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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Surf Music General Discussion »

Permalink Japanese band suggestions????

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Does anyone have any recommendations for contemporary Japanese Surf bands to listen to?

Thanks

Simon

The 5 6 7 8s and The Surf Coasters immediately come to mind

Contrary to their name, Japanese Television is not a Japanese band Smile

anything involving Takeshi Terauchi, though he's from the 1960s/70s & not recent

--
Project: MAYHEM by Hypersonic Secret now available!

The Whys and the El Caminos!

The WHYs, The Surf Coasters, Lulufin the Woo Hoo, El Caminos!

Michael B. Coats

The Fuzziyama Surfers.
They’re a trio that sounds HUGE.
They are TIGHT and Masumi’s guitar tone is great.

Check out the vid below and see for
yourselves!

the Woodhavens
--seattle surf music--

on Youtube // on Insta // woodhavens.bandcamp.com

Double Crown Records'
The Continental Magazine #32

Last edited: Mar 20, 2023 22:29:03

Jackie and the Cedrics are my fave. Double Crown has a copy of this great double 7” ep. https://www.doublecrownrecords.com/jackie-the-cedrics-great-9-stomps-set-2-x-7/

I really like the Neatbeats, but they are mostly beat style vocals with a couple of instros.

This is a pretty cool comp from Eddie Angel’s label.

http://www.spinoutmusic.com/cd_17.html

Rev

Canadian Surf

http://www.urbansurfkings.com/

Last edited: Mar 23, 2023 13:24:43

Hiroyoshi Kato
Society of Seven Japan -- not the Hawaii band Society of Seven
"Wild Eleki Deluxe" CD by The Royal Fingers. Ebay offers some.
Dr.K Project . EBay offers some CDs.

All these sound fully professional and polished, not amateurish or rough.

On streaming services outside Youtube you may have difficulty finding their recordings excepting for Hiroyoshi Kato. All but The Royal Fingers have many Ventures covers. Society of Seven Japan have some killer originals. "Wild Eleki Deluxe" is a great album.

Insanitizers! http://www.insanitizers.com

Last edited: Mar 22, 2023 21:11:38

Squid wrote:

"Wild Eleki Deluxe" CD by The Royal Fingers. Ebay offers some.

I have this CD and it's fantastic!

--
Project: MAYHEM by Hypersonic Secret now available!

Wild Sammy & The Royaltones

theWoodhavens wrote:

The Fuzziyama Surfers.
They’re a trio that sounds HUGE.
They are TIGHT and Masumi’s guitar tone is great.

Check out the vid below and see for
yourselves!

Great!

Michael B. Coats

The album "Essence of Eleki" by Society of Seven Japan (on Youtube) has 20 widely varying songs. Number 17 is one of my few best favorite recordings among all surf. The title is "Astral Circle" but is displayed only in Kanji characters. It is similar to "Out of Limits" but is more melodic and mysterious. Some of the other songs sound as well organized as a large band such as Billy Vaughn or Lawrence Welk.

Their album Eleki E Nakamatachi is similarly variable. It contains several classics of Rautalanka such as Geronimo, Karelia and The Last Space Train, as well as Black Sand Beach, and The Cruel Sea. It also contains classics of Eleki I am not familiar with that sound better to me than versions by Terauchi Takeishi. Oddly it also contains country-western instros such as Orange Blossom Special and at least one Merle Travis song.

Insanitizers! http://www.insanitizers.com

There are a few playlists on youtube for Society of Seven Japan but track 17 on the the one with 20 tracks seems like a country tune to me. I think I was able to find that their playing of Astral Circle is this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiXXXYHLqnU

...in which case, I am pretty sure that's an early Surf Coasters tune they released as a single by the same name - Astral Circle. That can be heard here on a Best Of compilation:

Fady

El Mirage @ ReverbNation

Last edited: Mar 26, 2023 10:20:22

I'll also add a few things to check out:

  • From "The Best of SG101", "Some inspiring eleki stuff" thread is a GOLDMINE.

  • The first of at least 2 Eleki shows the once active here (but still active!) Whorehay & Co. did on Radiofree Bakersfield. Show #171. Setlist here and updated Episode Archive link - the show hosting has moved. Here's the new RFB site that I also recommend for a wide array of great music.

  • The second Eleki show from Radiofree Bakersfield that I recall. Show #301. Setlist here and updated Episode Archive link

  • And a band to check out; The Sellcancers. They put out two albums, Exotic Charm (2005) and Love Reverb Lab (2006). I'm not readily finding a good link to hear Love Reverb Lab, but someone has uploaded Exotic Charm on tha' utubes.

Fady

El Mirage @ ReverbNation

Last edited: Mar 26, 2023 10:17:18

Fady wrote:

...in which case, I am pretty sure that's an early Surf Coasters tune

Sure, that is the same song. The atmosphere, tones, and accompaniment differ impressively. The Society of Seven Japan's version is mysterious, the tones are pleasant and pretty, and the accompaniment is varied and gorgeous. These make the recording special and fun.

Insanitizers! http://www.insanitizers.com

^^^ Right on! Totally fair take. In a scene where so many songs are covers, I thought I’d add some value about what I am pretty sure is the original in case folks were unaware. Threads like these on this forum are invaluable for that kind of stuff when someone finds themselves in the rabbit hole (as I often do here).

SG101!

Fady

El Mirage @ ReverbNation

Haruka with Cherry Spice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M47zykwO8A

Woody D
S3 #148
Henrico Va

Last edited: Mar 26, 2023 13:29:53

This discussion would be massively incomplete without mention of the female surf guitarist Chicchi. I found a collection of her Youtube videos by poster Syutaka3 At least I think the lead guitar girl in those videos is Chicchi.

Here is a link to syutaka3's youtube collection:
(note: many of the videos listed are of all-male bands, Chicchi's band is all female)
https://www.youtube.com/@syutaka3

and here is a link to one of Chicchi's performances. Careful with the spelling, chichi seems to be someone else!
https://youtu.be/ShM6HhdWf7U

Insanitizers! http://www.insanitizers.com

Last edited: Mar 26, 2023 15:38:34

Thank you Guys so much for the leads. I am heading to Tokyo, Osaka and a night in Wakayama in mid-April. Finding info in gigs is pretty difficult and my Japanese contacts seem a bit blank when I mention Surf. The 5,6,7,8s are playing a gig the week before I get there so that's a bummer.

A guitarist friend of mine visited a few guitar stores in Tokyo during a visit to Japan for non-musical business purposes. The stores he visited had a apecial interest in The Ventures and in Mosrite and Mosrite-like guitars. They were friendly and kindly although he did not buy anything. I expect they might be happy to refer you to venues where instrumental guitar music is featured, especially if their customers perform there.

He told me that in some venues several members of the audience keep personal guitars hanging on the wall for convenience during what might be called Ventures karaoke or Eleki karaoke.

Rather than asking your friends about surf, consider asking them about Takeishi Terauchi, Yuzo Kayama, and The Ventures.

Insanitizers! http://www.insanitizers.com

Last edited: Mar 28, 2023 18:36:25

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