Hiro Yamamoto
Encyclopedia
Hiro Yamamoto is an American
bassist
who was a founding member of grunge band Soundgarden
, along with Kim Thayil
and Chris Cornell
in 1984. He left the band in 1989 and one year later he started the independent rock
band Truly
together with Screaming Trees
drummer Mark Pickerel
and Robert Roth
from The Storybook Krooks.
on the Deep Six
compilation, and with the lineup of Cornell, Thayil, and drummer Matt Cameron
on the EPs Screaming Life
, Fopp
, and Loudest Love
, as well as on the albums Ultramega OK
and Louder Than Love
. In 1989, he left the band to finish his Master's degree in Physical Chemistry at Western Washington University
. His last gig with the band was in the Melkweg in Amsterdam
, after which they got into an argument and Yamamoto subsequently left. He was replaced on the bass by Jason Everman
, formerly of Nirvana
, for a brief period of time after which Ben Shepherd
was tapped as the permanent replacement.
Like Cornell, Thayil, Cameron, and Shepherd, Yamamoto was active in songwriting for Soundgarden. While a member of Soundgarden, he wrote the following songs for the band:
; the other members were former Screaming Trees
drummer Mark Pickerel
and singer Robert Roth
. Truly released two studio albums and a compilation of unreleased material before breaking up in 2000.
Truly
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
who was a founding member of grunge band Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
, along with Kim Thayil
Kim Thayil
Kim Thayil is an American guitarist best known as the lead guitarist of the Seattle-based grunge band Soundgarden, which he cofounded with singer Chris Cornell and bassist Hiro Yamamoto in 1984...
and Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and as the former lead vocalist for Audioslave. He is also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1998...
in 1984. He left the band in 1989 and one year later he started the independent rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Truly
Truly
Truly is an American rock band formed in the wake of the grunge era. It featured former Soundgarden bassist Hiro Yamamoto, one-time Screaming Trees drummer Mark Pickerel, and singer Robert Roth...
together with Screaming Trees
Screaming Trees
Screaming Trees was an American rock band formed in Ellensburg, Washington in 1985 by vocalist Mark Lanegan, guitarist Gary Lee Conner, bass player Van Conner and drummer Mark Pickerel. Pickerel had been replaced by Barrett Martin by the time the band reached its most successful period...
drummer Mark Pickerel
Mark Pickerel
Mark Pickerel is best known as the original drummer for the Screaming Trees, a rock group from Ellensburg, WA, that formed in 1985. Other members of the band included the versatile singer Mark Lanegan and the Conner brothers...
and Robert Roth
Robert Roth (Musician)
Robert Roth is best known as a songwriter, vocalist and guitarist of 90's Sub Pop and Capitol Records band Truly. The band have recently have reunited with all original members to play in shows in Seattle, London and Azkena Rock Festival 2008 alongside Ray Davies, the Sex Pistols, Dinosaur Jr...
from The Storybook Krooks.
Soundgarden
Yamamoto was a founding bassist of Soundgarden. He appears with the lineup of Cornell, Thayil, and drummer Scott SundquistScott Sundquist
-Soundgarden:In 1985, Soundgarden was a recently formed three-piece band with Chris Cornell on vocals and drums, Kim Thayil on guitar, and Hiro Yamamoto on bass guitar. The band enlisted Sundquist as their drummer so Cornell could focus on the vocals. They traveled around playing various gigs with...
on the Deep Six
Deep Six (album)
The Deep Six compilation was released March 1986 . It was the very first release by C/Z Records, a few months before the release of Sub Pop 100 from Sub Pop Records. It was also arguably the second record to influence the later "Seattle sound" that would be known worldwide as grunge...
compilation, and with the lineup of Cornell, Thayil, and drummer Matt Cameron
Matt Cameron
Matthew David "Matt" Cameron is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the American rock bands Pearl Jam and Soundgarden...
on the EPs Screaming Life
Screaming Life
-Outtakes:The song "Toy Box" was recorded during the sessions for Screaming Life. It was later featured on the "Flower" single. The instrumental track "The Telephantasm" was recorded mostly during these sessions and was released as a separate single in late 2010 and as an iTunes bonus track on...
, Fopp
Fopp (EP)
-Personnel:Soundgarden*Matt Cameron – drums*Chris Cornell – vocals*Kim Thayil – guitar*Hiro Yamamoto – bass guitarProduction*Drew Canulette – engineering*Steve Fisk – production...
, and Loudest Love
Loudest Love
Loudest Love is an EP by the American rock band Soundgarden. It was released in October 1990 through A&M Records.-Overview:The EP was first released in Japan, and later released in the United States. The track listing is the same as that for the "Loud Love" single, but with the addition of "Hands...
, as well as on the albums Ultramega OK
Ultramega OK
Ultramega OK is the debut studio album by the American grunge band Soundgarden, released on October 31, 1988 through SST Records. Following the release of the EPs Screaming Life , and Fopp , both for the Sub Pop record label, Soundgarden signed with the independent record label SST and went to work...
and Louder Than Love
Louder than Love
Louder Than Love is the second studio album by the American grunge band Soundgarden, released on September 5, 1989 through A&M Records. After touring in support of its first full-length studio album, Ultramega OK , Soundgarden signed with A&M and began work on its first album for a major label...
. In 1989, he left the band to finish his Master's degree in Physical Chemistry at Western Washington University
Western Washington University
Western Washington University is one of six state-funded, four-year universities of higher education in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in Bellingham and offers bachelor's and master's degrees.-History:...
. His last gig with the band was in the Melkweg in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, after which they got into an argument and Yamamoto subsequently left. He was replaced on the bass by Jason Everman
Jason Everman
Jason Mark Everman is an American guitarist/bassist who played with Nirvana and Soundgarden. Everman is currently studying philosophy at Columbia University.-Nirvana:...
, formerly of Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, for a brief period of time after which Ben Shepherd
Ben Shepherd
Ben Shepherd is an American musician, two-time Grammy Award Winner best known for playing bass in the grunge band Soundgarden from 1990 until the band's 1997 break-up...
was tapped as the permanent replacement.
Like Cornell, Thayil, Cameron, and Shepherd, Yamamoto was active in songwriting for Soundgarden. While a member of Soundgarden, he wrote the following songs for the band:
- "Tears To Forget" (Screaming Life) ... music (co-written)
- "Kingdom of Come" (Fopp) ... credited to Soundgarden
- "All Your Lies" (Ultramega OK) ... music (co-written)
- "665" (Ultramega OK) ... music
- "667" (Ultramega OK) ... music
- "Circle of Power" (Ultramega OK) ... lyrics
- "Nazi Driver" (Ultramega OK) ... music
- "Power Trip" (Louder Than Love) ... music
- "I Awake" (Louder Than Love) ... music
- "No Wrong No Right" (Louder Than Love) ... music
- "Heretic" (Loudest Love) ... lyrics
Truly
In 1991, Yamamoto formed a three-piece indie band, TrulyTruly
Truly is an American rock band formed in the wake of the grunge era. It featured former Soundgarden bassist Hiro Yamamoto, one-time Screaming Trees drummer Mark Pickerel, and singer Robert Roth...
; the other members were former Screaming Trees
Screaming Trees
Screaming Trees was an American rock band formed in Ellensburg, Washington in 1985 by vocalist Mark Lanegan, guitarist Gary Lee Conner, bass player Van Conner and drummer Mark Pickerel. Pickerel had been replaced by Barrett Martin by the time the band reached its most successful period...
drummer Mark Pickerel
Mark Pickerel
Mark Pickerel is best known as the original drummer for the Screaming Trees, a rock group from Ellensburg, WA, that formed in 1985. Other members of the band included the versatile singer Mark Lanegan and the Conner brothers...
and singer Robert Roth
Robert Roth (Musician)
Robert Roth is best known as a songwriter, vocalist and guitarist of 90's Sub Pop and Capitol Records band Truly. The band have recently have reunited with all original members to play in shows in Seattle, London and Azkena Rock Festival 2008 alongside Ray Davies, the Sex Pistols, Dinosaur Jr...
. Truly released two studio albums and a compilation of unreleased material before breaking up in 2000.
Discography
Soundgarden- Screaming LifeScreaming Life-Outtakes:The song "Toy Box" was recorded during the sessions for Screaming Life. It was later featured on the "Flower" single. The instrumental track "The Telephantasm" was recorded mostly during these sessions and was released as a separate single in late 2010 and as an iTunes bonus track on...
- FoppFopp (EP)-Personnel:Soundgarden*Matt Cameron – drums*Chris Cornell – vocals*Kim Thayil – guitar*Hiro Yamamoto – bass guitarProduction*Drew Canulette – engineering*Steve Fisk – production...
- Ultramega OKUltramega OKUltramega OK is the debut studio album by the American grunge band Soundgarden, released on October 31, 1988 through SST Records. Following the release of the EPs Screaming Life , and Fopp , both for the Sub Pop record label, Soundgarden signed with the independent record label SST and went to work...
- Louder Than LoveLouder than LoveLouder Than Love is the second studio album by the American grunge band Soundgarden, released on September 5, 1989 through A&M Records. After touring in support of its first full-length studio album, Ultramega OK , Soundgarden signed with A&M and began work on its first album for a major label...
- Loudest LoveLoudest LoveLoudest Love is an EP by the American rock band Soundgarden. It was released in October 1990 through A&M Records.-Overview:The EP was first released in Japan, and later released in the United States. The track listing is the same as that for the "Loud Love" single, but with the addition of "Hands...
Truly
- Heart and LungsHeart and LungsHeart and Lungs is an EP by the American Alternative Rock band Truly. "Heart and Lungs" was featured in the 1992 film Singles.- Track listing :# "Heart and Lungs" - 4:20# "The Color is Magic" - 4:26# "Truly Drowning" - 4:47...
(EP) - 1991 - Fast Stories... from Kid ComaFast Stories... from Kid ComaFast Stories... from Kid Coma is the 1995 debut album of the grunge band Truly. "Hot Summer 1991" was featured in the 1997 compilation album Subject to Change: Artists for a Hate-Free America.-Track listing:# "Blue Flame Ford" - 6:18...
- 1995 - Feeling You UpFeeling You UpFeeling You Up was recorded from 1995–1997 and released November 1997 on 12" vinyl and CD. "It's On Your Face" was used in its entirety in Francis Ford Coppola's TV series First Wave episode 16 "The Undesirables".-Track listing:...
- 1997 - Subject to Change: Artists for a Hate-Free AmericaSubject to Change: Artists for a Hate-Free AmericaSubject to Change is a compilation album released in 1997 and the first by Airforce Records. It features artists from the Pacific Northwest interwoven with spoken word prose from Alyssa Burrows. There are 20 tracks available on the CD from 19 different artists...
- 1997 compilation - Twilight CurtainsTwilight CurtainsTwilight Curtains is a rarities compilation album by Truly released only in the UK on May 22, 2000.-Track listing:# "Twilight Curtains" - 4:41# "Leatherette Tears II" - 3:31# "Aliens on Alcohol" - 4:51# "Wait Til' the Night" - 4:52...
- 2000