Sandii & the Sunsetz
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Sandii & the Sunsetz were a Japanese technopop or J-pop band that collaborated from 1979 until the 1990s. The Sunsetz, led by Makoto Kubota, and Sandii started as separate artists, and each have a separate discography. However, their collaboration provided a particular body of work that is representative of the period, and which successfully blended Eastern, Western and pop influences.[1]
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[edit] Biography
Sandii O'Neale was born in Hawaii of mixed Japanese, Spanish and American blood. Her father was in the U.S. Navy, and she spent her early life in Japan, but moved from Japan to Hawaii in her early teens and began to study hula and Pacific dance as Sandra Hohn. After becoming accomplished as a singer and dancer, Sandii returned to Japan to pursue a career in entertainment and became Sandi Suzuki. She was befriended by Kyu Sakamoto, who helped her to get a job as a DJ on NHK TV in Japan.
In 1975 Sandii performed at the Yamaha World Popular Song Festival as a non-competitor interval act, and the next year, she won the prestigious “Grand Prix Best Vocal Performance” award with the single Goodbye Morning. She went on to accomplish a solo hit with Mystery Nile.
Sandii met Makoto Kubota in 1979 when he was a guest on a TV show and afterward joined his band Yuyaka Gakudan (which later became The Sunsetz) as a backup singer. Makoto was an accomplished musician with broad influences, and the collaboration went on to be critically acclaimed, though never quite achieving the popular success expected.
Their first show together was opening for Yellow Magic Orchestra at Budokan in 1980. Their first album was Eating Pleasure, released in 1980, sung in English. In 1981 their next album Heat Scale was released in 17 countries. In 1982 their third album Immigrants was released by Sandii & the Sunsetz. They toured in Europe and Japan and gained such international fans as Melody Maker writer Adam Sweeting and David Bowie. Later the band changed labels to Toshiba-EMI, and recorded the reggae influenced Rhythm Chemistry in Jamaica.
After the band officially broke up in 1990, Sandii turned to Asian music and recorded a number of solo albums in different Asian languages. Later she concentrated more heavily on traditional Hawaiian music and opened a hula school and restaurants with Okinawan themes. Makoto Kubota later became an international music producer in Japan. [2]
[edit] Discography
The Sunset Gang Dixie Fever 1977
Eating Pleasure Alfa Records 1980
Heat Scale Alfa Records 1981
Immigrants Alfa Records 1982
Viva Lava Liva: "1980-1983" Alfa Records 1984
Something Special Ten Records/Virgin 1985
Babes In The Wood Eastworld/Toshiba EMI 1985
La La La La Love~Banzai Baby Eastworld/Toshiba EMI 1986
Rhythm Chemistry Toshiba EMI 1987
One Love Toshiba EMI 1988
Orientation (Best Of 1985 - 1988) Toshiba EMI 1990
The Bomb the Bass Remix Alfa Records 1991(?)
Twins - Super Best of Sandii and Sunsetz Alfa Records 1996
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Sandii and the Sunsetz [[3]]
- Sandii & the Sunsetz by Keith Cahoon, Nippop [[4]]
- Makoto Kubota by Craig Harris, All Music Guide[[5]]
