Simon Whitworth from Cowes – who was a top-selling pop star in Japan in the 1980s – has released a new Christmas single: The Biggest Gift.
Simon’s band in the 1980s, GI Orange, which he formed with his brothers Karl and Mark, achieved fame and fortune in Japan.
GI Orange began as a support band for David Essex. They then signed for E.M.I records, recording 2 singles in Munich and Zurich and went on tour with Bucks Fizz.
The band’s big break came in 1984 when a record scout from C.B.S. Sony Japan spotted them. Their self-titled album was released in 1985 and reached the top of the Japanese album chart, earning a gold disc.
Their first single, Fight Away the Lover, went way up the Japanese charts, paving the way for Psychic Magic, which hit the number 1 spot in 1984, knocking Duran Duran’s A View to a Kill off top spot. G.I. Orange also outsold such famous names as Madonna, Duran Duran and A-ha in Japan.
In silk jackets, shoulder pads and shiny ruffs of blond hair, the Brit boy band took the land of the rising sun by storm. Mobbed from Nagasaki to Tokyo, G.I. Orange were a sensation that would never be forgotten by their adoring teenage Japanese fans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt1Bx5DM4q8
In 1987, GI Orange folded. Simon moved to the Isle of Wight, where he threw himself into his 1st novel, which he subsequently turned into a musical. Both the novel and musical are called The Invisible Steps Project, and Simon calls this work his ‘life’s passion’.
Simon is ready to present the musical version of The Invisible Steps Project to the world next year. The Cowes singer has just released his new Christmas song The Biggest Gift, which he says has “a beautiful romantic sentiment”.
Simon says:
“I still love writing songs and albums for myself and other artists, but my heart and soul will always be in The Invisible Steps.”
Watch The Biggest Gift below:
