Color (band)

Color
Origin	Osaka, Japan
Genres	Punk rock, electronic dance
Years active	1985–1995, 2003, 2008
Labels	Free-Will, Nippon Crown
Associated acts	Sister's No Future, Goatcore, Mein Kampf
Members
Dynamite Tommy Tatsuya Cindy Marry† Toshi

Color (stylized as COLOR) was a Japanese punk band formed in 1985 by Dynamite Tommy, who founded the Free-Will record label a year later.^[1][2] They are considered to be important to the formation of visual kei.^[2]

History

After releasing their second album, Fools! Get Lucky!!, they signed to Nippon Crown (then called Crown Records) and released their only major studio album a couple months later, Ask the Angels.^[3] However, in January 1990 at a concert on the album's tour, in their hometown of Osaka, a fan was accidentally stomped to death.^[4] The band decided to lay low and avoid media, they ended up losing their contract with Crown. During this hiatus, Tommy formed Sister's No Future with Ken-chan (Kamaitachi),^[5] while Marry started Goatcore with You Adachi (Dead End).

Color returned with a concert in August, and in July 1991 released the single "The Exhibition". They held a coupling tour with Genkaku Allergy in March 1993. In 1994 they released their last album, Galaxy, which has a electronic dance sound instead of their usual punk.^[4] In 1995 Color held what would be their last concert, after which the band disappeared without any announcement. The music magazine J-Rock published an article in 1997, saying Color was disbanded due to inactivity.^[4]

On June 14, 2002, bassist Marry died in a car accident. On the one year anniversary of his passing, the remaining members organized and performed at the first "Marry Memorial" concert. It has been held every year since, with Color reuniting again at the 2008 concert.

Members

• Hiroshi "Dynamite Tommy" Tomioka – vocals (1985–1995, 2003, 2008, originally guitarist)
• Tatsuya Niimi – guitar (1986–1995, 2003, 2008)
• Cindy – guitar (1986–1995, 2003, 2008)
• Naotaka "Marry" Nakano – bass (1988–1995)†
• Toshi – drums (1988–1995, 2003, 2008)

Former members

• Iku – vocals (1985)
• Bell – bass (1985)
• Hide – drums (1985)
• Ikuo – bass (–1986)
• Hideki – drums (–1986)
• Takahashi – drums (–1988)
• Remmy – bass (–1988), support bass on June 14, 2008
• Den – support bass on June 14, 2003 (former roadie, By-Sexual, Zigzo)

Discography

Singles

• "Molt Grain" (March 23, 1987)
• "Sandbag Baby I" (November 23, 1988)
• "Sandbag Baby II" (November 26, 1988)
• "Broken Tavern" (June 6, 1989) Oricon Weekly Singles Chart Peak Position: #65^[6]
• "Back Tonight 5th Moon" (February 21, 1990) #27^[6]
• "Some Become Stranger" (August 21, 1990) #31^[6]
• "The Exhibition" (July 21, 1991)

Albums

• Gekitotsu (激突, January 21, 1988)
• Fools! Get Lucky!! (March 8, 1989)
• Ask the Angels (December 5, 1989) Oricon Weekly Albums Chart Peak Position: #16^[7]
• Cherry's World (July 31, 1992)
• Galaxy (October 1994)

Other albums

• Extremism: Best of Color (March 16, 1991, compilation album) #43^[7]
• Color Live! Shock Treatment and Rebirth (August 21, 1991, live album) #98^[7]
• Remind (December 25, 1992, self-cover album)
• The Best (December 16, 1996, compilation album)
• Memoir 5 (回顧録5, September 14, 2005, tribute album)

Videos

• Shock Treatment (October 7, 1989)
• Overwhelming Superiority (May 21, 1990)
• Rebirth (大復活, December 16, 1990)
• Land of Revolution (May 21, 1991)
• The Exhibition (July 17, 1991, freely distributed at Kawasaki Club live)

References

1. ^ Free-Will and Groove Productions Press Release Retrieved Sep 12 2007
2. ^ ^{a b} Dejima Kouji (出嶌 孝次) Bounce Di(s)ctionary Number 13 - Visual Kei Retrieved Sep 12 2007
3. ^ Amazon.com information on Ask the Angels Retrieved Sep 12 2007
4. ^ ^{a b c} Color bio Retrieved June 4, 2011
5. ^ Taiji, Kenzi, and Dynamite Tommy’s new band “Killing Red Addiction” to play in L.A. Retrieved June 4, 2011
6. ^ ^{a b c} www.oricon.co.jp Color Oricon Singles Ranking Retrieved February 20, 2011
7. ^ ^{a b c} www.oricon.co.jp Color Oricon Albums Ranking Retrieved February 20, 2011