Gospellers
The Gospellers are a Japanese a cappella vocal group made up of Tetsuya Murakami, Kaoru Kurosawa, Yuji Sakai, Yoichi Kitayama and Yutaka Yasuoka.
History
Originally formed by Murakami and Kurosawa in 1991 as a group within a college chorus club "Street Corner Symphony" at the University of Waseda, they recruited 3 new members in order to fill the vacancy for the recording of The Gospellers, their first major label release in 1994. They spent the next 6 years working towards national recognition, releasing 13 singles and 5 albums, until they finally came up with a hit single "Towa ni", which stayed in the Oricon chart ranking for 44 consecutive weeks in 2000 and 2001. They became the first a cappella group to be in the top 3 of the chart in Japan with their 16th single, "Hitori".In early 2006, the group made a side-project release, Gosperats, which featured the members in blackface and singing with more soul and jazz-like accompaniment, with Rats & Star members Masayuki Suzuki, Nobuyoshi Kuwano and Yoshio Sato, who originally, along with such a style, established the popularity of R&B and Doo-wop in the 1980s in Japan.
In the first edition of the Japanese ice show Fantasy on Ice in 2010, the Gospellers made an appearance as guest artists. They performed together with former figure skater and figure skating commentator, Junko Yaginuma, to the song "1, 2, 3 for 5" amongst others.
Their single "Sky High" was used as the opening theme for the anime Nodame Cantabile: Paris.
The image song for the Japanese version of The Wild is called "Prisoner of Love" by the band.
Discography
Singles
Promise U'll be Mine Winter Cheers!〜winter special/Higher Two-Way Street Calendar Machikirenai Wolf Owaranai Sekai/Vol. Yuyake Shuffle BOO -Onaka ga Sukuhodo Warattemitai- Atarashii Sekai Nettai-ya Password Towa ni Kokuhaku Hitori Yakusoku no Kisetsu Chikai Get me on Escort Hoshikuzu no Machi Right on, Babe Shin Osaka Machikado -on the corner- Mimosa Hitosuji no Kiseki/Kaze wo Tsukamaete Platinum Kiss Hinoataru Sakamichi Platinum Kiss/Hinoataru Sakamichi It still matters～ Ai wa nemuranai feat. Howie D /Kotoba ni Sureba Aoi Tori Lorelei Sky High/SEPTENOVA 1,2,3 for 5 Sorae ~Reach for the sky~ Love Notes Ai no Shooting Star Tokyo NEVER STOP BRIDGE It's Alright～Kimi to Iru Dakede～ STEP! Kori no Hana Robinson/Taiyo no Gonin SING!!!!! Christmas Choir Dream Girl GOSWING/Recycle Love Fly me to the disco ball Hikari In This Room VOXers I Want You INFINITY Darekanosyatsu- ''Loving Out Loud''
Albums
The Gospellers Nimaime MO' BEAT Vol.4 FIVE KEYS Soul Serenade Love Notes FRENZY A Cappella Dressed up to the Nines G10 Be as One The Gospellers Works Hurray! Love Notes II Harmorhythm STEP FOR FIVE Hamo Sodo～The Gospellers Covers～ The Gospellers Now G20 Soul Renaissance What The World Needs Now BOYS meet HARMONYG25 -Beautiful Harmony-- ''A Cappella 2''
DVD
THE GOSPELLERS CLIPS 1999-2001 THE GOSPELLERS CLIPS 1995-1998 Sakaagari. THE GOSPELLERS Zaka Tour 2003 "A Cappella Ko" THE GOSPELLERS CLIPS 2001-2004 THE GOSPELLERS Zaka Tour 2005 "G10" THE GOSPELLERS CLIPS 1995-2007 ～Complete～ THE GOSPELLERS Zaka Tour 2009"Jugo Shunen Hyoryuki ～Akifuyu～" THE GOSPELLERS CLIPS 2008-2010 THE GOSPELLERS Zaka Tour 2012-2013 "FOR FIVE" THE GOSPELLERS Zaka Tour 2014 "The Gospellers no Hamore Meros" THE GOSPELLERS Zaka Tour 2014-2015 "G20" THE GOSPELLERS Zaka Tour 2017 "Soul Renaissance"- ''THE GOSPELLERS Zaka Tour 2018-2019 "What The World Needs Now" ''
BD
THE GOSPELLERS Zaka Tour 2009"Jugo Shunen Hyoryuki ～Akifuyu～" THE GOSPELLERS Zaka Tour 2012-2013 "FOR FIVE" THE GOSPELLERS CLIPS 1995-2014～Complete Blu-ray Box～THE GOSPELLERS Zaka Tour 2014 "The Gospellers no Hamore Meros" THE GOSPELLERS Zaka Tour 2014-2015 "G20" THE GOSPELLERS Zaka Tour 2017 "Soul Renaissance" Sakaagari. THE GOSPELLERS Zaka Tour 2003 "A Cappella Ko" THE GOSPELLERS Zaka Tour 2005 "G10"- ''THE GOSPELLERS Zaka Tour 2018-2019 "What The World Needs Now" ''
VHS
THE GOSPELLERS CLIPS 1995-1998 THE GOSPELLERS CLIPS 1999-2001 THE GOSPELLERS Zaka Tour 2003 "A Cappella Ko" THE GOSPELLERS CLIPS 2001-2004- ''THE GOSPELLERS Zaka Tour 2005 "G10"''