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Takashi Matsumoto (lyricist)
is a Japanese lyricist and former musician. After several years playing the drums in the rock bands Apryl Fool and Happy End during the late 1960s and early 1970s, Matsumoto decided to focus on writing lyrics for others in 1974. As of 2015, he had written over 2,100 songs, 130 of which entered the top 10 on the Oricon chart. Total sales of the singles he has written exceed 49.8 million copies, making him the third best-selling lyricist in Japan. In 2017, he was awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon from the Japanese government for his work in music. Life and career In elementary school, Matsumoto listened to Igor Stravinsky and read poetry by Jean Cocteau. However, he bought a drum kit and became obsessed with rock music because of the Beatles. Matsumoto is a Keio University graduate. Matsumoto's first band was , which covered songs like Them's " Gloria and Sam & Dave's "Hold On, I'm Comin'". In 1968 he joined the psychedelic rock band Apryl Fool, going by the alias Rei Matsumo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aoyama, Tokyo
is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods of Tokyo, located in the northwest portion of Minato Ward. The area is well known for its international fashion houses, cafes and restaurants. or "North Aoyama" refers to the area on the north side of Aoyama-dori (Aoyama Street) between the Akasaka Palace and Aoyama Gakuin University, while or "South Aoyama" refers to the area to the south of Aoyama-dori and extends to the northern edge of Roppongi, Azabu and Hiroo. During the Edo period, Aoyama was home to various temples, shrines, and samurai residences. The name Aoyama is derived from a samurai named Aoyama Tadanari who served the Tokugawa Shogunate and held his mansion in the area. Today, along with Shibuya and Harajuku, it is one of the most popular entertainment and shopping areas "Omotesandō", for young people in Tokyo. It is well known for its fashion houses, restaurants, and shopping. Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium is in the North part of Aoyama. Places in Aoyama * Aoyama ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound effects and recording techniques, extended instrumental solos, and improvisation. Many psychedelic groups differ in style, and the label is often applied spuriously. Originating in the mid-1960s among British and American musicians, the sound of psychedelic rock invokes three core effects of LSD: depersonalization, dechronicization, and dynamization, all of which detach the user from everyday reality. Musically, the effects may be represented via novelty studio tricks, electronic music, electronic or non-Western instrumentation, disjunctive song structures, and extended instrumental segments. Some of the earlier 1960s psychedelic rock musicians were based in contemporary folk music, folk, jazz, and the blues, while others showcased an expl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
KinKi Kids
is a Japanese duo consisting of Koichi Domoto and Tsuyoshi Domoto under the talent agency Johnny & Associates. KinKi Kids was formed in 1993 and officially debuted on July 21, 1997. With more than 30 million physical copies sold, they are one of the best selling boy groups in Asian history and top 20 best-selling artists of all time in Japan. Although the members share the same surname, the only relation they have to each other is that they both hail from the Kinki region, hence the duo's name. KinKi Kids holds the Guinness World Records for having the most consecutive No.1 singles since debut (45 works) and the most consecutive years with a Japanese No.1 single (26 years, 1997 - 2022). They have 20 No.1 albums of which 14 are consecutive, making them the artist who has the third most No.1 albums in Japan. Since 1998, the duo has held 60 concerts at Tokyo Dome, making them the artist to hold the most concerts at the Dome. Members * Koichi Domoto (堂本光一): born Januar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO for short) is a Japanese electronic music band formed in Tokyo in 1978 by Haruomi Hosono (bass, keyboards, vocals), Yukihiro Takahashi (drums, lead vocals) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (keyboards, vocals). The group is considered influential and innovative in the field of popular electronic music. They were pioneers in their use of synthesizers, samplers, sequencers, drum machines, computers, and digital recording technology, and effectively anticipated the "electropop boom" of the 1980s. They are credited with playing a key role in the development of several electronic genres, including synthpop, J-pop, electro, and techno, while exploring subversive sociopolitical themes throughout their career. The three members were veterans of the music industry before coming together as YMO, and were inspired by eclectic sources, including the electronic music of Isao Tomita and Kraftwerk, Japanese traditional music, arcade games, funk music, and the disco productions ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hiroko Yakushimaru
is a common feminine Japanese given name. Name meanings Hiroko can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *裕子, "kind child" *弘子, "Beautiful child" *寛子, " small child" *浩子, "large child" *博子, "wise child" *宏子, "large child" *広子, "broad child" *紘子, "large child" The name can also be written in hiragana or katakana. People with the name * Hiroko Anzai (安西 ひろこ, born 1979), Japanese model and idol * Hiroko Hatano (畑野 ひろ子, born 1975), Japanese supermodel and actress *, better known as Chikage Oogi, Japanese actress and politician *, Japanese singer, actress and television personality *, Japanese archer *, Japanese fencer *, Japanese slalom canoeist * Hiroko Konishi (小西 寛子, born 1975), Japanese voice actress *, Japanese handball player *, Japanese swimmer *, Japanese model *, Japanese writer * Hiroko Mita (三田 寛子, born 1966), Japanese singer and actress * Hiroko Moriguchi (森口 博子, born 1968), J ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Masahiko Kondo
Masahiko (written: 正彦, 雅彦, 誠彦, 昌彦, 允彦, 政彦, 真彦, 正比古 or まさ彦) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, an officer in the Imperial Japanese Army imprisoned for his involvement in the Amakasu Incident *, a Japanese mathematician best known as an essayist *, a Japanese ski jumper *, a Japanese footballer *, a Japanese football player *, a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party *, a Japanese columnist, photographer, and pundit *, a Japanese judoka (Judo practitioner) *, a bonsai master *, a chef specializing in Italian cuisine *, or Matchy is a Japanese singer, lyricist and actor *, a Japanese former football player *, a Japanese anime producer and president of Bones *, a linguistics professor at San Francisco State University *, Japanese baseball player *, a Japanese ''Magic: The Gathering'' player *, a Japanese film director *, a former Japanese football player *, a manga artist from Kōchi City, Jap ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miho Nakayama
is a Japanese singer and actress. She is affiliated with Big Apple Co., Ltd. Nakayama is nicknamed , and sometimes uses the pseudonyms or when she writes the lyrics. Biography History Nakayama was born in Saku, Nagano, Japan. Following her mother's remarriage, her family moved to Koganei, Tokyo. There, Nakayama attended Koganei Municipal Junior High School. Idol career After being discovered by a talent scout while shopping in Harajuku, she made her debut on 21 June 1985 with her single " C", as well as a starring role in the film '' Be-Bop High School''. Throughout her career as a singer and actress, Nakayama recorded 22 studio albums and scored eight No. 1 singles on Oricon's charts; two of them selling over a million copies each. She also starred in a Famicom Disk System dating sim made by Nintendo titled ''Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School'', in which she played a high school student trying to mask her true identity. Acting career In 1995, director Shunji Iwai cast ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kyōko Koizumi
(born February 4, 1966) is a Japanese singer and actress. She is signed to Victor Entertainment. Career In 1981, Kyoko Koizumi participated and won the Star Tanjo! programme and released her 1st single in March 1982. She gained her first number one hit in 1984 and thereafter established herself as one of Japan's most popular pop idols, alongside rivals Seiko Matsuda and Akina Nakamori. Her biggest hit (あなたに会えてよかった) came in 1991, which sold more than a million copies in Japan alone. Koizumi went on to release another single (優しい雨) which is also over a million copies in total sale in 1993. Koizumi had singles reach the Top Ten for 12 consecutive years between 1983 and 1994, a female solo artist record, until this was broken by Namie Amuro. In the 1990s, she released a few dance remixes on vinyl only under the Koizumix Production moniker. She has worked with Yoko Kanno who composed the music for Koizumi's 1996 album, '' Otoko no Ko Onna no Ko''. Sh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seiko Matsuda
, known professionally as , is a Japanese pop singer and songwriter, known for being one of the most popular Japanese idols of the 1980s. Since then, she is still actively releasing new singles and albums, doing annual summer concert tours, winter dinner shows, high-profile TV commercials and movies, and makes frequent TV appearances and radio broadcasts. Due to her popularity in the 1980s and her long career, she has been dubbed the "Eternal Idol" by the Japanese media. In January 2011, the Japanese music television program Music Station listed her as the 2nd best-selling idol of all time in Japan, with 29,510,000 records sold. She placed right behind pop group SMAP and ahead of Akina Nakamori, her biggest rival from the 1980s, who was listed in third place. In 2016, however, Ian Martin of ''The Japan Times'' compared her output unfavorably with that of Hikaru Utada, describing Matsuda as "first and foremost an idol rather than an artist. Her legacy is best expressed in singles ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Agnes Chan
Agnes Meiling Kaneko Chan (; Japanese: 金子 陳美齢, ''Kaneko Chan Meirin'') is a Hong-Kong-born Japanese singer, television personality, university professor, essayist and novelist. Since 1998, Chan has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and supports the Japan Committee for UNICEF. In Japan she is professionally known as Agnes Chan (アグネス・チャン), Agnes being her Christian name. Career Agnes Chan began singing and playing guitar in her junior high years in Hong Kong, as volunteer work for fundraising events. She had a chance to record a cover of Joni Mitchell's " The Circle Game" with her older sister, actress Irene Chan, and it became a hit song in Hong Kong. She became famous throughout southeast Asia through several of Chang Cheh's movies, including ''Young People'' and ''The Generation Gap''. Chan's rendition of "The Circle Game" (1971) was totally different than Mitchell's, but very close to Buffy Sainte-Marie's 1968 version. It was/is misconstrued by ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Happy End (1973 Album)
''Happy End'' is the third and final album by Japanese folk rock band Happy End. It was recorded in Los Angeles, produced by Van Dyke Parks and features several American session musicians such as Lowell George and Bill Payne of the band Little Feat. Background and recording The album was recorded at Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles in late 1972. Van Dyke Parks, known for his collaborations with Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys, produced the album. In 2013, Parks stated that the band walked in unannounced while he and Lowell George were working on "Sailin' Shoes" and asked him to give them the " California Sound". He initially refused saying he was busy with sessions for his own album '' Discover America'', but accepted when George noticed a suitcase full of new one hundred-dollar bills with Happy End's manager. Although Haruomi Hosono later described the work with Parks as "productive," the album sessions were tenuous, and the members of Happy End were disenchanted with their v ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kazemachi Roman
is the second album by Japanese folk rock band Happy End, released on URC Records in 1971. In this concept album, Happy End attempted to paint a musical picture of Tokyo before the 1964 Summer Olympics, through which sweeping changes transformed the city forever. “The band’s 1971 album ‘Kazemachi Roman,’ a classic of the genre, describes with a shrug how the Tokyo of their childhood was being swept away and replaced by a high-tech metropolis.“ Background and release OK Music's Naoto Kawasaki notes how Eiichi Ohtaki and Shigeru Suzuki did not contribute to "Kaze wo Atsumete", with Haruomi Hosono playing the bass, guitar and organ and providing its vocals while Takashi Matsumoto plays the drums. Suzuki is also absent from "Kurayamizaka Musasabi Henge", which Kawasaki felt was inspired by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Bannai Tarao, a fictional detective who has appeared in many Japanese crime thrillers, is credited on several of the album's songs. Ohtaki even opens "Haikar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
