1994.5~1996.2: Even though they made their debut, there was a series of unexpected events. The gaps between stuff and the members; the absence of a drummer. "Actually, there was a repetition of events that made me wonder why we swung wide many times. Sometimes we did a show full of disappointment." (Hisashi)
At that time, they got reliable supporting members, Toshimitsu Nagai (drums) and D.I.E. (keyboards), and the series of hit singles got the attention of not only those fans who called themselves "Visual-kei," but also fans of various backgrounds. They started to change the pop scene. They released their second album, BEAT out!, which went to number one in the Oricon Charts during the first week of its release. The four of them began to get a grip and gain confidence. |
| 1994.5.25 |
1st single [RAIN] is released by Platinum Records with Yoshiki. This is the main theme of "Yamato Takeru." On that same day, their first indies album-Hai to Daiyamondo ["ash and diamond"] is released by Extasy Records. "Our new life began. I thought we owed much to our fans and stuff; they made it happen." (Teru) |
| 1994.6.15 |
2nd single [Manatsuno Tobira] is released. This is the opening theme of "Yamato Takeru." The producer is Masami Tsuchiya [who used to produce BOOWY's songs]. C/W [Life~Touii Sora No Shita De]. "I asked Mr. Tsuchiya to train them because I felt that the members were still weak. Hisashi progressively developed his skills." (Hiro Inoguchi) |
| 1994.7.31 |
Shibuya ON AIR WEST-debut live [HAPPY SWING]. Tickets were sold out in 2 hours. "That was a memorable live. We did the show with our own stuff for the first time. Everything was gorgeous. I felt that 'Something is going to happen.'" (Hisashi) |
| 1994.8 |
Glay start recording their first major album with Masahide Sakuma as their producer and Michael Zimmerling as their engineer. |
| 1994.9.26~ |
1st nationwide tour-Hai to Daiyamondo starts. [13 places, 13 times]. "On the first day of the tour, we played the song [LIFE] (~touii sora no shita de) with acoustic guitars and it was the first time we played a song sitting on stools. Later, we began to play songs like [Kiseki no Hate] and [BELOVED] with acoustic guitars while sitting on stools; that definitely changed our feelings [onstage]." (Takuro) |
| 1994.10.1 |
Air-G' [FM radio station in Hokkaido]-1st regular program [GLAY in FM ROCK KIDS] starts. Every Saturday from 2:00~4:00 a.m. |
| 1994.10.17 |
In Hakodate, their first triumphal homecoming live concert was held at Kanamori Hall. "Now in Hakodate, the atmosphere is like a party with unknown people. But the first time in Hakodate was really moving." (Jiro) |
| 1994.10.23 |
Hokkaido Kouseinenkinkaikan [FM ROCK KIDS matsuri ("festival")]. Produced by AIR-G'. |
| 1994.11.16 |
3rd single [Kanojo no "Modern..."] ("modern girl") is released. Produced by Masahide Sakuma. C/W [INNOCENCE]. "I think Jiro improved the most among the members through working with Sakuma. He stepped out of the way to become the number one bassist of his generation." (Hiro Inoguchi)
GLAY have been wearing suits ever since this song's PV shoot. |
| 1994.11.24~ |
[THE SPEED POP LIVE '94] in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. [3 places, 3 times]. The Tokyo live was in Shibuya Kokaido. "They were obliged to endure harsh conditions due to the malfunction of their stuff [equipment?]. Their first appearance at Shibuya Kokaido Hall might have been terrible, but they had a purpose-to enjoy themselves." (Hiro Inoguchi) |
| 1995.1.25 |
4th single [Freeze My Love] is released. This was the opening theme of "Ringu no Tamashii." C/W [REGRET]. The song ranked number 19 in the Oricon Charts during the first week. "To make a 'life-size' song was the biggest theme. The song marked an epoch for GLAY." (Takuro) |
| 1995.3.1 |
1st major label album (with Platinum Records)-SPEED POP, is released. The album's highest position in the Oricon Charts was number 8. [Oricon Charts is Japan's equivalent to the Bilboard Charts in the USA]. "The title describes GLAY the best in short words, and the words are always associated with GLAY." (Hisashi) |
| 1995.4.2 |
Shinjuku NISSIN POWER STATION [SPEED POP STANDING GIG] SOLD OUT in 1 day. After this live, D.I.E. joins Glay as their supporting member on keyboards. "I started using toy guns onstage from that day [onwards]. I started this because I like Steve Stevens and since then, I have had more than 50 guns." (Hisashi) |
| 1995.4.5 |
bay-fm-regular program called [Music Puls on Tokyo Bay]. Every Wednesday from 1:00~2:00 a.m. |
| 1995.4.19 |
Nagoya Club Diamond Hall-TV Chukyo [Kiss Miss Chick]. This was a public live recording. |
| 1995.4.22~ |
Nationwide tour [SPEED POP GIG '95] starts. [9 places, 10 times-SOLD OUT]. After this tour, Toshi Nagai joins Glay as their supporting member on drums. "The first time I met Nagai was at a rehearsal studio. Because of his appearance and his origin in Kyushu, I thought he might be a boisterous man, but he is a very nice guy. When I heard his drumming, I was convinced that 'With this guy, we can get along.'" (Jiro) |
| 1995.5.9 |
Yokohama Michael Theatre Honmaku/TVK [LIVEY]. Open live. |
| 1995.5.17 |
5th single [Zutto Futari De...] is released. This is the ending theme of Channel 99. C/W [GONE WITH THE WIND], which is the opening theme of Bikermice [animation], and [ACID HEAD]. 1st music video collection-Video Glay, is on sale. |
| 1995.7.7 |
While Jiro was away from his house for the shooting of the video to [Yes, Summerdays], a burglar broke into his house. "When I came back home, something was different. A glass window was broken and the rice certificates were stolen. I was glad that my Gibson bass was safe." (Jiro) |
| 1995.7.11 |
Glay start recording their second album with Masahide Sakuma as the producer. |
| 1995.7.22 |
Shibuya Kokaido in Tokyo [SHOCK AGE '95 special]. |
| 1995.8.6 |
Nagoya Fukaimaru Hiroga [New Kids On The Rocks '95]. |
| 1995.8.9 |
6th single [Yes, Summerdays] is released. This is the TV-CF image song of Kameriya Daiyamondo. C/W [INNOCENCE] Live Version [1995.6.12 in Shibuya Kokaido]. "Before the release of this song, I suddenly came up with the idea of 'change.' So I cut my hair. I cut it by myself at my place." (Teru) |
| 1995.9 |
The day before the event at Fukaimaru, Nagoya [a showcase event], Jiro cut his hand with a champagne bottle. "My hand got 5 stitches for the wound but we did the show the next day. The scar is still on my hand and I still remember that event." (Jiro) |
| 1995.9.3 |
Kawasaki CLUB CITTA' [MAGIC DANCE HALL Vol. 2]. |
| 1995.11.8 |
7th single [Ikiteku Tsuyosa] ("the strength to live") is released. This is the theme of "Kaza ana Dowtown" [comedy show]. C/W [Cynical], which is not included in the album. "I wrote the C/W song, 'Cynical,' after finishing the SPEED POP Tour. There was an abundance of creativity that came out of me, and it couldn't be controlled just by playing guitars or posing for magazines. I wanted to display my character more--that was the period when I began to think this [way]." (Hisashi) |
| 1995.12.29 |
Ichikawa CLUB GIO [GLAY '95 FINAL THE GLORIOUS NIGHT]. Limited to 450 people. SOLD OUT. "Since this show, we started making SE (sound effects). I had been selecting songs all throughout that time. But there wasn't one that I really liked, so 'Why don't I make one by myself...' I know the tension among the members. I started making them with the Mac[intosh]." (Hisashi) |
| 1995.1.17 |
8th single [Glorious] is released. This is the image song of '96 Victoria TV-CF. Debuts at no. 4 in the Oricon Charts [1/29]. C/W [Believe in fate], which is not included in the album. "'To see the same dream together'--We changed all the schedules to record that song. I think the song upgraded us." (Jiro) |
|
Major debut
-[Manatsu no Tobira] ("midsummer door") is Masami Tsuchiya.
TAKURO: The song is very nice. The song that provides for us is useful.
TERU: I remember he asked me, "Why do you sing songs?" I thought I sang very well. But he said, "Your song is without soul." I seriously thought about that. I don't understand what I sang.
JIRO: [HAPPY SWING]. That's [HAPPY SWING]. It's also our live concert title.
HISASHI: At that time, GLAY's lives became a team consisting of the GLAY members and other staff-lights and monitor. I can't get over that period. It was an extremely good live.
TE: After that, we started to tour intensively.
TA: We used the name [Hai to Daiyamondo] instead of the name "GLAY" for the tour. Actually, it was a tie-band (tour). We were told, "Train yourselves in this tour, where the audience has come to see the other band (as well)."
JI: Sakuma Masahide appeared with his song, [Kanojo no "Modern..."].
TA: Sakuma is a man of few words. I guess he didn't try to talk to us because we had full make-up on.
TE: I don't know why but we had a meeting before a concert with him.
HI: I guess he thought that there was no difference between GLAY offstage and onstage.
JI: Playing bass was hard. He taught me how to (play with a) pick. "Well, I will teach you how to pick." It was very basic.
(aciel's note: JIRO is quoting Sakuma Masahide.)
TE: He draws with ink. (Implies that Sakuma is strict.)
JI: He makes many marks with a cross.
TA: Doghouse Studio, which is Sakuma's studio, is like our house.
TE: That's right. We redecorated the place without his permission.
-Were you satisfied after the concert at Shibuya?
HI: No... We felt frustrated.
TA: It was terrible and we had a small audience.
JI: However, our album ranked number 8 on the Oricon Charts. But I didn't have a sense of reality.
TE: Me too.
JI: We lived in a tiny, tiny room. It was like a house for mice.
HI: 8 is very unstable.
JI: At the time, the drummer who is a friend of mine from the amateur period appeared in magazines with his photo. But there was a misprint... (Laughs)
TE: His name was "RAIN". (Laughs)
TA: He quit the band.
HI: We can say "withdrew" or "graduated". (Laughs)
JI: TERU said on MC, "Today is the last day that drummer Nobumasa plays with GLAY."
HI: It's like the Onyamko Club. (Laughs)
TA: It's like the Chekkyu Girls. (Laughs)
HI: In those days, D.I.E. joined our group.
JI: In those days, we were afraid because we used to play without thinking. We enjoyed playing during the EXPLOSION period.
TE: We became nervous because our situation hardly changed.
JI: D.I.E. joining (GLAY) had a good effect on us. And Nagai also joined. We were very happy. We had a premonition that something great would happen to us.
TA: And then bay-fm. TERU's TERU ME NIGHT GLAY.
TE: I tried hard all by myself. (Laughs)
JI: bay-fm was a start for 4 people (GLAY).
HI: One person disappeared... Then another person disappeared. (Laughs)
TA: Up till now... (Laughs) It's a kind of out-of-control problem.
-Did Nagai join (GLAY) at Niigata?
JI: Yeah, Niigata. On the day of the live, Konishi, a big staff member-I don't know if he was tired-leaned on the wall during the concert. Then we played a ballad, [Zutto Futari de...]. He turned on the light-all the lights went on.
HI: It was a good accident.
JI: I think Nagai was surprised by the accident.
TA: Ah, it was after the second Shibu-kou (Shibuya Koukaido) live.
HI: It was a huge success. We had powerful allies, Nagai and D.I.E.
JI: It was fun. The new members gave GLAY power. In my mind, (during) the 1st year, (I wondered) "Is major fun?"
(aciel's note: JIRO remembers his feeling. After their debut, he had a question: Is major good? Sometimes he was nervous but when good musicians joined the band, he changed his mind.)
-In that period, did you release [Ikiteku Tsuyosa]?
TA: The title [Ikiteku Tsuyosa] comes from the strategy to sell that song. In a sense, we tried to sing a song for society. We felt limited. People said that GLAY were aesthetic (in this sense: that GLAY used their image to sell rather than their music). However, we tried to mature.
-You can say it was GLAY's turning point.
TA: It was an explosion. (Like) my favorite drink, oolong tea.
JI: Yeah, TAKURO really likes to drink oolong tea. (Laughs)
TA: It's very healthy. I've never known constipation.
JI: Yeah, you really like it.
TA: I can write a song for an oolong tea CM. Itoen (a big tea company).
JI: Okay, I will write a song for a (Sony) VAIO CM.
HI: Okay, I will be an image character for Apple (Macintosh computers).
TA: That's not a song!?
-How about TERU?
TA: He said, "Give me a break."
JI: After the concert, the members and staff meet together to eat and drink. (This is called "uchiage"). Our uchiage is similar to an indies band.
TA: We looked for our posters and then we tried to sell them. We made some money for our drinking (habits). Which pub we go to depends on the sale (of posters).
HI: We played cover songs at the live.
JI: [Day Tripper] (by the Beatles). Our version is extremely punk.
TA: We played a cover of Lenny Kravitz...
JI: All the members wore wigs (dreads). We appeared with Lenny Kravitz's image. (Laughs)
HI: Some of them wore tie-dyed fabric T-shirts. That's not Lenny Kravitz. (Laughs)
TA: We had an offer to make a CM song from Victoria (TV-CF). We played [Miyako Wasure] and [Glorious]. We made both of these songs. Yuki Uchida pushed [Glorious]. Then [Glorious] became the theme song.
JI: The person who gave us the CM song (offer) liked GLAY a lot. This person said, "I'll try to make a PV (promotional video) for [Glorious]. Then he tried to make us wear white turtleneck sweaters. (Laughs)
HI: Please forgive us! (Laughs) |
