Yosui Inoue

Overview

Yosui Inoue (born August 30, 1948) is a Japanese singer-songwriter, lyricist, composer, guitarist and record producer, and one of the most important figures in Japanese music. His birth name is Akimi Inoue, and his early stage name was Andre Candre. Born in Koubukuro, Kaho District, Fukuoka (now part of Iizuka) and raised in Itoda, Tagawa District, he is renowned for his unique tone, eccentric lyrics and the dark sunglasses he always wears. Alongside Takuro Yoshida, he led Japan's folk and New Music scenes from the 1970s onward. His second wife is the singer Seri Ishikawa, and his eldest daughter is the lyricist and singer Sarasa Efu.

He has released 22 solo studio albums and produced two albums with Tamio Okuda. Through May 2009 he sold more than 10.9 million copies on the Oricon albums chart, with seven number-one albums: Kori no Sekai, Nishoku no Koma, Good Pages, Shotaijo no Nai Show, 9.5 Carats, Under the Sun and the compilation Golden Best (1999), which has shipped over two million units.

Career

Early life

His father, Wakami Inoue, was a dentist and former army surgeon who hoped his only son would take over the clinic. The family moved to Itoda in 1953. Inspired first by his sister's records (the Platters, Elvis Presley) and then, in 1963, by the Beatles' "Please Please Me", Inoue became devoted to the Beatles. He is said to have written his first song around 1966; it has never been recorded but he occasionally performs it live. After failing dental university entrance exams several times, he gave up and moved to Tokyo to pursue singing. Hearing the Folk Crusaders' "Kaette Kita Yopparai" inspired him to begin writing songs.

Andre Candre era (1969-1970)

In 1969 he recorded "Candre Mandre" at home for the RKB Mainichi Broadcasting radio program Smash!! 11. It drew many requests, and the response led to his debut. He moved to Tokyo and re-recorded it with arranger Hitoshi Komuro and the band Rokumonsen, releasing it through CBS Sony on September 1, 1969 as Andre Candre. It drew no commercial response, and the follow-ups "Beautiful Wonderful Birds" and "Hana ni sae, Tori ni sae" (1970, written by Takeshi Matsuyama and Kazuhiko Kato) also failed, ending the Andre Candre project after three singles. Relationships formed then endured: Komuro supported him until he became a star, and Kiyoshiro Imawano of RC Succession wrote several songs with him, including "Kaerenai Futari" and "Machibouke".

Polydor years (1971-1975)

In 1971 he signed with Polydor through director Hidenori Taga and began recording his first album, Danzetsu, which features Takao Kisugi on guitar. On March 1, 1972 he re-debuted as Yosui Inoue with the single "Jinsei ga Nido Areba", arranged by Masaru Hoshi, who went on to arrange most of his works for years. Danzetsu, including "Kasa ga Nai", followed in May 1972, and the second album Sentimental in December. His first full-scale concerts took place on New Year's Eve 1972.

"Yume no Naka e" (March 1973), the theme of the Toho film Hokago, became his first hit, reaching No. 17 on Oricon. The live album Modorimichi, recorded at Shinjuku Kosei Nenkin Kaikan on April 14, 1973, was released in July and has sold over 800,000 copies. "Kokoro Moyo" followed in September. Kori no Sekai (December 1973) topped the Oricon album chart for 35 weeks, a record, and stayed in the Top 10 for 113 weeks, becoming Japan's first million-selling LP in August 1975. Nishoku no Koma (1974) also reached number one, with harder arrangements featuring studio musicians David T. Walker, Jesse Ed Davis, Ray Parker Jr., Harvey Mason and Jack Nitzsche. He earned the nickname "Emperor of Japanese Folk-rock", though he rarely appeared on television. In 1974 his albums sold 1.5 million copies. He married in January 1974, and in 1975 he helped found For Life Records with Takuro Yoshida, Shigeru Izumiya and Hitoshi Komuro, and met Seri Ishikawa.

For Life era and beyond

He divorced in February 1976; his For Life debut Shotaijo no Nai Show (March 1976) spent nine consecutive weeks at number one. In 1977 he gave Ishikawa three songs, including "Dance wa Umaku Odorenai". Arrested for marijuana possession in September 1977, he received an eight-month sentence suspended for two years, yet the album White (July 1978) reached No. 3. He married Ishikawa on August 30, 1978, and their son was born that December.

Later albums include Sneaker Dancer (1979), Every Night (1980), Ayashii Yoru o Matte (1981), Lion & Pelican (1982), Ballerina (1983), 9.5 Carats (1984, his second million-seller), Clam Chowder (1986, live), Negative (1987), Handsome Boy (1990), Guide no Inai Yoru (1992, self-covers), Under the Sun (1993), Eien no Surreal (1994), Kudan (1998), the cover album United Cover (2001), Cassis (2002), the jazz-arranged self-cover album Blue Selection (2002) and Love Complex (2006).

Musical style

Beginning as a folk-rock singer-songwriter, Inoue spans kayokyoku, enka, J-pop and city pop. His early work has been compared with Paul McCartney and Roy Orbison, and is marked by emotional, almost sobbing, melancholic vocals. Described as smart, melancholy and melodic, his early-1970s work is widely thought to have significantly influenced the development of Japanese pop rock. A lifelong Beatles devotee, he never saw himself as a folk singer, and with Takuro Yoshida and Ogura Kei he helped usher in an era of quality singer-songwriter albums rather than single-driven compilations.