Kōji Tamaki Explained

Kōji Tamaki
Native Name:玉置 浩二
Native Name Lang:ja
Background:person
Birth Date:13 September 1958
Birth Place:Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
Genre:Pop rock, folk rock
Instruments:Vocal, guitar
Occupation:Singer, composer, actor, lyricist
Years Active:1973–2008, 2009–present
Label:Sony Music Entertainment Japan, Kitty Records, BMG Japan, Universal Music Japan
Koji Tamaki
Channel Url:UCdc6yGNDvXynwA0pfCuxRzg
Channel Display Name:【公式】玉置浩二 Koji Tamaki SALTMODERATE
Years Active:2019–present
Subscribers:206k
Views:86,586,469 million times

is a Japanese singer-songwriter and actor. He has been well known as frontman of the rock band Anzen Chitai that debuted in 1982 and enjoyed a successful career, particularly during the 1980s. In the 1990s, he also began his career as a solo artist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Japanese vocalists.

In 2014, he was ranked first by a panel of 200 experts for the best ever singing voice in Japan.[1] Moreover, in 2021 Koji was voted as the greatest active male Japanese singer, with 190 experts agreeing that he is a "living national treasure of music" and that he portrays an "unparalleled mass of expressiveness and emotion which only seems to get better with age".[2]

Biography

As a vocalist and a songwriter of the band, Tamaki spawned multiple successful compositions which were mostly co-written by lyricists including Gorō Matsui and Yōsui Inoue, by the time that the group suspended their career in 1993.

In 1987, Tamaki released the first solo single "All I Do", and continued his solo career after Anzen Chitai went into hiatus (1993–2001, 2004–2009). Throughout his solo career, he has released 23 singles and over a dozen studio albums. His song "Den-En" released as a single in 1996 became a massive hit, which reached the number-two on the Japanese Oricon charts and sold in excess of 900,000 copies.

Tamaki has also been known as an actor who has appeared in seven feature films and numerous television dramas. He has started acting career for the first time on "Prussian Blue no Shozo", the 1986 motion picture he starred.

Anzen Chitai returned from a recess and released their new single "Aoi Bara/Wine Red no Kokoro (2010 version)" on March 3, 2010.

On his 2012 album Offer Music Box, Tamaki — who composed the original song — covered Yuki Saito's song "Kanashimi yo Konnichi wa", which was used as the first theme song for the anime television series Maison Ikkoku.[3]

Personal life

He has been married three times; the second wife was actress Hiroko Yakushimaru (divorced in 1998), and the third spouse was keyboardist Satoko Ando, who had formerly worked on his albums and live tours (divorced in 2007). Tamaki also had an affair with actress Mariko Ishihara between 1983 and 1986. In her autobiography published in 2006, Ishihara confirmed her relationship with Tamaki two decades prior.

After Tamaki's retirement announcement due to health issues in 2008, Ishihara contacted Tamaki and the two began dating again. On February 25, 2009, Tamaki and Ishihara submitted their application for marriage in Tokyo. However, the application was not accepted and he split up with Ishihara after all.

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

YearAlbumLabelChart positions
JPN
[4]
1987All I DoKitty Records2
19934
Sony Music Entertainment Japan17
1994Love Song Blue18
1996Cafe Japan4
1997Junk Land9
1998Grand Love12
1999BMG Funhouse11
2000Nisemono19
200119
2005Sony Music Entertainment Japan26
2006Present25
200730
2014.3.19Gold30

Cover albums

YearAlbumLabelChart positions
JPN
1999Wine Red no KokoroFunhouse11
2012Offer Music BoxSpace Shower Music31
2014.11.19Space Shower Music31
2020Chocolate CosmoNippon Columbia21

Live albums

YearAlbumLabelChart positions
JPN
1995TSony Music Entertainment Japan49
200564
200660
2008154
2015.12.16Space Shower Music73
2024.2.21TBA

Compilation albums

YearAlbumLabelChart positions
JPN
1994Anzen Chitai/Tamaki Kouji BestKitty-
1995Tamaki Koji Best Songs For You-
1997Early Times: Koji Tamaki in Kitty RecordsKitty Enterprise-
1998Denen Koji Tamaki BestSony19
2003Best HarvestBMG Japan65
Golden Best Tamaki Kōji Early Times PriceUniversal Music Japan-
2011GOLDEN☆BEST Tamaki Kouji 1993-2007Sony Music Direct229
2017All Time Best11
2022The Best Album 35th Anniversary: MelodyNippon Columbia12

Singles

YearAlbumChart positions
(JP)
Label
1987"All I Do"10Kitty Records
19897
12
"I'm Dandy"10
16
199322
41Sony
1994"Love Song"35
1995"Star"90
199649
2
1997"Mr. Lonely"14
1998"Rookie"49Funhouse
"Happy Birthday"69
199926
2000"aibo"54
200196
200483Sony
200535
48
13
2006"Lion"60
200767
201362Saltmoderate
32
202223Nippon Columbia
"Beautiful World"26

Videography

No.ReleaseTitle
Kitty Records
1st1987.11.01"All I Do" Filmed in U.K
Sony Records
2nd1995.11.01Saikou Desho?!
3rd1997.03.21Shall I Make it For You? Cafe Japan Tour
BMG Funhouse
4th1998.03.21We can Believe in our "Junk Land"
5th1999.02.24"Grand Love" a Life in Music
6th2001.07.25Kono Rhythm De
Sony Records
7th2005.11.02"Kyou to iu Kono Hi wo Ikiteikou" Live in Zepp Tokyo
8th2006.12.0506 Present Tour Live
9th2008.03.26Koji Tamaki'07 Wakusei Tour Live
10th2014.04.02Koji Tamaki Music Videos 1996-2013
11th2015.06.10Gold Tour 2014
12th2021.08.18Chocolate cosmos: Koi no Omoide, Setsunai Koigokoro
13th2021.12.08Billboard classics Premium Symphonic Concert 2021 The Eurasian Renaissance
14th2023.08.02Tamaki Kōji 35th Anniversary Concert 35th Special Collections“Arcadia”&“Michi”

Filmography

Television

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Japan's 10 best singing voices as chosen by people in the industry . 21 February 2021 . Sora News . 13 July 2014 .
  2. News: The 50 best active singers who are really good at singing selected by vocalists [Tell me the true ranking] ]. 13 October 2021 . Televi Tokyo . 4 April 2021 .
  3. Web site: OFFER MUSIC BOX 玉置浩二のプロフィールならオリコン芸能人事典-ORICON STYLE. "Offer Music Box" Kōji Tamaki Profile from the Oricon Entertainer Encyclopedia Oricon Style. Oricon Style. January 21, 2013. ja.
  4. Web site: List of the Oricon Top 100 Charting Albums by Koji Tamaki. Yamachan Land (Japan's charts archives) – Albums Chart Daijiten. December 13, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20120214060929/http://www7a.biglobe.ne.jp/~yamag/album/al_tamaki.html. 2012-02-14. dead.
  5. Web site: 秀吉の出演者・キャスト一覧. May 31, 2024. The Television.
  6. Web site: 第9話 古畑任三郎「雲の中の死」記. July 5, 2021. The Television.