April 29, 2006

Heart Test

What can one say about 1/2 Japanese? Anything and everything, it seems. Among critics they’re kind of a rock ‘n’ roll Rorshach test, but the results will probably be more accurate if you love them, and I do.

For a good overview of the Half Jap phenomenon, I recommend the excellent documentary The Band That Would Be King, wherein Penn Jillette and various hipsters – many of whom I actually knew back when I was hip – dryly pontificate on the Fair brothers’ genius, in between live footage and storytelling. I do agree with the bitching of one disgruntled reviewer that the movie could’ve used more of the raucous early tunes prior to their breakout “accessible” record Charmed Life. My favorite numbers are from the first decade, up to the point where David kinda lost interest; I love the 1980 triple album set 1/2 Gentlemen Not Beasts (which includes all the hits below) and Loud LP (the beginning of their “big band” sound), and the Horrible EP of monster songs. And this one; the debut 7”, Calling All Girls. Someday we’ll have a Toe Stubber party, and I’ll DJ their scrawnking best for ya. Can’t forget the David Fair Coo Coo Rockin’ Time – Coo Coo Party Time solo album, or spinoff bands like the Workdogs and the Chumps.

I remember there was a heavy-drinking friend of my pal Marcia’s named Bill Jordan who idolized Half Jap, even to the point of dressing like, and resembling, David Fair (though, in Bill’s defense, the “David Fair look” is not a high-maintenance style). Bill cofounded the local band Scalding Urine, a freeform noise project that was obscure even among friends of the group.

Don Fleming used to work as a dishwasher at the Bayou nightclub on K Street in Washington, DC when I was a busboy (Don is now a supremo honcho in the recording industry), and the young Stubber was the number-one fan of Don’s spooky sixties-pop band the Velvet Monkeys. Don went on to play guitar with and produce 1/2 Jap as well as bunch of other people you’ve probably heard of. Half Japanese is still Jad Fair’s baby and you can find out about newer stuff here.

Before I end up writing an historical treatise here, why don’t you just play a couple of blasts off this seminal 1977 record that spawned a million lesser “we can’t play our instruments” bands. It’s just two brothers, kicking up something loud and vaguely similar to rock ‘n’ roll. David Fair’s melodic expressions may be a bit rough on the ears, but his barking enthusiasm is infectious. For me, Jad’s lusty bravado in “School of Love” and his beat-up pleading in “Shy Around Girls” are the raw emotional highlights. Open your heart.

1/2 Japanese – “Dream Date”
1/2 Japanese – “Calling All Girls”
1/2 Japanese – “School of Love”
1/2 Japanese – “Battle of the Bands”
1/2 Japanese – “Bogue Millionaires / Cool Millionaires”
1/2 Japanese – “Ann Arbor, MI”
1/2 Japanese – “Shy Around Girls”
1/2 Japanese – “Her Parents Came Home”
1/2 Japanese – “The Worst I’d Ever Do”

Rick at 1:48 pm

8 CommentsÈ

I like early 1/2 Japanese better (think Les Doerfler or Tony Flagg exposed me to them) because it was superficially unlistenable tat and me work. Same live.

Later shows a little lighter and cuter. Was disappointed when we opened for them and they failed to grasp our need to keep their crap off our rug.

I thought Chumps were separate band that merged with and separated from 1/2 Jap. Heard Chumps “Jet Lag Drag” in 1978, didn’t know about non-psychic 1/2 Jap connection yet.

Comment by montestewart Ñ May 3, 2006 @ 8:14 am
Monte – I think you’re right about the Chumps predating the 1/2 Jap big band. I could never find a copy of that 7” with “Air Conditioner” on it that I liked so much. Was Mark Jickling in that band? Or the horn player? Unfortunately, there are about 50 skidillion bands named The Chumps in this known universe of ours, so my research has failed again.

Comment by Rick Ñ May 3, 2006 @ 3:14 pm
I think it was somebody named Kennedy (can’t remember if that was first, last or only name) on bass and vocals in the Chumps I saw in ‘78, and he was later in Half Jap and occasionally did shows as the Chumps with whoever he rounded up. He seemed like an interesting man. Lost touch with him, but I’ll bet Les has early Chumps stuff.

Comment by montestewart Ñ May 4, 2006 @ 10:07 am
That must have been Rob Kennedy of the Workdogs then.

Comment by Rick Ñ May 4, 2006 @ 10:16 am
ever inspired by jad fair, also known as the man i’d like to marry, i’ve tried my darnedest to introduce the word “bogue” into the vernacular of those around me. it’s slow going, but i’ll continue to fight the good fight for my man jad.

Comment by melissa Ñ May 4, 2006 @ 1:47 pm
Yeah, it’s all coming together now—Rob Kennedy of the Chumps, 1/2 Jap, Workdogs, and member of the Kennedy dynasty. And then there’s those Dreyfus brothers who joined the Fairs—2 sets of brothers in one band. Truly bogue.

Comment by montestewart Ñ May 4, 2006 @ 3:42 pm
what’s bogue is that i saw jad fair in march and he was wearing crocs. what’s up with that?

ps—i was in a band was mark jickling’s son. like, totally full circle man.

Comment by melissa Ñ May 4, 2006 @ 9:27 pm
You guys finally got it fairly close to right. Half Jap and the Chumps were contemporaries. We got Jad and Dave their first DC gig (DC Space) and after the Chumps split up when I split DC in 80 or so, Rick, John and Lana Dreyfuss joined Jad and David to become the core of the “Big Band”. That later included Mark Jickling. I moved eventually to NYC and started the Workdogs. We were a rhythm section that added a third member for shows. In that capacity quite a few DC notables sat in with the ‘Dogs. Around 85-86 the Workdogs were employed by Half Jap (and Velvet Monkeys as well) as a rhythm section. We recorded Music To Strip By and The Band Who Would Be King with Jad and toured the US with Half Jap and the VMs. Also participated in some of the Moe Tucker stuff that was going on at that time. For further details go to workdogs.net
aloha
RobK

Comment by Rob K Ñ September 4, 2006 @ 4:37 pm