Precious Pop Pearls: The Story Behind Japan – “Nightporter”
In November 1982, the British new wave band Japan released their single “Nightporter”, precisely one month before the group would cease to exist. The track, originally recorded for the album “Gentlemen Take Polaroids” from 1980, received a fresh release two years later through a single remix by Steve Nye. The single served as a fitting farewell from one of the most influential art rock bands of their time.
“Nightporter” tells the story of Japan’s artistic evolution from glam rock to refined synthpop and shows why their music remains relevant decades later. The track connects their two principal albums and showcases the band at their creative peak, just before they would split up.
Japan
Japan was formed in 1974 in Catford, South London by David Sylvian (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steve Jansen (drums) and Mick Karn (bass guitar), who were joined the following year by Richard Barbieri (keyboards) and Rob Dean (lead guitar). Initially a glam rock-inspired band, they would grow to become pioneers of the new wave movement.
The band Japan consisted of school friends who made music as an escape. David Sylvian, born David Alan Batt in 1958 in Beckenham, Kent, began his musical career in 1974 together with his younger brother Steven and virtuoso bassist Anthony Michaelides, who would later become Mick Karn. The trio dyed their hair, wore makeup and sought their way in the glamorous music scene of the mid-1970s.
Initially, Mick Karn was the lead singer before David Sylvian took on that role. The band was joined by keyboardist Richard Barbieri and guitarist Rob Dean in 1975, and they signed a record contract with the German disco label Hansa in 1977. At Hansa, they recorded three studio albums: “Adolescent Sex” (1978), “Obscure Alternatives” (1978) and “Quiet Life” (1979).
Japan’s sound evolved rapidly from their early glam rock influences towards a more refined approach that combined Eastern elements with European synthpop. David Sylvian’s distinctive baritone voice, Mick Karn’s experimental fretless bass and saxophone playing, Richard Barbieri’s subtle synthesiser work and Steve Jansen’s precise drumming created a unique sound that distinguished them from their contemporaries.
Nightporter
“Nightporter” has its roots in Japan’s experimental phase during the recording of “Gentlemen Take Polaroids”. The track was named after Liliana Cavani’s controversial film “Il Portiere di Notte” (The Night Porter) from 1974, a choice typical of Japan’s tendency to incorporate artistic and literary references in its work.
The single was released in November 1982, one month before the band broke up. Originally, Virgin Records had planned to release the previously unreleased track “Some Kind of Fool” from the “Gentlemen Take Polaroids” recording sessions as a single, but this was replaced by “Nightporter”. This decision proved to be the right one.
For the single version, Mick Karn specifically rerecorded his oboe part for this updated version of “Nightporter”. Steve Nye’s remix added new dimensions to the original album track, retaining the dreamlike qualities whilst increasing the commercial appeal.
The track is characterised by Sylvian’s mesmerising vocals that float over a slow, contemplative instrumental arrangement. Mick Karn’s fretless bass creates an almost violin-like sound that perfectly harmonises with Richard Barbieri’s atmospheric synthesiser work. Steve Jansen’s drumming is minimalist yet effective, with each beat precisely placed to support the ethereal atmosphere.
The B-side of the single was “Ain’t That Peculiar”, Japan’s interpretation of the Marvin Gaye classic. Their version completely transformed the original Motown track, replacing the funky groove with their characteristic slow, mesmerising approach.
Brett Anderson Cover
More than four decades after Japan’s original recording, “Nightporter” was given new life through a remarkable cover by Brett Anderson, the iconic frontman of Suede. This interpretation appeared on the album “Death Songbook” from 2024, a collaboration between Anderson, conductor Charles Hazlewood and Paraorchestra, described as ‘an album of music about death, or the death of love, about loss, about fear.’
Anderson’s choice of “Nightporter” perfectly suited his artistic DNA. As he himself noted, ‘I have always found dark material compelling’, and Japan’s contemplative masterpiece offered him the perfect opportunity to explore this preference within an orchestral setting. The track appears as the third song on the setlist of “Death Songbook”, positioned between Echo & The Bunnymen’s “The Killing Moon” and Skeeter Davis’ “The End of the World”.
The orchestral reinterpretation transforms the original into something entirely new. Where Japan’s version relied on synthesisers and Mick Karn’s experimental bass guitar, Paraorchestra brings a rich, classical dimension to the track. Anderson’s distinctive vibrato and emotional range give the lyrics new urgency, whilst the strings and woodwinds add layers of melancholy that the original electronic arrangement could not achieve.
Gentlemen Take Polaroids
“Gentlemen Take Polaroids” was the band’s first album for the Virgin Records label after leaving Hansa-Ariola, which had released their first three albums. It continued the line of their previous album “Quiet Life”, building upon the elegant Euro-disco style coupled with more ambitious arrangements.
The album was released on 7 November 1980 and peaked at number 51 in the United Kingdom, but re-entered the charts in 1982 and was later certified gold in 1986 by the British Phonographic Industry for 100,000 copies sold.
Japan’s fourth album was the work where they finally began to sound like themselves, and it became the turning point in their commercial fortune in the UK. It was also the album on which Sylvian began to take the lead. Beautifully positioned between their pop sensibility and art rock future, GTP was also the beginning of the end of Japan.
The album contained eight tracks, six of which were longer than five minutes, unusual for radio-friendly pop music of that time. Producer John Punter, a Roxy Music veteran who had also produced “Quiet Life”, returned for this project. Although some considered the album colder than its predecessor, it offered excellent bridges between the different phases of Japan, with tracks such as “Methods of Dance” that formed a fantastic, pulsating connection.
“Gentlemen Take Polaroids” was the last album on which Rob Dean would play as the fifth band member, marking the end of an era. His departure in 1981 would bring the band back to a quartet for their final studio album, “Tin Drum” (1981).
Quiet Life
The earlier album “Quiet Life” from 1979 was crucial to Japan’s artistic development and served as the direct predecessor to “Gentlemen Take Polaroids”. It was their third studio album and the first to show their later, more refined sound. Whereas their first two albums still relied heavily on glam rock influences, “Quiet Life” showed a band that had found its own identity.
The album was produced by John Punter and featured the title track that would later become one of their best-known songs. “Quiet Life” introduced the elegant synthpop sound that would characterise Japan, with David Sylvian’s increasingly confident vocal performances and the band’s growing interest in more subtle, atmospheric arrangements.
Although “Quiet Life” was not a major commercial success upon release, it laid the foundations for everything that would follow. The refined production, the attention to detail and the combination of Western pop with Eastern aesthetics would become characteristic of Japan’s sound. The album also showed Mick Karn’s growing role as a multi-instrumentalist, as he began to play saxophone and other instruments alongside bass.
The transition from “Quiet Life” to “Gentlemen Take Polaroids” represented a natural evolution for the band. Both albums shared the same producer and the same artistic vision, but “Gentlemen Take Polaroids” showed a band that was even more confident in its artistic direction. This continuity made it possible for a track like “Nightporter” to later function as a single, despite it not originally being written for that purpose.
The success of “Nightporter” as a single in 1982 proved that Japan’s artistic vision from “Quiet Life” to “Gentlemen Take Polaroids” was timeless. Their ability to make complex, atmospheric music that remained accessible would have a lasting influence on generations of musicians to come. The track remains a testament to a band that refused to compromise between artistic integrity and commercial appeal.
