Sylvian and Sakamoto together are a match made in heaven. First time I heard this I thought my heart would break with melancholy, and from time to time it still does. It's breathtaking.
Sakamoto initially expected Sylvian to write lyrics whose melody matched that of the main piano line. But Sylvian thought the song would work much better with the vocal singing a counterpoint melody.
Can’t believe that Sakamoto has passed away at only 71 yrs of age 😢from cancer 😢. This song has been a favourite of mine with its haunting sound, for almost 40yrs Gone but never forgotten ❤️💔
Pieces like this convince me that fate is real. For 2 men from different continents to meet and make something so astonishingly beautiful has to be fate.
My older brother used to play this non stop when it was released, I was busy playing on my amstrad cpc 464 but every now and then I would pause the game and just listen to this coming through my bedroom wall. It is truly beautiful. ❤
I can't listen to this without crying. I'm a fullgrown man at 42 with a big love for electronic hardcore. My favorite piece of beautiful music besides traditionel classic.
It always amazes me that this film involved three of the most beautiful men (yes, I mean their appearances) and greatest artists ever. We're blessed to still have David Sylvian, yet we miss David Bowie and now Ryuichi Sakamoto. All so legendary. Hell, even their past and eternal significant others are legends in their own rights (lest we forget the compositional brilliance of Akiko Yano, the poetic prowess of Ingrid Chavez, or the beauty and business accumen of Iman). Genius attracts genius, and in every way, that's what this is. Interestingly, the last thing Ryuichi did musically was collaborate with Suga of BTS, who has covered the instrumental version of this song but alas has not made mention of the vocal version seen here. A shame, because David's voice and lyrics by some miracle elevate it to further stratospheres, even as beautiful as it already was. Truly, this is a transcendent classic and a lovely video too (glowing angelic David!)
I really like this comment and I cannot agree more. David Bowie, David Sylvian and Ryuichi Sakamoto were possesing a certain masculine beauty that transcends the feminine, slim, delicate facial features yet somewhat rectangular. I wish both three could have appeared in the video but for some reason, Bowie who's the starr of this movie didn't appear in this video. And because of Sylvian's arrogance. . .he has never met Bowie in person. (Or at least, has never posted a photo of him and Bowie together, that's for sure.)
For those of us who have ever experienced 'doubt' this song is a masterpiece. I salute you David ( we both went to Catford Boys School ) and Sakamoto for creating true beauty, seldom found outside of nature.
Kathleen. Thanks so much for the response. London's SE6 area and the Downham area will likely always be in our DNA. And that's no bad thing. Perhaps the working class area drives artists to create beauty by means of an escape. And few songs can match the beauty of 'Forbidden Colours'. Chris.
Some of the 80's artists and their music were sometimes not quite of this earth. Kate Bush, David Sylvian, Prince, Michael Jackson, Vangelis, Ultravox ...
I don't get how we ever got it into our minds that the 80's were the disaster years for music. The very best music was made in this time. The ultimate convergence of technology and music. Two brilliant minds came together and created some of the most brilliant music ever made. God bless Sakamoto and Sylvian.
Evert de Ruiter because during the 70s good music was high in the charts , Pink Floyd sold milllions of records, even Atom heart mother was in the charts, could you imagine that in the 80s? After disco music there was marketing applied more severely to music, and good music became basically alternative music
Sylvian is the perfect vocal synthesis of his countrymen, Bowie and Ferry. One of the greats and this song in particular, which should have won the Oscar that year.
David Sylvian has such an incredible, unusual and haunting voice. Just superb! The music from Ryuichi Sakamoto is faultless and so fitting for that movie.
I hear sakamoto's influence all over Joe Hisashi's sountracks for Studio Ghibli and Takashi Kitano, as well as SEGA's great RPG Shenmue. I hear David Sylvian's legacy all over visual Kei jrock since Boowy, Luna Sea, Larc en Ciel and Gackt, all the way to the mid-late 80s. thoroughly amazing.
This is the only film that has ever made me cry...the ending when he shouts merry Christmas...and then quieter merry Christmas Mr Lawrence... literally has me fighting back the tears...then for this masterpiece to be playing well that just finishes me.... simply beautiful music..not of this earth
I have a very strong emotional memory attached to the film the first time I saw it when came out on video. Why this is the only song that can 99% of the time bring me to tears when I hear it.
Played by the amazing Takeshi (Beat) Kitano. He was the star of Hana-Bi and Kikujiro. He is a legend in Japan as a stand-up comedian, actor and director.
Quite possibly one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever recorded. Even more bitter sweet and melancholy as I realise it's 33 three years since my best friend and I went to see the movie.
When I saw the movie almost 35 years ago everyone was crying in the theater...The movie.....the music ...the actors ...it was an amazing experience!!!!!!
I'm begging you please share more about it!!!!! I mean this is 100% my favourite movie of all times and I wonder how people used to react when it came out...
I hadn't listened to this song in ages, it's so beautiful it kinda hurts....this is pure poetry & a perfect fusion between the western world and Japan.
Such a lovely soundtrack by Sakamoto. His acting was surprisingly good in the film seeing as he's a composer and not an actor. He's a beautiful man, not to mention a talented one.
Met my wife in the midst of this, style and mind blowing, conceptual music. Still together 37 later, still breaking out the vinyl. I feel for the millennials, they don’t have single thing that comes close to scratching the surface of any of this. I live in hope.....
Believe me, nowadays beautiful music of any age and nationality will find its listeners among the young. I'm 21 and have been listening to this since 16, I live in a small town in Russia and know people here who listen to New Wave and 80s Japanese pop and jazz
Born 1997, never has it been so easy to be exposed to this music than it is today. A technology has been invented to shrink the world and it's up to us how we use it. For better or for worse we're in the same conversation.
I still vividly remember buying the 12" single when it first came out 40 years ago. Saw Sakamoto played live 4 times in my part of the world. Every time he came I took the chance. I missed none, and I don't regret going to all of them. Amazing diversities that I witnessed in all the shows, even he played the same music he played it differently. He's truly an accomplished artist, true to himself, and brought a lot of good to the world in his lifetime. Wish him the best in his afterlife.
Well, what can I say. Beyond words for me. David Bowie got me into the film, the film got me into David Sylvian and the band Japan. Together with my best friend. And that is where it all started: the new romantics, New Wave. Suddenly it had a name for a lot of bands I became to listen to. And getting to know people as a 14 year old. Delicate people with love for a sophisticated culture. The best High school I could ever imagine. And Aikido 😁. Thanks to some David's 🎶❤️😊
Even picked this for my funeral. Always in my heart (May it be many years off). Thanks to any one who comes. The drinks are on me. Thank God for Elspeth & Imogen. See you when the time is right Mum. Mark x
Japanese are simply the masters of composition. When it comes to emotion they got it in their blood. They use the right instruments, right flow etc. to make u feel like you're in heaven. But that hardly even starts describing what Japan is all about. I'd really wanna make a visit there someday.
How have I lived the past 26 years on this planet without my ears bearing witness to this absolute gem of a song? That has to be one of the most fragile, melancholic and heartbreaking piano melodies I've ever heard. By a stroke of fate, I turned my TV on the other evening and this music video was playing on Rage. I was gripped almost instantly by everything about it. Also, reading through the comments only to find out that Sakamoto passed away this year...RIP
Rage since 85, this why rage is important it gives every generation a glimpse of perfection, and this song is it ❤ I might be 55 but your comment makes me feel the Future of music is safe ❤️
First time i heard this song was in my teenage time in early 90s on some radiostation. It completly blew my mind with its unspeakable beauty. Too bad they never had been giving the names of their playlists. Of course I taped it and in my tracklist I gave it a name "Unknown beauty". It took me many years to find out its exact name at last.
this movie had many subtexts, not just homosexuality, but the clash of two extremely similar cultures like the english and japanese. Both islands, both empires, both anchored in traditions and honor, both tea drinking cultures, which is pretty symptomatic and not just an incidental fact.
@@weebdeeb1302 I wouldn't describe it like that, no, but it has an obvious subtext about homosexuality (the Japanese officer infatuated with the English prisoner)
@@weebdeeb1302 its nothing explicit, its very subtle, and its an interesting movie about, mainly, clash of cultures, with an excellent performance from david bowie, and well you've heard the music. BTW, in the description of the video you can see the music is from the movie Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence
I was doing my final school exams when this was released.It takes me back in time and is still hauntingly beautiful as it was then.David Sylvian is a true master ❤️
An absolutely beautiful song that has stayed with me from a 14 year old boy. Gorgeous composition and lyrics sung with emotion by the incredible David Sylvian.
I still come back and listen to this on a regular basis. One of the most pure, beautiful songs ever written and recorded. I cry every time I hear it. And to also watch the instrumental, full orchestra version tears your soul apart.
I remember how I watched this movie for the first time as a kid. I had the soundtrack stuck in my head ever since and then hunted it down on cassette tape. I freaking cried when I got to listen to it again. It will always be pure magic. I'm so glad I got to listen to the piano trio version live years ago.
As a twenty something old in the 80s heard this song in the early 80s and fell so in love with it and the movie and love to hear it again such fond memories of David Bowie and Tom Conti and also Ryuichi Sakamoto thanks for the memories XOXOXO😂😊🎉🍾🥂🍸🍸
I can remember having to go to the biggest record shop ( of the time ) in Birmingham city centre to order a vinyl of this in a 7 in. I still listen to it now. One of my favourites.
Mr. David Sylvian what a great voice in this wonderful song. Emotional and deep, your voice always penetrates my heart. This is a eternal classic . And Mr. Ryuichi Sakamoto i hope for your completely recovery, because your melodies are outstanding. Congratulations to both.
For me the most extraordinary thing about the movie was this combination of absolute cruelty and heartbreaking tenderness. Truly the most significant Christmas movie
One of the best film of the eighties even now after 28 years i still don't get bored of watching this masterpiece, and as for this song david sylvian and Ryuichi Sakamoto compliment each other amazingly well.
Love this haunting tune, very emotional for me seeing the film when it came out couldn't help remind me of what my Father went through over 70 years ago in WWII as a POW of the Japanese in a camp in Java, Indonesia called Ambarawa! I have seen photos of what it looked like and it was similar to this video...
Awful time and shaming for all involved. The higher ranks officers were often just as cruel to the lower ranking officers as they were to prisoners. Cant imagine such cruelty.
