Yūko Andō (singer)
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese singer-songwriter
and former actress. She shares the same name as news anchor Yūko Andō, with only difference being the character for "Yū". Andō is part of the YS Corporation talent agency.
, as a child, music was never a special hobby of Andō; rather she had more of an interest towards drawing. During her college years, driven by her strong interest in creating things, Andō decided to pursue a film making career. However, unable to catch a break with the studios, she then followed her friends and family's advice to join a talent agency in hopes of becoming an actor. This landed her a few spots as an extra
in TV dramas.
One of the auditions for a play she passed during her Junior year at Ferris University
required her to sing on stage. At that time, one of the evaluators was Oricon
music charts founder Sōkō Koike and by his recommendation, she decided to pursue a career as a singer-songwriter.
Before debuting as a singer, Andō appeared as a regular in the popular TV drama "Ikebukuro West Gate Park
" (2000) and the 1999 movie "Saimin
".
, whom she had gotten to know on the set of "Ikebukuro West Gate Park" a demo tape of "Rinjin ni Hikari ga Sasu Toki". Upon hearing her demo, Tsutsumi decided he had to include it in the movie he was then directing, 2LDK
, as ending theme. She was credited as .
In July 2003, Andō debuted under the Avex-owned sub-label, Cutting Edge, with the mini album "Sally". That same year she performed live for the first time at a convention concert held for Avex shareholders.
In November 2005, Andō's "Nouzenkatsura (Reprise)" was used in Gekkeikan
's commercial for the "Tsuki" liquor. Because Andō was not credited on the actual commercial, the company was flooded with inquiries from people wanting to know the name of the singer, who for a period was confused to be Clammbon
's Ikuko Harada. The song, based on a poem written by her grandmother over the loss of her husband, propelled Andō's second full album, Merry Andrew into the Top 10. The album was certified gold with over 100,000 copies sold. Following the success of the song, Andō was branded by the media as the "late-blooming princess" and "singer-songwriter of the next generation".
In December 2006, Andō embarked on her first live tour.
In April 2009, she released her first compilation album which featured a variety of songs handpicked by Andō herself. That same year, she wrote and performed the ending theme song, "Paxmaveiti", for the Nintendo DS
video game Professor Layton and the Last Specter. On August 8, 2010, she appeared at the World Happiness 2010 rock festival in Tokyo.
and collaborations with other artists. Andō's recording process consists of writing lyrics and composing melodies which she then records a cappella
and passes over to Ryūji Yamamoto who is responsible for all her songs' arrangements. Yamamoto arranges Ando's demos based on these recordings. Pre-production meetings are held with Yamamoto, Andō and her producer, Yuji Andō, where they decide on the final direction for a track and select the musicians for the recording.
, whom she first discovered through a friend in high school. For her big audition at Avex, Andō sang Chara's "Break These Chain". Another artist Andō listens to and lists as influence is Naoko Ken
. Her lyrics tend to have happy ending
s. This has also been remarked in an interview by movie director and friend Yukihiko Tsutsumi
, when he called her a "big happy end freak". Another influence is Yellow Magic Orchestra
, whose 1983 song "Kimi ni Mune Kyun
" she covered in her 2009 record Paxmaveiti.
and Hisayo Inamori, as well as collaborating with them on her own songs. Andō also often records covers of songs from the 70's and 80's for her singles which she calls the "serious adult covers series".
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...
and former actress. She shares the same name as news anchor Yūko Andō, with only difference being the character for "Yū". Andō is part of the YS Corporation talent agency.
Early life and career
Born in Kanagawa PrefectureKanagawa 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...
, as a child, music was never a special hobby of Andō; rather she had more of an interest towards drawing. During her college years, driven by her strong interest in creating things, Andō decided to pursue a film making career. However, unable to catch a break with the studios, she then followed her friends and family's advice to join a talent agency in hopes of becoming an actor. This landed her a few spots as an extra
Extra (actor)
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
in TV dramas.
One of the auditions for a play she passed during her Junior year at Ferris University
Ferris University
is a private women's college in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded by American Presbyterian missionaries in 1870 with the assistance of James Curtis Hepburn, primarily to teach the English language and western cultural values to women. The male counterpart of the...
required her to sing on stage. At that time, one of the evaluators was 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...
music charts founder Sōkō Koike and by his recommendation, she decided to pursue a career as a singer-songwriter.
Before debuting as a singer, Andō appeared as a regular in the popular TV drama "Ikebukuro West Gate Park
Ikebukuro West Gate Park
, usually referred to by its initials IWGP, is a series of urban mystery novels by Ira Ishida. It was adapted into a very successful TV series directed by Tsutsumi Yukihiko, and then a manga, released by Digital Manga Publishing in English....
" (2000) and the 1999 movie "Saimin
Saimin (film)
Saimin is a 1999 J-Horror film. The film is directed by Masayuki Ochiai and is based on a novel by Keisuke Matsuoka. Three apparently unrelated suicides occur on the same day in Tokyo. One involves a young athlete, one a groom at his wedding reception, and the third an elderly man celebrating his...
".
Debut and success
In 2002, Andō sent film director Yukihiko TsutsumiYukihiko Tsutsumi
is a Japanese television and film director. He began directing commercials and music promotion videos as an employee of Nihon Television. After spending time abroad, he returned and started his own production company, Crescendo, from which he works independently...
, whom she had gotten to know on the set of "Ikebukuro West Gate Park" a demo tape of "Rinjin ni Hikari ga Sasu Toki". Upon hearing her demo, Tsutsumi decided he had to include it in the movie he was then directing, 2LDK
2LDK
2LDK is a 2002 Japanese film directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi starring Maho Nonami and Eiko Koike. It was coupled with Ryuhei Kitamura's film Aragami to form the Duel Project...
, as ending theme. She was credited as .
In July 2003, Andō debuted under the Avex-owned sub-label, Cutting Edge, with the mini album "Sally". That same year she performed live for the first time at a convention concert held for Avex shareholders.
In November 2005, Andō's "Nouzenkatsura (Reprise)" was used in Gekkeikan
Gekkeikan
is a Japanese manufacturer of sake based in Kyoto, Japan. Founded in 1637 by Jiemon Okura, in Fushimi, it is one of the world's oldest companies. The name of the company literally means "laurel wreath"....
's commercial for the "Tsuki" liquor. Because Andō was not credited on the actual commercial, the company was flooded with inquiries from people wanting to know the name of the singer, who for a period was confused to be Clammbon
Clammbon
is a Japanese musical trio, consisting of vocalist/keyboardist Ikuko Harada, bassist Mito and drummer Itou Daisuke. The group, originally formed in 1996 when the three were students at Tokyo Music and Media Arts Shogi, made their major label debut on Warner Music Japan three years later...
's Ikuko Harada. The song, based on a poem written by her grandmother over the loss of her husband, propelled Andō's second full album, Merry Andrew into the Top 10. The album was certified gold with over 100,000 copies sold. Following the success of the song, Andō was branded by the media as the "late-blooming princess" and "singer-songwriter of the next generation".
In December 2006, Andō embarked on her first live tour.
In April 2009, she released her first compilation album which featured a variety of songs handpicked by Andō herself. That same year, she wrote and performed the ending theme song, "Paxmaveiti", for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
video game Professor Layton and the Last Specter. On August 8, 2010, she appeared at the World Happiness 2010 rock festival in Tokyo.
Recording process
Andō writes and composes almost all of her songs, except for the occasional coversCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
and collaborations with other artists. Andō's recording process consists of writing lyrics and composing melodies which she then records a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
and passes over to Ryūji Yamamoto who is responsible for all her songs' arrangements. Yamamoto arranges Ando's demos based on these recordings. Pre-production meetings are held with Yamamoto, Andō and her producer, Yuji Andō, where they decide on the final direction for a track and select the musicians for the recording.
Influences
Like many other singer-songwriters before her, Ando's greatest influence is CharaChara (singer)
, better known by her stage name Chara, is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actress and video jockey. She debuted in 1991 with the single Heaven...
, whom she first discovered through a friend in high school. For her big audition at Avex, Andō sang Chara's "Break These Chain". Another artist Andō listens to and lists as influence is Naoko Ken
Naoko Ken
is a Japanese singer and actress. She is well-known for her comedy roles featuring idiosyncratic looks, and a string of successful torch songs that gained popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s.- Biography :...
. Her lyrics tend to have happy ending
Happy ending
A happy ending is an ending of the plot of a work of fiction in which almost everything turns out for the best for the protagonists, their sidekicks, and almost everyone except the villains....
s. This has also been remarked in an interview by movie director and friend Yukihiko Tsutsumi
Yukihiko Tsutsumi
is a Japanese television and film director. He began directing commercials and music promotion videos as an employee of Nihon Television. After spending time abroad, he returned and started his own production company, Crescendo, from which he works independently...
, when he called her a "big happy end freak". Another influence is Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Sakamoto first worked with Hosono as a member of his live band in 1976, while Takahashi recruited Sakamoto to produce his debut solo recording in 1977 following the split of the Sadistic Mika Band...
, whose 1983 song "Kimi ni Mune Kyun
Naughty Boys
- Translation notes :As on some other YMO albums, song titles are provided in both Japanese and English, and some have different translations all together:* "君に、胸キュン。" translates to "My Heart Beats for You."...
" she covered in her 2009 record Paxmaveiti.
Collaborations
In recent years, Andō has started composing and writing for other artists, such as Yui AragakiYui Aragaki
is a Japanese idol, model, actress, singer, seiyū and occasional radio show host of Ryukyuan ancestry.She is particularly recognized for her beauty and her movie projects.- Overview :...
and Hisayo Inamori, as well as collaborating with them on her own songs. Andō also often records covers of songs from the 70's and 80's for her singles which she calls the "serious adult covers series".
Character
- Since her debut, Andō has been blogging on her official website under the name of "Nee-yan", which her staff and fans have adopted as a nickname for her.
- She has a hard time managing stress and pressure and is said to often feel ill and nervous before going on stage. She enjoys performing however dislikes MC-ing.
- The only instrument she can play is the basic rhythm guitar.
- On her radio show, she is known for answering her listeners' questions in a very direct and honest manner.
- Ever since her debut, Andō has taken charge of her own make-up and styling. This has appealed to female fans and landed her many fashion magazine gigs.
- On her first appearance on the Music StationMusic Stationis a Japanese music television program. It began broadcasting on October 24, 1986 and continues to be broadcast weekly in High-definition from 8PM-9PM on tv asahi...
television program, she revealed she that prefers staying indoors and seldom leaves her home. - Andō takes part in the creative process for many of her music videos and has collaborated with many directors on MVs such as "Sally", "Dramatic Record", "Wasuremono no Mori", "Rinjin ni Hikari ga Sasu Toki" and "Utai Zen'ya". She also draws many of her CD covers, for which she is credited as Üchary Andrew.
- As a child she loved watching the Kon IchikawaKon Ichikawawas a Japanese film director.-Early life and career:Ichikawa was born in Ise, Mie Prefecture. In the 1930s Ichikawa attended a technical school in Osaka. Upon graduation, in 1933, he found a job with a local rental film studio, J.O. Studio, in their animation department...
directed "Kosuke KindaichiKosuke KindaichiKosuke Kindaichi is a famous fictional Japanese detective created by Seishi Yokomizo, a renowned mystery novelist. His first case, The Honjin Murder Case, a story of locked room murder in old family which many people regard as one of the best Japanese detective stories, was published on April 1946...
" series and since then has been a fan of novelist Seishi YokomizoSeishi Yokomizowas a novelist in Shōwa period Japan.-Early life:Yokomizo was born in the city of Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture. He read detective stories as a boy and in 1921, while employed by the Daiichi Bank, published his first story in the popular magazine Shin Seinen...
's work, to the point of creating a special corner called on her J-Wave radio show "Oh! My Radio" . - She attended the same middle and high school as fellow singer-songwriter Hitoto Yo.
- Yukihiko Tsutsumi is often seen at her concerts and has branded her the "best female singer of the last few years" on his blog.
- She is allergic to crustaceanCrustaceanCrustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s and therefore does not eat lobster or crab. She also dislikes bananas. - She often cuts her hair haphazardly, which she ends up regretting most of the time.
- When driving her car, she gets angry easily, and when she is, she switches to the Kansai dialect, which she was brought up speaking.
- She dreams of one day building a home where she can live happily with her family.
- On the morning show "Mezamashi TVMezamashi TVMezamashi TV is a Japanese news magazine show broadcast every weekday on Fuji TV from 5:25 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. but not on TV Oita because there is "ZIP!" produced and copyrighted by Nippon TV on TV Oita....
", she commented on sharing the same name pronunciation as news anchor Yūko Andō, saying "I feel inexcusable for having the same name as such an well-rounded person, (compared) I'm a pretty useless human being".
Singles
| Year | Information | Weekly Singles Chart |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Mizuiro no Shirabe
|
139 | Middle Tempo Magic |
| 2005 | Anata to Watashi ni Dekiru Koto
|
103 | Merry Andrew |
| Lost Child,
|
109 | ||
| Samishigariya no Kotobatachi
|
35 | ||
| 2006 | TEXAS
|
45 | shabon songs |
| The Still Steel Down
|
43 | ||
| 2007 | Unabara no Tsuki
|
12 | chronicle. |
| 2008 | Parallel
|
20 | |
| 2009 | Paxmaveiti ラフマベティ -君が僕にくれたもの-
|
26 | JAPANESE POP |
Albums
| # | Information | Weekly Albums Charts |
Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debut Album | Middle Tempo Magic
|
64 | - |
| 2nd Album | Merry Andrew
|
10 | 30,000 copies |
| 3rd Album | shabon songs
|
6 | 30,000 copies |
| 4th Album | chronicle.
|
11 | 32,217 copies |
| 5th Album | JAPANESE POP
|
10 | 18,000 copies |
DVDs
- The Moon and the Sun. (April 19, 2006)
- Tour 2008 "Encyclopedia." Final (January 7, 2009)
Radio
- Splash Dream (Date FM, February 2004)
- Middle Tempo Magic (North Wave, July–December 2004)
- Oh! My Radio (J-WaveJ-WaveJ-Wave is a commercial radio station based in Tokyo, Japan, broadcasting on 81.3 FM from the Tokyo Tower to the Tokyo area. J-Wave airs mostly music covering a wide range of formats. The station is considered the most popular among FM broadcasts in Tokyo, and has surprised the radio broadcast...
, October 2006-March 2007)
External links
- Andrew Page Yuko Ando Official Site