Yamashita Tatsuro

Yamashita Tatsuro (山下達郎) is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter, composer, arranger, music producer, and former member of the band SUGAR BABE and Niagara Triangle.

Profile

Birthday: February 4, 1953 (1953-02-04) (age 71)
Birthplace: Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Blood Type: B

Information

Yamashita Tatsuro was born in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan on Feburary 4th, 1953. When he was growing up, Yamashita was influenced by American rock and pop music and wanted to become a musician. He was even fascinated with a capella Doo-wop and gradually learned the style. While in middle school, Yamashita, along with his classmate Namiki Susumu, founded a four-person amateur band. Wanikawa Kiharuo joined the group later on when Yamashita and him met in high school. The group always practiced on Sundays and had about 7-8 songs completed when they first performed. However, when the band members graduated from high school and the each went their different ways, the members thought it was best to breakup.

After high school, he went to Meiji University but dropped out before finishing a degree program. He reunited with the members of his first amateur band and released the album "ADD SOME MUSIC TO YOUR DAY" in 1972. The album incorporated a lot of covers of American songs with music genres ranging from Doo-wop to Psychedelic rock. A year later after the album's release, Yamashita joined another group called SUGAR BABE with Ohnuki Taeko and Muramatsu Kunio. However, the group only released one album and one single when they decided to breakup in 1976.

After SUGAR BABE broke up, Yamashita decided to go solo and went to New York and Los Angeles to begin recording for his solo debut album. Yamashita's work paid off as he released the album CIRCUS TOWN on December 1976 on the label RCA. But, it wasn't until four years later when he released the album RIDE ON TIME that Yamashita received his first big hit.

Yamashita married singer Takeuchi Mariya in 1982. The marriage also marked Yamashita changing labels as he went from RCA to Warner Music Japan. Four years later, he released the album MELODIES. The album featured a re-cut single, "Christmas Eve", that sold over a million copies and become one of the most memorable Christmas songs in Japan as it was featured in the JR Tokai Christmas Express campaign commercials.

Yamashita's popularity didn't lose steam in the 90s as he released the album ARTISAN in 1991. This album helped Yamashita win the Best Album Award in the Rock and Pop Category at the 33rd Nihon Record Taishou. Three years later, to commemorate the release of the remastered version of SUGAER BABE's only album, Yamashita held a special live entitled "TATSURO YAMASHITA sings SUGAR BABE" at Nakano Sun Plaza. He also released the album "TREASURES" in 1995 which sold over a million copies.

To help celebrate the release of the box set THE RCA/AIR YEARS LP BOX 1976-1982 in 2002, Yamashita held a concert tour entitled "Performance 2002 RCA/AIR YEARS SPECIAL". Recently, he has been performing at many events and concerts including the "Performance 2008-2009" concert tour in 2008 and at the RISING SUN ROCK FESTIVAL in 2010.

Discography

Albums

[1972.xx.xx] ADD SOME MUSIC TO YOUR DAY
[1976.12.25] CIRCUS TOWN
[1977.05.25] SPACY
[1978.05.25] IT'S A POPPIN' TIME
[1978.12.20] GO AHEAD!
[1979.10.21] MOONGLOW
[1980.03.21] COME ALONG
[1980.09.21] RIDE ON TIME
[1982.01.21] FOR YOU
[1983.06.08] MELODIES
[1984.06.20] BIG WAVE
[1986.04.23] POCKET MUSIC
[1988.10.19] Boku no Naka no Shounen (僕の中の少年)
[1991.06.18] ARTISAN
[1993.11.18] SEASON'S GREETINGS
[1996.04.xx] Yamashita Tatsurou CM Zenshuu Vol.1 (Second Edition) (山下達郎CM全集 Vol.1 (Second Edition))
[1998.08.26] COZY
[2001.02.xx] Yamashita Tatsurou CM Zenshuu Vol.2 (山下達郎CM全集 Vol.2))
[2004.04.xx] THE WORKS OF TATSURO YAMASHITA Vol.1 -Yamashita Tatsuro Sakuhinshuu Vol.1- (THE WORKS OF TATSURO YAMASHITA Vol.1 –山下達郎作品集 Vol.1–)
[2005.09.14] SONORITE

Singles

[1976.04.01] Shiawase ni Sayonara (幸せにさよなら)
[1979.01.25] LET'S DANCE BABY
[1979.04.05] Ai wo Egaite –LET'S KISS THE SUN– (愛を描いて –LET'S KISS THE SUN–)
[1979.10.21] Eien no FULL MOON (永遠のFULL MOON)
[1980.05.01] RIDE ON TIME
[1982.04.05] Amaku Kiken na Kaori (あまく危険な香り)
[1983.04.23] Koukiatsu Girl (高気圧ガール)
[1983.09.28] Sprinker (スプリンクラー)
[1983.12.14] Christmas Eve (クリスマス・イブ)
[1984.05.25] HE THEME FROM BIG WAVE
[1985.03.25] Kaze no Corridor (風の回廊（コリドー）)
[1985.11.18] Douyoubi no Koibito (土曜日の恋人)
[1987.05.10] Odoro yo, Fish (踊ろよ、フィッシュ)
[1988.04.25] GET BACK IN LOVE
[1989.03.10] Shin Tokyo Rhapsody (新・東京ラプソディー)
[1989.09.25] Oyasumi Rosy -ANGEL BABY e no Hommage- (おやすみロージー –ANGEL BABYへのオマージュ–)
[1990.04.25] Endless Game
[1991.05.10] Sayonara Natsu no Hi (さよなら夏の日)
[1991.08.25] Turner no Kikan Kuruma -Tuner's Steamroller- (ターナーの汽罐車 –Tuner's Steamroller–)
[1992.08.25] Atom no Ko (アトムの子)
[1993.06.08] MAGIC TOUCH
[1993.10.25] Jungle Swing (ジャングル・スウィング)
[1994.01.25] Parade (パレード)
[1995.11.01] Sekai no Hate Made (世界の果てまで)
[1996.02.10] Ai no Hi ~ STAND IN THE LIGHT (愛の灯〜STAND IN THE LIGHT)
[1996.05.01] DREAMING GIRL
[1998.01.28] Heron (ヘロン)
[1998.04.29] Itsuka Hareta Hi ni (いつか晴れた日に)
[1999.07.14] Atom no Ko (アトムの子)
[1999.11.10] LOVE CAN GO THE DISTANCE
[2000.07.12] JUVENILE no Theme ~Hitomi no Naka no RAINBOW~ (JUVENILEのテーマ〜瞳の中のRAINBOW〜)
[2001.06.27] Kimi no Koe ni Koishiteru (君の声に恋してる)
[2002.01.23] LOVELAND, ISLAND
[2003.02.19] RIDE ON TIME
[2003.06.11] 200 Ton no Ame (2003 NEW VOCAL REMIX) (2000トンの雨(2003 NEW VOCAL REMIX))
[2004.08.04] Wasurenaide (忘れないで)
[2005.01.19] FOREVER MINE
[2005.04.27] Taiyou no Ekubo (太陽のえくぼ)
[2005.10.26] Shiroi Umbrella / Lucky Girl ni Hanataba wo (白いアンブレラ ⁄ ラッキー・ガールに花束を)
[2008.03.12] Zutto Isshosa (ずっと一緒さ)
[2009.08.19] Bokura no Natsu no Yume (僕らの夏の夢)
[2010.04.14] Kibou to Iu Na no Hikari (希望という名の光)
[2010.06.02] Machi Monogatari (街物語)
[2011.03.09] Aishiteru tte Ienakutatte (愛してるって言えなくたって)