The 5.6.7.8's

The 5.6.7.8's in concert in Lille, May 2004

The 5,6,7,8's are a female, three-piece, Japanese rock and roll band, whose music is reminiscent of American surf music and garage rock. Each member is from Tokyo, Japan.

The group have so named themselves because they do 1950's, 60's, 70's and 80's rock. They do many covers from American rock and roll records.

The 5,6,7,8's first started performing as a quartet in Tokyo, Japan, and were recruiting many guest performers during their Australian tour, once even recruiting a male member, "Eddie". They first officially became a trio in 1992 before touring Australia.

Members

The 5,6,7,8's formed in 1986 with four members: Ronnie "Yoshiko" Fujiyama on vocals and guitar, "Rico" on second guitar, "Yoshie" on bass guitar and "Sachiko" on drums. After a few line-up changes they eventually ended up with three members, after Rico's and Yoshie's departure - with Yoshiko and Sachiko still in the band, "Omo" was now in the band as the bass guitarist.

Even though the group mostly sing their songs in English, their official website and most of their fansites and fanclubs are in Japanese, as they are most known in Japan and have done countless performances in their country.

Each member is very talented at each of their instruments, with Yoshiko always an energetic performer on guitar, doing wild, blazing riffs and everywhere on the stage during performances, and Sachiko always very coordinated and skilled in her drumming.

Yoshiko was initially the lead vocalist, but as the band performed more rock and roll songs, every member had equal parts in vocals and sing simultaneously more often than not.

Albums and Songs

The band has recorded seven albums:

• "The 5,6,7,8's Can't Help it!" released in 1991.

Tracks:

• Ah-So
• Let's Have A Party
• Pinball Party
• Jet Coaster
• Wooly Bully
• Wild Thing
• Bond Girl
• Motor Cycle Go-Go-Go!
• Fruit Bubble Love
• The 5,6,7,8's
• Woo Eee
• Edie Is A Sweet Candy
• I Was A Teenage Cave Woman
• Blue Radio

• "The 5,6,7,8's" self-titled album, released in 1994.

Tracks:

• Harlem Nocturne
• Oriental Rock
• I Walk Like Jayne Mansfield
• Arkansas Twist
• Handsome Man
• Rockin' Rochester
• One Potato
• Long Tall Sally
• Cat Fight Run
• I Don't Need You No More
• Highschool Witch
• Teenage Cleopatra
• Tallahassee Lassie
• Scream

• "Bomb The Twist" released in 1995.

Tracks:

• Bomb The Twist
• Jane In The Jungle
• Three Cool Chicks
• Guitar Date
• Woo Hoo
• Dream Boy

• "Pin Heel Stomp" released in 1997.

Tracks:

• Pin Heel Stomp
• Dance In The Avenue A
• Arkansas Twist
• Hey! Mashed Potato, Hey!
• Spell Stroll
• The Barracuda

• "Teenage Mojo Workout" released in 2002.

Tracks:

• (I'm Sorry Mama) I'm A Wild One
• I'm Blue
• Road Runner
• I Got A Man
• Typhoon Girl
• Hanky Panky
• Harlem Shuffle
• Green Onions
• In The Subway
• Teenage Mojo Workout
• Let's Go Boogaloo
• New Orleans Rock

• "Bomb The Rocks: Early Days Singles" released in 2003.

Tracks (Some previously unreleased):

• Bomb The Twist
• Jane In The Jungle
• Three Cool Chicks
• Guitar Date
• Woo Hoo
• Dream Boy
• Continental Hop
• Jump, Jack, Jive
• Smilly Willy
• Mr. Lee
• It's Rainy
• Road Runner
• My Boyfriend From Outer Space
• She Was A Mau-Mau
• Long Tall Sally
• Scream
• Hot Generation
• Bond Girl
• Fruit Bubble Love
• Motor Cycle Go-Go-Go
• Jet Coaster
• The 5,6,7,8's
• Edie Is A Sweet Candy
• I Was A Teenage Cave Woman
• Ah-So
• Pinball Party
• Blue Radio

• "Best Hits Of The 5,6,7,8's" released in 2003.

Tracks (Some in Japanese):

• Sorabotu Joe Joe
• Kiteyo Ramones
• Boon Boon Girl
• Isstusho Ni Itai
• Horror Rocker
• We Got The Beat Shaken All Over
• I Wanna Be Your Girl Friend
• Peter Gun
• Nijiiro No Kyouryou
• Jet Coaster

The 5,6,7,8's In The West

The 5,6,7,8's recently became known in the West after their appearance in the 2003 Quentin Tarantino film Kill Bill, Volume 1, performing "I Walk Like Jayne Mansfield", "I'm Blue" and "Woo Hoo" in a Tokyo club, "The House Of Blue Leaves". On the Special Bonus Features of the Kill Bill Volume 1 DVD, one of the features is of The 5,6,7,8's performing "I Walk Like Jayne Mansfield" and "I'm Blue" during filming of the movie, highly resembling a video clip.

They also became renowned for the use of their song "Woo Hoo" in advertisements for Carling lager and Vonage VOIP service in 2004. The song reached #28 on the UK Singles Chart in 2004. The followup song was "I'm Blue", but that only reached #71 on the same chart a few months later.

The 5,6,7,8's also do many touring performances in numerous countries including their native Japan, China, Australia and America.

External links

• The Official 5,6,7,8's Site
• Nippop Profile | The 5,6,7,8's