Introducing...Akihito Tokunaga!
(Or Toku-chan, as Tak and Koshi call him...)
B'z supporting members are naturally not the objects of as much attention
as Tak and Koshi. But most of them have managed to make some sort of impression
on audiences and many are multi-talented.
This section is for Akihito Tokunaga (��������), possibly the most accidentally ignored supporting member of all!
Some recent updates:
When I first made this section, back at the beginning of 2003,
it really was hard to catch Toku-chan. However, since he was bassist for the
15th anniversary IT'S SHOWTIME!! tour this year, and will therefore be on
the highly anticipated 15th anniversary super-live concert DVD [Typhoon No.
15], I'm sure he will henceforth be much better known. He was also in the
Roppongi Hills live B'z did earlier this year, performing on the roof of a
skyscraper. High-profile activities for Toku-chan, who usually stays behind
the scenes.
Little-known Tokunaga facts:
1. He has written several #1 hit singles, all for Kuraki Mai (she belongs
to Giza, which is owned by Being Co.). My favorite is Perfect Crime. You can hear
him singing the bg vocals!
2. He plays bass, guitar, percussion, piano, soprano saxophone, clavinet,
and can sing well enough for background vocals.
3. He is a Being Co. underling who works with Fayray, ZARD, Tube, and Utoko Keiko
(we know her as the voice in Love Phantom), among others.
4. His birthday is 9.22.1971. That's one day before Koshi's birthday. Now you'll be able to remember it easily.
5. He's worked on more B'z songs than you'd guess. You guess, because he almost
never appears in the pvs or lives of the songs he's worked on, especially after
1998.
6. There exist about zero pictures of him. But now there are more, thanks to his
buddy Shane.
7. A knowledgeable male NP B'z fan once proclaimed him the handsomest supporting
member on a page of supporting members. What more do you need to know??
8. He was bassist in the 1998 B'z Survive tour. B'z introduced him and his then-new
band XL (which has only had one release in its career to this day). Yes, that
is he in the Swimmer Yo!! bonus track in Once Upon a Time in Yokohama.
9. He is responsible for that techno-y sound in the bonus Itsuka no Merry Christmas in Ballads Best. Which may be a good or bad thing, depending on your view.
|
BE WITH Q&A
Name: Akihito Tokunaga
Born: 9.22.1971; Kanagawa
First impression of Matsumoto-san and Inaba-san? Gentle people.
Describe B'z and B'z fans? Mecha powerful!
Favorite B'z song? Love Phantom
B'z song you think is the most difficult? SNOW
What do B'z call you? Toku-chan
What is something unforgettable B'z said to you during the tour? Don't
steal our stuff!
|
It was entirely by chance that I came to know who Akihito Tokunaga is. While watching a Music Station performance of Home for the umpteenth time, I noticed that the bass player had a hairstyle not unlike Koshi's. Merely an idle observation at the time, I gave it no more thought. Unflashy and quiet, the bassist stayed in the background. Later I found out his name. Because no one knew (or much cared) who the heck he was, and also because there were pictures of every supporting member around except for Tokunaga, I started to jokingly proclaim he was my favorite B'z supporting member.
|
This pseudo-affection started to solidify when I gave Kuraki Mai's Perfect Crime album a spin one day. I became reluctantly addicted to Perfect Crime, and to Stand Up!, two extremely catchy tunes. It occurred to me to look at the lyrics booklet. Guess who had written these two songs?
|
I found a Japanese Akihito discography and was very surprised to see all the Kuraki Mai hit songs he's been churning out. He has also worked on many B'z songs, yet he hardly ever appears in the pvs or the live performances. Sure, he toured in 1998 on the Survive tour, but that never made it to video. He was bassist and programmer for recent numbers like Atsuki Kodou no Hate, Ultra Soul, and most of the Green songs, but did we ever get a peep at the man? No! I barely even know what he looks like! And Tak employs him for almost all his solo projects, but when it comes time to do the live performances, someone else is on bass. My friends, I think it's clear that Tak holds the keys to a certain basement prison.
Other than that, for some reason Tokunaga is depicted as a wannabe ladies' man in the B'z LiveGym comic strip from their Survive tourbook. "You're as beautiful as a shinnin' star." Probably the work of mischievous Mat-chan (pure speculation, do not take seriously!).
Some Works:
IT'S SHOWTIME!! (3.26.2003) ~ Bass and programming
New Message: bass and programming
ultra soul, Swimmer Yo 2001!!, ROCK man ~ bass on beats 2 and 3; co-arrange on all 3 beats.
Dragon From the West (2.27.2002)
Co-arranged Fighting Bull, Dragon from the West, Notteke, Riverside Blues; bass on Dragon, Notteke, Fighting Bull.
Hana (2.27.2002)
Co-arranged: Koi Uta, #1090, Machi, Little Wing, hallelujah, ENGAGED, You know...
Bass: #1090, Machi, Little Wing, ENGAGED, You know...
Atsuki Kodou no Hate (6.5.2002)
Bass and programming for Atsuki and Idomeyo
GREEN (7.03.2002)
Bass and programming: Atsuki,Warp, Signal, Surfin' 3000GT, ultra soul, Everlasting, Forever Mine, The Spiral, Go Fight Win
Programming: Stay Green
ELEVEN (12.06.2000)
Clavinet: Seventh Heaven [What is a clavinet?]
Calling (7.9.1997)
Co-arranged
|
|
Liar! Liar! (10.8.1997)
Co-arranged Liar! Liar! and Biri Biri; bass on Biri Biri.
SURVIVE (11.19.1997)
Bass: Deep Kiss, Swimmer Yo!!, Survive, Liar! Liar!, Do Me, Naite naite nakiyandara, CAT, Dattara agechaeyo, Shower, Calling
Co-arranged: All of above plus Happiness
Kiss in the Sky (Misia)
Co-arrange, bass, and programming for the 2 Tak tracks: Koi Uta and Don't Stop Music!
Some Kuraki Mai songs:
Winter Bells: Compose, arrange, bg vocals
Fairy Tale: Compose, arrange, bg vocals
Feel fine!: compose, arrange, bg vocals
Ride on Time: compose, arrange, bg vocals
Make my day: Compose, arrange, bg vocals
Like a Star in the Night: arrange, guitar
Perfect Crime: compose, arrange, bg vocals
Stand Up!: compose, arrange, bg vocals
Brand New Day: arrange
Also, a lot of Fayray and ZARD stuff, and random Being stuff!
Ok, now go read about the other supporting members! When I have them up...
Some of the music tracks listed above have been shortened and not capitalized official discography style in the interest of time. Pictures are from the Survive tourbook. They belong to Being Co.
Back to Main
