Mariya Takeuchi
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese singer-songwriter
.
Takeuchi was born in Taisha
city in the Hikawa
district of Shimane Prefecture
. She spent a year studying in the United States
while she was at high school. Her musical career started in 1978 while she was studying at Keio University
, with the single "Modotte-Oide, Watashi no Jikan" (Please come back, my time) and the album Beginning. The 1979 single "September" and the 1980 single "Fushigi na Piichi Pai" (Mysterious Peach Pie) were both hits. Takeuchi has had at least one song appear on the NHK
program Minna no Uta
.
Up to December 2008, Takeuchi had released 11 studio albums, 35 singles, several compilations and a live album which was recorded in 2000. Her total sales have been estimated at more than 16 million units by 2009. Her 1994 compilation, Impressions, sold more than 3 million copies in Japan alone, and became her best-selling album.
Her husband is the musician Tatsuro Yamashita
, with whom she has one daughter.
, Takeuchi started her career with a single "Modotte-Oide, Watashi no Jikan". From the late 1970s to the early 1980s, she recorded five albums and several singles, including the top-ten hit "Fushigi na Peach Pie". Those recordings featured dozens of prominent Japanese and North American songwriters, instrumentalists and producers, including David Foster
, Jim Keltner
, Jay Graydon
, Steve Lukather
, Jeff Porcaro
, David Hungate
, Kazuhiko Kato
, Kunihiko Kase, Shigeru Suzuki, Takashi Matsumoto and her future partner and husband, Tatsuro Yamashita
. "Heart to Heart", one of her songs (co-written by Roger Nichols
, released in 1980) was recorded by The Carpenters
two years later, and was the last recording for the late Karen Carpenter
.
In 1981, Takeuchi married singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita, and stopped her career temporarily after becoming pregnant. Returning to the Japanese music industry in 1984, she has accomplished huge commercial success — more than when she was single. From that year to the present, she has recorded six successful studio albums that mainly consist of her self-written songs, and all of them have reached #1 on the Japanese Oricon
chart. As a singer-songwriter, she has produced 8 top-ten hit singles on the Oricon chart, including "Single Again", "Kokuhaku", "Junai Rhapsody", "Konya wa Hearty Party" and her only #1 hit "Camouflage".
In addition to her work as a performer, she has also written songs and lyrics for other singers, including Yukiko Okada
, Hiroko Yakushimaru
, Hiromi Iwasaki, Masahiko Kondo
, Masayuki Suzuki
and Tackey & Tsubasa. Several of these songs scored top-ten on the Oricon, such as "Kenka o Yamete" and "Invitation" performed by Naoko Kawai, "Iro (White Blend)" performed by Miho Nakayama and "Maji de Koi Suru 5 Byoumae" by Ryōko Hirosue
. Takeuchi has often re-recorded those songs for her own album. "Eki", a song originally written for the album by Akina Nakamori
, became known by the composer's recorded version. "Genki o Dashite", a song first recorded by Hiroko Yakushimaru
, is recognized as one of Takeuchi's notable compositions, despite not being released as a single. That song was covered by Hitomi Shimatani
in 2003, and became a moderate hit.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
.
Takeuchi was born in Taisha
Taisha, Shimane
was a town located in Hikawa District, Shimane, Japan.On March 22, 2005 Taisha, along with the towns of Koryō, Sada and Taki, all from Hikawa District, and the city of Hirata, was merged into the expanded city of Izumo....
city in the Hikawa
Hikawa District, Shimane
was a district located in Shimane, Japan.As of 2003, the district had an estimated population of 57,333 and a density of 185.14 persons per km². The total area was 309.68 km².- Towns and villages :*Hikawa*Koryō*Sada*Taisha*Taki-Merger:...
district of Shimane Prefecture
Shimane Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is Matsue. It is the second least populous prefecture in Japan, after its eastern neighbor Tottori. The prefecture has an area elongated from east to west facing the Chūgoku Mountain Range on the south side and to...
. She spent a year studying in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
while she was at high school. Her musical career started in 1978 while she was studying at Keio University
Keio University
,abbreviated as Keio or Keidai , is a Japanese university located in Minato, Tokyo. It is known as the oldest institute of higher education in Japan. Founder Fukuzawa Yukichi originally established it as a school for Western studies in 1858 in Edo . It has eleven campuses in Tokyo and Kanagawa...
, with the single "Modotte-Oide, Watashi no Jikan" (Please come back, my time) and the album Beginning. The 1979 single "September" and the 1980 single "Fushigi na Piichi Pai" (Mysterious Peach Pie) were both hits. Takeuchi has had at least one song appear on the NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
program Minna no Uta
Minna no Uta
, literally Everyone's Songs, is a five minute NHK TV and radio program broadcasting several times daily since 1961. The program is generally used as filler at the end of regular television programs...
.
Up to December 2008, Takeuchi had released 11 studio albums, 35 singles, several compilations and a live album which was recorded in 2000. Her total sales have been estimated at more than 16 million units by 2009. Her 1994 compilation, Impressions, sold more than 3 million copies in Japan alone, and became her best-selling album.
Her husband is the musician Tatsuro Yamashita
Tatsuro Yamashita
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, and record producer. He has been known by his musical style deeply influenced from 1960s American pop and rock music....
, with whom she has one daughter.
Career
In 1978, while studying at Keio UniversityKeio University
,abbreviated as Keio or Keidai , is a Japanese university located in Minato, Tokyo. It is known as the oldest institute of higher education in Japan. Founder Fukuzawa Yukichi originally established it as a school for Western studies in 1858 in Edo . It has eleven campuses in Tokyo and Kanagawa...
, Takeuchi started her career with a single "Modotte-Oide, Watashi no Jikan". From the late 1970s to the early 1980s, she recorded five albums and several singles, including the top-ten hit "Fushigi na Peach Pie". Those recordings featured dozens of prominent Japanese and North American songwriters, instrumentalists and producers, including David Foster
David Foster
David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
, Jim Keltner
Jim Keltner
James Lee "Jim" Keltner is an American drummer known primarily for his session work. He has contributed to the work of many well-known artists...
, Jay Graydon
Jay Graydon
Jay Graydon is a Los Angeles songwriter, recording artist, guitarist, singer, producer, arranger, and recording engineer. He is the winner of two Grammy Awards with twelve Grammy nominations, among them the title "Producer of the Year" and "Best Engineered Recording". Jay Graydon has mastered many...
, Steve Lukather
Steve Lukather
Steve "Luke" Lukather is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger, and record producer best known for his work with the rock band Toto. Lukather has played with many artists, released several solo albums, and worked as a composer, arranger, and session guitarist on more than 1,500 albums...
, Jeff Porcaro
Jeff Porcaro
Jeffrey Thomas "Jeff" Porcaro was an American session drummer and a founding member of the Grammy Award winning band Toto. Porcaro was one of the most recorded drummers in history, working on hundreds of albums and thousands of sessions...
, David Hungate
David Hungate
David Hungate is a bass player noted as a member of Los Angeles pop-rock band Toto from 1977-1982. Boz Scaggs's Silk Degrees album of 1976 included Hungate and several other future members of Toto...
, Kazuhiko Kato
Kazuhiko Kato (musician)
, nicknamed , was a Japanese record producer, songwriter, and singer. He sometimes used the spelling of "Kazuhiko Katoh".As a member of the Folk Crusaders, Kato launched his recording career in the mid 1960s...
, Kunihiko Kase, Shigeru Suzuki, Takashi Matsumoto and her future partner and husband, Tatsuro Yamashita
Tatsuro Yamashita
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, and record producer. He has been known by his musical style deeply influenced from 1960s American pop and rock music....
. "Heart to Heart", one of her songs (co-written by Roger Nichols
Roger Nichols (songwriter)
Roger Nichols Roger Nichols Roger Nichols (born in Missoula, Montana, is an American composer and songwriter. He is a multi-instrumentalist who plays violin, guitar, bass, and piano.-Biography:...
, released in 1980) was recorded by The Carpenters
The Carpenters
Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
two years later, and was the last recording for the late Karen Carpenter
Karen Carpenter
Karen Anne Carpenter was an American singer and drummer. She and her brother, Richard, formed the 1970s duo The Carpenters. She was a drummer of exceptional skill, but she is best remembered for her vocal performances of idealistic romantic ballads of true love...
.
In 1981, Takeuchi married singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita, and stopped her career temporarily after becoming pregnant. Returning to the Japanese music industry in 1984, she has accomplished huge commercial success — more than when she was single. From that year to the present, she has recorded six successful studio albums that mainly consist of her self-written songs, and all of them have reached #1 on the Japanese 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...
chart. As a singer-songwriter, she has produced 8 top-ten hit singles on the Oricon chart, including "Single Again", "Kokuhaku", "Junai Rhapsody", "Konya wa Hearty Party" and her only #1 hit "Camouflage".
In addition to her work as a performer, she has also written songs and lyrics for other singers, including Yukiko Okada
Yukiko Okada
was a singer and winner of the talent show, Star Tanjō! in Japan.-Early life:Okada was born on August 22, 1967, the second daughter of the Satō family in the Ichinomiya Hospital and later moved to Nagoya. At elementary school, Okada loved to read books, especially comic books and she was a talented...
, Hiroko Yakushimaru
Hiroko Yakushimaru
is a Japanese actress and vocalist.After passing the audition for the film produced by Haruki Kadokawa, she began her acting career. Along with teen idols Tomoyo Harada and Noriko Watanabe who made debut after a similar process, she was often described as one of "Kadokawa Sannimusume" in her early...
, Hiromi Iwasaki, Masahiko Kondo
Masahiko Kondo
or Matchy is a Japanese singer, lyricist and actor represented by Johnny & Associates.Kondō is also a semi-professional racing driver and a racing team owner. He founded the racing team Kondo Racing in 2000 which competes in Formula Nippon and the Super GT.- 1980–1987: Early recording career :As a...
, Masayuki Suzuki
Masayuki Suzuki
Masayuki Suzuki is a Japanese singer best known as a former member of Rats & Star...
and Tackey & Tsubasa. Several of these songs scored top-ten on the Oricon, such as "Kenka o Yamete" and "Invitation" performed by Naoko Kawai, "Iro (White Blend)" performed by Miho Nakayama and "Maji de Koi Suru 5 Byoumae" by Ryōko Hirosue
Ryoko Hirosue
is a Japanese actress and pop star, best known in the West for her roles in the Luc Besson-produced Wasabi and the Academy Award-winning Japanese film Departures. She also starred in a comedy series Yasuko to Kenji in 2008.- Early life :...
. Takeuchi has often re-recorded those songs for her own album. "Eki", a song originally written for the album by 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....
, became known by the composer's recorded version. "Genki o Dashite", a song first recorded by Hiroko Yakushimaru
Hiroko Yakushimaru
is a Japanese actress and vocalist.After passing the audition for the film produced by Haruki Kadokawa, she began her acting career. Along with teen idols Tomoyo Harada and Noriko Watanabe who made debut after a similar process, she was often described as one of "Kadokawa Sannimusume" in her early...
, is recognized as one of Takeuchi's notable compositions, despite not being released as a single. That song was covered by Hitomi Shimatani
Hitomi Shimatani
, is a female pop singer signed to the Avex Trax label.Shimatani started her career as an Enka singer with the release of her debut single in 1999, but later decided to get into the dance/pop style for her music. Shimatani's music has also appeared in video games and also anime series.- Early life...
in 2003, and became a moderate hit.
Albums
- Beginning (1978) - #17
- University Street (1979) - #7
- Love Songs (1980) - #1
- Miss M (1980) - #14
- Portrait (1981) - #14
- Viva Mariya!! (compilation, 1982) - #32
- Variety (1984) - #1
- Request (1987) - #1 110,000
- Quiet Life (1992) - #1 1,115,000
- Impressions (compilation, 1994) - #1 3,050,000
- Souvenir: Mariya Takeuchi Live (live album, 2000) - #3 332,000
- Bon Appetit! (2001) - #1 1,171,000
- Longtime Favorites (2004) - #1 263,000
- Denim (2007) - #1 435,000
- Expressions (2008) - #1 791,422 (as of January 14, 2009)
Singles
- "" (1978) - #84
- "" (1979) - #30
- "September" (1979) - #39
- "" (1980) - #3
- "" (1980) - #42
- "" (1981) - #80
- "Special Delivery: " / "Crying All Night Long" (1981) - did not chart
- "Natalie" (1981) - #70
- ""/" (Let's Get Married)" (1984) - #20
- "" (1984) - #78
- "Plastic Love" (1985) - #86
- "" (1986) - #20
- "" (1986) - #46
- "" (1987) - #43
- ""/"After Years" (1987) - #55
- "" (1988) -#70
- "Single Again" (1989) - #2
- "" (1990) - #3
- "" (Re-issue, 1991) - #18
- "Manhattan Kiss" (1992) - #11
- " (My Sweet Home)" (1992) - #18
- "" (1992) - #42
- "" (1994) - #19
- "" (1994) - #5
- " (Let's Get Married)" (Re-issue, 1994) - #48
- "" (1995) - #3
- "Lonely Woman"(1996) - #13
- "Camouflage" / "Winter Lovers"(1998) - #1
- "" (Re-issue, 1999) #35
- "" (1999) - #6
- "" (2001) - #7
- "" (2001) - #40
- "Nostalgia" (2001) - #30
- "" / "Synchronicity" (2006) - #8
- "Slow Love"(2006) - #30
- "" (2006) - #19
- "" (duet with Yuko HaraYuko HaraYuko Hara plays the keyboards for Southern All Stars. She is an accomplished vocalist, and writes many of her own songs....
, 2007) - #23
External links
- http://www.smile-co.co.jp/mariya/Mariya Takeuchi Official Site (JapaneseJapanese languageis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
)] - http://wmg.jp/mariya/Warner Music Japan | Mariya Takeuchi (JapaneseJapanese languageis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
)]