Ulfuls

Overview

Ulfuls (ウルフルズ, Urufuruzu) is a Japanese rock band from Osaka, formed in 1988. They debuted in 1992 on Toshiba-EMI with the single "Yabure Kabure" and rose to superstar status in 1996 with "Guts Da Ze!!" and "Banzai Suki de Yokatta". The band's name comes from the word "soulful" printed on the obi strip of an LP sleeve, which a line break made look like "ulful." Their official fan club is called "Ulful Club."

Members

• Tortoise Matsumoto (トータス松本): lead vocals, guitar, harmonica; real name Atsushi Matsumoto; born December 28, 1966
• Ulful Keisuke (ウルフルケイスケ): guitar, backing vocals; real name Keisuke Iwamoto; born May 23, 1965; on hiatus from the band since February 2018
• John B. Chopper (ジョン・B・チョッパー): bass, backing vocals; real name Toshihiro Kuroda; born November 4, 1967; left in 1999 and returned in 2002–2003
• Sankon Jr. (サンコンJr.): drums, backing vocals; real name Hiroyuki Sako

Career

Formation and debut

In 1988, Ulful Keisuke, then active in the English-language neo-psychedelia band D'f, repeatedly invited Tortoise Matsumoto, a coworker at the tea shop "Cante Grande" in Nakatsu, Osaka, to jam sessions. He then left D'f and formed Ulfuls with Matsumoto and others. When their drummer left, they recruited Sankon Jr., who had come to a show as a fan.

The band played its first Tokyo show in June 1990. On May 13, 1992, they signed with Planet Earth, Toshiba-EMI's Western-music-focused label, and debuted with "Yabure Kabure." Their first album, Bakuhatsu Onparade, followed on June 17, but sales stalled at around 3,000 copies and the band drifted for a time. Planet Earth was dissolved soon after, and Ulfuls moved to the main EMI label (now Capitol Records).

In autumn 1993 Jiro Koyasu became their director, and in 1994 he approached Ginji Ito to produce. At their first meeting in January 1994, Ito listened to about 30 unreleased tracks and told them only two were usable, a shock to the members. Their profile then rose gradually, and the album Suttobasu arrived in August 1994.

Breakthrough in the mid-1990s

In 1995 the band opened for THE HIGH-LOWS, who debuted that October, and played the Senshu University festival in November. They released their 9th single "Guts Da Ze!!" in December 1995 and their 10th, "Banzai Suki de Yokatta" (Boogie Woogie '96 in English sources), in February 1996. The third album, Banzai (January 1996), sold more than one million copies in total. That year they made their first appearance on NHK's Kohaku Uta Gassen; part of the lyrics to "Guts Da Ze!!" was deemed indecent and a debate arose over changing them, with only one section eventually altered. They also won the Music Award at the 34th Golden Arrow Awards, and wrote the song "Sky" for the film Gamera 2: Attack of Legion.

They followed with Let's Go (1997), Thank You for the Music (1998) and Trophy (1999), plus the compilation Stupid&Honest (1999).

Lineup changes and the 2000s

In 1999 bassist John B. Chopper left to become a writer, and the band continued as a trio. In 2001 they released "Ashita ga Aru sa" and, in collaboration with Yoshimoto Kogyo's Re:Japan, appeared on Kohaku again. Chopper guested at the 2002 concert Ulfuls 10th Anniversary 5-Hour Live!! We'll Sing About 50 Songs and officially returned at a free show at Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall on June 1, 2003, restoring the four-piece lineup. During his absence, CHIROLYN, Ichiro Ueno and Tomoharu "Jr." Takahashi supported the band on bass, and from 2000 to 2009 live shows were generally performed as a five-piece with keyboardist Mikio Ito.

The self-titled album Ulfuls came out in 2002. The 2003 single "Eenen" was seen in Kansai as voicing the feelings of Hanshin Tigers fans who missed the Japan Series title that year, though it was finished nearly two months before the Tigers clinched the pennant. It topped FM802's OSAKAN HOT 100 for nine straight weeks, the longest run for a J-POP track. The album Eenen followed in December 2003, then 9 (2005), YOU (2006) and KEEP ON, MOVE ON (2007). "Ryoho For You" was chosen as the official theme song of the 2007 Summer Koshien tournament, and "Baka Survivor" was used as the second opening of the anime Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo.

On January 1, 2007, the band's 15th anniversary, they moved to Warner Music Japan and revealed the lyrics to that year's single "Jonetsu A GO-GO." On July 9, 2009, they announced a hiatus following their outdoor concert "Yassa!" in Osaka on August 29 and 30, 2009, and held a free show at Roppongi Hills Arena the next day.

Return and recent activity

On February 25, 2014, the band announced the end of its hiatus and released the download-only single "Doudemo yo Sugi" (its 32nd single), along with a nationwide tour, their first in six and a half years, and a "Yassa!" outdoor concert, their first in five years. Around this time keyboardist Kiyohide Ura joined as a support member. Their twelfth studio album, One Mind, arrived that May to impressive sales, and on November 20 they won GQ MEN OF THE YEAR 2014. The 13th album, Born To Be Wai Wai, and the 14th, Jinsei (Life), marking their 25th anniversary, followed.

On February 28, 2016, "Rockin Gojukata Boogie Woogie Gikkuri Goshi" won BEST CHOREOGRAPHY VIDEO at the SPACE SHOWER MUSIC AWARDS.

On February 19, 2018, it was announced that Ulful Keisuke would step away from the band to focus on his solo career, while Ulfuls would continue as a three-piece. On September 29, 2018, they moved to Victor Entertainment's Getting Better label and announced the October 3 digital release of "Kawaru Kawaru Toki Kawareba KawarE", used since July 2018 as the theme of ABC TV's Ohayo Asahi Desu.

In 2019 they completed the tour "Ulfuls Tour 2019 Taiban-san Irasshai!" in March and "Ulfuls Tour 2019 Senchi Senchi Sentimental Fever 'Hisho-hen'" starting in May. After the digital singles "Rhythm o Tomeruna" (February) and "Sentimental Fever Anata ga Suki dakara" (April), they released their 15th original album, U!!!, on June 26, 2019.

Musical style

Ulfuls is classified as J-pop, kayokyoku and J-rock. Rooted in soulful rock, as their name suggests, they are known for upbeat, approachable, humorous songs with a distinctly Osaka flavor.