The Spiders

The Spiders were a Japanese rock band formed in Tokyo in 1961, as one of the leading groups of the Group Sounds genre.

History

Band members were Hiroshi "Monsieur" Kamayatsu (rhythm guitar and backing singer), Jun Inoue (singer), Masaaki Sakai (tambourine and backing singer), Shochi Tanabe (drums), Takayuki Inoue (lead guitar and backing singer), Mitsuru Kato (bass guitar) and Katsuo Ōno (electronic organ and steel guitar). They had many hit singles, made feature films and were popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s in Japan. They toured Europe in 1966, and the United States, including Hawaii, in 1967. Most of the band members are still active in the music industry, with the exception of Monsieur, who died on 1 March 2017 and Takayuki Inoue, who died on 2 May 2018.

Their biggest selling record was "Yuhiganaiteiru" which sold over 1.2 million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.

Selected discography

Albums

• Album No. 1 (Rel. April 15, 1966)
• Album No. 2 (Rel. June 1, 1966)
• Album No. 3 (Rel. February 1, 1967)
• The Spiders Meets The Savage (Rel. March 1967)
• Album No. 4 (Rel. September 5, 1967)
• Album No. 5 (Rel. March 15, 1968)
• Meiji Hyakunen Spiders Nana Nen (Rel. October 25, 1968)
• The Spiders '69 (Rel. May 25, 1969)
• Rock 'N' Roll Renaissance (Rel. May 25, 1970)

Singles

• Furi Furi b/w Monkey Dance (Crown CW-291 - Rel. May 10, 1965)
• Etenraku Go, Go b/w Twilight Zone (Victor SS-1597 - Rel. November 15, 1965)
• No No Boy b/w Little Robby (Philips SFL-1034 - Rel. February 1, 1966)
• Seishun a Go Go b/w Kurai Ando Kurai (Crown CW-444 - Rel. March 10, 1966)
• Hey Boy b/w Michelle (Philips SFL-1043 - Rel. April 15, 1966)
• Summer Girl b/w Up-Side-Down (Philips SFL-1057 - Rel. July 1, 1966)
• Yuhiganaiteiru b/w Chibi No Julie (Philips FS-1003 - Rel. September 15, 1966)
• Nantonaku Nantonaku b/w Boom Boom (Philips FS-1007 - Rel. December 25, 1966)
• Taiyo No Tsubasa b/w Sora No Hiroba (Philips FS-1013 - Rel. March 1, 1967)
• Balla Balla b/w Land Of 1,000 Dances (Philips FS-1014 - Rel. April 20, 1967)
• Kazeganaiteiru b/w Kimi Ni Ageyou (Philips FS-1020 - Rel. July 15, 1967)
• Ano Niji Wo Tsukamo b/w Koi No Doctor (Philips FS-1022 - Rel. August 25, 1967)
• Itsumademo Dokomademo b/w Ban Ban Ban (Philips FS-1030 - Rel. October 25, 1967)
• Anotoki Kimi Wa Wakakatta b/w Mo Ichido Mo Ichido (Philips FS-1040 - Rel. March 5, 1968)
• Shinjyu No Namida b/w Akai Dress No Onna No Ko (Philips FS-1050 - Rel. June 5, 1968)
• Kuroyuri No Uta b/w Rock And Roll Boy (Philips FS-1060 - Rel. September 5, 1968)
• Glass No Seijo b/w Kaze Wa Liyatsu (Philips FS-1065 - Rel. November 25, 1968)

Films

• Friends (1964, Nikkatsu) Director: Nozomu Yanase
• Highland Lady (1965, Nikkatsu) Director: Nozomu Yanase
• Youth A Go-Go (1966, Nikkatsu) Director: Kenjiro Morinaga
• Goodbye Mr. Tear (1966, Nikkatsu) Director: Shōgorō Nishimura
• You Are A Lover (1967, Nikkatsu) Director: Buichi Saitō
• Kigeki ekimae hyakku-nen (1967, Toho) Director: Shirō Toyoda
• The Sunset Is Crying (1967, Nikkatsu) Director: Kenjiro Morinaga
• Wild Scheme A Go Go (1967, Nikkatsu) Director: Buichi Saitō
• Go Forward! (1968, Nikkatsu) Director: Kō Nakahira
• Big Commotion! (1968, Nikkatsu) Director: Kenjiro Morinaga
• Road To Bali (1968, Nikkatsu) Director: Katsumi Nishikawa
• The Wonderful Ones (1968, Shochiku) Director: Kōichi Saitō
• Nippon oyafukō jidai (1968, Toho) Director: Kunihiko Yamamoto