B-Gram RECORDS (1993-1998, 2000-2016)
39-495: Zard ( ザード , Zādo ) (stylized as ZARD ) were a Japanese pop rock group, originally with five members, with lead vocalist Izumi Sakai as its only constant member. Izumi Sakai was also the band's core member. Zard's work was sold under the record label B-Gram Records , Inc. Their most popular and successful songs are " Makenaide " (1993) ( 負けないで ) , " Yureru Omoi " (1993) ( 揺れる想い ) , and " My Friend " (1996). As of 2023, Zard has sold over 38 million records, making them one of
78-422: A "real connection with the audience". Frith's analysis of the history of popular music from the 1950s to the 1980s has been criticized by B. J. Moore-Gilbert, who argues that Frith and other scholars have overemphasized the role of rock in the history of popular music by naming every new genre using the "rock" suffix. Thus, when a folk-oriented style of music developed in the 1960s, Frith termed it "folk rock", and
117-431: A beautiful moment Tour in 2004—the only tour that band had gone on. The new tour was called "What a Beautiful Memory". In September 2007, an audience of 13,000 participated in a memorial Budokan concert. Nine screens were set up to show previously unseen footage of Izumi Sakai, and a first single after she died called Glorious Mind was played. This was a song that Sakai had recorded before her hospitalization, and
156-555: A bright mood. Critic Philip Auslander argues that the distinction between pop and rock is more pronounced in the US than in the UK. He claims that in the US, pop has roots in white crooners such as Perry Como , whereas rock is rooted in African-American music influenced by forms such as rock and roll . Auslander points out that the concept of pop rock, which blends pop and rock, is at odds with
195-563: A million applicants. The DVD for this concert, released on January 26, 2000, had a limited production of 300,000 copies. Besides being the driving force of Zard (and so much so that it became synonymous with her alone), Izumi Sakai was a very prolific lyricist . She wrote 150 songs during her 17-year career (numerous songs for other artists as well as all of the Zard songs except for two, Koionna no Yūutsu ( 恋女の憂鬱 ) and Onna de Itai ( 女でいたい ) from their first album, Good-bye My Loneliness , which
234-451: A selection of Sakai's personal favorite songs, and the other including favorites chosen by her staff. A fan-selected compilation album was also planned for the fall. Two tribute concerts were held—one on September 7 at Osaka Festival Hall , and the other on September 14 at Tokyo Nippon Budokan . These two places were chosen because they were the first and last stops respectively of the What
273-435: A slick, commercial product and less authentic than rock music. Much pop and rock music has been very similar in sound, instrumentation and even lyrical content. The terms "pop rock" and " power pop " have been used to describe more commercially successful music that uses elements from, or the form of, rock music. Writer Johan Fornas views pop/rock as "one single, continuous genre field", rather than distinct categories. To
312-467: A softer alternative to rock and roll. In the aftermath of the British Invasion , from about 1967, it was increasingly used in opposition to the term rock, to describe a form that was more commercial, ephemeral and accessible. As of the 2010s, "guitar pop rock" and " indie rock " are roughly synonymous terms. " Jangle " is a noun-adjective that music critics often use in reference to guitar pop with
351-500: A strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock music . Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll , early pop rock was influenced by the beat , arrangements, and original style of rock and roll (and sometimes doo-wop ). It may be viewed as a distinct genre field rather than music that overlaps with pop and rock. The detractors of pop rock often deride it as
390-799: The Yomiuri Shimbun , as of August 2007, Zard was No. 8 for overall total in Japan. She has had 12 singles reach the No. 1 spot on the Oricon Singles Charts, and 9 albums reach the No. 1 spot on the Oricon Album Charts. 43 of her singles reached top 10 in the Oricon rankings. Zard has released a total of 45 singles and 17 albums. Zard was also featured in Tak Matsumoto's Ihoujin (August 27, 2003). This single
429-402: The best-selling music artists in Japan . Zard began when the former CEO of Being Corporation, Daikō Nagato, recruited a 24-year-old model named Sachiko Kamachi. Changing her name to Izumi Sakai in an attempt to cut off her past, she created a group called Zard. Zard made a breakthrough with the release of their debut single February 10, 1991 Good-bye My Loneliness , which was a theme song for
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#1732872705154468-454: The 1970s; he regarded "pop-rock" as a "monolith" that "straddled" all burgeoning movements and subgenres in the popular and semipopular music marketplace at the time, including singer-songwriter music, art rock , heavy metal , boogie , country rock , jazz fusion , funk , disco , urban contemporary , and new wave , but not punk rock . Zyyg Zyyg is a Japanese rock band under B-Gram Records label. Their management office
507-599: The 2-disc DVD set Legend of 90's J-Rock Best Live & Clips . On April 1, 2019, it was announced that they would resume activities after more than two decades under the recording label Being. On July 14th, they held the one-man live Live Rockin' High 2019: Dreamers in Tokyo for the first time in twelve years. The music video medley has been uploaded on the official YouTube channel of Being Inc. A new official website has been launched as well. In October 2023, Takayama himself as representative of Zyyg, made guest appearance at
546-762: The Fuji TV drama "Ideals and Reality of Marriage" featuring Misako Tanaka . The song was very successful, reaching No. 9 in the Oricon rankings. Zard's next two singles did not sell as well. The fourth, " Nemurenai Yoru wo Daite " ( 眠れない夜を抱いて ) took a slightly different approach. The group's rock style had morphed to popular while the seemingly dark music videos turned to a relatively brighter image. In fact, half of Zard's official appearances on TV were related to performing this song, which sold 440,000 copies. At that time, Music Station host Kazuyoshi Morita (aka Tamori ) asked Sakai what had taken Zard so long to be on stage. Sakai's reply
585-459: The ICU. Never regaining consciousness, she died at 3:10 p.m. the following day. An agency spokesman said: We hope that Izumi Sakai, along with her hit songs, will remain in the memory of her fans. Sakai had planned to release a new album in the fall, as well as make her first live tour in three years to show her fans that she was fighting strongly against her illnesses. A memorial service for fans
624-559: The age of 40 in Keio University Hospital. She had entered the hospital in June 2006 after discovering she had cervical cancer and had the tumor removed. In April 2007, however, the cancer had spread to her lungs, resulting in her re-admittance to hospital. According to the hospital, she took daily walks every morning. During her walk on May 26, she accidentally fell from the stairs and was discovered at around 5:40 a.m. and taken to
663-474: The authors Larry Starr and Christopher Waterman, it is defined as an "upbeat variety of rock music" represented by artists and bands such as Andy Kim , the Bells , Paul McCartney , Lighthouse , and Peter Frampton . The term "pop" has been used since the early forties to refer to popular music in general, but in the mid-1950s, it began to be used for a distinct genre, aimed at a youth market, often characterized as
702-631: The form of the studio album Sweet Punks . The album failed to chart in the Oricon Weekly Charts. After finishing their final live on December, the band disbanded. In 1999, their fanclub TROUBLE BEATS was cancelled. In February 2006, almost 9 years after their final live, the original members from the second lineup gathered together and performed a one-night live LIVE ROCKIN' HIGH Final: “ONE AND ONLY MEMORIES” at hills Live Pan Koujou in Osaka . Some of their music video clips were released in 2012 in
741-459: The last work of the original member lineup, they released their debut studio album Go Wild . The album reached #13 on Oricon Weekly charts and sold only 66,000 copies. After failures to catch audience interest, Seiichirou left the band and continued to focus on his solo career, along with Naoki Uzumoto and Naoki Orii as well. In the beginning of 1995, new members Kouji, Naoki and Kenichi joined Seiki's band. In May, they released their first single of
780-496: The late mainland Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng . She also wrote the lyrics for and participated in the collaboration for the single "Hateshinai Yume o" ( 果てしない夢を ) featuring J-pop groups Zard, Zyyg , Rev & Wands . The single also featured famed Japanese baseball hero Shigeo Nagashima . Some of her singles were used in anime , such as Slam Dunk , Dragon Ball GT and Detective Conan . The lyrics of " Dan Dan Kokoro Hikareteku " ( ＤＡＮ ＤＡＮ 心魅かれてく ) by Field of View ,
819-400: The main public relations tool for the record industry in Japan since 1993, or make any public appearances. Her first concert was in 1999, this being held on a cruise ship for a mere 600 members of her fan club (300 entries x2 among 2 million concert ticket requests). Her first and only concert tour, "What A Beautiful Moment Tour", was held in 2004, 13 years after her debut. Almost every concert
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#1732872705154858-660: The members of Wands and Rev . The single was used as a theme song for NTV television sport program Geki Kuukan Pro Yakyuu93 . The single was recorded for the first time on Zard compilation album ZARD BEST The Single Collection: Kiseki in 1999. In November 1993, they released second single Kaze ni Mabushii , which was used as a commercial song for sport brand Victoria . The single reached into top 10 on Oricon Weekly charts and sold 170,000 copies. In 1994 their sales declined with singles Kowashitai Genjitsu and No Return Love which reached only into top 30 of Oricon Weekly Charts, but still sold more than 10,000 copies. In July, as
897-464: The opening theme song of Dragon Ball GT , is by Izumi Sakai. Afterward, Zard covered this song in Today Is Another Day album. Zard's most successful single, Makenaide ( 負けないで ) has been used as a theme song for Nippon Television program 24-hour TV, an annual Japanese television program in which a celebrity host is on screen continually for a whole day. Sakai said that she was honored at
936-455: The pop-infused styles of the 1970s were called "pop rock". Moore-Gilbert claims that this approach unfairly puts rock at the apex and makes every other influence become an add-on to the central core of rock. In Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau discussed the term "pop-rock" in the context of popular music's fragmentation along stylistic lines in
975-545: The release of single Julie , their sales dropped once again; the single did not reach top charts. Julia was used as an ending theme for the TV Asahi music program Ongaku News HO . In February 1996, they released their second album, Noizy Beat . The album reached #24 on Oricon Weekly charts, sold over 31,000 copies, and charted for three weeks. From March until November 1996, they held their first live tour LIVE ROCKIN' HIGH Vol.Noizy Beat”. Their seventh single, Gypsy Doll ,
1014-407: The remainder of the twentieth century, nine of twenty-one singles reached No. 1 and six reached No. 2. Only two could not break the top four mark. Since "Yureru Omoi" ( 揺れる想い ) they also had three hits selling one million and one other hitting two million copies. On August 31, 1999, Zard held their first concert aboard cruise ship Pacific Venus, where six hundred people were randomly selected out of
1053-427: The same year. An album titled "Yureru Omoi" featuring both "Makenaide" and "Yureru Omoi" sold two million copies, the first million milestone for the group in album sales. In fact, Being was so successful in the early 1990s that it was called Being Boom. No one sold more CDs than Zard in this year. In 1996, Zard had one more million-selling hit, " My Friend ". Although their sales fluctuated among six digits in sales for
1092-411: The second lineup, the band's fifth overall single Zettai ni Dare mo , composed by Tetsuro Oda . The single was used as a second opening theme for anime television series Slam Dunk . The single reached #3 on Oricon Weekly charts, sold more than 28,000 copies, and charted over 10 weeks. This song become their third biggest, and the last single which reached into the top #30 charts. In November 1995, with
1131-505: The song's being chosen and looked forward to watching the show. She also said that since Makenaide was widely appreciated by the public, she often felt as if that song was not hers to keep. Sakai was also known for being mysterious. This is partly because her record label did not release much personal information on their artists, but also because she did not make very many personal appearances. She rarely appeared on any live TV music programs (e.g. TV Asahi 's Music Station ), which had been
1170-435: The top 3, though they did make the top 10. The three songs garnering most votes were 1) Ano Hohoemi o Wasurenaide, 2) Shoujo no Koro ni Modotta Mitai ni, 3) Kakegae no Naimono. When this album hit number one in the Oricon charts, it marked the eleventh time Zard/Sakai had done so, matching the record held by Dreams Come True for the most number ones by female vocal groups. Founding member Izumi Sakai died on May 27, 2007, at
1209-440: The typical conception of pop and rock as opposites. Auslander and several other scholars, such as Simon Frith and Grossberg, argue that pop music is often depicted as an inauthentic, cynical, "slickly commercial", and formulaic form of entertainment. In contrast, rock music is often heralded as an authentic, sincere, and anti-commercial form of music, which emphasizes songwriting by the singers and bands, instrumental virtuosity, and
Zard - Misplaced Pages Continue
1248-616: Was Seas Music Factory. On April 1, 2019, it was announced their activities would resume after more than two decades. The formation of band started in 1992 with Seiki and Seiichirou together. In May 1993, they debuted with single Kimi ga Hoshikute Tamaranai . This debut single was used as a commercial song for Suntory 's beer. The single reached #3 on Oricon Weekly Charts, sold over 700,000 copies, and charted over 16 weeks. After this single, additional members Naoki Uzumoto and Naoki Orii joined in recording. In June 1993, Seiki participated in collaboration single Hateshinai Yume wo with Zard ,
1287-465: Was held on June 27 in a funeral hall in Aoyama, Tokyo . On the previous day, a memorial service for the people concerned was held and Maki Ohguro and Tetsuro Oda and others were in attendance. At the same time, Tak Matsumoto and Koshi Inaba of B'z , Mai Kuraki and Shigeo Nagashima made announcements in her remembrance. Two compilation albums were planned for release on August 15, one including
1326-631: Was later included in the cover album The Hit Parade produced by Tak Matsumoto. On a trivial note, Zard's album " Oh My Love " released in 1994 reached No. 1 for the 500th edition of the Oricon Rankings since it began in 1970. She has had 12 singles reach the No. 1 spot on the Oricon . On January 23, 2008, an album based on fan requests was released, titled Zard Request Best: Beautiful Memory. NTV Morning News program, Zoom In Super's December 28, 2007 reports that over 500,000 entries were mailed to Being. Surprisingly, Makenaide and Yureru Omoi were not in
1365-537: Was never released as part of a studio album; instead, it was included in Being Inc. 's compilation album series Best of Best 1000 . In May 1997 they released their final, 10th single Kono Jounetsu no Soba de , which failed to enter the Oricon Weekly Charts. It was used as an ending theme for the TV Asahi program Ryū no Fukumimi . From June until December of 1997, they held their last live tour LIVE BURST CITY “SWEET PUNKS”. In August, they released their final work in
1404-455: Was sold out at the time. The tour ended up having 10 concerts spanning 4 months from March to July 2004, with the final concert held in the famed Nippon Budokan . Although Zard began as a group, Sakai's dominance within it has led to the name "Zard" often being used in Japan to refer to her alone, as a solo female singer. She used to hold a female record in Japan for most single sales until Ayumi Hamasaki released " No Way to Say ". According to
1443-410: Was that they had wanted to make sure Zard would be an economically viable project and hence did not want to go public prematurely. The major breakthrough for the group came with their sixth single in 1993, " Makenaide ", which became No. 1 in the Oricon charts and went on to sell over 1.8 million copies. Zard went on to release two more songs that reached No. 1, " Yureru Omoi " and " Kitto Wasurenai " in
1482-461: Was used as the opening theme song of the anime series Case Closed . It was not complete at the time of Sakai's death, but the chorus footage was complete. Extra minutes where she was singing in English were incorporated from a previously unrelated and unreleased song as well. Pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock ) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by
1521-595: Was written by Daria Kawashima,) and she released several books of poetry as well. An editorial in the Asahi Shimbun claimed that the secret to Zard's success was that while the trend in Japan showed a decrease in the number of music programs on television, Sakai used late night commercials to air her voice and so advertise her works. She also wrote songs for other artists, most notably for the J-pop groups that shared her management company: Field of View , Wands and Deen , and
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