The 5.6.7.8's are 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 from

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

. They first started performing as a quartet in Tokyo, and recruited guest performers during their Australian tour. They became a trio in 1992, before touring Australia.

Members

The 5.6.7.8's formed when Sachiko and Yoshiko "Ronnie" Fujiyama, two sisters from Tokyo who both shared a passion for rock and roll, founded the band in 1986 with two other members. Originally, the line-up consisted of Yoshiko on

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

and

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

, Rico on second guitar, Yoshie on

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

and Sachiko on drums. After several line-up changes (including the bassist Yoshiko "Yama" Yamaguchi, who was the bassist featured in the ''Kill Bill'' movie), the band eventually became a trio after Rico's and Yoshie's departures. Yoshiko and Sachiko are still the main components in the band, and now Akiko Omo has rejoined the band as the bass guitarist (She originally joined the 5.6.7.8's in the early 1990s). Even though the group mostly sing their songs in

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

, they do many covers of American rock and roll records from the 1950s to the 1980s. However, their official website and most of their fansites and fanclubs are in Japanese, as they have their biggest following in their home country. Yoshiko, who plays a

Teisco Teisco was a Japanese musical instrument manufacturing company from 1948 until 1967, when the brand "Teisco" was acquired by Kawai (河合楽器製作所; Kawai Gakki Seisakusho). The company produced guitars as well as synthesizers, microphones ...

guitar and sports a "Teenage Queen Delinquent" tattoo on her upper right arm, was initially the lead vocalist, but as the band performed more rock and roll songs originally performed by female groups, every member had equal parts in vocals and many songs are performed singing simultaneously.

The 5.6.7.8's in the West

The 5.6.7.8's became known in the

West West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...

after their appearance in ''Kill Bill Vol. 1'', in which they performed "I Walk Like

Jayne Mansfield Jayne Mansfield (born Vera Jayne Palmer; April 19, 1933 – June 29, 1967) was an American actress, singer, nightclub entertainer, and ''Playboy'' Playmate. A sex symbol of the 1950s and early 1960s while under contract at 20th Century Fox, Man ...

", "I'm Blue" (a cover of The Ikettes' song) and " Woo Hoo" in a Tokyo club, "The House Of Blue Leaves". On the Special Bonus Features of the ''

Kill Bill Volume 1 ''Kill Bill: Volume 1'' is a 2003 American martial arts film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Uma Thurman as the Bride, who swears revenge on a team of assassins (Lucy Liu, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, and Vivica A. Fox) an ...

'' DVD, one of the specials featured a live performance which shows the 5.6.7.8's singing "I Walk Like Jayne Mansfield" and "I'm Blue" during filming of the movie. The 5.6.7.8's song "The Barracuda" is featured in '' The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'' soundtrack. According to ''Kill Bill'' director

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensembl ...

, he discovered the music of the 5.6.7.8's after hearing it in an urban clothing store in Tokyo, hours before going to the airport. Tarantino asked if he could purchase the CD from the store, as he had no time to go to a music shop. When the shop assistant on duty refused, the manager was called. When Tarantino offered the manager double the retail price of the CD, he acquired it. They also became renowned for the use of their cover of

The Rock-A-Teens The Rock-A-Teens were a short-lived United States rockabilly group from Richmond, Virginia, active in the late 1950s, led by Vic Mizelle. The Rock-a-Teens were one-hit wonders whose lone hit record was " Woo Hoo", written by George Donald McGr ...

song, "Woo Hoo", in advertisements for Carling lager and

Vonage Vonage (, legal name Vonage Holdings Corp.) is an American cloud communications provider operating as a subsidiary of Ericsson. Headquartered in Holmdel Township, New Jersey, the organization was founded in 1998 as ''Min-X'' as a provider of resi ...

VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), also called IP telephony, is a method and group of technologies for the delivery of voice communications and multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the Internet. The terms Internet t ...

service in the mid-2000s. The song reached No. 28 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in 2004. The follow-up song was "I'm Blue"; it peaked at No. 71 on the same chart two months later. The 5.6.7.8's have also toured many countries including China, Australia, the United States, and their native Japan.

Style and influences

The 5.6.7.8's music draws from multiple genres of American music, including

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...

, surf,

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blu ...

, doo-wop, punk rock and psychobilly. According to Yoshiko "Ronnie" Fujiyama, the band wanted to "deconstruct rock 'n' roll into punk music by using distortion and noise and screaming." The band's influences include

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...

and Sex Pistols. The 5.6.7.8's sound has been classified as garage rock, rock and roll,

garage punk A garage is a covered structure built for the purpose of parking, storing, protecting, maintaining, and/or repairing vehicles. Specific applications include: *Garage (residential), a building or part of a building for storing one or more vehicle ...

, punk rock, rockabilly,

roots rock Roots rock is a genre of rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid subgenres from the later 1960s, including blues rock, country rock, Southern rock, ...

, surf punk and surf rock.

Discography

; Albums * ''Golden Hits of the 5.6.7.8's'' (Tokyo Stiff, 1988) (Hana, 2003) * '' The 5.6.7.8's'' (Timebomb, 1994) * '' Teenage Mojo Workout'' (Timebomb, 2002) * ''Tanukigoten'' (Timebomb, 2014) ;EPs * ''Mondo Girls A-Go-Go'' (1989) * ''I Was a Teenage Cave Woman !!!'' (Tokyo Karate, 1991) * ''

Bomb the Twist ''Bomb the Twist'' is an EP by the Japanese rock band the 5.6.7.8's, released on January 11, 1996. The song " Woo Hoo" was featured in the 2003 film ''Kill Bill Volume 1'', directed by Quentin Tarantino and was subsequently featured in Vonage co ...

'' (

Sympathy for the Record Industry Sympathy for the Record Industry (also known as Sympathy Records or Sympathy 4 the R.I.) is a mainly independent garage rock and punk label formed in 1988 by Long Gone John. The first Sympathy release was the Lazy Cowgirls' ''Radio Cowgirl'' ...

, 1996) * ''

Pin Heel Stomp ''Pin Heel Stomp'' is an EP that was released November 30, 1997 by The 5.6.7.8's. "The Barracuda" is featured in '' The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'' Soundtrack. Track listing # "Pin Heel Stomp" # "Dance in the Avenue A" # "Arkansas Twist ...

'' (Timebomb, 1998) * ''Pretty Little Lily Can Dance No More'' 7" inch/CD EP (Deckrec, 2002) ;Singles * "Ah-So"/"She Was A Mau-Mau" (Giant Claw, 1992) * "I Need A Man"/"Long Tall Sally" (Planet Pimp, 1993) * "I Walk Like Jane Mansfield"/"Cat Fight Run" (

Estrus The estrous cycle (, originally ) is the set of recurring physiological changes that are induced by reproductive hormones in most mammalian therian females. Estrous cycles start after sexual maturity in females and are interrupted by anestrous ...

, 1993) * "Edi Is A Sweet Candy"/"Teenage Head"/"Scream" ( Rockville, 1993) * "The Spell Stroll"/"Roadrunner" (Weed, 1995) * "Bomb The Twist"/"It's Rainy" (

Sympathy For The Record Industry Sympathy for the Record Industry (also known as Sympathy Records or Sympathy 4 the R.I.) is a mainly independent garage rock and punk label formed in 1988 by Long Gone John. The first Sympathy release was the Lazy Cowgirls' ''Radio Cowgirl'' ...

, 1996) * "Continental Hop"/"Jump Jack, Jump" (

Time Bomb A time bomb (or a timebomb, time-bomb) is a bomb whose detonation is triggered by a timer. The use (or attempted use) of time bombs has been for various purposes including insurance fraud, terrorism, assassination, sabotage and warfare. They are ...

, 1997) * "The Barraacyda"/"Tallahassee Lassie" (Time Bomb, 1997) * "Silly Willy"/"Mr. Lee" (Dionysus, 1998) * "Come See Me"/"Mashed Potato"/"Gerupin Rock" (Thunderbaby, 1994) * "I'm Blue"/"(I'm Sorry Mamma) I'm A Wild One" (Sweet Nothings, 2002) * "Rock And Roll Santa"/"Harlem Shuffle" (

Norton Norton may refer to: Places Norton, meaning 'north settlement' in Old English, is a common place name. Places named Norton include: Canada * Rural Municipality of Norton No. 69, Saskatchewan *Norton Parish, New Brunswick **Norton, New Brunswick, a ...

, 2003 * "Woo Hoo"/"Guitar Date" (Sweet Nothings, 2004) * Split 7" single with The Church Keys - "19th Nervous Breakdown" (Norton, 2004) * Sho-Jo-Ji (The Hungry Racoon)"/"Charuema Sobaya (The Soba Song)" (

Third Man Fielding in the sport of cricket is the action of fielders in collecting the ball after it is struck by the striking batter, to limit the number of runs that the striker scores and/or to get a batter out by either catching a hit ball befo ...

, 2011) * Great Balls Of Fire"/"Hanky Panky" (Third Man, 2011) * "Mothra" b/w "Dream Boy" (Time Bomb, 2014) * "I Walk Like Jane Mansfield"/"Battle Without Honor Or Humanity (Kill Bill Theme)" (Time Bomb, 2017) * "The Barracuda"/"Movin'" (Time Bomb, 2017) * ''Steel Rats (Vinyl Special Edition)'' Split 7" single with Arkadiusz Reikowski - "The Hoovering" (Tate Multimedia, 2018) * "Woo-Hoo"/"Dream Boy" (Time Bomb, 2018) * Split 7"single with Bloodshot Bill - "My Little Muck Muck" (Time Bomb, 2019) * "Nutrocker"/"Chopped Onion Boogie" (The 5, 6, 7, 8's; 2019) * "My Little Muck Muck" (Pig Baby) ;Live * ''Live at Third Man Records'' (

, 2011) ;Compilations * '' The 5.6.7.8's Can't Help It!'' ( Au Go Go, Rockville, 1991) * '' Bomb The Rocks: Early Days Singles 1989-1996'' (Timebomb, 2003) * ''Best Hits of the 5.6.7.8's'' (Timebomb, 2019) ;Videos * ''Squid Heaven Complete Edition Video 6'' VHS (Ika-Ten, 1989) - "Motor Cycle Go-G0-Go" * ''Where The Action Is!: Soft, Hell!'' VHS (Jungle Life/LAFF International/Soft, Hell!, 1996) - "Three Cool Cats" * ''The Wild Weekend Video'' VHS/PAL (Exotic Entertainment, 1998) * ''Bottle Up & Go!: Soft, Hell! Video Compilation #2'' VHS (Jungle Life/LLAFF International/Soft, Hell!, 1998) - "Bomb The Twist" * ''Kill Bill Volume 1'' (Blu-ray) (Miramax/Roadshow Entertainment, 2003) - "I Walk Like Jane Mansfield", "I'm Blue" Both played live as a special feature * ''Soft, Hell! Video Compilation Special Edition'' Ltd. 2XVHS (Soft, Hell!) - "Three Cool Cats", "Bomb The Twist" * ''Live At The Garage Rockin' Craze'' split DVD=V with Saturns, The Rizlaz (Radio Underground, 2005) * ''Once Upon A Time 1992-2008'' DVD (Time Bomb, 2013)

References

External links

Official website

Nippop Profile , The 5.6.7.8's

* {{DEFAULTSORT:5678s, The Japanese garage rock groups Japanese musical trios Japanese punk rock groups Rockabilly music groups Surf music groups Musical groups established in 1986 1986 establishments in Japan Musical groups from Tokyo Third Man Records artists Garage punk groups Norton Records artists Sympathy for the Record Industry artists Au Go Go Records artists All-female punk bands