Discovering Japan

Last updated
"Discovering Japan"
Discovering Japan - Graham Parker.jpg
Single by Graham Parker
from the album Squeezing Out Sparks
B-side "Local Girls"
Released4 May 1979
RecordedLansdowne Studios, London
Genre Rock, new wave [1]
Label Vertigo
Songwriter(s) Graham Parker
Producer(s) Jack Nitzsche
Graham Parker singles chronology
"Protection"
(1979)		"Discovering Japan"
(1979)		"Local Girls"
(1979)

"Discovering Japan" is a song by British rock musician Graham Parker, recorded with his backing band the Rumour. The song was released on his 1979 album, Squeezing Out Sparks .

Contents

Lyrically inspired by a tour of Japan, "Discovering Japan" was a departure from the simplicity of some of Parker's earlier work. The song was released as a single in the UK in 1979, but did not chart. The song has since become one of Parker's most famous songs.

Background

"Discovering Japan" was inspired by a tour that Parker and the Rumour went on that included stops in Japan and Australia. [2] As a new wave artist, Parker received much more attention in Japan as opposed to his native UK; Parker explained, "I’d been on tour, and I remember being on an airplane flying back from Japan, which was, and probably still is, like an alien planet. It’s really different. I’d toured there, and we’d had quite a tremendous amount of success—there and Australia. ... In Japan, we were the mainstay of new wave, so we were sort of accepted as something on the cutting edge. It was quite an experience. So I was on the plane coming back, and there were these little Japanese ladies in front of me making origami birds and passing them back to us and giggling. These ladies in kimonos flying back to England. ... All these things were running together in my head, and I scribbled down these lyrics that became 'Discovering Japan'". [3] Parker's trip to Japan also inspired "Waiting for the UFOs", another Squeezing Out Sparks track. [4]

In a 1979 Rolling Stone interview, Parker joked about the cultural differences between the UK and Japan, saying, "You go into a bar over there, and they're eating raw whale meat. I mean, can you believe that? ... I mean, fucking whales are going extinct, and here are these people eating them!" [4]

Recording

"Discovering Japan" was recorded alongside the rest of Squeezing Out Sparks at Lansdowne Studios in London. Initially, the song was unpopular with the members of the Rumour, but producer Jack Nitzsche convinced Parker of the song's worth. Parker recalled, "Martin Belmont was literally tsk-tsking 'Discovering Japan'. We were trying to get it down and Martin was like, 'Ehhh'. He thought the song was crap. He just didn't see it. Obviously, that affects me, so I'm thinking 'Well, maybe it is. I guess going from D to B minor is not so cool.' The spin I put on the chord sequence is not obvious at all, but nobody saw it. Eventually I had to say to Jack, 'You're the producer, tell us what to do'." [5]

Music and lyrics

Graham Parker wrote "Discovering Japan" after returning from the tour. He said of the time, "I can remember coming back from Japan having all these words flying through my head that came to make the song 'Discovering Japan' for instance. I didn't write the songs particularly on the road, because I'm not good at that, but I definitely got the balance for the album from living such a crazy lifestyle, from coming from 1975 when I was living with my parents in a village in the country working in a gas station." [6]

Musically, the song was a departure from the R&B music Parker had written in the past. He explained, "Sometimes songs come out easy; sometimes they don’t. That one was a very difficult song to write. The chord sequences are still, for want of a better word, advanced. This ain’t no R&B thing; this is something else altogether. ... I was breaking some different ground in the rhythmic structures and the whole push/pull of the thing. The way the chords spun around on each other and the lyric was so totally mysterious that I didn’t even understand it myself." [3]

Release

"Discovering Japan" was chosen as the opening track to Parker's 1979 album Squeezing Out Sparks . Parker explained his choice in an interview, saying, "It has to do with rhythmic structure, and lyrics that may knock on to the next song. There's a feel to it that's a little bit indefinable; it's hard to pin down what does it, really. I guess with 'Japan' it was, to me, that it had everything going for it. It sort of said, 'This is different. This is a new album. This will not have horn sections, and not so many R&B references. It’s something else, some different kind of rock music.'" [3]

"Discovering Japan" was released in the UK as the second single from the Squeezing Out Sparks album, backed by "Local Girls". The single ultimately failed to chart and was the final UK single release from the album. Despite this, the song has since become one of Parker's most popular songs. Parker later said of the track, "It was a very, very important song for me, no question"; in a 1998 interview, Parker said of the song, "I couldn't write anything like that any more", while in a 2005 interview, he said, "I know how good 'Discovering Japan' is — the lyrics, the chord sequence, there's nothing like that, there's nobody that good these days". [3] [7] [8] Parker continues to perform the song live; he released an acoustic version of the song with Paste in 2019. [9]

Related Research Articles

Graham Parker English singer-songwriter

Graham Parker is an English singer-songwriter, who is best known as the lead singer of the British band Graham Parker & the Rumour.

<i>The Mona Lisas Sister</i> 1988 studio album by Graham Parker

The Mona Lisa's Sister is a 1988 album by Graham Parker. It was Parker's first album for RCA following an acrimonious split with Atlantic and the first he produced himself. The "stripped-down" sound of the album garnered critical acclaim and presaged a back-to-basics trend in rock music in the 1990s. It was re-released by Buddah Records in 1999 with a bonus track, "Ordinary Girl", the B-side to "Get Started. Start a Fire". The album debuted at #132 on Billboard 200 Album chart on May 28, 1988, and peaked at #77.

Go Your Own Way 1976 single by Fleetwood Mac

"Go Your Own Way" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac from their eleventh studio album, Rumours (1977). The song was released as the album's first single in December 1976 on both sides of the Atlantic. Written and sung by Lindsey Buckingham, it became the band's first top-ten hit in the United States. "Go Your Own Way" has been well received by music critics and was ranked number 120 by Rolling Stone magazine on their list of 500 greatest songs of all time in 2010, and re-ranked number 401 in 2021.

<i>Squeezing Out Sparks</i> 1979 studio album by Graham Parker

Squeezing Out Sparks is the fourth studio album by English singer-songwriter Graham Parker and his band the Rumour. The album was released in March 1979. Although the Rumour were not credited on the cover, their name was included on the album label.

<i>Stick to Me</i> 1977 studio album by Graham Parker and the Rumour

Stick to Me is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Graham Parker and his first group, the Rumour.

The Rumour

The Rumour were an English rock band in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They are best known as the backup band for Graham Parker, whose early records were credited to Graham Parker & The Rumour. However, The Rumour were also recording artists in their own right, releasing three albums: Max (1977), Frogs, Sprouts, Clogs and Krauts (1979), and Purity of Essence (1980).

<i>The Up Escalator</i> 1980 studio album by Graham Parker

The Up Escalator is an album by Graham Parker and The Rumour and was released on May 23, 1980 by Stiff Records as LP and as cassette. In the USA, the album was released by Arista. Released after Parker's successful 1979 album Squeezing Out Sparks, the album features production by Jimmy Iovine.

<i>Steady Nerves</i> 1985 studio album by Graham Parker and the Shot

Steady Nerves is a 1985 album by Graham Parker and The Shot.

Bob Andrews (keyboardist) Musical artist

Robert Charles "Bob" Andrews is an English keyboardist and record producer. He lives in Taos, New Mexico, United States.

Local Girls 1979 song by Graham Parker

"Local Girls" is a song by British rock musician Graham Parker, recorded with his backing band the Rumour. The song was released on his 1979 album, Squeezing Out Sparks.

<i>The Parkerilla</i> 1978 live album by Graham Parker and The Rumour

The Parkerilla is a 1978 live double album by Graham Parker and The Rumour. It was recorded at Winter Gardens, Bournemouth, Manchester Opera House, Apollo Theatre, Oxford and The Palladium, New York City; and mixed at Rockfield Studios, Wales.

Andrew Bodnar Musical artist

Andrew Bodnar is an English bass player who grew up in Clapham, South London. He and drummer Steve Goulding met and began playing together as a rhythm section while still at school. They spent their teenage years auditioning and busking whenever they could, and were gigging around London with a cajun-influenced band called Bontemps Roulez just prior to forming The Rumour in 1975. Bodnar is probably best known for his membership with Graham Parker and The Rumour (1975-1980), for playing the distinctive reggae-flavored bassline on "Watching the Detectives" by Elvis Costello, and for bass playing and co-writing "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass" by Nick Lowe.

Mercury Poisoning 1979 song by Graham Parker

"Mercury Poisoning" is a song written by rock musician Graham Parker and performed by Graham Parker and the Rumour. Inspired by Parker's frustration with his record company, Mercury Records, the song was released as a promotional single by Parker's new label, Arista Records, in February 1979. Because of the song's controversial nature, it was pulled from its planned release as the B-side to Parker's 1979 single, "Protection."

Protection (Graham Parker song) 1979 song by Graham Parker

"Protection" is a song by British rock musician Graham Parker, recorded with his backing band the Rumour. The song was released on his 1979 album, Squeezing Out Sparks.

Temporary Beauty 1982 song by Graham Parker

"Temporary Beauty" is a song by British rock musician Graham Parker. The song was released on his 1982 album, Another Grey Area. With lyrics described by Parker as "put-downs", "Temporary Beauty" is a rock song with vocals that Parker noted as an example of his better singing compared to previous albums.

You Cant Be Too Strong 1979 song by Graham Parker

"You Can't Be Too Strong" is a song by British rock musician Graham Parker, recorded with his backing band the Rumour. The song was released on his 1979 album, Squeezing Out Sparks. Written about abortion, the song originated as a country-style shuffle before Parker and producer Jack Nitzsche changed it to a slower acoustic ballad.

Endless Night (Graham Parker song) 1980 song by Graham Parker

"Endless Night" is a song written by rock musician Graham Parker and performed by Graham Parker and the Rumour for their 1980 studio album The Up Escalator. Originally written for the 1980 film Cruising, "Endless Night" features lyrics about aging in rock 'n' roll. The song notably featured backing vocals from musician and Parker fan Bruce Springsteen.

"Passion Is No Ordinary Word" is a song by British rock musician Graham Parker, recorded with his backing band the Rumour. The song was released on his 1979 album, Squeezing Out Sparks. Written about faking one's emotion, the song features a stripped-down arrangement.

"Saturday Nite Is Dead" is a song by British rock musician Graham Parker, recorded with his backing band the Rumour. The song was released on his 1979 album, Squeezing Out Sparks. Written about his experiences growing up in suburbia, the song features caustic lyrics and an angry vocal delivery.

Stupefaction 1980 song by Graham Parker

"Stupefaction" is a song written by rock musician Graham Parker and performed by Graham Parker and the Rumour for their 1980 studio album The Up Escalator. Inspired by Parker's time spent in Los Angeles, the song features sardonic lyrics that were based on an observation by Parker and his manager in the city.

References

  1. ↑ "40 Albums Baby Boomers Loved That Millennials Don't Know". Rolling Stone . 14 May 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  2. ↑ Silver, Don (19 December 2013). "The Best of the TVD Interview 2013: Graham Parker". The Vinyl District. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Murray, Noel. "Graham Parker on reuniting with The Rumour, constructing the flow of an album, and more". The AV Club. Onion, Inc. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  4. 1 2 Henke, James (28 June 1979). "Graham Parker: Rumour Becomes Fact". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  5. ↑ Borack, John M. "Graham Parker Is No Ordinary Dude". Goldmine. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  6. ↑ MacIntosh, David. "Songwriter Interviews: Graham Parker". SongFacts. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  7. ↑ Barnard, Jim. "Graham Parker - Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' Out Sparks". Cake Magazine. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  8. ↑ McLeese, Don (July 2005). "Woodstock Calling". No Depression. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  9. ↑ "Graham Parker - Discovering Japan". Paste Magazine. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.