Piper - Summer Breeze / Gentle Breeze / Sunshine Kiz - Box Set

Description: Piper - Summer Breeze / Gentle Breeze / Sunshine Kiz - City Pop Collection - Box Set - New and Sealed - Ships Fast!!! Piper (パイパー) is a Japanese funk-synth/city pop band that was primarily active in the 1980s. The band was formed as a duo named Skunk in 1980 and changed its name to Piper in 1981 with the addition of new members. The group is led by guitarist and vocalist Keisuke Yamamoto (山本圭右), whom Tatsuro Yamashita has referred to as "five fingers" due to his ability of play a variety of styles. Led by guitarist/vocalist Keisuke Yamamoto, Piper was formed in Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. A move to Tokyo was followed by the release of their first single on Yupiteru Records, thanks to original guitarist Yuji Suzuki who had became an A&R man for the label. Citing British bands like Wishbone Ash and Camel as influences, Yamamoto and Piper nevertheless conjured up classic American sounds on Piper’s recordings, utilizing unusual recording techniques and new technologies like Linn drums to effortlessly blend styles of funk, soul and fusion and simultaneously evoking summer vibes, autumnal breezes, and wintery shimmer. Summer Breeze is Piper’s second album, originally released in 1984 on Yupiteru. Inspired by the sounds of Masayoshi Takanaka and Tatsuro Yamashita, as well as the concept of “BGM” (background music) championed by YMO (Yellow Magic Orchestra), Summer Breeze was a conscious about face from their debut to create a new signature sound and become masters of summery resort vibes. Its smooth sounds belie the bevy of experimentation utilized on the recording, from vocoders and drum programming to recording guitars direct through the board. Even the iconic cover art, with the surfer wearing an impossibly short crop top, is deceiving in its simplicity – it was one of the most expensive jackets produced by the label at the time, due to its use of special spot colors and custom handlettering. The original album featured the marketing copy “Good Weather! Good Sounds!” which perfectly encapsulates the sounds contained on the album. Scoring a hit with their second album Summer Breeze, Piper set out to record their follow up in a similar vein. Members remained the same: Keisuke Yamamoto (guitar, vocals), Takashi Shima (keyboards), and Wataru Ito (bass). Guest musicians included Kazuhito Murata and Hiroshi Koitabashi on chorus, and Tetsuaki Hoashi on percussion. Gentle Breeze is in one way an extension of Summer Breeze, in other ways it’s one big step up. Many Piper fans consider this album to be their masterpiece. For fans who enjoy this phase of Piper, listeners are encouraged to listen to the songs from Gentle Breeze and Summer Breeze on shuffle. That way the copy on the obi – “Gentle Beat Pop” – should start to make sense. Riding high on the success of Gentle Breeze, Piper was eager to put out more new material. Keeping the same members and guest musicians, the band used its excitement and forward momentum – aided no doubt by its ever-growing experience and taste for experimentation – to produce its next album, Sunshine Kiz, within the tiny span of six months. And despite seeing no change in personnel for these latest efforts, Piper’s musicality was constantly evolving. Perhaps most obviously, Sunshine Kiz showed the band beginning to break away from its signature style. Instrumentals were no longer the focus as more vocal-centric tracks made their way to the fore. Sunshine Kiz turned out to be a “song album,” and its lyric sheet saw a substantial increase in the number of words. A Drumulator replaced the LinnDrums, and the programmed percussion suddenly sounded more natural. Some songs actually featured live drumming, abandoning programmed beats altogether. It could be said that this all amounted to, at least partially, a return to Piper’s roots. Or, maybe more accurately, it was something like Piper circa 1981 filtered through the signature sound the band had forged with their two Breeze albums of 1983. The title track on Sunshine Kiz was released as their second-ever single – their first since “Far Away” from their debut album. Featuring newly remastered audio and housed in a deluxe box, each album is packed in a replica LP sleeve. The 3 CD colleciton also includes a new booklet featuring newly translated interviews with the band about the making of each of these albums. Recently the publisher of this box set announced they're permanent closing, so once these are gone, they're gone for good. It's a collection City Pop fans will not want to miss! Summer Breeze 1. Shine On2. Summer Breeze3. Hot Sand4. Gentle Shower5. Twilight6. Samba Night7. Starlight Love8. Night Shore9. Angel Smile10. Moonlight Beach Gentle Breeze 1. I've Got a Feeling2. Ride on Seaside3. New York, Paris, London, Tokyo4. Highway of the Sun5. Show Me6. Breezing7. Bamboo Island8. Time & Tide9. Funny Bird10. Moon Child Sunshine Kiz 1. Sunshine Kiz2. Seaside Runner3. Velvet Eyes4. Hidin' In Your Shelter5. Natsu Wa Dokokae6. Boku no Love Song7. Futari no Summer Time8. Silver Sun9. Fuiuchi no Manazashi10. Daydream Believer Your purchase will be securely packed and shipped to you with a tracking number in an additional protective sleeve. Most orders go out within 24 hours of cleared payment, unless it's a Sunday, holdiay, or weather doesn't permit. Then it goes out on the next business day. Please note that images used are stock photos. This box set is in new and sealed condition. Please ask any questions before purchase or bidding on this listing. By bidding on or purchasing this item the buyer acknowledges they understand the description and details of item listing. Items not paid within 96 hours will be cancelled. Thanks for looking!

Price: 48.5 USD

Location: Chicopee, Massachusetts

End Time: 2024-10-10T16:53:51.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD