"Crystal Japan" is an instrumental piece written by

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

and released as a single in Japan in spring 1980. It was recorded during the '' Scary Monsters'' sessions that year.Chris O'Leary (2019). ''Ashes to Ashes: The Songs of David Bowie, 1976-2016'': p. 163Nicholas Pegg (2016). ''The Complete David Bowie'': p. 67 The instrumental was used in a Japanese commercial for the shochu Crystal Jun Rock, which also featured an appearance by Bowie, although he said at the time that the track was not specifically written for this purpose.

Roy Carr Roy Carr (1945 – 1 July 2018) was an English music journalist, covering pop, rock and jazz. He joined the ''New Musical Express (NME)'' in the late 1960s, and edited ''NME'', '' Vox'' and ''Melody Maker'' magazines. Biography Born in Blackpoo ...

Charles Shaar Murray Charles Shaar Murray (born Charles Maximillian Murray; 27 June 1951) is an English music journalist and broadcaster. He has worked on the '' New Musical Express'' and many other magazines and newspapers, and has been interviewed for a number of ...

(1981). ''Bowie: An Illustrated Record'': p.108 Originally titled "Fuji Moto San",David Buckley (1999). ''Strange Fascination – David Bowie: The Definitive Story'': p.366 it was apparently intended to close the ''Scary Monsters'' album until replaced by "

It's No Game "It's No Game" is a song written by English musician David Bowie for his 1980 album '' Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)'', featuring lead guitar played by Robert Fripp. The song is split into two parts, opening and closing the album. "(No. 1)" ...

(No. 2)".

Track listing

# "Crystal Japan" (

) – 3:08 # "

Alabama Song The "Alabama Song"—also known as "Moon of Alabama", "Moon over Alabama", and "Whisky Bar"—is an English version of a song written by Bertolt Brecht and translated from German by his close collaborator Elisabeth Hauptmann in 1925 and set to m ...

" (

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fru ...

) – 3:51

Other releases

* The instrumental was released as the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

to the single "

Up the Hill Backwards "Up the Hill Backwards" is a song by English musician David Bowie, released on his 1980 album '' Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)''. It was later issued by RCA Records as the fourth and final single from the album in March 1981. Originally wri ...

" in March 1981. "

Teenage Wildlife "Teenage Wildlife" is a song written by David Bowie in 1980 for the album '' Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)''. Running at almost seven minutes, the song was the longest track on ''Scary Monsters'', and Bowie's longest composition since "Station ...

" was originally slated as the B-side for "Up the Hill Backwards" until Bowie found out the prices fans were paying for the import single of "Crystal Japan", and insisted the track receive a UK release. * In 1992, the piece was released as a bonus track on the

Rykodisc Rykodisc is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, operating as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance. History Claiming to be the first Compact Disc, CD-only independ ...

reissue of the album '' Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)''. * "Crystal Japan" also appeared on the compilations '' Rare'' (1982) and '' All Saints'' (2001), and on ''Re:Call 3'', part of the ''

A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982) ''A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982)'' is a box set by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on 29 September 2017. A follow-up to the compilations ''Five Years (1969–1973)'' and ''Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)'', the set c ...

'' boxed set (2017). *

Trent Reznor Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and composer. He serves as the lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and principal songwriter of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, wh ...

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took the melody of "Crystal Japan" and used it as the basis for the track "A Warm Place", released on their 1994 album ''

The Downward Spiral ''The Downward Spiral'' is the second studio album by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released on March 8, 1994 by Nothing Records in the United States and Island Records in Europe. It is a concept album detailing the self-destru ...

''. Bowie's official website later said the two songs were so similar that "A Warm Place" was "a thinly-veiled cover" of "Crystal Japan".

Notes

References

* Pegg, Nicholas, ''The Complete David Bowie'', Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000,

External links

{{authority control 1980 singles 1980 songs 1980s instrumentals David Bowie songs New wave instrumentals RCA Records singles Rock instrumentals Songs written by David Bowie