John Peel Wiki
Register
Advertisement
(This page covers both the band Half Japanese and the solo career of Jad Fair.)

Half Japanese is an art punk band formed by brothers Jad and David Fair around 1975, sometime after the family's relocation to Uniontown, Maryland. Their original instrumentation included a small drum set, which they took turns playing; vocals; and an out-of-tune, distorted guitar. Both Fair brothers sang, although over time Jad moved into the frontman role. (Read more at Wikipedia.)

Links to Peel

“I would like to say that Half Japanese really owes a debt to John Peel. He gave us our first break because he was playing us long before other people would play us and I am eternally grateful for that.”[1] (Jad Fair, 2013, Quietus interview)

While Peel was quick to give airtime to “Calling All Girls,” the self-released debut EP of Half Japanese in 1978, he didn't appear hopeful that the Fair brothers' early brand of discordant lo-fi primitivism was likely to gather a significant following:

“I tell you what, if I can make Half Japanese into a cult band, I can do anything I reckon.”[2]

Perhaps to his own surprise, Peel would continue to play the band's releases on his shows across three decades, as well as Jad Fair's solo efforts and outside collaborations. No doubt alerted by Peel's support for the band, UK label Armageddon released the first Half Japanese album, 1/2 Gentlemen/Not Beasts (1980), reportedly the first-ever debut triple LP, opening the way to a long career outside the mainstream.

The first of three Peel sessions was eventually recorded in 1993, by which time the band had toured with Nirvana at the invitation of long-time fan Kurt Cobain. Former Velvet Underground drummer Moe Tucker was among their other influential supporters.

After Peel's death, numerous LPs by both Half Japanese and Jad Fair were found in the DJ's record collection (see Record Collection: 1-9 and Record Collection: F). The Jad Fair album Great Expectations (1989) was subsequently featured as the "Hidden Gem" for the letter F at the John Peel Archive blog.[3]

Festive Fifty Entries

  • None

Sessions

  • Three sessions. No known commercial release.

1. Recorded: 1993-05-25. First broadcast: 25 June 1993. Repeated: 04 December 1993

  • Song Of Joy And Love / True Believers / All Part Of My Plan / She / If He Says He Did / Talking In My Sleep / Bashful Bob & Chicago

2. Recorded: 1995-09-24. First broadcast: 06 October 1995. Repeated:

  • The Feeling's Getting Stronger / Den Of Sin / Do It / This Is Our Day / What About Me

3. Recorded: . First broadcast: 09 December 1997. Repeated:

  • Starlight / Superman / Natalie / Vicky / Summer Nights

Other Shows Played

(The following list was compiled only from the database of this site and Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive. Please add more information if known.)

1978
  • 08 August 1978: School Of Love (EP - Calling All Girls) 50 Skidillion Watts
  • 10 August 1978: Her Parents Came Home (EP - Calling All Girls) 50 Skidillion Watts (JP: “I tell you what, if I can make Half Japanese into a cult band, I can do anything I reckon. Megalomania will set in on an epic scale.”)
  • 15 August 1978: The Worst I'd Ever Do (EP - Calling All Girls) 50 Skidillion Watts
  • 16 August 1978: Ann Arbor, MI (7" EP - Calling All Girls) 50 Skidillion Watts
  • 16 August 1978: Shy Around Girls (7" EP - Calling All Girls) 50 Skidillion Watts
  • 19 October 1978: Dream Date (7"-Calling All Girls) 50 Skidillion Watts (JP: 'And that's not from the soundtrack of Grease.')
  • 25 October 1978: Calling All Girls (EP - Calling All Girls) 50 Skidillion Watts
  • 30 October 1978: Calling All Girls (7") 50 Skidillion Watts
  • 02 November 1978: Battle Of The Bands (EP – Calling All Girls) 50 Skidillion Watts
1979
  • 09 January 1979: No Direct Line From My Brain To My Heart (Single) 50 Skidillion Watts
  • 17 January 1979: Rip My Shirt To Shreds (EP – No Direct Line From My Brain To My Heart) 50 Skidillion Watts
  • 05 April 1979: Someone I Care About (Various LP - Blub Krad) Los Angeles Free Music Society
  • 25 September 1979: I Want Something New (compilation album - Thirty Seconds Over DC: Here Comes The New Wave!) Limp
1980
1981
  • 13 May 1981: If My Father Answers Don't Say Nothing (Album: Loud) Armageddon Records
  • 21 May 1981: Gift (LP – Loud) Armageddon
1987
1988
1989
  • 07 December 1989: A Postcard From Far Away (album - The Band That Would Be King) 50 Skidillion Watts
  • 16 December 1989 (BFBS): Bingo's Not His Nam-O (CD-The Band That Would Be King) 50 Skidillion Watts
1990
  • 12 September 1990: 10th Ave. Freezeout (Triple LP boxed set-1/2 Gentlemen/Not Beasts) Armageddon A Box
1991
1992
1993
  • 02 January 1993: (I Don't Want To Have) Mono (Anymore) (7 inch-No Direct Line From My Brain To My Heart) 50 Skidillion Watts (Peel's continuing search for the elusive Little Richard cover version leads him to what he claims (incorrectly) is Half Japanese's very first release, a 7 inch in an 8 inch sleeve, "which makes it very difficult to file".)
Jad Fair
1980
  • 22 May 1980: The Zombies Of Mora-Tau (EP) Press
  • 03 June 1980: It Walked At Night (7" EP - The Zombies Of Mora-Tau) Armageddon
  • 04 June 1980: The Invisible Ray (7" EP - The Zombies Of Mora-Tau) Armageddon
  • 16 June 1980: The Thing With The Atomic Brain (EP – The Zombies Of Mora-Tau) Press
1988
1991
  • 02 June 1991: The Making Of The Album (LP - The Making Of The Album) Seminal Twang
1992
1993
1995
1996
1999

See Also

External Links

Advertisement