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2 Sides of... 
....Tetsuo Sakurai During the 80s with the Japanese crossover band Casiopea. Asayake Galatic Funk Closer to the present, his Gentle Hearts band (with Dennis Chambers, Greg Howe & Akira Onozuka). Punk Jazz Maximum tA  Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 [Edited 5/15/07 9:03am] "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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theAudience said:
....Tetsuo Sakurai During the 80s with the Japanese crossover band Casiopea. Asayake Galatic Funk Closer to the present, his Gentle Hearts band (with Dennis Chambers, Greg Howe & Akira Onozuka). Punk Jazz Maximum  Kool!! I always dug Tetsuo's bass playing, But I like him better as a solo artist than with Casiopea. I really liked some of Casipea's albums, but overall they were always just a little bit too happy-pop-jazz for me....I wanted them to tackle some material with a little more bite to it...
... " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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paligap said: Kool!! I always dug Tetsuo's bass playing, But I like him better as a solo artist than with Casiopea. I really liked some of Casipea's albums, but overall they were always just a little bit too happy-pop-jazz for me....I wanted them to tackle some material with a little more bite to it...
... According to Kenji, that's one of the reasons Tetsuo quit. Plus the fact that they wanted him to smile all the time while on stage. tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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theAudience said: According to Kenji, that's one of the reasons Tetsuo quit. Plus the fact that they wanted him to smile all the time while on stage. tA Tribal Disorder
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I know of him, but I'm not real familiar with his music....your ideas on a good place to start?  "Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive."
Dalai Lama | |
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cubic61052 said: theAudience said: According to Kenji, that's one of the reasons Tetsuo quit. Plus the fact that they wanted him to smile all the time while on stage.
I second that,
... " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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paligap said: cubic61052 said:
I second that,
... You think i'm kidding. Kenji explained to me that this was a mandatory thing for those Japanese-crossover bands. You had to smile and look up at a 45 degree angle. As if you were smiling at someone in an imaginary balcony. Really weird stuff. 
Check the band out in the videos, especially guitarist Issei Noro. He does it all the time. Regarding Tesuo's albums, I just have... 
...the Gentle Hearts studio recording. 2 of the tunes made we wonder how they made it on the album. It was as if he reverted back to his Happy Days period with Casiopea. The other tunes are killer. tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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theAudience said: paligap said: I second that,
... You think i'm kidding. Kenji explained to me that this was a mandatory thing for those Japanese-crossover bands. You had to smile and look up at a 45 degree angle. As if you were smiling at someone in an imaginary balcony. Really weird stuff.
Check the band out in the videos, especially guitarist Issei Noro. He does it all the time. Regarding Tesuo's albums, I just have...
...the Gentle Hearts studio recording. 2 of the tunes made we wonder how they made it on the album. It was as if he reverted back to his Happy Days period with Casiopea. The other tunes are killer.  Y'know now that you mention it, They were always grinning --I remembered some other footage of a concert from the mid -80's--I just thought maybe they were just happy to be onstage, Lol!!!
I notice they never made artists like Ryuichi Sakamoto or Kazumi Watanabe smile like that--It must be odd being a Japanese "crossover" artist -- mandatory smiling???
Gentle Hearts is Really Kool, and Greg Howe's no Joke!! (oh, and that Chambers fellow --he's not half bad, either )...
... " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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paligap said: Y'know now that you mention it, They were always grinning --I remembered some other footage of a concert from the mid -80's--I just thought maybe they were just happy to be onstage, Lol!!!
I notice they never made artists like Ryuichi Sakamoto or Kazumi Watanabe smile like that--It must be odd being a Japanese "crossover" artist -- mandatory smiling???
Gentle Hearts is Really Kool, and Greg Howe's no Joke!! (oh, and that Chambers fellow --he's not half bad, either )...
... I asked Kenji about that again. My mistake. It was later Casiopea (and bands that emulated them) that did the "Happy Face".
He said that Casiopea played much more challenging material at the start of their career (late 70s). The problem was that they weren't making any money so they toned the tunes down and adopted the "Happy Face" persona. At that point their music saturated Japan (CD sales, commericals, sports shows, etc.) The probably couldn't make Kazumi do a consistent Happy Face anyway. Dude looks like he might have some Yakuza connections. 
Yeah, Howe & Chambers are a'ight I guess.
Wonderland In The Sky is my fave from that disc. tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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theAudience said: The probably couldn't make Kazumi do a consistent Happy Face anyway. Dude looks like he might have some Yakuza connections.
... " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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I can understand not wanting performers to look bored with what they are doing, or to seem particularly unhappy....but to ask them to smile all the time and hold their gaze at a certain angle is a little over the top....
When I was in theatre, we were asked often to look like we were having fun....it makes sense at the appropriate time. Still laughing at that.....commercialization of musicians/artists by "the suits" (management) at its best!
"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive."
Dalai Lama | |
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cubic61052 said: I can understand not wanting performers to look bored with what they are doing, or to seem particularly unhappy....but to ask them to smile all the time and hold their gaze at a certain angle is a little over the top....
When I was in theatre, we were asked often to look like we were having fun....it makes sense at the appropriate time. Still laughing at that.....commercialization of musicians/artists by "the suits" (management) at its best!
Yeah, that's the part that kills me-- the 45 degree angle  gaze....
... " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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You should play a joke on Longineu, tA.....tell him you have a ~wonderful idea~ for the next TD performance....everyone should smile - all the time-, and practice holding their heads at a 45 degree angle upwards....
and I would like to be a fly on the wall to see his reaction?
"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive."
Dalai Lama | |
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