Timeslip moment once again, dear friends, as we take another little trip back thirty years to this week in 1984...
One-hit-wonders Alphaville from Germany certainly hit the zeitgeist of the New Romantic/synth-pop era, not least with this video for their only UK Top 20 hit, Big In Japan - complete with its flags, dry ice, preposterous lyrics and "exotic" outfits. It's still fab today!
Winter's cityside, crystal bits of snowflakes
All around my head and in the wind
I had no illusions that I'd ever find
A glimpse of summer's heatwaves in your eyes
You did what you did to me
Now it's history I see
Here's my comeback on the road again
Things will happen while they can
I will wait here for my man tonight
It's easy when you're big in Japan
When you're big in Japan, tonight
Big in Japan, be tight
Big in Japan, where the Eastern sea's so blue
Big in Japan, alright
Pay, then I'll sleep by your side
Things are easy when you're big in Japan
When you're big in Japan...
Neon on my naked skin
Passing silhouettes
Of strange illuminated mannequins
Shall I stay here at the zoo
Or shall I go and change my point of view
For other ugly scenes
You did what you did to me
Now it's history I see
Things will happen while they can
I will wait here for my man tonight
It's easy when you're big in Japan
When you're big in Japan, tonight
Big in Japan, be tight
Big in Japan, oo the Eastern sea's so blue
Big in Japan, alright
Pay, then I'll sleep by your side
Things are easy when you're big in Japan
When you're big in Japan, tonight
Big in Japan, be tight
Big in Japan, oo the Eastern sea's so blue
Big in Japan, alright
Pay, then I'll sleep by your side
Things are easy when you're big in Japan
When you're big in Japan
I must admit I had forgotten just how camp lead singer Marian Gold was - yet, according to Wikipedia, he's allegedly straight and has seven children by four different mothers.
Appearances can be deceptive, indeed.
Even more remarkably, Alphaville are still going strong in their homeland - visit their website.
I have always loved Alphaville - tracks like "Sounds Like A Melody", "Forever Young", "Jerusalem" and the fabulous "Dance With Me" are a few of my favorites, as well as their 2010 comeback single "I'd Die For You Today". But Marian is straight??? Even his name screams gay campness....
ReplyDeleteThey melted into the wilderness after this appearance in the British charts, along with Mr Gold's penchant for snakeskin blouses, it would seem... Jx
Deleteawww - I had all of those copies of Smash Hits - memories
ReplyDeleteMe too - every one from the very first issue. And the flexi-discs. Then, when I returned to Mother's after a break-up, I threw them out! Aaaaargh! Jx
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