Written by: McCartney
Recorded: June-July 1979
Producer: Paul McCartney
Released: 16 May 1980 (UK), 26 May 1980 (US)
Available on:
McCartney II
Personnel
Paul McCartney: keyboards, drums, handclaps
Based on a synthesiser melody which suggested the music of the Far East, ‘Frozen Jap’ was an instrumental recording written and recorded by Paul McCartney in the summer of 1979.
‘Frozen Jap’ was the second piece to be recorded during sessions for the McCartney II album. It was issued with its original working title, although McCartney toyed with more poetic alternatives.
It was recorded in the summer of 1979 and originally I was working around on synths, again, experimenting and I suddenly got something which sounded very Oriental. When the track was finished, it seemed so Oriental to me and I thought, ‘I’d better get a really lyrical title.’ I tried to think of a suitable title and things came to mind, like ‘Crystalline Icicles Overhang The Little Cabin By The Ice-Capped Mount Fuji’ or ‘Snow Scene In The Orient’, but all the titles sounded clumsy.So that I wouldn’t forget, I scribbled down a working title of ‘Frozen Jap’, you know, frozen being the ice bit for the snow scene idea, and Jap meaning Oriental and somewhere over in that part of the world. And the title stuck. I found that the ‘Crystalline Fuji’ bit just didn’t work.
The Beatles – The Dream is Over: Off The Record 2, Keith Badman
It was recorded some months prior to McCartney’s arrest and imprisonment in Japan for cannabis possession. However, it was released afterwards and the title was taken by many as a comment on his incarceration.
Now, I’m sure people will think it was recorded after that incident in Japan. We decided to change the title to ‘Frozen Japanese’ for the album release in Japan, since we didn’t want to offend anyone over there. But when the Japanese were told of the album’s track listing, they went spare. They thought it was connected with the fact that I had been busted there. They regard it as an incredible slur.
The Beatles – The Dream is Over: Off The Record 2, Keith Badman
Always thought, it’s a name of a drink… 🙂
“Jap” is a term that to Japanese-Americans is as offensive as the word “N—-r” is to African-Americans. So, for what that’s worth…..
Paul is known for doing multiple racist things, including harassing Yoko Ono and referring to her as John’s Jap Tart. So it doesn’t surprise me. Paul was always my least favorite Beatle.
“ Paul is known for doing multiple racist things”. Can you you name any? Oh that’s right, you can’t, because it isn’t true.
Paul has harassed Yoko Ono and referred to her as John’s Jap Tart? Hmmm.. Do you have any actual source for this claim? Oh that’s right you don’t, because it never happened. ( Not publicly anyway?).
And finally, how does Paul being your least favorite Beatle have anything to do with anything? Congratulations, you’re 3 for 3!
The source the “jap tart” postcard is the spurned girlfriend Francie Schwartz and for all John’s many interviews, over a hundred? I think, and his and Yoko’s public tv appearances they never once mentioned that the “jap tart” post card on the mantle incident happened when they lived with Paul for awhile. Also, there’s a Let It Be/Get Back video of Paul defending Yoko’s presence in the studio to no less than the other Beatles and to George Martin. Old LIB and new Get Back footage does not show Paul looking at John when he sang it so that’s more of John’s paranoia. I’m surprised that no one here commented to correct this old Beatles history and just regurgitate wrong info.
Thank you for saving me a long reply.
Francie Schwartz fabricated the claim that Paul called Yoko an ethnic slur in her book “Body Count”, but neither John nor Yoko ever acknowledged anything of the sort in their interviews.
They didn’t corroborate Schwartz’s claim, but in 1980’s Playboy interview Lennon did suggest that McCartney aimed Get Back at Ono.
“I think there’s some underlying thing about Yoko in there. You know, ‘Get back to where you once belonged.’ Every time he sang the line in the studio, he’d look at Yoko. Maybe he’ll say I’m paranoid. You know, he can say, ‘I’m a normal family man, those two are freaks.’ That’ll leave him a chance to say that one.”
Thank you, Joe.
I wonder if it’s possible that the lyrics may have been partially inspired by Linda’s ex-husband, who was from Tucson himself, and coincidentally, there was somebody else who left Tucson, Arizona for California: Linda Ronstadt.
Hmmm. I listened to the titled track…it’s good, not necessarily one of my favorites.
As much as I love Paul McCartney and his music generally…as much as I dislike Yoko Ono individually, and I can certainly understand if Paul dislikes her, and I do not believe for a second that Paul is racist, as a person of color, I really don’t like the title of this tune. Crystalline Fuji would have been a better choice even if it did suck as a title.
Interesting comments. But I think many may be thinking too black and white. People aren’t just racists or not racists; the world and people’s feelings and actions aren’t simply yes/no. Paul doesn’t have to be a complete racist to have a moment where he might title a song as a slight to his then recent experience getting busted in Japan. And while this song has a very unfortunate title, it may not have been as offensive as it is now.
Huge McCartney fan here…and also a Japanese-American.
As a fan, I had always sort of forced myself to never address the title of the song. It ruined my image and respect for one of the greatest songwriters of all times. Even as a younger person (teens) in the eighties, I knew and thought the title was offensive/derogatory.
It wasn’t till a few years later that non-Asians would acknowledge that “Jap” is not a flattering word (a word that, ironically they chose to use for the purpose of being derogatory).
Do I think McCartney is racist? I think there is some in him, but I wouldn’t say he’s “fully vested” yet. In my opinion, a better way to say it is that he may be racially insensitive (or have racial “blind spots”). I think a lot of people have blind spots…but the goal is to evolve and enlighten as the world (hopefully) does.
But as far as McCartney being intentionally racist—no, I don’t think so. I think he has blind spots like a lot of people. But he’s not an evil racist (like some of our current leaders).
I don’t like Sir Paul very much, but he broke down barriers between Japan in the west in the mid 60’s by traveling with the Beatles to perform at the Budokan. He was also the target of racism committed by many Japanese who objected to westerners playing rock&roll music at a venue that had build built to honor Japanese culture. To sit on ones high horse and pretend that one has never disliked a person from a race other than their own is hypocritical. In the end all we can really do is to be able to truthfully tell ourselves that we did our best to be kind to all people.
Its only racist if he meant it to be. He said himself it was a working title thats stuck. Short for Japanese or Japan. If you’re offended its because you are trying to be.
The Beatles refused to play concerts in America if the audience was segregated. Paul was part of that. Frozen Japan would have been a much better title. I think Paul made a mistake with the title. I’m not sure how he thought Frozen Jap wasn’t offensive.
The word “Jap” is incredibly racist to me, part Japanese, and to all the Japanese people. It was racist & hateful back in the 60s and to this day which McCartney is well aware of considering he changed the name on the Japan release. So from me to you Paul, up yers.
He said he did this song because was planning to attend a concert while in Japan of a very popular Japanese pop group, which never happened because of the bust. This song is no more racist that John’s use of the “N” …”word in woman is the N of the world.” This is from one of my top three Macca albums and its associated singles since its release. His diverse genre styles on the album and singles showed he had his ear to the ground with up coming eighties synth new wave style trends. The album really influenced 21st cen gorillaz who acknowledged it as a huge influence on him. This album and its singles is even more impressive because he did it all himself, sped up vocals at times and played all instruments. Some of the album predates later trip hop and vapor ware style music.
It’s hard to say that the “Jap Tart” slur in Francis Schwartz’s book wasn’t said by Paul when he decided to casually use this song title on an album.
He wrote the song in June 1979.
He was busted in January 1980.
The album came out in March 1980.
Maybe enough time to change that title before release. Hard to know.
As far as the Get Back movie, there are no shots of Paul looking at Yoko when he sings “Get Back to where you once belonged”. But the doc is roughly seven hours long and there’s 60 hours of raw footage. Maybe it occurred on the cutting room floor? Hard to know.