Trivia / Yellow Magic Orchestra

• Acclaimed Flop: In the US, both ×∞Multiplies (in its Frankenslation form) and BGM were praised by critics, especially the latter for its evolution of the band's sound, but they significantly undersold compared to the band's debut (with BGM not even charting), resulting in A&M Records dropping them shortly after. In Japan though, both albums were major successes, with the original version of ×∞Multiplies being a top-seller, the A&M version reaching No. 7 on the Oricon LP chart, and BGM reaching No. 2.
• Ascended Extra: Yukihiro Takahashi and Ryuichi Sakamoto were brought on as session musicians before Hosono decided to make a full-fledged band out of the project.
• Black Sheep Hit: The first album was intended to be a one-off project of Haruomi Hosono's to parody exotica music; it ended up becoming such a big hit, however, that Hosono decided to turn it into a full-time music act.
• Blooper: A credit error on the 1998 DVD YMO Giga Clips incorrectly lists Talking Heads as the directors for the "Taiso" music video. This went unaddressed until 2020, when the Blu-ray release of Winter Live 1981 (which included all six of the band's music videos as bonus features) correctly credited Haruomi Hosono and Yukimasa Okumura.
• Breakup Breakout: While YMO have long been critical favorites and cult hits, their mainstream presence died down in the west after 1981, in part because of A&M's spotty distribution of their material overseas. Meanwhile, member Ryuichi Sakamoto exploded in popularity as a soundtrack composer after his stint in the critically acclaimed Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, and while his work as a popular music artist never made much headway outside of Japan, he maintained a prominent international presence as one of the most acclaimed scorers and contemporary classical artists all the way until his death in 2023, continuing to score films and collaborate with various other artists.
• Channel Hop: Happened quite a lot with the band, especially internationally.
  • In the US and Europe, YMO were originally signed onto A&M Records; an executive from them signed the band on after catching a live performance in support of their debut album. The band remained on A&M until 1981, when the label dropped them following diminishing commercial returns that culminated in the chart failure of BGM, resulting in an 11 year period where YMO's music was relegated to No Export for You status in the States. For European distribution, meanwhile, YMO switched over to using their Japanese label, Alfa Records, directly for Technodelic and a belated release of Solid State Survivor, before Alfa partnered with indie label Pick Up Records to handle the rest.
  • For the 1992-1993 reunion, the band signed onto Toshiba EMI subsidiary Eastworld Records in Japan rather than Alfa; the fact that Alfa still owned the trademark rights to the "Yellow Magic Orchestra" name meant that the band had to bill themselves as "Not YMO" during the reunion. EMI would distribute Technodon themselves in Europe, but not North America. Meanwhile, Alfa would partner with indie label Restless Records to release the 1992 remastered CDs of YMO's 1978-1984 catalog in not only Europe, but for the first time since 1981, the US as well. Unfortunately, presumably due to low sales (given the rise of grunge the previous year, reflected in the later scarcity of secondhand copies), the Restless deal ultimately fell through, and Alfa would never again pursue distributing YMO in America.
  • During their later reunions in the 2000s and 2010s, they would switch over to Ryuichi Sakamoto's own Commmons Records label (note the three M's), while Alfa, now owned by Sony Music, would license out the band's back catalog to Sony affiliates Epic Records and GT Music for reissues in Japan, Europe, Canada, with reissue label Music on Vinyl (and its sister branch Music on CD) taking over in Europe from 2015 onwards. Meanwhile, Technodon would fall under the ownership of Universal Music Group, who bought out most of EMI's assets following their initial dissolution in 2012; UMG would reissue Technodon on both SACD and, for the first time, LP in 2020 to coincide with Alfa's 40th anniversary reissues.
• Contractual Obligation Project: Naughty Boys and Service were recorded specifically to fulfil the band's contract with Alfa Records. The group initially planned to dissolve right after the release of Technodelic thanks to Creative Differences, but Alfa still required two more albums out of them.
• Creative Differences: While Yukihiro Takahashi got along well with his bandmates, the same couldn't be said about Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto, who retrospectively described their working relationship as fiercely competitive. In particular, Sakamoto would sit out on most of the sessions for BGM, only turning in one new composition, and the group eventually split up in 1984 (and only put out one reunion album since) due to Hosono and Sakamoto's competitiveness interfering with the group's synergy.
• Creator Backlash: Ryuichi Sakamoto is open about his dislike of "Cue", citing its nature as a pastiche of Ultravox, a group he dislikes. He refused to participate in its recording, and though he acknowledges it as an important track in the YMO catalog, he still bears a grudge against it.
• Executive Meddling: Both "Nice Age" and "Citizens of Science" were put together to sate demand from A&M Records for an American-oriented single. Ironically, A&M would reject the songs for being too uncommercial, relegating them to album-only tracks; "Behind the Mask" was instead made the lead single for the US version of ×∞Multiplies, with "Tighten Up (Japanese Gentlemen Stand Up Please!)" being released in its wake as a non-album single. "Nice Age" would see a single release in the UK, the Netherlands, and Portugal, but not the US.
• Feelies:
  • The first runs of both Solid State Survivor and Service came in translucent yellow vinyl, obviously tying in with the band's name. The first pressing of After Service similarly was on translucent red vinyl.
  • Early LP copies of BGM came with a foldout poster, a flyer for the book Omiyage, and postcards featuring photos of the band. Similarly, LP copies of Technodon include a small pamphlet containing the album's liner notes, in place of including them on the inner sleeve. The 2019 SACD release of both albums replicates these extra packages in a shrunken down size.
  • The initial Japanese CD release of Technodon made the lid of the jewel case into a polarized lens, with the messages in the liner notes being modified so that they could only be read when inserted directly under it. The European CD release and later reissues simply show the text unmodified.
• He Also Did:
  • Haruomi Hosono was previously a member of the folk rock band Happy End, which is also considered one of the most important Japanese bands of all time. Ryuichi Sakamoto's solo composition "Happy End" is a nod to Hosono's group, and fittingly, a YMO cover of the song would feature on BGM.
  • And helped with brief rival Kenji Sawada's solo album Onnatachiyo, playing keys on a few songs as well as producing.
  • Yukihiro Takahashi was a member of the mid-'70s glam rock Sadistic Mika Band, and wrote the song "Radio Junk" for Sheena & the Rockets; YMO would later cover that track in concerts, as captured on Public Pressure.
  • Ryuichi Sakamoto was responsible for the iconic Sega Dreamcast startup sound. He's also done a lot of soundtrack work and has been a frequent collaborator with David Sylvian, ultimately becoming YMO's Breakup Breakout in the west as a result.
  • As mentioned in the main page, the three did soundtrack works in their later careers, especially with Hosono (Night on the Galactic Railroad and the theme song to Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind) and Sakamoto (The Last Emperor and The Revenant, for starters).
  • Really, if you look around at all in Japan's New Wave Music scene, you'll see their names pop up an awful lot.
• Keep Circulating the Tapes:
  • Although their audio back catalog has been continuously reissued and remastered, the Concert Film Propaganda has been out of print since 2001, with its last release being a DVD pressing through Pony Canyon that year.
  • The American and European versions of ×∞Multiplies are generally overlooked in reissues, likely because unlike the dedicated remix of Yellow Magic Orchestra, it was simply pieced together from two preexisting albums and thus didn't represent as complete of an artistic product. The US version of ×∞Multiplies was last reissued in 1999, and hasn't reappeared since, not even through YMO's Spotify page (in part because the albums it was stitched together from are already up, meaning one could recreated the US ×∞Multiplies themselves if they wanted to).
  • Complete Service, the 1992 expanded version of After Service, hasn't been in print since 1994 for reasons never clearly communicated. While Alfa Records eventually putting the original double-LP After Service tracklist on CD and standardizing it may partly explain this, not only did the single-CD version co-exist with Complete Service, but the first full double-CD release of After Service also came out four years after the one and only reissue of Complete.
• Late Export for You:
  • The international release of YMO's debut album took an extra six months to come out, owing to the fact that it took that long for A&M to discover the band, deem them viable for a western audience, and remix the album for overseas buyers.
  • For decades, it was impossible to get the Japanese version of YMO's debut album unless you either lived in/traveled to Japan or had access to an import copy. All official international releases were based around the 1979 remix created for the US market, despite the fact that Alfa Records had no problem keeping both the Japanese and American versions of the album available for Japanese audiences. The Japanese mix eventually saw a belated international release in 2003, via Epic Records' full-backlog reissues in the UK, Canada, and continental Europe; specifically, they included both versions of the album in a single double-CD package, with one CD for the Japanese mix and one CD for the US one. This configuration of the release would later be re-released in 2015, also in Europe, by Music on CD, as well as in a double-LP package by Music on Vinyl. US shoppers though are still limited to import copies.
  • Despite being a critical and commercial success in its native Japan, Solid State Survivor was not released internationally at first, likely because the international release of the band's debut album occurred just months beforehand, and with ×∞Multiplies on the way, A&M likely felt that it would be best to capitalize on the newer record instead of either rushing out three albums within the span of a year or lagging behind enough to risk losing sales to import purchases. Consequently, select songs from Solid State Survivor would first appear on the heavily altered international version of ×∞Multiplies, replacing the multilingual "Snakeman Show" skits. Solid State Survivor wouldn't come to foreign shores until the 1982 British LP and cassette releases, and its first wide international release wouldn't be until the 1992 remasters of the band's back-catalog, which with the exception of their debut album is based around the band's Japanese releases.
  • Likewise, A&M skipped over all of the band's Alfa Records albums post-BGM for unknown reasons, despite A&M having more or less caught up to the band by that point; Naughty Boys could at least be explained in the sense that it consisted solely of Japanese-language songs, but the same can't be said of Technodelic or Service, the latter of which managed to see release in Europe simply by cutting out the "S.E.T." comedy sketches. The first US releases of these albums would be via the 1992 remasters.
  • Naughty Boys Instrumental was never released outside of Germany or Japan for roughly 19 years; its first release outside of those territories was in Europe and Canada as part of the band's 2003 reissue campaign (itself a case of this trope, given that it consists of re-pressings of the previously Japan-exclusive 1999 remasters), as part of a combo pack with the original Naughty Boys.
• Multi-Disc Work:
  • The 2003 CD reissues of Yellow Magic Orchestra and Naughty Boys package both versions of each album together as two-disc sets; the two versions of the former are split up again for the 2019 SACD release, while the latter keeps Naughty Boys and Naughty Boys Instrumental together as one package.
  • The LP release of After Service spans two discs. Initial CD releases trim down the album to fit it on one disc, which Alfa Records then tried to compensate for with the 1992 expanded edition Complete Service. The 1999 remaster would restore the double-LP configuration on two CDs, with the 2003 and 2019 reissues following suit.
  • The 1991 Live Album Faker Holic, an expanded version of the band's first live release, Public Pressure, spans two CDs, with the first disc focusing on live shows from London and Paris and the second disc focusing on performances from New York City.
  • The Greatest Hits Album Sealed was initially released as a Distinct Quadruple Album — the first three discs are each dedicated to songs by each member of the band, while the fourth disc focuses on full band compositions. The CD edition fits the compilation onto two discs by editing, dropping, and reordering tracks.
  • LP reissues of Technodon split the album across two discs due to its CD-oriented runtime of 63:24.
  • The 2019 Collector's Vinyl Editions of the band's discography split each album across two 45 RPM 12" records, taking advantage of this configuration's improved sound quality compared to conventional 33 1/3 RPM LPs.
• No Export for You:
  • Official American releases of YMO's material is hard to come by, to say the least. Barring BGM and the altered US versions of Yellow Magic Orchestra and ×∞Multiplies, none of their work saw a wide release in the United States until the 1992 remastered CDs, which included the Japanese version of the band's Alfa Records back-catalog (save for Yellow Magic Orchestra, which still used the US version). This marked the last time any of YMO's material was ever officially released in the States outside of digital releases, with all physical reissues since then being confined to Japan, Canada, and Europe. This, combined with the scarcity of the Restless reissues, resulted in the 2003 discs and Music on CD's 2015 re-pressings of them becoming popular import titles among American record stores.
  • The vast majority of the band's Greatest Hits Albums have never been released outside of Japan. The sole exception in Kyoretsu Na Rhythm, originally released in the US as a prelude to the band's first round of remasters before seeing release in the UK, Europe, and Japan the following year.
  • Technodon holds the dubious distinction of being YMO's only studio album to never see an American release at all, having only been put out in Japan and Europe despite the group's prior back-catalog having just seen their first (and only) US CD releases the previous year. Reissues (on the rare occasions when they actually happen, having only occurred in 1999, 2011, and 2020 compared to the far more frequent re-releases of the Alfa-era albums) take things a step further, with none of them making it outside of Japan aside from the digital version put out on streaming services. Consequently, attempting to find even a secondhand copy of Technodon is best reserved for those with deep pockets and plenty of time to wait for an international shipment.
  • The live album Public Pressure and remix album Naughty Boys Instrumental likewise were never released in America, only being put out in Japan, Canada, and Europe (the latter usually being part of a combo pack with Naughty Boys since 2003). The closest the US got to receiving a release of Public Pressure was Restless Records' release of Faker Holic in 1992, which contained the original, non-overdubbed performances, and three tracks from Naughty Boys Instrumental ("Chaos Panic", "Lotus Love", and "Kai-Koh") would be included as bonus tracks on Restless' release of ×∞Multiplies.
  • While the 1992 and 1999 remasters saw release outside of Japan (the latter in the form of the worldwide 2003 reissues, which reused the audio), physical copies of the 2019 remasters, which include the first SACD releases of YMO's studio albums, remain confined to the band's home country.
• One-Hit Wonder: Despite their enduring cult following in the west, YMO only had one charting single outside their native Japan in the form of "Computer Game", which reached No. 17 in the UK and hit No. 18 on the American R&B charts despite not cracking the Hot 100's top 40. "Behind the Mask" also holds mainstream prominence, but mainly through being Covered Up by Michael Jackson. That said, the band are also critically respected for their influence on Hip-Hop and later Synth-Pop acts, to say nothing of their massive impact on J-pop, which in turn influenced much of the western Future Funk scene.
• Promoted Fanboy: The Human League were hugely influenced by YMO (to the point where they used the Roland MC-8 solely because YMO used it first), and eventually got to collaborate with them on the 1993 EP YMO Versus The Human League.
• Rarely Performed Song:
  • "Mad Pierrot" was taken out of the band's setlist following their earliest performances in 1978, due to the song's fast pace and dense arrangement making it difficult to consistently replicate.
  • "U•T" was removed from the band's setlist after their initial dissolution in 1984. While it was scheduled to be played during their 1993 reunion tour, it was taken out after the band discovered that it was recorded in an obsolete equipment standard, making it prohibitively difficult to perform again.
• Recursive Import: The band's US label, A&M Records, extensively modified both their self-titled debut and ×∞Multiplies for the American market, with both albums being remixed by Al Schmitt and ×∞Multiplies replacing several tracks with ones from the Japan-exclusive Solid State Survivor. Both times, the band's Japanese label, Alfa Records, decided to release these altered versions in Japan as well, with the band's fame in their home country resulting in strong sales both times. The US version of ×∞Multiplies would eventually be mostly depreciated barring a couple rare CD reissues, but the two versions of the debut album remain in circulation in Japan to this day, with the 2003 remaster even packaging them together as a Distinct Double Album.
• Referenced by...: Irem's arcade shoot-em-up X Multiply is named after ×∞Multiplies, featuring an infinity symbol made of cells on the game's title screen.
• Revival by Commercialization: A new acoustic version of "Rydeen" was recorded in 2007 for a beer commercial, which quickly topped the Oricon charts.
• Screwed by the Lawyers: Sorta. The minimalist arrangements on Technodon were largely the result of Toshiba EMI prohibiting the band from using samplers, reportedly due to them misinterpreting the verdict of Grand Upright Music, Ltd. v. Warner Bros. Records Inc. in the United States, which ruled that unauthorized sampling of other artists' songs legally constituted plagiarism. Note that YMO never used samples from other songs, but nevertheless Toshiba EMI chose to err on the side of caution. Ryuichi Sakamoto expressed his frustration with the restriction in later years, and general understanding is that the situation was a prominent factor in him becoming a vocal critic of copyright law.
• Sequel Gap: Technodon released roughly a decade after Service, owing to YMO dissolving and reforming within that period.
• Short-Lived, Big Impact: YMO were only active for around six years (1978-1984), barring occasional reunions in the decades since, but within that time they put out seven studio albums (with an eighth releasing during the first reunion) and two live albums, achieved massive commercial and critical success around the world, and became one of the most important and influential Synth-Pop bands in history, among other things acting as a major source of inspiration for western Hip-Hop, techno, and Alternative Dance acts. What's more, they became an even greater influence on their home country, practically rewriting a good chunk of the Japanese Pop Music scene from the ground up with their incorporation of traditional Japanese influences and eschewing of prior imitations of western acts, being directly compared to The Beatles (who were active for a similar length of time as YMO at seven years) in this regard.
• Short Run in Peru: The Greatest Hits Album Kyoretsu Na Rhythm was originally released in the US in 1991 before arriving in the band's native Japan the following year with an expanded tracklist.
• Similarly Named Works: An example contained to the same act: Technodelic and Technodon, despite having very similar names and being put out by the same band, are starkly different in sound and style.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Before inducting Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yukihiro Takahashi, Haruomi Hosono originally asked Tasuo Hayashi of Tin Pan Alley and Hiroshi Sato of Uncle Buck to be the other two members of YMO. Both men, however, declined Hosono's offer.
  • BGM was originally planned to be digitally-recorded, furthering the band's focus on technological innovation. However, since Haruomi Hosono found the recording equipment's sound quality too sharp, the album was instead recorded with standard analog equipment and mastered digitally. This would prove fortuitous in the long run, as no working units of the digital equipment exist anymore; instead, reissues reconstruct the original mix from the analog multitracks.
• Working Title: The US version of ×∞Multiplies, which was cobbled together from both Solid State Survivor and the Japanese version of ×∞Multiplies, had its first test pressings made under the title of Solid State Survivor. The original title stuck around long enough to appear in retailer pamphlets in June of 1980, complete with cover art based on that of the "Rydeen" single release (which at the time was only available in Japan), but A&M ultimately decided to title it after the later of the two albums that their record was pieced together from (likely to dissuade import copies by making them appear caught up with Alfa's releases).

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