The works of "POPSHOP," an in-house label of King Records that released groundbreaking works in genres such as folk, rock, and new music in the 1970s and 80s, are now being released sequentially on subscription and download services.
Masakazu Togo of BUZZ, a leading artist on the "POPSHOP" label and known for songs such as "Ken and Mary ~Like Love and the Wind~," the theme song for the Nissan Skyline commercial, presents self-liner notes reflecting on his five studio albums from his time at King Records.

BUZZ

This is our debut album.
Originally, BUZZ was formed with the intention of making their debut, so during their amateur days, the members were active separately.
I've been in amateur bands since my third year of junior high school, playing rock music with people like Yukihiro Takahashi (YMO, Sadistic Mika Band, and the younger brother of Nobuyuki Takahashi, composer of "Ken and Mary ~Like Love and Wind~"), and we were mainly a band that played at dance parties. At the time, Nobuyuki Takahashi was a commercial jingle composer, so I sang commercial jingles as a side job.
Then, after entering university, we decided to do live performances, and I told Yukihiro, "Then we need another singer," and he introduced me to Hiroshi Koide, who was the vocalist of a band he was supporting. We got to know each other, and that's how BUZZ was formed, as we ended up singing together on a commercial.
So, with "Ken and Mary ~Like Love and the Wind~" and this album, BUZZ's sound and individuality were established.
During our amateur days, Hiroshi was in a choir and played the role of Mary in PPM (Peter, Paul and Mary), and I was in a rock band where I was constantly shouting. I think the harmony we created together was, if I may say so myself, truly one of a kind.
The basic arrangements for this album were done by Nobuyuki Takahashi, but it was recorded with contributions from friends from their amateur days, including Yukihiro, Rei Ohara (bassist of SKYE), Masayoshi Takanaka, and Yumi Matsutoya. Each of them contributed ideas in the studio, resulting in an album created by a diverse group of close friends.
By the way, the album cover features illustrations of the two of us, but bassist Rei Ohara quickly drew us, and Shinji and the staff liked it so much that they decided to use it for the album cover.

"BUZZ" released in 1973
Delivery URL:https://lnk.to/BUZZ_1st

Requiem the City

This album started with the concept of "What is home to us?" because we were born and raised in Tokyo, and people often say things like, "People from Tokyo don't have a hometown." And it's true that Tokyo doesn't have the same sense of home or atmosphere, so in that sense, it might not be considered a hometown.
But even amidst the vibrant city and neon lights, there's a sense of melancholy and nostalgia. Tokyo, surrounded by asphalt, offers not only convenience but also places of peace and tranquility, and this album conveys that for us, Tokyo is the only place we truly belong.
Also, I wanted to express that songs that move or resonate with us aren't just about romantic love between men and women, but also about the loneliness, sadness, and tenderness we feel in everyday life, at unexpected moments.

"Requiem the City" released in 1974.
Delivery URL:https://lnk.to/BUZZ_RTC

I've come to pick you up. GENTLE MIND FROM BUZZ

This album is partly because the single "Anata o Aishite" was written by Takuro Yoshida, and his management company, Yui Music Studio, was involved in its production and recording. Overall, the album features songs with a single-like, easy-to-understand melody, content, and song structure.
In stark contrast to the previous album, this one is full of love songs.
Therefore, it was a very popular album among fans (especially women).
The song that serves as the subtitle, "I've Come to Pick You Up," was created because we tend to have a lot of songs with sad themes, and we felt we couldn't let the audience go home with their heads down at the end of the show. So, we created this song to end the sad songs with them looking up and going home with warm feelings.

"I've Come to Pick You Up (Gentle Mind From Buzz)" released in 1976.
Delivery URL:https://lnk.to/BUZZ_GMFB

Where the Wind Goes ~WE LOVE POPS~

After four or five years since our debut and having performed on many stages, we started adding drums, bass, and guitar to our stage performances, creating a full band sound.
So, this album was made with the members who were on stage, in the form of a recording camp, with the recording staff and Nobuyuki Takahashi joining us. After the recording was finished, we had a fun few days, playing games and having a debriefing session at night.
Finally, we included "Sou Long," a song that we recorded in one take and performed exactly the way we wanted to, so I think it turned out to be a very warm, homey, and fun album.

"Kaze no Yukue ~WE LOVE POPS~" released in 1978.
Delivery URL:https://lnk.to/WE_LOVE_POPS

A new day A new time

This album was produced with composer Kyōhei Tsutsumi, and as you'd expect, it turned out to be a very poppy album.
During the production, I was constantly clinging to Kyohei-san (laughs) and asking him all sorts of questions. He said, "Of course, the melodies that singers create and the melodies that we professional composers create are different," and I asked him about chord progressions, how to create melodies, and so on.
Then, Kyohei asked, "Can I add a young arranger that I like?" and the arranger he brought along was Masaaki Omura.

"A New Day, A New Time" released in 1979.
Delivery URL:https://lnk.to/BUZZ_And.Ant

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BUZZ NEXT Concert to be held

◾️Title: BUZZ NEXT Concert, Friday, September 15, 2023, Doors open at 17:30 / Show starts at 18:30
◾️Venue: I'M A SHOW (Yurakucho, Tokyo)
◾️Cast: BUZZ NEXT (Masakazu Togo, Tadamasa Momota), Toru Hirano, Chiaki Isozumi
◾️Guests: Kounosuke Sakazaki, Masumi Ohno, Keiko Kobayashi
◾️Produced by: Nobuyuki Takahashi
◾️Tickets: All seats reserved, 7,700 yen (tax included) *Children under school age are not permitted.
◾️Ticket sales: August 5th (Sat) 10:00 AM
https://sunrisetokyo.com/detail/23631/