Gentlemen Take Polaroids

Last updated

All tracks are written by David Sylvian, except as noted.

Gentlemen Take Polaroids
Japan gentlementakepolaroids.jpg
Studio album by
Released7 November 1980
Recorded2 July – 2 October 1980
Studio
Genre
Length46:26
Label Virgin
Producer John Punter
Japan chronology
Quiet Life
(1979)
Gentlemen Take Polaroids
(1980)
Tin Drum
(1981)
Singles from Gentlemen Take Polaroids
  1. "Gentlemen Take Polaroids"
    Released: 10 October 1980
  2. "Nightporter"
    Released: 12 November 1982
Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Gentlemen Take Polaroids"7:08
2."Swing"6:23
3."Burning Bridges†"5:23
4."My New Career"3:52
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Methods of Dance" 6:53
6."Ain't That Peculiar" Smokey Robinson, Warren "Pete" Moore, Marvin Tarplin, Bobby Rogers 4:40
7."Nightporter" 6:57
8."Taking Islands in Africa" Ryuichi Sakamoto, Sylvian5:12

† The track "Burning Bridges" was put on the album as a last-minute replacement for a track titled "Some Kind of Fool", with a number of UK and German pressings of the album listing the latter song on the inner sleeve and on the track listings. "Some Kind of Fool" was also going to be released as a single in 1982, but was replaced by "Nightporter". An overdubbed version with new lyrics was released on Sylvian's solo album Everything and Nothing in 2000, but the original Japan version has never been released. [19]

2003 CD reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
9."The Experience of Swimming"Richard Barbieri4:04
10."The Width of a Room"Rob Dean3:14
11."Taking Islands in Africa" (Steve Nye Remix) 4:53

Singles

YearSongUK ChartAdditional information
1980"Gentlemen Take Polaroids"60released as a double single pack: "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" (edit)/"The Experience of Swimming" and "The Width of a Room"/"Burning Bridges" (a Sylvian-produced version unavailable elsewhere)
1982"Nightporter"29released edited and remixed with "Ain't That Peculiar" (remix) on the 7" single and "Methods of Dance" on the 12" single

Personnel

Japan
Additional personnel
Technical

Charts

Chart (1980–81)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [20] 86
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [21] 39
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [22] 51
UK Albums (OCC) [23] 51

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [10] Gold100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Burnett, Joseph (19 July 2013). "Thirty Years On: Japan's Oil on Canvas Revisited". The Quietus . Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  2. Ham, Robert (9 March 2021). "Japan – Quiet Life". Pitchfork . Retrieved 6 August 2023. ...their glam-influenced early years into the experimental electronic pop of their final two LPs.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Raggett, Ned. "Gentlemen Take Polaroids – Japan". AllMusic . Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  4. Birch, Ian (25 November 1982). "Setting Sons". Smash Hits . Vol. 4, no. 24. p. 8.
  5. 1 2 Anthony Reynolds Classic album. Japan Gentlemen Take Polaroids 1980 anthonyreynolds.net
  6. 1 2 Power, Martin (2012). "Doodle and Croon". David Sylvian: The Last Romantic. Omnibus Press. ISBN   978-0-85712-820-1.
  7. "missing-in-action-rob-dean". 1 July 2021.
  8. "Unreleased Japan songs". nightporter.
  9. 1 2 "Japan". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  10. 1 2 "British album certifications – Japan – Gentlemen Take Polaroids". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  11. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press.
  12. Sweeting, Adam (5 September 2003). "Pop on the verge of a nervous breakdown". The Guardian .
  13. "Albums" (PDF). Record Mirror : 16. 8 November 1980. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  14. 1 2 Taylor, Steve (13–26 November 1980). "Japan: Gentlemen Take Polaroids". Smash Hits . Vol. 2, no. 23. p. 29.
  15. Carlin, Marcello (November 2003). "Japan: Gentlemen Take Polaroids / Tin Drum / Oil on Canvas, David Sylvian: Brilliant Trees / Alchemy: An Index of Possibilties / Gone to Earth / Secrets of the Beehive / Rain Tree Crow". Uncut . No. 78. p. 129.
  16. Record Mirror 8 November 1980, p.18 (pdf)
  17. Robbins, Ira; Aswad, Jem. "Japan". Trouser Press . Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  18. 1 2 ":: Welcome to the ANTHONY REYNOLDS :: Official WebSite ::". anthonyreynolds.net. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  19. "Gentlemen Take Polaroids – Japan". Nightporter. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  20. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 153. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  21. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0298". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  22. Okamoto, Satoshi (2006). Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  23. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 November 2020.