Month: February 2019

Dear Steve, Whenever I listen to Stone to Flesh (original 1995 release) I wonder which one(s) of the pictures in the booklet is yours. You are credited alongside Bill Smith Studio for photography. Could you perhaps shed some light on this? Many thanks and best wishes. A.

I took the cover image, a headstone at Kensal Rise cemetery.

February 22, 2019 sleepyard1 Comment

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Hi Steve! A question for you, Sir: Japan worked with Giorgio Moroder at a vital point of the band’s career (ie, around the time the band changed styles in both image and sonic presentation/arrangement). What short-term or long-term effect did Japan experience from working with Moroder? Thanks kindly! March 10, 2019
Dear Steve, Whenever I listen to Stone to Flesh (original 1995 release) I wonder which one(s) of the pictures in the booklet is yours. You are credited alongside Bill Smith Studio for photography. Could you perhaps shed some light on this? Many thanks and best wishes. A. February 22, 2019
Was spitting the rice at Takahashi rehearsed in the Stay Close mv? Or was that off the cuff? You look like you’re about to burst out laughing afterwards. It’s hilarious. December 20, 2018
YouTube’s algorithm gave me the live version of “Stay Close” and I don’t remember seeing it before but people have told me about it over the years. A couple of questions, if you don’t mind . Firstly, your look is almost Elvis Presley here, at least to my eyes, and maybe I’ve noticed that before but maybe not . By Elvis I mean in general, the mid-’50s through mid-’60s version of that person . I also am referring to that part of that flow of what’s considered handsome that will never go away and that includes people like E.P. but also people like actor Alain Delon, etc. Was Elvis Presley ever a thing for you growing up, like the hits or even the movies he was in ? Were the outfits everyone wore on that tour part of Yukihiro’s clothing line, the BRICKS ? When Y.T. first appears it seems like he’s got mirrors on him but then a lot of other people in the band have sparkly raindrop-type articles of clothing on. The playing is superb on that tour and is really amazing on that song. The sax solos are fantastic and so is the guitar. With regards to the dual drummer segment, how does one rehearse something like that ? Not sure if you and Y.T. are playing exactly the same thing here, though. It’s quite a thunderous sound, the double-drum-kit blast of S.J. and Y.T., almost akin to Taiko. Any thoughts on Taiko ? Have you seen it performed? The basic rhythm has a sort of swing to it. November 27, 2018
When you said on Twitter about Dolphin Brothers releasing on vinyl through Universal isn’t happening yet because they are prioritising other Japan and solo releases, it was said in Japan’s Facebook group something like: ‘bitterness is there in Steve’s post about re-releasing the Dolphins album where he blames record company ‘priorities’ for it not being progressed.’ Is it correct to think it? November 24, 2018