RC Succession

Overview

RC Succession (RCサクセション) was a Japanese rock band formed in Tokyo in 1968 around frontman Kiyoshiro Imawano. Nicknamed the "King of Rock" and "King of Live," they were hugely influential in establishing Japanese-language rock and the style of rock concerts and live performance common in Japan today. Imawano and bassist Kazuo Kobayashi were the only constant members through many line-up changes. The band entered an indefinite hiatus in January 1991 and never returned; Imawano's death in 2009 effectively ended the group.

HMV ranked them No. 16 in its 2003 "Top 100 Japanese Pops Artists." In September 2007, Rolling Stone Japan placed their 1980 live album Rhapsody at No. 2 and 1988's Covers at No. 41 on its list of the 100 greatest Japanese rock albums. Covers was named No. 1 on Bounce's 2009 list of "54 Standard Japanese Rock Albums."

Career

Formation and folk years

In 1966, inspired by Peter, Paul and Mary and Joan Baez, junior-high classmates Imawano, Kobayashi and Kenchi Haren formed a folk group called The Clover. After it split in 1967 they continued as The Remainders of the Clover, and in 1968 the name became The Remainders of the Clover Succession, shortened to RC Succession. In 1969 they passed an audition for the TBS program Young 720 and placed third at Toshiba's College Pops Concert audition, leading to a contract with Toshiba. They debuted on March 5, 1970 with the single "Takarakuji wa Kawanai." In 1972 their third single "Boku no Suki na Sensei" became a hit and they released their first album, Shoki no RC Succession. Imawano's co-written songs with Inoue Yosui, including "Kaerenai Futari," appeared on Yosui's 1973 album Koori no Sekai, Japan's first million-selling LP.

The dark years

In 1974 the band was caught up in their manager's split from Horipro and was frozen out of work. They moved to Polydor in 1976 and released Single Man, which was soon deleted, then moved to Kitty and issued the single "Wakatte Moraeru sa," after which activity stopped. Haren, suffering from severe depression and unable to play guitar, left in 1977. Opening slots for acts such as Eikichi Yazawa often drew hostile crowds.

Revival and breakthrough

In 1978 guitarists Reichi "Chabo" Nakaido and Hirofumi Kasuga joined as support and drummer Kozo Niida became a member, turning the band from folk into a rock and R&B outfit. Imawano began appearing with spiked hair, loud costumes and heavy makeup, a glam-influenced look. Nakaido became an official member in 1979, and the band played the Nippon Budokan for the first time as an opening act for Johnny, Louis & Char. Single Man was reissued in a limited run after a campaign by music critics and fans.

In 1980 a four-night run at Shibuya's Yaneura, released to mark "Ameagari no Yozora ni," set a venue attendance record. The live album Rhapsody, recorded at Kuboko Hall, was a hit for over half a year, and "Transistor Radio" also came out that year. Ginji Ogawa left and Gee2wo became a full member. In 1981 they held their first solo Budokan concert and went on to hold Christmas concerts there for ten straight years. In 1982 the Ryuichi Sakamoto collaboration "Ikenai Rouge Magic," a Shiseido campaign song, was a hit, with a promotional image of Imawano and Sakamoto kissing causing a stir. That year they also took part in The Day of R&B at Yokohama Stadium with Chuck Berry and Sam Moore; they moved to London Records and founded their own label, BARCA. Releases followed: King of Live (1983), Feel So Bad (1984), Heart no Ace (1985), the live album The Tears of a Clown (1986) and Marvy (1988). In 1985 Imawano left the Ribbon agency to set up his own office, Umu.

In 1988 the album Covers, a set of Japanese-language covers of rock and pop standards, and the single "Love Me Tender" were canceled by Toshiba EMI over lyrics; Imawano revealed there had been pressure to remove anti-war and anti-nuclear songs. Released two months later, in August, by Kitty Records, Covers drew wide attention and became the band's first No. 1 on the Oricon album chart. In 1989 the Hard Times Live tour featured mainly unreleased new songs, and Imawano declared "recording freedom" on stage.

Hiatus and legacy

Gee2wo and Niida left in 1990. With Hirofumi Kasuga and former Vow Wow keyboardist Rei Atsumi, the band released Baby a Go Go on September 27, 1990. Their final concert was at the Nippon Budokan on December 25, 1990; the 1991 tour was canceled and the band went on indefinite hiatus in January 1991. Imawano and Nakaido continued as solo artists and collaborated occasionally, including the 1994 album Glad All Over credited to Kiyoshiro Imawano & Reichi Nakaido; the other members returned to session work. Imawano died of cancer on May 2, 2009. Archive releases have continued, including Rhapsody Naked (a remaster of the 1980 Kuboko Hall concert, 2005), King of Best (2015), King of Live Complete (2016) and Complete EPLP: All Time Single Collection (2020).

Musical style

Classified as kayokyoku, J-rock and J-pop, the band was hard to pin down. Early on, their sound was R&B-flavored music played acoustically, with heavy-gauge strings strummed hard, and from the late 1970s they adopted an electric sound and a glam-influenced image. Imawano wrote most songs, which the band arranged and recorded itself, an unusual approach in the early 1970s; he also co-wrote with Nakaido, Kobayashi and Gee2wo at various times, and from Blue onward each album included at least one song written and sung by Nakaido. Imawano's distinctive high, warbling voice and clever, timely lyrics were hallmarks, and the horn section Blue Day Horns, including Kazutoki Umezu, joined recordings and concerts. The band was also unusually outspoken for a Japanese pop act, regularly playing benefits, with Imawano speaking out against war and nuclear power and in favor of Tibetan freedom.