is the third studio album by Japanese multi-instrumentalist
Yukihiro Takahashi
was a Japanese musician, singer, record producer, fashion designer, and actor, who was best known internationally as the drummer, lead vocalist, & 2nd keyboardist of the Yellow Magic Orchestra, as the former drummer of the Sadistic Mika Band, ...
, released on May 24, 1981 by
Alfa Records
, originally a publisher known as Alfa Music Ltd. and later succeeded by record company Alfa Music Inc., was established in 1969 by composer and record producer Kunihiko Murai. It was formed into an independent record label known as Alfa Recor ...
. Self-produced, the album featured Takahashi's
YMO colleagues
Haruomi Hosono
, sometimes credited as Harry Hosono, is a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is considered to be one of the most influential musicians in Japanese pop music history, credited with shaping the sound of Japanese pop f ...
and
Ryuichi Sakamoto
was a Music of Japan, Japanese musician, composer, keyboardist, record producer, singer and actor. He pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the Synthesizer, synth-based band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his ...
, as well as contributions from
Tony Mansfield
Anthony Charles Mansfield (born 19 January 1955) is an English songwriter, musician and record producer. He first gained prominence as the frontman of the synth-pop band New Musik, which he formed in 1977. Throughout his career, Mansfield has ...
of
New Musik
New Musik were an English synth-pop Musical ensemble, group active from 1977 to 1982. Led by Tony Mansfield, they achieved success in 1980 with the top 20 single "Living by Numbers" which was followed up with the top 40 hits "This World of Wate ...
and
Roxy Music
Roxy Music are an English rock music, rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry (lead vocals/keyboards/principal songwriter) and Graham Simpson (musician), Graham Simpson (bass). By the time the band recorded their Roxy Music (album), first albu ...
's
Phil Manzanera
Phillip Geoffrey Targett-Adams (born 31 January 1951), known professionally as Phil Manzanera, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He is the lead guitarist with Roxy Music, and was the lead guitarist with 801 and Quiet Sun. ...
and
Andy Mackay
Andrew Mackay (born 23 July 1946) is an English musician, best known as a founding member (playing oboe and saxophone) of the art rock group Roxy Music.
In addition, he has taught music and provided scores for television, while his work as a se ...
. The title is a
pun
A pun, also known as a paronomasia in the context of linguistics, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from t ...
on the early 1980s British fashion movement, the
New Romantics
New Romantic was an underground subculture movement that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The movement emerged from the nightclub scene in London and Birmingham at venues such as Billy's and The Blitz. The New Romantic mo ...
.
Track listing
Personnel
*
Yukihiro Takahashi
was a Japanese musician, singer, record producer, fashion designer, and actor, who was best known internationally as the drummer, lead vocalist, & 2nd keyboardist of the Yellow Magic Orchestra, as the former drummer of the Sadistic Mika Band, ...
– vocals, drums, keyboards, mixing
*
Haruomi Hosono
, sometimes credited as Harry Hosono, is a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is considered to be one of the most influential musicians in Japanese pop music history, credited with shaping the sound of Japanese pop f ...
– keyboards
*
Ryuichi Sakamoto
was a Music of Japan, Japanese musician, composer, keyboardist, record producer, singer and actor. He pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the Synthesizer, synth-based band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his ...
– keyboards
*Kenji Omura and
Phil Manzanera
Phillip Geoffrey Targett-Adams (born 31 January 1951), known professionally as Phil Manzanera, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He is the lead guitarist with Roxy Music, and was the lead guitarist with 801 and Quiet Sun. ...
– guitars
*
Tony Mansfield
Anthony Charles Mansfield (born 19 January 1955) is an English songwriter, musician and record producer. He first gained prominence as the frontman of the synth-pop band New Musik, which he formed in 1977. Throughout his career, Mansfield has ...
– keyboards, backing vocals
*
Andy Mackay
Andrew Mackay (born 23 July 1946) is an English musician, best known as a founding member (playing oboe and saxophone) of the art rock group Roxy Music.
In addition, he has taught music and provided scores for television, while his work as a se ...
– saxophones, oboe
*
Hideki Matsutake
Hideki Matsutake (born August 12, 1951 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese composer, arranger, and computer programmer. He is known for his pioneering work in electronic music and particularly music programming, as the assist ...
– computer programming and operation
*Shoro Kawazoe – executive producer
*Yukimasa Okumura, Hiromi Kanai, Tomohiro Itami – artwork
*Mitsuo Koike – engineer
*
Steve Nye
Steve Nye is an English music producer for several artists.
Career
Nye started out as a tape op at AIR Studios in London in 1971, where producer Rupert Hine discovered him.
There he got into engineering (and later producing) many well-known ...
– engineer, mixing
*Ian Little, Renata Blauel, Yoshifumi Ito – assistant engineer
*Masayoshi Sukita, Sheila Rock – photography
*Kazusuke Obi – artist relations
*Hiroshi Kato, Toshi Yajima – recording coordination
*Lorraine Kinman – stylist
*Takeshi Fujii – equipment
*Peter Barakan, Yoichi Ito – management
See also
*
1981 in Japanese music
In 1981 (Shōwa 56), Japanese music was released on records and performed in concerts, and there were charts, awards, contests and festivals.
During that year, Japan continued to have the second largest music market in the world, eleven percent ...
References
1981 albums
1981 in Japanese music
Yukihiro Takahashi albums
Alfa Records albums
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