Char (musician) explained

Char
Background:solo_singer
Birth Date:16 June 1955
Birth Place:Togoshi, Shinagawa, Japan
Genre:Rock
Occupation:Musician, singer-songwriter, record producer
Instrument:Vocals, guitar, bass, drums, piano
Years Active:1971–present
Label:Canyon, VAP, Polydor, Edoya, Zicca
Associated Acts:Pink Cloud
Website:Official site

, known professionally as Char, is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is considered one of Japan's greatest guitar players.[1] [2]

In 2003, Char was ranked by HMV Japan at number 38 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts.[3] Rolling Stone Japan ranked his album Psyche number 36 on their 2007 list of the greatest Japanese rock albums of all time.[4] Char came in third in a 2011 goo poll on who the Japanese people thought was the best guitarist to represent the country.[5] Char was named the greatest Japanese guitarist in a 2017 list by Guitar Magazine, as voted on by professional musicians,[6] [7] and in a 2019 public poll held by goo.[8] His song "A Fair Wind" was named the 34th best guitar instrumental by Young Guitar Magazine in 2019.[9] Char endorses Fender, with whom he has signature model guitars.[10] He also has signature models with ESP.[11]

Career

Char started learning piano in elementary school, and playing guitar at age eight.[12] Although he listened to various guitarists, it was Eric Clapton who got him hooked on the instrument.[12] Char began work as a session guitarist while still in junior high school.[12] [13] At 17, Char formed the band Smoky Medicine in 1973 with Mari Kaneko.[13] Although they disbanded the following year, they garnered much attention in the industry, with Guitar Magazine later calling them possibly the "most famous amateur band" in Japan.[14]

In 1976, Char made his solo debut on Canyon Records with the single "Navy Blue" in June and the album Char in September.[13] In 1978, he teamed up with Johnny Yoshinaga and Louise Louis Kabe to form the supergroup Johnny, Louis & Char.[15] The following year they played a free concert at Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall, which was recorded and released as their first album Free Spirit. After two studio albums, they changed their name to Pink Cloud in 1982 upon changing record labels.[15] In 1986, they collaborated with Kiyoshiro Imawano for the songs "S.F." and "Private" used in the Prefectural Earth Defense Force anime.[16] Originally disbanded in 1994, the members played together in various combinations several times until Yoshinaga's death in 2012.

Char's 1981 album U.S.J was co-produced by Steve Lukather and also features Jeff Porcaro and David Foster.[17]

Char co-composed and played on the 1986 song "Last Wish Onajiirono Christmas" with Katsuhiko Nakagawa.[18] He reprised his guitar part on a 2014 cover of the song by Nakagawa's daughter, Shoko.[18]

Char established his own record label in 1987, and released two solo albums the following year.[3] Also in 1988, he formed the band Psychedelix with Jimmy Copley and Jaz Lochrie.[19] The following year, he teamed up with Osamu Ishida to form the acoustic duo Baho.[19]

Char spent 1999 touring Japan with Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert in a unit called CB&A, with a live album released the following year.[20]

Char collaborated with Tomoyasu Hotei for the 2006 single "Stereocaster". The following year he joined Hotei and Brian Setzer for a short joint tour.[21]

In 2009, Char established the record label Zicca Records.[12]

Char released six cover albums in 2010, each one covering songs by a different act that inspired him; Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, The Beatles, The Ventures, Jimmy Page, and Jimi Hendrix.[19]

Since 2011, Char has taken part in several covers of famous songs organized by Playing for Change.[19]

For 2015's Rock+, which celebrated his 60th birthday, Char collaborated with many different musicians, including his son Jesse, Hotei, Hama Okamoto, and Masaharu Fukuyama.[22] [23] That year he also held a free concert at Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall on July 15, just like he had done in 1979 as part of Johnny, Louis & Char.[24]

Char was one of many guitar guests on Kazumi Watanabe's 2016 album Guitar is Beautiful KW45, featured on two songs.[25] In 2017, Char played guitar on Exile Atsushi's cover of Joe Yamanaka's 1977 hit song "Proof of the Man".[26]

Personal life

Char is married to former fashion model Kanna S. McFaddin, who has written the lyrics to several of his songs. They have one American son; Jesse McFaddin (born 1980), guitarist and vocalist of the Japanese rock band Rize.[27] [28] Jesse's two bandmates, brothers Nobuaki Kaneko and KenKen, are the sons of Char's former bandmates Mari Kaneko and Johnny Yoshinaga.[15]

Discography

Studio albums
Mini-albums
Singles
Live albums
Cover albums
Compilation albums
Videos

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Japanese star guitarist Char playing Beach Fest . The Guam Daily Post . 2016-08-26 . 2019-11-21.
  2. Web site: いつかみんなの前でギターを弾いてみ たかったあの曲 . OKMusic . Japanese . 2014-12-18 . 2019-11-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20191103031513/https://okmusic.jp/news/63237/. 2019-11-03.
  3. Web site: Top 100 Japanese pops Artists - No.38. HMV Japan. Japanese. 2003-11-27. 2019-12-28.
  4. Web site: Finally! "The 100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums of All Time" Listed . . 2007-11-14 . 2020-01-02.
  5. Web site: Which guitarist do you think can be a representative for Japan? . tokyohive.com . 2011-12-04 . 2019-11-21.
  6. Web site: 中学生でプロに、16歳でクレジット入り…。偉大なギタリスト・Charの軌跡 . . Japanese . 2018-09-01 . 2019-11-21.
  7. Web site: ＜Fender presents "Meet the Legend"＞開催決定 CHAIとポルカドットスティングレイに加えCharも参戦 . Barks . Japanese . 2019-08-08 . 2019-11-21.
  8. Web site: 本当にかっこいい！日本のすご腕ギタリストランキング . . Japanese . 2019-07-10 . 2019-11-21.
  9. Web site: ヤング・ギター厳選『ギター・インストの殿堂100』名演ランキング . . Japanese. 2019-06-11 . 2019-11-21.
  10. Web site: Char Signature Stratocaster Charizma . . 2019-11-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20120104194514/http://www.fender.jp/topics/news/000860.php. 2012-01-04.
  11. Web site: ESP Artist Series Char . . 2019-11-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20171201044515/https://espguitars.co.jp/artist/char//. 2017-12-01.
  12. Web site: アーティストの音楽履歴書 第7回 ［バックナンバー］Charのルーツをたどる 兄の影響で触れた洋楽ロック . . Japanese . 2019-09-13 . 2019-11-21.
  13. Web site: Charの原点！世代問わずギターキッズ必聴の1stアルバム『Char』 . OKMusic . Japanese . 2015-05-07 . 2019-11-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20180130120516/https://okmusic.jp/news/76429/. 2018-01-30.
  14. Web site: ライブレポート／ROCK LEGENDS(スモーキー・メディスン) . Guitar Magazine . Japanese . 2008-05-10 . 2019-11-21 . November 2, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191102235154/https://rittor-music.jp/guitar/feature/2008/05/688 . dead .
  15. Web site: CHAR、ルイズルイス加部、ジョニー吉長のクールで粋なセンスに脱帽！ PINK CLOUDの『KUTKLOUD』はスリーピ ースバンドの域を超える名盤だ。 . OKMusic . Japanese . 2014-06-24 . 2019-11-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20180130042844/https://okmusic.jp/news/44093/. 2018-01-30.
  16. Web site: Char . Sync Music Japan . 2011-01-01 . 2019-11-21.
  17. Web site: 伝説のライヴ『ベイクド・ポテト・スーパー・ライヴ』が紙ジャケ、ニュー・リマスタリング、高音質CD(Blu-Spec)で復活 . . Japanese . 2018-10-30 . 2019-11-21.
  18. Web site: 中川翔子、亡き父の楽曲初カバーでCharと共演「たぶん最初で最後」 . . Japanese . 2014-03-28 . 2019-11-21.
  19. Web site: Char- Playing for Change . . 2019-11-21.
  20. Web site: Tim Bogert Biography & History . . 2019-11-21.
  21. Web site: [布袋寅泰] 日米トリオセッションがTVオンエア ]. . Japanese . 2007-03-30 . 2019-11-21.
  22. Web site: Char還暦アルバムに泉谷、ユーミン、民生、福山、JESSEら . . Japanese . 2015-03-23 . 2019-11-21.
  23. Web site: ROCK+／Char アルバム・レビュー . . Japanese . 2015-06-17 . 2019-11-21.
  24. Web site: Char、7/19日比谷野音でフリーコンサート「ROCK FREE」開催 . . Japanese . 2015-07-17 . 2019-11-21.
  25. Web site: 渡辺香津美の新作にChar、SUGIZO、押尾、生形ら豪華ギタリスト参加 . . Japanese . 2016-02-24 . 2019-11-21.
  26. Web site: EXILE ATSUSHI ドラマ『人間の証明』主題歌でジョー山中をカバー。原曲演奏のCharも . . Japanese . 2017-02-25 . 2019-11-21.
  27. Web site: Japan rock group Dragon Ash member nabbed for marijuana possession . . 2019-07-20 . 2019-11-21.
  28. Web site: Char、息子JESSEと親子セッション披露 . . Japanese . 2012-06-18 . 2019-11-21.
  29. Web site: Charのアルバム売り上げランキング . . Japanese . 2019-11-21.
  30. Web site: Charのシングル売り上げランキング . . Japanese . 2019-11-21.
  31. Web site: Hotei vs Charのシングル売り上げランキング . . Japanese . 2019-11-21.
  32. Web site: CharのDVD売り上げランキング . . Japanese . 2019-11-21.
  33. Web site: CharのBlu-ray売り上げランキング . . Japanese . 2019-11-21.

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