THE GHOSTS OF OUR LIVES: JAPAN & FRIENDS 1981-82
The 36-page photozine features rare images of Japan taken by Justin Thomas and capture the band during the pinnacle of great creative activity that came following the transitional success of their third album 'Quiet Life' (December 1979) through 'Gentlemen Take Polaroids' (October 1980) and on to the seminal 'Tin Drum' album of 1981.
The first group of photographs (pages 4 to 13) were taken in March 1981 at Nomis Studios, a purpose-built rehearsal studio complex in London owned by the band's manager Simon Napier-Bell. The Japanese magazine 'Music Life' had flown thirty young competition winners over to the UK to meet their idols at work. The whole band were present to meet and greet their new-found friends, posing for photographs before David Sylvian and Richard Barbieri were whisked away to do an interview on the other side of town. Meanwhile, Mick Karn and Steve Jansen were happy to stay on for a Q&A session with their guests.
Six weeks after meeting the band for the first time, Justin was front and centre to capture them live at London’s Hammersmith Odeon during 'The Art Of Parties' tour on May 16th, 1981 (pages 14 to 21).
Throughout this white-hot period of creativity, the band members were involved in many collaborations including a one-off single with Giorgio Moroder who co-wrote and produced 'Life in Tokyo' and then later working with Yellow Magic Orchestra's Ryuichi Sakamoto who contributed as co-writer to 'Taking Islands in Africa' on the 'Gentlemen Take Polaroids' album. That friendship with Sakamoto led to the final series of shots in this book where Mick Karn, Steve Jansen, Ryuichi Sakamoto and his wife Akiko Yano were photographed at Air Studios together in February 1982 during the recording of Akiko's album 'Ai Ga Nakucha Ne.'
"The Ghosts Of Our Lives: Japan & Friends" (HA023X)
Photography by Justin Thomas
© 2019 Justin Thomas & Hanging Around Books
A limited edition of 250 copies.
A5 paperback photozine. 36 pages.
Digitally printed on recycled paper.
This book is dedicated to the memory of Mick Karn who passed away on the 4th January 2011.
