The Spiders
The Spiders were formed in Japan in 1961 by drummer Shochi Tanabe
and originally played a mix of Jazz, Country & Western and
traditional Japanese music in clubs and at US Army bases.
Hiroshi "Monsieur" Kamayatsu (who had previously
enjoyed a modicum of solo success in Japan as a Country &
Western singer) initially provided the vocals, while the rest of
the band line-up remained fluid throughout 1962 and 1963.
By 1964, with handsome teenager Jun Inoue now onboard as lead
vocalist, The Spiders turned their attention to British Beat
music, changing their musical direction and recording their first
single in November (a surf instrumental).
In January the following year they were chosen as the opening
act for The Astronauts and The Ventures during their Japanese
appearances, and in April they backed Peter and Gordon.
Elsewhere in 1965 they supported The Animals, The
Honeycombs and The Beach Boys during their Japanese
tours. The Spiders were also offered the support slot for The
Beatles in 1966, but turned it down as they had been often
criticised in Japan for simply being Beatles-imitators.
The Spiders became popular guests on Japanese television and
radio shows, and their popular 'Tokyo Sound' eventually earned
them a recording contract with Philips, resulting in the release
of their debut album (cunningly entitled Album No.1)
in April 1966. All tracks on the LP were original compositions,
cementing their place as Japan's premier beat band.
One month later they also released an album of cover versions
of songs by The Beatles, The Animals and Chuck
Berry, entitled Spiders Album 2. Philips released the
records in Europe and in Australia, and the band toured Europe in
October and November.
They appeared on European radio and TV programs, played at the
Star Club in Hamburg, and appeared on Ready Steady Go
(playing Sad Sunset and Boom Boom).
In January 1967 The Spiders released their third album - half
of the songs were originals (including a track called Narebaii
- arguably the first Japanese psychedelic song), and in March they
released a single called Taiyou no Tubasa - one of
first singles to feature a fuzzbox. They also played in Hawaii in
June, but this was unfortunately to be the only opportunity the
band ever had to play on American soil.
Further successful domestic singles followed and The Spiders
began to appear in movies (including five of their own), but by
1969 the Beat Boom in Japan was over. Founding member Shochi
Tanabe, quit the band and moved into management. By January
1971 The Spiders were no more.
Jun Inoue, Masaaki Sakai and Kamayatsu became solo artists,
while Takayuki Inoue and Katuo Ono joined a new band called PYG.
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