INSOMNIAC SONG

ROCK

Southern All Stars

 

Members: Kuwata Keisuke, Hara Yuko, Sekiguchi Kazuyuki, Matsuda Hiroshi, Nozawa Hideyuki
Former Members: Omori Takashi

Genre: Rock

Country: Japan

Years Active: 1978 -

Status: Active

Notable traits: 

Recommended Songs: Namida no Umi de Dakaretai ~SEA OF LOVE~; DIRTY OLD MAN ~Saraba Natsu yo~; 彩 ~Aja~

 

Throughout the years, Southern All Stars has become one of Japan's best-selling artists. Oricon lists them as the 4th best-selling act in the nation. The laid back feel to their music is the ultimate reason why I was drawn in. There's a calm, refreshing feel blended seemlessly between Kuwata's vocals and the music. This is the kind of music you can relax with.

 

Southern All Stars debuted in 1978 with the single Katte ni Sinbad. The single reached #3 on the Oricon charts. Shortly afterward, their first album, Atsui Munasawagi, was released.  Kibun Shidai de Semenaide, their second single, reached #10 on the charts. The band was seen as a bit comical. It was their third single released in 1979 that really stood out. Itoshi no Ellie was a soft pop ballad that has been regarded as their breakthrough song. It has become so popular that it has been covered by artists such as Ray Charles in 1989 and more recently by BENI in 2012. 

 

Kuwata married Hara after the release of their fourteenth single in 1982. The husband and wife bandmates continued releasing quality music although a rather naughty image was building up around the group. The release of the album, Nude Man, was the beginning of this image. The cover featured exactly what the title implies jumping into the ocean. This naughty reputation was followed with the release of BODY SPECIAL II. The single's cover featured a wet topless woman in small shorts. Their naughty image didn't do anything to hamper their popularity with 1985 seeing the release of their eighth album, Kamakura. The original release of Kamakura became the #4 album of that year.

 

The band has experienced it's share of issues. In the late 1980s, the band went on hiatus while Hara Yuko was pregnant. Sekiguchi Kazuyuki went on hiatus with the group in 1991 due to health concerns only to return in 1995. The band had a break in releases from 2009 until 2013 so the members could work on solo activities. During that break, vocalist Kuwata Keisuke was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in July 2010. He has since recovered successfully from the illness. Their most recent release is Peace & Hi-lite in August 2013 after a five year span without releases.