JUDY AND MARY

Overview

JUDY AND MARY (also stylized as Judy and Mary, abbreviated JAM) was a Japanese rock band. They made their major-label debut in September 1993 with the single "POWER OF LOVE" and became a defining name in 1990s girls' pop-rock in Japan. The band disbanded in March 2001 after concerts at Tokyo Dome, in the tenth year since their formation.

Career

• In 1991, bassist Yoshihito Onda, previously a member of the heavy metal band JACKS'N'JOKER, met Yuki in Hokkaido. After she sent him a demo tape, the band was formed in February 1992 around Yuki, Onda and guitarist Taiji Fujimoto.
• In April 1992 they released the indie album "BE AMBITIOUS", and drummer Kohta Igarashi, who had been a support member, officially joined that November.
• In February 1993 guitarist Takuya joined by audition to replace Fujimoto. In September 1993 the band debuted on Epic/Sony with "POWER OF LOVE".
• The album "J.A.M" arrived in January 1994, followed in December by "ORANGE SUNSHINE", produced by Masahide Sakuma, which debuted at No. 5 on the Oricon chart. Its tour included their first show at Shibuya Public Hall, and the official fan club JAMP was launched around this time.
• The 1995 single "Over Drive" became the hit that led to their breakthrough, and in 1996 they made their first appearance on NHK's 47th Kohaku Uta Gassen with "Sobakasu".
• "THE POWER SOURCE" (March 1997) debuted at No. 1 on Oricon and was the best-selling release in the band's history. They held the "THE POWER SAUCE DELIVERY '97" tour and their first outdoor stadium tour, "THE POWER STADIUM DESTROY '97", including Yokohama Stadium and Hanshin Koshien Stadium, but paused activities temporarily that year because of Yuki's throat problems.
• In 1998 they appeared on the 49th Kohaku Uta Gassen with "散歩道", then played their first Tokyo Dome concert at the end of the year before entering a hiatus. In 1999 they released their first live album, "44982 vs 1650", and members worked on solo and other projects.
• In February 2000 they returned with the single "Brand New Wave Upper Ground" and released their first best-of album, "FRESH".
• In January 2001 the band announced its breakup, released the final original single "ラッキープール" and the final original album "WARP", and toured on the "WARP TOUR", ending with two nights at Tokyo Dome on March 7 and 8. "The Great Escape -COMPLETE BEST-" followed in May 2001.
• A remastered "COMPLETE BEST ALBUM 'FRESH'" appeared in February 2006. In 2008 the band ranked first in an Oricon poll of bands fans most wanted to see reunite, and a tribute album for their 15th anniversary was released in March 2009.
• Yuki and Takuya have continued as solo artists, while Onda joined Hot Rod Crue and, since 2008, has played with Igarashi in Zamza.

Musical style

The band's early sound was rooted in punk rock and pop punk, sometimes called "Lolita punk", with Yuki's distinctive voice and a guitar-bass-drums sound. Over time, led by Takuya's guitar arrangements, it grew into pop rock that combined catchy melodies with varied guitar work. "THE POWER SOURCE" added harder guitar sounds along with touches of country. Yuki wrote most of the lyrics, while Onda and Takuya were the main composers and Igarashi contributed some songs. Early material centered on Onda, but Takuya's role grew steadily.