Category Archives: Japan

Categories: Japan, Tokyo, Victor

The Dynamites

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The Dynamites first 45, "Tunnel to Heaven". - scanned from an original sleeve
The Dynamites first 45, “Tunnel to Heaven”. – scanned from an original sleeve

The Dynamites logoThe Dynamites were Segawa Hiroshi vocals, guitar and leader of the group (that’s him in the chair), Oki Keizo slide guitar (unusual for a Japanese band), Yamaguchi Fujio lead guitar, Yoshida Hiroji bass and vocals, and Nomura Mitsuro (“Tako”) on drums. The ripping guitar and driving rhythm of their best music make them one of the top Japanese garage bands.

They came out of the Tokyo club scene, calling themselves the Monsters before having to change their name when signed to Victor.

The Dynamites Victor 45 "Tunnel to Heaven"Their first single from November, 1967 (pictured above) contains different versions of two songs that would show up on their album, Young Sound R&B. “Tunnel to Heaven” is a fine number on the 45, but compare it to the LP and what a difference! Much heavier drums and the guitar is forward in the mix instead of the vocals dominating. Both versions have fantastic solos and plenty of shouts and screams.

The opening chords of “Koi Wa Mo Takusan” (That’s Enough Love), very reminiscent of Paint It Black, segue into a heavy fuzz intro on the LP. On the 45 strings carry the melody instead of the guitar, though once again the solo blazes away. The LP version retains the strings but they’re flat buried in the mix. The song itself is fairly bland and wouldn’t appeal to non-Group Sounds fans, but that opening and the ferocious guitar solo make it worthwhile.

The Dynamites great second 45, "Otona no Senso" - this one is scanned from a reissue sleeve
The Dynamites great second 45, “Otona no Senso” – this one is scanned from a reissue sleeve

The flip of their second 45 from March of 1968 was “Otona no Senso”, which translates as Adult War, and I don’t really know what that’s supposed to mean. This one repeats the unique Dynamites formula: strings, insistent rhythm, screams and shouts, and plenty of fuzz. Japanese 45s and LPs from this time are in stereo with excellent recording quality; when the music is this good it’s a rare treat.

A clip of the Dynamites performing the A-side of their second 45, “Yume Ga Hoshii” in a movie (not sure which) has been taken down from yutube.

Like most GS bands, their LP is chock full of poorly chosen cover songs like “My Girl” and the Bee Gees’ “Massachusetts”. though there’s also an LP-only original “Nobosecha Ikenai” that’s good. It was released in April of 1968 and was followed by three more singles that I haven’t heard:

“Manatsu No Yoru No Dobutsuen (On Midsummer’s Night)” / “Kegawa Ni Natta Shimauma (The Zebra Who Became Fur)”

“Koi Wa Question (Love Is Question)” / “Sekaiju Ni Hohoemi O (Smile At The Whole World)”

“Bara To Akuma” / “Yume-Demo Lisa”

There’s also a CD Live at the Go Go ACB 1969, which is supposed to be OK, but with poor sound quality. I haven’t heard that either.

The Dynamites on stage

The Dynamites photo

The Dynamites, from left: Oki Keizo, Yamaguchi Fujio, Segawa Hiroshi, Yoshida Hiroji, and Nomura Mitsuro
from left: Oki Keizo, Yamaguchi Fujio, Segawa Hiroshi, Yoshida Hiroji, and Nomura Mitsuro
Categories: Japan, Tokyo

The Beavers

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Sleeve for the Beavers second 45, Kiminaki Sekai / Why Baby Why
Sleeve for the Beavers second 45, Kiminaki Sekai / Why Baby Why


What a riff! With a great moody vocal to boot. Released in November, 1967 on the Seven Seas label, “Kiminaki Sekai (The World Without You)” is one of my favorite Group Sounds tunes. Check out the gloomy lyrics in the comment by Navura below!The flip, “Why Baby Why”, is more pop, I’m surprised it wasn’t chosen as the A-side at the time. The Spiders’ guitarist Hiroshi Kamayatsu wrote the lyrics to “Kiminaki Sekai” and the music for “Why Baby Why” under the name “Gen Goki”. This was the second of five singles by the Beavers. Jean-Pierre sent in the excellent “Kimi Suki Da Yo”, their third 45 from April, 1968, which was backed by slightly psychedelic pop of “Koishite Aishite”.I haven’t heard their other 45s, including their first “Hatsukoi No Oka (The Hill Of The First Love)” b/w “Hello, Coffee Girl” which Julian Cope praises in the quote below.

Their only LP consists of both sides of their first three singles (minus “Hello, Coffee Girl”), plus lots of covers – including a crazed version of “I’m a Man”. Their “Over, Under, Sideways, Down” is good too, supposedly they were considered the Yardbirds of Japan. I haven’t heard their version of “She’s a Rainbow” yet.

Akira ‘Ken’ Narita – vocals, harp
Masao Hayase – vocals
Hideki Ishima – lead guitar
Masayuki Hirai – rhythm guitar
Hiroshi Arakawa – bass
Yukio Awamura – drums

The following info is from japrocksampler.com:

In 1964, future Flower Travellin’ Band guitarist Hideki Ishima arrived in Tokyo from his hometown Sapporo. He got together with guitarist Masayuiki Hirai, bassist Hiroshi Arakawa and drummer Yukio Awamura to form an eleki band which took the name The Outlaws. However, the clubs in which The Outlaws played also demanded that they employ a singer. Inspired by The Spiders’ twin lead vocalists, The Outlaws decided to recruit Akira Narita and Masao Hayase.

However, the Golden Best Japan site has a different story (based on info from Ken Narita’s blog and an issue of DIG JAPAN): that Ken Narita had been in the Jarows with Ishima in Hokkaido, and that they traveled together to Tokyo. Masao Hayase and Yukio Awamura had already formed the Outlaws and specifically asked Narita to join. Narita insisted Ishima join as well.

Japrocksampler continues:

Invited to support their heroes The Spiders, the band then changed their name to The Beavers just prior to making their stage debut.

Here too Golden Best Japan has a different take, saying the Spiders had signed the band to their production company “Spiderduction” as the Outlaws and that “Right before their debut album [I think this should read debut single] was released in June 1967, they were told by King executives to change their name to something cuter and chose The Beavers.”

Japrocksampler again:

Their first single ‘Hatsukoi No Oka (The Hill Of The First Love)’ b/w ‘Hello, Coffee Girl’ was released in July 1967 was not a big hit, but was considered something special by fans of the Group Sounds scene.

The second single ‘Kimimaki Sekai (The World Without You)’ fared better but still failed to chart, as did their [fourth] 45 ‘Itoshi No Santa Maria (Saint Maria, My Love)’.

The band’s sole LP Viva Beavers was released thereafter but, at the end of 1968, after the release of their fifth failed single ‘Nakanaide Nakamaide (Please Don’t Cry)’, Ishima recognised that the GS boom was faltering. Ishima split the band when he was invited to join The Flowers by Yuya Uchida.

Band members’ names and release dates from Kurosawa Susumu’s (黒沢 進) Nihon Rock ki GS-hen (Japan Rock Chronicles: Group Sounds Compendium).

Their third single, Kimi Suki Da Yo / Koishite Aishite
Their third single, Kimi Suki Da Yo / Koishite Aishite
Categories: Japan, Not garage

Akira Ifukube

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Not garage music today, but some rare tracks from my favorite soundtrack composer, Akira Ifukube (or to give the name in the proper order, Ifukube Akira).

He wrote the music for the original Godzilla film, and also for dozens of other films: horror, monster, sci-fi, samurai epics and serious dramas. I wish I had bought every one of these CD compilations when I was in Japan, but I was lucky enough to come away with a couple of them as they’re not available here in the U.S.