Gentlemen Take Polaroids

Gentlemen Take Polaroids is the title of the fourth studio album by British group Japan released on 07 November 1980 on Virgin records, the group's first for the label.

The album was preceded by the release of an edit of the title track as a single. Although it only reached no.60 in the UK it was the group's first to make the charts. A second track Nightporter was also released as a single, but only some two years later in a remixed version, when the group had begun to achieve some commercial success with the Tin Drum album in late 1981, and interest in the group's back catalogue grew in 1982, when the band were effectively splitting up.

All the songs on the album were written by frontman David Sylvian, except for Ain't That Peculiar, a cover version of a 1965 hit song by Marvin Gaye. The closing track Taking Islands In Africa was written by Sylvian in collaboration with Japanese composer and musician Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Personnel

 * David Sylvian – vocals, synthesizers, piano
 * Mick Karn – fretless bass guitar, oboe, sax, recorder
 * Steve Jansen – drums, synthesizer, percussion
 * Richard Barbieri – synthesizers, sequencer, piano
 * Rob Dean – guitar, ebow

This was Rob Dean's final album with the band


 * Additional: Ryuichi Sakamoto (synth on Taking Islands in Africa), Simon House (violin on My New Career), Cyo (vocals on Methods of Dance)

Tracklisting

 * original Virgin LP/MC (timings from release)


 * Side One


 * 1) Gentlemen Take Polaroids (7:06)
 * 2) Swing (6:25)
 * 3) Burning Bridges (5:20)
 * 4) My New Career (3:54)


 * Side Two


 * 1) Methods of Dance (6:53)
 * 2) Ain't That Peculiar (4:40)
 * 3) Nightporter (6:57)
 * 4) Taking Islands in Africa (5:15)


 * Re-issues


 * 2003 CD, bonus tracks: The Experience of Swimming (R. Barbieri), The Width of a Room (R. Dean), Taking Islands in Africa (Steve Nye remix)
 * 2006 CD, remaster, as above

Singles
UK only