En 1983, Alphaville edita su primer sencillo Big in Japan, que pronto se convertiría en un éxito mundial y que junto con Sounds Like A Melody serían un anticipo de su álbum Forever Young que incluía también el éxito del mismo nombre.
Humor:
En medio del caos financiero internacional del año 2008, la nacionalización de las AFJP por el Gobierno argentino recibió las más variadas opiniones en el mundo desarrollado.
Ahora quién emitió declaraciones fue el cantante del grupo alemán Alphaville, Marian Gold, que dijo "Me enteré de la estatización de las AFJP gracias a CNN en español, que está machacando a lo loco con la noticia, haciendo un lobby tremendo en contra de la medida.
Ni sabía dónde quedaba Argentina, pero ahora me he enterado de eso y muchas otras cosas, como que hay un video del General Perón hablando del sistema previsional en 1973 que está siendo usado por el establishment mediático para embarrar la cancha de cara al tratamiento legislativo del proyecto. Cualquier peronista sabe que Perón se refiere a una situación distinta y que el video está editado en sólo tres minutos; la misma duración de nuestras canciones".
Alphaville fue una banda clave del synth-pop de los 80, y aún hoy siguen recorriendo los escenarios del mundo, haciendo bailar a las multitudes del primer mundo. Uno de sus clásicos fue el tema "Forever Young" de 1984, y que en la Argentina se convirtió en la canción utilizada por una reconocida AFJP para sostener su campaña publicitaria, buscando captar afiliados a la jubilación privada que se inauguraba en los años noventa.
"Siento mucha bronca e impotencia de que esa bella canción se haya transformado en el emblema del sistema de las AFJP en Argentina, y que así se lograra embaucar a millones de argentinos que creyeron que la jubilación privada podía ser mejor que la estatal. Pensar de ese modo era una ingenuidad, y más en la Argentina" sostuvo Marian Gold, y asimismo añadió que "los que no tenemos el futuro asegurado y debemos hacer aportes jubilatorios no podemos entregar nuestro dinero a la timba financiera que proponen los fondos de pensión. Argentinos, si querían cobrar una jubilación más alta a la que ofrecía el Estado (que siempre paga), hubieran sacado un seguro de retiro, y no comerse el verso de las AFJP. A veces hay que pensar, y no comprar espejitos de colores."
El cantante de Alphaville fue más allá en la crítica a las AFJP: "Así como robaron a cada afiliado cobrando las millonarias comisiones antes de pagar jubilación alguna, la AFJP que usó nuestro tema en su campaña publicitaria no nos pagó derechos de autor, y por esa razón le iniciaremos acciones legales, antes de que desaparezca, aunque por ahí ya desapareció. En ese caso nos recagaron."
Marian Gold se encuentra componiendo nuevo material para la banda, que hoy chorea en pubs y discotecas europeas, tratando de sobrevivir en el duro mundo del mercado musical, pero ello no es obstáculo para hablar de la actualidad argentina:
"Me comentaron que hay mucha gente preocupada por la decisión del Gobierno, gente que cree que va a perder los ahorros como en 2001, o que no va a tener jubilación. Yo les digo que si seguían en el régimen de capitalización no iban a cobrar nada, e iban a tener que ir con la escupidera al Estado a ver si les tiraba unas migajas; pero si aún así hay personas que quieren seguir en el régimen de AFJP, que lo hagan, porque tienen derecho a elegir: ahora, que cuando opten, les hagan firmar una declaración jurada en la que renuncien al derecho de iniciar acciones judiciales contra el Estado si es que la AFJP no les paga la jubilación esperada.", sugirió el músico, que parece conocer mucho del tema previsional.
Además de Forever Young, Alphaville consagró otro gran hit bailable como Big in Japan, que todavía suena en radios, como un ícono del tecno-pop.
Marian Gold, desde un mono-ambiente ubicado en el centro de Berlín, instó a apoyar el proyecto de estatización de las AFJP, y a que los sectores populares se movilicen: "Argentinos, no se dejen presionar por el lobby financiero: ellos ya hicieron su negocio, tienen toda la teca (sic) de las comisiones en el exterior.", y agregó que " ví a la presidenta Fernández por televisión, y me parece acertada la medida que tomó. Ahora hay que ver cómo se instrumenta, porque la crisis internacional puede provocar un freno productivo que no hay que dejar de observar".
Al final, Gold sorprendió con un comentario: "Aprovecho este medio para declararme peronista puro y duro. Me he enterado que en Argentina se ha formado la Agrupación Putos Peronistas de La Matanza, y estoy muy contento, porque el movimiento debe abrirse a todos los que estén detrás de un proyecto nacional y popular. Cuando vayamos a tocar a Argentina, espero conocerlos y que después de tomar unos vinos, comer unos choris y bailar unas cumbias, la noche termine en un empome colectivo".
Alphaville's song "Forever Young" was featured in the movie Listen to Me (1989) featuring Kirk Cameron in one of his first film roles. It appeared also in an episode of the sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia entitled "Underage Drinking: A National Concern" during a scene in which the main characters attend a high-school prom. Additionally, "Forever Young" was played in a high school prom-related scene in the 2004 film Napoleon Dynamite. The American car company Saturn also used "Forever Young" in a promotional advertisement for the Saturn Ion.
Swedish Melodic Metal Band Embraced did a cover of "Big in Japan" on their 1998 Album Amorous Anathema. In 2000, Guano Apes also covered "Big in Japan" in their second full-length album, Don't Give Me Names. A puppet version of Wayne Rooney sings a karaoke version of "Big in Japan" on an episode of I'm on Setanta Sports. Rooney's team, Manchester United was in Japan that week for the FIFA World Cup Championship. Oakley's 2005 snowboarding DVD entitled The Community Project featured Alphaville's "Big in Japan" in the Japan sequence. In 2008, "Big in Japan" was featured in the commercial for the Swedish TV show Stor i Japan (Translated: Big in Japan) and was also used several times within the show, using different cover versions as the opening theme. VH1 Classic's show 120 Minutes often features the song.
In the first part of 2006, Australian guitar band Youth Group took their remake of "Forever Young" to #1 in the Official Australian Charts, thanks in part to exposure the track had received from being on popular US TV series The O.C. and its fifth TV soundtrack CD, Music from the OC: Mix 5. In 2007 and 2008, "Forever Young" was used in a commercial for Tourism New Zealand in their Worldwide "100% Pure New Zealand" Campaign. In 2009, "Forever Young" was featured in HBO's Big Love episode #27 after Sarah Henrickson tells her brother Ben in the sunrise after prom that she is pregnant.
The German-Tunisian rapper Bushido sampled the song "Forever Young" on his 2008 song "Für immer jung" featuring Karel Gott. The song appeared on his eighth album Heavy Metal Payback.
In 2009, the single "Young Forever" from the album The Blueprint 3 featured Jay-Z rapping over a version of the song "Forever Young" sung by Mr Hudson.
The Alphaville song "Big in Japan" was sung by contestant István Szarka on the Hungarian talent show Megasztár in May 2010. The song quickly became a YouTube sensation dubbed "Bikicsunáj", complete with subtitles mocking Szarka's lack of understanding and poor pronunciation of the English lyrics. Adrien (member of the band BB Brunes) and Keren Ann sang « Big in Japan» during the television/radio programme Taratata broadcasted on France2, France4 and Europe1 in March 2011.
Songfacts:
The
title of the song is kind of a joke. Many rock bands that are well past
their prime continue to be "Big in Japan" long after they cannot draw a
large audience in the UK or US. The movie Spinal Tap also made
fun of this phenomenon, as the band had a hit single in Japan just as
they appeared to be washed up. (thanks, Eulbie - New York, NY)
In
a 1998 interview with the German online magazine Re.flexion, Alphaville
lead signer Marian Gold explained: "I must admit the only ones who
understood the meaning of the song correctly were Bernhard (Lloyd) and
our then publisher Andy Budde. Bernhard recognized the quality of the
song and Andy the ability of its marketing. 'Big In Japan' tells about a
couple of lovers trying to get off Heroin. They both imagine how great
it would be to love without the drug: no steal, no clients, no ice age
in the pupil, real emotions, true worlds. Till nowadays Berlin station
Zoo is an important meeting place for junkies. That's why this place
became a venue of the song. In 1977 I was quite regular in a club in
Kreuzberg, the SO36. I hoped to meet David Bowie. There was the rumor he
would be in Berlin for withdrawal treatment in that period. There was a
fellow, who sold stuff of independent bands from US and UK. I bought
the album of a British band named Big In Japan. "Big in Japan" meant so
much as if you are nothing in your environs, you can be big somewhere
else. You can be a king in another world. And if you aren't that, you
can tell it at home. Japan is so far away. Anyway that statement fit
perfectly to the story of the couple of lovers. So I used it for the
refrain of the song. It was strange: as we released the song later,
Frankie Goes To Hollywood was the #1 in the charts with "Relax"
and we needed some weeks to edge them out. And Holly Johnson, the
singer of the band, was the singer of this band "Big in Japan," who I
stole the line some years ago, before he came to Frankie Goes To
Hollywood."
Comments (13):
PS, from Jan in UK, someone asked which film Big in Japan featured in, can't find that either, but Forever Young featured in a 1989 film 'Listen to me' according to Wikipedia. Forever Young has also just been re-released as a rap version, what a shame.... how to spoil a great song.
B, Brooklyn, NY writes he thought he'd heard this song way before 1984. I lived in Switzerland in the 1980's and Alphaville were very popular there. The song was in the charts for weeks, big dance song at the discos! I'm also fairly sure it was released before 1984 and I have it on a tape which I'm also thinking was made before '84. Another point, Frankie goes to Hollywood released Relax in Oct '83, Marian Gold mention this in the above copy of his interview, stating they needed some weeks to 'edge them out' of the charts. I remember being in Paris in the January of '84 though, and that was the first time I heard 'Relax', so, all a bit confusing!! Marian Gold is on Facebook though, perhaps someone should ask him personally?!!!
Can ANYONE PLEASE tell me what movie "Big in Japan" awas featured in? I am thinking it was during some sort of montage in an 80's flick. I have been researching for weeks and cannot find the answer. You can consider yourself the King/Queen if you know this.
AP
Gold (the name itself is AbFab) might not be gay, or he might be. Having been married once or even several times is hardly a proof of sexual orientation. The song itself might not be a "gay" song (I have trouble imagining what a gay song is) but it certainly implied gay prostitution when Gold wrote it. The Zoo station was famous for both drugs and prostitution. Male junkies would often turn into sex workers in order to keep up their addiction. "Pay and I'll sleep by your side" obviously refers to prostitution. Junkies go to great lengths to make money to buy drugs. Sex is an easy way of making money and the song implies it.
I'm sorry to disappoint those who think that Gold is gay and that Big in Japan is a gay song. Marian Gold - who wrote the lyrics - isn't gay or bissexual, he never was. Acctualy he was "married" 3 or 4 times, all straight marriages. He's a straight guy (with or without make-up). He lived 4 years with Ariane (1980-1984), then he got married with Manuela, an italian girl. After Manuela he has an affair with Gabi Becker, AV's backing vocal, and he had a daugther with her in 1998. Now he's living with a swedish girl in Berlin.
"My man" is the english slang for "my drug dealer", there's nothing gay about that.
I know that Marian used to have that androgynous style but believe me, he's totally straight.
Don-why can't his "man" be a gay heroin dealer? Big In Japan is obviously referring to someone delusional about their double life. That could be referring to a closeted gay man.
Could just as easily be referring to addict. Addicts have been known to sell their bodies. That would explain the line "Pay, then I sleep by your side".
it was a big hit in my country in the 80"s (in iran) everybody was murmuring it on those days without knowing the meaning.great music great voice but of course not a very successful band
This song was recorded by SANDRA (Michael Cretu's Wife) on 1984 too. Was called "Japan Ist Weit" and it was her first solo single after left ARABESQUE (her first group).
Take a look...
http://www.discogs.com/release/255409
Well before late than never...
Maybe this letter can have some kind of subliminar message, I mean if we consider the fact of the members that band they are Germans...
Well dispite the all things allredy read can be a Neo Nazi propaganda...
But still beautyfull
I was heavy into the Southern California Gay Club Scene in the 80's and we knew immediately that "big in Japan" meant gay. We were already using that expression for more than a year before the song came out.
Clearly "I will wait here for my man" does NOT refer to his drug dealer.
Big
In Japan is a marvelous song, so is Sounds Like a melody, but we can't
deny that this band was never that successful as others belonging to
that music era. Anyway, nice melodies, perhaps we could include here
"Forever Young", but it has nothing to do witht the previous ones
mentioned.
- Carlos, Lima, PeruBig in Japan was released in January 1984. See: http://www.alphaville.de/disco/singles.htm
But my favorite Alphaville song is "Sounds like a melody", especially second part. :) Hope that there will be soon songfacts for this song.
I have been searching the web and I keep finding different release dates for this song. But when I stopped to think, I realized that everyone has it wrong, including, sorry to say, Song Facts. I (still) have a tape that an old friend made for me back around 1982/83 just before we lost contact with each other and on this tape happens to be BIG IN JAPAN. I believe it's by Alphaville because I've seen the video and it's the same arranngment and the same voice. My problem with this whole thing is that everything I've seen on the web regarding Alphaville shows nothing before 1984. ???(picture me lifting my shoulders [and my eyebrows] in an I-don't-know-do you kind o' way.)
Discografía:
Forever Young (1984)
Afternoons in Utopia (1986)
The Breathtaking Blue (1989)
Prostitute (1994)
Salvation (1997)
Catching Rays on Giant (2010)
ENLACES/FUENTES:
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphaville_%28banda_alemana%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphaville_%28band%29
http://desiertodeideas.blogspot.com.ar/2008/10/la-banda-alemana-alphaville-le-pega-las.html
http://www.alphaville.info/
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=3533
