Woman from Tokyo
{{Infobox song
| name = Woman from Tokyo
| cover =Woman from Tokyo.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| type = single
| artist = Deep Purple
| album = Who Do We Think We Are
| B-side = {{ubl|"Black Night" (live) (Europe)|"Super Trouper" (US/Japan)}}
| released = February 1973
| recorded = 1972
| studio =
| genre =
- Hard rock
- blues rock{{cite web|url=https://www.rhino.com/article/stay-tuned-by-stan-cornyn-loudest-purple|title=Stay Tuned By Stan Cornyn: Loudest Purple{{snd}}Rhino|website=Rhino.com}}
| length = 5:48
| label = Purple
| writer =
| producer = Deep Purple
| prev_title = Smoke on the Water
| prev_year = 1972
| next_title = Super Trouper
| next_year = 1973
}}
"Woman from Tokyo" is a song by English rock band Deep Purple. It was first released on their 1973 album Who Do We Think We Are, and later as a single in various territories.
A UK-release was planned for February 1973, but was cancelled.
The song was featured on the 2011 DVD Deep Purple with Orchestra{{snd}}Live in Montreux where Deep Purple Mark VIII (Gillan, Paice, Glover, Morse, Airey) with a full symphony orchestra conducted by Stephen Bentley-Klein.{{Cite web|url=http://www.deep-purple.net/mk7news/mk8-news.htm|title=Deep Purple Mk8 news|website=Deep-purple.net|access-date=7 June 2021}}
Background
Deep Purple was one of the first rock bands to perform in Japan in the early 1970s. As a tribute, the band wrote the song "Woman from Tokyo." It was one of the final songs to feature singer Ian Gillan, who departed in 1973 to pursue a solo career.{{cite web |last1=Prato |first1=Greg |title=Woman From Tokyo Song Review |url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/woman-from-tokyo-mt0010728872 |website=AllMusic |access-date=September 23, 2018}} The song features Japanese imagery such as "the rising sun" and "an Eastern dream," and its lyrics are about a Japanese woman whose charms fascinate the narrator. "Woman from Tokyo" grew to be one of the band's most popular songs and received heavy radio airplay. Despite this, the band did not include the song into their live set at the time, and only began playing the song when they reformed in 1984.
The admiration of Deep Purple for progressive rock is reflected in the long dreamy break that occupies the middle of the track. This break appears only on the album version and is missing from the single, which explains the sharp difference in duration between the versions.
Reception
Cash Box called the song "that super driving rocker that everyone will jump on immediately."{{cite news|title=CashBox Record Reviews|date=September 8, 1973|page=16|access-date=2021-12-11|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1973/Cash-Box-1973-09-08.pdf|newspaper=Cash Box}} Cash Box also described it as a "super charged rocker performed with great energy by the kings of electric rock."{{cite web|title=CashBox Record Reviews|date=January 27, 1973|page=18|access-date=2021-12-11|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1973/Cash-Box-1973-01-27.pdf|publisher=Cash Box}} Record World called it a "cooker" and a "rock 'em sock 'em item."{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=September 8, 1973|access-date=2023-03-22|title=Hits of the Week|page=1|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/73/RW-1973-09-08.pdf}}
"Woman from Tokyo" was ranked at number 3 on Ultimate Classic Rock's list of Top 10 Roger Glover songs.{{cite web|url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/roger-glover-songs/|title=Top 10 Roger Glover Songs|website=Ultimate Classic Rock|date=30 November 2013 }}
Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic said that "Woman from Tokyo" along with "Rat Bat Blue" were the only songs from Who Do We Think We Are that were good. It stated that the song "hinted at glories past with its signature Ritchie Blackmore riff."{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/who-do-we-think-we-are-mw0000196958|title=Who Do We Think We Are{{snd}}Deep Purple{{snd}}Songs, Reviews, Credits{{snd}}AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=September 23, 2018}} On the other hand, Alex Henderson of AllMusic writes of the excellence of Machine Head and Who Do We Think We Are when describing Stormbringer.
{{cite web|last=Henderson|first=Alex|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/stormbringer-mw0000201754 |title=Stormbringer|website=AllMusic|access-date=April 17, 2020}}
Chart performance
"Woman from Tokyo" was a hit, as it reached No. 6 on the Dutch MegaCharts.{{cite web|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Deep+Purple&titel=Woman+From+Tokyo&cat=s|title=Deep Purple{{snd}}Woman From Tokyo|first=Steffen|last=Hung|website=Hitparade.ch|access-date=16 August 2018}} The song peaked at 16 in Germany and 23 in Belgium.{{Cite web|url=https://germancharts.de/showitem.asp?interpret=Deep+Purple&titel=Woman+From+Tokyo&cat=s|title=Deep Purple{{snd}}Woman From Tokyo|website=Germancharts.de|access-date=7 June 2021}} It was a modest success in the U.S., reaching No. 60 on the chart there.{{cite web |title=Woman from Tokyo Songfacts |url=https://www.songfacts.com/facts/deep-purple/woman-from-tokyo |website=Songfacts.com |access-date=September 23, 2018}} In Canada, the song reached No. 62 on May 12,{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.4836.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - May 12, 1973}} and made a re-appearance in October, reaching No. 55 on the May 27, 1973.{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.4917.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - October 27, 1973}}
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col"|Region !scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| scope="row"|Germany
|February 1973 |
|---|
| scope="row"|Japan
|March 1973 |
| scope="row"|Netherlands
|March 1973 |
| scope="row"|United States
|April 1973 |
| scope="row"|Australia
|31 May 1973 |
Charts
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Deep Purple}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Songs written by Ritchie Blackmore
Category:Songs written by Ian Gillan
Category:Songs written by Roger Glover
Category:Songs written by Jon Lord
Category:Songs written by Ian Paice
Category:Songs about East Asian people
Category:Japan in non-Japanese culture