Village Singers

Village Singers (ヴィレッジ・シンガーズ, Vu~irejji shingāzu) was a popular Japanese group sound band formed in 1966 until 1971. They had multiple hit songs and appeared on television and in movies.

History 
The predecessor of Village Singers was "Folk Trekkers" (フォーク・トレッカーズ, Fōku torekkāzu), a country music folk group formed by Hisashi Komatsu. The group was once disbanded, but a new group was formed by Hisashi Komatsu, Takao Nanri, and Osamu Mori. In June 1966, Yutaka Hayashi and Masahiro Koseki were added and the band name was started as "Village Singers". The group is named after the folk mecca "Greenwich Village" in the United States. It was a rare style at the time to add a 12-string guitar to the band formation. Made his record debut in October 1966 on "Dark Sandy Beach". This song was a light folk-rock style song, but it didn't make a big hit.The following year, in 1967, he released his second single, "In Search of You," but the slump continued.

The members were reorganized in an attempt to revive, and new band members such as Tetsuo Koike, Kazuomi Sasai, and Michio Shimizu. In August 1967, the first and third single "Barairono Kumo" with new members sold over 600,000 copies and was in the limelight. The fifth single "The Girl with Flaxen Hair" released in February of the following year became a big hit ranked 7th on the Oricon chart.

Furthermore, "Lemon in the Rainbow / Ring of Memories" released in April of the same year was a double-sided hit, achieving a feat of being ranked 17th on the Oricon chart and 12th on the Oricon chart. In August, he released hit songs one after another, "Until The Stars Fell" and "Falling Leaves And Kissing" in November, but in 1969 it became sluggish and "Love In The Rain" released in February. Then, Oricon 42nd place, "When I Fell In Love While Crying" released in March barely entered Oricon 75th place, but the songs released after that did not lead to a hit at all outside the Oricon area, and it was released in January 1971. At the end of "Forever From Here", it was disbanded in June 1971.

In 2002, Hitomi Shimatani made a big hit by covering "The Girl with Flaxen Hair" as a commercial song for Kao's "Essential Damage Care". With this as an opportunity, the members at that time gathered and reunited and are still active to this day.

Members

Yutaka Hayashi 
Yutaka Hayashi (林ゆたか, Hayashi Yutaka,  February 24, 1947 {age 74} - ) is a Japanese drummer for the Village Singers and actor. He was born in Nagano and attended the Jōsai Univ. Jōsai Junior & Senior High School. He worked to Theater de Poche, Office BIN as a talent agent.

Career 
Hayashi was born in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, where the family was evacuated during the Allied bombing raid on Japan. After that, he grew up at his home in Tokyo. After graduating from high school, Hayashi joined the formation of the Group Sounds band, "Village Singers" as a drummer. As a drummer, he released a number of hit songs to the various countries. After the group was disbanded in 1971, Hayashi became an actor for different companies. He played every role, from young people who were refracted by society to villains.

During that time, he married Etsuko Nami in 1969 until they are divorced in 1972. He retired in 1983. After retiring, he became a businessman and succeeded in developing oldies live house "Kento's" and The Beatles copy band live house "Cavern Club" "Abbey Road" in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka, but around 2001. Hayashi resumed his activities as a member of the Village Singers during the 2002 reunion.

Tetsuo Koike
Tetsuo Koike (小池哲夫, Koike Tetsuo, November 30, 1947 {age 73} - ) is a Japanese keyboard player and pianist for the Village Singers. He grew up in Tokyo.

Career 
After the dissolution of Village Singers, Koike worked as a solo musician. After that, he established a commercial music production company and worked as a producer. Koike would later reunite with the band in 2002.

Kazuomi Sasai 
Kazuomi Sasai (笹井一臣, Sasai Kazuomi, November 12, 1944 {age 76} -) is a Japanese bass player for the Village Singers. He grew up in Tokyo.

Career 
After the dissolution of the band, Sasai worked as a solo musician, and after that, he discovered "Megumi Asaoka" and "Hiromi Iwasaki" as record director. He would reunite with the band in 2002 and runs a music video production company.

Hisashi Komatsu 
Hisashi Komatsu (小松久, Komatsu Hisashi, February 10, 1945 {age 76} -) is a Japanese musician and leader of the GS band, Village Singers, as a lead guitarist. He grew up in Tokyo.

Career 
After working for the country music group "Folk Trekkers" (フォーク・トレッカーズ, Fōku torekkāzu), he formed the group "Village Singers." In 1973, after the dissolution of the band, Komatsu formed "Shigeki Torizuka & Hotcake" with former The Wild Ones member Shigeki Torizuka. After that, he became a music director for Yasuko Naitō, the TUBE, and the ZARD. In 2002, he reunited with members of "Village Singers" and is still active to this day.

Furthermore, on June 5, 2010, a new band "Hisashi Komatsu & His Farmers" was formed.

Michio Shimizu
Michio Shimizu (清水道夫, Shimizu Michio, August 17, 1945  {age 75}  -) is a Japanese singer and rhythm guitarist for the Village Singers. He grew up in Tokyo.

Career 
After the dissolution of Village Singers, Shimizu became a solo singer. In 1975, he became a record director. Shimizu participated in the "Tigers Memorial Club Band" formed in 1988. He would latter reunited with the band in 2002

Old members 

 Masahiro Koseki (keyboard)
 Takao Nanri (12-string guitar, banjo)
 Osamu Mori (bass)
 Eiji Tsunoda (bass)

Major hit songs 

 Barairono Kumo (バラ色の雲, Baraironokumo) (August 1967)

 Because I Like It (好きだから, Sukidakara) (November 1967)

 A Maiden With Flaxen Hair (亜麻色の髪の乙女, Amairono kamino otome) (February 1968)

 Lemon In The Rainbow (虹の中のレモン, Niji no naka no remon) (April 1968)

 Ring of Memories (想い出の指輪, Omoide no yubiwa) (April 1968)

Filmography

Television

 March 7, 1967 - "Young 720" *Semi-regular appearance; (broadcast: TBS TV)
 April 1967 - "Let's Sing With Youth!" *Guest appearance; (broadcast: Fuji TV)
 October 1968 - "Bakusho Young Pops" *Guest appearance; (broadcast: Nippon Television)
 October 1968 - "Let's Go! Young Sounds" *Guest appearance; (broadcast: Fuji TV)

Movies
 February 1967 - "Ginza Lights" (Starring Masako Izumi and Ken Yamauchi, directed by Noboru Kaji); (Distributed by: Nikkatsu)
 August 1967 - "The Spiders: Wild Scheme A-Go Go" (Starring The Spiders, directed by Buichi Saito); (Distributed by: Nikkatsu)
 October 1967 - "Tokyo Night" (Starring Masako Izumi and Ken Yamauchi, directed by Noboru Kaji); (Distributed by: Nikkatsu)
 December 1967 - "Happiness For You" (Starring Yoko Naito and Kazuo Funaki, directed by Seiji Maruyama); (Distributed by: Toho)
 January 1968 - "The Spiders: Go Forward!" (Starring The Spiders, directed by Kō Nakahira); (Distributed by: Nikkatsu)
 April 1968 - "Ring of Memories" (Co-starring Nana Ozaki, The Spiders & The Darts, directed by Kōichi Saitō); (Distributed by: Shochiku)
 July 1968 - "Lemon In The Rainbow" (Co-starring Nana Ozaki, directed by Kōichi Saitō); (Distributed by: Shochiku)
 September 1968 - "Small Snack" (Starring Nana Ozaki and Purple Shadows, directed by Kōichi Saitō); (Distributed by: Shochiku)
 March 1969 - "Fallen Leaves And Kiss" (Co-starring Nana Ozaki, Hiroshi Fujioka, The Ox as guest appearance, directed by Kōichi Saitō); (Distributed by: Shochiku)

Japanese musical groups