Tatsuro Yamashita

Tatsurō Yamashita
山下 達郎
Yamashita in 2005
Born
Tatsurō Yamashita (山下 達郎)

February 4, 1953 (age 71)
Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo, Japan[1]
NationalityJapanese
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, record producer
Years active1975–present
TitleBiography
Spouse
​
(m. 1982)​
Children1
Musical career
Genres
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitars, piano, keyboards, drums, percussion
LabelsAIR, Moon, Niagara, RCA, RVC, Warner Music Japan, EastWest Japan, MMG
Websitetatsuro.co.jp
Signature

Tatsurō Yamashita (山下 達郎, Yamashita Tatsurō, born February 4, 1953), occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita[2] or Tats Yamashita,[3] is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music.[4][5][6]

His most well-known song is "Christmas Eve", a best-selling song released in Japan in the 1980s. It has appeared on the Japanese charts for over 35 consecutive years.[7][8][9][10]

He is known for his collaborations with his wife Mariya Takeuchi on many songs, including "Plastic Love",[11] and the American songwriter Alan O'Day, with whom he co-wrote the songs "Your Eyes", "Magic Ways", "Love Can Go the Distance", and "Fragile" (interpolated by American rapper Tyler, the Creator on "Gone, Gone / Thank You").[12] He is sometimes called the "king" of city pop.[13][14][15]

Yamashita is considered a major contributor to Japanese music and is ranked by HMV Japan as the sixth among the top 100 Japanese Artists.[15][16][17]

  1. ^ "Biography". tatsuro.co.jp. Smile Company Ltd. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  2. ^ Ride on Time (album) (LP front cover). Tatsuro Yamashita. BMGJapan. 1980.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ Big Wave (Tatsuro Yamashita album) (LP sleevenotes). Tatsuro Yamashita. Warner/Moon Records. 1984.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. ^ Hadfield, James (May 1, 2019). "'Pacific Breeze' collates the slick sound of Japanese "New Music" from the late 70s". The Japan Times. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  5. ^ Doucette, Marcus (February 19, 2019). "The unforgettable funk of '70s and '80s Japanese "New Music"". Radio Milwaukee. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  6. ^ Remington, Miranda (March 18, 2021). "Tatsuro Yamashita, King of City Pop".
  7. ^ "山下達郎、"クリスマス・イブ"が35年連続オリコン「週間シングルランキング」トップ100にランクイン。今年も前人未到の記録を更新 - TOWER RECORDS ONLINE". tower.jp. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  8. ^ "山下達郎「クリスマス・イブ」歴代記録更新 「週間シングルTOP100入り連続年数」を35年連続に【オリコンランキング】". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  9. ^ "山下達郎の"クリスマス・イブ"、31年連続でオリコン週間シングルTOP100入り－rockinon.com｜https://rockinon.com/news/detail/153577". rockinon.com (in Japanese). Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  10. ^ "Tatsuro Yamashita News".
  11. ^ St. Michel, Patrick (November 17, 2018). "Mariya Takeuchi: The pop genius behind 2018's surprise online smash hit from Japan". The Japan Times. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  12. ^ "website of Alan O'Day".
  13. ^ Igor the Goose (March 1, 2020). "Tatsuro Yamashita aka The King of City Pop". FictionTalk. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  14. ^ Tasaka, Yuki (September 27, 2020). "City Pop Podcast: Episode II Tatsuro Yamashita". Van Paugam. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  15. ^ a b "Ed Motta drops exclusive City Pop Vol. 2 mixtape of smooth and funky Japanese AOR – Wax Poetics". Wax Poetics. April 28, 2016.
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference redbullmusicacademy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ 株式会社ローソンエンタテインメント. "Top 100 Japanese pops Artists - No.6". www.hmv.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved September 17, 2021.