Godiego

Overview

Godiego (ゴダイゴ, Godaigo) is a pioneering Japanese rock band, often regarded as a trailblazer of progressive rock in Japan. Formed in March 1976 (some accounts date its founding to 1975), the group scored a string of hits from the late 1970s into the early 1980s and had a major influence on Japanese popular music. After going on "intermission" in 1985, they reunited several times and declared a permanent restart in 2006. As of 2024 they have released 27 singles and 55 albums in Japan, with lyrics largely in English by longtime collaborator Yoko Narahashi. They are best known for "Monkey Magic" and "Gandhara" from the TV series Saiyūki (known in the UK as Monkey), and for "The Galaxy Express 999". Their theme from The Water Margin was their only UK Top 40 hit, and they were the first rock band to play in the People's Republic of China and Nepal.

Career

Formation

Mickie Yoshino, formerly of The Golden Cups, formed Sunrise with Steve Fox after that band broke up, then went to the United States to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston. After returning to Japan he formed the Mickie Yoshino Group with Steve. Taking part in the recording of an album by solo artist Yukihide Takekawa (later released as the band's debut, Shinsōseiki) led him to bring in Takekawa, Takami Asano and Yūjin Harada, and Godiego was formed in March 1976. The album, originally planned as a Takekawa solo record, became the band's first. The original lineup was Takekawa (lead vocals), Yoshino (keyboards), Takami Asano (guitar), Fox (bass) and Harada (drums); Takami's brother Ryōji Asano played drums on the debut album, and American drummer Tommy Snyder joined in 1977.

Debut and early struggles (1976–1977)

Godiego debuted on April 1, 1976 with "Boku no Salad Girl" ("Salad Girl"), which reached No. 37 on Oricon, and released the album Godiego (Suite: Shinsōseiki) on July 25. That year they also provided the music for the NHK drama The Roads Men Travel, and in 1977 they released Dead End; they even appeared in the drama's second-part episode "Winter Tree" as a rock band with fanatical fans. They also scored the 1977 film House. Despite seven singles in two years, nothing after the debut made the Oricon chart, and the band struggled.

Breakthrough (1978–1979)

In 1978 they performed the ending theme "Gandhara" and opening theme "Monkey Magic" for Nippon TV's Saiyūki. The two songs sat in the Top 10 simultaneously for seven weeks, with "Gandhara" particularly popular among young listeners. The series was exported to the UK as Monkey, leading to releases through BBC Records, including "Monkey Magic", "Gandhara" and the LP Magic Monkey, and several records charted in the UK. That year they also released CM Song Graffiti and the soundtrack to the documentary The Glacier Fox, and in November, at the Arts Festival concert, they performed the "Pomp and Circumstance" suite with a horn section for the first time (the Godiego Horns).

In 1979 came "Beautiful Name" (written for UNICEF's International Year of the Child), "The Galaxy Express 999" (the theme of the film of the same name) and "Holy and Bright" (ending theme of Saiyūki II), all major hits. Four songs, including "Happiness" (credited to Takekawa solo) and "Haruka na Tabi e", charted in the Top 20 at once, and the operating profit of their label Nippon Columbia rose to about 4.7 billion yen, nearly double the previous year. The soundtrack Symphonic Poem Galaxy Express 999 (July 21, 1979) reached No. 1 on the Oricon chart, and the live album Magic Capsule followed the same year.

Decline and intermission (1980–1985)

In 1980 they played in China, releasing Live in China, and also issued Kathmandu and London Celebration. After Steve Fox left in spring 1980 to become a missionary, the band's popularity gradually waned; Yōji Yoshizawa took over on bass (1980–1985). After albums including Flower (1984), the band went on "intermission" in 1985; Yoshino later said that "disbandment" was fashionable at the time and he did not want to use the word. Afterward Yoshino released two albums carrying on Godiego's spirit, with Takami Asano and Steve Fox participating.

Reunions and the present

In 1999, partly because of visa issues for the foreign members, the band reunited for three months only, and appeared on NHK's Kōhaku Uta Gassen at year's end, performing "Beautiful Name". In 2000 they played western Japan, which had been skipped on the previous year's tour. They continued to reunite sporadically for TV and events, sometimes with substitutes such as Hideichi Murakami for the foreign members.

On the band's 30th anniversary in 2006, the original members performed at Tōdai-ji in Nara and declared a permanent restart; that year they released two maxi singles and a DVD. On March 16, 2007 they staged "2007 TOKYO Shinsōseiki" at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre with 80 musicians, the first rock concert at the venue, and on August 16 they played the Jingu Gaien Fireworks Festival, opening with "Monkey Magic" and performing six hits including "Beautiful Name", "Gandhara" and "Galaxy Express 999". Godiego Box appeared in 2008, followed by a digital-only 35th anniversary selection and the single "Walking On" in 2011. In 2014 Yōji Yoshizawa returned as an official member (guitar and bass), and at the Nakano Sun Plaza concert on November 1, 2015, first drummer Ryōji Asano appeared on stage as a guest. Guitarist Takami Asano died in 2020.

Name origin

The name is partly derived from Emperor Go-Daigo; Mickie Yoshino associated his surname Yoshino with the Yoshino court and thus Go-Daigo, whom he had admired since childhood. The spelling "GODIEGO" came from Steve Fox: split as GO-DIE-GO it reads "live, die, live", evoking a phoenix, a restored emperor, perseverance and reincarnation. It can also be read as GOD-I-EGO.

Musical style

Rooted in rock with progressive-rock, kayokyoku and J-pop elements, Godiego blended English and Japanese lyrics. Yoko Narahashi wrote most lyrics, Takekawa composed much of the material and Yoshino handled arrangements. They often toured with the Godiego Horns (most heavily in 1979–1981) and supplied songs for commercials, TV dramas, films (House, Galaxy Express 999, The Glacier Fox) and games. Takami Asano worked on the soundtrack of Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor on Nintendo DS, and Takekawa composed the music for the Super NES game Soul Blazer. The band Monkey Majik took its name from Godiego's song.