Kōji Tamaki (玉置 浩二, Tamaki Kōji, born September 13, 1958) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and actor. He has been well known as frontman of the rock band Anzen Chitai that debuted in 1982 and enjoyed a successful career, particularly during the 1980s. In the 1990s, he also began his career as a solo artist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Japanese vocalists.
Kōji Tamaki 玉置 浩二 | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 13, 1958 Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan |
| Genres | Pop rock, folk rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, composer, actor, lyricist |
| Instruments | Vocal, guitar |
| Years active | 1973–2008, 2009–present |
| Labels | Sony Music Entertainment Japan, Kitty Records, BMG Japan, Universal Music Japan |
| Website | saltmoderate |
In 2014, he was ranked first by a panel of 200 experts for the best ever singing voice in Japan.[2] Moreover, in 2021 Koji was voted as the greatest active male Japanese singer, with 190 experts agreeing that he is a "living national treasure of music" and that he portrays an "unparalleled mass of expressiveness and emotion which only seems to get better with age".[3]
Biography
As a vocalist and a songwriter of the band, Tamaki spawned multiple successful compositions which were mostly co-written by lyricists including Gorō Matsui and Yōsui Inoue, by the time that the group suspended their career in 1993.
In 1987, Tamaki released the first solo single "All I Do", and continued his solo career after Anzen Chitai went into hiatus (1993–2001, 2004–2009). Throughout his solo career, he has released 23 singles and over a dozen studio albums. His song "Den-En" released as a single in 1996 became a massive hit, which reached the number-two on the Japanese Oricon charts and sold in excess of 900,000 copies.
Tamaki has also been known as an actor who has appeared in seven feature films and numerous television dramas. He has started acting career for the first time on "Prussian Blue no Shozo", the 1986 motion picture he starred.
Anzen Chitai returned from a recess and released their new single "Aoi Bara/Wine Red no Kokoro (2010 version)" on March 3, 2010.
On his 2012 album Offer Music Box, Tamaki — who composed the original song — covered Yuki Saito's song "Kanashimi yo Konnichi wa", which was used as the first theme song for the anime television series Maison Ikkoku.[4]
Discography
Albums
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Label | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPN [5] | |||
| 1987 | All I Do | Kitty Records | 2 |
| 1993 | Akogare (あこがれ) | 4 | |
| Karinto Kouba no Entotsu no Ue ni (カリント工場の煙突の上に) | Sony Music Entertainment Japan | 17 | |
| 1994 | Love Song Blue | 18 | |
| 1996 | Cafe Japan | 4 | |
| 1997 | Junk Land | 9 | |
| 1998 | Grand Love | 12 | |
| 1999 | Winered no Kokoro (ワインレッドの心, Wainreddo no Kokoro) | BMG Funhouse | 11 |
| 2000 | Nisemono | 19 | |
| 2001 | Spade (スペード, Supēdo) | 19 | |
| 2005 | Kyou to Iu Kono Hi wo Ikiteikou (今日というこの日を生きていこう) | Sony Music Entertainment Japan | 26 |
| 2006 | Present | 25 | |
| 2007 | Wakusei (惑星) | 30 | |
| 2014.3.19 | Gold | 30 | |
Cover albums
Live albums
| Year | Album | Label | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPN [5] | |||
| 1995 | T | Sony Music Entertainment Japan | 49 |
| 2005 | Live!!; "Kyou to Iu Kono Hi wo Ikiteikou" (LIVE!! 『今日というこの日を生きていこう』) | 64 | |
| 2006 | "Hassan Da-!!"; '06 Present Tour Live ('06 PRESENT TOUR LIVE "発散だー！！") | 60 | |
| 2008 | Koji Tamaki '07; "Wakusei" Tour Live (☆惑星☆TOUR LIVE) | 154 | |
| 2015.12.16 | Live Concert Tour 2015 (玉置浩二LIVE旭川市公会堂) | Space Shower Music | 73 |
| 2024.2.21 | Tamaki Kōji Concert Tour 2022 (玉置浩二 Concert Tour 2022 故郷楽団 35th ANNIVERSARY ～星路(みち)～ in 仙台) | TBA | |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album | Label | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPN [5] | |||
| 1994 | Anzen Chitai/Tamaki Kouji Best | Kitty | - |
| 1995 | Tamaki Koji Best Songs For You | - | |
| 1997 | Early Times: Koji Tamaki in Kitty Records | Kitty Enterprise | - |
| 1998 | Denen Koji Tamaki Best | Sony | 19 |
| 2003 | Best Harvest | BMG Japan | 65 |
| Golden Best Tamaki Kōji Early Times Price | Universal Music Japan | - | |
| 2011 | GOLDEN☆BEST Tamaki Kouji 1993-2007 | Sony Music Direct | 229 |
| 2017 | All Time Best | 11 | |
| 2022 | The Best Album 35th Anniversary: Melody | Nippon Columbia | 12 |
Singles
| Year | Album | Chart positions (JP)[5] |
Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | "All I Do" | 10 | Kitty Records |
| 1989 | "Ki Tsu I" (キ・ツ・イ) | 7 | |
| "Hyouten" (氷点) | 12 | ||
| "I'm Dandy" | 10 | ||
| "Ikanaide" (行かないで) | 16 | ||
| 1993 | "Call" (コール) | 22 | |
| "Genki na Machi" (元気な町) | 41 | Sony | |
| 1994 | "Love Song" | 35 | |
| 1995 | "Star" | 90 | |
| 1996 | "Melody" (メロディー) | 49 | |
| "Den-En" (田園) | 2 | ||
| 1997 | "Mr. Lonely" | 14 | |
| 1998 | "Rookie" | 49 | Funhouse |
| "Happy Birthday" | 69 | ||
| 1999 | "Nijiiro Datta" (虹色だった) | 26 | |
| 2000 | "aibo" | 54 | |
| 2001 | "Kono Rhyzhm de" (このリズムで) | 96 | |
| 2004 | "Shiawase no Lamp" (しあわせのランプ) | 83 | Sony |
| 2005 | "Aisaretai Dakesa" (愛されたいだけさ) | 35 | |
| "Itsumo Dokoka de" (いつもどこかで) | 48 | ||
| "Present" (今日というこの日を生きていこう) | 13 | ||
| 2006 | "Lion" | 60 | |
| 2007 | "Wakusei" (惑星) | 67 | |
| 2013 | "Junjou" (純情) | 62 | Saltmoderate |
| "Search Light" (サーチライト) | 32 | ||
| 2022 | "Michi" (星路 (みち)) | 23 | Nippon Columbia |
| "Beautiful World" | 26 | ||
Videography
| No. | Release | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Kitty Records | ||
| 1st | 1987.11.01 | "All I Do" Filmed in U.K |
| Sony Records | ||
| 2nd | 1995.11.01 | Saikou Desho?! |
| 3rd | 1997.03.21 | Shall I Make it For You? Cafe Japan Tour |
| BMG Funhouse | ||
| 4th | 1998.03.21 | We can Believe in our "Junk Land" |
| 5th | 1999.02.24 | "Grand Love" a Life in Music |
| 6th | 2001.07.25 | Kono Rhythm De |
| Sony Records | ||
| 7th | 2005.11.02 | "Kyou to iu Kono Hi wo Ikiteikou" Live in Zepp Tokyo |
| 8th | 2006.12.05 | '06 Present Tour Live |
| 9th | 2008.03.26 | Koji Tamaki'07 Wakusei Tour Live |
| 10th | 2014.04.02 | Koji Tamaki Music Videos 1996-2013 |
| 11th | 2015.06.10 | Gold Tour 2014 |
| 12th | 2021.08.18 | Chocolate cosmos: Koi no Omoide, Setsunai Koigokoro |
| 13th | 2021.12.08 | Billboard classics Premium Symphonic Concert 2021 The Eurasian Renaissance |
| 14th | 2023.08.02 | Tamaki Kōji 35th Anniversary Concert 35th Special Collections“Arcadia”&“Michi” |
Filmography
- Television
- The Last Bullet (1995) – Ichiro Yamamura
- Hideyoshi (1996) – Ashikaga Yoshiaki[6]
- Konna Koi no Hanashi (1997) – Konosuke Shimodaira
- Furuhata Ninzaburō (1999) – Shūzō Utena[7]
References
External links
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