C-C-B
| Company type | Pop-rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Predecessor | CoConut Boys |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Defunct | 1989 |
| Headquarters | Japan |
Area served | Japan |
| Products | Music recordings, singles, albums |
| Owner | Polydor Records (record label) |
C-C-B was a Japanese pop-rock group signed with Polydor Records, active from 1982 until 1989. Originally called CoConut Boys, they adopted the name C-C-B in 1985, which led to widespread popularity across Japan. The band briefly reunited in 2008 with three original members. Their most notable track, "Romantic ga Tomaranai," gained renewed attention through its use in the Japanese television drama Densha Otoko.
1982–1984: CoConut Boys
The band formed in 1982 and made their debut in June 1983 with the single "Candy," marketed as a Japanese counterpart to the Beach Boys and featured in a commercial for Zen-Noh yogurt. After several lineup adjustments, they launched their first album, Mild Weekend. In 1984, with the addition of members Yonekawa and Taguchi, they released "Hitomi Shoujo," which was linked to advertisements for Rohto Pharmaceutical, while its B-side track was used in commercials for the Mazda Familia. That year also saw the release of their second album, Boy's Life, though none of these projects achieved chart success.
1985–1987: Breakthrough success and Sekiguchi’s departure
In 1985, the group simplified their name to C-C-B to enhance brand recognition. After years without notable sales, their single "Romantic ga Tomaranai" became their biggest commercial triumph, serving as the theme song for the TV drama Maido Osawagaseshimasu. It entered the Oricon Weekly Singles chart at number two and secured high positions on annual rankings, earning accolades at the 27th Japan Record Awards.
Subsequent singles included "School Girl," which peaked at number six on Oricon Weekly and sustained a top-10 presence; different members performed alternate versions of this track. "Lucky Chance wo Mou Ichido" also achieved significant success, debuting at number three and earning a spot on the prestigious year-end program Kouhaku Uta Gassen. Additionally, it received the Best Ballad Song award at the 1986 FNS Kayousai.
"Kuusou Kiss," featured as the theme for the drama's second season, debuted at number three on Oricon Weekly. In 1986, "Genkina Broken Heart" was nominated at the 15th Tokyo Music Festival, entering the Oricon Weekly charts at number two. The band's self-composed single "Fushizen na Kimi ga Suki," led by main vocalist Sekiguchi, also reached number two weekly and won Best Song Music Award at the 1986 FNS Music Festival.
December 1986 saw the release of "Naimononedari no I Want You" shortly before Sekiguchi departed to pursue solo endeavors. This single marked their first number one debut on Oricon Weekly and maintained strong rankings throughout the year, further cementing their commercial achievements.
1987–1989: Declining sales and disbandment
Sekiguchi officially exited on April 6, 1987; thereafter, C-C-B continued as a quartet. On June 3, 1987, they released "2 Much, I Love U," which debuted at number two on Oricon’s weekly singles chart and ranked 98th annually. It also attained number two on the Best Ten weekly ranking and placed 84th on its yearly list.
Their second self-composed single, "Genshoku Shitaine," was released on September 23, 1987. This track was featured in Meiji Seika’s Karukatta Wafer advertisements and served as the theme for the animated film Shōri tōshu, while its B-side "Love is Light" was used as an insert song. The single debuted at number three on Oricon Weekly Charts and ranked 78th for the year in Best Ten.
"Dakishimetai," released December 2, 1987, introduced Yonekawa as lead vocalist for the first time. It entered Oricon Weekly at number six and reached number five on Best Ten weekly charts; this marked their final appearance on that television program. The song was chosen as the theme for TBS’s Discovery of the World's Mysteries.
A decline in television appearances coupled with lower chart placements signaled diminishing popularity amid shifts in musical style. Although April 1988’s "Love Letter" debuted strongly at number three on Oricon Weekly charts, it failed to make a lasting impression with audiences. Their last Top 10 hit was "Shinjiteireba."
On April 21, 1989, C-C-B announced they would disband; four days later they released their final single "Love Is Magic," which entered Oricon Weekly Charts at number seventeen. Their concluding live show took place at Budokan on October 9.
1990–present: Individual pursuits of members
Following Sekiguchi’s exit, he embarked on a solo journey with Pony Canyon until 1992, composing songs for artists such as Akina Nakamori, including the track "Futari Shizuka." Since 2003, he has been active as a solo performer under his own label, Luxury Records.
After the band's dissolution, members either pursued solo endeavors or established new independent groups. Ryu maintained a solo career with Polydor Records up to 1990, took a hiatus from 1993 until 1998, then resumed releasing music independently through his own label until his passing in 2022. Between 2010 and 2015, he frequently appeared on television shows performing classics like Romantic ga Tomaranai.
Yonekawa launched his solo career in the 1990s focusing on vocal and guitar albums; later, he specialized in guitar solos and contributed to projects for artists including The Yellow Monkey and Eikichi Yazawa.
Watanabe created several indie bands and continued his musical activities until his death in 2015.
Taguchi worked primarily as a studio musician until his arrest in 2015.
1994–2022: Reunion efforts, Taguchi’s legal issues, and member passings
In 1994, the group reunited for a special broadcast of Best Ten.
By 2004, some members regrouped under the name Yonetawataru (ヨネタワタル), derived from the initials of their surnames. The band’s name was altered to kanji initials AJ-米田渡 by 2011. Their 2005 single Romantic ga Tomaranai was used in an Asahi Soft Drinks canned coffee advertisement and subsequently became the theme for the TV drama Densha Otoko.
In 2007, a special segment titled "C-C-B Goro" aired on SMAPxSMAP, featuring member Goro Inagaki dressed as Ryu. The trio performed Romantic ga Tomaranai live on a street setting. The band reunited again in 2008 after a 19-year interval with Sekiguchi, Watanabe, and Ryu, staging performances in Osaka, Tokyo, and Nagoya before concluding the reunion in 2009.
July 2015 marked a difficult period: Taguchi was arrested on July 2 for drug possession, and Watanabe died at age 55 from multiple organ failure on July 13. As a result, the AJ project was discontinued. Ryu passed away in December 2022 at age 60 due to cerebral infarction; that same month he was honored posthumously with a Special Achievement Award at the 64th Japan Record Awards. On August 1, 2024, Taguchi faced another arrest for possession of 0.585 grams of narcotics at his residence in Adachi.
Members
CoConut Boys era
- Tatsuya Yamamoto (山本達也) — guitar, vocals
- Yasufumi Yamashita (山下康文) — guitar, vocals
- Hideki Watanabe (渡辺英樹) — bass, vocals
- Koji Ryu (笠浩二) — drums, vocals
- Makoto Sekiguchi (関口誠人) — guitar, vocals
C-C-B era
- (1979–2015) – bass, vocals
- (1982–2022) – drums, vocals
- (1982–present) – guitar, vocals
- (1982–present) – keyboard, vocals
- – guitar, vocals
- Took over Makoto’s vocal duties after his departure in 1987.
Discography
As Coconut Boys
Singles
| Year | Title | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Candy |
CD, LP, Cassette | Kids |
| 1984 | Hitomi Shojo (瞳少女) |
CD, LP, Cassette |
Studio albums
| Year | Album title | Available formats | Record label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Mild Weekend |
CD, LP, Cassette | Kids |
| 1984 | Boy's Life |
CD, LP, Cassette |
Performing as C-C-B
Singles
| Year | Single title | Peak chart position | Formats | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oricon Japan |
Studio albums
| 1985 | 2 | CD, LP, Cassette | Polydor Records | |
| 8 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 1986 | 2 | |||
| Release date | Album name | Formats available | Record label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 May 1985 | Suteki na Beat (すてきなビート) |
CD, LP, Cassette, digital download | Polydor Records |
| 15 December 1985 | Bokutachi No-No-No (僕たちNo-No-No) |
CD, LP, Cassette, digital download | |
| 18 June 1986 | Bouken no Susume (冒険のススメ) |
CD, LP, Cassette, digital download | |
| 15 December 1986 | Ai no Chikara Kobu (冒愛の力こぶ) |
CD, LP, Cassette, digital download | |
| 25 July 1987 | Ishi wa Yappari Katai (石はやっぱりカタイ) |
CD, LP, Cassette, digital download | |
| 25 May 1988 | Hashire☆Bandman (走れ☆バンドマン) |
CD, LP, Cassette, digital download | |
| 15 December 1988 | Shinjiteireba (信じていれば) |
CD, LP, Cassette, digital download |
Live albums
| Release date | Album title | Format(s) | Label name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 July 2014 | "C-C-B 1989 Kaisan Live@Nippon Budoukan" (C-C-B 1989 解散ライブ@日本武道館) |
CD | Universal Music Japan (USM Japan) |
Compilation albums
25 March 1987 'MAX-MEGA-MIX' CD, Cassette tape 1 June 1989 'The Best of C-C-B Vol.1' CD, Cassette tape 1 September 1989 'The Best of C-C-B Vol.2' CD, Cassette tape 25 January 1992 'C-C-B Super Best' CD, Cassette tape 1 November 1993 "Best 2500/Romantic ga Tomaranai" (ベスト2500/Romanticが止まらない) CD 26 October 1994 'SINGLE COLLECTION' CD 21 November 1996 "Special 1800" (スペシャル1800) CD 30 June 1999 'Treasure Collection' CD 19 December 2001 "Super Value C-C-B" (スーパー・バリュー/C-C-B) CD| Release date | Album title | Formats available | Record label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 June 1985 | "Tanoshii Natsuyasumi" (楽しい夏休み) |
CD, Cassette tape | Polydor Records |
Videography
| Release Date | Album Title | Available Formats | Record Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 November 1985 | Adventure of C-C-B no Bouken (Adventure of C-C-B C-C-Bの大冒険) |
VHS, LaserDisc, Betamax | Polydor Records |
| 5 July 1986 | C-C-B Live (C-C-B LIVE晴) | VHS, LaserDisc, Betamax | |
| 25 May 1987 | C-C-B LIVE TOUCH AND GO! | VHS, LaserDisc, Betamax | |
| 1 September 1989 | C-C-B VIDEO CLIP COLLECTION | VHS, LaserDisc, Betamax | |
| 25 November 1989 | C-C-B FINAL CONCERT TOUCH DOWN vol.1 / vol.2 | VHS, LaserDisc, Betamax | |
| 29 September 2004 | C-C-B Memorial DVD Box (C-C-B メモリアル DVD BOX) | DVD | USM Japan |
External links
- Official band page at Universal Music Japan
- Archived Official Blog
- Archived UpHill