"Speed" (スピード) is the fourth single released by the 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

Buck Tick Buck-Tick (stylized as BUCK-TICK) is a Japanese 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 Higuchi and dr ...

. It was released as the first single from the group's sixth studio album, ''

Kurutta Taiyou is the sixth studio album by the Japanese Rock music, rock band Buck-Tick. It was released on Compact Cassette, cassette and Compact Disc, CD on February 21, 1991, through Victor Entertainment. The album was digitally remastered and re-released on ...

'', on January 21, 1991, through

Victor Entertainment , also known as in Japan, is a subsidiary of JVCKenwood that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It is known as JVC Entertainment in countries where Sony Music Ent ...

. The single was released as an 8 cm CD in a cassette-like sleeve case that featured a re-worked version of the cover to ''Kurutta Taiyou''. "Speed" peaked at number 3 on the

Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in Nov ...

music chart during the third week of 1991. The single has sold over 170,000 copies worldwide.

Background, recording and release

The song was written by vocalist

Atsushi Sakurai is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter. He has been the vocalist of the rock band Buck-Tick since 1985, previously being their drummer from 1983. He released the solo album '' Ai no Wakusei'' in 2004 and was also a member of Schwein alongsi ...

and lead guitarist

Hisashi Imai is a Japanese musician and songwriter. He is known as lead guitarist of the rock band Buck-Tick since 1983. He has also performed in musical side-projects such as Schaft (1991–1994, 2015), Schwein (2001), and more recently Lucy (2004). Car ...

in 1990 shortly after the release of Buck-Tick's fifth studio album ''

Aku no Hana is the fifth studio album by the Japanese Rock music, rock band Buck-Tick. It was released on cassette and CD on February 1, 1990, through Victor Entertainment. It peaked at number one on the Oricon charts and is the group's best-selling album ...

'' for their then-upcoming sixth studio album ''

''. Initially, the song was titled "Acid"; however, the title was changed to "Speed" as the band deemed that titling "Acid" was "too risky", as Imai had been arrested for

LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), also known colloquially as acid, is a potent psychedelic drug. Effects typically include intensified thoughts, emotions, and sensory perception. At sufficiently high dosages LSD manifests primarily mental, vi ...

possession after a concert during the group's tour for their fourth studio album ''

Taboo A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

'' in May 1989. "Speed", along with the single's b-side "Narcissus", was recorded on October 18, 1990, at Victor Studio 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 ...

during the recording sessions for ''Kurutta Taiyou''. The song was released as the first single from the album on January 21, 1991, followed by its release as the first track on ''Kurutta Taiyou'' on February 20, 1991. In the liner notes to ''Kurutta Taiyou'', the line "ii ashido" (good acid) was censored by the group's record label,

. Sakurai has made references to this by whispering words for various drugs or not singing the line during live performances.

Live performances

Since its release, "Speed" has become a fan favorite and a live concert staple, being performed at most of the group's concerts since 1990. Though it has been performed less in recent years since 2010. During most live performances of the song, Sakurai will change the line "ii ashido" (good acid) and whisper the word "jouzai" (pill) as a reference to the line being censored in the album's original liner notes. Though during a live performance on the TV show Music Station in 1991, Sakurai held the microphone down to the audience during this part and mouthed "kokain" (

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...

) to the camera.

Cover versions

"Speed" has been covered by a number of other Japanese artists. It was covered by MCU from the pop/ hip hop group

Kick the Can Crew Kick the Can Crew is a mainstream hip hop group from Tokyo, Japan, consisting of members Kreva, MCU, and Little. Formed in 1996, the group enjoyed popularity for their top singles "Good Music" and "Sayonara Sayonara". Warner/east west release ...

for the Buck-Tick tribute album ''

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 ...

'' in 2005, as well as the

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 ...

rock band

9Goats Black Out 9Goats Black Out (stylized as 9GOATS BLACK OUT) was a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in 2007. The band was signed with the independent label Dalli. History The band was formed in 2007. After the breakup of the band Gullet in 2004, Ryo focu ...

on the compilation album ''Crush!: 90s V-Rock Best Hit Cover Songs'' in 2011.

Track listing

Personnel

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...

Hidehiko Hoshino , nicknamed "Hide", is a Japanese musician and songwriter. He is known as the rhythm guitarist for the rock band Buck-Tick since 1983. Life and career Buck-Tick In 1985, when Hide and Yutaka Higuchi graduated from high school they moved to Toky ...

rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar ...

* Yutaka Higuchi -

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

Toll Yagami , known exclusively by his stage name , is a Japanese musician, best known as the drummer of the rock band Buck-Tick since 1985. He is the older brother of Yutaka Higuchi, Buck-Tick's bassist. Life and career Toll Yagami dropped out of high s ...

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

References

External links

* {{Buck-Tick Buck-Tick songs 1991 singles 1991 songs Victor Entertainment singles Songs with music by Hisashi Imai Songs with lyrics by Atsushi Sakurai