Glay (stylized in
all caps
In typography, all caps (short for "all capitals") refers to text or a font in which all letters are capital letters, for example: "THIS TEXT IS IN ALL CAPS". All caps may be used for emphasis (for a word or phrase). They are commonly seen in ...
) is a Japanese
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band, formed in
Hakodate
is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of July 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 279,851 with 143,221 households, and a population density of 412.8 ...
, Hokkaido, Japan, in 1988. Glay primarily composes songs in the rock and pop genres, but they have also arranged songs using elements from a wide variety of genres, including
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
,
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
,
electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
,
R&B,
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fol ...
,
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
,
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
, and
ska
Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...
. Originally a
visual kei
is a movement among Japanese musicians that is characterized by the use of varying levels of make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics, similar to Western glam rock.
Som ...
band, the group slowly shifted to less dramatic attire through the years. As of 2008, Glay had sold an estimated 51 million records; 28 million singles and 23 million albums,
making them one of the top ten
best-selling artists of all time in Japan.
History
1988–1994: Indies era
Glay formed in 1988 as a high school band when
Takuro asked
Teru
Teru may refer to:
* Teru (woreda), a district of Afar Region, Ethiopia
* ''Ampelocissus abyssinica'' or Teru, an Ethiopian climbing vine
People with the name
;Mononym
* Mika Saiki or Teru, beach volleyball player
* Teru (singer), vocalist of GLA ...
, a schoolmate, to play the drums. They found a bassist but had difficulty finding a vocalist. When Teru made a tape of his singing and gave it to Takuro he was immediately recruited for the part, leaving the drums part to be filled by another person. On the search for a second guitarist,
Hisashi
Hisashi is a masculine Japanese given name. Its meaning differs depending on the kanji used to write it.
Kanji
Single kanji used to write the name Hisashi include:
*: "long time"
*: "eternal"
*: "still"
*: "standard"
*: "complete"
*: "long"
*: "li ...
was asked to join but declined the offer, as he was already part of a locally well-known heavy punk/rock band called Ari, which better suited his taste in music. Hisashi eventually accepted Takuro's offer and became Glay's lead guitarist after Ari disbanded.
Officially, the name "Glay" was coined by Takuro and is a deliberate misspelling of the word "
gray
Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed o ...
" to represent the style of music they wanted to play: a mixture between rock (black) and pop (white).
However, Hisashi confirmed in an interview with ''
Natalie
Natalie may refer to:
People
* Natalie (given name)
* Natalie (singer) (born 1979), Mexican-American R&B singer/songwriter
* Shahan Natalie (1884–1983), Armenian writer and principal organizer of Operation Nemesis
Music Albums
* ''Natal ...
'' that the name came from Jun Gray, a member of the punk rock band Kenzi & The Trips that he and Takuro had read about in the magazine ''Takarajima''.
By the time of Takuro and Teru's graduation, Glay were enjoying some popularity in their hometown of Hakodate and were playing full live houses. Following Hisashi's high school graduation in 1990, the three moved to
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
to try to further expand their musical career. The bassist and the drummer chose to stay in Hakodate. In Tokyo, they found a completely different situation: although they had been relatively popular in their hometown, it was not easy to begin a career in Tokyo. Their concerts attracted few people, and sometimes none at all,
and many live houses would not accept them because they did not fit well into either rock or pop categories. The band had to conciliate their music career to part-time jobs, and faced financial problems during their first years in Tokyo.
During this time, members (particularly drummers) were constantly joining and leaving the band. When their bassist quit, Takuro knew that
Jiro, who was also from Hakodate and had played with the indie band Pierrot (different from the now disbanded
Pierrot
Pierrot ( , , ) is a stock character of pantomime and '' commedia dell'arte'', whose origins are in the late seventeenth-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne. The name is a diminutive of ''P ...
, that enjoyed mainstream popularity), had moved to Tokyo and invited him to join Glay. He too, declined the offer, insisting that he was already heading in the right direction for himself. It wasn't until Takuro asked him to play at just one show to fill in for their missing bassist that he decided to go. Following that show, Jiro continued to receive invitations to play with Glay, and eventually he became Glay's official bass player, finalizing the official four member lineup.
They promoted the band by handing out flyers on the street and giving out demo tapes. Eventually they became better known on the Tokyo live house circuit, and began drawing larger crowds. Eventually,
hide of
X Japan
was a Japanese rock band from Chiba, formed in 1982 by drummer and pianist Yoshiki and lead vocalist Toshi. Starting as a predominantly power/speed metal band with heavy symphonic elements, they later gravitated towards a progressive soun ...
gave one of Glay's demos to his bandmate
Yoshiki
Yoshiki is a masculine Japanese given name.
Possible writings
Yoshiki can be written using many different combinations of kanji characters. Here are some examples:
*義樹, "justice, tree"
*義基, "justice, foundation"
*義機, "justice, opportu ...
. During an October 1993 show, Yoshiki and his entourage came to watch and offered the band a contract to his record label
Extasy Records
Extasy Records is a Japanese record label founded in April 1986 by Yoshiki Hayashi, co-founder of the heavy metal band X Japan. The label's first release was X's 1986 single "Orgasm".
Over the next few years, the label signed several then-lit ...
. Their debut single, "Rain", and their first album, ''
Hai to Diamond
is the first album by the Japanese rock band Glay. It was released on May 25, 1994, by the independent label Extasy Records and peaked at #57 on the Oricon chart, with more than 51,000 copies sold.
Overview
As an unsigned band, Glay promoted them ...
'', were both released on May 25, 1994.
1995–2000
After the time of their debut, Glay steadily became more popular. Their 4th single "Freeze My Love" made it onto the Oricon Top 20, debuting at No. 19. Two months later their second album, ''
Speed Pop'', peaked at No. 8. It was their first album released on Platinum Records, a division of
PolyGram
PolyGram N.V. was a multinational entertainment company and major music record label formerly based in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1962 as the Grammophon-Philips Group by Dutch corporation Philips and German corporation Siemens, to be a ...
that Yoshiki founded that same year. Their first No. 1 hit was in 1996 with their third album ''
Beat Out!
''Beat Out!'' (typeset as BEAT out!) is the third album by Japanese rock/pop band Glay. It was released on February 7, 1996, and peaked at #1 at Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group t ...
'', which was marked as a major turning point in Glay's career. Released later that same year, the fourth album ''
Beloved
Beloved may refer to:
Books
* ''Beloved'' (novel), a 1987 novel by Toni Morrison
* ''The Beloved'' (Faulkner novel), a 2012 novel by Australian author Annah Faulkner
*''Beloved'', a 1993 historical romance about Zenobia, by Bertrice Small
Film
...
'' was their first album to sell over 1 million copies. In September 1996, Glay played the final concert of the Beat Out! Reprise Tour at
Nippon Budokan
The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. While its primary purpose is to host martial arts con ...
, their first concert at the venue, which is stated by them to have been their biggest dream coming true. In August 1997, their 12th single "
However" remained at the top of the charts for two weeks in a row and, after it was displaced by
Zard
were a Japanese pop rock group, originally with five members, with lead vocalist Izumi Sakai as its only constant member. Zard's work was sold under the record label B-Gram Records, Inc. Their most popular and successful songs are , , and " M ...
's single "
Eien
was a after '' Kanna'' and before '' Eiso.'' This period spanned the years from April 987 through August 988. The reigning emperor was .
Change of era
* January 2, 987 : The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events. The ...
" for one week, it re-appeared at the top position for another three weeks.
In the period between 1997 and 2000, Glay produced six million-selling singles, being the third artist with most million-selling singles of all time. Their 13th single "
Yuuwaku
is the 13th single by Japanese band Glay. It reached No. 1 on the weekly Oricon charts and sold 1,611,920 copies in 1998, becoming the best selling Japanese single of the year. It charted for 20 weeks and sold a total of 1,625,520 copies. The t ...
" topped Oricon yearly single ranking in 1998. In 1999, their 16th single "
Winter, Again
"Winter, Again" is the 16th single by Japanese band Glay. It reached #1 on the weekly Oricon charts and sold 1,638,120 copies in 1999, becoming the #2 single of the year. It charted for 18 weeks and sold a total of 1,642,530 copies, becoming Glay' ...
" was number two of the year and won the
41st Japan Record Awards "Grand Prix" award, which is considered the most important Japanese music award. Their albums were also massively successful; both ''
Pure Soul
Pure Soul was an American R&B girl group who were signed to Interscope Records in the mid 1990s. They are perhaps best known for their hit single We Must Be in Love, the debut single from their self-titled debut album. The "Pure Soul" album (the ...
'' (1998) and ''
Heavy Gauge
Heavy Gauge is the 6th album by Japanese rock band Glay. This is the first album which Glay dabbles in the genres of progressive rock and gospel, using progressive chords on songs like the self-titled track, and using gospel choirs in songs such a ...
'' (1999), along with the compilation album ''
Drive - Glay Complete Best'' (2000), sold more than two million copies each.
The impact of their popularity was such that, in 1998, Japan's telephone service was temporarily put out of order due to the mass number of fans trying to reserve tickets to their upcoming tour.
The
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the and commonly known as Nagano 1998 ( ja, 長野1998), was a winter multi-sport event held from 7 to 22 February 1998, mainly in Nagano, Japan, with some events taking place in the ...
were being held, and press coverage of the event became chaotic because of the incident.
In this period, the band won several prizes and established some records. In 1997, the album ''
Review - Best of Glay'' stayed for five weeks in a row at the top position of the Oricon charts and became the all-time best-selling album in Japan at the time, with almost 5 million copies sold.
(at present, it is ranked at No. 3 spot, according to Oricon). Their 1999 video-single "Survival" sold approximately 900 thousand copies, and is up to the present the all-time best-selling video/DVD. In the same year, their first "Expo" concert would lure a record audience of 200,000 people (see "Glay Expo").
![JAL GLAY JUMBO B747-100SUD TYO](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/JAL_GLAY_JUMBO_B747-100SUD_TYO.jpg)
1999 was the year Glay played their first dome tour, Glay Dome Tour "pure soul" 1999, which made the band the first to hold a consecutive 5 day "dome" concert. This tour had a total of 15 performances in four venues and attracted a total audience of 750,000 people. Glay closed the year of 1999, playing the concert The Millennium Eve - A Christmas Present for the People Who Love Live a Lot, a joint concert with
Luna Sea
Luna Sea (stylized as LUNA SEA) is a Japanese Rock music, rock band formed in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1986. Due to the use of make-up and costumes early in their career and their widespread popularity, they are considered one of the most success ...
, on December 23, and the Glay Countdown Live in Messe "Come Together" concert on December 31.
Takuro described the "Expo'99" as a dream come true. When the album ''
Heavy Gauge
Heavy Gauge is the 6th album by Japanese rock band Glay. This is the first album which Glay dabbles in the genres of progressive rock and gospel, using progressive chords on songs like the self-titled track, and using gospel choirs in songs such a ...
'' was released, in October 1999, Takuro wrote a diary entry in Glay's official home page, describing the album as a representation of his feelings at that moment. His feelings were not of happiness, but of "emptiness" and not knowing what to do after "doing everything" they wanted to. The album is seen as a first step to a new direction in the band's career.
The band considered disbanding in 2000, after releasing their
second compilation album, which was a suggestion made by fellow singer
Yuki Isoya
Yuki, Yūki or Yuuki may refer to:
Places
* Yuki, Hiroshima (Jinseki), a town in Jinseki District, Hiroshima, Japan
* Yuki, Hiroshima (Saeki), a town in Saeki District, Hiroshima, Japan
* Yūki, Ibaraki, a city on Honshu island in Japan
* Yuki, ...
, whose group
Judy and Mary
Judy and Mary (often stylized as JUDY AND MARY) was a Japanese rock band formed in 1991 in Japan by bassist Yoshihito Onda and vocalist Yuki Isoya, Yuki, with drummer Kohta Igarashi and guitarist Taiji Fujimoto completing the lineup in 1992. Guit ...
had disbanded.
2001–2003
After this period of massive success and a considerably steady style in their music, Glay's work took a turn in 2001. Their 2001 album ''
One Love One Love may refer to:
Music
* One Love (record producer), Timothy Sommers, American record producer, half of the duo Kinetics & One Love
* '' One Love: The Bob Marley Musical'', a 2015 stage musical
Albums
* ''One Love'' (Blue album) or the tit ...
'' got mixed feelings among the fans, due to its disparities to their earlier works, with a different, generally poppier and experimental sound, and songs that had reggae and R&B influences. Their 2002 album ''
Unity Roots and Family, Away
Unity Roots and Family, Away (also known as UR&FA) is the eighth released album from the Japanese rock band Glay. It reached #1 on Oricon charts and sold about 436,180 copies. In this album Glay takes a new turn and dabbles in genres such as Gospe ...
'', which was almost completely made of slow-paced songs and also had elements from other types of music (gospel, rap and traditional
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
n music), was not welcomed by most fans.
In spite of the "cold" reception these works had, the band reached No. 1 spot in the charts with both albums. Glay continued being successful with their tours in Japan. They proved to enjoy popularity outside Japan as well, in 2001, when members visited
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
,
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
and
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
to promote the Expo 2001 "Global Communication" and officially invited artists Dome,
Nicholas Tse
Nicholas Tse Ting-fung (born 29 August 1980) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and chef.EEGmusic.EEGmusic." ''Nicolas Tse profile.'' Retrieved on 22 April 2008. As multi talented celebrity, he became a TV ch ...
,
Mayday
Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice-procedure radio communications.
It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency primarily by aviators and mariners, but in some countries local organiza ...
and
Jaurim
Jaurim ( meaning "Purple Rainforest") is a rock band from Seoul, South Korea. They had performed in the indie scene in 1993. The band's initial name was Full Count. They changed the band's name to Jaurim in 1997 and became major with their first ...
to participate in one of the Expo concerts. The next year, they played outside Japan for the first time (not counting one concert in Hawaii for their fanclub members), when they played a sold-out live performance for a 35,000 audience in Beijing. The concert is the most expensive in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
's history. Glay also met then-Chinese President Jiang Zemin.
In 2003, they made a contract transfer from Pony Canyon to
Toshiba EMI
, formerly , was one of Japan's leading music companies. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of British music company EMI Group Ltd. on June 30, 2007, after Toshiba sold off its previous 45% stake. Its CEO and president was Kazuhiko Koike. Whe ...
, the most expensive transfer in Japan's history, at 4 billion
yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market, after the United States dollar (US$) and the euro. It is also widely used as a third reserve currency after the US dollar and the e ...
.
Under the new company, Glay released their first DVD—single "Itsuka" and their first B-Side compilation albums, ''
Rare Collectives Vol.1'' and ''
Rare Collectives Vol. 2''.
Also in 2003, an art gallery dedicated to Glay was opened in their hometown, Hakodate. "Art Style of Glay" was located in the Winning Hall, a famous building in the city and remained open until 2007.
2004: 10th anniversary
In 2004, Glay had several activities to celebrate their 10th anniversary since their major debut. As a start to this celebration, Glay presented the concert Rock Shock vol. 3 in 2003. The name was taken from an indie festival organized by Glay in 1989, which had had two editions. In March of that year, they released their 9th studio album, ''
The Frustrated
''The Frustrated'' is the ninth album by Japanese rock band Glay. It was released on March 24, 2004, and peaked at #2 at Oricon charts, with 241,485 copies sold. It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
The is ...
'', and in order to promote the album, the band held the Glay Concert Tour 2004 X-Rated and later, in October, the Glay Arena Tour 2004 "The Frustrated" -Extreme-.
On July 27 they played a "pre-Expo" concert at Universal Studios Japan and on July 31, they played the third edition of the Glay Expo, which was the main event of the year by the band. At the end of the year they held the fan-club exclusive Countdown Live in Messe "Come Together" on December 31. They finished the 10th anniversary celebration with the release of the compilation ''
Ballad Best Singles: White Road'' in January 2005 and with the 10th Anniversary Year Final Glay Dome Tour 2005 "White Road" which finished with the Glay 10th Anniversary Year Final Glay Osaka 4 Days Special 2005 "White Road".
2005–2006: Rebirth
In 2005, after years of touring, promoting, and recording, the four took a hiatus. Their only new release as a group was the single "Scream", their first collaboration work, with the vocal–dance group
Exile
Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
. "Scream", which was released under Exile's record company, was the fifth best selling single of the year.
During that time, Jiro created a side band with
the pillows
are a Japanese alternative rock band formed in 1989. The group has released 22 studio albums, several Extended play, EPs and compilations, and over 40 singles. Outside Japan, they are best known as the group responsible for the soundtrack to the ...
guitarist Sawao Yamanaka and
Straightener's drummer Nakayama Shinpei called
The Predators, in the summer of 2005. The Predators played in summer festivals and released the mini-album ''Hunting!''. Teru and Hisashi formed a band called Rally with
The Mad Capsule Markets
The Mad Capsule Markets (originally known as The Mad Capsule Market's and Berrie) were a Japanese band that formed in 1985 and were active until 2006. The band became known for their experimental style, which melded various kinds of electronic m ...
drummer Motokatsu and bassist Koji Ueno from
Thee Michelle Gun Elephant
Thee Michelle Gun Elephant (often abbreviated to TMGE) was a Japanese garage rock band formed in 1991.
History
The band was formed in 1991,Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 1025-6 while Chiba, Ueno, and Kuh ...
. Rally contributed a cover of
Buck-Tick
Buck-Tick (stylized as BUCK-TICK) is a Japanese Rock music, rock band, formed in Fujioka, Gunma in 1983. The group has consisted of lead vocalist Atsushi Sakurai, lead guitarist Hisashi Imai, rhythm guitarist Hidehiko Hoshino, bassist Yutaka Hig ...
's "Aku no Hana" for the tribute CD ''
Parade -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick-
''Parade -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick-'' is the first tribute album to Japanese rock band Buck-Tick, released on December 21, 2005.
It collects cover versions of their songs by various artists. It reflected the influence Buck-Tick had on you ...
''.
Although it was believed that Glay took a break as a group to take a rest, it was later reported in the news that the band had split from their former agency, Unlimited Group. The reasons were obscure, but the event managed to delay the band's work. The band refers to it as a time when they "couldn't move forward" and "had thoughts of quitting".
''Cyzo'' magazine's October 2005 issue had reported Glay's management dispute and referred to it as a media taboo.
![Glay-budokan-2006](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Glay-budokan-2006.jpg)
In February 2006, Glay ended their silence by having a two-day live performance in Zepp Tokyo and a three-day live performance at
Nippon Budokan
The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. While its primary purpose is to host martial arts con ...
, titled Rock 'n' Roll Swindle, which was produced as an independent event. Here, they played many of their old songs and introduced two new written songs as their new sound.
[March 15, 2006, ''What's In?'', issue No. 225, p. 58-59. Published by Sony Magazines] It was the start of a campaign called "Re-Birth" to promote the band's return to the music scene. Posters of their "dead" faces were displayed around the city of Tokyo and a movie of the "old" Glay burial by the "new" Glay was shown on television during the commercial breaks.
Takuro founded his own office, called Lover Soul, but the band signed with Amuse, the office of
Southern All Stars
, also known by the abbreviations and SAS, are a Japanese rock band that first formed in 1974.
The band is composed of Keisuke Kuwata (lead vocals and guitars), Yuko Hara (vocals and keyboards), Kazuyuki Sekiguchi (bass), Hiroshi Matsuda (dru ...
's
Keisuke Kuwata
is a Japanese multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and frontman for the Southern All Stars, as well of his own solo band, the Kuwata band. He has also done a significant amount of scoring music for films. He went to Aoyama Gakuin Universit ...
, in 2006 until the new office was established.
On July 12, 2006, they released a new single titled "G4" after a year and seven months away from the limelight, returning to their rock and roll roots. In the following month, they collaborated with former
Boowy vocalist
Kyosuke Himuro
is a former Japanese musician and singer-songwriter. He was lead vocalist of the rock band Boøwy from 1981 to 1988. After the band disbanded he started a successful solo career, becoming one of Japan's best-selling artists. In 2003, HMV Japan r ...
in their single "Answer". Together, they performed "Answer" in Kyosuke Himuro + Glay Swing Addiction 2006. In August, Glay performed at
Southern All Stars
, also known by the abbreviations and SAS, are a Japanese rock band that first formed in 1974.
The band is composed of Keisuke Kuwata (lead vocals and guitars), Yuko Hara (vocals and keyboards), Kazuyuki Sekiguchi (bass), Hiroshi Matsuda (dru ...
's summer concert Mujintou alongside various artists. In September, "Natsuoto/Henna Yume -Thousand Dreams-" was released, with "Natsuoto" being the theme song to TV show ''Koi suru Hanikami''.
Following the release of these singles was their tour, Rock 'n' Roll Swindle -Re-Birth- from November 2006 to early 2007.
2007–2008
On January 31, 2007, Glay released their tenth full-length studio album,
''Love is Beautiful'', containing 14 tracks, which reached No. 1 spot and was their 10th album to do so, Until then, Glay had been the all-male band with most No. 1 albums in Japan, but later that year
Mr. Children
, commonly referred to by their contracted nickname , are a Japanese pop rock band formed in 1989. Consisting of Kazutoshi Sakurai, Kenichi Tahara, Keisuke Nakagawa, and Hideya Suzuki, they made their major label debut in 1992. They are one of t ...
would replace them. Following the release of this album, the band began an arena tour, titled after the album.
Although there was not much to promote, Glay was very active as a live band. Over the summer of 2007, they performed at the 15th Anniversary Cue Music Jam-Boree in Yubari on July 1 and produced the "Rock Shock. Vol. 4" on August 23, 2007. They revived the side projects: Jiro's band, The Predators, performed at the
Rising Sun Rock Festival
Rising Sun Rock Festival is an annual rock festival held in Ishikari, Hokkaido, Japan. The two-day event is organized by WESS. It chiefly features Japanese rock and indie
Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to:
...
in Ezo on August 17 and 18 while Teru and Hisashi's side band, Rally, performed at the "
Buck-Tick
Buck-Tick (stylized as BUCK-TICK) is a Japanese Rock music, rock band, formed in Fujioka, Gunma in 1983. The group has consisted of lead vocalist Atsushi Sakurai, lead guitarist Hisashi Imai, rhythm guitarist Hidehiko Hoshino, bassist Yutaka Hig ...
Fest 2007" in September. Glay also performed the Highcommunications Tour 2007-2008 from November 2007 to March 2008.
As of 2008, the band continued the series of shows with the concerts Rock Shock vol. 5, in Zepp Fukuoka, on April 19 and AP Bank Fes '08 on July 19 and 20. In August, they performed for the first time in the United States. The Verb tour 2008 in U.S. was held at
The Fillmore
The Fillmore is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California.
Built in 1912 and originally named the Majestic Hall, it became the Fillmore Auditorium in 1954. It is in Western Addition, on the edge of the Fillmore District and Upper Fil ...
, in San Francisco, on August 12,
and at the
House of Blues
House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film ''The Blues Brothers''. The first location opened at ...
,
in Los Angeles, on August 15 and 16, 2008.
On September 21, the band appeared in a concert by Kyosuke Himuro held in Hokkaido. In December, the band continued their Glay Verb Tour in Japan, with four concerts in Zepp Sendai, Zepp Osaka, Zepp Nagoya, and Zepp Tokyo for their fan-club members. On December 30 and 31 they played the Glay Verb Tour Final "Come Together" 2008–2009, the third edition of their year-end countdown concerts.
2009: 15th anniversary
In 2009, Glay celebrated 15 years since the release of their debut single "Rain". In January 2009, the band announced several concert tours during the year and two special concerts at the
Nissan Stadium
Nissan Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Owned by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, it is primarily used for football and is the home field of the Tennessee Titans of the Natio ...
in August.
The first commemorative release was the 6 track single "Say Your Dream" on March 4, 2009. The title song is 13 minutes long and is reported to be a song about Glay's history.
Takuro reported that he approached this song as the message he would like to leave if he were to die, and that it took seven years to be completed.
The promotional video was divided into two parts, the first of them started broadcasting on TV channels five days before the release of the single. The second part remains accessible on internet only through a pass code obtained with the limited edition of the single. On the same premium site, there is a PV of the coupling song "Haru made wa". The single finishes Glay's series of western song covers with "The Meaning of Life" by the band
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American rock band from Garden Grove, California, formed in 1984. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Bryan "Dexter" Holland, lead guita ...
.
During April, the band held five concerts produced by the members, titled Glay Member Produced Live 2009 - The Great Vacation- Extra-. On April 8 and 9, the band played two concerts for official fanclub "Happy Swing" members who also have been affiliated with the fanclub for over 10 years at NHK Hall. The concerts were produced by Takuro. Teru produced another edition of the "men only night" concert (as he had done in 1999), which was held on April 13 at Studio Coast. Jiro produced a "pair only" concert, which was played on April 15 at the Osaka Hall, and, on April 17, Hisashi produced Resonance Vol. 2, which was broadcast by Yahoo!douga.
On May 25, 2009, the day Glay completed 15 years since their debut, the band released the single "I am XXX". The song was used as the main theme for the movie ''
Blood: The Last Vampire'' around Asia, chosen by producer
Bill Kong
William Kong sometimes credited as Bill Kong () (born 1953) is a film producer known for his active role in the Hong Kong film industry and International co-production. He is most famous for co-producing the Wuxia film ''Crouching Tiger, Hidden D ...
. On June 10, 2009, Glay released the
greatest hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
collection ''The Great Vacation Vol. 1 - Super Best of Glay'', a triple CD containing most of their singles released after 2000, and a re-recorded version of 1998's "Yuuwaku" in the 2 first CDs, while the third CD was mostly composed of unreleased songs.
During the period between June 15 and July 6 the band held the Glay Hall Tour 2009 - The Great Vacation, prior to their two date Glay 15th Anniversary Special Live 2009 The Great Vacation in Nissan Stadium, held on August 15 and 16, which gathered a total of 150 thousand people and cost 1.5 billion yen.
In September, Glay returned to the U.S. and held The Great Vacation U.S. Tour in California. The band played at
The Fillmore
The Fillmore is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California.
Built in 1912 and originally named the Majestic Hall, it became the Fillmore Auditorium in 1954. It is in Western Addition, on the edge of the Fillmore District and Upper Fil ...
, in San Francisco, on September 9 and at the
House of Blues
House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film ''The Blues Brothers''. The first location opened at ...
on September 11 and 12.
On October 21, 2009, Glay released the second part of their greatest hits collection ''The Great Vacation Vol. 2 - Super Best of Glay'', another triple CD containing hit singles from 1994 to 2000 and re-recorded versions of "Acid Head", "Shutter Speeds no Teema" and "Burst", as well as a remastering of older tracks. The third disc was another collection of unreleased songs.
On October 22, 2009, a Tokyo court ruled in favor of Glay over the ownership of 147 songs and ordered Unlimited Records to pay them 670 million yen for back royalties and unpaid contract fees. This was the issue that started in 2005 wherein royalties to Glay have ceased to be provided, leading the four-man band to seek termination of their contract with the company.
2010–2013: Loversoul Music & Associates
On April 1, 2010, Glay released "Apologize", a free digital single that, according to Takuro, was a signal of gratitude to the fans. In June, the band announced the establishment of their own label, Loversoul Music & Associates. Their first work under their new label was the single "Precious", released on September 8, followed by their tenth studio album ''
Glay
Glay (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese rock band, formed in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan, in 1988. Glay primarily composes songs in the rock and pop genres, but they have also arranged songs using elements from a wide variety of genres, includi ...
'', released on October 13.
From June 2010 to February 2011 the band performed their Live Tour 2010-2011 Rock Around the World in several halls and arenas in Japan.
Glay's song "Winter, Again" was covered by
12012
is a Japanese visual kei rock band. Formed in 2003 in Osaka Prefecture, the group centers its work around the concept of "madness inside a human" (人間の内面における狂気 '). 12012 is also the penal code for the possession of a danger ...
on the compilation ''Crush! -90's V-Rock Best Hit Cover Songs-'', which was released on January 26 and features current
visual kei
is a movement among Japanese musicians that is characterized by the use of varying levels of make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics, similar to Western glam rock.
Som ...
bands covering songs from bands that were important to the '90s visual kei movement.
[
] Their song "Yuuwaku" was covered by Hero on its sequel, ''Crush! 2 -90's V-Rock Best Hit Cover Songs-'', released on November 23, 2011.
[
]
In March 2011, Glay released the albums; ''Rare Collectives Vol. 3'' and ''Rare Collectives Vol. 4''. Each volume is a double CD set containing the B-sides of all their singles released since 2003, as well as unreleased tracks. In May, the band released the video ''Rock Around the World 2010–2011'' of the final concert of the tour performed at
Saitama Super Arena
is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Chūō-ku, Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It opened preliminarily on May 5, 2000, and then was officially opened on September 1 of the same year. Its maximum spectator capacity is 36,500, making i ...
. In November, Glay released the 3-song maxi-single ''My Private "Jealousy"'', which included a cover of the ''
Neon Genesis Evangelion
, also known simply as ''Evangelion'' or ''Eva'', is a Japanese mecha anime television series produced by Gainax and animated by Tatsunoko, directed by Hideaki Anno and broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 1995 to March 1996. ''Evangelion' ...
'' theme song, "
A Cruel Angel's Thesis
, also known as "A Cruel Angel's Thesis", is a J-pop song performed by Japanese singer Yoko Takahashi. Toshiyuki Ōmori and Hidetoshi Satō composed the song, while Neko Oikawa wrote the lyrics. It was written for the opening theme of the anime t ...
".
In May 2012, Glay released the 3-song maxi-single ''Bible''. The title track served as the theme song for the band's two-day Hotel Glay concert at
Nagai Stadium
, known as the Yanmar Stadium Nagai ( ja, ヤンマースタジアム長居) for sponsorship reasons, is a stadium in Osaka, Japan. It is the home ground of J. League club Cerezo Osaka. The stadium has a seating capacity of 47,000.
History
When N ...
, held July 28 and 29. ''Bible'' also included the CD version of the song "Thank you for your love", which was written in support of victims of the
2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
Eleven or 11 may refer to:
*11 (number), the natural number following 10 and preceding 12
* one of the years 11 BC, AD 11, 1911, 2011, or any year ending in 11
Literature
* ''Eleven'' (novel), a 2006 novel by British author David Llewellyn
*'' ...
.
In December, the band released two simultaneous singles: "Justice
rom
Rom, or ROM may refer to:
Biomechanics and medicine
* Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient
* Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac
* R ...
Guilty", a rock track written by Hisashi, and "Unmeiron", a ballad composed by Jiro.
In July 2013, Glay released "Dark River", the theme song for the TV series ''Gekiryu - Watashi wo Oboeteimasuka?'', starring Japanese actress
Rena Tanaka
is a Japanese actress and TV personality. In 1999, she won the Japanese Academy Award for "Best Newcomer" for her performance in ''Give It All''; in 2001, she received a "Best Actress" nomination for ''First Love''.
Selected filmography
Film ...
. In November, they followed up with the single "Diamond Skin", produced by
The Plastics' Masahide Sakuma.
2014–2016: Anniversary anthologies, ''Ace of Diamond'', ''Music Life''
To celebrate their 20th anniversary, Glay released their 26-song 2CD+DVD ''Hai to Diamond Anthology'' in May 2014, which included remixed and remastered versions of previously-released songs as well as demo tracks, radio show recordings, and music videos from their indie era. The band's October double-A-side single, "Hyakka Ryoran"/"Hashire! Mirai", included the third opening song for the anime series ''
Ace of Diamond
is a Japanese baseball-themed manga series written and illustrated by Yuji Terajima. It was serialized in Kodansha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from May 2006 to January 2015. A sequel titled ''Ace of Diamon ...
'', and in November, they released their thirteenth album ''
Music Life
''Music Life'' is the thirteenth studio album by Japanese pop rock band Glay, released on November 5, 2014. It reached #2 at the Oricon weekly charts, #5 at their monthly chart for November, and #58 at their 2014 Year-End Chart, besides reaching ...
'', which was also available as a 2-disc limited edition including the bonus CD ''Ballade Best Melodies'', featuring their best ballads selected by fan voting. ''Music Life''
's cover image was inspired by
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
album ''
Revolver
A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...
''.
In 2015, Glay created their second theme song for the ''Ace of Diamond'' series, "Heroes". In October, they released the special-edition ''Speed Pop Anthology'', which contained 27 songs including demos and remasters from the original 1995 album plus a documentary.
In January 2016, the band released their third ''Ace of Diamond'' theme, "Sora ga Aozora de aru Tame ni", followed by a set of theme songs, "Deathtopia" and "Chou Onsoku Destiny", for the anime series ''
Kuromukuro
is a Japanese mecha anime television series produced by P.A. Works, directed by Tensai Okamura and written by Ryō Higaki, with character designs by Yuriko Ishii and music by Hiroaki Tsutsumi. The series was produced to celebrate P.A. Works' 1 ...
'', which were packaged as a double-A-side release in August. One month later ''BEAT out! Anthology'' was released in September to commemorate the band's first number one ranking on the Oricon chart. Along with remixed and remastered tracks, the special edition contained 2 full-length 1996 concert videos from
Shibuya Public Hall
is a theatre located in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. It was completed in 1964 to host the weightlifting events in the 1964 Summer Olympics.
The theatre was sponsored by Dentsu and Suntory, which paid 80 million to rename it C.C. Lemon Hall (after the ...
and Nippon Budokan.
2017–2018: ''Summerdelics'' and Asian tour
In July 2017, Glay released their 14th album ''Summerdelics'', which reached number 1 on the Oricon album chart, followed by a national arena tour. In September 2017, they released the special edition ''Beloved Anthology'' set, which included 14 songs remastered by Michael Zimmering, 15 previously-unreleased demo tracks, and a video documentary including segments shot by Yutaka Onaga on location in Iceland in 1996.
In November 2017, Glay released the EP ''Winterdelics'', which included "Anata to ikite yuku", the theme song for the
TV Tokyo
JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as and known colloquially as , is a television station headquartered in the Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by the subsidiary of listed certified b ...
drama ''Universal Kokokusha - Anata no Jinsei, Urikomimasu!''
In 2018, Glay toured Asia, collaborating on stage with Taiwanese band
Mayday
Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice-procedure radio communications.
It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency primarily by aviators and mariners, but in some countries local organiza ...
and performed the 900th concert of their career in Hong Kong.
Members
*
Takuro – guitar
*
Teru
Teru may refer to:
* Teru (woreda), a district of Afar Region, Ethiopia
* ''Ampelocissus abyssinica'' or Teru, an Ethiopian climbing vine
People with the name
;Mononym
* Mika Saiki or Teru, beach volleyball player
* Teru (singer), vocalist of GLA ...
– vocals, drums
*
Hisashi
Hisashi is a masculine Japanese given name. Its meaning differs depending on the kanji used to write it.
Kanji
Single kanji used to write the name Hisashi include:
*: "long time"
*: "eternal"
*: "still"
*: "standard"
*: "complete"
*: "long"
*: "li ...
– lead guitar
*
Jiro – bass
;Former members
* Shingo – drums (1990–1992)
* Iso – drums (1992)
* Akira Ueshima – drums (1992–1994)
* Nobumasa Ohba – drums (1994–1995)
Support members
* Toshimitsu "Toshi" Nagai – drums (1995–present)
* Seiichiro Nagai – keyboards (2007–present)
;Former support members
* Daijiro "D.I.E." Nozawa – keyboards (1995–1998)
* Shigeo "Shige/sk55" Komori – keyboards (1998–2004)
* Yuta Saitou – keyboards (2004–2005)
* Masahide Sakuma – guitar, keyboards, producer (mid-1994–2014, ''deceased'')
Glay Expos
Glay occasionally holds an exposition and concert called Glay Expo, which is always expensively produced and lures greater audiences than their normal stadium concerts. The first edition of the event was held on July 31, 1999. The Glay Expo '99 Survival at
Makuhari Messe
is a Japanese convention center outside Tokyo, located in the Mihama-ku ward of Chiba City, in the northwest corner of Chiba Prefecture. Designed by Fumihiko Maki, it is accessible by Tokyo's commuter rail system. ''Makuhari'' is the name of ...
gathered a total audience of 200,000 people, making it
the largest-ticketed concert ever held by a single act, certified by
Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
.
The second edition was held in 2001. Glay Expo 2001 "Global Communication" was divided into four performances: two in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, one in
Ishikari
is a city located in Ishikari Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.
As of April 30, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 58,755, with 27,434 households, and a density of 81 persons per km2. The total area is .
On October 1, 2005, the vill ...
, and an all-night long performance in
Fukuoka
is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...
, which featured artists;
Dome
A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
from
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
,
Nicholas Tse
Nicholas Tse Ting-fung (born 29 August 1980) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and chef.EEGmusic.EEGmusic." ''Nicolas Tse profile.'' Retrieved on 22 April 2008. As multi talented celebrity, he became a TV ch ...
from Hong Kong,
Mayday
Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice-procedure radio communications.
It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency primarily by aviators and mariners, but in some countries local organiza ...
from
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
,
Jaurim
Jaurim ( meaning "Purple Rainforest") is a rock band from Seoul, South Korea. They had performed in the indie scene in 1993. The band's initial name was Full Count. They changed the band's name to Jaurim in 1997 and became major with their first ...
from
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, and The D.e.p., a group formed by Glay's producer Masahide Sakuma, Taiwanese singer
Vivian Hsu
Vivian Hsu ( Atayal: ; ; born March 19, 1975) is a Taiwanese singer and actress.
Hsu rose to prominence in Japan, where she made her first appearance in 1995 and has become a highly recognized celebrity with her countless appearances in media dur ...
,
Gota Yashiki
is a Japanese musician, both an independent acid jazz artist and drum/bass player, as a member of the band Simply Red.
Biography
He was born in Kyoto, Japan, on 26 February 1962, where at a young age he learned how to play traditional Japan ...
,
Masami Tsuchiya
is a Japanese singer-songwriter and musician, coming to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead vocalist and guitarist in the group Ippu-Do. His subsequent output includes solo work and collaborations.
Tsuchiya's career in music started with ...
and
Mick Karn
Andonis Michaelides (Greek: Αντώνης Μιχαηλίδης; 24 July 1958 – 4 January 2011), better known as Mick Karn, was an English-Cypriot musician and songwriter who rose to fame as the bassist for the art rock/ new wave band Japan. H ...
. These concerts accumulated a total audience of over 280,000.
The concert in Ishikari had part of its fuel generated from solar and aeolic energy generating devices displayed in a booth.
July 2004 had three Glay Expo 2004 in "The Frustrated" shows. The latter two celebrating their 10th anniversary were held in the parking lot of
Universal Studios Japan
is a theme park located in Osaka, Japan. Opened on March 31, 2001, it is one of six Universal Parks & Resorts, Universal Studios theme parks worldwide and was the first to open outside the United States. The park is owned and operated by a whol ...
and sold out the 100,000 tickets in under 15 minutes. 2014 had two Glay Expos in September, the second celebrated the band's 20th anniversary and brought 55,000 fans to
Miyagi Stadium
, also known as the for sponsorship reasons, is an athletic and football stadium in the town of Rifu in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. The stadium's capacity is 49,133. The crescent-shaped roof extending past the edge of the stadium is meant to ev ...
.
Media exposure and works outside music
Glay has appeared on several TV programs and front covers of many famous music magazines in Japan, such as ''Gigs'', ''What's In?'', ''BPass'', ''Ongaku to Hito'', ''PatiPati'', ''Newsmaker'', etc.
Kadokawa Shoten
, formerly , is a Japanese publisher and division of Kadokawa Future Publishing based in Tokyo, Japan. It became an internal division of Kadokawa Corporation on October 1, 2013. Kadokawa publishes manga, light novels, manga anthology magazines su ...
has also produced two "Glay only" special edition books.
They have starred in several campaigns for various products, as clothes, chocolate, and
Mini Discs. To promote the "Expo '99", at the peak of their mainstream popularity, they had their faces printed on the sides of
Japan Airlines
, also known as JAL (''Jaru'') or , is an international airline and Japan's flag carrier and largest airline as of 2021 and 2022, headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Haneda Airport, as w ...
jumbo jets, the sponsor of the event. The campaign was also a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Tokyo-Hakodate route. In 2002, they starred another campaign for Japan Airlines, promoting travel between Japan and China.
Each member of Glay, except Teru, has written a book (Jiro has written two and Takuro, three). In 2001, as a part of their "Expo 2001" preparation, they presented the TV show ''
Glay Global Communication
''GLAY Global Communication'' was an 11-episode, thirty-minute, television series aired on the Fuji Television Networks hosted by the Japanese rock band, GLAY. The show ran from April 18, 2001 to June 27, 2001, every Wednesday at 1:55am.
The seri ...
''. Besides appearing in magazines and on TV, all of them have participated in their own weekly radio shows. As of 2008, only Teru and Jiro keep their radio-shows (aired on BayFM and FM802, respectively). In January 2009, Hisashi started his first TV regular segment "RX-72 -Hisashi (Glay) VS Junichi Mogi-", every last Monday of each month on the Music-On TV channel. Takuro has also started a web radio-show, ''Takuro Mobile Meeting''.
Humanitarian and environmental works
Besides performing in charity festivals as the "
Red Ribbon
The red ribbon, as an awareness ribbon, is used as the symbol for the solidarity of people living with HIV/AIDS, and for the awareness and prevention of drug abuse and drunk driving. In Canada the red ribbon represents Canadians with Multiple ...
Live" (in which Teru has participated since 2005), the "White Band Fes" in 2005, the "Re-style Live" (organized by the DJ Hisashi Yamada) and the "
AP Bank Fes
AP Bank is a Japanese non-profit organization dedicated to renewable energy and environmental projects, founded in 2003. AP Bank's seed money was provided by record producer Takeshi Kobayashi, musician Kazutoshi Sakurai and composer and musician R ...
" in 2008, Glay, specially Teru and Takuro, have been actively participating in different causes.
In 2001, Takuro along with
Ryuichi Sakamoto
is a Japanese composer, pianist, singer, record producer and actor who has pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his bandmates Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, Sakamoto inf ...
started "Artists Power", an organization of artists who want to be active in the research on renewable energy.
The two started talking about this project when they worked in Sakamoto's charity project
Zero Landmine
''Zero Landmine'' is an Extended play (EP) created to promote awareness of the problem of landmines and to promote a ban on landmines. Japanese recording artist Ryuichi Sakamoto led a collection of musicians to form a group called NML (No More La ...
and the first event linked to it was the Ishikari leg of the "Glay Expo 2001" (see "Glay Expo" above).
AP Bank
AP Bank is a Japanese non-profit organization dedicated to renewable energy and environmental projects, founded in 2003. AP Bank's seed money was provided by record producer Takeshi Kobayashi, musician Kazutoshi Sakurai and composer and musician R ...
, which was founded by
Mr. Children
, commonly referred to by their contracted nickname , are a Japanese pop rock band formed in 1989. Consisting of Kazutoshi Sakurai, Kenichi Tahara, Keisuke Nakagawa, and Hideya Suzuki, they made their major label debut in 1992. They are one of t ...
's
Kazutoshi Sakurai
is a Japanese musician. He composes and writes almost all of the songs for his band Mr. Children, in addition to writing lyrics and singing for his solo project group Bank Band. In 2006, Sakurai ranked No. 8 in HMV's "Top 30 Best Japanese Singe ...
, composer Takeshi Kobayashi and Sakamoto, is linked to this organization; "AP" stands for both "Artists Power" and "Alternative Power".
Teru has been engaged with the "
Red Ribbon
The red ribbon, as an awareness ribbon, is used as the symbol for the solidarity of people living with HIV/AIDS, and for the awareness and prevention of drug abuse and drunk driving. In Canada the red ribbon represents Canadians with Multiple ...
Link Project" since 2005 and has become an active spokesperson for the project. In 2008, he starred a HIV awareness campaign with posters and a commercial in which he had his own blood tested.
In 2011, after Eastern Japan was affected by the 9.0 magnitude
Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Glay joined other artists in making donations for victim relief. The band donated 20 million yen to the "Asahi Shimbun Social Welfare Organization". Takuro also made a donation of 10 million yen to "Mudef" (Music Design Foundation), an organization that aims at the accomplishment of all the
United Nations Organization
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizin ...
8 MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) and seeks to help out people all over the world through music and arts. Takuro is also a board member along with singer
Misia
Misaki Itō, commonly known as and stylized as MISIA, is a Japanese singer and songwriter. Born in Nagasaki, Misia moved to Fukuoka at the age of 14 to pursue a recording career. There, she continued her secondary education and briefly attended ...
. Teru wrote and recorded a song called "Thank You for Your Love" to send a message of support to the victims and released it via
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
. The song was re-recorded and was released as a
download-only track with its profits donated to the
Japanese Red Cross
The is the Japanese affiliate of the International Red Cross.
The Imperial Family of Japan traditionally has supported the society, with the Empress as Honorary President and other imperial family members as vice presidents. Its headquarters i ...
.
Discography
Studio albums
*
*''
Speed Pop'' (1995)
*''
Beat Out!
''Beat Out!'' (typeset as BEAT out!) is the third album by Japanese rock/pop band Glay. It was released on February 7, 1996, and peaked at #1 at Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group t ...
'' (1996)
*''
Beloved
Beloved may refer to:
Books
* ''Beloved'' (novel), a 1987 novel by Toni Morrison
* ''The Beloved'' (Faulkner novel), a 2012 novel by Australian author Annah Faulkner
*''Beloved'', a 1993 historical romance about Zenobia, by Bertrice Small
Film
...
'' (1996)
*''
Pure Soul
Pure Soul was an American R&B girl group who were signed to Interscope Records in the mid 1990s. They are perhaps best known for their hit single We Must Be in Love, the debut single from their self-titled debut album. The "Pure Soul" album (the ...
'' (1998)
*''
Heavy Gauge
Heavy Gauge is the 6th album by Japanese rock band Glay. This is the first album which Glay dabbles in the genres of progressive rock and gospel, using progressive chords on songs like the self-titled track, and using gospel choirs in songs such a ...
'' (1999)
*''
One Love One Love may refer to:
Music
* One Love (record producer), Timothy Sommers, American record producer, half of the duo Kinetics & One Love
* '' One Love: The Bob Marley Musical'', a 2015 stage musical
Albums
* ''One Love'' (Blue album) or the tit ...
'' (2001)
*''
Unity Roots and Family, Away
Unity Roots and Family, Away (also known as UR&FA) is the eighth released album from the Japanese rock band Glay. It reached #1 on Oricon charts and sold about 436,180 copies. In this album Glay takes a new turn and dabbles in genres such as Gospe ...
'' (2002)
*''
The Frustrated
''The Frustrated'' is the ninth album by Japanese rock band Glay. It was released on March 24, 2004, and peaked at #2 at Oricon charts, with 241,485 copies sold. It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
The is ...
'' (2004)
*''
Love Is Beautiful'' (2007)
*''
Glay
Glay (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese rock band, formed in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan, in 1988. Glay primarily composes songs in the rock and pop genres, but they have also arranged songs using elements from a wide variety of genres, includi ...
'' (2010)
*''
Justice
Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
''/''
Guilty
Guilty or The Guilty may refer to:
* Guilt (emotion), an experience that occurs when a person believes they have violated a moral standard
Law
*Culpability, the degree to which an agent can be held responsible for action or inaction
*Guilt (law) ...
'' (2013)
*''
Music Life
''Music Life'' is the thirteenth studio album by Japanese pop rock band Glay, released on November 5, 2014. It reached #2 at the Oricon weekly charts, #5 at their monthly chart for November, and #58 at their 2014 Year-End Chart, besides reaching ...
'' (2014)
*''
Summerdelics
''Summerdelics'' is the fourteenth studio album by Japanese pop rock band Glay, released on July 12, 2017. It was released in three versions: the regular edition with the album, a special edition with the album and two live DVDs, and another speci ...
'' (2017)
*''
No Democracy
''No Democracy'' is the fifteenth studio album by Japanese pop rock band Glay, released on 2 October 2019.
The album's details were announced on 17 August 2019 and it references the new Reiwa era of Japan established with the ascension of Naruhito ...
'' (2019)
*''Freedom Only'' (2021)
Awards
*1996
** 29th
All Japan Cable Broadcast Awards "Gold Request Award" - "Beloved"
*1997
** 30th All Japan Cable Broadcast Awards "Grand Prize"
** 30th Japan Cable Broadcast Awards "Grand Prize" - "However"
** 39th Annual
Japan Record Awards
is a major music awards show, held annually in Japan that recognizes outstanding achievements in the Japan Composer's Association. Until 2005, the show aired on New Year's Eve, but has since aired every December 30 on TBS Japan at 6:30 P.M JST a ...
"Grand Prize - Album" - ''Beloved''
** 39th Annual Japan Record Awards " Best Album" - ''Beloved''
** 39th Annual Japan Record Awards "Excellent work prize" - "However"
*1998
** 35th Golden Arrow Awards "Grand Prize"
**
World Music Awards
The World Music Awards is an international award show founded in 1989 under the patronage of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and co-founder/executive producer John Martinotti. The event is based in Monte Carlo. Awards are presented to the world's ...
"Best Selling Japanese Artist"
** 12th Annual
Japan Gold Disc Award
The is an award presented by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Associa ...
"Rock Album of the Year"
** 12th Annual Japan Gold Disc Award "Musical Video of the Year"
** 12th Annual Japan Gold Disc Award "Artist of the Year - Grand Prize"
** 40th Annual Japan Record Awards "Best Album" - ''Pure Soul''
** 40th Annual Japan Record Awards "Excellent work prize" - "Soul Love"
*1999
** 13th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards "Song Of The Year" - "Yuuwaku"
** 13th Annual Japan Gold Disc Award "Song Of The Year" - "Soul Love"
** 13th Annual Japan Gold Disc Award "Song Of The Year" - "Be with You"
** 13th Annual Japan Gold Disc Award "Rock Album Of The Year" - ''Pure Soul''
** Grand Prize winner at the "32nd All Japan Cable Broadcast Awards" - "Winter, Again"
** 32nd Japan Cable Broadcast Awards "Most Requested Artist"
** 41st Annual Japan Record Awards "Best single - Grand Prize" - "Winter, Again"
** 41st Annual Japan Record Awards "Excellent work prize" - "Winter, Again"
*2000
** 14th Annual Japan Gold Disc Award "Song Of The Year" - "Kokodeha nai Dokoka"
** 14th Annual Japan Gold Disc Award "Song Of The Year" - "Winter, Again"
** 14th Annual Japan Gold Disc Award "Rock Album Of The Year" - ''Heavy Gaug''e
*2001
** 15th Annual Japan Gold Disc Award "Song Of The Year" - "Tomadoi/Special Thanks"
** 15th Annual Japan Gold Disc Award "Rock Album Of The Year" - ''Drive -Glay complete Best-''
*2003
** 16th Annual Japan Gold Disc Award "Song Of The Year" - "Way of Difference"
*2005
** Special prize for their career at the "
Space Shower Music Video Awards
Space Shower Music Awards (old name: SPACE SHOWER Music Video Awards, abbr. to SPACE SHOWER MVA) are an annual set of music awards sponsored by Japanese Space Shower TV
is a Japanese music television channel operated by Space Shower Networks, In ...
"
*2006
** 20th Annual Japan Gold Disc Award "Song of the Year" - "Scream" (Glay x Exile)
*2009
** Short Shorts Video Festival and Asia 2009 "Best Music Short" - "Say Your Dream"
See also
*
List of best-selling music artists in Japan
The top music artists in Japan include Japanese artists with claims of 15 million or more record sales or with over 2 million subscribers. Japan is the largest physical music market in the world and the second largest overall behind the United ...
References
External links
*
Loversoul Music and Associates
{{DEFAULTSORT:Glay
Japanese pop rock music groups
Visual kei musical groups
Musical groups established in 1988
Musical groups from Hokkaido
Musical quartets
1988 establishments in Japan
EMI Music Japan artists
World record holders