Kome Kome Club

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Kome Kome Club
OriginJapan
Genres
Years active1982–1997
2006–present
LabelsSony
Websitehttp://www.komekomeclub.net/
MembersTatsuya Ishii
James Onoda
Bon
be
Flash Kaneko
Mari
Minako
RYO-J
Joplin Tokunoh

Kome Kome Club (米米CLUB, Kome Kome Kurabu) is a Japanese pop rock band formed in 1982 which achieved commercial success by blending soul and funk musical styles.[1][2] They also use the style of rakugo.[3]

History[]

1982–1997: Commercial success[]

The band was founded in 1982 by vocalist Tatsuya Ishii (sometimes credited as "Carl Smoky Ishiii") and fellow members.[4] They released their debut single and album in October 1985. In 1990, "Roman Hikō" became a hit song. In 1992, "Kimi ga Iru Dake de" topped the Oricon chart, remaining in the charts for 33 weeks.[5] It is the fifth best-selling song in Japan since Oricon's establishment,[6] and the second best-selling J-Pop single, slightly behind Southern All Stars' "TSUNAMI", (released in January 2000). "Kimi ga Iru Dake de" was written around the marriage of band members Minako (also Ishii's sister) and Kaneko, the saxophone/keyboardist.

However, drummer Ryo-J and guitarist Joplin Tokunoh parted ways with the band in 1995. Ishii tried to continue the band, but in the end he officially dissolved it in March 1997.

2006–present: Reunion[]

With the two members returning, the band reformed in the middle of 2006 for a series of concerts as well as a few new recordings, including "Well Come 2" [sic], which spurred a video where the band members were depicted as toys (complete with enlarged doll-like heads, UPC bar codes and one, "James" Onoda Yasuhide bursting out of his "box"). The video also gives a nod to all of its members by having a screen shot with their name and them playing in the scene, this includes members of Big Horns Bee and Sue Cream Sue. It is a part of Sony Music Japan. Sony has frequently had appearances of the "Well Come 2" video on various streaming websites pulled while leaving other videos from the same DVD online.

A combined CD/DVD release featured a parody of the "hentai" (aka "racy') videos where the two dancers (Minako and Mari, also known as "Sue Cream Sue") dance to songs of Kome Kome in various states of dress and undress (and strange costumes like animals). However, this being 20 years later, their costumes are not as skimpy as the ones in their famed "Costume Dance" videos during Kome Kome's heyday. They do poke a bit of fun with it and guitarist Be (a former cross-dresser during their early years), narrates over the slow-motion action of their backsides and when their skirts fly up a little.

Although there was a very long layoff, "Well Come 2" still became a Top 10 hit on the Oricon charts.[7] On October 22, 2006, they announced that they completely revoked their breakup.[8] In September 2007, their new studio album komedia.jp was released. On December 31, 2007, they took part in the 58th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.

Members[]

Carl Smoky Ishii: Vocal
James Onoda: Vocal, Chorus
Bon: Bass
be: Guitar
Flash Kaneko: Saxophone, Keyboards, Flute
Toshi: Drums
RYO-J: Drums
Joplin Tokunoh: Guitar
Mataro: Percussion, Chorus
Machiko: Chorus
Juliano Katsumata: Keyboards
Kohtaro: Dance
Shinji: Dance

SCS (Sue Cream Sue)
Minako: Vocal, Dance (younger sister of Ishii and wife of Kaneko)
Mari: Vocal, Dance, Percussion

B.H.B. (Big Horns Bee)
G.I. Gyo: Trumpet
Himarayan Shimogami: Trumpet
Kawai Wakaba: Trombone, Saxophone
Orita Nobotta: Saxophone, Flute
Fussy Kobayashi: Trumpet

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ 米米ＣＬＵＢ (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
  2. ^ Mark Schilling The Encyclopedia of Japanese pop culture 1997 0834803801 p.230 "In the latter half of the 1980s rock bands like Rebecca, Checkers, Hound Dog, Tube, Anzen Chitai, Bakufu Slump, and Kome Kome Club began to take center stage on the pop scene. Unlike earlier bands, who played Western-style rock for hard-core fans, these groups had a more Japanized sound that ordinary kids could relate to. Also, taking a hint from New Music queen YUMINC, who mounted spectacular stage shows.."
  3. ^ 懐かしの名曲を探せ！（第22回）～米米クラブ復活「君がいるだけで」の巻 (in Japanese). Nikkei Business Publications. 2006-03-24. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
  4. ^ "今夜21時、米米CLUBがニューアルバムを引っさげて生出演！" (in Japanese). RBB Today. 2007-09-05. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
  5. ^ 君がいるだけで (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
  6. ^ "SMAP「世界に一つだけの花」、 シングル売上歴代9位に！！" (in Japanese). Oricon. 2004-08-03. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
  7. ^ ＷＥＬＬ　ＣＯＭＥ　２ (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
  8. ^ 米米ＣＬＵＢ解散撤回で完全復活宣言. Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). Asahi Shimbun. 2006-10-23. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
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