The Oriental riff is a Western invention, dating back to the "Aladdin Quick Step" used in an Aladdin stage show, The Grand Chinese Spectacle of Aladdin or The Wonderful Lamp, in 1847. The notes used in the riff are part of a pentatonic scale and often harmonized with parallel open fourths, which makes the riff sound like East Asian music to a typical Western listener.

@globetrekker86

2 ай бұрын

@zachtuchannelboogaloo5632: Thanks for the tidbit! I’ve been wondering what European concocted that stereopirridge. It begs the question, though: What is a supposedly East Asian riff doing in a production about South Asia? Because of the trope *as long as it sounds foreign*? The same occurred with *Country Maid/ Streets of Cairo*, which became *snake charmer music*, for some reason

@Based_Gigachad_001

Ай бұрын

Okay.

@otaking3582

5 күн бұрын

​​@@globetrekker86Some retellings of Aladdin had the story set in China, such as the Bevanfield version that Phelous has reviewed.

Fun fact: since this episode was made, The Vapors reunited in 2016 and actually released a third album *this year* .

@rushdieuoy

4 жыл бұрын

WAIT WHAT

@EpicB

4 жыл бұрын

@@rushdieuoy Yes, it's true. open.spotify.com/album/6PI3FIFr5W9rE1gGHoAOuJ?si=8tV64KDET6WqxQ2s3KPhSQ

@ninjabluefyre3815

3 жыл бұрын

Together is really good

@camerondodge2070

3 жыл бұрын

And it's just as good as their first two: perfect.

@markjames8664

2 жыл бұрын

Whoa!

Fun fact about the Vapors, the cover to their second album Magnets was drawn by a then-unknown illustrator named Martin Handford. Handford was already known for his crowd drawings, but to spice things up, he decided to add hidden details in the cover. This inspired him a few years later to start a whole series of books based on finding hidden details in crowds, which we now know as Where is Waldo.

The guitarist from the Vapours now directs Doctor Who episodes

@skeeter197140

5 жыл бұрын

It's odd how they are a British band, but they spell their name like Americans. No "U"!

@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770

5 жыл бұрын

Will Shaw cool. What episodes did he direct? I about to make a refference to that show.

@brendanmccabe8373

4 жыл бұрын

Elijah Ford the girl who died, the woman who lived and the return of dr mysterio

@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770

4 жыл бұрын

Brendan McCabe hm

@brendanmccabe8373

4 жыл бұрын

Elijah Ford that is insane I was looking at your comment when I checked this notification

I'm watching an American talking about a British band that's only known for a song about the Japanese that was huge in Australia. I'm sure there's a joke in there somewhere but I just can't think of it.

@kimifw58

7 жыл бұрын

♪ Draw a circle, that's the Earth. Draw a circle, that's the Earth. Draw a circle, that's the Earth. I am Hetalia... ♪

@oh_well_whatever_nevermind

6 жыл бұрын

Kimi FW noooooooo

@thegayghost872

6 жыл бұрын

First of all, how dare you

@commentfreely5443

5 жыл бұрын

1st song i played when i bought my epiphone casino. not that they played one. but in my memory this song is up there.

@unkemptcl4ptp511

5 жыл бұрын

“I’ll never forgive the Japanese.”

I know where the Asian riff came from. For one thing, it's not Asian. It's actually from an American stage production of Aladdin that came out in 1847. You're welcome.

@MrColuber

8 жыл бұрын

+Stephen Leotti Well, according to the original story, Aladdin is supposed to be Chinese, though many people don't know that...

@irishman6414

8 жыл бұрын

+MrColuber maybe. But either way, not in the play the riff came from. It was not meant to be Asian sounding at all.

@GreyPatzer

8 жыл бұрын

+MrColuber I have recently been reading some Herodotus, and it seems in classical times, everything east of Greece was just called Asia.

@MrColuber

8 жыл бұрын

+GreyPatzer Really? What a shock.

@isetmfriendsofire

8 жыл бұрын

+Stephen Leotti Yep, however it's known as the Oriental riff.

"There was not enough room for Vapors in all the Air Supply we had." Truer words have never been spoken.

@gabe_s_videos

4 жыл бұрын

I've watched this video probably 30 times and I just now got that pun.

@EclecticoIconoclasta

4 жыл бұрын

I have been on a binge of videos from this channel and he shows his hate of Air Supply in three different videos. I don´t hate anything but i agree that Air Supply is one of those horrible pop things that seems their goal is annoying people: like Michael Bolton, Ryan Adams or Celine Dion

@suekelley2109

2 жыл бұрын

I hate to admit I actually owned an Air Supply album in my youth. Out of a sudden attack of memory I listened to it a couple weeks afo. Or tried to. Funny thing. I keep falling asleep before All Out of Live is done.

@suekelley2109

2 жыл бұрын

Love not live. Alex's autocorrect feature is even worse than Siri

As being half Japanese I hated this song growing up, as all the kids at primary school would sing the chorus and slanted their eyes at me like a taunt.

@liampatrick3110

3 жыл бұрын

YIKES!

@thorndust5329

3 жыл бұрын

Yow

@jaycee330

2 жыл бұрын

Imagine if you were from egyptian when the Bangles sang that song...

@dcbandnerd

2 жыл бұрын

Kids do be shitty and surprisingly bigoted at times!

@kittykittybangbang9367

2 жыл бұрын

oof

Hearing you talk about the jam - i think it would be cool for you do a series about bands you actually really like

@jaydee4697

6 жыл бұрын

That would be awesome! I'd love to see Todd a career retrospective on The Jam- they don't get enough love!

@Flowtail

6 жыл бұрын

But watching him suffer is so entertaining... edit: i suppose the closest we can hope for is the year-end lists, which i must admit i've given short shrift in the past

@kinggriffin4279

6 жыл бұрын

disagree, the hatred makes it.

@meow-zg2fk

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah, like Consequence of Sound’s Masterpiece Reviews

@RighteousBrother

4 жыл бұрын

It would be great his research is pretty good the subject matter is a bit limiting

The explanation I've always had is that there was a common stereotype for a while about Japanese tourists taking lots of pictures at everything they saw in another country. So since he's obsessed with taking this girl's picture, he says he's "turning Japanese."

@justcallmecaligula

8 жыл бұрын

that's exactly what i've always understood it to be, even as a little kid.

@mraffi3387

8 жыл бұрын

that is so true , why i forget this ?!! in my country japanese tourist always carrying cameras and taking pictures not just selfies like these days but everything that caught their attention .indeed this is common stereotype for japanese tourist.the best explanation and most make sense . fuck those pervert thinks this is about fapping .

@GarthTheMighty

8 жыл бұрын

Interesting note; one place where that stereotype is alive and well? Japan. No joke; lot of internal tourism, lot of relatively cheap and available camera equipment. That's a self-stereotype, like America and being loud.

@tximinoman

7 жыл бұрын

After reading the lyrics I think it's obvious you're right.

@Shenaldrac

7 жыл бұрын

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT SAM DUNKLEY? WE AMERICANS AREN'T LOUD IN THE SLIGHTEST!

The Vapors: still a lengthier career than the Sex Pistols.

@mariaquiet6211

3 жыл бұрын

Twice the albums, one fiftieth the compilations

@aliceborealis

2 жыл бұрын

Not counting all the milking and kicking of the dead horse.

@peelslowly28

Жыл бұрын

@@mariaquiet6211 a 100th of the legacy

1980 was also bad considering Bon Scott, John Bonham, Ian Curtis and John Lennon all died that year

@christophervaldez8746

5 жыл бұрын

Lizard Jesus And Darby Crash....

@EclecticoIconoclasta

4 жыл бұрын

So the dude who made American Pie should have also made a song about 1980

@ethancole4359

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah it's sad but the good news is that their music lives on.

@silhouettoofaman2935

7 күн бұрын

Talk about "the day the music died..."

It’s been years now, but I’m eternally grateful to Todd for turning me on to The Jam. Seriously solid, under appreciated band here in the states.

@Geckle124

4 жыл бұрын

Would add The Specials and Madness to this category

@aboutsoundandvision

6 ай бұрын

The Jam are one of my favorite punk era bands, In The City is one of the all-time essential 70s punk singles! My favorite single of theirs has to be Going Underground which is brimming with some of the tightest social commentary and poetic lyrics this side of Ray Davies in the 60s.

*Todd:* mimes Asian riff *Also Todd:* has piano right in front of him.

@freakfoxvevo7915

22 күн бұрын

He played it earlier

"As Gregor Sampsa awoke one morning, he found himself transformed into a Japanese person." Nah, it's too good.

@BlackBobby69

8 жыл бұрын

*Gregor Samsa It was a sweet reference though. Totally caught me off guard and properly floored me.

@gabe_s_videos

8 жыл бұрын

+BlackBobby69 Oh I thought it was hilarious. But I was referencing The Producers.

@TheSufferingDarkness

4 жыл бұрын

Spring Time for Tojo and Japanese! Nippon is happy and gay!

@gabe_s_videos

4 жыл бұрын

@Slick Grit Productions My all time favorite movie!

@lillianward2810

2 жыл бұрын

I see what you did there.

The _Oriental riff_ you hear at the beginning of the song is a western invention of the movie industry to signify East Asian music to a typical Western listener, dating back to the "Aladdin Quick Step" used in an Aladdin stage show, The Grand Chinese Spectacle of Aladdin or The Wonderful Lamp, in 1847. The notes used in the riff are part of a pentatonic scale and often harmonized with parallel open fourths.

Its weird hearing someone talk about the The Jam as an obscure band.

@jaydee4697

8 жыл бұрын

+lordwisehammer You're telling me. I'm used to everyone at least hearing of 'That's Entertainment'.

@RBAfromRVA

6 жыл бұрын

Over here in America nobody knows who they are except for me and a few others. I can’t believe they weren’t huge! They’re one of the best bands I’ve ever heard!

@EKIAEKIA

6 жыл бұрын

Came here to say this. They’re classic. My band even covered them.

@user-dr6oe1ki6x

4 жыл бұрын

Who are the jams lol, they're unknowns in the states

@christopherwgcg

4 жыл бұрын

The Jam! A great band and popular in Southern California.

That riff you are talking about, it's called the "Oriental riff". It's uncertain where it originated, but it is definitely a western invention, as it isn't actually used in any oriental music.

@lilith-punkpollock609

4 жыл бұрын

If i remember correctly, it was invented by an Aladdin musical.

@blairmulholland

2 жыл бұрын

Isn't it from the Mikado?

"It's a love song about somebody who had lost their girlfriend and was going slowly crazy, turning Japanese is just all the cliches of our angst... turning into something you never expected to." -Rob Kemp, guitarist for The Vapors. You are welcome!

@smokert5555

6 жыл бұрын

I'd have to say "Bullshit, Rob. We know what it's about.".

@Meijimack

5 жыл бұрын

Remembering always that Rob Kemp did not write the song.

@gabe_s_videos

5 жыл бұрын

So it really is closer to the Metamorphosis reference than Todd probably intended.

@erikguidotti8640

4 жыл бұрын

...or rubbing one out...

@bluecoin3771

2 жыл бұрын

So he turned into a Jojo character?

"Aladdin" (the play), from like the 1850s, is where that Oriental riff comes from. ... and I see I'm late to the party and 150 million other commenters have already stated it. Yep... keeping it fresh. That's me.

"went from t-shirts and skinny jeans to those weird frilly shirts and it didn't help that the whole band hated eachother" Sounds like Pretty. Odd. Panic! at the disco

@foxhoundfrolic

7 жыл бұрын

TRUE

@bandotaku

6 жыл бұрын

Well, the whole band didn't hate each other in P!ATD. There was a split on which direction that they wanted the band to go, so it was more of a difference of opinion rather than malice.

@nritsch

6 жыл бұрын

To be fair, Fever was basically frilly shirts and skinny jeans.

@its__Ev

5 жыл бұрын

Bro i came here to say that 😂

@kevintyerman1906

3 ай бұрын

Adam and the Ants came to mind for me, when he said that.

@Todd that riff is just called "The Oriental Riff". If has a wikipedia page.

@qwertyTRiG

4 жыл бұрын

@Fairly Cotard Aladdin is Arabian. The story is set in China, in the same way as English fairy stories are set "once upon a time" somewhere far far away, but the story itself is clearly Arabian. It has a Sheikh in it, for heaven's sake. It's not Chinese at all.

@sticks4632

4 жыл бұрын

God how racist is that?!

I'm English and the Jam are one of the greatest bands of all time. I never understood why they never caught on anywhere else but the Beatles did.

The guitar player went on to become a director. He directed a few episodes of the new Doctor Who.

@kalebsantos72

7 жыл бұрын

Bryan Merrill II huh neat

@luckluster

7 жыл бұрын

...Is it bad that I liked The Girl Who Died/The Woman Who Lived? I still say he should've stay in the music career

@VikingSchism

7 жыл бұрын

I actually liked the Christmas special, and the other two were alright

@camerondodge2070

3 жыл бұрын

@@luckluster Congrats, he's back with his music career. The whole band is.

@lewisb85

Жыл бұрын

​Cameron Dodge the band is his hobby now according to the interview he gave with vive le rock magazine.

5:09 "I love every little riff of this song". 100%. There is a lot going on in this tune and it's great stuff

I love the Jam so much. My dad played their greatest hits CD (I think it was) all the time in the car when was a kid and I would yell “The Yam! The Yam!”

Fun fact: their first album, New Clear Days, has a weather man pointing out the nuclear power stations in the UK. It's very aesthetic.

I was sure "Turning Japanese" meant getting obsessed with taking pictures.

Now I'm going to be upset if "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt never appears on One Hit Wonderland

@antibishonen

Жыл бұрын

I am willing to wait for this day since James Blunt was Blunt to his critics on Twitter. "And no mortgage." Was his response when someone commented on his face and his voice.

@DestinyKiller

Жыл бұрын

​@@antibishonenyou don't like him because of that? That's a pretty mild response. Is he a OHW now though? I thought Monsters charted

@antibishonen

Жыл бұрын

@GracieKat Eh? No, not at all. In fact, I like his talk backs on Twitter. So much so, they made a best list on many websites. James Blunt being Blunt. Nice ring to it.

@DestinyKiller

Жыл бұрын

@@antibishonen lol yeah I'm sorry, I just have misread you

@Bramhallthefifth

Жыл бұрын

I do struggle a bit to think of James blunt as a one hit wonder, mostly since his album sold quite well and got good reviews, and some of the other tracks on it got some airplay. But I guess he’s mostly remembered these days for “you’re beautiful” and didn’t really have any other “hits” per se

Over here in England the jam and it’s leader Paul weller are considered deities amongst a particular subset. I fuckin love em

I just listened to The Jam to the first time and I am a convert! One hell of a group!

@jaydee4697

6 жыл бұрын

Good on you, mate!

@BiggieTrismegistus

5 жыл бұрын

Nice. There are quite a few really good artists that were big in the UK but didn't do well over here in the US. I'm a 60s music fan, so my favourite band like that is Small Faces. They're amazing but they only managed to hit the top 40 in the US once with "Itchycoo Park" in 1967. That song is great but their best is probably "All Or Nothing", which was a number one hit in the UK. "Tin Soldier" is awesome too.

Wow, didn't realise The Jam were obscure of in the states

@jaydee4697

6 жыл бұрын

It's a real shame.

@JammyGit

4 жыл бұрын

Well I have an old NME article from about 1980 with Paul Weller being interviewed with Pete Townshend (the article was called The Punk & The Godfather). In that interview Weller said that The Jam had no desire or intention to ever go over to try and crack the American market the same way The Who did - Townshend was trying to convince him to go over there. I don't know if The Jam ever toured America after that interview but it would certainly explain why they were virtually unknown over there if Weller stuck to his word after that interview and never toured the US with The Jam.

@hallamhal

4 жыл бұрын

I didn't realise 1980 was such a bad year for music in the US

@valmarsiglia

4 жыл бұрын

They weren't. They weren't huge, but they weren't obscure. They had a pretty good cult following and everyone from that era knows Town Called Malice.

@EclecticoIconoclasta

4 жыл бұрын

They were not "popular" in the sense of Michael Jackson or something like that. Nevertheless they motivated the Mod revival movement in Southern California of the early 80s alongside the film Quadrophenia and were quite well known in punk and alternative rock circles outside of that. They actually got to play once in US tv and there is even a video of that that I saw here in youtube. They didn´t have a hit in the US though I guess

I am here for all the The Jam content I can get. Also, that debut album -- New Clear Days -- from The Vapors is like 10,000 times better than it has any right to actually be. Seriously, it's one of those one-hit wonder albums that's actually a solid listen overall.

Bands that were huge in the UK but are pretty much unknown in the US sounds like a great theme for a series of videos

@spooforbrains

Жыл бұрын

or the converse

Funny story: around my freshman year of high school I was becoming a fully-fledged anime fangirl. My dad then goes on KZread to show me a relic from his freshman year of high school: this song.

@RighteousBrother

4 жыл бұрын

That's one hell of a story

@skaterdudeprodutions

3 жыл бұрын

The vapors were the original weaboos

@jackthorton10

3 жыл бұрын

I don’t know whether we tank Japan for that or remain weirded out by it all

Glad to hear a young person talk about the Jam. I've been listening to them for 40 years - to me they sound like they're somewhere between The Clash and The Who. Their 3 CD compilation Snap! is flawless.

The Vapors reunited and released a new album in May 2020 ! Apparently it's one of the longest gap between two albums for a band (39 years)

Dude, there should totally be a one hit wonderland segment for "cult of personality" unless that group had other big songs. Not really sure. Big fan of the channel btw. Keep goin'

@twistedgambit9084

8 жыл бұрын

I just want CM Punk references. :D

The Vapors have to be my favorite band ever. I can sing both of their albums beginning to end

The Vapors recently released a new album after 39 years

I love your subtle Franz Kafka “metamorphosis” reference.. great channel, love your videos.

THE JAM RULES!!!!!!!

Hey Todd! Thank you for the Kafka reverence, it made me feel like a real nerd for understanding it.

@douglasmontgomery2063

7 жыл бұрын

The fact that no one else caught that really bugs me. Bugs! Get it? Hahahahaha! Oh, I'm funny as hell, right? Right!?!

@franl.losand6646

7 жыл бұрын

Yeah... Like a Dog!

@douglasmontgomery2063

7 жыл бұрын

I thought we we're doing Kafka, not Pavlov. I'll do some "investigatios" into the matter. Hahahaha! Still HILARIOUS! Amirite!?! Please just say "yes?"

@franl.losand6646

7 жыл бұрын

...yes.

@douglasmontgomery2063

7 жыл бұрын

Thank you. Your validation cured my soul-crushing emptiness. Actually, never mind. It's already back...

The cover art for their second album "Magnets" was designed by Martin Handford - aka the author of the Where's Wally books.

@g.anthonybenjamin281

Жыл бұрын

Amazing!

You did it Todd, you got me to listen to The Jam. I hope you're happy.

@arianrhodhyde7482

7 жыл бұрын

rick classik congrats

Just going to leave these here as future songs - (most of these are actually some of my favorite bands) Harvey Danger - Flagpole Sitta Nada Surf - Popular Fuel - Hemmorhage (In My Hands) Silverchair - Tomorrow Spacehog - In The Meantime Local H - Bound To The Floor

@kylehegedus5498

6 жыл бұрын

Danny DalDegan ALL OF THESE PLEASE!!!

@NerdyPro

5 жыл бұрын

I know the first few and they're great. Flag pole sitta is amazing. Fuel also has Shimmer though.

@PsychicGirl

4 жыл бұрын

Well, at least he covered the first one.

@ethancole4359

3 жыл бұрын

@@NerdyPro Plus Shimmer is a better song imo.

"Prisoners" is actually a favorite song of mine. I've listened to it all the time since this episode. I honestly can't believe it wasn't a hit

The requester calling him "Mr In The Shadows" XD

I'm just bewildered that The Jam are a one-hit-wonder stateside. They're pretty much regarded as a classic band over here. Not as big as The Who, but still pretty highly regarded.

@Ramblebar

7 жыл бұрын

Omicron9999 Actually they would probably be considered a no-hit wonder here in the states,I don't get it either!!!

@jaydee4697

6 жыл бұрын

They tried touring the US a few times, but they never seemed to get anywhere. Didn't help that they got paired with a some American hard rock acts on their US tours.

has Todd ever done something with Oingo Boingo? because i feel like there right up his alley

@rpgaholic8202

5 жыл бұрын

Oingo Boingo, while having done a lot of work for soundtracks and on their own... never really had a hit. You might say "what about 'Weird Science' after all it was the theme for the movie and the tv show" or something like that, and while that was their highest charter... it only hit #45. "Just Another Day" was their only other one that broke into the Hot 100... and peaked at #85.

@yutuberocks22

5 жыл бұрын

@@rpgaholic8202 I could've sworn Dead Man's Party was a hit. It's popular where I'm from, at least.

@rpgaholic8202

5 жыл бұрын

@@yutuberocks22 While it has been popular, in Back To School, on Malcom in the Middle, Supergirl, and Bones to name a few... it never broke the top 100.

@Tirgo69

4 жыл бұрын

To answer the question more specifically, I don't think he's ever mentioned Oingo Boingo, at least not in a video. Maybe he mentioned them once on Twitter or something.

@b0gster

4 жыл бұрын

Oingo Boingo are legends, not a OHW.

You should do "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Karnes for your next "One Hit Wonder" show!

@TheSufferingDarkness

4 жыл бұрын

She has another hit, “More Love”

@TheStarBlack

4 жыл бұрын

Horrible song

@TheSufferingDarkness

4 жыл бұрын

Blackstar 76 I mean, I like it. Better than meeting her in person. Quite a conceited bitch who thinks everyone should fall over themselves flocking to her for “Betty Davis Eyes” and if you never heard of her, you’re some dumb hick from nowhere who needs to get with the program, because no one ignores Kim Karnes and you will love her because she’s just the best. As you can tell, I’m not exactly a fan in the first place, albeit “More Love”

@coolhive2941

4 жыл бұрын

She had half a dozen hits.

@kylehegedus5498

3 жыл бұрын

What about “Crazy In The Night?”

the fakeout intro made me laugh so hard

Absolutely adored that intro talk about the Jam! Incredibly solid band.

The Jam is a favorite of mine too, as is the Clash. The Jam always seemed to be so British in their songs. The Clash had the american glory in a lot of their music, but the Jam had songs about getting jumped in Tube stations, and they revived the Mod movement, for chrissakes. The Clash had a song called " Gates of the West".

@jaydee4697

6 жыл бұрын

The Jam were THE mod band in the late 1970s-early 1980s. They were maybe a little too British for the states. It's shame that those in the US missed out on so many amazing songs, but at the cost of that, The Jam possibly became more meaningful to their British fans.

@rujasu55

4 жыл бұрын

Oh yeah, I love The Jam, but it's obvious why they didn't cross over. They're almost comically British.

heyyy todd - you really had me going there - was looking at the words turning japonese and hearing you talking about james blunt - was totally confused - well played

The Jam was so underrated and ironically I discovered The Jam through Paul Weller's second band The Style Council

I've always loved this song--AND, I've successfully introduced it to a younger generation! Many years ago, I had this week-long babysitting gig for the kids of one of my mom's friends. And since I knew the mom had boring taste in music (sorry, but yeah) I brought along my own "Living in Oblivion" various artists CD's. The IDEA was to listen to them quietly after the kids had gone to bed. That...didn't happen. I put the CD player on in the mom's bedroom as quietly as possible after the kids were all down and quiet and the lights were out, and I immediately got "WHAT IS THAT THAT'S INTERESTING I WANNA LISTEN TO IT TOO!" and all four of them tromped right on in. The upside is that I introduced a bunch of Zoomers to awesome '80s New Wave. The downside is that they didn't sleep when they were supposed to. But I'm the kinda babysitter that'd rather rock out than be strict anyway. :P The next morning at the breakfast table, the youngest one (we're talking like, 6)...was running around singing "I'M TURNING JAPANESE I THINK I'M TURNING JAPANESE I REALLY THINK SO!" with great gusto, and I fell on the god damn floor laughing. XD Oh, and yes--The Jam was on those CDs too! :)

I actually listened to the Vapors albums after watching this and they're a pretty good jangly guitar post punk band. I can safely say I'm a fan after listening to them more.

I've dived deep into their music and I absolutely love everything they've made, its amazing.

wouldnt it be great to have a video of just Todds favorite bands and what he likes about them. I really like finding new music and he always has great recommendations.

I'm pretty sure Daniel Powter was the biggest one hit wonder of 2006

@Daniel33487

5 жыл бұрын

2006? I thought that song came out in 2005.

@averagebritishguy7082

4 жыл бұрын

Don't go there man. I've heard his album. It's terrible.

@canadmexi

3 жыл бұрын

@@averagebritishguy7082 It's like New Radicals if they sucked.

@canadmexi

2 жыл бұрын

@@iliketrains3495 Are you even a Todd fan?

The Vapors has reunited lol

Yesss! I am seeing in the new year binging these One Hit Wonders!

Thanks todd for introducing me to both the Jam and the vapours. The jam has fast become one of my favourite groups since this video was posted

@jaydee4697

6 жыл бұрын

Good on you, mate- it's proper quality stuff!

I'm pretty sure this video is a re-re-upload at this point. I dunno who's DMCA'ing Todd's vids, but the idea that this has over 3000 views already means that these OHW videos probably have more re-watch value than most of the actual OHW songs or bands covered therein have.

The Vapors got back together and put out a new album last year!

I must say, I'm really thankful for this video having turned me on to The Vapors. New Clear Days is a great album and I'm confident that I wouldn't have found it if I didn't follow Todd's videos.

Thanks for doing The Vapors. I loved these guys (and The Knack) back in the late 70s. Fun fact: the cover illustration on their second album "Magnets" was done by Martin Hanford, later of "Where's Waldo" fame. ☺️

Turning weeaboo I think I'm turning weeaboo I really think so.

@Asa-bh7zi

8 жыл бұрын

After the uncontrollable 'baka' outbursts started, I realized I had stage 3 weeaboo-itis.

@shawnheatherly

8 жыл бұрын

+Mattata G Embrace it. It's a good thing.

@h.psuavecraft6816

8 жыл бұрын

Weeaboo's 30 years before 4chan

@GalanDun

8 жыл бұрын

+Mattata G Turning Wapanese I think I'm turning Wapanese I really think so.

@HaydenX

8 жыл бұрын

+Mattata G Baka...

I can never hear this song without remembering the cover Rick Moranis did of it playing 70's easy listening crooner "Tom Monroe - On A New Wavelength" And Todd? The Jam? Hell yeah! Cover them some day please.

@g.anthonybenjamin281

Жыл бұрын

Such a great bit on SCTV

Thanks for OHWs Todd, your conclusions about music made before you were born are uncanny; I was there, your balanced explanation nails it every time. Thanks for pushing The Jam, they are genuinely loved in the UK. (Think you put Bruce Foxton's photo in there; Paul Weller discovered them and his Dad managed them and The Jam). Shout out for their Setting Sons album!

Love your passion for the jam,..dude. Even letting people know that weller's dad was his manager (right up until his death). I hope people who havn't heard em before listen to some of their classic albums you mentioned..(in the city especially) doing gods work todd

I discovered this song through the first "Jackass" movie when it was used during the "Midnight Pandas" skit which was filmed in Tokyo. And I was going "That's a fun song, who is it by?"

Thank you for The Jam recommendation. I heard about them from my British dad but forgot about them, and nobody in the US knows much about them at all.

I love your videos, thanks for all these great insights for so many years. Great Kafka reference in here btw 🤓

The Jam were genuinely iconic in the UK, and they broke up at their peak ... so they never overstayed their welcome. Ageing music lovers like me still like to rave about them, much to the bewilderment of the youngsters. Paul Weller - 'The Modfather', as the press calls him - has had a pretty healthy music career since they broke up, too.

Thought it might be worth mentioning they came out with another album last year

Man, love you for that Kafka reference:)

Hey Todd, I was listening to the jam way back in the nineties when I was in high school. You're preaching to the converted.

It's six years later Todd - you'll have to get "You're Beautiful' by James Blunt sooner or later. (I'm sure it'd be an interesting episode!).

"Jimmy Jones" kind of reminds me of early Who stuff like "Substitute" and "The Kids Are Alright."

Aw man I was shitting my pants when I got a notification for a new Todd in the Shadows upload :'(

@LordArikado

8 жыл бұрын

+Mike Moynihan He just uploaded the new Cinemadonna yesterday.

It is incredibly surreal seeing the Jam referred to as this obscure underground band you've probably never heard of but should definitely check out.

@stevebernard4597

4 ай бұрын

The Jam is one of my favorites so I was also really surprised by this statement

Ridiculously underrated band. Everyone of their songs is tight AF.

My godfather was a musician in an obscure folk music scene and for some reason he knew David Fenton, so one day my godfather said "Yer a one hit wonder" to which the frontman responded "Better be a one hit wonder than a no hit wonder". I don't if it's true but I like this story.

Update on The Vapors: They are fucking back. They reformed in 2016 and have alluded to a new album coming out this year.

I listen to this song on repeat right before getting a root canal when I was 6 and it stopped me from crying.

Another interesting band you've covered. Fenton also seems like a genuinely nice fellow. :-)

I always figured this song was made because the band had a big hit in japan and fell in love with the Japanese culture. apparently not

Who else wanted him to do You're Beautiful by James Blunt?

@Redem10

8 жыл бұрын

+MagikarpGamer Now I want him to

@AOLEnby

8 жыл бұрын

+Redem10 next time he does it buy that slot immediately

@JACKxTHExRIPPER

8 жыл бұрын

+MagikarpGamer Since I have never heard more than 7 words to that song, I'd much rather he do this one instead.

@Momo-po5tn

8 жыл бұрын

+MagikarpGamer Nope, I abhor that song

@karabirb

8 жыл бұрын

It doesn't really fit for OHW tho. James Blunt has had at least one hit I can think of (Bonfire Heart) other than "You're Beautiful." He's not really a one hit wonder.

Always glad to hear folks repping The Jam

A common slang term for your pee-hole is "Jap's eye". I always thought it was connected to that, somehow.

@damp8277

7 жыл бұрын

I think it's the aftermath when you finish and it shrinks. My best bet

Short-lived though they may have been, I absolutely loved The Vapors and bought both of their albums second-hand for three dollars total, not for "Turning Japanese" but for "Civic Hall," which is, without a doubt, their best song.

I legit was so confused with the "you're beautiful" intro

@EclecticoIconoclasta

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah dude. I was about to turn the video off. That is a very annoying song.

Thanks for the recommending to check out The Jam. I really like it.

Thanks Tod im Schatten - Franz Kafka aficionado, for a very humorous and well researched piece - "Turning Japanese" and the history of The Vapors is well worth a day of your valuable time. This is a hugely infectious song which, on the surface, boasts quite accessible, if somewhat quirky lyrics. Due the song's huge popularity the lyrics gave rise to a vast number of interpretations - some simplistic and some more extreme. One of the more sophisticated scenarios is of a prisoner in solitary confinement reduced to pleasuring himself over a single photograph - but really, I just like the zany film clip with kimonos, katana and kazari かざり

Here in England at the time 'japs' eye" was slang for the slit at the end of your knob (sorry I don't know the science word for it). It got a lot of use. I suspect this is where the association came from.

@Goblinking-ps7fs

4 жыл бұрын

Its urethra

@PirateBBS

4 жыл бұрын

@@Goblinking-ps7fs thanks! There was no way I was going to try and google it :)

@Goblinking-ps7fs

4 жыл бұрын

@@PirateBBS haha

@barneylaurance1865

2 жыл бұрын

@@Goblinking-ps7fs More specifically it's the male urinary meatus

I was actually watching this some hours ago, and i paused it and went to sleep, i come back and the video is gone :O That was a weird thing that happened.

@miga3191

8 жыл бұрын

+Derpy Dude That happens a lot. Tried watching WWE on KZread, and pause it then same kind of thing. Copyright and all that crap.

"A Town Called Malice" would be a great name for the must-be-made TV show about the punk musician-turned-lawyer.

Saw these guys play at a UK punk festival this weekend, & stuck around for their whole set mainly cos of this episode :)