The 5.6.7.8's

Not to be confused with the single 5,6,7,8.
The 5.6.7.8's

The 5.6.7.8's in concert in Lille, May 2004
Background information
Origin Tokyo, Japan
Genres Garage punk, post-punk, garage rock, surf rock, rockabilly
Years active 1986–present
Labels Rockville, SFT, Au Go Go, Bomba, Hara, Third Man
Website Official website
Members Yoshiko "Ronnie" Fujiyama
Sachiko Fujii
Akiko Omo
Past members Yoshie
Rico
Mikako
Eddie
Aya
Yoshiko "Yama" Yamaguchi

The 5.6.7.8's are a Japanese rock trio, whose music is reminiscent of American surf music, rockabilly and garage rock. They frequently cover songs from American rock and roll. All members are from Tokyo, Japan.

The 5.6.7.8's first started performing as a quartet in Tokyo, and recruited guest performers during their Australian tour, once even utilizing a male member, "Eddie". They first officially became a trio in 1992, before touring Australia.

The 5.6.7.8's made a brief appearance in the 2003 Quentin Tarantino film Kill Bill Volume 1, where they were shown playing in an izakaya.

In 2012, they appeared at the "Girls Got Rhythm" fest in St. Paul, MN alongside artists such as Ronnie Spector, The Muffs, Nikki Corvette and L'Assassins.[1]

Members

The 5.6.7.8's formed when Sachiko and Yoshiko "Ronnie" Fujiyama, two sisters from Tokyo who both shared a passion for rock and roll, founded the band in 1986 with two other members. Originally, the line-up consisted of Yoshiko on vocals and guitar, Rico on second guitar, Yoshie on bass guitar and Sachiko on drums. After several line-up changes (including the bassist Yoshiko "Yama" Yamaguchi, who was the bassist featured in the Kill Bill movie), the band eventually became a trio after Rico and Yoshie's departures. Yoshiko and Sachiko are still the main components in the band, and now Akiko Omo has rejoined the band as the bass guitarist (She originally joined the 5.6.7.8's in the early 1990s).

Even though the group mostly sing their songs in Japanese, they do many covers of American rock and roll records from the 1950s to the 1980s. However, their official website and most of their fansites and fanclubs are in Japanese, as they have their biggest following in their home country.

Yoshiko, who plays a Teisco guitar and sports a "Teenage Queen Delinquent" tattoo on her upper right arm, was initially the lead vocalist, but as the band performed more rock and roll songs originally performed by female groups, every member had equal parts in vocals and many songs are performed singing simultaneously.

The 5.6.7.8's in the West

The 5.6.7.8's became known in the West after their appearance in Kill Bill Vol. 1, in which they performed "I Walk Like Jayne Mansfield", "I'm Blue" (a cover of The Ikettes' song) and "Woo Hoo" in a Tokyo club, "The House Of Blue Leaves". On the Special Bonus Features of the Kill Bill Volume 1 DVD, one of the specials featured a live performance which shows the 5.6.7.8's singing "I Walk Like Jayne Mansfield" and "I'm Blue" during filming of the movie. The 5.6.7.8's song "The Barracuda" is featured in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift soundtrack.

According to Kill Bill director Quentin Tarantino, he discovered the music of the 5.6.7.8's after hearing it in an urban clothing store in Tokyo, hours before going to the airport. Tarantino asked if he could purchase the CD from the store, as he had no time to go to a music shop. When the store clerk on duty refused, the manager was called. When Tarantino offered the manager double the retail price of the CD, he acquired it.[2]

They also became renowned for the use of their cover of The Rock-A-Teens song, "Woo Hoo", in advertisements for Carling lager and Vonage VoIP service in 2004. The song reached No. 28 on the UK Singles Chart in 2004.[3] The follow-up song was "I'm Blue", but it peaked at No. 71 on the same chart two months later.[3]

The 5.6.7.8's have also toured in numerous countries including China, Australia, the United States, and their native Japan.

Discography

The band has recorded eight albums:

References

  1. ↑ "2012 Line Up". Girls Got Rhythm Fest.
  2. ↑ Kill Bill Vol. 1 DVD Extras, Quentin Tarantino interview
  3. 1 2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 201. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.

External links

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