Japan-yhtyeen, laulajana David Sylvian, livetupla.

Oil On Canvas is a live album by the English band Japan, released in June 1983, six months after the band had broken up. It became their highest charting album in the UK, peaking at number 5: Japan (national chart, 11), No. 1 on the overseas artists chart.

The live tracks on the double album were taken from the band's performances at the Hammersmith Odeon in November 1982, during their final live concert tour. With guitarist Rob Dean having left the band in 1981, Japanese session musician Masami Tsuchiya was added to the line-up on guitar and additional keyboards.

Although marketed as a live recording, the album also contains three new instrumental studio tracks ("Oil On Canvas", "Voices Raised In Welcome, Hands Held In Prayer", and "Temple Of Dawn"), recorded separately by Sylvian, Sylvian/Jansen and Barbieri respectively - the title of Barbieri's track is taken from the novel The Temple of Dawn by Yukio Mishima.

Mick Karn's autobiography later admitted that the tracks were re-recorded in the studio and therefore deemed it not a live album.

Some early single-disc CD editions omit the "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" and "Swing" tracks.

Japan – Oil On Canvas

Label:

Virgin – VD 2513, Virgin – VD2513

Format:

2 x Vinyl , LP, Album, Stereo, Gatefold

Country:

Released:

Jun 1983

Genre:

Electronic , Rock , Pop

Style:

Art Rock , New Wave , Post-Punk , Synth-pop

Tracklist

Hide Credits

A1Oil On Canvas

Performer [Performed By] – D. Sylvian*

1:23A2Sons Of Pioneers5:00A3Gentlemen Take Polaroids6:36A4Swing5:46B1Cantonese Boy3:45B2Visions Of China5:41B3Ghosts5:15B4Voices Raised In Welcome, Hands Held In Prayer

Performer [Performed By] – D. Sylvian*, S. Jansen*

3:33C1Nightporter6:45C2Still Life In Mobile Homes5:37C3Methods Of Dance6:12D1Quiet Life4:33D2The Art Of Parties5:25D3Canton5:47D4Temple Of Dawn

Performer [Performed By] – R. Barbieri*

1:47

Companies, etc.

Phonographic Copyright ? – Virgin Records Ltd.
Pressed By – CBS Pressing Plant, Aston Clinton
Published By – Chadwick Nomis Ltd.
Published By – Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd.
Lacquer Cut At – Utopia Studios

Credits

Artwork [Handtinting By] – Yvette Anna
Cover [Cover Concept] – Sylvian*
Engineer [Engineered By] – John Punter, Nigel Walker
Painting [Cover Painting 'Head Of J.Y.M.' II 1980 By] – Frank Auerbach
Performer [Performed By], Bass, Clarinet, Saxophone, Vocals [Vocal] – Mick Karn
Performer [Performed By], Drums, Marimba – Steve Jansen
Performer [Performed By], Guitar, Keyboards – Masami Tsuchiya
Performer [Performed By], Keyboards – Richard Barbieri
Performer [Performed By], Vocals, Keyboards – David Sylvian
Photography By – Anton Corbijn
Producer [Produced By] – Japan, John Punter
Producer [Tapes Produced By] – Japan, J. Punter*, N. Walker*, S. Nye*
Written-By – D. Sylvian* (tracks: A1 to D3), M. Karn* (tracks: A2), R. Barbieri* (tracks: D4), S. Jansen* (tracks: B2, B4, D3)

Notes

? 1983 Virgin Records Ltd. © 1983 Virgin Records Ltd.

Published by Chadwick Nomis Ltd./ Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd.
Some copies came with a printed sticker stating "Japan Recorded Live VD2513".

[Release notes]:
Billed as 'Japan recorded live' it actually contains some studio material (tracks A1, B4, C1 & D4), including three new instrumentals and a re-recorded 'Nightporter'. All other tracks were recorded live November 1982 at Hammersmith Odeon, London.
In chart terms this was Japan's most successful album; released at a time when interest in the group was at its peak in the wake of the split.

UK chart position: 5, Japan (national chart, 11 - a real achievement), No1 on overseas artists chart.