Mickie Yoshino


Mitsuyoshi Yoshino, known professionally as Mickie Yoshino, is a Japanese keyboardist, composer, producer, and arranger. Yoshino is known for leading the rock band Godiego. In 2005, he won a 28th [Japan Academy Prize|Japan Academy Prize] for his music. Yoshino's compositions were used in the film Swing Girls. Yoshino still produces music with groups such as Godiego and EnTRANS.

Biography

Early years and The Golden Cups

Yoshino's musical career began when he was a junior in high school, playing in night clubs and the U.S. military base in Yokohama, Japan. In 1967, at the age of 16, he became a member of The Golden Cups, a pioneering Japanese blues band that released several popular hits.
After leaving the band in 1971, he studied music at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. While there, he studied piano with Charlie Banacos, , Ray Santisi, and . He also performed arrangements with Gary Burton and Phil Wilson. Yoshino formed the group Flesh & Blood and played in the Boston rock scene at the same time as Aerosmith and Boston.

Godiego

After graduating from Berklee, Yoshino returned to Japan to form the group Godiego.
Godiego appeared frequently on the hit charts from 1978 through the mid-1980s and is credited with influencing the Japanese pop scene.
In the United Kingdom, Godiego became known for the theme song of the BBC TV series The [Water Margin (1973 TV series)|The Water Margin]. The song reached number 16 on the UK singles chart. released the album The Water Margin in the UK and Europe. Godiego's biggest hits in Japan came from a TV series called Monkey, which also aired on the BBC. This series became a "cult Japanese TV series" with videos and DVDs sold not only in the UK but in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and other countries. "Gandhara" and "Monkey Magic" were the most well-known songs from the TV series.
Godiego also attracted international attention when they wrote and released "Beautiful Name", the theme song for Unicef's International Year of the Child.
Yoshino also wrote and played for soundtracks such as the film [House (1977 film)|House]. Francis Ford Coppola intended to select Japanese composer Isao Tomita for his movie Apocalypse Now, but this was prevented due to a label contracts issue, and Tomita had been planning to let Godiego record the rock part of the soundtrack.
Yoshino was also very involved with Roland Corp. in the development of synthesizers and digital stage pianos in the 1970s and 1980s. Godiego was one of the first rock bands to use a guitar synthesizer for both recordings and live performances.
In 1980, Godiego was the first rock group to perform in China. They also performed for 60,000 people in Kathmandu, Nepal, and performed in Australia and the United States.
Around 1985, Godiego broke up. In 1999/2000, they reunited for a 17-concert nationwide tour.

1980s–1990s

In the late 1980s, Yoshino helped to establish the PAN School of Music in Tokyo and Yokohama. He also released his own albums American Road and Longway from Home, and worked with many musicians including Paul Jackson, Jennifer Batten, Peter Green and Ray Parker Jr., Kenichi Hagiwara, and .

EnTRANS and jazz/fusion activities

Yoshino has participated in diverse musical activities since the 1960s. He joined the Time is Now jazz and rock crossover concert with the Terumasa Hino Quintet, Hiroshi Kamayatsu, and Takayuki Inoue in 1969.
With Godiego, Yukihide Takekawa and he composed "Suite: Peace" inspired by the theme of Edward Elgar's Pomp & Circumstance No.1 in 1977, and "In You Kanjincho" based upon Nagauta, Japanese traditional music, and Kanjincho. Yoshino arranged a rock tune with horns and traditional Japanese musical instruments such as the shamisen, shakuhachi, biwa and tsuzumi in 1981.
He formed a crossover musical group called EnTRANS with Takayuki Inoue, Yoshihiro Naruse , Nobuo Yagi and . Inonu retired in 2009, but the band continues to perform.
Since the 2000s, Yoshino has frequently played with the jazz musicians and .

The Golden Cups reunion

In the early 2000s, Yoshino participated in the reunion of the Golden Cups and a documentary film, The Golden Cups One More Time, which was produced by Altamira Pictures. The movie showed the band's influence on many Japanese rock players, such as Kiyoshiro Imawano, Akiko Yano, Takayuki Inoue, and Ken Yokoyama.

Go-Die-Go's Endless Journey

Yoshino reformed Godiego in 2006 with the popular members Yukihide Takekawa, Takami Asano, Steve Fox, and Tommy Snyder. They had a three-year series of concerts for Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space, 2007–2009. In 2014, Yoji Yoshizawa joined the band, and they continue to tour, releasing CDs and DVDs.

Bands

Sources:
  • Saburos
  • J.Walker & Pedestrians
  • Shuson Konno & New Camelias
  • Chosen Few
  • Midnight Express Blues Band
  • BeBes
  • Flower Creation
  • The Golden Cups
  • Mickie Yoshino Group Mark I
  • Sunrise
  • Funky Tongue
  • Rapscallion
  • Flesh & Blood
  • Dutch Baker Band
  • Mickie Yoshino Group Mark II
  • Mickie Yoshino Group Mark III
  • Mickie Yoshino Group Mark IV
  • Mickie Yoshino Group Mark V
  • Godiego
  • Mickie Yoshino Group Mark VI
  • Mickie Yoshino Group Mark VII
  • Kaleidoscope Session Band Rock Session
  • Kaleidoscope Session Band Jazz Session
  • PAN
  • Debut!
  • Andre Marlrau Band
  • Black, Yellow & White
  • P.S.M. All Stars
  • Paul Jackson Band
  • Mickie Yoshino Special Band
  • Mickie Yoshino & SLYME
  • Mickie Yoshino Band
  • Earthmatics
  • Valco
  • Joe Yamanaka Band
  • EnTRANS
  • Silver Cups
  • Natsuno-Gumi
  • Mickie Yoshino New Group

Discography

The Golden Cups

Studio albums

The Golden Cups Album Vol. 2 Blues Message The Golden Cups Album Vol. 3
  • ''The Fifth Generation''

Live albums

Super Live Session The Golden Cups Recital
  • ''One More Time''

Singles

  • "My Love Only For You"
  • "Good Bye My Love"
  • "Honmoku Blues"
  • "Lucille"
  • "Butterfly Won't Fly"
  • "Bitter Tears"

Compilations

The Best of The Golden Cups Girl With Long Hair - The Best of The Golden Cups Rock 'n Roll Jam '70
  • ''Blues of Life''

Godiego

See Godiego Discography

Tigers Memorial Club Band

Studio albums

Tigers Memorial Club Band
  • ''Tigers Memorial Club Band II -Me and Our Summer''

Singles

  • "Natsukashiki Love Song"
  • "Kimiyo Megami no Mamade"

EnTRANS

Studio albums

  • ''Be Our Guest!!!!''

Live albums

  • ''We, Us''

Solo, session and small unit

Studio albums

Zan-Sonezakishinju as Mickie Yoshino Group with Hanayagi GenshuKaleidoscope with Kazumi WatanabeAmerican Road P.S.M. All Stars Vol.1 as P.S.M. All StarsLongway From Home BOUE Come Back My Bay Blues as ValcoIn The Book of Heaven as The Spirit of GodiegoEarthmatics Pop Art Music ART, ART, ART, FOR THE EARTH FROM MY HEART ME & 70's Jazz for Kids with Paul JacksonTung Fat Heavens and Sweets as Tung Fat Heavens and Sweets
  • ''1970''

Live Album

1974 One Step Festival as Mickie Yoshino Group

Singles

Baby Hold On as SunriseReturn to China Aisuru Kanatahe Yes, I Will as Natsuno-GumiGet Wild Otokotachi no Tabiji as Mickie Yoshino Group

Soundtrack albums

Virgin Blues with Yukihide TakekawaIroha No I as GodiegoThe Youth Killer House as Godiego with Asei Kobayashi

Video, LD and DVD

Above Los Angeles Bali Sound Journey Mickie Yoshino Palau~Cruising of rock island~ Sound Journey Mickie Yoshino Alaska~Glacier and Forest~
  • ''Sound Journey Mickie Yoshino present Genta Ueki Gold Coast~the Earth~''

Books

They are our ROOTS! From GS Golden Cups to Godiego Mickie Yoshino no Tabi no Tomodachi, Shinko Music,