Nacho Video
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6-GXe1clYKF8q4juAXPZIQ

Japan • Swing • Live on Old Grey Whistle Test • 21 December 1980 • Remastered

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Continuing my mission to improve upon Japan’s online video legacy, here’s my remastered version of their classic 1980 OGWT live performance of Swing.

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The December ’80 Old Grey Whistle Test show is currently the only live Japan performance footage of note in circulation from the Polaroids era. Fortunately, sound and vision quality of the broadcast is basically excellent, as one would expect from the BBC.

However, the BBC audio mix is problematic. It is mono, it lacks depth and Sylvian’s vocal is very dry and way too loud in the mix. And because the vocal is so loud, and some crude limiter must have been applied to the overall track, when Sylvian sings, the level of the backing track suddenly drops significantly. What to do?

I asked my pal the producer Particledots, if he could look in his box of magic tricks for an solution. Particledots came up with a technical miracle - he managed to separate the vocal and the backing track almost 100% cleanly. And so with the two separated tracks, I was able to work on them individually. Adding limiter and compression to the backing track, I was able to stabilize the wildly changing volume levels. To Sylvian’s vocal, I added some subtle reverb and other effects. Then individually, both tracks were EQ’d and had a little fake stereo added to them. Lastly, when recombining the two tracks back together, I kept the vocal track much lower in the mix than on the original version.

On the visual side, I combined two different sources of the footage, and by adding various filters I could create a clean, optimized version.

Thanks for watching, hope you dig it!

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Credits

Audio and Video Source:
Japan • Swing • Live on Old Grey Whistle Test • 21 December 1980 • BBC TV

Musicians:
David Sylvian • vocals, guitar, synthesiser
Rob Dean • guitar
Richard Barbieri • synthesiser, keyboards
Mick Karn • bass, saxophone
Steve Jansen • drums, percussion, synthesiser

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Always more videos to follow, so please keep your electric eye on me babe!

I don't own the rights, and I'm not making any money out of this etc. Just a fan making videos for other fans.

Hivatalos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiqN-WV0RYw


Tell me when the work is done
Tell me when the day is through
And I'll drive safely inside my car
Taking islands in Africa

Shout if someone gets too near
I'll know just what I ought to do
I'll arrive safely in my car
Taking islands in Africa

Now your feet are back on the ground again
She'll say the weather's dim but relax my love
Relax and swing
And swing

Things you say are not too clear
I'm someone you'll neither know again
But I sit here and watch from afar
Taking islands in Africa

Whisper in the wind

Now your feet are back on the ground again
She'll say the weather's dim but relax my love
Relax and swing. And swing
And swing. And swing

Now your feet are back on the ground again
She'll say the weather's dim but relax my love
Relax and swing. And swing
And swing. And swing
And swing

https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/japan/swing.html