RE GTP Keyboards

Talk about anything Japan-related.

RE GTP Keyboards

Postby Burnsjed on Fri Jan 22, 2010 12:37 am

I was on another forum (I know shock horror) for synth musicians, and the question of what keyboards were used on Burning Bridges was raised by someone. A gentlemen on there who had had some conversation in the past with RB mentioned that apart from the into the Prophet 5 was used exclusively on this track (if you have ever owned or played one before you will recognise a lot of the sounds/textures that are used by Japan).
What I did find very interesting though is apart from the into, DS played all the keyboards on Burning Bridges, and further more played all of the P5 parts on the whole album (excluding Taking Islands In Africa where Sakamoto featured).
He went on to say that RB had said DS was/is an amazing synth-programmer and should get much more credit for Tin Drum.
I had always presumed DS would have worked out the basic chord patterns for the song, plus obviously the vocal melody, and the boys got to work on their parts.
It makes that interview by MK all those years ago (I know he was obviously bitter at the time)"Dave would be the one who would suffer most because I think he’s incapable of carrying on by himself. The three of us worked much harder than Dave ever has and without us he would find it very difficult. He is an excellent producer and if he could find a band that didn’t know which direction to go in, the songs were a bit flabby here and there, then he could take over and produce them and it would be great. That’s what it’s been like with Japan, it’s the three of us working but Dave steering and I think without us he would go on thinking he’s a good songwriter and music writer which he’s not, he’s a good lyric writer. I think he’d find it very difficult unless he had us people around him." seem rather inaccurate!
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Re: RE GTP Keyboards

Postby Fabi R on Fri Jan 22, 2010 9:14 am

Hello, Burnsjed!

Oh, I got :shock: by reading that! :(

So, let´s see...

I admire every each Japan´s member ´cause I feel everyone had given more than 100% of effort in everything they did.
Specially talking about keyboards ´cause the 70s/early 80s were a very difficult time... The UK was going through a 'recession' as long as the technology wanted to rise! I watched it in this documental:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTXPpsz9LP8
(IT´S A VERY INTERESTING ONE, SPECIALLY FOR KEYBOARD LOVERS!) :wink:

Thus, I believe they developed their own skills with time and aquiring others though in constant development too...
Analysing Blemish album (which had less colaboration of other musicians) I, particulary, cannot deny Mr.David created beautiful songs in a quite simple way... with few, gorgeous and interesting sounds increasing my idea that good music/song doesn´t have to be often complicated or too complex. And I believe this album could be faced like this if it was not always done analogies with the moment which Mr. David was going through that time...

When was this interview released?

Best wishes! :smt006
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Re: RE GTP Keyboards

Postby Rain on Fri Jan 22, 2010 1:37 pm

That's interesting to hear, I wouldn't have imagined they played so much on the album (although I wouldn't really be able to tell one synth from another).
David does play something on keyboard/ synth on the Old Grey Whistle Test video of My New Career (and possibly other songs I can't remember), but I always just imagined it was, like you said, chords, or maybe extra bits that needed to be added in, just because it was never really mentioned that he played on the record (doesn't it always say vocals and guitar? I don't remember seeing keyboard ever mentioned).
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