GLAY
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GLAY （グレイ） is a popular Japanese rock (or J-Rock ) band, comprised of four main members--Takuro, Hisashi, Teru, and Jiro--and a changing cast of support musicians. During the 10 years since their professional debut, GLAY has created many hit songs and gained huge popularity in Japan and the rest of Asia.
GLAY's name (pronounced 'gurei' in Japan, a deliberate misspelling of GRAY/GREY) was chosen to mean 'that which is neither white nor black', to illustrate the type of music they wished to play. Rather than limiting themselves to pop or hard rock, GLAY experiments with many different sounds and styles. Although Takuro is the main songwriter in the band, all members of GLAY have composed songs on various albums. They are often considered to be a visual kei band, but sport a cleaner image and enjoy more mainstream popularity than many.
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Members
Main members
- Takuro : real name Takuro Kubo : guitar (leader and primary songwriter)
- Teru : real name Teruhiko Kobashi : vocals
- Jiro : real name Yoshihito Wayama : bass
- Hisashi : real name Hisashi Tonomura : lead guitar
All members are born in Hakodate, Hokkaido except Hisashi.
Hisashi is born in Hirosaki, Aomori. When he was a student in elementary school,he moved to Hakodate.
Past and current support members
- Toshi : real name Toshimitsu Nagai : drums (joined in 1995)
- D.I.E. : real name Daijiro Nozawa : keyboards (joined in 1995, left in 1998, played with GLAY once more for their millennium countdown live in December 1999)
- Shige : real name Shigeo "sk55" Komori : keyboards (joined in 1998, recently left)
- Sakuma : real name Masahide Sakuma : guitar, keyboards (producer of GLAY since mid-1994)
- Yoshiki : real name Yoshiki Hayashi : (producer of GLAY's debut in 1994)
- Tsuchiya : real name Masami Tsuchiya : (producer of GLAY's 2nd single in 1994)
- Akira : drums (left after the album hai to daiyamondo was recorded but before GLAY's 1994 debut with RAIN)
- Gayashi: real name Sam Dukore (active groupie/dancer)
- Nobumasa : drums (joined and left in 1994)
- Shingo : drums (left before GLAY's 1994 debut)
Equipment
Takuro
- Epiphone Riviera
- Gibson Les Paul Custom
- Journeyman L.P.S Takuro Custom
- Journeyman W-Neck
- Rickenbacker 335
- Epiponhe Casino
- K.Vairi BL-90RS
Jiro
- G&L SB-2 TRIBUTE
- TopDog JRO
Hisashi
- Tokai Talbo (Platinum Black/Blue/Red, Crystal, Aluminum Clear)
- Gibson Flying V
- Gibson Les Paul Custom
- Fender Stratocaster
- Fender Jaguar
- Journeyman 015
- K.Yairi Weir-3ESB
- K.Yairi Enjoy
Discography
Indies
Demo Tapes
- GLAY;1 - 1991
- DANCE VISION
- LOVE SLAVE - Sexual Records 1993
- SPEED POP - EXPLOSION WORKS
- GREATEST SHADOW - EXPLOSION WORKS
- kikei no ningyou
- Inside of Emotionalism
- KUCK SHOCK
- Angelus Bell - EXPLOSION WORKS
- ROSE-COLOR
- GLAY SPECIALS! - Sexual Records 1993
- SCANDAL 5TH IMAGES
- Mayogari Night VI (Mayogari Night 6)
Albums
- hai to daiyamondo - EXTASY RECORDS May 25 1994
- Omnibus album Cry-Max Pleasure
- Omnibus album an Optic
- Omnibus album SEDUCTION
Videos
- VIDEO GLAY PART 1
- Area A I~Find Up Dark Star~
Albums
- SPEED POP - Platinum Records March 3 1995
- BEAT out! - Platinum Records February 7 1996
- BELOVED - Platinum Records November 18 1996
- REVIEW~BEST OF GLAY - Platinum Records October 1 1997
- GLAY SONG BOOK - Platinum Records February 25 1998
- pure soul - Unlimited Records/mustard July 29 1998
- HEAVY GAUGE - Unlimited Records/mustard October 20 1999
- GLAY DRIVE~BEST OF GLAY - Unlimited Records/mustard November 11 2000
- ONE LOVE - Unlimited Records/mustard November 28 2001
- UNITY ROOTS & FAMILY, AWAY - Unlimited Records/mustard September 19 2002
- rare collectives vol. 1 - Unlimited Records/mustard February 5 2003
- rare collectives vol. 2 - Unlimited Records/mustard February 5 2003
- THE FRUSTRATED - Unlimited Records/mustard March 24 2004
- -Ballad Best Singles-WHITE ROAD - Unlimited Records/mustard January 19 2005
Singles
- RAIN - Platinum Records May 25 1994
- Manatsu no tobira (The gate of midsummer) - Platinum Records June 15 1994
- Kanojo no "Modern..."(Her "Modern...") - Platinum Records November 16 1994
- Freeze My Love - Platinum Records January 25 1995
- Zutto futari de... (Forever together...) - Platinum Records May 17 1995
- Yes, Summerdays - Platinum Records August 9 1995
- Ikiteku tsuyosa (The strength to live) - Platinum Records November 8 1995
- Glorious - Platinum Records January 17 1996
- BELOVED - Platinum Records August 7 1996
- a Boy~zutto wasurenai (a Boy~never forget)~ - Platinum Records November 11 1996
- Kuchibiru (Lips) - Platinum Records May 14 1997
- HOWEVER - Platinum Records August 6 1997
- Yuuwaku (Temptation) - Platinum Records April 29 1998
- SOUL LOVE - Platinum Records April 29 1998
- BE WITH YOU - Unlimited Records/mustard November 25 1998
- Winter, again - Unlimited Records/mustard February 3 1999
- Survival - (video single) Unlimited Records/mustard May 19 1999
- Kokodewa nai, dokoka e (To somewhere that isn't here) - Unlimited Records/mustard August 25 1999
- HAPPINESS WINTER MIX - Unlimited Records/mustard August 25 1999
- MERMAID - Unlimited Records/mustard July 19 2000
- Tomadoi (Losing one's bearings)/SPECIAL THANKS - Unlimited Records/mustard August 23 2000
- Missing You - Unlimited Records/mustard November 14 2000
- GLOBAL COMMUNICATION - Unlimited Records/mustard April 25 2001
- STAY TUNED - Unlimited Records/mustard July 4 2001
- Hitohira no jiyuu (Petals of freedom) - Unlimited Records/mustard September 19 2001
- Way of Difference - Unlimited Records/mustard February 27th 2002
- Mata koko de aimashou (Let's meet here again) - Unlimited Records/mustard July 24 2002
- Aitai kimochi (Feelings that want to meet) - Unlimited Records/mustard July 31 2002
- itsuka (Someday) - (video single) Unlimited Records/mustard March 5 2003
- BEAUTIFUL DREAMER/STREET LIFE - Unlimited Records/mustard October 16 2003
- Toki no shizuku (Droplets of time) - Unlimited Records/mustard January 28 2004
- Tenshi no wakemae (The angel's share)/PEAK hateshinaku SOUL kagirinaku - Unlimited Records/mustard May 25 2004
- BLUE JEAN - Unlimited Records/mustard August 4 2004
- WHITE ROAD - Unlimited Records/mustard December 8 2004
Videos
- VIDEO GLAY - Platinum Records May 17 1995
- VIDEO GLAY 2 - Platinum Records May 2 1996
- mugen no DEJA VU - Platinum Records January 29 1997
- mugen no DEJA VU (limited edition) - Platinum Records March 19 1997
- HIT THE WORLD - Platinum Records December 3 1997
- VIDEO GLAY 3 - Platinum Records February 4 1998
- "pure soul" TOUR '98 - Unlimited Records/mustard August 5 1998
- "SUMMER of '98" pure soul in STADIUM - Unlimited Records/mustard December 9 1998
- DOME TOUR "pure soul" 1999 - Unlimited Records/mustard July 7 1999
- VIDEO GLAY 4 - Unlimited Records/mustard April 5 2000
- EXPO '99 SURVIVAL LIVE IN MAKUHARI - Unlimited Records/mustard July 31 2000
- Best Video Clips 1994-1998 - Unlimited Records/mustard September 5 2001
- GLAY EXPO 2001 GLOBAL COMMUNICATION LIVE IN HOKKAIDO - Unlimited Records/mustard January 1 2002
- GLAY EXPO 2001 GLOBAL COMMUNICATION LIVE IN HOKKAIDO SPECIAL EDITION - Unlimited Records/mustard January 1 2002
- GLAY DOME TOUR 2001-2002 ONE LOVE - Unlimited Records/mustard August 28 2002
- GLAY ONE LOVE in Beijing (live only release) - Unlimited Records/mustard October 13 2002
- VIDEO GLAY 5 - Unlimited Records/mustard November 20 2002
- GLAY ONE LOVE in Beijing Live & Document - Unlimited Records/mustard December 18 2002
- GLAY HIGHCOMMUNICATIONS TOUR 2003 - Unlimited Records/mustard September 26 2003
- The Complete of THE FRUSTRATED－RECORDING DOCUMENTARY＆LIVE - Unlimited Records/mustard June 16 2004
- GLAY Acoustic Live in Nippon Budogan produced by JIRO - Unlimited Records/mustard November 3 2004
- GLAY ARENA TOUR 2000 “HEAVY GAUGE”in SAITAMA SUPER ARENA - Unlimited Records/mustard November 3 2004
- GLAY EXPO 2001 “GLOBAL COMMUNICATION” in TOKYO STADIUM - Unlimited Records/mustard November 3 2004
- LOVE&THANKS ~hondosuru shion~ GLAY EXPO 2004 in UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN "THE FRUSTRATED" - Unlimited Records/mustard December 15 2004
History
- 1988
- Takuro splits his old band, guest-apo, and forms GLAY with the bassist of guest-apo
- Teru joins GLAY as a drummer, but switches to vocals when Takuro hears his singing
- GLAY's first live performance at AUN-DO
- 1989
- Hisashi joins GLAY after his band, ari, splits up
- 1990
- 1991
- GLAY makes 3 original demo tapes
- Jiro leaves Hakodate for Tokyo
- 1992
- Takuro asks Jiro to play bass for one of GLAY's performances, and Jiro winds up staying despite reservations
- 1993
- Yoshiki attends a GLAY live at Ichikawa Club GIO and offers them a contract that day
- 1994
- Yoshiki produces GLAY's first single, RAIN, in L.A. and their popularity jumps
- GLAY's 1st nationwide tour begins
- 1995
- 1st major label album (SPEED POP) is released and ranks number 8 in the Oricon Charts
- 1996
- 2nd album (BEAT out!) debuts at number 1 in the Oricon Charts
- GLAY's video shoot for BELOVED takes them to Iceland and London
- GLAY is awarded the 29th Gold Request Prize by Zen Nihon Yuusenhoso for BELOVED
- 1997
- 27,000 people attend GLAY's Street Video Concert
- 1998
- GLAY's 10 year anniversary since official formation of the band
- Review~Best of GLAY breaks the sales record in the Oricon Charts
- GLAY and 3000 fanclub members go to Hawaii for a special performance
- Hisashi breaks his leg during a concert
- GLAY's 4th album, pure soul, breaks their own sales record
- 1999
- GLAY Jumbo Jet is designed and used from July to September
- Over 200,000 people attend GLAY's performance at MAKUHARI MESSE 10TH ANNIVERSARY, EXPO '99 SURVIVAL
- GLAY wins the Grand Prix award at the Japan Record Awards
- 2000
- GLAY releases 4 new singles, a 'best of' album, DRIVE, a PV (promotional video) collection, and their 1999 concert on video
- HEAVY GAUGE tour
- 2001
- Teru and Takuro travel to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Bangkok, and Seoul to promote GLAY EXPO '01
- GLAY EXPO 2001 GLOBAL COMMUNICATION brings 100,000 people in two days to Tokyo Stadium, 100,000 people in two days to Ishikari, and 80,000 in one day to the Kitakyushu Marina
- DOME TOUR 2001-2002 begins
- 2002
- GLAY performs in Beijing in celebration of 30 years of diplomatic relations between China and Japan
- 2003
- HIGHCOMMUNICATIONS TOUR
- Teru's radio show TERU ME NIGHT GLAY airs on Bay FM
- Takuro's show GLAY RADIO COMMUNICATION DX becomes regularly syndicated
- Hisashi's show CYBER NET CITY FULL METAL MIX starts on FujiFM
- Jiro's show BUGGY CRASH NIGHT returns to the air
- 2004
- GLAY's 10 year anniversary since their 1994 debut
- GLAY X RATED 2004 tour begins
- EXPO 04 is performed at Universal Studios Japan
External Links
- GLAY : HAPPY SWING SPACE SITE (http://www.glay.co.jp/index_top.html) - official site (japanese)
- Glad to be Glay (http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Arena/4919/menu.html) - unofficial, excellent information, but no longer updated since 2000 (english)
- Reaching for the Global Communication (http://shinsei.backdoorproductions.net/glay/) - unofficial, great navigation and information, current updates (english)
- Be With GLAY (http://www.glay.per.sg/index.htm) - unofficial, good information, updates are sporadic (english)
- Nippop Profile | Glay (http://nippop.com/artist/artist_id-125/artist_name-glay/)
Glay is also a commune of the Doubs département in France.