Yosui Inoue
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese singer, lyricist
, composer, guitarist and record producer, who is an important figure in Japanese music. He is renowned for his unique tone, eccentric lyrics, and dark sunglasses which he always wears.
Under the stage name Andre Candre, Inoue made debut in 1969 and released a single "Candre Mandre" by CBS Sony Records. After changed stage name and signed to Polydor, he recorded the first studio album Danzetsu
in 1971. Inoue gained recognition as a folk-rock singer-songwriter through his 1973 Kōri no Sekai
album, which became the first long-playing record that has retailed more than a million copies in Japan alone.
Inoue has released 22 solo studio albums, and also produced 2 albums with Tamio Okuda
. He has been one of the most commercially successful Japanese male solo recording artists of the last 40 years, selling in excess of 10.9 million copies on the country's Oricon
albums chart up to May 2009 and has had seven number-one albums; Kori no Sekai
, Nishoku no Koma
, Good Pages
, Shoutaijou no Nai Show
, 9.5 Carats
, Under the Sun
, and the compilation Golden Best
which was released in 1999 and has shipped over 2 million units.
, Tagawa
with his family, and spent his childhood there until he decided to become a musician.
The existence of The Beatles inflated Inoue's interest in music at a young age. Around 1966, Inoue is said to have written his first song. This song has never been recorded, but Inoue has performed the song occasionally during his concerts.
He anticipated that "Candre Mandre" would gain the success, but it couldn't receive any reactions. Andore Kandore released three singles, but following materials "Beautiful Wonderful Birds" and "Hana ni sae, Tori ni sae (Let Our Hearts Be)" (a song composed by Takeshi Matsuyama and Kazuhiko Kato) also failed commercially.
Though results of his most early project was not outstanding, close relationship with some musicians who worked with him at that time continued for years. Particularly, Hitoshi Komuro supported Inoue till he became a star. Then-unknown Kiyoshiro Imawano
, a frontman of RC Succession
, wrote several songs including "Kaerenai Futari" and "Machibouke" with Inoue.
(who were still not debuted as a singer-songwriter) on guitar. He changed stage name to "Yosui Inoue", and debuted again under the Polydor in the
following year. His first single was "Jinsei ga Nido Areba", a song later included on the Danzetsu album. It features his emotional vocals like sobbing. Other his later materials also features similar extremely melancholic rendition.
"Yume no Naka e", a song somewhat more accessible than his previous effort, was released as a single in March 1973 and became the first hit for Inoue, entering top-20 on the Japanese Oricon charts. The song was later covered by a pop idol Yuki Saito and became a huge hit, peaking at #2 on the singles chart in 1989. To promote Inoue popularity, Polydor asked him to record a new album as soon as possible. Thereupon he recorded concerts held at Shinjuku Kosei Nenkin Kaikan
on April 14, 1973. It was issued as the live album Modorimichi in that year's July. During the mid 1970s, the album was successful owing to the hit of its follow-ups. It has still been one of the best-selling live recording albums on the Japanese albums chart, selling over 800,000 copies at least.
Kōri no Sekai
, the third studio album recorded by Inoue and released in December 1973 led him to the stardom. It received unprecedented commercial success in the history of Japanese music industry at the time. Kōri no Sekai topped Oricon
album chart for 35 weeks (longest ever), and remained the Top 10 for 113 weeks. The album retailed in excess of a million copies in 1975, becoming the first million-selling album of Japan.
Nishoku no Koma
, a follow-up to Kōri no Sekai released in 1974, also topped the chart, and retained its position for ten consecutive weeks. The album features harder arrangements than his early folk-oriented albums, enlisting the studio musicians including David T. Walker
, Jesse Ed Davis
, Ray Parker Jr.
, Harvey Mason
, and Jack Nitzsche
.
Inoue reached the pinnacle of his popularity as a musician in the mid 1970s. The breakthrough providing him with the nickname "Emperor of Japanese Folk-rock", and introduced his more early efforts to listeners (the songs including "Jinsei ga Nido Areba", "Ai wa Kimi", "Kasa ga Nai", "Tsumetai Heya no Sekai Chizu", "Yoru no Bus", "Natsu Matsuri", "Kannazuki ni Kakomarete", "Kami Hikouki", "Nokonoshima no Kataomoi" became popular particularly).
, and Inoue and Shigeru Izumiya
joined as the co-founders. It was the first example that Japanese musicians came to control a record label. Inoue has released all their albums and singles through For Life for over 30 years, although the label has changed its distributing companies several times.
Inoue contributed three songs for Seri Ishikawa (a singer married to him in 1978) on her 1977 Kimagure album. One of them, "Dance wa Umaku Odorenai" was later covered by an actress Mio Takaki and became a hit.
The U.S. studio musicians who took part in the recording of Inoue's albums tempted him to take the drugs which were rigidly prohibited in his home country. In late July 1977, he purchased marijuana tobacco called Buddha Sticks. And he was arrested in September for possession of them, followed by other sixty Japanese celebrities because of similar suspicions. Inoue made comeback as a musician in late the same year and released the album called White in 1978, but his popularity was lost hugely owing to his law breaking.
His 1980 album entitled Every Night is the effort that Katz Hoshi (an arranger who had worked on Inoue's works since Danzetsu album) did not participate in the recording for the first time. Production of his recording was radically changing at that time, featuring alternative arrangers including Masayoshi Takanaka (who participated in Inoue's 1979 Sneaker Dancer
album) and Yuji Kawashima (also known by pseudonym "Banana", who has worked with Inoue since Ayashii Yoru wo Matte album released in 1981 and been one of the significant collaborators for him). Except for a hit single "Jealousy", most of Inoue's efforts after his comeback were not as successful as his previous works, but some materials like "Nazeka Shanghai", "Umi e Kinasai", "Tomadou Perican" and "Canary" are regarded as his notable songs throughout his career. In addition, "Riverside Hotel" was widely recognized and becoming a hit in later years.
In 1982, Hokkaido-based Inoue's then-backing band called Anzen Chitai
made debut, and he contributed lyrics for their materials composed by a group's frontman Koji Tamaki
. One of them, "Wine Red no Kokoro" was released as a single in 1983 and led the group to fame. It reached the number-one on the chart in a following year and became a massive hit, selling more than a 600,000 copies. The song won the 26th Japan Record Award for "Gold Prize", and has been well known as a signature song for the group. Inoue also wrote the lyrics for some of the group's subsequent releases, including a song "Koi no Yokan" that became the second top-ten hit for the band. Also in 1984, Inoue contributed another number-one hit "Kazari ja nai no yo Namida wa" for a pop idol
Akina Nakamori
. In addition, Inoue himself scored the top-ten hit "Isso Serenade" in a same year, four his compositions dominated the Japanese singles chart at the same week in December 1984.
His subsequent studio album called 9.5 Carats
is a blockbuster that features "Isso Serenade" and his own renditions of above mentioned hit singles. The album mainly consists of his compositions (some of them were co-written by other composers or lyricists such as Tamaki, Yumi Matsutoya
, and Takashi Matsumoto) that he already contributed for other performers including Kenji Sawada
, Yutaka Mizutani
and Inoue's spouse Seri Ishikawa. It topped the Oricon chart and became one of the most commercially successful LP in Japan during 1985. He carried out the concert with Anzen Chitai again, and also released a single "Natsu no Owari no Harmony" (written and sung by Inoue and Tamaki) together. Their concert held at Jingu Stadium
was aired on TV, and later its live recordings were released as the album and the video.
film adaptation
of a manga Childhood Days (written by Fujiko Fujio (A)
, based on the novel Nagai Michi by Hyouzou Kashiwabara). It was released as a single in 1990, and also appeared on his Handsome Boy album came out in same year. Because of television advertising for Sony
Handycam which featured the song, "Shounen Jidai" became well-known and a huge hit around the early 1990s. As a result, it has been one of his most famous songs throughout his longtime career.
Another smash hit was "Make-up Shadow" featured on the television drama Subarashikikana Jinsei. It was peaking at the number-two on the chart, and the song's co-writer/arranger Jun Sato received the honor of winning the 35th Japan Record Awards for "Best Arrangements" category which were given for the magnificently arranged songs. Under the Sun, his 1993 album which features "Make-up Shadow", is the last chart-topping non-compilation for Inoue as of 2009.
Tamio Okuda
, a member of the band Unicorn who suspended the group's work and began his solo career in 1994, became a collaborator for Inoue during the mid 1990s. Reportedly, sending a letter from Inoue (who was impressed by the Unicorn's song "Yuki no Furu Machi" written by Okuda) to Okuda became a trigger for them to form a songwriting team. At first, they contributed a song "Tsuki Hitoshizuku" for a pop idol/actress Kyoko Koizumi
(who also wrote part of the lyrics with them). "Asia no Junshin
", a debut single for Puffy
(the duo that Okuda produced), is the most successful song that they wrote together. It was released on CD in March 1996 and sold more than a million copies, peaking at the number-three on the Japanese chart. Along with "Nagisa ni Matsuwaru Et Cetera
", another massive hit they wrote for Puffy in 1997, it has been Inoue's live favorites in recent 10 years. Inoue and Okuda formed the group called "InoueYosuiOkudaTamio" in 1997. After their duet "Arigato" became a smash hit, they released an album entitled Shopping. It comprises 12 songs Inoue and Okuda recorded together, including "Arigato" and their own adaptation of "Asia No Junshin" and "Tsuki Hitoshizuku".
In 1999, for cerebrating 30th year anniversary of Inoue's career as a recording artist, double compilation album entitled Golden Best was released. It debuted at the number-one on the Oricon and remained the chart for a year, with the sales of over a million copies. After a year from the album's release, a sequel entitled Golden Bad came out. And in 2003, when the album shipped more than 2 million units, an expanded edition called Golden Best Super was released.
(The former was remake of Venezuelan song "Moliendo Café" originally composed in 1958). Likewise, a follow-up studio album United Cover is mainly composed of cover versions of the songs that were popular in Japan during the postwar Showa period. United Cover debuted at #2 on the Japanese Oricon chart and sold more than 500,000 copies up to 2002, and has been certified triple platinum by RIAJ for shipments of over 800,000 copies to date. It has been one of the most commercially successful cover albums by Japanese artists in the 2000s, along with Fukuyama Engineering by Masaharu Fukuyama and Vocalist series by Hideaki Tokunaga.
During the compilation and cover album became a hit, Inoue embarked the concert tour, and live performance was later released on DVD entitled United Tour.
He has continued concert touring repeatedly after 2004. His latest album as a solo artist is Love Complex, released in 2006. Also in 2006, he re-started the project with Tamio Okuda. They worked together mainly during the following year, releasing the album Double Drive and carrying out the tour (their performance was later compiled on DVD entitled Double Shopping Drive).
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
, composer, guitarist and record producer, who is an important figure in Japanese music. He is renowned for his unique tone, eccentric lyrics, and dark sunglasses which he always wears.
Under the stage name Andre Candre, Inoue made debut in 1969 and released a single "Candre Mandre" by CBS Sony Records. After changed stage name and signed to Polydor, he recorded the first studio album Danzetsu
Danzetsu
is the debut album by Japanese singer-songwriter Yōsui Inoue, released in May 1972.Backing tracks of the album were mainly played by the instrumentalists of The Mops, and they were arranged by the group's guitarist Katz Hoshi...
in 1971. Inoue gained recognition as a folk-rock singer-songwriter through his 1973 Kōri no Sekai
Kōri no Sekai
is the third studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Yōsui Inoue, released in December 1973.-Overview and song information:Kōri no Sekai was recorded after a single "Yume No Naka e" became a smash hit...
album, which became the first long-playing record that has retailed more than a million copies in Japan alone.
Inoue has released 22 solo studio albums, and also produced 2 albums with Tamio Okuda
Tamio Okuda
is a singer, songwriter, and producer. He started his career in 1986 as a member of the band Unicorn. After Unicorn broke up, Okuda moved on to a solo career in 1994 with the single "Ai no Tame ni." He has written and composed many songs for various artists, particularly Puffy...
. He has been one of the most commercially successful Japanese male solo recording artists of the last 40 years, selling in excess of 10.9 million copies on the country's Oricon
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. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
albums chart up to May 2009 and has had seven number-one albums; Kori no Sekai
Kōri no Sekai
is the third studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Yōsui Inoue, released in December 1973.-Overview and song information:Kōri no Sekai was recorded after a single "Yume No Naka e" became a smash hit...
, Nishoku no Koma
Nishoku no Koma
is the fourth studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Yosui Inoue, released in October 1974.All tracks which appeared on the album were recorded at the studios in L.A., owing to a record producer Hidenori Taga's suggestion. Except an arranger Katz Hoshi and a guitarist Hiromi Yasuda, recording...
, Good Pages
Good Pages
Good Pages is the series of retrospective album by a Japanese singer-songwriter Yōsui Inoue.The primary edition of Good Pages mainly comprises the songs appeared on two studio albums Danzetsu and its follow-up Yosui Two: Sentimental, which came out before he made breakthrough with his 1973 effort...
, Shoutaijou no Nai Show
Shoutaijou no Nai Show
is the fifth studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Yosui Inoue, issued in March 1976. It was the first long-play record he released under the For Life Records, a record label that he joined as one of the co-founders and started in 1975.-Side one:...
, 9.5 Carats
9.5 Carats
-Personnel:The following session musicians were credited in the liner notes for box-set No Selection, released in 1991.*Yosui Inoue – vocals*Yutaka Uehara – drums*Takayuki Hijikata – guitar*Ken Yajima – guitar...
, Under the Sun
Under the Sun (Yosui Inoue album)
Under the Sun is the 16th studio album by a Japanese singer-songwriter Yōsui Inoue, released in September 1993.Two songs "Gogatsu no Wakare" and "Make-Up Shadow" were released as a single prior to the album, and the latter became a massive hit....
, and the compilation Golden Best
Golden Best (Yōsui Inoue album)
Golden Best is the double-CD compilation album by a Japanese singer-songwriter Yōsui Inoue. The album was released in July 1999, celebrating his 30-year career as a solo recording artist...
which was released in 1999 and has shipped over 2 million units.
Early life
On August 30, 1948, Akimi Inoue was born in Koubukuro, Kaho, Fukuoka, Japan. His father, Wakami Inoue, was a dentist who had formerly worked as a surgeon for the Japanese army during World War II, and wanted his sole son to take over the business of his clinic. When Akimi was six years old, he moved to ItodaItoda, Fukuoka
is a town located in Tagawa District, Fukuoka, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 10,248 and a density of 1,274.63 persons per km². The total area is 8.04 km².-External links:*...
, Tagawa
Tagawa District, Fukuoka
is a district located in Fukuoka, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 90,569 and a density of 292.98 persons per km². The total area is 309.13 km².-Towns and villages:*Aka*Fukuchi*Itoda*Kawara*Kawasaki*Ōtō*Soeda...
with his family, and spent his childhood there until he decided to become a musician.
The existence of The Beatles inflated Inoue's interest in music at a young age. Around 1966, Inoue is said to have written his first song. This song has never been recorded, but Inoue has performed the song occasionally during his concerts.
Early career; "Andre Candre"
In 1969, he recorded the song "Candre Mandre" at his house, in order to be played on the radio program Smash!! 11 which was aired on RKB Mainichi Broadcasting. It received a lot of requests from listeners of the program, but in fact, most of them was from Inoue's friends. However, pretense favorable reaction gave him opportunity to make debut. He moved to Tokyo and recorded "Candre Mandre" at the studio, with the arranger Hitoshi Komuro and his band Rokumonsen. Newly recorded version of the song was released as a single by CBS Sony label in September 1969, under the distinctive stage name "Andre Candre". Reportedly, the artist name was initially credited to "Mandre", but altered after it was refused by a director of Smash!! 11.He anticipated that "Candre Mandre" would gain the success, but it couldn't receive any reactions. Andore Kandore released three singles, but following materials "Beautiful Wonderful Birds" and "Hana ni sae, Tori ni sae (Let Our Hearts Be)" (a song composed by Takeshi Matsuyama and Kazuhiko Kato) also failed commercially.
Though results of his most early project was not outstanding, close relationship with some musicians who worked with him at that time continued for years. Particularly, Hitoshi Komuro supported Inoue till he became a star. Then-unknown Kiyoshiro Imawano
Kiyoshiro Imawano
, born , was a Japanese rock musician, lyricist, composer, musical producer, and actor from Tokyo, Japan. He was dubbed "Japan's King of Rock". He formed and led an influential rock band RC Succession....
, a frontman of RC Succession
RC Succession
RC Succession was an influential Japanese rock band fronted by singer-songwriter Kiyoshiro Imawano.- History :In 1966, Kiyoshiro formed a band named the Clover with Kenchi Haren. This band broke up the following year, however, the remaining members added some new members and called it the...
, wrote several songs including "Kaerenai Futari" and "Machibouke" with Inoue.
1971–1975; Polydor years
In 1971, Inoue contracted with the Polydor Records with the support of the company's director Hidenori Taga, and launched the recording of his first studio album entitled Danzetsu. The album features Takao KisugiTakao Kisugi
, born November 16, 1950 in Tokyo, Japan, is a Japanese singer and composer.After the working with Yosui Inoue's band, Kisugi debuted as a singer-songwriter with single "Asai Yume", released in 1976. He became known by domestic hit in Japan, "My Luxury Night" performed by Hatsumi Shibata, Mainly in...
(who were still not debuted as a singer-songwriter) on guitar. He changed stage name to "Yosui Inoue", and debuted again under the Polydor in the
following year. His first single was "Jinsei ga Nido Areba", a song later included on the Danzetsu album. It features his emotional vocals like sobbing. Other his later materials also features similar extremely melancholic rendition.
"Yume no Naka e", a song somewhat more accessible than his previous effort, was released as a single in March 1973 and became the first hit for Inoue, entering top-20 on the Japanese Oricon charts. The song was later covered by a pop idol Yuki Saito and became a huge hit, peaking at #2 on the singles chart in 1989. To promote Inoue popularity, Polydor asked him to record a new album as soon as possible. Thereupon he recorded concerts held at Shinjuku Kosei Nenkin Kaikan
Tokyo Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan
, also known as Wel City Tokyo, was a concert hall in Shinjuku, Tokyo.Opened in April 1961, the hall closed on March 31, 2010. Kitaro was one of the artists that performed here....
on April 14, 1973. It was issued as the live album Modorimichi in that year's July. During the mid 1970s, the album was successful owing to the hit of its follow-ups. It has still been one of the best-selling live recording albums on the Japanese albums chart, selling over 800,000 copies at least.
Kōri no Sekai
Kōri no Sekai
is the third studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Yōsui Inoue, released in December 1973.-Overview and song information:Kōri no Sekai was recorded after a single "Yume No Naka e" became a smash hit...
, the third studio album recorded by Inoue and released in December 1973 led him to the stardom. It received unprecedented commercial success in the history of Japanese music industry at the time. Kōri no Sekai topped Oricon
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. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
album chart for 35 weeks (longest ever), and remained the Top 10 for 113 weeks. The album retailed in excess of a million copies in 1975, becoming the first million-selling album of Japan.
Nishoku no Koma
Nishoku no Koma
is the fourth studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Yosui Inoue, released in October 1974.All tracks which appeared on the album were recorded at the studios in L.A., owing to a record producer Hidenori Taga's suggestion. Except an arranger Katz Hoshi and a guitarist Hiromi Yasuda, recording...
, a follow-up to Kōri no Sekai released in 1974, also topped the chart, and retained its position for ten consecutive weeks. The album features harder arrangements than his early folk-oriented albums, enlisting the studio musicians including David T. Walker
David T. Walker
David T. Walker is an American guitarist born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to numerous session musician duties since the early 1970s, Walker has issued over twelve albums in his own name.-Career:...
, Jesse Ed Davis
Jesse Ed Davis
Jesse Edwin Davis was an American guitarist. He was well regarded as a session artist. His death in 1988 is attributed to a drug overdose.-Biography:...
, Ray Parker Jr.
Ray Parker Jr.
Ray Erskine Parker, Jr. , is an American guitarist, songwriter, producer and recording artist. Parker is known for writing and performing the theme song to the motion picture Ghostbusters, for his solo hits, and performing with his band Raydio as well as the late Barry White.-Early life and...
, Harvey Mason
Harvey Mason
Harvey William Mason is an American jazz drummer. He has worked with many jazz and fusion artists such as Bob James, The Brecker Brothers, Lee Ritenour, Herbie Hancock's Headhunters and almost all the Mizell Brothers productions with Donald Byrd, Johnny Hammond, Bobbi Humphrey and Gary Bartz...
, and Jack Nitzsche
Jack Nitzsche
Bernard Alfred "Jack" Nitzsche was an arranger, producer, songwriter, and film score composer. He first came to prominence in the late 1950s as the right-hand-man of producer Phil Spector, and went on to work with the Rolling Stones, Neil Young and others...
.
Inoue reached the pinnacle of his popularity as a musician in the mid 1970s. The breakthrough providing him with the nickname "Emperor of Japanese Folk-rock", and introduced his more early efforts to listeners (the songs including "Jinsei ga Nido Areba", "Ai wa Kimi", "Kasa ga Nai", "Tsumetai Heya no Sekai Chizu", "Yoru no Bus", "Natsu Matsuri", "Kannazuki ni Kakomarete", "Kami Hikouki", "Nokonoshima no Kataomoi" became popular particularly).
1975–1990
His fifth studio album Shoutaijou no Nai Show was released in 1976, under the newly founded label For Life which was distributed by Canyon Records. Project of forming a record label was initiated by Hitoshi Komuro and Takuro YoshidaTakuro Yoshida
is a Japanese male singer-songwriter. He was born on April 5, 1946 in Okuchi, Kagoshima and raised in Hiroshima. He made his debut with the single "Imeji no Uta / Maku II" on June 1, 1970...
, and Inoue and Shigeru Izumiya
Shigeru Izumiya
Shigeru Izumiya is a Japanese poet, folk singer, actor, tarento. He established record company "For Life Records" with Takuro Yoshida, Yosui Inoue, Hitoshi Komuro in 1975...
joined as the co-founders. It was the first example that Japanese musicians came to control a record label. Inoue has released all their albums and singles through For Life for over 30 years, although the label has changed its distributing companies several times.
Inoue contributed three songs for Seri Ishikawa (a singer married to him in 1978) on her 1977 Kimagure album. One of them, "Dance wa Umaku Odorenai" was later covered by an actress Mio Takaki and became a hit.
The U.S. studio musicians who took part in the recording of Inoue's albums tempted him to take the drugs which were rigidly prohibited in his home country. In late July 1977, he purchased marijuana tobacco called Buddha Sticks. And he was arrested in September for possession of them, followed by other sixty Japanese celebrities because of similar suspicions. Inoue made comeback as a musician in late the same year and released the album called White in 1978, but his popularity was lost hugely owing to his law breaking.
His 1980 album entitled Every Night is the effort that Katz Hoshi (an arranger who had worked on Inoue's works since Danzetsu album) did not participate in the recording for the first time. Production of his recording was radically changing at that time, featuring alternative arrangers including Masayoshi Takanaka (who participated in Inoue's 1979 Sneaker Dancer
Sneaker Dancer
is the seventh studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Yosui Inoue, released in September 1979.-Side one:All songs arranged by Masayoshi Takanaka #"" #"Mellow Touch"...
album) and Yuji Kawashima (also known by pseudonym "Banana", who has worked with Inoue since Ayashii Yoru wo Matte album released in 1981 and been one of the significant collaborators for him). Except for a hit single "Jealousy", most of Inoue's efforts after his comeback were not as successful as his previous works, but some materials like "Nazeka Shanghai", "Umi e Kinasai", "Tomadou Perican" and "Canary" are regarded as his notable songs throughout his career. In addition, "Riverside Hotel" was widely recognized and becoming a hit in later years.
In 1982, Hokkaido-based Inoue's then-backing band called Anzen Chitai
Anzen Chitai
is a Japanese rock band, formed in 1973 by five musicians in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan. It debuted in 1982 in Tokyo, Japan. They became one of Japan's most successful rock bands in the 1980s....
made debut, and he contributed lyrics for their materials composed by a group's frontman Koji Tamaki
Koji Tamaki
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, and actor. He has been well known as a frontman of the band Anzen Chitai that debuted in 1982 and enjoyed their successful career particularly during the 1980s....
. One of them, "Wine Red no Kokoro" was released as a single in 1983 and led the group to fame. It reached the number-one on the chart in a following year and became a massive hit, selling more than a 600,000 copies. The song won the 26th Japan Record Award for "Gold Prize", and has been well known as a signature song for the group. Inoue also wrote the lyrics for some of the group's subsequent releases, including a song "Koi no Yokan" that became the second top-ten hit for the band. Also in 1984, Inoue contributed another number-one hit "Kazari ja nai no yo Namida wa" for a pop idol
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
Akina Nakamori
Akina Nakamori
is a Japanese pop singer and actress. She was one of the most popular singers of the 1980s in Japan. She is known for her deep, power-house voice....
. In addition, Inoue himself scored the top-ten hit "Isso Serenade" in a same year, four his compositions dominated the Japanese singles chart at the same week in December 1984.
His subsequent studio album called 9.5 Carats
9.5 Carats
-Personnel:The following session musicians were credited in the liner notes for box-set No Selection, released in 1991.*Yosui Inoue – vocals*Yutaka Uehara – drums*Takayuki Hijikata – guitar*Ken Yajima – guitar...
is a blockbuster that features "Isso Serenade" and his own renditions of above mentioned hit singles. The album mainly consists of his compositions (some of them were co-written by other composers or lyricists such as Tamaki, Yumi Matsutoya
Yumi Matsutoya
', nicknamed , is an influential Japanese singer, composer, lyricist and pianist. She is renowned for her idiosyncratic voice, and live performances, and is an important figure in Japanese popular music....
, and Takashi Matsumoto) that he already contributed for other performers including Kenji Sawada
Kenji Sawada
, nicknamed "Julie" , also-known as vocalist for the Japanese rock band The Tigers, is a Japanese singer, composer, lyricist and actor. He was born in Tsunoi, Iwami , Tottori Prefecture, Japan, and raised in Sakyo-ku, Kyoto at age 3...
, Yutaka Mizutani
Yutaka Mizutani
is a Japanese actor and singer. He was born on July 14, 1952 in Ashibetsu City, Hokkaidō, Japan.-Biography:Mizutani was raised from the age of eight in Tokyo, Japan. He started acting at the age of twelve, when a neighbor introduced him to a children's acting school in the area...
and Inoue's spouse Seri Ishikawa. It topped the Oricon chart and became one of the most commercially successful LP in Japan during 1985. He carried out the concert with Anzen Chitai again, and also released a single "Natsu no Owari no Harmony" (written and sung by Inoue and Tamaki) together. Their concert held at Jingu Stadium
Meiji Jingu Stadium
is a baseball stadium in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. It opened in 1926 and holds 37,933 spectators. Property of the Meiji Shrine, it is the home field of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows professional baseball team...
was aired on TV, and later its live recordings were released as the album and the video.
1990s
During the 1990s, Inoue produced two top-3 charting singles on the Japanese chart. "Shounen Jidai" (Boyhood), a song he wrote with Natsumi Hirai was initially featured on the same-titledChildhood Days
is a 1990 Japanese film directed by Masahiro Shinoda. It was chosen as Best Film at the Japan Academy Prize ceremony.-Synopsis:A story of childhood life during wartime Japan. Takeshi, the intelligent son of a fisherman, is the schoolyard bully. When his cousin comes to stay with his family to avoid...
film adaptation
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
of a manga Childhood Days (written by Fujiko Fujio (A)
Fujiko Fujio
was a nom de plume of a manga writing duo formed by two Japanese manga artists. Their real names are and . They formed their partnership in 1951, and used the Fujiko Fujio name from 1954 until dissolution of the partnership in 1987....
, based on the novel Nagai Michi by Hyouzou Kashiwabara). It was released as a single in 1990, and also appeared on his Handsome Boy album came out in same year. Because of television advertising for Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
Handycam which featured the song, "Shounen Jidai" became well-known and a huge hit around the early 1990s. As a result, it has been one of his most famous songs throughout his longtime career.
Another smash hit was "Make-up Shadow" featured on the television drama Subarashikikana Jinsei. It was peaking at the number-two on the chart, and the song's co-writer/arranger Jun Sato received the honor of winning the 35th Japan Record Awards for "Best Arrangements" category which were given for the magnificently arranged songs. Under the Sun, his 1993 album which features "Make-up Shadow", is the last chart-topping non-compilation for Inoue as of 2009.
Tamio Okuda
Tamio Okuda
is a singer, songwriter, and producer. He started his career in 1986 as a member of the band Unicorn. After Unicorn broke up, Okuda moved on to a solo career in 1994 with the single "Ai no Tame ni." He has written and composed many songs for various artists, particularly Puffy...
, a member of the band Unicorn who suspended the group's work and began his solo career in 1994, became a collaborator for Inoue during the mid 1990s. Reportedly, sending a letter from Inoue (who was impressed by the Unicorn's song "Yuki no Furu Machi" written by Okuda) to Okuda became a trigger for them to form a songwriting team. At first, they contributed a song "Tsuki Hitoshizuku" for a pop idol/actress Kyoko Koizumi
Kyoko Koizumi
' is a Japanese singer and actress. Her music is released through Victor Entertainment . She is also known by the nickname Kyon Kyon. She 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...
(who also wrote part of the lyrics with them). "Asia no Junshin
Asia no junshin
"Asia no Junshin" is the song recorded by the Japanese pop rock duo Puffy, released in May 1996 as their debut single. It was produced and composed by Tamio Okuda, with lyrics written by Yōsui Inoue.-Cover versions:...
", a debut single for Puffy
Puffy AmiYumi
or Puffy AmiYumi is a Japanese rock duo that is currently signed with Sony Music Japan. The group continues to go by the moniker of PUFFY in Japan, but in order to avoid legal naming conflicts with Sean Combs, it has adopted the name Puffy AmiYumi outside of Japan...
(the duo that Okuda produced), is the most successful song that they wrote together. It was released on CD in March 1996 and sold more than a million copies, peaking at the number-three on the Japanese chart. Along with "Nagisa ni Matsuwaru Et Cetera
Nagisa ni matsuwaru etc.
"Nagisa ni Matsuwaru Et Cetera" is the 4th single released by Japanese pop duo Puffy AmiYumi on April 4, 1997. In the first episode of the Japanese drama "Love Generation", Matsu Takako and Kimura Takuya sing karaoke to this song while doing the punching moves from the music video. The song is...
", another massive hit they wrote for Puffy in 1997, it has been Inoue's live favorites in recent 10 years. Inoue and Okuda formed the group called "InoueYosuiOkudaTamio" in 1997. After their duet "Arigato" became a smash hit, they released an album entitled Shopping. It comprises 12 songs Inoue and Okuda recorded together, including "Arigato" and their own adaptation of "Asia No Junshin" and "Tsuki Hitoshizuku".
In 1999, for cerebrating 30th year anniversary of Inoue's career as a recording artist, double compilation album entitled Golden Best was released. It debuted at the number-one on the Oricon and remained the chart for a year, with the sales of over a million copies. After a year from the album's release, a sequel entitled Golden Bad came out. And in 2003, when the album shipped more than 2 million units, an expanded edition called Golden Best Super was released.
2001–present; United Cover and recent career
He scored two smash hit singles "Coffee Rumba" and "Hana no Kubikazari". Both songs were the 1960s kayokyokuKayokyoku
is a Japanese pop music genre, which became a base of modern J-pop. The Japan Times describes kayōkyoku as "standard Japanese pop" or "Showa era pop".Kayōkyoku is Western-style-inspired music of Japan. Music in this genre is extremely varied as a result...
(The former was remake of Venezuelan song "Moliendo Café" originally composed in 1958). Likewise, a follow-up studio album United Cover is mainly composed of cover versions of the songs that were popular in Japan during the postwar Showa period. United Cover debuted at #2 on the Japanese Oricon chart and sold more than 500,000 copies up to 2002, and has been certified triple platinum by RIAJ for shipments of over 800,000 copies to date. It has been one of the most commercially successful cover albums by Japanese artists in the 2000s, along with Fukuyama Engineering by Masaharu Fukuyama and Vocalist series by Hideaki Tokunaga.
During the compilation and cover album became a hit, Inoue embarked the concert tour, and live performance was later released on DVD entitled United Tour.
He has continued concert touring repeatedly after 2004. His latest album as a solo artist is Love Complex, released in 2006. Also in 2006, he re-started the project with Tamio Okuda. They worked together mainly during the following year, releasing the album Double Drive and carrying out the tour (their performance was later compiled on DVD entitled Double Shopping Drive).
Studio albums
(1972) (1972) (1973) (1974) (1976)- White (1978)
- Sneaker DancerSneaker Danceris the seventh studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Yosui Inoue, released in September 1979.-Side one:All songs arranged by Masayoshi Takanaka #"" #"Mellow Touch"...
(1979) - Every NightEvery Night (Yōsui Inoue album)Every Night is the 8th studio album by a Japanese singer-songwriter Yōsui Inoue, released in December 1980.-Side one:All songs arranged by Akira Inoue #""#""#""#"Winter Wind"#""...
(1980) (1981) - Lion & PelicanLion & PelicanLion & Pelican is the tenth studio album recorded and produced by a Japanese singer-songwriter Yōsui Inoue, released in December 1982.The album has been well known for a song "Riverside Hotel", which was originally released as a single before the album came out...
(1982) - Ballerina (1983)
- 9.5 Carats9.5 Carats-Personnel:The following session musicians were credited in the liner notes for box-set No Selection, released in 1991.*Yosui Inoue – vocals*Yutaka Uehara – drums*Takayuki Hijikata – guitar*Ken Yajima – guitar...
(1984) - NegativeNegative (Yōsui Inoue album)Negative is the 13th studio album by a Japanese singer-songwriter Yōsui Inoue, released in December 1987.-Side one:#"Negative" - 3:46#"Moon" - 3:14#"" - 2:59#"" - 4:26#"" - 5:41-Side two:#"Seventeen" - 3:25#"" - 3:52#"" - 3:33#"Why" - 5:32...
(1987) - Handsome BoyHandsome Boy (album)Handsome Boy is the 14th studio album by a Japanese singer-songwriter Yōsui Inoue, released in 1990.The album contains the songs that were already known through the commercial tie-in with television programs or advertisements...
(1990) (1992) - Under the SunUnder the Sun (Yosui Inoue album)Under the Sun is the 16th studio album by a Japanese singer-songwriter Yōsui Inoue, released in September 1993.Two songs "Gogatsu no Wakare" and "Make-Up Shadow" were released as a single prior to the album, and the latter became a massive hit....
(1993) (1994) - ShoppingShopping (InoueYōsuiOkudaTamio album)is the first album by InoueYosuiOkudaTamio, the duo consisting of Japanese singer-songwriters Yōsui Inoue and Tamio Okuda.It was released in February 1997 under For Life and SME, two different labels that Inoue and Okuda had contracted with, respectively....
(with Tamio OkudaTamio Okudais a singer, songwriter, and producer. He started his career in 1986 as a member of the band Unicorn. After Unicorn broke up, Okuda moved on to a solo career in 1994 with the single "Ai no Tame ni." He has written and composed many songs for various artists, particularly Puffy...
) (credited to InoueYosuiOkudaTamio, 1997) (1998) - United Cover (2001)
- CassisCassis (album)Cassis is the 20th solo studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Yōsui Inoue, released in July 2002.The album includes "Kimerareta Rhythm" which was featured on an Academy-nominated motion picture The Twilight Samurai directed by Yoji Yamada. A song "You are the Top" was originally contributed to...
(2002) - Blue SelectionBlue SelectionBlue Selection is the studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Yōsui Inoue, released shortly after its predecessor Cassis.Like The Night Without a Guide album came out in 1992, it includes renewed renditions of his previous released songs...
(2002) - Love ComplexLove ComplexLove Complex is the 23rd studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Yōsui Inoue, released in June 2006.The album features "Atarashii Koi", a song co-written by Kou Machida. It was used on the TV ad of Suntory's Old Whisky that starring Inoue, and released as a single before the album came out...
(2006) - Double Drive (with Tamio OkudaTamio Okudais a singer, songwriter, and producer. He started his career in 1986 as a member of the band Unicorn. After Unicorn broke up, Okuda moved on to a solo career in 1994 with the single "Ai no Tame ni." He has written and composed many songs for various artists, particularly Puffy...
) (credited to InoueYosuiOkudaTamio, 2007)
External links
- Yosui Inoue's Official Website (in Japanese)