The Tigers were a Japanese rock band formed in 1967, during the Group Sounds era. The group featured Kenji Sawada as their lead singer, and were signed by Watanabe Productions.
The group was first named "The Funnies", and was formed in 1966. Their first TV performance was on November 15, 1966 on The Hit Parade. The band was renamed to "The Tigers" by recommendation of the show's director Koichi Sugiyama, who would later go on to compose many of their songs. They appeared in several Japanese movies in the late 1960s.
The Tigers recorded "Smile for Me", composed by Barry and Maurice Gibb of The Bee Gees, which was released as a single in July 1969 in the UK and Japan. Also in March 1969, the group was featured on the cover of the US magazine Rolling Stone, the cover story was about rock music in Japan.
On 24 January 1971, The Tigers held their last concert, The Tigers Beautiful Concert, at the Nippon Budokan. After The Tigers broke up, Sawada formed the first Japanese supergroup, Pyg, in 1971.
In 1981, they reunited.
Singles YearTitleLyricistComposer1967"My Mary""Let Me See You Baby" Jun HashimotoKoichi Sugiyama"Seaside Bound""Prince in the Heaven""Mona Liza's Smile""Red Jacket"1968"Love Only For You""The Story of the Falling Leaves""Flower Necklace""Romance in the Milky Way" "C-C-C""Knight in the Night"Kazumi YasuiJun Hashimoto Kunihiko KaseKoichi Sugiyama"A White Dove""The Glorious World"Michio YamagamiRei NakanishiKunihiko MuraiKoichi Sugiyama"Blue Bird""Jinjin Banban"Taro MorimotoJun HashimotoTaro MorimotoKoichi Sugiyama1969"A Decree Of Love""The Wind Doesn't Know"Rei NakanishiTokiko IwataniKunihiko Murai"Grief""Barefoot"Kazumi Yasui"Smile For Me""Rain Falls on the Lonely"Barry Gibb & Maurice GibbRonald Bond & Ronnie SebastianBarry Gibb & Maurice GibbRonald Bond & Ronnie Sebastian"Now I Forgive You""Love, Love, Love"Kazumi YasuiKunihiko Murai1970"Solitude in the City""Ring the Bell of Anger"Michio YamagamiKunio Kawachi"The Free Travel""The Falling of Youthful Days"Kenji SawadaTaro Morimoto"Promise For Future""Nothing But Departure"Michio YamagamiJan TokunagaKunio KawachiTaro Morimoto
Movies
Dorifutazu desu yo! Zenshin zenshin matazenshin (1967, Toho) The Tigers: The World Is Waiting For Us (1968, Toho) The Tigers: Gorgeous Invitation (1968, Toho) The Tigers: Hi! London (1969, Toho) Kigeki migimuke hidari! (1970, Toho)
References
External links The Tigers Modcineaste: The Tigers record reviews in English The Tigers Beautiful Concert 1971 Hi London 1969 Film