Akira Kushida talks about his musical roots and his path to special effects and anime songs! Interview with Akira Kushida on the occasion of the release of his 50th anniversary album "Delight

Akira Kushida, whose voice has been resounding for 50 years, is releasing a best-of album to commemorate his anniversary.

The songs on this album are truly diverse, as he has sung in a wide range of genres, including theme songs for special effects and animation, insert songs, and commercial songs. Yet, the soulfulness that is common to all the songs is one thing that overwhelms the singer Akira Kushida.

What is the source of this soulfulness? Fifty years after his debut, we would like to take another look at Akira Kushida's musical roots, his passion for music, and his core as a singer.

I knew this was the one for me.

--Before your debut, it is known that you were on a tour of U.S. military camps, but can you tell us how you first became interested in music?　Were you already into R&B and soul music as a young boy?

Kushida: At first, I was listening to songs and enka, but I was like, "Hmmm, ....... Then I started listening to Latin records. For some reason we had a guitar at home, so I remember playing polon polon. Later, when I was in junior high school, I heard "Sad Boy Soldier" and was moved, even though I didn't understand all the lyrics. Then I started listening to Western music. I was particularly interested in music that leaned toward black people, such as Nat King Cole. When I was listening to them, I realized that they sang very well.

--Did that make you want to be a singer?

Kushida No, I did not want to be a singer. I first saw a Japanese band at a club where American soldiers gathered and thought they were cool. I especially liked drums, and as I went to listen to drums, I started to start playing them myself. I started playing the drums myself as I went to the dentist's office and saw that there was a drum school in the building (laughs). I signed up right away and bought a drum set on the way home. I was playing by myself, and my friends heard about it and got together, and we decided to start a band. After that, I used to go to clubs that catered to foreigners, but not late at night because it was forbidden for those under 18, but the older brother of one of the band members I was in a band with played bass guitar. But even though I had studied that kind of world for a few months, I couldn't move on just by watching, and of course there was already a drummer there when I went to see them. And there were not many bands that played the black music I liked, so I had no choice but to do it myself.

Because of that, I thought, "I have no choice but to sing. But I kept forming bands and changing members. At the time, the people who wanted to be in a band were people who liked the Beatles and the like, but I wanted to play R&B and the like. I wanted to play R&B, so we didn't fit right away. But I also sang "Asahi no Ateru Ie" by The Animals.

--But I also sang "The House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals.

Kushida It was too difficult for me. (laughs) Still, I think it was because I kept singing soul that I was able to go to the U.S. Army camp. We were not a group-sounds kind of band. When I got excited at the camp, I felt like, "This is for me after all," and I got even more into soul.

I could see what I wanted to do.

--Kushida: Was it around that time that you got excited singing Stevie Wonder at the base camp in Okinawa?

Kushida No, it was much later. That was the second time I went to Okinawa, the first time was when I was playing a variety of songs from the Beatles to whatever, and I went to play at a club in the city of Okinawa for the soldiers.

--So you were already touring Japan with your band.

Kushida: When we first went to Okinawa, I was the vocalist, not the drummer. We merged with another band. In the end, we didn't fit because the other band we merged with was going in a group-sounds direction, but when we got to Okinawa, I think we promised the local promoter that we would come back. But when we went to Okinawa, I think we promised the local promoter that we would come back again, "this time in the base camp. So, after a long time, we went back there with a different band. I got visas and everything. At that time, I was the drummer.

--Kushida Actually, it was a last minute thing to do.

Kushida Actually, the drummer couldn't go at the last minute. No, it was tough. I was doing nothing but singing at the time. I practiced hard, thinking, "Can I do this while singing?" I practiced desperately, wondering if I could do it while singing. At that time, Japanese bands were not very popular, and Filipino bands were very strong. Even if you went to Japan, you were sent back home after a day or two. But one day, when I was playing, I was getting a lot of attention. I wondered what was going on, but it turned out that the amp behind me was on fire and smoke was coming out (laughs). That got a lot of attention.

--That must have been a topic of conversation (laughs).

Kushida: They started calling us "Japanese Combo," and we became very busy. In Okinawa, there was a radio station like "FEN" (Far East Broadcasting Network Information of the U.S. Army), so records of new R&B songs were immediately airlifted in. So, not to be outdone by the Filipino bands, I immediately bought them and managed to copy them in a day or two and ......, and I was doing my best to do so. Then they kept moving up in the rankings, and we started getting invited to be treated as a show band. As a result, I gained confidence from being able to sing in front of so many real soul men. After that, I was based in Hiroshima and went to Nagoya and other places. Around that time, I was approached by someone who heard about me and asked if I would like to make my record debut. However, I was already very fulfilled, so I thought "whatever.

--(laughs) - I would have been very grateful to hear about your debut. Especially if you were thinking of making a living from music.

Kushida It's still the same now, but I really like to be in close proximity to the audience. At that time, it was like that every day, and the restaurant was always full. Even when we worked with guests, I thought we could "win" here.

--I was confident that we would be more exciting than they were if it was our home restaurant.

Kushida: That's why I felt like I didn't want to enter that kind of world. But the people at Toshiba (which became my debut label) were enthusiastic, so I thought, "Well, let's give it a try. But when I made my debut, the director quickly left for the United States. I felt like I had to say no, "That's why I don't like the entertainment industry" (laughs). (Laughs.) About three months after my debut, I told him that I wanted to quit. But I kept going because I had a contract.

--Kushida: Your debut song was "Karappo no Seishun" (1969), which is also included in this best album.

Kushida However, I am glad that I made my debut. I was allowed to perform on NHK's "Stage 101," and I was treated very well. I was invited to write and sing a song for the "Song of the Month" corner, and I was able to meet various guests and learn about the behind-the-scenes aspects of production. Even so, it was not a good fit for me. I was a nuisance to the chief director at the time. After NHK, I went back to being in an R&B band and sang a lot of commercial songs.

I used to jump off the stage and sing.

--How did your encounter with Mr. Watanabe come about?

Kushida First of all, a friend of mine (Yasunori Soryo) from my days on NHK formed a group called BROWN RICE, and I was invited to be their guest. They asked me if they could sing the ending theme song for the movie "Mad Max" when it was shown in Japan. They were also playing soul, and one of their members was a foreigner named Bill Crutchfield, who wrote the English lyrics. He wrote the lyrics in English, and I was to sing them.

--That was "Rollin' Into The Night" (1979).

Kushida: I heard somewhere that Mr. Chimei heard that song and recommended me to the director of "Taiyo Sentai Sambalukan". That's how I came up with the album (original album "SAILOR'S MARKET. After making the album (original album "SAILOR'S MARKET," which also includes "ROLLIN' INTO THE NIGHT"), I was asked to do a song for children this time.

--What was your first impression of the song?

Kushida: "It's rock. It's not rock 'n' roll, and it's totally different from the rhythm & blues music I used to play. I used to play the drums, so I understood the rhythm right away, but I had a hard time with the singing though.

--I think you often talk about how you had to retake your work over and over again. Even so, after that, offers came in one after another, starting with special effects and then anime, starting with "Zabunguru. You said that you had the feeling that you were "not suited" for singing songs, but did you ever have that feeling in the world of special effects and anime songs?

Kushida No, I never felt that way. I wondered how I was able to do it one after another. However, when I first debuted with "Empty Youth," there was an incident that made me think, "This world is a little too much for me," and when I was singing at an event, the crowd gradually disappeared. I was singing at an event, and as I looked over there, I saw a character that looked like a stuffed animal, and everyone went that way. I thought, "This is no good. However, when the "Sambalukan" show was held at Toshimaken, I watched from the back of the stage, and it was really cool. And I was close to the audience when I sang, and the kids responded really well.

--I guess you want to sing close to the audience.

Kushida: When I was doing soul, I had a drum set up at the very front of the stage, and I would play it myself while also doing the lead vocals. I was in the middle of the stage, side by side with the keyboards and bass guitar. The stage was not that high, and the audience was higher than me. So when I sang "Gabin" and "Kinnikuman," I would jump off the stage. I didn't like the fact that I was singing from a high place looking down on the audience. Also, kids at that time were shy, so they wouldn't come up to me. There was a big white tent behind the audience, and they would watch from there. Even when the hostess called out, "Good evening, everyone! So I went out on stage before she called me, got a microphone, and said, "Hey! (laughs). (Laughs.) "What are you doing?　Come here," and the kids would come running up to me with their mouths agape. What are you doing? It's not like I'm a singer, but more like an older brother.

--They are like a bunch of kids, and they are like a bunch of older brothers.

Kushida But I thought, "Okay, that's good. I did a dinner show for children at a famous hotel in Tokyo, but the stage was very high, so I jumped off the stage and sang close to the children. The lighting was perfect, so I got some complaints later (laughs), but I told them that I prefer to sing while looking at the children's faces. After the stage was over, the kids would immediately gather around and say, "Hey, hey, hey, have you met Kinnikuman? They would say, "Hey, hey, hey, have you met Kinnikuman? What about Gabin?" And so on. At that time, they would say, "Yay! That's right. I've won the hearts of children. I thought, "Oh, this is the way to do it. When I was performing in Seoul, I was often approached by people at the (U.S. Army) camp.

--That's the best part of a live concert.

Kushida: The first recording ("Sambalcan") was painful (laughs), but I had a good time. I guess it was good because the director didn't give us detailed instructions, but rather told us to "realize it by ourselves. Because of this hardship, I was doubly happy when the children came to see me.

Training to Build a Strong Throat

--In those days, singers from other music genres were invited from the world of special effects and anime songs to sing, as was the case with Mr. Kushida. Today's ani-song singers are entering the world of anime from the very beginning, and it has also become a very popular position. How do you see this trend?

Kushida: It is a different era from our own, and we are very fortunate in many ways. The gates may be narrow, but there is a full range of equipment, whether it is instruments or anything else, and there are many places to study, like schools, and I think there are quite a few shortcuts to realizing what you like.

I think the important thing is "liking. How much do you "like" something?

Of course there are people who are very good at it, but "can they do it for long?" And that's an unnecessary worry, though. I think there are people who can go on and on without any hardship, but I do have a feeling that I would like them to experience hardship at least once somewhere. I think it would be twice as much fun if they experienced such things. I think it will expand the number of such people.

--You just said "fun. Did you have a good time singing special effects and anime songs?

Kushida: Yes, it was. After I had made them my own to some extent, I enjoyed singing them. I feel as if I am having a conversation with the audience while singing. That makes me feel like I have to sing more seriously and earnestly. I am careful not to cut corners, and I don't want to give up singing frantically.

--Do you have anything in mind in terms of singing seriously?

Kushida: I have a feeling that "this is not enough," or something like that, and I want to keep on singing until I clear that feeling. If people think, "Kushida's voice is getting a little thin because she is getting older," then there is no point in singing. I often think that I want to sing at full throttle, just as I did in the past.

--Recently, she sang a commercial song for "Mugi to Hop" (barley and hop), which is also included in her best album. Do you take care of your throat?

Kushida: I don't take care of my throat. Sometimes I think about doing something good for my throat, but I stop after two or three times (laughs). (laughs) So first of all, I think of it as training it so that it doesn't become weak. I would go into the studio for two or three hours and sing all the time with my voice. I would sing twice as loud as I do on stage. I don't even use a microphone. I sing live with my voice, as if I were competing in a karaoke competition. That's how I train myself.

--I would love to see a video of that.

Kushida: It's fun afterwards. It's fun when you think, "My voice came out well today.

--So it is a muscle training for the throat.

Kushida If I don't use my voice for a while, I lose weight. I don't want that to happen, and it will take time to get it back, so I have to build up my voice again for the "Akira Kushida 50th Anniversary Debut - Delight 2019" in November. Actually, I'm also thinking of doing some nostalgic R&B world. I don't get a chance to sing much these days, so not many people will know about it, and it's more than half self-satisfaction (laughs). I would be happy if people feel, "I like this kind of thing, so this is what I've come to do.

--I would like people to feel the similarities with the songs you have sung.

Kushida: I guess you could say there is a connection. Also, it would be best if they enjoy the songs. To do that, I have to be able to sing properly.

--The title of the album, "Delight," means "joy.

Kushida: I thought about "having everyone enjoy" and decided "this is the way to do it.

--So, this is your honest feeling?

Kushida Yes, that's right.

Black music in a major venue

--So, could you introduce some of the songs from this best album that left an impression on you, as you may sing them at your live performances?

Kushida Yes, I would. I have always sung songs about heroes, and "Gangster's Paradise" is a song about the villain's side. I thought, "Why did they choose me?" but I heard that they said, "This is already Mr. Kushida. He said, "You can do a bad voice, too. But the groove is a bit like a jazz pattern, and I think it was a lot of fun as a song. The lyrics are meant to be listened to without thinking too much about the meaning (laughs). (Laughs.) As long as the lyrics convey the idea that this kind of music exists, that's all that matters. Then there was "Appare! Jimoto ga ichiban! (This is a song about the pride of each prefecture in Japan. This is a song about the pride of each prefecture in Japan. So the melody is different for each prefecture. It was very hard work, because it was almost 8 minutes long, and I was already out of breath during rehearsals. It's all choruses, so to speak. I was like, "If you can sing along, sing along!

--(laughs).

Kushida That's how I felt.

--I want people to remember the prefecture they are from and sing along with them.

Kushida That's right (laughs). (laughs) It was hard for me to remember the lyrics. But it was a good learning experience. There are also various commercial songs in the album.

--I hope you will listen to them with nostalgia. Finally, now that you have celebrated your 50th anniversary, can you tell us about your goals and ambitions for the next 50 years?

Kushida: I have sung many theme songs up to now, and I have a feeling that I would like to ...... if I could express my favorite musical style in a major company. It doesn't have to be a theme song, but an insert song, or even just one R&B song that is played somewhere in the broadcast.

--I would love to see a wave of black music, even if it's not a theme song, but an insert song, even if it's just one song that plays once during the broadcast. By the way, don't you write lyrics and music yourself?

Kushida: I once thought of doing a soul album with lyrics written in English, but the members were so busy that I lost the opportunity. I wish I had at least recorded it. The recording of the song we did on stage went somewhere (laughs).

--what a waste. ......

Kushida But I believe that the R&B wave will definitely come in the near future. There are some groups coming out that have a good vibe, and I would love to sing with them.

--I am looking forward to hearing your unique music, which has its roots in R&B and soul, passing through songs, but also singing rock songs in the field of special effects and animation songs .......

Kushida: Yes, that's right. I would like to continue to sing songs from various genres with more and more greed, so if I can bring out more and more R&B and soul parts as well. I would like to collect them and release them in the form of an album.

(Interview and text by Koji Shimizu)


CD Information
Akira Kushida's 50th Anniversary Best Album "Delight
Now on sale
Price: 4,000 yen (tax not included)

Songs】 ＜DISC 1＞ ＜DISC 2＞ ＜DISC 3＞ ＜DISC 4
＜DISC 1＞
Karajo no Seishun (1969)
Rollin' Into The Night ("Mad Max" 1979)
Taiyo Sentai Sambalkan ("Taiyo Sentai Sambalkan" 1981)
Yume no Tsubasa wo ("Taiyo Sentai Sambalkan" 1981)
Space Detective Gabin ("Space Detective Gabin" 1982)
HOSHIZORA NO MESSAGE ("SPACE PRISON GABBAN" 1982)
Gale Zabungle ("Battle Mecha Zabungle" 1982)
08. dry land ("battle mecha zabungle" 1982)
DRAGON ROAD (The Birth of No.10! Masked Rider All Together! 1982)
Kinnikuman Go Fight!
Meat 2x9 Rock'n Roll ("Kinnikuman" 1983)
Kinnikuman on Fire ("Kinnikuman" 1984)
Space Detective Shariban ("Space Detective Shariban" 1983)
Strength is Love ("Space Detective Shariban" 1983)
Space Cop Shaider ("Space Cop Shaider" 1984)
Hello, Shaider! Shaider ("Space Detective Shaider" 1984)
Tarzan of the Galaxy (Giant Beast Searching Jaspion, 1985)
Carnival -The Invasion of Ibuki Sonojiro- ("Flames of the Transfer Student" 1985)
19.Jiraiya ("World Ninja Battle Jiraiya" 1988)
20.The voice that echoes from the sky ("World Ninja Battle Jiraiya" 1988)
21.SHI-NO-BI'88 ("World Ninja Battle Jiraiya" 1988)
CM song
Orange County ("Ogawa Coffee" 1980)
Fuji Safari Park CM song ("Fuji Safari Park" 1980)

＜DISC 2＞
01. Mobile Detective Jiban ("Mobile Detective Jiban" 1989)
02. Howl! Jiban ("Mobile Cop Jiban" 1989)
03. GEP-X: The Hero of Hope (PlayStation game "70's Robot Anime GEP-X" 1999)
We are the ONE -We are ONE- ("Bakuryu Sentai Abaranger" 2003)
05.Shinkon Gattai Godanner!　(2003) 05. (2003)
The name is Gaiking the Great ("Gaiking LEGEND OF DAIKU-MARYU" 2006)
07.GATSU GATSU!!!　("Toriko" 2011)
08.Goshoku My Way!　("Toriko" 2013)
KA・MI・TSU・KE (Jyuden Sentai Kyoryuger VS Go-Busters: Dinosaur Battle! Saraba Eien no Tomoyo" 2013)
10. shu-shuppppo! TOKKYUJAR ("Ressha Sentai TOKKYUJAR" 2014)
Space Detective NEXT GENERATION ("Space Detective NEXT GENERATION" 2014)
ORECA OMAEKA LIMIT BATTLE (ORECA BATTLE 2014)
13. SPACE SQUAD ("Space Squad: Gabin vs. Decaranger" 2017)
14. Ultimate Crusade (Battle) ("Dragon Ball Super" 2017)
15.Gangsters Paradise ("Kaito Sentai Lupinranger vs. Police Sentai Patranger" 2018)
16.The Laughing Salesman (CR "Laughing Salesman" 2018)
17.Ginga Dochu Hizakuriger ("RobiHachi" 2019)
18.Appare! Jimoto ga ichiban!　("Jimoto ga Japan" 2019)
CM song
19. Satomusen CM song ("Satomusen" 2005)
Bokura no umasai ha koko ni aru ("Sapporo Mugitohop" 2019)

DVD will include
From their 40th anniversary live "Muchumon" (October 17, 2009 at Shibuya O-EAST)
Chase! GABAN
Taiyo Sentai Sambalkan
Jiraiya
Mobile Detective Jiban
05.Happiness Limit
06.A Change Is Gonna Come
07.Strength Is Love
08.Space Detective Shaider
From "Anipara Ongakukan" on Kids Station
09.Shinkon Goudanner!　 (Broadcasted on December 19, 2004)
Space Detective GABBAN (aired October 3, 2007)
Gale Zabungle (aired September 20, 2009)
We are the ONE -We are ONE- (Aired September 20, 2009)
Fuji Safari Park CM Song (Aired on September 20, 2009)
14. Voice echoing from the sky （Airing September 20, 2009） ■Music video
Music Video
GATSU GATSU!
Goshoku My Way!
17.NEVER GIVE UP!~CHANCE wa nandemo nandemo nandemo~ (Kita Denshi Juggler Song)

Distribution information
Sapporo Mugi-To-Hop CM Song "Our Umami is Here!
Download distribution of the song will begin on October 16 (Fri.) on major distribution sites!

Live performance information
Akira Kushida's Debut 50th Anniversary Performance -Delight 2019
Date: Sunday, November 17, 2019 Doors open 16:30 Concert begins 17:00
Venue: Yomiuri Otemachi Hall

Three winners will receive a CD autographed by Akira Kushida!

To commemorate the interview, we will give away a CD "Delight" autographed by Akira Kushida to three winners by drawing!

<Prize
CD "Delight" autographed by Akira Kushida

<Entry requirements
Entry period: November 8, 2019 (Fri.) - November 22, 2019 (Fri.) 23:59
・Number of winners : 3
Prize Shipping : Prizes will be shipped by the end of January 2020.
How to apply: Use the dedicated application form below.

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