Gentlemen Take Polaroids (song)

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
"Gentlemen Take Polaroids"
File:Japan Gentlemen Take Polaroids single.jpg
Single by Japan
from the album Gentlemen Take Polaroids
B-side "The Experience of Swimming"
Released 10 October 1980 (1980-10-10)[1]
Genre
Length
  • Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character ":". (single version)
  • Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character ":". (album version)
Label Virgin
Songwriter(s) David Sylvian
Producer(s) John Punter
Script error: The function "ucfirst" does not exist. singles chronology
"I Second That Emotion"
(1980)		 "Gentlemen Take Polaroids"
(1980)		 "The Art of Parties"
(1981)

"Gentlemen Take Polaroids" is a song by English new wave band Japan, released as a single from the album of the same name in October 1980. It was the band's first charting single in the UK, peaking at number 60.[2]

Reception

The single was the band's first release under Virgin Records and "established a clever music bridge between the refined groove of Quiet Life and the band's forthcoming LP".[3] The song was popular with club DJs: Nick Rhodes regularly played it at the Rum Runner, and Rusty Egan played it at the Blitz.[4]

It has been described as a "dynamic masterpiece alternating between the experimental, free-floating middle parts, and the casual pop chorus found throughout the song".[5] However, reviewing the song for Record Mirror, Ronnie Gurr described the single as having an "awful title and mellifluously nondescript Roxy rip-off A-side. Elsewhere Eno's school of modern bland-out muzak that's so dull and nondescript, one can't ignore the fact the damn stuff takes hold".[6]

Track listings

7-inch: Virgin / VS 379 (UK)[1]

  1. "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" – 3:28
  2. "The Experience of Swimming" – 4:04

7-inch: Virgin / 102 513 (Germany)[7]

  1. "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" – 3:28
  2. "The Width of a Room" – 3:14

7-inch: Virgin / VIPX-1550 (Japan)[8]

  1. "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" – 3:28
  2. "Burning Bridges" – 3:59

Double 7-inch EP: Virgin / VS 379 (UK)[1]

  1. "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" – 3:28
  2. "The Experience of Swimming" – 4:04
  3. "The Width of a Room" – 3:12
  4. "Burning Bridges" – 3:59

Mini CD EP: Virgin / CDT 32 (UK, 1988)[1]

  1. "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" – 7:05
  2. "Cantonese Boy" – 3:44
  3. "Methods of Dance" – 6:53

Personnel

Japan

Technical

  • Nigel Walker – engineer
  • Steve Prestage – engineer
  • Nicola Tyson – photography
  • Steve Chivers – assisted photography

Charts

Chart (1980) Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[2] 60

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Japan: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Gentlemen_Take_Polaroids_(song)&oldid=727069367"