The Checkers (Japanese band)
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The Checkers (Japanese: チェッカーズ) was a very popular Japanese band in the 1980s. They were a pop icon of their time as kids copied hair styles and fashion of the band members. [1]
The band was formed in Kurume-city, Fukuoka Pref. by Toru Takeuchi, the leader and the guitarist, who asked Fumiya Fujii to start a band with him in 1980. They won the Yamaha Light Music Contest in Junior category soon after forming the band. Due to some of the members being high school students at the time they were approached with a record deal they waited until those members finished high school. They made a debut on 21 September 1983 and split up on 31 December 1992.[2][3] All of their single releases entered top 10 in Japanese charts, many of them making it to No 1. Fumiya Fujii, who was the lead singer and the main lyricist, went on to pursue a successful solo career.[4]
Although it was a band that, along with Hiroaki Serizawa,[5] produced their own songs, they were frequently regarded as just male aidoru by Japanese rock fans because of their early marketing promotion.[6]
Members
Past members
- Fumiya Fujii - vocals, chorus (1962-)
- Naoyuki Fujii - sax, flute, back-vocals, chorus (1964-)
- Masaharu Tsuruku - vocals, chorus (1964-)
- Yoshihiko Takamoku - vocals, chorus (1962-)
- Tohru Takeuchi - guitars, chorus (1962-)
- Yuji Ohdoi - bass, contrabass, chorus (1962-)
- Yoshiya Tokunaga - drums, percussion, chorus (1962-2004; his death[7])
Discography
As Checkers
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN Oricon [8] | ||||
| 1983 | Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
8 | CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | Canyon Record |
| 1984 | Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
2 | CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | |
| Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
1 | CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming, | ||
| Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | |||
| Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | |||
| 1985 | Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | ||
| Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
CD, LP, Cassette, digital download | |||
| Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | |||
| Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | |||
| 1986 | "Oh!!Popstar" |
2 | CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | |
| "Song for U.S.A." |
1 | CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | ||
| "Nana" |
- | CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | ||
| 1987 | "I Love You, Sayonara" |
2 | CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | |
| "Wanderer" |
1 | CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | ||
| "Blue Rain" |
2 | CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | ||
| 1988 | "One Night Gigolo" |
3 | CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | |
| "Script error: No such module "Nihongo"." |
4 | CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | ||
| "Script error: No such module "Nihongo"." |
2 | CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | ||
| 1989 | "Room" |
3 | CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | |
| "Cherie" |
5 | CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | ||
| "Friends and Dream" |
2 | CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | ||
| 1990 | Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | ||
| Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | |||
| Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
7 | CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | ||
| 1991 | "Love '91" |
3 | CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | |
| "Mrs. Mermaid" |
4 | CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | ||
| Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | |||
| 1992 | Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
5 | CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | |
| "Blue Moon Stone" |
7 | CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming | ||
| "Present For You" |
4 | CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming |
Albums
Original albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| JPN Oricon [8] | ||
| Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
|
1 |
| Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
| |
| Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
| |
| "Flower" |
| |
| "Go" |
| |
| "Screw" |
|
4 |
| "Seven Heaven" |
|
1 |
| "Oops!" |
| |
| "I Have a Dream" |
|
2 |
| "Blue Moon Stone" |
|
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPN Oricon [8] | |||
| "Non-Stop CHECKERS" |
|
- | |
| "BEST The CHECKERS" |
|
1 | |
| "Checkers The BEST" |
|
11 | |
| "The Checkers" |
|
1 | |
| "The OTHER SIDE" |
|
11 | |
| "Early Singles" |
|
3 | |
| "Ballade Selection" |
|
- | |
| "Ballade Selection II" |
|
- | |
| "ALL Songs REQUEST" |
|
- | |
| "COMPLETE The CHECKERS all singles collection" |
|
- | |
| "COMPLETE The CHECKERS all singles collection reverse" |
|
- | |
| "All Ballads Request" |
|
- | |
| "THE CHECKERS SUPER BEST COLLECTION 32" |
|
- | |
| "THE CHECKERS 30TH ANNIVERSARY BEST~7X30 SINGLES~2" |
|
- | |
| Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
|
- | |
| Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
|
- | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||
Live albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPN Oricon [8] | |||
| Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
|
- | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||
Soundtracks
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPN Oricon [8] | |||
| Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
|
1 | |
| Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
|
- | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||
Box sets
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPN Oricon [8] | |||
| Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
|
- | |
| Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
|
- | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||
As Cute Beat Club Band
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN Oricon [9] | ||||
| 1987 | Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
4 | CD, LP, Cassette | Canyon Record |
Albums
Original albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPN Oricon [9] | |||
| Script error: No such module "Nihongo". |
|
1 | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||
Live albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPN Oricon [9] | |||
Script error: No such module "Nihongo".
|
|
2 | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||
Videography
Video albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPN Oricon [9] | |||
| THE CHECKERS CHRONICLE 1988 SCREW TOUR |
|
- | |
| THE CHECKERS CHRONICLE 1987 GO TOUR |
|
- | |
| THE CHECKERS CHRONICLE 1986 FLASH!! TOUR |
|
- | |
| THE CHECKERS CHRONICLE 1985 II PIRATES TOUR |
|
- | |
| THE CHECKERS CHRONICLE 1985 I Typhoon' TOUR |
|
- | |
| CHECKERS ALL SONGS REQUEST: DVD EDITION |
|
- | |
| THE CHECKERS CHRONICLE 1992 I Blue Moon Stone TOUR I |
|
- | |
| THE CHECKERS CHRONICLE 1991 II I have a Dream TOUR "WHITE PARTY II" |
|
- | |
| THE CHECKERS CHRONICLE 1991 I I have a Dream TOUR "WHITE PARTY I" |
|
- | |
| THE CHECKERS CHRONICLE 1990 OOPS! TOUR |
|
- | |
| THE CHECKERS CHRONICLE 1989 SEVEN HEAVEN TOUR |
|
- | |
| THE CHECKERS CHRONICLE 1992 VI Rec. |
|
- | |
| THE CHECKERS CHRONICLE 1992 V FINAL TOUR "ACOUSTIC COLLECTION" |
|
- | |
| THE CHECKERS CHRONICLE 1992 IV FINAL TOUR "ACCESS ALL AREA" |
|
- | |
| THE CHECKERS CHRONICLE 1992 III FINAL TOUR |
|
- | |
| THE CHECKERS CHRONICLE 1992 II Blue Moon Stone TOUR II |
|
- | |
| THE CHECKERS BEST HITS LIVE 1985-1992 |
|
- | |
| 1992 Blue Moon Stone TOUR I&II |
|
- | |
| Checkers 40th Anniversary FINAL TOUR (Remaster Edition) |
|
TBA | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||
References
- ↑ Mark Schilling The Encyclopedia of Japanese pop culture 1997 0834803801 p.230 "In the latter half of the 1980s rock bands like Rebecca, The Checkers, Hound Dog, Tube, Anzen Chitai, Bakufu Slump, and Kome Kome Club began to take center stage on the pop scene. Unlike earlier bands, who played Western-style rock for hard-core fans, these groups had a more Japanized sound that ordinary kids could relate to. Also, taking a hint from New Music queen YUMING, who mounted spectacular stage shows."
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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- ↑ a b c d e f Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".