Kyōhei Tsutsumi
Kyōhei Tsutsumi, is a Japanese composer, record producer and arranger.
Tsutsumi began his career as a songwriter circa 1966, and he came to prominence as a composer of Ayumi Ishida's chart-topping hit "Blue Light Yokohama" in the late 1960s. He has released nearly 3,000 compositions to date, over 500 of which have entered the Japanese Oricon singles chart. Tsutsumi is the most commercially successful composer of the Japanese popular music of last five decades, selling over 76 million units on the country's single chart from 1968 onwards.
Two of his compositions won the grand prix of Japan Record Award— "Mata Au Hi Made" performed by Kiyohiko Ozaki in 1971 and "Miserarete" by Judy Ongg in 1979. Tsutsumi himself has also won the awards for best songwriting category for five times. Recognized for his long-term contribution to establish Japanese popular music, Tsutsumi received the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon by the Government of Japan in November 2003.
Early life
Eikichi Watanabe was born on May 28, 1940 in Ushigome, Tokyo City, now part of Shinjuku Ward. He was a student of Aoyama Gakuin, one of the most prestigious educational institutes in Japan. Watanabe learned piano when he was in kindergarten, and joined the college's jazz club in his teen years. After graduating from University, Watanabe worked as a director of Nippon Grammophone, a Japanese record label in which later changed its name to Polydor Japan and now owned by Universal Music Group. Tadataka Watanabe, his younger brother, became a record executive too, who has been chief producer of Warner Music Japan and well known as a discoverer of multi-million selling folk-rock duo Kobukuro.Career
On the suggestion of a composer Jun Hashimoto, his senior graduate of University, Watanabe began his songwriting career under the pen name Kyohei Tsutsumi. "Kiiroi Lemon", his first recorded compositions co-written by Hashimoto and sung by then-unknown Masato Shimon, was issued as a single in 1966. However, it was initially released as a work composed by Kōichi Sugiyama, and Tsutsumi's name was not credit on the original pressing of the record.Tsutsumi's first hit, "Barairo no Kumo", was performed by the Village Singers and released as a single in 1967. He rose to fame in 1969, after release of "Blue Light Yokohama" recorded by singer and actress Ayumi Ishida. It was released as a single on Christmas Day of 1968 and topped the Japanese Oricon sales chart in the following year, becoming the fifth record to have sold over 1 million copies since the chart started counting sales in 1968. As a composer of the song, Tsutsumi won the 11th Japan Record Awards for the best songwriting category on December 31, 1969.
Selected discography
Studio albums
During the late 1960s and the 1970s, Tsutsumi released following his own albums. Most of those efforts were reissued in 2006, as part of compilation series entitled Kyohei Tsutsumi Solo Works Collection released by five different labels — EMI Music Japan, Sony Music Entertainment, King Records, Victor Entertainment, and Nippon Columbia.| Album | Details |
| Piano ga Utau "Osanai Hi" |
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| Cembalo Deluxe Vol.1: Koi no Kisetsu | |
| Cembalo Deluxe Vol.2: Nanairo no Shiawase | |
| Cembalo Deluxe Vol.3: Ano Hi Nagisa de... | |
| Futatsu no Hoshi | |
| Hit Piano Touch | |
| Hit! Hit! Hit!: "Shiranaide Aisarete/Koibito" | |
| Easy Listening Deluxe Album: Kyohei Tsutsumi Hit Original Sound by 16-ch System | |
| Headlight | |
| Bacharach Meet the Beatles | |
| Dynamic Young Hit Deluxe | |
| Tsutsumi Kyohei no Hibiki | |
| Seishun no Harmony: Mirai kara Kita Tegami | |
| Eiko e no Dasshutsu | |
| Spectacle Sound by Special Request | |
| Hit Machine: Tsutsumi Kyohei no Sekai'' |
Number-one hits on the Oricon singles chart
Compilation and tribute albums
- Various artists - Hit Story: Kyohei Tsutsumi Ultimate Collection 1967-1997 Volume 1
- Various artists - Hit Story: Kyohei Tsutsumi Ultimate Collection 1967-1997 Volume 2
- Various artists - Kyohei Tsutsumi Ultra Best Tracks / Soul & Disco
- Various artists - Kyohei Tsutsumi Ultra Best Tracks / 60's Rare Tracks
- Various artists - Kyohei Tsutsumi Ultra Best Tracks / 70's Collection
- Various artists - Kyohei Tsutsumi Ultra Best Tracks / 80's Girlie Pop
- Various artists - Kyohei Tsutsumi Ultra Best Tracks / Polygram Girls Pop
- Various artists - Kyohei Tsutsumi Ultra Best Tracks / Polygram GS and Guys
- Various artists - Kyohei Tsutsumi Ultra Best Tracks / Columbia Edition Vol.1 60's and 70's
- Various artists - Kyohei Tsutsumi Ultra Best Tracks / GS and Rarities
- Various artists - Kyohei Tsutsumi Ultra Best Tracks / Girls Pop 80's
- Ayumi Ishida - Kyohei Tsutsumi Tracks
- Yukari Itō - Kyohei Tsutsumi Ultra Best Tracks
- Goro Noguchi - Kyohei Tsutsumi Ultra Best Tracks
- Miki Hirayama - Kyohei Tsutsumi Ultra Best Tracks
- Saori Minami - Golden Best: Cynthia Sings Kyohei Tsutsumi
- Yukiji Asaoka - Golden Best: Sings Kyohei Tsutsumi
- Miki Hirayama - Golden Best: Sings Kyohei Tsutsumi and More
- Sumiko Sakamoto - Golden Best
- YuYa - Idol Miracle Bible Series: Sings Kyohei Tsutsumi and More
- Yū Hayami - Golden Best: Yu Hayami/Kyohei Tsutsumi Pops Best
- Various artists - The Hit Maker
- Various artists - Kyohei Disco Night: Kyohei Tsutsumi Remix
- Various artists -
- Chiyo Okumura - Chiyo Tsutsumi Kyohei o Utau
- Yūko Asano - Golden Best Limited: Sings Kyohei Tsutsumi
- Hiroyuki Okita - Golden Best Limited: Sings Kyohei Tsutsumi
- Various artists - Mayonaka no Bossa Nova: Jun Hashimoto and Kyohei Tsutsumi Golden Album Around 1969