Boøwy
Encyclopedia
Boøwy was a Japan
ese rock group consisting of Kyosuke Himuro
(vocals
), Tomoyasu Hotei
(guitar
), Tsunematsu Matsui (bass
) and Makoto Takahashi (drums
). They were a rock band that reached legendary status in Japan during the 1980s. In 1988, they became the first male artists to have three albums reach number-one within one year on the Oricon
charts. Their style of play varied from punk
to pop rock
and they had fans of all ages. The 1990s band movement was credited to Boøwy as they popularized the formation of musical groups, which caused musical instrument sales to hit an all-time high during the 90s and the record companies signed and debuted 80 bands during the 90s in hopes of finding a new Boøwy. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked Boøwy at number 22 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts.The band's name is a reference to David Bowie
, an artist Hotei is a fan of.
was in a band called Death Penalty, that won a music contest that was being held in his hometown of Takasaki
in Gunma Prefecture
. In that same contest was Tomoyasu Hotei
's band Blue Film, who came in second place. After the contest Death Penalty signed with the record company Being and went to Tokyo
. Things did not go as well as expected and they broke up. Himuro then joined Spinach Power, but he had problems with them as well and decided to form another band after seeing an RC Succession
concert in 1980.
Around the same time, Hotei was in Tokyo after being expelled from high school for saying "Jesus
had long hair" when his teacher warned him about his hair being too long. He received a phone call from Himuro and even though they did not really know each other, they decided to start a band called . They recruited Tsunematsu Matsui on bass and Atsushi Moroboshi from Death Penalty on guitar; Kuniaki Fukazawa from Blue Film on saxophone
; and Mamoru Kimura from Spinach Power on drums.
They landed a gig once a month at the Shinjuku
Loft, but it didn't pay the bills. To earn a living they started working part-time jobs and sent demo tapes to various record companies. They finally signed with the record company Victor
.
In 1981, Kimura wanted to leave Bōi, as he originally joined the band on a temporary basis, so they looked for another drummer. Makoto Takahashi was brought to the Loft by a friend to watch Bōi perform. He was impressed and tried out for the band when he heard they needed a new drummer. During the summer of that year he replaced Kimura on drums and Bōi went on to become the most popular band at the Loft.
In 1982, they changed their name to Boøwy and on March 21 released their first album, Moral. At this time they were a punk type band. For their concert in Shibuya
on September 9, Hotei wanted to take a different approach to their music and become more pop sounding, but the fans didn't like the change. Fukazawa and Moroboshi mirrored the opinions of the fans and finally on October 9, after their performance at the Loft, they left the band and Boøwy became a four member band.
In 1983, they cut ties with their production company and formed their own company φ-connection with Mamoru Tsuchiya, former member of Blue Film, as their manager. At the time, this was unheard of and frowned upon in the music industry, so the record company stopped promoting them and people started to forget Boøwy existed. Tsuchiya faced an uphill battle in promoting them; with no funds, he gathered hand-made flyers, posters, character goods, the musical instruments and the band in an old Toyota HiAce
with no AC and went on a trip around Japan looking for places to perform.
In 1984, they continued touring live houses for more exposure. Eventually it paid off and they started getting offers from different record companies. Not wanting to go through the same hardship they faced in 1983 they decided to sign with the production company Yui, which later got them signed to Toshiba-EMI
. In preparation for their major debut they took a six month break from touring.
Boøwy performed in London
, England
at the Marquee Club
on March 12, 1985.
The band gathered popularity, an eventually Boøwy became Japan's #1 rock band. They held a concert called "Case of Boøwy" in the Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium
, in Kanagawa
and in Kobe, Hyogo on July 31 and August 7, 1987, where they played most of their songs from their debut to the present for four hours straight. That same year they announced their breakup at a concert at Shibuya Kōkaidō
on December 24. There are many rumors concerning the breakup, but the most popular is the rift between Hotei and Himuro. An indication of the band's stature at the time, is that at their farewell gigs ("Last Gigs"); two nights at the newly opened Tokyo Dome
on April 4 and 5, 1988; they sold out all 95,000 tickets in ten minutes.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese rock group consisting of Kyosuke Himuro
Kyosuke Himuro
is a popular Japanese singer. He was a member of the rock group Boøwy from 1981 to 1988. After the group disbanded he started a successful solo career. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked Himuro at number 76 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts...
(vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
), Tomoyasu Hotei
Tomoyasu Hotei
is a Japanese musician, guitarist and actor. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked Hotei at number 70 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts.- Life and career :...
(guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), Tsunematsu Matsui (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) and Makoto Takahashi (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
). They were a rock band that reached legendary status in Japan during the 1980s. In 1988, they became the first male artists to have three albums reach number-one within one year on the 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...
charts. Their style of play varied from punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
to pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
and they had fans of all ages. The 1990s band movement was credited to Boøwy as they popularized the formation of musical groups, which caused musical instrument sales to hit an all-time high during the 90s and the record companies signed and debuted 80 bands during the 90s in hopes of finding a new Boøwy. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked Boøwy at number 22 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts.The band's name is a reference to David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, an artist Hotei is a fan of.
History
In 1979, Kyosuke HimuroKyosuke Himuro
is a popular Japanese singer. He was a member of the rock group Boøwy from 1981 to 1988. After the group disbanded he started a successful solo career. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked Himuro at number 76 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts...
was in a band called Death Penalty, that won a music contest that was being held in his hometown of Takasaki
Takasaki, Gunma
is a city located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on April 1, 1900.Takasaki is a regional transportation hub because its train station is the junction of several rail lines as well as a Shinkansen stop....
in Gunma Prefecture
Gunma Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the northwest corner of the Kantō region on Honshu island. Its capital is Maebashi.- History :The remains of a Paleolithic man were found at Iwajuku, Gunma Prefecture, in the early 20th century and there is a public museum there.Japan was without horses until...
. In that same contest was Tomoyasu Hotei
Tomoyasu Hotei
is a Japanese musician, guitarist and actor. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked Hotei at number 70 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts.- Life and career :...
's band Blue Film, who came in second place. After the contest Death Penalty signed with the record company Being and went to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Things did not go as well as expected and they broke up. Himuro then joined Spinach Power, but he had problems with them as well and decided to form another band after seeing an 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...
concert in 1980.
Around the same time, Hotei was in Tokyo after being expelled from high school for saying "Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
had long hair" when his teacher warned him about his hair being too long. He received a phone call from Himuro and even though they did not really know each other, they decided to start a band called . They recruited Tsunematsu Matsui on bass and Atsushi Moroboshi from Death Penalty on guitar; Kuniaki Fukazawa from Blue Film on saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
; and Mamoru Kimura from Spinach Power on drums.
They landed a gig once a month at the Shinjuku
Shinjuku, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the busiest train station in the world and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the government of Tokyo.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population...
Loft, but it didn't pay the bills. To earn a living they started working part-time jobs and sent demo tapes to various record companies. They finally signed with the record company Victor
JVC
, usually referred to as JVC, is a Japanese international consumer and professional electronics corporation based in Yokohama, Japan which was founded in 1927...
.
In 1981, Kimura wanted to leave Bōi, as he originally joined the band on a temporary basis, so they looked for another drummer. Makoto Takahashi was brought to the Loft by a friend to watch Bōi perform. He was impressed and tried out for the band when he heard they needed a new drummer. During the summer of that year he replaced Kimura on drums and Bōi went on to become the most popular band at the Loft.
In 1982, they changed their name to Boøwy and on March 21 released their first album, Moral. At this time they were a punk type band. For their concert in Shibuya
Shibuya, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....
on September 9, Hotei wanted to take a different approach to their music and become more pop sounding, but the fans didn't like the change. Fukazawa and Moroboshi mirrored the opinions of the fans and finally on October 9, after their performance at the Loft, they left the band and Boøwy became a four member band.
In 1983, they cut ties with their production company and formed their own company φ-connection with Mamoru Tsuchiya, former member of Blue Film, as their manager. At the time, this was unheard of and frowned upon in the music industry, so the record company stopped promoting them and people started to forget Boøwy existed. Tsuchiya faced an uphill battle in promoting them; with no funds, he gathered hand-made flyers, posters, character goods, the musical instruments and the band in an old Toyota HiAce
Toyota Hiace
The Toyota HiAce is a motor vehicle produced by the Japanese manufacturer Toyota. First launched in 1967, the HiAce has since been available in a wide range of configurations, including minivan and minibus, van, pick-up, taxi, and ambulance....
with no AC and went on a trip around Japan looking for places to perform.
In 1984, they continued touring live houses for more exposure. Eventually it paid off and they started getting offers from different record companies. Not wanting to go through the same hardship they faced in 1983 they decided to sign with the production company Yui, which later got them signed to Toshiba-EMI
Toshiba-EMI
(formerly , is one of Japan's leading music companies. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of British music company EMI Group Ltd. in June 30, 2007 after Toshiba sold off its previous 45% stake. The current CEO and president is San-e Ichii. When EMI Music Japan was trading as Toshiba-EMI, it was...
. In preparation for their major debut they took a six month break from touring.
Boøwy performed in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at the Marquee Club
Marquee Club
The Marquee was a music club first located at 165 Oxford Street, London, England when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts.It was also the location of the first ever live performance by The Rolling Stones on 12 July 1962....
on March 12, 1985.
The band gathered popularity, an eventually Boøwy became Japan's #1 rock band. They held a concert called "Case of Boøwy" in the Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium
Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium
is an indoor sports arena, located in Naka-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 5,000 people and was opened in 1962.It is a five minute walk from the closest subway station, Kannai Station, on the JR/Yokohama Municipal Subway....
, in Kanagawa
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
and in Kobe, Hyogo on July 31 and August 7, 1987, where they played most of their songs from their debut to the present for four hours straight. That same year they announced their breakup at a concert at Shibuya Kōkaidō
Shibuya Public Hall
or is a live theatre in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. It was completed in 1964. In the 1964 Summer Olympics, the weightlifting events took place there.The theatre was sponsored by Dentsu and Suntory, which paid ¥80 million to have its name associated with the building from 2006 to 2011.-External links:*...
on December 24. There are many rumors concerning the breakup, but the most popular is the rift between Hotei and Himuro. An indication of the band's stature at the time, is that at their farewell gigs ("Last Gigs"); two nights at the newly opened Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...
on April 4 and 5, 1988; they sold out all 95,000 tickets in ten minutes.
Singles
- "Honky Tonky Crazy" , OriconOricon, 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...
Singles Chart Peak Position: #61 - "Bad Feeling" (August 22, 1985) #46
- "Wagamama Juliet" #39
- "B･Blue" (September 29, 1986) #7
- "Only You" (April 6, 1987) #4
- "Marionette" (Marionette --, July 22, 1987) #1
- "Kisetsu ga Kimi Dake wo Kaeru" #4
- "Dakara" (February 3, 1988) #2
Albums
- Moral (March 21, 1982)
- Instant Love (September 25, 1983)
- Boøwy (June 21, 1985)
- Just A Hero (March 1, 1986)
- Beat Emotion (November 8, 1986)
- Psychopath (September 5, 1987)
Live album
- "Gigs" Just A Hero Tour 1986 (July 31, 1986)
- "Last Gigs" (May 3, 1988), Oricon Albums Chart Peak Position: #10
- "Gigs" Case of Boøwy (November 28, 2001) #3
- Gigs at Budokan Beat Emotion Rock'n Roll Circus Tour 1986.11.11~1987.2.24 (February 24, 2004) #7
- "Last Gigs" Complete (April 5, 2008, "Last Gigs" plus more songs) #10
Compilation albums
- Moral+3 (February 3, 1988, debut album +3 songs from "Dakara" single)
- Singles (December 24, 1988) #1
- Boøwy Complete Limited Edition (December 24, 1991, box-set includes all 6 studio albums, "Gigs" Just A Hero Tour 1986, Last Gigs, Singles and a "Specials" disc)
- Boøwy Complete Required Edition (March 3, 1993, re-release of Boøwy Complete Limited Edition) #3
- This Boøwy (February 25, 1998) #1
- Boøwy Complete 21st Century 20th Anniversary Edition (March 29, 2002, same as Boøwy Complete Limited Edition) #14
- This Boøwy Dramatic 172368000 (September 5, 2007) #4
- This Boøwy Drastic 172368000 (September 5, 2007) #5
Other albums
- Orchestration Boøwy (August 9, 1989, orchestra covers)
- Moral - Trance Mix (January 23, 2002, remix album) #13
- Instant Love - Hammer Trance (August 21, 2002, remix album) #83
Videos
- Boøwy Video (VHS: July 2, 1986, DVD: November 28, 2001) Oricon DVDs Ranking: #5
- "Gigs" Case of Boøwy (4 VHS: October 5, 1987, 2 DVDs: November 28, 2001, live) #2 and #3
- Marionette (VHS: October 26, 1987)
- Singles of Boøwy (VHS: December 24, 1991, DVD: November 28, 2001) #6
- Last Gigs (DVD: October 27, 2001, live) #1
- 1224 (DVD; December 24, 2001) #2
- Gigs at Budokan Beat Emotion Rock'n Roll Circus Tour 1986.11.11~1987.2.24 (DVD: February 24, 2004, live) #2
- "Gigs" Box (DVD: December 24, 2007, 8 disc box-set) #12
- "Last Gigs" Complete (DVD: April 5, 2008, live) #3