are a Japanese kayōkyoku group, formed by Hiroshi Uchiyamada (born Michio Uchiyamada, 1936–2006) in 1967 and fronted by the lead vocalist Kiyoshi Maekawa.
In 1969, the group debuted with the 11th Japan Record Award-winning song "Nagasaki wa Kyou mo Ame datta". They enjoyed a highly successful career mainly during the first half of the 1970s, producing numerous hit singles including "Awazu ni Aishite", "Uwasa no Onna","Soshite, Kōbe", "Nakanoshima Blues" and "Tokyo Sabaku". They lost popularity after the departure of their frontman in the late 1980s, and their career went into hiatus after the band lineup was radically altered around the 1990s.
After the band's founder died of lung cancer in 2006, the remaining members, including Maekawa, reunited.
Band members 1967–1987 (birthname: - guitars, vocals (August 19, 1948 –) - lead vocals (January 1, 1943 –) - bass guitar, vocals (January 15, 1948 –) - keyboards, piano, vocals (January 5, 1943 –) - saxophone, flute, vocals (January 23, 1942 –) - drums, vocals
Discography
Charting singles on the Japanese Oricon YearSingleChart positions JP1969""2""32""11970""4""2""101971""24""43""26""11""221972""7""14""61973""14""15""24""321974""41""64""451975""41""31""9""441976""40""19""531977""20""57""45""761978""91""56""911979""831980"Last Song"87""931984""58 The group released over 50 singles until Kiyoshi Maekawa left the band in 1987, and those sales have been estimated more than 5.9 million copies.
Kōhaku Uta Gassen appearances Year#SongNo.VSRemarks1969 (Showa 44)/20th1Nagasaki Wa Kyoumo Amedatta (长崎は今日も雨だった)19/23Pinky & Killers1970 (Showa 45)/21st2Uwasa No Onna (噂の女)13/24Ryoko Moriyama1971 (Showa 46)/22nd-Minato No Wakareuta (港の別れ唄)-/25Fuji Keiko (original schedule)Absent because of Kiyoshi Maekawa's illness.Replaced by Fuji Keiko and Four Leaves.1974 (Showa 49)/25th3Uminari (海鳴り)18/25Mari AmachiReturned after 3 years1975 (Showa 50)/26th4Naka No Shima Blues (中の島ブルース)12/24Mina Aoe1976 (Showa 51)/27th5Tokyo Sabaku (東京砂漠)6/24Naomi Sagara1977 (Showa 52)/28th6Omoikiri Hashi (思い切り橋)17/24Mina Aoe (2)1978 (Showa 53)/29th7Hashigo Sake (さようならの彼方へ)15/24Hiromi Ōta1979 (Showa 54)/30th8Hashigo Sake (昔があるから)19/23Sayuri Ishikawa1980 (Showa 55)/31st9Hashigo Sake (魅惑・シェイプアップ)10/23Rumiko Koyanagi1981 (Showa 56)/32nd10Hashigo Sake (女・こぬか雨)19/22Sachiko Kobayashi1982 (Showa 57)/33th11Uwasa No Onna (2)16/22Miyuki Kawanaka2006 (Heisei 18)/57th-Nagasaki Wa Kyou Mo Amedatta12/27Masako MoriParticipate under the name of Kiyoshi Maekawa2007 (Heisei 19)/58thSoshite Koube (そして、神戸)8/27Kaori Mizumori2008 (Heisei 20)/59thTokyo Sabaku8/27Miyuki Kawanaka
References