A little while ago, a friend ran across a single he hadn’t seen in almost 30 years and sent it to me, thinking I’d appreciate it. Well, he was right! I had not previously heard of Philip Jap, but I should have at the time. My guess is that he was flying too low under the radar to show up in the bins of podunk Orlando record stores ca. 1982! My loss.

A+M | UK | 7" | 1982 | AMS 8217

Philip Jap: Save Us UK 7″

1. Save Us
2. Oui/Ja

This single was certainly something I should have been looking for. First and foremost, it is a Trevor Horn Production. I was a Buggles fan and his production of Dollar singles and ABC made him a producer to watch. This particular single is a bit less glossy. It reminds me more of “Instinction” than “Poison Arrow.” Actually, it sounds like what would have happened if Haircut 100 had been produced by Trevor Horn! After an intro synth riff sounding similar to the one used on the Human League’s “Do Or Die,” a carload of congas, various percussion instruments and a blaring horn section take over the mix. The net result is very similar in feel to “Favourite Shirts [Boy Meets Girl]” albeit enhanced with Horn’s production acumen.

In particular, the backing vocals here sport the distinctive space-shuttle hangar reverb that typified Horn’s records of the ’81-’82 period. There’s even what sounds like a faint dusting of Fairlight orchestral stabs, though rendered here with a sensitivity and restraint that is all the more astonishing considering that these were probably the first such sounds to filter into the marketplace! The middle eight features a hot bass solo but there are no individual credits on the record to mete out the deserved accolades. Mr. Jap holds court in the proceedings with a Scott Walker/David Bowie presence that ends up being a little tougher than either. The instrumental B-side, as produced by Jap himself is a showcase for some wailing guitar that ends up being far more rockist than the poppier A-side. The rhythm guitar licks contrasting with the lead strongly recall those on “Girls On Film.”

Jap produced a single self-titled LP the next year that was produced by Horn, Tony Mansfield and Colin Thurston. I’ll certainly be interested in getting copy of that! After that he disappeared into a musical black hole from which he never emerged. But who is this Philip Jap? What are his powers? Will he save the universe… or destroy it?!

As it turns out, his given name is the less racially insensitive Philip Gayle. This is not to be confused with the other Philip Gayle who records for Family Vinyard Records. He recorded a debut single under that name for Pye in 1980 called “Judy In The School For Jiving” before resurfacing two years later on A+M with three singles and an album. Apparently, he was a featured guest on a talent show, The David Essex Showcase,” as hosted by the hitmaker of “Rock On” fame. His A+M signing was possibly linked to his appearance on the show. I can’t say if he won but the second-runner up was Mari Wilson & The Wilsations, who managed to score a hit [“Just What I Always Wanted] whereas Jap came up empty handed.

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