History of Japanese GNR by Andrew Thwaites Hi all I think a few of you will be interested in some of this stuff. I wrote it in late 1995 so it doesn't deal with any of the recent material released like "Oh my god" but still alot of good content. It was lined up to be published in Australian Record Collector but the mag folded before publication - sitting dormant on my PC till tonight - hope someone gets some use out of it! I'ld like to hear if anyone can fill in some of the release dates and bsides that are still missing. Enjoy Andrew Introduction I would like to start by thanking my friend Masato Kato from Tokyo for his help with the discography and release dates. Japan has always been the source of much amazement to the record collecting public because of the amazing packaging and unique items produced there. This amazement definitely extends to the Guns N' Roses collector as there has been many unique releases to Japan and, as always, fantastic packaging. Japanese Tours Guns N' Roses have toured Japan three times. In December 1988 they played 5 shows immediately before their Australian tour, gracing the infamous stage at Budokan for their last show where such greats as Bob Dylan, Queen and Aerosmith had played. This tour produced a now much sought after Japanese only tour program. In February, 1992, Guns N' Roses returned to Japan to play three shows, this time at the Tokyo Dome. The last show on the 22nd was broadcast on TV in Japan and was later released world wide as the double live video in December of 1992. Guns N' Roses returned to Japan to play three shows at the Tokyo Dome in January, 1993, before they headed down under for the shows at Sydney's Eastern Creek Raceway and Melbourne's Caulder Park. The last of the shows at the Tokyo dome (on the 15th January) had an unsuspected guest when Ronnie Wood, from the Rolling Stones, joined Guns N' Roses onstage. Tour Dates 04/12/88 NHK Hall, Tokyo, Japan 05/12/88 Festival Hall, Osaka, Japan 07/12/88 Nakano Sunplaza, Tokyo, Japan 09/12/88 NHK Hall, Tokyo, Japan 10/12/88 Budokan, Tokyo, Japan 19/02/92 Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan 20/02/92 Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan 22/02/92 Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan 12/01/93 Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan 14/01/93 Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan 15/01/93 Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan Japanese Releases Pioneer Warner Corporation was responsible for the releases of all Guns N' Roses material until the end of 1990. The first release in Japan was the album "Appetite For Destruction" released on LP and CD on the 25 September, 1987. Neither of these two releases initially sported the so called "rape" cover which was banned in other countries. The inner sleave of the LP release is gatefold containing Japanese lyrics. No further releases occurred until the 11th May, 1988, when Pioneer Warner released both an EP and the first single. The first Japanese single was "Sweet Child O' Mine (4.28 min version)", b/w "Welcome To The Jungle" and was available in two formats - a 3"CD in an extended pack and a 7"PS which came with a lyric insert. This version of "Sweet Child O' Mine" is totally unique to this release. The 7" single was the only commercial 7" released by Guns N' Roses in Japan. Both the CD and 7" are very rare and highly collectable. On the same date Japan also issued the famous "Live EP". This was a Japanese only EP available on 12" vinyl, CD and cassette and featured the banned "rape" cover. Of the six tracks on the Ep, four were recorded live on the 28/6/87 at the Marquee in London, "Move to the city" was taken from Guns N' Roses's first Ep "Live ?!*@ Like A Suicide" and the sixth track was the album version of "Sweet Child O' Mine". It is interesting to note that this EP had an english title "Live EP" and a Japanese title "Live - From The Jungle". The end of 1988 was a great time for Guns N' Roses fans in Japan seeing the release of the next single, an LP and a five show tour. "Welcome To The Jungle" was released in the familiar 3"CD extended pack on the 28th November, 1988. This two track CD featured two remixes of the single, which are again unique to this release, making it highly sought after the world over. On the 21st December, 1988, the album "Lies" was released on LP and CD. "Lies" was a combination of Guns N' Roses's first Ep "Live ?!*@ Like A Suicide" and four new acoustic tracks. Initial releases of the CD came in a 12" box set with a free Tshirt. The original cover of "Lies", like the cover the world over, had headlines "Ladies, welcome to the dark ages" and "Wife-beating has been around for 10,000 years", in subsequent pressing those headlines were replaced with "Lies * Lies * Lies" and "Elephant gives birth to midget". Then when MCA Victor took over distribution rights at the end of 1990 the "Page 3" girl (following in the theme of the British tabloid), printed on the insert, also became censored. Therefore there are three versions of "Lies" which can be found on all formats throughout the world - original cover/original inner slip, standard cover/original inner slip and standard cover/censored inner slip. The follow up single was "Paradise City" b/w "Move To The City" and was released on the 10th March, 1989. Again, this was available only in the 3"CD extended pack. Following quickly in the footsteps of "Paradise City" was a unique promo only Japanese four track 12" titled "GN'R". This release featured album versions of the previous three singles and what was to be the next single - "Patience" which when released was backed with "Rocket Queen" released as a 3"CD in the extended pack. Original copies of this promo 12" are extremely rare. I say original because bootlegged copies are commonly available in the collectors markets. The reproductions are fairly easy to recognise by the vinyl's label which is of a low quality. The next release in Japan was on the 25th September, 1989. "Nightrain" b/w "Reckless Life" was available as a 3"CD in an extended pack with a unique robot PS. This robot PS was also featured on a promo only 7" released at the same time. This 7" promo is in my opinion the rarest official Japanese Guns N' Roses releases. 1990 saw the release of two new studio tracks on two compilation albums. "Knocking On Heavens Door (remix)" appeared on the "Days Of Thunder" soundtrack and "Civil War" appeared on the "Romanian Child Appeal" album. 1990 also saw the release of the final Warner Pioneer item, and probably the rarest of the commercial releases. On the 25th of September, 1990, Warner Pioneer released "Appetite For Destruction", on CD only, with it's original "rape" cover. To my knowledge this is the only CD release of the rape cover in the world. It was available for only a maximum of a two months before it was withdraw from sale when release rights changed to MCA Victor in November. MCA Victor reissued "Appetite For Destruction" and "Lies" on CD on the 21st March, 1991, with the standard covers. The next release was on the 5th July 1991 when MCA Victor released a special edition CD of "Appetite For Destruction" in a 10" box. This item is now very rare. The eagerly awaited first single from the upcoming "Use Your Illusion" albums was released on the 21st July, 1991. "You Could Be Mine" b/w "Civil War" was released as a 3"CD in an extended pack and was also featured in the latest Arnold Schwarzenegger movie of the time - "Terminator 2 - Judgment Day" (although it was not on the official soundtrack release). Released ahead of the upcoming "Use Your Illusion" albums was a very exclusive promo only double package similar to the USA promo package. The "Use Your Illusion" 5" by 7" wallet, or bible, featured four cloth covered sections. Specially art worked full length CD's and album cover postcards covered the inside of the four sections and specially embossed cloth on two of the four outside covers. This promo pack is another very rare Japanese release which commands a high price for its rarity and its looks! "Don't Cry" b/w "Don't Cry (alt. lyrics)" was the follow up single released on the 11th September, 1991. This single was only available as a 3"CD single in the extended pack. The accompanying music video was an elaborate affair, the first in a trilogy of 'high budget' videos to be produced. The following week, on the 17th September, 1991, "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use You Illusion II" were released on CD. The "Use Your Illusion" albums were not pressed on LP in Japan. In february 1992 "Live And Let Die", a cover of Paul and Linda McCartney's classic, was released b/w "Live And Let Die (live) and a previously unreleased live studio version of "Shadow Of Your Love". Again this was issued as a 3"CD single in an extended pack. "November Rain" b/w "Sweet Child O' Mine" was the next single issued on the 21st april, 1992. This was to be the last Guns N' Roses single released in the 3"CD format. All CD singles from this time were issued as 5"CD singles in jewel cases with an OBI (or title strip). The video clip for "November Rain" was the second of the high budget videos, and towards the end of 1992 two videos - titled "Makin' F@*!ing Videos - Parts I and II" were released documenting the making of the "Don't Cry" and "November Rain" videos. The next single released in europe and Australia was "Knocking On Heavens Door" however, to the best of my knowledge, this single was never released in Japan. "Yesterdays" b/w "November Rain", "Yesterdays (live)" and "Knockin' On Heavens Door (live)" was to be the next single and was released on the 16th December, 1992. On the 1st January 1993, and preceding the 1993 tour, two 12" box sets were issued. Box set I and Box set II both contained an identical poster and 3"CD which contained seasons greetings from Axl and Slash. Box set I contained standard CD copies of "Appetite For Destruction" and "Lies", while Box set II contained standard CD copies of "Use Your Illusion" I and II. The first single of 1993 was not released until the 23rd June. "Civil War" b/w "Don't Damn Me", "Back Of Bitch" and "Slash Interview" was again only released on CD single. On the 21st November, 1993, a new album "The Spaghetti Incident?" was released on CD. The album was entirely made up of cover versions of more obscure tracks from punk artists such as The Damned, UK Subs, New York Dolls, T. Rex and The Misfits - just to name a few. When choosing which artists to include on this covers album, band members said that they selected artists that they hadn't already covered previously (such as Aerosmith, ACDC, Rose Tattoo etc.) and who had had an influence on who the were. The first single to be taken from the "The Spaghetti Incident?" was released on the 16/12/93. The single, "Ain't It Fun" b/w "Down On The Farm" and "Attitude", featured a duet between Axl and Michael Munroe, Ex Hannoi Rocks vocalist. The follow up single, also taken from "The Spaghetti Incident?", was "Since I Don't Have You" b/w "Human Being" and "You Can't Wrap Your Arms Around A Memory", released on the 21st April, 1994. This was followed quickly by the release of "Estranged" b/w .??? (no details of bsides known) on CD single. This single, lifted from the "Use Your Illusion II", was accompanied by the third of the promised high budget videos. The making of "Estranged" was released on a video titled "Makin' F@*!ing Videos - Part IV". Apparently the idea for part III was scrapped after Axl broke up with Stephanie Seymour who had been featured in parts I and II. Part IV therefor took the place of Part III. Nothing then was heard from the Guns N' Roses camp while members engaged in solo projects. Then in late October 1994 it was announced that Gilby Clarke, replacement guitarist for Izzy Stradlin, had left the band due to differences in opinions he was having with lead singer Axl Rose, about the direction that the band was taking. In late 1994, and without a rhythm guitarist, Guns N' Roses put down a cover of the classic Rolling Stone's song "Sympathy For The Devil" as a favour to David Geffen who personally requested the gunners record the tune. This single was released in Japan on the 21/1/95 as a single from the soundtrack to Tom Cruise's movie "Interview With A Vampire", directed by David Geffen. The single was b/w "Escape To Paris" a non Guns N' Roses track. Discography Vinyl 7" Singles 11/05/88 Sweet Child O' Mine/Welcome To The Jungle. P2386. __/__/89 Nightrain/Reckless Life. promo. PRS-2069. EP's 11/05/88 Live EP. Vinyl. P-6270. 11/05/88 Live EP. CD. 25XD-977. 11/05/88 Live EP. Cassette. PKF-1055. __/__/89 GN'R 12" Welcome To The Jungle/Paradise City/Sweet Child O' Mine/Patience. Promo. PRS-10. CD Singles 11/05/88 Sweet Child O' Mine/Welcome To The Jungle. 11/5/1988. 3"CD. 10SW 24. 28/11/88 Welcome To The Jungle. All dayparts radio edit/CHR edit. 3"CD. 10P3-6059. 10/03/89 Paradise City/Move To The City. 3"CD. 10P3 6113. __/__/89 Patience/Rocket Queen. 3"CD. 10P3-6139. 25/09/89 Nightrain/Reckless Life. 3"CD. 09P3 6178. 21/07/91 You Could Be Mine/Civil War. 3"CD. MVDG-3. 11/09/91 Don't Cry/Don't Cry (alt lyrics). 3"CD. MVDG-1. __/02/92 Live And Let Die/Live And Let Die(live)/Shadow Of Your Love. 3"CD. MVDG-6. 21/02/92 November Rain/Sweet Child O' Mine. 3"CD. MVDG-7. 16/12/92 Yesterdays/November Rain/Yesterdays(live)/Knockin' On Heavens Door(live). 5"CD. MVCG-13001. 23/06/93 Civil War/Don't Damn Me/Back Of Bitch/Slash Interview. 5"CD. MVCG-13007. 16/12/93 Ain't It Fun/Down On The Farm/Attitude. 5"CD. MVCG 13010. 21/04/94 Since I Don't Have You/Human Being/You Can't Wrap Your Arms Around A Memory. 5"CD. MVCG-1315. __/__/94 Estranged/???????? 21/01/95 Sympathy For The Devil/Escape To Paris. 5"CD. MVCG 10001. Albums 25/09/87 Appetite For Destruction - LP. P-13556. 25/09/87 Appetite For Destruction - CD. 32XD 821. 21/12/88 Lies - LP. 23P1 2400. 21/12/88 Lies box set. Lies CD+Tshirt 12" box. 37PZ2400. 21/12/88 Lies - CD. 25P2 2400. 25/09/90 Appetite For Destruction - CD. original rape cover. CP 3690. 21/03/91 Appetite For Destruction - CD. Reissue. MVCG-12. 21/03/91 Lies - CD. Reissue. MVCG-13. 05/07/91 Appetite For Destruction - CD. 10" box set. MVCZ-6. __/__/91 Use Your Illusion's - Promo CD wallet. Double CD. MVCG 43/44. 17/09/91 Use Your Illusion I - CD. MVCG 43. 17/09/91 Use Your Illusion II - CD. MVCG 44. 01/01/93 Box Set II. AFD+LIES+3"CD greeting CD + poster. MVZZ-2. 01/01/93 Box Set II. YUI I+II+3"CD greeting CD + poster. MVZZ-3. 21/11/93 The Spaghetti Incident - CD. MVCG 137.