Crystal Japan

"Crystal Japan"
"Crystal Japan"
Single by David Bowie
B-side	"Alabama Song"
Released	Spring 1980
Recorded	1979
Genre	Ambient
Length	3:08
Label	RCA
Songwriter(s)	David Bowie
Producer(s)	David Bowie; Tony Visconti;
David Bowie singles chronology

"Crystal Japan" is an instrumental piece written by David Bowie and released as a single in Japan in spring 1980.^[1] It was recorded during the Scary Monsters sessions that year.^[2]^[3] The instrumental was used in a Japanese commercial for the shochu Crystal Jun Rock, which also featured an appearance by Bowie, although he said at the time that the track was not specifically written for this purpose.^[4] Originally titled "Fuji Moto San",^[5] it was apparently intended to close the Scary Monsters album until replaced by "It's No Game (No. 2)".^[2]^[3]

Track listing

"Crystal Japan" (David Bowie) – 3:08
"Alabama Song" (Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill) – 3:51

Other releases

The instrumental was released as the B-side to the single "Up the Hill Backwards" in March 1981. "Teenage Wildlife" was originally slated as the B-side for "Up the Hill Backwards" until Bowie found out the prices fans were paying for the import single of "Crystal Japan", and insisted the track receive a UK release.^{[citation needed]}
In 1992, the piece was released as a bonus track on the Rykodisc reissue of the album Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps).
"Crystal Japan" also appeared on the compilations Rare (1982) and All Saints (2001), and on Re:Call 3, part of the A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982) boxed set (2017).^[6]
Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails took the melody of "Crystal Japan" and used it as the basis for the track "A Warm Place", released on their 1994 album The Downward Spiral.^[7] Bowie's official website later said the two songs were so similar that "A Warm Place" was "a thinly-veiled cover" of "Crystal Japan".^[8]

Notes

^ "Crystal Japan". Pushing Ahead of the Dame. 1 September 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
^ ^a ^b Chris O'Leary (2019). Ashes to Ashes: The Songs of David Bowie, 1976-2016: p. 163
^ ^a ^b Nicholas Pegg (2016). The Complete David Bowie: p. 67
^ Roy Carr & Charles Shaar Murray (1981). Bowie: An Illustrated Record: p.108
^ David Buckley (1999). Strange Fascination – David Bowie: The Definitive Story: p.366
^ "A NEW CAREER IN A NEW TOWN (1977 – 1982) - David Bowie Latest News". DavidBowie.com. 22 July 2016. Archived from the original on 29 July 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
^ Hamish Brown (20 February 2013). "The best David Bowie tracks you've never heard". The List. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
^ "Japanese Crystal Japan Tv Campaign And 45 Are Thirty". DavidBowie.com. 7 April 2010. Retrieved 23 June 2020.

References

Pegg, Nicholas, The Complete David Bowie, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 978-1-903111-14-7

External links

[1] "Crystal Japan". Pushing Ahead of the Dame. 1 September 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2019.

[Ashes_to_Ashes,_p._163-2] Chris O'Leary (2019). Ashes to Ashes: The Songs of David Bowie, 1976-2016: p. 163

[The_Complete_David_Bowie,_p._67-3] Nicholas Pegg (2016). The Complete David Bowie: p. 67

[Bowie:_An_Illustrated_Record-4] Roy Carr & Charles Shaar Murray (1981). Bowie: An Illustrated Record: p.108

[Strange_Fascination-5] David Buckley (1999). Strange Fascination – David Bowie: The Definitive Story: p.366

[6] "A NEW CAREER IN A NEW TOWN (1977 – 1982) - David Bowie Latest News". DavidBowie.com. 22 July 2016. Archived from the original on 29 July 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2017.

[7] Hamish Brown (20 February 2013). "The best David Bowie tracks you've never heard". The List. Retrieved 23 June 2020.

[8] "Japanese Crystal Japan Tv Campaign And 45 Are Thirty". DavidBowie.com. 7 April 2010. Retrieved 23 June 2020.

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v t e David Bowie singles
Discography Songs
1960s	"Liza Jane" "I Pity the Fool" "You've Got a Habit of Leaving" "Baby Loves That Way" "Can't Help Thinking About Me" "Do Anything You Say" "I Dig Everything" "Rubber Band" "The London Boys" "The Laughing Gnome" "Love You till Tuesday" "Space Oddity"
1970s	"The Prettiest Star" "Memory of a Free Festival" "Holy Holy" "Moonage Daydream" "Hang On to Yourself" "Changes" "Starman" "John, I'm Only Dancing" "The Jean Genie" "Drive-In Saturday" "Time" "Life on Mars" "Let's Spend the Night Together" "Sorrow" "Rebel Rebel" "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" "Diamond Dogs" "1984" "Knock on Wood" "Rock 'n' Roll with Me" "Young Americans" "Fame" "Golden Years" "Station to Station" (French promo) "TVC 15" "Suffragette City" "Stay" "Sound and Vision" "Be My Wife" "'Heroes'" "Beauty and the Beast" "Breaking Glass" "Boys Keep Swinging" "D.J." "Yassassin" "Look Back in Anger" "John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)"
1980s	"Alabama Song" "Crystal Japan" "Ashes to Ashes" "Fashion" "Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)" "Up the Hill Backwards" "Under Pressure" "Wild Is the Wind" "The Drowned Girl" "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" "Let's Dance" "China Girl" "Modern Love" "Without You" "White Light/White Heat" "Blue Jean" "Tonight" "This Is Not America" "Loving the Alien" "Dancing in the Street" "Absolute Beginners" "Underground" "When the Wind Blows" "Magic Dance" "Day-In Day-Out" "Time Will Crawl" "Never Let Me Down" "Under the God" "Heaven's in Here" "Tin Machine" / "Maggie's Farm (live)" "Prisoner of Love"
1990s	"Fame '90" "You Belong in Rock n' Roll" "Baby Universal" "One Shot" "Real Cool World" "Jump They Say" "Black Tie White Noise" "Miracle Goodnight" "The Buddha of Suburbia" "Ziggy Stardust" "The Hearts Filthy Lesson" "Strangers When We Meet" "Hallo Spaceboy" "Telling Lies" "Little Wonder" "Dead Man Walking" "Seven Years in Tibet" "Pallas Athena" "I'm Afraid of Americans" "I Can't Read" "Without You I'm Nothing" "Thursday's Child" "The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell"
2000s	"Survive" "Seven" "Slow Burn" "Everyone Says 'Hi'" "I've Been Waiting for You" "Shadow Man" "New Killer Star" "Just for One Day (Heroes)" "Rebel Never Gets Old"
2010s	"Where Are We Now?" "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" "The Next Day" "Valentine's Day" "Love Is Lost" "'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore" "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)" "Blackstar" "Lazarus" "I Can't Give Everything Away"
Other songs	"Silly Boy Blue" "Let Me Sleep Beside You" "Karma Man" "Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed" "Cygnet Committee" "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud" "The Width of a Circle" "All the Madmen" "Black Country Rock" "After All" "She Shook Me Cold" "The Man Who Sold the World" "The Supermen" "Oh! You Pretty Things" "Kooks" "Quicksand" "Andy Warhol" "Song for Bob Dylan" "Queen Bitch" "The Bewlay Brothers" "Bombers" "Five Years" "Soul Love" "Lady Stardust" "Velvet Goldmine" "Sweet Head" "Amsterdam" "Round and Round" "Watch That Man" "Aladdin Sane" "Panic in Detroit" "Cracked Actor" "Lady Grinning Soul" "All the Young Dudes" "Future Legend" "Sweet Thing" "Big Brother" "Can You Hear Me?" "Right" "Fascination" "Word on a Wing" "Speed of Life" "What in the World" "Always Crashing in the Same Car" "Warszawa" "Art Decade" "Weeping Wall" "Subterraneans" "Joe the Lion" "Sons of the Silent Age" "Blackout" "V-2 Schneider" "Sense of Doubt" "Neuköln" "Fantastic Voyage" "It's No Game" "Teenage Wildlife" "Scream Like a Baby" "As the World Falls Down" "Girls" "Nite Flights" "I'm Deranged" "Nature Boy" "Cactus" "Pablo Picasso" "The Loneliest Guy" "Try Some, Buy Some" "Fall Dog Bombs the Moon" "Bring Me the Disco King" "Girl Loves Me" "Dollar Days"

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