithoutaface66]

@frazettastone Japan never ever tried to sound like Duran Duran. It was quite the other way around. Listen to Quiet Life by Japan and then Planet Earth by Duran Duran. Also Tiger Tiger with its use of fretless bass.

[fiendwithoutaface66]

@MechaGojira00 if you read up on this they definitely were a blueprint. Nick Rhodes and John Taylor in particular were huge fans of Japan. They have named them as an influence but not as quickly as roxy music, bowie etc. probably because they were too contemporary to name check at that time.

[Jonelkenaamisbezet]

rip mick

[dlcasey222]

I think I'm turning Japanese or at least getting the vapors...

[Deango2]

@dlcasey222 lol

[feefers3]

Blueprint for Duran Duran? hahahahah. Get real.

[frazettastone]

@feefers3 i remember when i was 13 ('83) i heard a radio specila about duran duran. they had segment about thier influences and they played this song, starman by david bowie and i think chic

[fiendwithoutaface66]

@feefers3 their stuff circa Quiet Life and Gentlemen Take Polaroids definitely is.

[Enevan1968]

RIP Mick Karn...

[hiromiberg]

Mick r.i.p

[69schuey]

rest in peace mick!!!

[Khrystene]

RIP Mick Karn. <3

[Burbridge92]

Rest In Peace Mick Karn.

[Burbridge92]

Let's all pray for Mick Karn, whose suffering with advanced stage cancer. :'(

[xnightkillerx]

fuckin' great track.

[ladydawn1973]

Good song...a very creative performance I think i will get the cd :)..

[annbloom]

I loOove it!!!

[RikkiX69]

One of my fave albums of all time. Check out tracks like Don't Rain on my Parade, Suburban Love, and Communist China. Finnish band Hanoi Rocks were big fans of Japan. Look at their early image and somgs like Sweet Home Suburbia & Kill City Kills.

[Ilovedigitalsex]

OMG-

where have this band been all my life.

who is the guy with the blonde hair- if i was alive in 78 i would have hunted + destroyed him.

that delicious girly boy + the term adolescent sex makes me crazy-

WHO IS THAT BLONDE LEAD??

+ its an excellent tune.....

[saulgenesisfan]

The guy with the blond hair is David Sylvian, the drummer is his brother Steve Janson (their original last name was Batt). Then the keyboard player is Richard Barbieri who now plays for Porcupine Tree. The other two are bassist/saxophonist Mick Karn and Lead Guitarist Rob Dean. They split in 1982 (Dean had already left in 1980), and briefly reformed as Rain Tree Crow in 1991 (minus Dean).

[saulgenesisfan]

There albums were as follows: Adolescent Sex (1977), Obscure Alternatives (1978), Quiet Life (1979), Gentlemen Take Polaroids (1980), Tin Drum (1981), and Rain Tree Crow (1991). And a load of compilations as well.

[m74k3H]

The lead singer is David Sylvian.

[neilb13]

Lead is David Sylvian, his brother, on drums, was cute too.

[ukemaan]

He is David Sylvian~

[solution777]

David Sylvian is the lead and was voted The World's Most Beautiful Man for '86 and '87!

[Tonannee]

@solution777 did he won either or both year(s)?

[cisco9x]

@solution777 You mean even better than Nick Rhodes?

[fingersin]

If i was alive in 78 I would have helped you destroying tha' delicious girly boy!

[annemiekbdr]

ongeloofelijk!! Vroeger hing m'n hele kamer vol met posters van deze heren!!!!!

Geweldig nummer! Fantasties om weer eens te zien. Bedankt voor het plaatsen!

[narcistsj]

shiela~

[tipetto]

1978 from the album abolescent sex...

[sailorodessa]

Tell me, pls... how old is this song?

[plukvdpetter]

Hi 1979 I think! Crackin'album as well

[VonnetjeD]

Awsome!!

[margaretsch]

Garbage.

[troytubo]

neat stuff - but in person they are monsters.

[Acidmarx]

temazo : inicios de Japan, con coletazos glam todavía.

[gamb00l]

30 (and counting) years of genius from david sylvian started with this album. awesome stuff.

[Schainsaw]

...how do they get their hair like that....kewl

i lovies this band! this song i sbrill.

[MikeyMcCrashCap]

Great song! Awesome guitar riff.

[pluckinghopeless]

i am also like richard burberry & steve ginseng - wikid for long time innit

[pluckinghopeless]

david silverman is velly good yes?

[Aymarrr]

DAVIDS SO SEXY!

x

[motellife]

i dont know why, but i hate david sylvian's lips.

[JannacciBoldi]

Fabulous song, different from the Gentlemen and Tin Drum's ones but very cool!!! David seems a doll!

[suejan2349]

Still got the album, but haven't played it in a while...ha ha

[MegasthenesTosas]

Dit is uit de tijd dat Elvis van de Ben-Side ging streaken in de Hout!!! Excellent.

[ROBOgirlie]

David was only 20 when they wrote this song!

[cisco9x]

The image is very New York Dolls, but Japan were pure utter genius

[ROBOgirlie]

Wow, one of the best songs ever.

[Galuschka]

David = sex.

[LaurelTreeX]

drummer = hot

[DJFG85]

The drummer is actually Davids(lead singer) brother. This song is different than "Quiet Life", that is a great song.

[ledzep888]

Steve Jansen, David Sylvian's brother, check out he rest of their songs, they are the great "New Romantic" era band.

[AntandSven]

Fucking HOT!! They're the pioneers of the new sounds that came out in the 80's! Original and always fresh! Miss the good music from back then... John Foxx, China Crisis, OMD, Toyah and Strange Arrangement!

[evenshin]

noisy

[CrispyNoodleCupGirl]

Japan... always looked and played to perfection...

[Refrescospepito]

TERRIBLE!

[sladejam]

Our band opened 4 these Guys at a Club called Harrahs on 60th street N.Y.C.I believe 1979

[commandacody]

Not an exact 180 from the Quiet Life album and on; but definitely a 90 degree turn.

[stoker10]

I love the japan but the first two albums are so-so...and their look is terribly New York Dolls without having that aggresivity on stage though

[tweakradje]

Great quality video. David in his early years. I think he even has some Bowie thing about him in this video.

[pelayodebermudo]

BRILLIANT! BRILLIANT! BRILIANT!!!

[speurder1000]

It's still such a great song!! I danced to it for about 15 years!!

[timinator07]

What's great about Japan is, they were writing this kind of

music when everyone else was writing Disco Crap!

They were far ahead of their time.

We need musicians in this Millennium with at least half their talent.

[beagleheadfred]

OMG there's a clip to this great funk rock tune,thanks !!

[sylvianblue]

Discovered this track whilst being a fan of the 'new romantic' Japan in the 80's...loved it immediately. Think the album was called Obscure Alternatives,which I had on a Maxell cassette tape!! Ah, simpler days....

[pulsetsar]

This was the title track of their first album. Obscure Alternatives was their second.

I believe both were released in 1978. I lost interest when quiet life came out - too smooth for me!

[detroit900]

Great song. What an amazing hook, and the bassist is always so "on"...

[shrn666]

super cheesy & fabulous!

[ramnan5]

Oww Gatverdamme.....te bedenken dat ik als 12 jarige helemaal in love was op David.....Toen was ik toch wel heel erg de weg kwijt geloof ik...Bah !!!

[milepost326]

Thank you again!!! love this band

[rebelxchickx]

probably my favorite japan song but the others are good too.

[tobie5000]

These hair styles are actually quite popular today for some Japanese guys

[vapourdrawings]

i do have to say this is wicked and cool.

now i'll go find a willing woman & have sleazy sex in an alleyway! lol!

[merseyside]

what year was this

[merseyside]

ah 78 was it , was well before the new romantic era,terrible this is

[JohnnySwitchblade]

Terribly great! I miss stuff like this!

[BigTOLIS]

CRAP!

[sinomummy]

They must have earned TONs of Yen from Japanese audience.

[campeondelospesados]

increible grupo

primero copiaban, asu manera, a new york dolls, luego a roxy music, pero con el estilo semi-bowie de david sylvian

creo que se llama personalidad multiple

de todos modos, durante toda la carrera de japan, hay tremendas canciones

muy muy buenas

[madeintawain]

i have two love in life peroxide and japan

[CrowleyHead]

... Now I get the New York Dolls admiration.

[JohnnySwitchblade]

I think they are better than NEW YORK DOLLS.

[CrowleyHead]

I agree. I just never saw it well enough in stuff like Communist China. This though...

[davidallanjones]

Funny that David had to change his last name because it was the same as David Jansen from the New York Dolls.

[MikeyMcCrashCap]

GREAT song!!! Spectacular video!!!

[xtstevie]

Shit hot lads, Pity you turned into New Romantic fuds !!!!

[JohnnySwitchblade]

NEW ROMANTIC whats? NEW ROMANTIC was a great era along with NEW WAVE!

[nemetem7]

this has a vaguely unwholesome aura about it.

[heppie4]

Te gek, ik zie mn hele jeugd aan me voorbijflitsen..., van juvenile delinquent tot stoephoer!!! BOYS KEEP ON SWINGING!!!

[EdwardForever]

Oh goodness, how I love David Sylvian and JAPAN!!

They just never dies~

[Red5racing]

Awesome..Never seen this, Loved it from an early Album also had Love in a carrier bag on it..

Obsure Alternatives maybe.

[yajirobesama]

This is the first time I'd heard this song from Japan's "glam rock" years and I like what I see and hear.

[fingersin]

G-R-E-A-T song!!! mesmerizing beat! and I love Mick Karn's look. I love the combination of this freaking hairdos and this elegant suits, very sexy! (and i'm only 16...)

[Efrasnel]

Do I detect a New York Dolls influence image wise...? Great band, takes me back to '78 and seeing this on Top Pop. Those were the halcyon days and they will never come back...

[sunseeker121]

This is class.... Mr S and Co nice one dudes.

[sunseeker121]

I never saw this vid. Excellent.

[DaDazey]

This must be a live recording - it sounds so different from the studio version (blueprint for duran two yrs later)!

[ecallender]

There were two recordings of this song. This is the version that appeared on Japan's first album (April, 1978). The other, more familiar one, appeared as a B-side to The Unconventional (August, 1978) and later on Assemblage.

[kikboxerbcn]

I never knew Kim Wilde had sung with Japan!

[xxxCheeryCherryxxx]

Lovelovelovelove DAVID SYLVIAN!!!!!! *muah*

[FamilySnapshot]

what a pity.. this video is kinda hot, i mean i really like dave's face and stuff but the hair is too stupid xD i preffer it when he changed it to the shorter do and stuff. though yes, like someone already mentioned the combination of suits and freaky hairdoes is awesome. japan is love.

[FamilySnapshot]

it's been 4 hours and i love the song. idk what happend i just fell in love with it suddenly :l also i just remembered reading an interview where david said that people ould harm him physically in school because of his looks. well, no wonder why, though all these 5 guys, they all look awesome.

[ferry64]

This song is soooooo good!

[star17city]

What a sexy boy!

[hammbetta]

I prefered his voice then

[superjetter]

David Sylvian looks like Hanoi Rocks Michael Monroe, great New Romantic synth wave group

[xxxCheeryCherryxxx]

I think it's the other way around.