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'''Rock 'n' Roll Swindle''', which was produced as an independent event. Here, they played many of their old songs and introduced two new written songs as their new sound [ 3.15.2006 "WHAT's IN," issue #225, p.58-59. Published by Sony Magazines]. It was the start of a campaign called "Re-Birth" to promote the band's return to the music scene
. Posters of their "dead" faces were displayed around the city of Tokyo and a movie of the "old" Glay burrial by the "new" Glay was shown on television during the commercial breaks.[ title=Glay:Re-Birth CM]
Takuro founded his own office, called Lover Soul, but the band signed up with Amuse, the office of Southern All Stars"s Keysuke Kuwata, in 2006[ title=Nikkansports note] until the new office was established.
On July 12, 2006, they released a new single titled "G4" after a year and seven months away from the limelight, returning to their rock and roll roots. In the following month, they collaborated with former Boowy vocalist, Kyosuke Himuro in their single, "Answer". Together, they performed in "Kyosuke Himuro + Glay Swing Addiction 2006," with "Answer" being one of the songs. In August, Glay performed at Southern All Stars's summer concert Mujintou alongside various artists. In September, "Natsuoto/Henna Yume -Thousand Dreams-" was released, with Natsuoto being the theme song to TV Show "Koi suru Hanikami."
Following the release of these singles was their tour,'''Rock 'n' Roll Swindle -Re-Birth- from November 2006 to early 2007.
2007-2008On January 31, 2007, Glay released their tenth full length album, Love is Beautiful, containing 14 tracks, which reached #1 spot and was their 10th album to do so. Glay had been the all-male band with most #1 albums in Japan, until 2007, when Mr. Children replaced them. Following the release of this album was their arena tour, titled after the album. During the year, Glay released two singles. The title song of the single "Kodou", released in April 2007, was the theme song for the movie Taitei no Ken. The mini-album "Ashes.EP", released in October 2007, had four tracks, including a cover of "Mother Nature's Son", by The Beatles.
Although there was not much to promote, Glay was very active as a live band. Over the summer of 2007, they performed at the 15th Anniversary Cue Music Jam-Boree in Yubari on July 1 and produced the Rock Shock. Vol. 4 on August 23, 2007. They relived the side projects: Jiro's band, The Predators, performed at the Rising Sun Rock Festival in Ezo on August 17 and 18 while Teru and Hisashi's side band, Rally, performed at the Buck-Tick Fest 2007 in September. Glay also performed the Highcommunications Tour 2007-2008 from November 2007 to March 2008.
As of 2008, the band continued the series of shows with the concerts Rock Shock vol. 5, in Zepp Fukuoka, on April 19 and the '''ap bank fes '08, on July 19 and 20.
In June 11, they released the single Verb, the first CD in eight months, which had two different versions, each one with a different “coupling with” song, Starless Night or –Venus, both released previously as downloadable tracks. Both versions had also a cover of the song “With or Without You”, originally recorded by Irish band U2.
In August, they performed for the first time in the United States. The Verb tour 2008 in U.S. was held at The Fillmore, in San Francisco, on August 12)[ title=Last Night: Glay at the Fillmore], and at the House of Blues[ title=J!-ENT SPECIAL FEATURE - GLAY - VERB TOUR 2008 IN USA CONCERT REPORT by J!-ENT's Wynne Ip], in Los Angeles, on August 15 and 16, 2008 [ title=Glay Pride (New Musical Express Review)].
In September 21, the band appeared in a concert by Kyosuke Himuro held in Hokkaido, and, in October, they released their latest single, "Aka to Kuro no MATADORA/I LOVE YOU wo Sagashiteru" in two versions, one in a digi-pak cover, the other in a regular jewel case. This single contains a cover song of "Sufragette City" by David Bowie.
In December, the band continued their Glay Verb Tour in Japan, with four concerts in Zepp Sendai, Zepp Osaka, Zepp Nagoya and Zepp Tokyo for their fan-club members. In December 30 and 31 they played the Glay Verb Tour Final "Come Together" 2008-2009", the third edition of their year-end countdown concert.
2009: 15th Anniversary In January 2009, Glay announced several activities for their 15th anniversary year, among them, tree concerts during the year.
The start of the celebration will be the release of the 6 track single "Say Your Dream". The title song is 15 minutes long and is reported to be a song about Glay's history[ title=Mainichi News Website ]
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 : guitar
Past and current support members - Seiichiro Nagai: keyboard (2007-)
- Yuta : real name Yuta Saitou : Keyboard (2004 – 2005)
- Toshi : real name Toshimitsu Nagai : drums (1995 – present)
- Sakuma : real name Masahide Sakuma : guitar, keyboard, producer (mid-1994 – present)
- Shige : real name Shigeo "sk55" Komori : keyboard (1998 – 2004)
- D.I.E. : real name Daijiro Nozawa : keyboard (1995 – 1998)
- Nobumasa : drums (1994 – 1995)
- Akira : drums (1993 – 1994)
NameOfficially, the name "Glay" is a deliberate misspelling of the word "gray" and represents the style of music they wanted to play: a mixture between rock (black) and pop (white)[ title=The Day the Phones Died]. However, it is thought by many English-speaking residents that the misspelling of the band's name may actually have been due to a genuine error, and the official reason was only decided in retrospect
Glay ExpoFrom time to time, not in a regular basis, Glay holds an exposition and a concert called Glay Expo, which is always expensively produced and lures greater audiences than their normal stadium concerts. The first edition of the event was held on July 31, 1999. The '''Glay Expo '99 - Survival at Makuhari Messe, gathered a total audience of 200,000 people, making it the largest single concert to ever be held in Japan.[ title=Barks]
The second edition was held in 2001. Glay Expo 2001- Global Communication was divided into four performances: two in Tokyo, one in Ishikari (Hokkaido), and an all-night long performance in Fukuoka, which featured artists Dome, from Thailand, Nicholas Tse, from Hong Kong, Mayday, from Taiwan,Jaurim, from Korea, and The D.e.p., a group formed by Glay's producer Masahide Sakuma, Taiwanese singer Vivian Hsu, Gota Yashiki, Masami Tsuchiya and Mick Karn . This Expo accumulated a total audience of over 280,000
Glay Expo 2004 in Universal Studio Japan - The Frustrated celebrated their 10th anniversary, and was held in the parking lot of Universal Studios Japan selling out the 100,000 tickets in under 15 minutes[ title=Barks].
Media ExposureGlay has appeared on several TV programs and front covers of many famous band/music magazines in Japan, such as "Gigs", "What's In?", "BPass", "Ongaku to Hito", "PatiPati", "Newsmaker", etc. Kadokawa Shoten has also produced two "Glay only" special edition books. To promote the “Expo’99”, at the peak of their mainstream popularity, they had their faces printed on the sides of Japan Airlines jumbo jets, the sponsor of the event. The campaign was also a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Tokyo-Hakodate route.
Every member of Glay (excluding Teru) has written a book of their own (Jiro has made two and Takuro, three). In 2001, as a part of their EXPO 2001 preparation, they presented the TV show Glay Global Communication. Besides appearing in magazines and on TV, all of them have or used to have their own weekly radio shows. As of 2008, only Teru and Jiro keep their shows (aired on bayFM and FM802, respectively). In january 2009, Hisashi starts his first TV regular segment "RX-72 ~ HISASHI (GLAY) VS ????~", every last Monday of each month on "Music-On" TV channel.
Humanitarian and Environmental WorksBesides performing in charity festivals as the "Red Ribbon Live" (in which Teru has participated since 2005), the White Band fes in 2005, the "Re-style Live" (organized by the DJ Hisashi Yamada) and the "ap bank fes" in 2008, Glay, specially Teru and Takuro, have been actively participating in different causes.
In 2001, Takuro along with Ryuichi Sakamoto started "Artists Power", an organization of artists who want to be active in the research on renewable energy.[title=Artists Power website "Ap Bank", which was founded by Mr. Children's Kazutoshi Sakurai, composer Takeshi Kobayashi and also Ryuichi Sakamoto, is linked to this organization - "AP" stands for both "Artists Power" and "Alternative Power". The two started talking about this project when they worked in Sakamoto's charity project Zero Landmine and the first event linked to it was the Ishikari leg of the Glay Expo 2001 (see "Glay Expo").]
Teru has been engaged to the "Red Ribbon Link Project" since 2005 and has become an active spokesperson for the project. in 2008, he starred a HIV awareness campaign with posters and a CM in which he has his own blood tested.
DiscographyAlbums
Awards- 1996
- "Gold Request Award" for the single "Beloved" at the "29th All Japan Cable Broadcast Awards"
- 1997
- Grand Prize winner at the "30th All Japan Cable Broadcast Awards"
- Grand Prize winner at the "30th Japan Cable Broadcast Awards" - However
[ title=Nihon Yusen Taisho ] - 39th Annual Japan Record Awards "Grand Prize - Album" - Beloved
- 39th Annual Japan Record Awards " Best Album" - Beloved
- 39th Annual Japan Record Awards "Excellent work prize" - However
[ title=?39????????? (The 39th annual Japanese record prize) ]
- 1998
- Grand Prize winner at the "35th Golden Arrow Awards"
- Best Selling Japanese Artist at the World Music Awards
- Best Rock Album of the Year at the "12th Annual Gold Disk Awards"
- Best Musical Video of the Year at the "12th Annual Gold Disk Awards"
- Best Artist of the Year at the "12th Annual Gold Disk Awards"
- 40th Annual Japan Record Awards "Best Album" - Pure Soul
[ title=?40????????? (The 40th annual Japanese record prize) ] - 40th Annual Japan Record Awards "Excellent work prize" - Soul Love
- 1999
- 13th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards "Song Of The Year" - Yuwaku
[ title=Japan Gold Disc Award Official Website ] - 13th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards "Song Of The Year" - Soul Love
- 13th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards "Song Of The Year" - Be with you
- 13th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards "Rock Album Of The Year" - Pure Soul
- Grand Prize winner at the "32nd All Japan Cable Broadcast Awards" - Winter, again
[ title=Nihon Yusen Taisho ] - Most Requested Artist at the "32nd Japan Cable Broadcast Awards"
- 41st Annual Japan Record Awards "Grand Prize - single" - Winter, again
[ title=?41????????? (The 41st annual Japanese record prize) ] - 41st Annual Japan Record Awards "Excellent work prize" - Winter, again
- 2000
- 14th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards "Song Of The Year" - Kokodeha nai dokoka
- 14th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards "Song Of The Year" - Winter, again
- 14th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards "Rock Album Of The Year" - Heavy Gauge
- 2001
- 15th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards "Song Of The Year" - Tomadoi/Special thanks
- 15th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards "Rock Album Of The Year" - Drive 'Glay complete Best'
- 2003
- 16th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards "Song Of The Year" - Way of Difference
- 2005
- Special prize for their career at the "Space Shower Music Video Awards"
- 2006
- 20th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards "Song of the Year" - Scream (Glay X Exile)
Copyright Citations
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