Plastics (band)
Plastics, or The Plastics, were a short-lived Japanese new wave band who rose to prominence in the late 1970s and early 1980s.[1] Their music was a major influence on Japanese pop music and their songs have been covered by many bands, most notably Polysics, Pizzicato Five, and Stereo Total.
Plastics | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Tokyo, Japan |
| Genres | New wave, post-punk, synthpop |
| Years active | 1976–1981 1989 2010 |
| Labels | Rough Trade Invitation Island (UK) Victor Musical Industries, Inc |
| Associated acts | Melon Tycoon Tosh Group of Gods Love T.K.O Major Force Skylab Hajime Tachibana & the Low Powers |
| Past members | Chica Sato Toshio Nakanishi Hajime Tachibana Masahide Sakuma Takemi Shima Gota Yashiki |
In September 2007, Rolling Stone Japan ranked their debut album Welcome Plastics at No. 19 on their list of the "100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums of All Time".[2]
Biography
Fellow new wave bands Talking Heads, The B-52's and Devo were fans of Plastics and were instrumental in getting their albums released in the United States. The band's mainstream exposure began when Toshio Nakanishi designed a tour program book for Talking Heads and gave their frontman David Byrne a tape of Plastics demos. Byrne promptly sent it to the B-52's' manager, who offered to represent them internationally.[3]
The band used the Roland CR-68 and CR-78 drum machines for their early albums.[4][1] In 1980, member Masahide Sakuma had some input on the Roland Corporation's development of the Roland TR-808 drum machine. When its development was complete, the Plastics owned the first TR-808 model, which they used on their 1981 album Welcome Back.[4]
On February 19, 1982, NBC's late night comedy show SCTV aired the promotional video for Plastics' song "Top Secret Man" as part of the "Midnight Video Special" sketch, hosted by Gerry Todd (Rick Moranis).[5]
Stereo Total's cover of their song "I Love You, Oh No!" (with the title amended to "I Love You Ono") was used in television commercials for Sony Ericsson in Europe around 2006 and by Dell computers in the USA in 2009.[6]
On January 16, 2014, Masahide Sakuma died after a battle with scirrhous gastric cancer and a brain tumor. He was 61.[3] On February 25, 2017, Toshio Nakanishi died after a battle with esophageal cancer, also at the age of 61.[7][8]
Band members
- Chica Sato (佐藤 チカ) – vocal, synth drums
- Toshio Nakanishi (中西 俊夫) – vocal, guitar & percussion
- Hajime Tachibana (立花
肇 ) – guitar & vocal - Masahide Sakuma (佐久間 正英) – keyboards, guitar & bass programming
- Takemi Shima (島 武実) – rhythm box
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Welcome Plastics
|
|
Origato Plastico
|
||
| 1981 | Welcome Back
|
Re-recorded versions. Also known as Plastics. Originally came with a 7" picture flexi-disc of their version of the Monkees hit "Last Train to Clarksville" and Japanese B-side "Pate." |
Live albums
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | All Across the U.S.A. 80 Live
|
Recorded at Irving Plaza, New York, August 30, 1980 and Whisky A Go Go, Los Angeles, April 23, 1980. |
| 2009 | Dr. Vobg
|
|
| 2016 | We Love You Oh No! Plastics Live in Central Park NYC 1981
|
Vinyl LP only. |
| 2018 | A
|
Live recording of the band's final reunion in 2016, with bonus disc containing five early demos. |
Compilation albums
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Best One '82 プラスチックス
|
Cassette only. |
| 1988 | Forever Plastico
|
Contains Welcome Plastics in its entirety and selected tracks from Origato Plastico. |
| 2005 | Hard Copy
|
Live at Yaneura. Includes DVD U.S. Tour 1981. |
Origato25
|
Two-disc "greatest hits" compilation with four rare/new tracks. | |
| 2013 | Plastic Paradise (Early Plastics Lost Tape)
|
Included with Toshio Nakanishi's book The Rise and Fall of Plastics, Melon and Major Force Be With You. Features five early demos and three live tracks from Q's Bar, all from 1977. |
Singles
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "Top Secret Man" / "Copy"
|
Promo only. |
"Copy" / "Robot"
|
Early recordings. | |
| 1980 | "Top Secret Man" / "Delicious"
|
|
"Good" / "Pate"
|
Non-album B-side. | |
"Peace" / "Desolate"
|
||
| 1981 | "Last Train to Clarksville"
|
One-sided limited edition promo. Re-recorded version. |
"Diamond Head" / "Peace"
|
Gold flexi-disc promo. Re-recorded versions. | |
"Pate" / "Last Train to Clarksville"
|
One-sided picture flexi-disc. | |
EPs
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | "Diamond Head (Long Version)" / "Robot" / "Top Secret Man" / "Peace"
|
12" promo featuring re-recorded versions. |
Selected compilation appearances
| Year | Title | Track | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Techno Pop
|
"Pate" | B-side of "Good" single. |
| 2010 | Downtown 81 (12 Titres Extraits De La B.O. Du Film Culte)
|
"Copy" | Early single version. Free CD sampler with French magazine Les Inrockuptibles issue N°46 Hors Série, dedicated to Jean-Michel Basquiat. |
Notes
- The Plastics performed "Last Train to Clarksville" as a medley with other songs by the Monkees, namely "Star Collector" and "She".[9]
References
- Marx, W. David. "The Plastics and Copy Anxiety". Neojaponisme. Retrieved 9 April 2016. originally issue #4 Audimat (in French).
- "English translation and summary of the Rolling Stone Japan article". Neojaponisme.com. Retrieved 2011-12-11.
- "Masahide Sakuma of the Plastics Dies at 61". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
- Masahide Sakuma, ROLAND TR-808の記憶 Archived 2014-02-09 at the Wayback Machine, April 5, 2012
- "SCTV Guide - Episodes - Series 4 Cycle 2". Sctvguide.ca. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
- "Discovery Dell TV Commercial Ad". Advertlog.com.
- "Plastics Artist and Major Force Co-Creator Toshio Nakanishi Dies at 61". Billboard.com. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
- "Plastics Leader Nakanishi Dies". Pollstar.com. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
External links
- Discography with notes by Nicholas D. Kent
- AllMusic Biography by Ian Martin
- ExcavatingThe80's Tribute
- Trouser Press bio
- Band overview
- MySpace Profile (cached copy on the Way Back Machine)
Authority control  |
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