The Captains' frontman
Kizuhiko's notes on the bands and song choices on The Captains'
I Love GS CD.
1. Flower Necklace (The
Tigers, 1968) This song was released at the peak of the Group Sounds
boom by The Tigers, a group of beautiful boys who looked like
they were lifted straight out of a comic book for teenage girls.
It topped the singles chart for seven consecutive weeks. While
the original song has a mellow tempo and a classical feel, The
Captains give it a surf-rock interpretation.
2. Crimson Son (Hibari
Misora, 1967) Hibari Misora, the queen of Japanese pop music, sang
this song with the classic Group Sounds outfit The Blue Comets
as her backing band. This could be taken as proof positive that
GS was at the forefront of Japanese music at the time. This cover
features a duet from The Captains lead singer Kizuhiko and Hananosuke
Mito, former vocalist for Angie.
3. Emerald Legend (The
Tempters, 1968)
This song topped the charts, played by The Tempters, who were
called "The Rolling Stones of Japan" and known as rivals
of The Tigers. The Captains faithfully reproduce the feel of the
original in their cover.
4. Furi Furi (The Spiders,
1965)
Debut single of The Spiders, the kings of Group Sounds.
The guitarist, Hiroshi Mayatsu composed the song but does not
appear on the jacket photo because he was late for the photoshoot.
Furi-Furi is a milestone in Japanese rock history: the first song
to be written, sung and performed by the band members themselves.
The original song is simple three-chord rock'n'roll. The Captains'
playful cover features a unique bossa-nova style.
5. Let's Live For Today
(The Tempters, 1967)
Debut single of The Tempters. This song is known in Japan as a
Grassroots (USA) hit, but is originally from the English band
The Rokes who performed in Italy and sang this in Italian with
the title "Piangi Con Me". The Captains cover it with
lush funk-piano sounds.
6. Blue Chateau (Jacky
Yoshikawa & Blue Comets, 1967)
Jacky Yoshikawa and his Blue Comets have had a longer career than
any other Group Sounds band. This smash hit was the most popular
GS song in Japan and sold 1.5 million records. Anyone who grew
up in Japan in the 1960's can at least hum this tune.
Jacky Yoshikawa and His Blue Comets were the only GS band to ever
perform in the annual Red & White Year-End Song Festival,
the most prominent music program on Japanese television.
The Captains add a horn ensemble and cover this classic track
with a light touch.
7. Crying Sunset (The
Spiders, 1966)
A major hit that sold more than 1.2 million records. The Spiders
were rock'n roll fans to the core and were unsatisfied with the
Japanese pop-scene. This garage-rock cover version by The Captains
aims to put to bed The Spiders' lingering discontent.
8. Tunnel To Heaven (The
Dynamites)
The band was popular for their fuzz guitar and powerful rhythms.
They were known for live covers of Them and the Rolling Stones.
This cover version laces the whole song with a distortion effect
for a radical finished product.
9. Memory Beach (The Wild
Ones) The wistful 12-string guitar intro is reminiscent of
The Byrds. The Captains' cover mixes it up with a shuffle rhythm.
The choral singing reminds you of a good-timey campfire sing-along!
TRANSLATION SERVICES by Sawako
Kanda
ADDITIONAL TRANSLATIONS by Sam Malissa (JASGP)
