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Base Ball Bear

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Base Ball Bear

Base Ball Bear (ベースボールベアー) is a rock/pop band from Tōkyō, Japan that formally began in 2002, although the members assembled in the autumn of 2001. Base Ball Bear was originally called PLANET and was formed for a one-time performance at a high school culture festival, but they decided to continue playing due to how well they were received at the festival and how much fun they were having. The band made its major debut in early 2006. Their style influences include Japanese bands NUMBER GIRL and SUPERCAR, and British rock/pop bands such as Oasis. Base Ball Bear is recognized for the 'nostalgic' feel of Koide's lyrics, often about teenage life and memories. They are also known for their contributions to the soundtrack and cast of the movie Linda Linda Linda and to anime fans for performing the opening theme to the series Ōkiku Furikabutte.


The band's former name, PLANET, most likely came from a SUPERCAR song of the same name. Their current name also derives partially from a song name. Koide thought of Japanese singer Chocolat's song "BASE BALL and Elvis Presley", and suggested the name "BASE BALL". Yuasa thought it would be better if they added one more word to it, and the rest of the band agreed. They eventually settled on the word "bear".


Members

  • Yūsuke Koide (小出 祐介) - born December 9, 1984. From Tokyo. Vocalist & guitarist, primary songwriter and the leader of the band. He likes movies, music, and reading. He likes old school hip hop and his favorite artists include XTC, Happy End and Perfume. He is also a fan of drama actress and idol Meguru Ishii.
  • Shōhei Yuasa (湯浅 将平) - born April 16, 1984. From Chiba Prefecture. Guitarist and unofficial dancer. Shōhei was on the swim team when he was in high school, and worked as a lifeguard before the band became famous. He occasionally does yoga. He likes drinking and eating. His favorite artists are Thee Michelle Gun Elephant and Sly & the Family Stone.

Staff

  • Kenji Tamai (玉井健二) - he has been the primary arranger of songs that Koide writes since 2007. He has also produced songs for other major Japanese musicians including YUKI, Genki Rockets, and Yuna Itō.
  • Ham-chan (ハムちゃん) and Ōkubo (大久保) - the band's managers.
  • Imamura (今村) - the band's director.
  • Oku (オク) - the band's personal assistant.

History

2001 - Koide gathers members for the band. They perform (as PLANET) at their high school's festival in the fall, playing covers of SUPERCAR songs.

2002 - The members decide to continue with the band as a hobby. They start practicing in April and send demo tapes to record labels. They take Toshiba EMI's advice and change their name to Base Ball Bear, and have their first gig at Shimokitazawa GARAGE in July. As the year goes on, they continue playing in the Shibuya and Shimokitazawa areas of Tokyo as their fan base begins to grow.

2003 - Base Ball Bear is signed to Blitz Pia Records, an indies label, in November. They immediately release their first mini-album Yūgata Generation.

2004 - They release a single, YUME is VISION, in April. This is the first song of theirs that has a music video, which they collaborate on with YUUKI, a Japanese fashion magazine model and Base Ball Bear fan. Base Ball Bear spends much of the rest of their time practicing and writing new songs, some of which are featured on compilation CDs.

2005 - Base Ball Bear releases their first full length album, HIGH COLOR TIMES, in March. They begin playing sold-out concerts in larger venues. Shiori Sekine is cast in one of the lead roles in the film Linda Linda Linda.

2006 - They are signed to EMI Music Japan in January and immediately release an introductory album, Band B ni Tsuite. They play on the Nyakunyaku Nannyo (若若男女) Summer Tour with Chatmonchy and Snowkel. Their first major album, C, is released in November.

2007 - Base Ball Bear goes on their first solo tour, "LIVE BY THE C", in the spring. Over the course of the year they release a total of 4 singles as well as their second major album, Jūnanasai. Their live performances include the ROCK IN JAPAN Festival, the Nyakunyaku Nannyo Summer Tour, and the B-POP HIGH SCHOOL TOUR.

2008 - They are working hard on new material and planning a solo tour called "17-sai Kara Yattemasu Tour (Touring as Though We Were Seventeen)" that will begin in March.

Discography

Amateur releases

  • Mae -front- (前－front－) (2002.7)
  1. My Generation (マイジェネレーション)
  2. WAVE
  3. November : JHS (ノーベンバー；JHS)
  4. pureway
  5. Sky High (スカイハイ)
  • Ushiro -back- (後－back－) (2002.7)
  1. HOPE
  2. RAINPARK
  3. evilway
  4. 89
  5. BOY
  • Change Up (チェンジアップ) (2002.9)
  1. Change Up (チェンジアップ)
  • White Twilight (ホワイトワイライト) (2002.10)
  1. White Twilight (ホワイトワイライト)
  2. November: JHS (ノーベンバー：JHS)
  3. Planetarium (プラネタリウム)
  4. Slogan (スローガン)
  5. My Generation (acoustic ver.) (マイジェネレーション(acoustic ver.))
  • School Life (スクールライフ) (2002.11)
  1. School Life (スクールライフ)
  • HR (2003.3)
  1. HR
  2. School Life (スクールライフ)
  3. Slogan (スローガン)
  • YUMEisVISION (2003.6)
  1. YUMEisVISION, DREAMisVISION
  • YUME / SAYONARA (2003.10)
  1. YUMEisVISION, DREAMisVISION
  2. SAYONARA-NOSTALGIA, Goodbye Nostalgia


Indies releases

  • Yūgata Generation (夕方ジェネレーション) (2003.11.26)
  1. SAYONARA-NOSTALGIA, Goodbye Nostalgia
  2. Tsuyogari Shōjo (つよがり少女), Show-of-Force Girl
  3. Metamorphose Massaichū (メタモルフォーゼﾞ真っ最中), Right in the Middle of Metamorphosis
  4. Binetsu BOY (微熱ボーイ), Slight-Fever Boy
  5. SUNSET-KI･RE･I, SUNSET~BEAU-TI-FUL
  6. Yūgata Generation (夕方ジェネレーション), Evening Generation
  7. BOY MEETS GIRL
  • YUME is VISION (2004.7.7)
  1. YUME is VISION, DREAM is VISION
  2. Kimi no Speed-kan (君のスピード感), Your Sense of Speed
  3. Tokyo Pyramid (東京ピラミッド)
  4. Doppelgänger Graduation (ドッペルゲンガー・グラジュエーション), My Ghostly Double's Graduation
  • HIGH COLOR TIMES (2005.3.16)
  1. Gokusaishiki IMAGINATION (極彩色イマジネイション), A Vivid Imagination
  2. April Mirage
  3. Kūhi Ganbō (空飛願望), Aspiring to Fly
  4. Himawari no Jūnigatsu (向日葵の12月), Sunflower December
  5. Shirayuki no Kanojo (白雪の彼女), White-Snow Girl
  6. Umi ni Naritai (海になりたい), I Want to Become the Sea
  7. aimai memories, Unclear Memories
  8. Satellite Town Nite (サテライト・タウンにて), In Satellite Town
  9. Kimi-iro no Machi (君色の街), A Town of Your Color
  10. Kagenai Futari (翳ない2人), A Shadowless Couple
  11. Kareshi Kanojo no Kankei (彼氏彼女の関係), Boyfriend-Girlfriend Relationship
  12. HIGH COLOR TIMES
  • Band B ni Tsuite (バンドBについて), All About Band B (2005.10.14)
  1. CRAZY FOR YOU no Kisetsu (CRAZY FOR YOUの季節), The Season I'm Crazy for You
  2. Gokusaishiki IMAGINATION (極彩色イマジネイション), A Vivid Imagination
  3. Satellite Town Nite (サテライト・タウンにて), In Satellite Town
  4. Kareshi Kanojo no Kankei (彼氏彼女の関係), Boyfriend-Girlfriend Relationship
  5. YUME is VISION, DREAM is VISION
  6. Yūgata Generation (夕方ジェネレーション), Evening Generation
  7. SAYONARA-NOSTALGIA, Goodbye Nostalgia
  8. GIRL OF ARMS


Major releases

  • Band B ni Tsuite (バンドBについて), All About Band B (2006.1.12)
    • This is the same as the indies release except for track 2, which was changed to "Labyrinth he no Timing (ラビリンスへのタイミング)" for the major release.
  • GIRL FRIEND (2006.4.12)
  1. GIRL FRIEND
  2. BLACK SEA
  3. CITY DANCE
  4. 4D Kaiwai (4D界隈), 4D Neighborhood
  • ELECTRIC SUMMER (2006.6.21)
  1. ELECTRIC SUMMER
  2. Good bye
  3. SAYONARA-NOSTALGIA (LAST SUMMER ver.), Goodbye Nostalgia
  • STAND BY ME (2006.10.4)
  1. STAND BY ME
  2. Tenkū Lonely Hearts (天空Lonely Hearts), Lonely Hearts in the Ether
  3. BOY MEETS GIRL [LIVE]
  • C (2006.10.29)
  1. CRAZY FOR YOU no Kisetsu (album ver.) (CRAZY FOR YOUの季節(Album ver.)), The Season I'm Crazy For You
  2. GIRL FRIEND
  3. Matsuri no Ato (祭りのあと), After the Festival
  4. ELECTRIC SUMMER
  5. Swimming Girl (スイミングガール)
  6. YOU'RE MY SUNSHINE no Subete (YOU'RE MY SUNSHINEのすべて), All of You're My Sunshine
  7. GIRL OF ARMS
  8. DEATH to LOVE (DEATHとLOVE), Death and Love
  9. STAND BY ME
  10. Last Dance (ラストダンス)
  11. SHE IS BACK
  • Dakishimetai (抱きしめたい) (2007.4.4)
  1. Dakishimetai (抱きしめたい), I Want to Hold You
  2. Kareshi Kanojo no Kankei [Atarashii Kankei ver.] (彼氏彼女の関係[新しい関係 ver.]), Boyfriend-Girlfriend Relationship [new relationship ver.]
  • Dramatic (ドラマチック) (2007.5.16)
  1. Dramatic (ドラマチック) - opening theme to the anime 'Ōkiku Furikabutte'
  2. Tōmei Jūrokuji (透明26時), 2 A.M. Clarity
  3. Yūgata Generation [Atarashii Yūgata ver.] (夕方ジェネレーション [新しい夕方ver.]), Evening Generation [new evening ver.]
  • Manatsu no Jōken (真夏の条件), Midsummer Essential (2007.7.18)
  1. Manatsu no Jōken (真夏の条件), Midsummer Essential
  2. Gokusaishiki IMAGINATION [Atarashii Imagination ver.] (極彩色イマジネイション [新しいイマジネイションver.]), A Vivid Imagination [new imagination ver.]
  • Aishiteru (愛してる) (2007.10.31)
  1. Aishiteru (愛してる), I Love You
  2. Casual Love (カジュアル・ラヴ)
  3. Aishiteru [karaoke ver.]
  4. Aishiteru [Shiori Rockets ver.] (愛してる [史織ロケッツ ver.])
  • Jūnanasai (十七歳) (2007.12.5)
  1. 17-sai (17才), Age 17
  2. Dramatic (ドラマチック)
  3. Dakishimetai (抱きしめたい), I Want to Hold You
  4. Heaven's Door Girls (ヘヴンズドアー･ガールズ)
  5. Aishiteru (愛してる), I Love You
  6. SEVENTEEN ROMANCE
  7. FUTATSU NO SEKAI, Two Worlds
  8. Manatsu no Jōken (真夏の条件), Midsummer Essential
  9. Aoi Haru, Kyomu (青い春.虚無), Youth, Nothingness
  10. WINK SNIPER
  11. Kyōsōkyoku (協奏曲), Concerto
  12. Kizuite Hoshii (気付いてほしい), I Want You to Notice

Compilations and Collaborations

  • HI-STYLE vol.7 GRiP (2004)
    9. Shōjo to Nue [demo ver] (少女と鵺), A Girl and a Nue
  • Suteki Compilation (2004.1.21)
    9. SAYONARA-NOSTALGIA
  • D★SELDOM Sono 9 (2004.7.28)
    2-8. SAYONARA-NOSTALGIA
  • B Beginning!! (2004.12.24) - split single with Japanese band Bacon
    2. April Mirage
    4. TRAGIC HEROINE
  • Linda Linda Linda Original Movie Soundtrack (2005.7.20)
    7. April Mirage
    9. SAYONARA-NOSTALGIA
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