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Masayoshi Takanaka

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Masayoshi Takanaka
Takanaka in 2015
Born
Masayoshi Ryū (劉 正義)

(1953-03-27) March 27, 1953 (age 71)[1]
Tokyo, Japan[1]
NationalityJapanese
OccupationMusician
Musical career
GenresJazz, jazz fusion, pop, rock
InstrumentElectric guitar & Bass guitar
Years active1970–present
LabelsLagoon, Kitty
Websitetakanaka.com

Masayoshi Takanaka (Japanese: 高中 正義, Hepburn: Takanaka Masayoshi, born March 27, 1953) is a Japanese guitarist, composer, and producer. Takanaka's music was influential in the city pop genre of the late 1970s and 1980s.[3]

Early life

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Takanaka was born to a Chinese father and a Japanese mother. His father came to Japan from Nanjing, China after World War II and married his mother, whose surname was Takanaka.[4]

Takanaka was born in Akabane ward, but moved to Oimachi, Shinagawa ward soon after birth. Masayoshi was naturalized in Japan when he was in the fourth grade of elementary school, and changed his name from Masayoshi Liu to Masayoshi Takanaka.[4]

Career

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Debut

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Masayoshi Takanaka was already active in 1970, from the age of 17 he participated as a guitarist in The Evil and began his professional career in 1971 by playing guitar and bass guitar in the prog rock band Flied Egg under Vertigo.[1][5][6] During his professional debut, he was made to play bass against his will. He took daily lessons from Shigeru Naruke, who taught him the basics of music theory and guitar playing. At the same time, he started working as a studio musician as a bassist through the introduction of Naruke.

Member of the Sadistic Mika Band

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In 1972, after Flied Egg disbanded, he joined the Sadistic Mika Band[1] formed by Kazuhiko Kato, and from there he began working as a professional guitarist. The band fragmented after the divorce of two of its main members. After the Sadistic Mika Band disbanded in 1975, he formed the Sadistics with remaining band members Yukihiro Takahashi, Tsugutoshi Goto, and Yutaka Imai. The following year, in 1976, he released his first solo album, Seychelles, and since then he has continued to pursue Sadistics and solo activities. The other members also engaged in solo activities, and as they all began to place more emphasis on their solo activities, the Sadistics disbanded in 1978, seemingly disappearing naturally.

Solo career

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After the Sadistics disbanded, he began working as a solo artist, releasing one or two solo albums every year, consisting mainly of his own original songs and guitar instrumental songs. Takanaka released his first solo album, Seychelles.[1] Throughout the '70s and '80s, Takanaka continued his output, releasing over twenty albums and singles under Kitty Records until 1984 and EMI from 1985 to 2000. In 2000, he formed his own record label, Lagoon Records.[7][8]

Takanaka is known for his flashy guitars, including a gold colored Fender Stratocaster. He also has a trademark "lagoon-blue" Yamaha SG guitar that he plays during live performances.[9]

He has collaborated with several other musical acts, notably Santana and Roxy Music.[citation needed] His 1981 song "Penguin Dancer" was sampled by Grimes on her song "Butterfly" in 2015.[10] His 1979 popular song "Blue Lagoon" was named the 14th best guitar instrumental by Young Guitar Magazine in 2019.[11][12][13]

Discography

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Studio albums

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  • Seychelles (1976)
  • Takanaka (1977)
  • An Insatiable High (1977)
  • Brasilian Skies (1978)
  • On Guitar (1978)
  • Jolly Jive (1979)
  • T-Wave (1980)
  • Finger Dancin' (1980)
  • The Rainbow Goblins (1981)
  • Alone (1981)
  • Saudade (1982)
  • To You (1983)
  • Can I Sing? (1983)
  • 夏・全・開 (Open All Summer) (1984)
  • Traumatic - Far Eastern Detectives (1985)
  • Jungle Jane (1986)
  • Rendez-Vous (1987)
  • Hot Pepper (1988)
  • Gaps! (1989)
  • Nail the Pocket (1990)
  • O' Holy Night (1990)
  • Ballade (1991)
  • Fade to Blue (1992)
  • Aquaplanet (1993)
  • Wood Chopper's Ball (1994)
  • Winter Days & Starry Nights (1996)
  • Guitar Wonder (1996)
  • The White Goblin (1997)
  • Bahama (1998)
  • Walkin' (1999)
  • Hunpluged (2000)
  • Guitar Dream (2001)
  • The Moon Rose (2002)
  • Surf & Turf (2004)
  • Sadistic Takanaka (2006)
  • Natsudo (Summer Road) (2009)
  • Karuizawa Daydream (2010)
  • Ukulele Seychelles (2011)
  • 40th Year Rainbow (2011)

Selected compilation albums

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  • All Of Me (1979)
  • Singing And Playing (1985)
  • The Lover (1993)
  • Golden Best (2004)
  • Takanaka All Time Super Best (2022)

Live albums

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  • Super Takanaka Live! (1980)
  • Ocean Breeze (1982)
  • Rainbow Goblins Story / Live at Budokan (1986)
  • Jungle Jane Tour Live (1986)
  • One Night Gig (1991)
  • Niji Densetsu II - Live at Budokan - Time Machine to the Past (1997)
  • The Man with the Guitar (Recorded at Liveteria) (2001)
  • 30th Anniversary Power Live With Friends (2001)
  • Crossover Japan '05 Live (2005)
  • Super Studio Live! (2014)

Collaboration albums

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Singles

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  • My Secret Beach / Early Bird (1980)
  • Jumping Take Off / Tears of the Sun (1983)
  • Epidaurus / Illusion (1985)
  • Santa Claus Is Coming To Town / The Young And The Restless (1986)
  • Bad Chicken / Summer You (1987)
  • Can You Feel It / Dancin' In Jamaica (1990)
  • Takajazz / Guitar Wonder (1996)
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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "【ヒューマン】高中正義、音痴だから歌わない「佐村河内とか同じ」". Sanspo. 27 September 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  2. ^ Hasebe, Ko. "Santana And Masayoshi Takanaka Japan 1981". Getty Images. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  3. ^ Arcand, Rob; Goldner, Sam (24 January 2019). "The Guide to Getting Into City Pop, Tokyo's Lush 80s Nightlife Soundtrack". Vice. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  4. ^ a b "ギタリスト 高中正義(1)". 日本経済新聞 (in Japanese). 2014-08-18. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
  5. ^ "高中正義". tower.jp. Tower. 30 August 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  6. ^ "Flied Egg | Discography | Discogs". Discogs. 17 August 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  7. ^ "Profile TAKANAKA weblog". www.takanaka.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  8. ^ "Masayoshi Takanaka". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  9. ^ "Guitarist Masayoshi Takanaka bids farewell to storied Shibuya venue with a tropical show | The Japan Times". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  10. ^ Hunt, El (4 March 2016). "THE GENIUS OF GRIMES". DIY Mag. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  11. ^ "ヤング・ギター厳選『ギター・インストの殿堂100』名演ランキング". Young Guitar Magazine (in Japanese). 2019-06-11. Retrieved 2019-06-13.
  12. ^ "【インタビュー】高中正義、『SUPER STUDIO LIVE!』に「誰にもできない自分の音というものを」". Barks. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  13. ^ 小栗, 勘太郎 (22 August 2013). "【高中正義「ブルー・ラグーン」】 歌のないギターが主役の希有なヒット曲". Diamond. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
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