Pamelah (band)
| Company type | Duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Founder | Yuki Mizuhara, Masazumi Ozawa |
| Defunct | 2000 |
| Headquarters | Japan |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
| Parent | Being Inc. |
Pamelah (パメラ Pamera) was a Japanese electro-power-pop duo established in 1995 by vocalist and lyricist Yuki Mizuhara alongside composer and guitarist Masazumi Ozawa. The band’s name, devised by Daiko Nagato, draws inspiration from the 1960s actress Pamela Tiffin. Pamelah ceased activities in 2000.
Biography
Prior to forming Pamelah, Masazumi worked as an arranger, making his debut with the B-side "Stray Cat" of Wands' single Sabishisa wa Aki no Iro. Yuki underwent rigorous vocal training from 1992 up until their debut.
Pamelah’s first release was the single Looking for the Truth in February 1995, penned by Mariko Kurosawa. Following this, they took full control of their music production.
In 1996, after the release of their second studio album Pure, they received a nomination for Best 5 New Artists at the Japanese Gold Disc Awards. The album reached number three on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold over 200,000 copies.
As one of the select artists under Being Inc. alongside Manish, Pamelah regularly appeared on Music Station.
Their 1997 single Spirit, which served as the third ending theme for the anime series Hell Teacher Nūbē, became their highest-charting single, peaking at number fifteen on Oricon Weekly Charts.
In 1998, the group launched their official website and fan club. They conducted their inaugural video chat with fans in March 1999. After releasing their final studio album Ism in September 1999, they disbanded without any public announcement.
Yuki embarked on a solo career in 2000 with the single Love is pain, but soon withdrew from public life and her music was no longer distributed. Masazumi continued his career as an arranger and guitarist for various Giza Studio artists such as Aiko Kitahara and U-ka Saegusa in dB.
The 2003 compilation album complete at the being studio included two previously unreleased tracks: Yuki’s solo single and the exclusive song Aimai.
Several of their music videos were featured in the 2012 two-disc DVD collection titled Legend of 90's J-Rock Best Live & Clips.
Masazumi appeared as a guest musician during the 2016 Zard live tour What a beautiful memory: Forever Best 25. Since 2000, Yuki has remained out of the spotlight.
Members
- Yuki Mizuhara (水原 由貴) – lead vocalist, lyricist
- Masazumi Ozawa (小澤 正澄) – keyboardist, composer, arranger, programmer
Discography
The pair released a total of five studio albums, three compilations, one remix album, and fourteen singles.
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| JPN Oricon | ||
| Truth |
|
14 |
| Pure |
|
3 |
| Spirit |
|
7 |
| Hearts |
|
9 |
| Ism |
|
18 |
Remix albums
| Album Title | Release Information | Highest Chart Position |
|---|---|---|
| Japan Oricon | ||
| Remix Edition: Pamelaholic |
|
39 |
Compilation albums
| Album Title | Release Details | Peak Chart Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Japan Oricon | ||
| Pamelah Hit Collection: Confidence |
|
9 |
| Pamelah Hit Collection: Confidence |
|
126 |
| Best of Best 1000 Pamelah |
|
— |
Singles
| Year | Single Title | Chart Position (Japan) |
Record Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Looking for the truth" | 26 | Nippon Columbia |
| "I Feel Down" | 30 | ||
| "Kirei ni nanka Aisenai" | 31 | ||
| 1996 | "I Shall Be Released" | 26 | |
| "Blind Love" | 20 | ||
| "Namida" | 24 | ||
| 1997 | "Spirit" | 15 | |
| "Itoshii Kimi" | 25 | ||
| "Confidence" | 37 | ||
| 1998 | "Two of hearts" | 30 | |
| "Kizuna" | 34 | ||
| 1999 | "Kioku" | 50 | |
| "Yurusarenai Koi" | 49 | ||
| "Individualism" | 50 |
Japan Gold Disc Award Certifications
- 1996: Top 5 Newcomer Artist
Media appearances
- Looking for the truth was featured as the ending theme on TV Asahi's news show Ongaku News NO.
- I Feel Down served as the opening theme for TV Asahi's music program Ongaku News HO
- Kirei ni Nanka Aisenai was used as a theme song in TV Asahi's variety show PafoPafo
- I Shall Be Released acted as an ending theme for Ongaku News HO
- Blind Love was the opening theme of TV Asahi's sports variety program Ring no Tamashii
- Namida was selected as the opening theme for TV Asahi's variety show Kamioka Ryuutaro no Kinin
- Spirit functioned as the second ending theme for the anime Hell Teacher Nūbē
- Itoshii Kimi appeared in Suzuki's New Jimny commercial and was also the ending theme for TV Asahi's Youkini Capucino
- Confidence opened TV Asahi's sports variety show Ring no Tamashii
- Two of hearts was used as the opening theme for TV Asahi's comedy series Owarai Koujou Iinkai Warawasero and featured in commercials for Autobacs Seven
- Kizuna served as the theme song for the TV Tokyo drama Rosetta: The Masked Angel
- Kioku was utilized in TV Asahi's drama series Aozora Mahjong
- Individualism opened TV Asahi's information program Midnight Mermaid
Television Appearances
- Searching for the truth
- I Feel Down
- Kirei ni nanka Aisenai
- I Shall Be Released (featuring guest musician: Hirohito Furui)
- Blind Love
- Namida
- Spirit
- Itoshii Kimi
- Confidence
- Kizuna
CDTV:
- I Shall Be Released
- Kizuna
Magazine Features
Appearances in Music Freak Magazine include:
- Vol.11: October 1995
- Vol.14: January 1996
- Vol.15: February 1996
- Vol.21: August 1996
- Vol.22: September 1996
- Vol.26: January 1997
- Vol.28: March 1997
- Vol.29: April 1997
- Vol.32: July 1997
- Vol.36: November 1997
- Vol.37: December 1997
- Vol.42: May 1998
- Vol.45: August 1998
- Vol.46: September 1998
- Vol.47: October 1998
- Vol.51: February 1999
- Vol.54: May 1999
- Vol.55: June 1999
- Vol.58: September 1999
- Vol.59: October 1999