Big in Japan (Alphaville song)

"Big in Japan" is the debut single of the German synth-pop band Alphaville from their 1984 album Forever Young.

The single was a success in many countries, including West Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. It was also the group's only UK Top 75 hit, reaching No. 8 on the UK Singles chart. The song also reached No. 1 on the Hot Dance Club Play in December 1984.

Recording
"Big in Japan" and the single's B-side "Seeds" were two of the first three tracks recorded for Forever Young and was released as a single before Alphaville had finished recording the remainder of the album.

The group employed a Roland System-100M to create the bassline. The timing of the song was influenced by "The Safety Dance", changing the speed to double-time halfway through the song. The melody was developed by all three members of the band, working in their home studio.

Marian Gold developed most of the lyrics while visiting a dentist. The theme was based on two friends who were involved in the sordid drug scene of Berlin's Zoo station. The refrain "big in Japan" symbolises the idea of being successful in another world, a fantasy about being drug-free. Gold said: "That line has a certain meaning. It means that if you're a complete loser, you're telling other people, 'I'm not a loser because in Japan I'm really big.' It's the lie of the loser and it fitted perfectly into the story of these junkies, which the song is about, in a very tragic way." Gold later explained: "We originally weren’t sure whether we should put it on the album, because it’s a bit autobiographical in that it reflects my time in West Berlin in the late 70s, with the drug scene around the train station and the zoo, and all the underground things. It has nothing to do with Japan."

The phrase was inspired by the name of the band Big in Japan. Gold said: "As you know, there's a considerable musical market in Japan. If you wanted to become famous, what you should do was to form a hard rock group and then release an album over there; it would definitely sell well ... so the story went ..."

In a 2022 interview, Gold said that it's "a great privilege" to have "Big in Japan" and "Forever Young" in "their luggage" when touring, and that he is grateful to be able to perform the songs.

Release and promotion
In reaching No. 1 on the German singles chart, the song displaced "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, whose lead singer Holly Johnson had been a member of the band Big in Japan. Gold considered this a remarkable coincidence and later said that "we never got to speak with him but he must have wondered 'who is this German group with a song named after my band?'"

An accompanying music video was directed by Dieter Meier from the band Yello. The cover art for the single is by Ulf Meyer zu Kueingdorf.

Track listings

 * 7" single
 * 1) "Big in Japan" (7" Version) – 3:52
 * 2) "Seeds" – 3:15


 * 12" maxi
 * 1) "Big in Japan" (7" Version) – 3:52
 * 2) "Seeds" – 3:15


 * 12" maxi Germany & France WEA 249417–0
 * 1) "Big in Japan" (Extended Remix) – 7:25
 * 2) "Big in Japan" (Extended Instrumental) – 6:10


 * 12" maxi US WEA 0–86947
 * 1) "Big in Japan" (Extended Vocal) – 7:25
 * 2) "Big in Japan" (Instrumental Version) – 6:10
 * 3) "Big in Japan" (7" Version) – 3:58

1992 Re-release
Alphaville rereleased the song, with new remixes, in 1992 to coincide with the release of their compilation album First Harvest 1984–92.

Track listings

 * EU CD single "Big in Japan 1992 A.D."
 * 1) "Big in Japan 1992 A.D. Freedom Mix (Single Edit)" – 3:14
 * 2) "Big in Japan The Mix (Single Edit)" – 4:14
 * 3) "Big in Japan 1992 A.D. Freedom Mix (Extended Version)" – 4:51
 * 4) "Big in Japan The Mix (Extended Version)" – 6:05 (same as the "Culture Mix" from First Harvest 1984–92)


 * EU CD single "Big in Japan Swemix Remix"
 * 1) "Big in Japan (Swemix Remix 7")" – 3:57
 * 2) "Big in Japan (Swemix Remix 12")" – 8:27
 * 3) "Big in Japan (Swemix DUB)" – 6:44


 * EU 12" vinyl single "Big in Japan 1992 A.D." (white vinyl)
 * 1) "Big in Japan 1992 A.D. Freedom Mix (Extended Version)" – 4:51
 * 2) "Big in Japan 1992 A.D. Freedom Dub" – 4:56
 * 3) "Big in Japan The Mix (Extended Version)" – 6:05

Charts
"Big in Japan 1992 AD" reached No. 2 in Finland and No. 15 in Sweden.

Guano Apes version
In 2000, Guano Apes released a cover version of "Big in Japan" as the lead single for their second album Don't Give Me Names on 12 April 2000. The music video shows the band performing in an empty arena, followed by a fan trying to locate them.

CD single

 * 1) Big in Japan – 2:49
 * 2) Gogan – 2:47
 * 3) I Want It – 3:17

7" single

 * 1) Big in Japan – 2:48
 * 2) I Want It – 3:15

Maxi single

 * 1) Big in Japan – 2:49
 * 2) Gogan – 2:47
 * 3) I Want It – 3:17
 * 4) La Noix – 2:19
 * 5) Big in Japan (Space Jazz Dubmen Mix) – 4:32