Osaka Monaurail

Osaka Monaurail (Japaneseオーサカ·モノレール, Osaka Monorēru ) is a company established in 1992 in Osaka and at the time of nine Japanese funk band, which now successfully occurs also in Europe.

  • 4.1 Singles 4.1.1 7 " vinyl
  • 4.2.1 12 "Vinyl
  • 4.2.2 CD
  • 4.3.1 CD

Band History

The beginnings as a college ensemble

Osaka Monaurail was founded in 1992 when Ryo Nakata, frontman of the group, was a student. The name was from the piece It's the JBs Monaurail taken ( with deliberately falsified spelling) of James Brown's band The JB's. The JB's were from the beginning of one of the greatest influences and an important source of inspiration for Osaka Monaurail. Originally the group consisted of about twenty members; particularly strong wind instruments and percussion instruments were represented. Most of these musicians knew each other from the jazz club of the same colleges. The first piece, the Osaka Monaurail rehearsed at that time, was the radio classics I Got The Feeling by James Brown.

Soon the 13-member core group began to emerge: Nakata Ryo ( vocals and keyboards ), Matsunaga Hiroaki and Yamamoto Nobuki ( trumpets ), Terada Hiroichi (background vocals and trombone), Hiraishi Katsutoshi (trombone), Nakamoto Goji (alto saxophone), Hibino Norihiko (tenor saxophone), Takegai Tomoki (baritone saxophone), Hiroshi Kikuchi and Ichinose Takayuki ( guitar ), Yatabe Teruyuki ( bass), Suetsugu Toshimitu ( percussion) and Shuichi Igarashi (drums). After a few school concerts, the first live public show of Osaka Monaurail in the Bustle Hall was listed in Osaka in this lineup. This was in 1993.

The SHOUT! Era

Between 1993 and 1996, the Group entered into primarily to local bars and clubs. When she after several member changes the Soul Banana Festival 1997 in Banana Hall, also in Osaka, the singer Boo, DJ Muro, the rapper Dev Large and the artist had met Dragon, Nakata and Boo together began in 1998 Soul parties in to Apply "Dawn", a club in Osaka, and promote. The events were SHOUT! named and the main actors were Osaka Monaurail and Boo, along with Soul Nuts and four local DJs. The SHOUT! Flyer were characterized by illustrations that were borrowed from the black theater scene of the early 1970s. This time unusual advertising attracted many visitors, so SHOUT! as a bi-monthly event an institution in Osaka and was also in Tokyo took place twice a year. The SHOUT! Events were continued until 2002, and the name used for a record label.

In 1998, the group met with members of the JB's, including Clyde Stubblefield (drums), John " Jabo " Starks (drums) and Fred Wesley ( trombone).

The first publications

In 1999, Osaka Monaurail first time through shared studio recordings. However, these were not made for its own publication, but it was the opening song of the first album of Buddha Brand, then one of the most popular rap formations in Japan. The album Yameru Mugen No Buddha No Sekai was released in 2000, with the contribution of Super Heavy Funk Introduction of Osaka Monaurail.

2000 published Osaka Monaurail then her first album: What It Is What It .. Which was prescribed the radio and in addition to many original vocal and instrumental pieces also included a cover version of Theme From The Men, originally written by Isaac Hayes in 1973 and was performed. It was published under the SHOUT! Label, now a sub- label of the record company RD Records.

The second album, Rumble ' n' Struggle, was published in December 2001, with the first recordings, such as the title track, had already in June 2001, before the terrorist attacks of September 11, recorded and mixed - already here Nakata deals with the coming war:

The album contained, besides this title track continues four instrumental and two vocal pieces. The line up for the album consisted of Nakata Ryo (vocals, keyboards and percussion), Matsunaga Hiroaki and Fukutani Shigeki ( trumpets ), Hiraishi Katsutoshi (trombone), Kobayashi Mitsuru (alto saxophone and flute), Takeshima Satoru (tenor saxophone and flute), Hayami Dan and Kuroishida Keishi (guitar), Ouchi Tsuyoshi ( bass) and Yuichiro Kimura (drums).

Just Bein ' Free (first and second part) and Down And Out (first and second part) from their second album New New Type Thing (first and second part) from the first album: Shortly after, three 45 -rpm singles were released. The disk label of the Single for Just Bein ' Free contains the note "Inspired by the movie, Superfly " ( " inspired by the film ' Superfly ' " ), which shows that the song is a tribute to the radio classic Give Me Your Love from the year 1972 by Curtis Mayfield.

From Osaka to Tokyo

2003 moved Osaka Monaurail to Tokyo, it left five members of the group and four joined in Tokyo Ensemble at what brought new instruments and that a new group dynamic with it and a modern tour bus, which allowed Osaka Monaurail, with full occupancy and complete equipment to be able to go on tour and so maintained at any place their own optical and audiblen vintage style.

Nakata then began building his own studio, where then the third album, Thankful ( For What You've Done ) was completely mixed together in 2004. As the landlord, however, went bankrupt, the studio had to be given up again towards the end of the year. Thankful contained pure instrumentals and four vocal. Overall, it was attempted to adapt the sound of the early seventies and maintain. Mind Power, the last piece of the album, in turn, is a piece of JB's from the year 1973. Double-Up Now, an instrumental piece, became a popular hit in the clubs of the radio scene.

In 2005, the first live album was: Eyewitness to the ...: Live in Heavy radio system was during the performance together with Pinch, a DJ and longtime friend of the band, and Keb Darge, founder of The Legendary Deep Funk movement in Osaka recorded on 28 April 2005. It contains the complete concert. The live album contains 24 regular and two hidden bonus tracks, including both numerous originals and cover versions, for example Soulful Strut by The Young- Holt Unlimited ( 1968), Pick Up The Pieces One By One by Above Average Black Ribbon (1975 ), Theme From Shaft by Isaac Hayes ( 1971), Soul Pride of the James Brown Orchestra, Lou Donaldson Alligator Bogaloo (1967 ) and Mother popcorn by James Brown from the year 1968.

The beginning of cooperation with Marva Whitney

In summer 2006, Osaka Monaurail toured as the backup band for Marva Whitney (known as " Soul Sister Number One", "The First Lady Of Funk ", as one of " The James Brown 's Original Funky Divas ," as well as " first diva " in the James Brown Revue of the later 1960s ) through six cities. To this end, Whitney came from Kansas City, Kansas, USA, to Japan to tour the northern Sapporo to Okinawa from the south - in Okinawa they had already occurred in 1968 with James Brown, when she was traveling to Vietnam. The tour with Marva Whitney is considered by Osaka Monaurail and their fans as a milestone in the band's history. She was also the starting point for a fruitful cooperation between Whitney and the musicians from Osaka, which lasted up to Whitney's death in December 2012.

After one and a half week tour Osaka Monaurail and Marva Whitney took together their first solo album after 36 years in the recording studio. This was first published on December 2006 exclusively in Japan under the name I Am What I. It was released in the spring of 2007 in Europe at the record label Freestyle Records. On the album there are new songs, such as the eponymous I Am What I Am, as well as cover versions of Whitney's own songs such as Soul Sisters Of The World, which was in 1967 appeared as one of their singles under the name Saving My Love For My Baby. In addition, Whitney interpreted several radio classics: Give It Up Or Turn It A Loose by James Brown and He's Mine by The Platters and Every Little Bit Hurts. These controlled Osaka Monaurail two instrumental pieces in, It 's Her Thing and We Sing Soul. The final piece Peace In The Valley, is regarded as Whitney's personal favorite among her own pieces.

In autumn 2006, Nakata grew in spite of its function as a co-founder of RD Records from to SHOUT! Productions as an independent record label rebuild; currently, the label has a lot of artists under contract or cooperate with them, including Marva Whitney, Osaka Monaurail, Cauliflowers and The Takosan.

The first European tour and the 15- year -anniversary

In November 2006, Osaka Monaurail was originally brought on in Europe, the tour took place in six cities: London, Southampton, Montpellier, Berlin, Hamburg and Wiesbaden. In the same year the fifth Osaka Monaurail album was released as the first publication of the rebuilt Labels SHOUT! Productions: Reality For The People with the opener Quicksand puts his stronger emphasis on rhythm instruments and includes a cover of bossa nova piece Ceora by Lee Morgan.

2007 saw another European tour held on the occasion of the fifteenth anniversary band. These Nakata often remarked in interviews:

The tour cast consisted of Ryo Nakata (vocals, keyboards), Kentaro Yamagata and Seiji Sakakibara ( trumpets ), Katsutoshi Hiraishi (trombone and flute), Shimon Mukai (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone and flute), Dan Hayami and Yuichi Ikeda ( guitars), Dai Nakamura (bass ) and Kensuke Okuse (drums).

The end of 2008 performances from Osaka Monaurail in Europe took place again, again together with Marva Whitney.

Film distribution

Front man Nakata Ryo is also committed to independent film distribution for the Black Cinema. He bought with collected money from friends (about six million yen) 1999, the rights to two films: Superfly in 1972 and Coffy (1973 ), which he had launched in 17 movie theaters across Japan as an independent film distribution in June 2000. Nearly 30 years after the premiere, the films were shown in cinemas and first released in Japan on video. Local sales Nakata few years later also the films When We Were Kings - Once we were kings from 1997 and Soul To Soul in 1971 In addition, he worked as an editor on the realization of the book The Soul Of Black movies with. .

Trivia

  • After the recording of the live concert on Eyewitness to the ... Live in Heavy radio system you can hear someone shout:
  • The band's name refers to the Osaka Monorail. This railway line is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest monorail in the world.

Discography

Singles

7 "Vinyl

  • January 20, 2001: New New Type Thing ( pts.1 & 2)
  • January 20, 2001: (She Lights My Fire, The Baby Sure Is) Down And Out ( pts. 1 & 2)
  • June 16, 2001: Just Bein ' Free ( pts. 1 & 2)
  • November 12, 2004: Mind Power ( pts. 1 & 2)
  • November 12, 2004: Double-Up Now (pt. 1) b / w Groovy, Groovy, Groovy ( pt.2 )
  • April 15, 2004: Hot Pants Road (pt. 1) b / w Pick Up The Pieces One By One (pt. 2)
  • April 15, 2004: Pick Up The Pieces One By One (pt. 1) b / w Hot Pants Road (pt. 2)
  • June 16, 2006: Marva Whitney with Osaka Monaurail: I Am What I Am ( pts. 1 & 2)
  • March 16, 2007: Marva Whitney with Osaka Monaurail: Soul Sisters Of The World ( pt 1) b / w It 's Her Thing (pt. 2) "
  • April 20, 2007: Quicksand (pt. 1) b / w Ceola (pt. 2)
  • August 17, 2007: We got One (A Show) b / w We got One (A Show) - Instrumental (Our Label Records)
  • November 14, 2008: Signed Sealed Delivered, I'm Yours b / w Super Shine # 9 (Our Label Records)

Studio albums

12 "Vinyl

  • March 2000: What It Is ... What It Was

CD

  • April 28, 2000: What It Is ... What It Was
  • December 1, 2001: Rumble ' s Struggle
  • 23 September 2004: Thankful ( For What You've Done )
  • December 15, 2006: Reality For The People
  • December 15, 2006: Marva Whitney with Osaka Monaurail: I Am What I Am
  • November 21, 2008 Amen, Brother

Live albums

CD

  • November 2002: Soul Scream feat. Osaka Monaurail Tour 2002 - Future Is Now

DVD

  • March 2003: Soul Scream feat. Osaka Monaurail Tour 2002 - Future Is Now exclusive live mix

Participation and Compilations

  • March 2000: Buddha Brand: Yameru Mugen no Buddha no Sekai (CD, Track 1:. SuperHeavy Funky Introduction feat Osaka Monaurail )
  • December 2000: Various: Shifuku Deka ( compilation CD, Track 6: Theme Of Osaka Monaurail ( edited version) )
  • March 2002: Various: New York Times Tribute to Blue Notes ( compilation CD, Track 8: Alligator Boogaloo )
  • April 2002: Various: Space Shower Retsuden Utage ( compilation CD, Track 7: Your Thing (Do It !))
  • January 2003: Various: Project Massive ( compilation CD, Track 6: Whatever you do )
  • August 2003: Various: Yumezamurai no Shishu ( compilation CD, Track 8: Double-Up Now)
  • October 2003: Various: Funk Your Style ( compilation CD, Track 3: Two Houses Make A Happy Home )
  • December 2004: Various: The Orchard Style Two ( compilation CD, Track 6: Theme from Ironside )
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