The Pillows

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(New page: '''The Pillows''' (or '''the pillows''') are a Japanese rock band, best known internationally for the soundtrack of the anime series ''FLCL''. ==Histo...)
Current revision (06:32, 29 December 2007) (edit) (undo)
(New page: '''The Pillows''' (or '''the pillows''') are a Japanese rock band, best known internationally for the soundtrack of the anime series ''FLCL''. ==Histo...)
 

Current revision

The Pillows (or the pillows) are a Japanese rock band, best known internationally for the soundtrack of the anime series FLCL.


Contents

History

The Pillows were formed on September 16, 1989 by Sawao Yamanaka, Yoshiaki Manabe, Kenji Ueda and Shinichirou Sato in Hokkaidō. Bassist Kenji Ueda would leave three years later and was never officially replaced.

Following Ueda's departure, the band recruited Tatsuya Kashima as the replacement on bass, but was only labeled as a guest musician on releases he performed on in respect of Ueda. He would stay in the band through 1999 and the release of Runners High, being replaced by Jun Suzuki who is still with the band today.

In 1999, The Pillows were approached by Gainax, an anime studio. Gainax licensed The Pillows' three previous albums for the soundtrack of their then latest anime FLCL. The Pillows also composed two new songs for the show, the singles "Ride on Shooting Star" and "I Think I Can".

In March 2005, The Pillows played their first show in the United States at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas,

The group's latest album Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up! was published on May 2, 2007, their first on the Avex Trax label. A new single, Ladybird Girl, was released on August 15, 2007, and is being used in the Japanese version of the hit children's show Ben 10 as its theme song.

Buster-kun

Buster-kun has been The Pillows' mascot since about 1998, when on a visit to London, they saw a doll of a "grotesque and creepy-looking teddy bear" (which can be seen in their video "Hybrid Rainbow") and subsequently used it for the artwork of the album Little Busters and on t-shirts sold during the following tour. Buster-kun was named after the album and the group also uses the term "little busters" for its fans.

Lineup

  • Nihongo|Sawao Yamanaka|(山中さわお "Yamanaka Sawao") – vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Yoshiaki Manabe (真鍋吉明 Manabe Yoshiaki) – lead guitar
  • Shinichirou Sato (佐藤 シンイチロウ Sato Shinichirou) – drums
  • Jun Suzuki (鈴木淳 Suzuki Jun) – bass (support member,
Former members
  • Kenji Ueda (上田ケンジ Ueda Kenji) – bass (1989–1992)
  • Tatsuya Kashima (鹿島達也 Kashima Tatsuya) – bass (1992–1999)

Discography

Albums

  • Moon Gold (1991)
  • White Incarnation (1992)
  • Kool Spice (1994)
  • Living Field (1995)
  • Please Mr. Lostman (1997)
  • Little Busters (1998)
  • Runners High (1999)
  • Happy Bivouac (1999)
  • Smile (2001)
  • Thank You, My Twilight (2002)
  • Penalty Life (ペナルティーライフ, 2003)
  • 90's My Life Returns (2004)
  • Good Dreams (2004)
  • My Foot (2006)
  • Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up! (2007)

EPs

  • Pantomime (パントマイム, 1990)
  • 90's My Life (1990)
  • Turn Back (2004)

Compilations

  • Fool on the Planet (greatest hits, 2001)
  • Another Morning, Another Pillows (B-sides, 2002)
  • Lostman Go to Yesterday (single compilation, 2007)

Compilations (with or by other artists)

  • Respectable Roosters (1999)
  • Life Is Delicious (2001)
  • Beat Offenders (2002)
  • Synchronized Rockers (シンクロナイズド・ロッカーズ, tribute album, 2004)
  • 802 Heavy Rotations J-Hits Complete '94-'96 (2004)
  • Wasurerarenai Koi no Uta (2005)
  • The Collectors - 20th Anniversary Special Album (2006)

Singles

  • "Ame ni Utaeba" (1991)
  • "Kanojo wa Shisuta" (1992)
  • "Daydream Wonder" (1994)
  • "Girlfriend" (1995)
  • "Tiny Boat" (1996)
  • "Trip Dancer" (1996)
  • "Strange Chameleon" (1996)
  • "Swanky Street" (1996)
  • "Kanojo wa Kyou" (1997)
  • "One Life" (1997)
  • "Hybrid Rainbow" (1997)
  • "Another Morning" (1998)
  • "Instant Music" (1998)
  • "No Self Control" (1998)
  • "Carnival" (1999)
  • "Rush" (1999)
  • "Ride on Shooting Star" (2000)
  • "I Think I Can" (2000)
  • "White Summer and Green Bicycle, Red Hair with Black Guitar" (2002)
  • "Terminal Heaven's Rock" (2003)
  • "Sono Mirai wa Ima" (2004)
  • "Non Fiction" (2005)
  • "The Third Eye" (2005)
  • "Gazelle City" (2006)
  • "Scarecrow" (2007)
  • "Ladybird Girl" (2007)

Soundtracks

  • Addict (with Shinkichi Mitsumune) (2000)
  • King of Pirates (with Shinkichi Mitsumune) (2001)
  • Colors of Life (various artists, 2004)
  • Moonlight Jellyfish (various artists, 2004)
  • FLCL No. 3 (2005)

Other

  • The Pillows Presents Special CD (1993)
  • The Pillows Special Digest Sampler (1996)

Videography

  • Hello, Welcome to Bubbletown's Happy Zoo (Instant Show) (1998)
  • We Have a Theme Song (1999)
  • Busters on the Planet (2001)
  • Dead Stock Paradise (2003)
  • Hello, Welcome to Bubbletown's Happy Zoo (Instant Show) (DVD re-release, 2003)
  • We Have a Theme Song (DVD re-release, 2003)
  • Walkin' on the Spiral (2004)
  • 916 (2005)
  • Delicious Bump Tour in USA (2005)
  • Delicious Bump Show!! (various artists, 2006)
  • Lostman Go to America (2007)

External links

Retrieved from "http://virtualjapan.com/wiki/The_Pillows"
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