Broadcasted on Jan. 6, 2008
The Group sounds (GS) boom in the 60's in Japan first began with The Spidars. Having the creation method shifted from band-driven to record company-driven, the hit songs by The Tigars, who made their pro debue in 1967, were not written by themselves. Koichi Sugiyama, a hit-making composer, clearly defined the band by 2 comcepts - creation of not Americanized unique music style, and releasing single records My Mary, Seaside Bound, and Mona Lisa's Smile to make one suite. Former member of The Tigars Taro Morimoto says "Including our fans, most of us were against the suggested style cos it was so different from ours. But if we stuck to covering The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, we'd never made such a success. We learnt, only later, the profetionals were right after all." With their image/media strategies based on clear comcepts, The Tigars' popularity ignited the GS boom.
Tags: 60's GS band The Tigars ザ・タイガース 沢田研二 Julie Kenji Sawada