Heroes In My Life / Author: Kotaro Furuichi

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*Scheduled for release around March 30th
[Shipping fee is 550 yen nationwide]

Kotaro Furuichi, who will be turning 60 on May 30, 2024,
The important records that accompany his musical life
A loving, autobiographical guide to discs

" I admire all music. So all the records in this book are my heroes. "
--From the book's " Introduction"

■ The wide variety of records that created one of Japan's greatest guitarists

Kotaro Furuichi has been a driving force in the music scene for nearly 40 years as the guitarist for Japan's leading mod band, The Collectors. A man well-versed in various fields of culture, including music and fashion, Kotaro Furuichi was shaped by a wide variety of records.

As Kotaro Furuichi himself says, "All music is my hero," this book features over 250 of his precious records, from Mods, AOR , group sounds, Showa era pop, to city pop, both Western and Japanese, that he loves. The valuable text, in which he lovingly talks about the appeal of the works along with his own memories, is also a must - read.

■ A complete collection of the precious items that make up Kotaro Furuichi

This book is composed of four chapters: " ROOTS, " which compiles the musical works that were the starting point for Furuichi Kotaro; " OVERSEA ," which introduces famous overseas albums such as rock, jazz, soul & disco, and AOR ; " DOMESTIC ," which summarizes famous Japanese albums such as group sounds, popular songs, and city pop; and " TREASURE ," in which he talks about his favorite fashion items and his beloved Bruce Lee.

The 160- page book, which is the same size as a 7- inch record jacket, features many of the records he owns, including Eikichi Yazawa and Carol, RC Succession, Char , the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Jam, the Who, Eric Clapton, KISS , the Alarm, Prefab Sprout, Airplay, Boz Scaggs, the Golden Cups, the Cools, Finger 5 , Shibata Hatsumi, Pink Lady, Yamashita Tatsuro, and Matsubara Miki.

In the afterword, the author states that "it was a strange feeling, like I was peering inside my own mind," and the book is packed with all the important musical works that make up " Furuichi Kotaro. "

◎Author profile

◎Kotaro Furuichi: Born May 30 , 1964 , in Tokyo. As a guitarist for The Collectors, a representative British beat rock band formed in 1986 , he made his debut in 1987 with the album "I'm a Collector". Since then, he has released 25 original albums and 5 solo albums. He has also participated as a guitarist in the GS band Kotaro and The Bizarre Men and THE King ALL STARS led by Yuzo Kayama, and has been leading the Japanese music scene for a long time with his simple and sturdy guitar playing. In recent years, he has been active in a wide range of fields, including appearing as an actor in movies and dramas. In 2024 , when he turns 60 , he will release his sixth solo album, " Dance Dance Dance ", on May 15th , his first in two years.

<Excerpt from this book>

The moment I saw the Pistols, everything blew away. When I saw the music video for " God Save The Queen " at the music store I usually go to, I felt a strong desire to start playing the guitar as soon as possible.

───From " PUNK ROCK & ELECTRIC GUITAR"

In the late 70s and 80s , when I was young, if there were 10 guitarists, all of them would have distorted sounds. In that time, I thought that the thin clean tones that sounded in 60s music were cool. Even if you listen to The Who, Small Faces, or Kinks, there is a slightly distorted crunch, but compared to the sound of the era when hard rock was at its peak, it is completely lame. But I found coolness in that.

───From " BACK TO THE 1960's / Mods and Yearning for the 1960s"

To tell the truth, AOR is my favorite music genre. One of the reasons is that even though it is guitar music, it has a different worldview from the music I want to express, so I do n't think I want to do it myself. Because I can be independent of my own expression, I can immerse myself purely in the music.

───From " AOR / Sophisticated Music that Reflects the Times"

I've always spent a lot of money on buying clothes. Sometimes I bought something because I fell in love at first sight, and other times I would search all over Tokyo for something I wanted. For example, if I saw someone on the street wearing cool flip-flops, I would look for something similar and buy it. I would leave the flip-flops I got that way on the road and let them get run over by a dump truck because I felt embarrassed to wear new ones. I tried all sorts of things to make the things I wore more into items that I liked.

───From " FASHION "

 

■ Book information

Title: "Heroes In My Life"
Author: Kotaro Furuichi
Release date: Around March 30, 2024
Design/DTP: Yuta Ichinose
Photography: Taichi Nishimaki
Specifications: 160 pages / 4C / paperback / B5 variant *180 x 180 mm, the same size as a 7-inch record jacket.
ISBN: 978-4-9912211-6-3
Published and distributed by So Sweet Publishing Co., Ltd.
Price: 2,500 yen + tax (2,750 yen)