Happy End (band)

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Kazemachi Roman cover, (clockwise from top left) Matsumoto, Suzuki, Hosono and Otaki, Illustration by Kazuhiko Miyaya

Happy End (はっぴいえんど) was a Japanese folk rock band that existed between 1970 and 1973.

Happy End's members were Haruomi Hosono (細野晴臣) (bass, vocals) and Takashi Matsumoto (松本隆) (drums) from the band Apryl Fool, Eiichi Ohtaki (大瀧詠一) (guitar, vocals), and Shigeru Suzuki (鈴木茂) (guitar, vocals). They originally belonged to the "URC Records" recording label, and later the "Bellwood Records" label. Moby Grape and Buffalo Springfield among others were cited as their influencers.

Hosono later went on to form the Yellow Magic Orchestra. Matsumoto is now one of the most successful lyricists in Japan. Suzuki and Ohtaki also had long and varied careers.

In 2003, the Happy End song "Kaze Wo Atsumete" appeared on the Lost In Translation movie soundtrack.

[edit] Albums

• Happy End (HAPPII ENDO/はっぴいえんど), 1970
• Kazemachi Roman (風街ろまん) 1971
• Happy End, 1973
• City - Happy End Best Album (CITY／はっぴいえんどベスト・アルバム), 1973
• Live Happy End (ライブ・はっぴいえんど」), 1974
• Singles (シングルス), 1974
• Best Collection (ベスト・コレクション) 197?
• Happy End Story (はっぴいえんどストーリー), 1982
• Happy End & Kazemachi Roman (はっぴいえんど&風街ろまん), 1984
• The Happy End, 1985
• Best (ベスト), 1985
• Greeeatest Live! On Stage, 1986
• Live On Stage, 1989
• Happy End Best (はっぴいえんどベスト), 1993
• Happy End (はっぴいえんど), 1993
• Singles:
  • 12 Gatsu No Ame No Hi (１２月の雨の日), 1971
  • Hanaichimonme (花いちもんめ), 1971
  • Sayonara America Sayonara Nippon (さよならアメリカさよならニッポン), 1973
  • Ashita Tenki Ni Naare / Kaze Wo Atsumete / Ayakashi No Dohbutsuen (Live Version) (あしたてんきになあれ／風をあつめて／あやか市の動物園(ライヴ・ヴァージョン)), 1999

See also: Music of Japan