Halloween – Japan (1982)

Description

Additional information about this, Japan vinyl art.

Japan – The Artists

Japan were an English new wave band formed in 1974 in Catford, South London by David Sylvian (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steve Jansen (drums), Richard Barbieri (keyboards) and Mick Karn (bass guitar). Initially a glam rock-inspired band, Japan developed their sound and androgynous look to incorporate electronic music and foreign influences, eventually becoming an influence on the UK’s early-1980s New Romantic scene.

Halloween – The Song

‘Halloween’ is a song written by David Sylvian and performed by the band Japan. It appeared as the b side from the re-issue of the single ‘I Second That Emotion.’ The single was re-released in 1982, on the back of the band’s increased success in 1981, peaking at number 9 in the UK Singles Chart in July, making it their second most successful single after “Ghosts”. The song Halloween was originally released on the album Quiet Life. Lyrically the song describes horror of a psychological nature: caused perhaps by a distressing romantic split, but then exacerbated by a slightly blurred but palpable sense of menace from the society around.

The Oogie Boogie Man – The Shape

This record has been modelled into the silhouette of the character the Oogie Boogie man from the film The Nightmare Before Christmas. The Nightmare Before Christmas (also known as Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas) is a 1993 American stop-motion animated musical dark fantasy film directed by Henry Selick (in his feature directorial debut) and produced and conceived by Tim Burton. It tells the story of Jack Skellington, the King of “Halloween Town” who stumbles through a portal to “Christmas Town” and becomes obsessed with celebrating the holiday. Danny Elfman wrote the songs and score, and provided the singing voice of Jack. The Nightmare Before Christmas originated in a poem written by Burton in 1982 while he was working as an animator at Walt Disney Productions. With the success of Vincent in the same year, Burton began to consider developing The Nightmare Before Christmas as either a short film or 30-minute television special to no avail. Over the years, Burton’s thoughts regularly returned to the project and in 1990, he made a development deal with Walt Disney Studios. Production started in July 1991 in San Francisco; Disney initially released the film through Touchstone Pictures because the studio believed the film would be “too dark and scary for kids”. The film met with both critical and financial success, grossing $91.5 million since its initial release and garnering a cult following. 

Halloween is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day. It begins the observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (or the related guising and souling), attending Halloween costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, divination games, playing pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories, as well as watching horror films.

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