The Jack Green Appreciation Society: December 2009

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Jack Explains The Creation of 'This Is Japan'

Here is a letter from Jack :)

'Hi Robin,

In answer to Wilson McPhert,

(Ed: Our fellow J-Gas Member and Jack Green Videographer Wilson McPhert had previously asked about Jack's hit single, 'This Is Japan', and how the song came into existance. Jack was very elaborate and open in his explanation.)

'I wrote this song for the Humanesque album. I wrote it with the bottom E - string of the guitar tuned down to D, something that had been shown to me by another musician friend, David Bradnum. I also wrote the song 'Murder' with the guitar tuned the same way.

I had been to Japan in 1973 with T-Rex and had woken up jet lagged on the first day of the tour. We were staying in the Tokyo Hilton and I had woken up at dawn. The scene that presented itself to me as I pulled back the curtains was just magical. The sun was just starting to come up over Tokyo, and there down below, just next to the hotel was a Shinto shrine and as I stood watching it, a young girl walked round the shrine offering prayers up to her god. It was quite touching.

I took a photograph.

I wrote the song with the photograph in mind. I wrote the lyrics to the first verse then Les Adey and I finished off the rest of the lyrics between us. Some of Les's lyrics in that song were very good.

Thanks for the video

Jack'