The Peanuts
The Peanuts | |
|---|---|
| Born | Hideyo Itō (Emi Itō), Tsukiko Itō (Yumi Itō) April 1, 1941 Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, Japan |
| Died | Emi Itō: June 15, 2012 (aged 71); Yumi Itō: May 18, 2016 (aged 75) |
| Occupation | Singers |
| Years active | 1958–1975 |
| Known for | Singing duo, appearances as Shobijin in Mothra films, German-language recordings |
The Peanuts were a Japanese singing duo consisting of identical twin sisters Emi Itō (伊藤エミ, Itō Emi) and Yumi Itō (伊藤ユミ, Itō Yumi). Their birth names were Hideyo Itō (伊藤日出代, Itō Hideyo) and Tsukiko Itō (伊藤月子, Itō Tsukiko). Born on April 1, 1941, in Nagoya, Japan, their remarkably similar voices produced a distinctive layered vocal effect.
Early life
Emi and Yumi entered the world on April 1, 1941, in Tokoname, located in Aichi Prefecture, as daughters of Hideyo and Tsukiko Ito. Emi was the firstborn of the twins.
Career
During their high school years, the sisters performed under the name 'The Ito Sisters' at a nightclub in Nagoya. Their talent caught the attention of Shin Watanabe, founder of Watanabe Productions. In 1958, they moved to Tokyo and became the inaugural artists signed by Watanabe Productions. The following year, 1959, marked their rise to fame at the Nichigeki theater and the release of their first single, Kawaii Hana ("Cute Flower"). Initially focusing on covers of Japanese and international standards, they eventually showcased original compositions by producer Hiroshi Miyagawa and songwriters Koichi Sugiyama and Rei Nakanishi. Among their significant contributions was introducing the popular track "Koi no Vacance".
In addition to their music career, The Peanuts appeared as the Shobijin—twin priestesses—in the 1961 film Mothra and its sequels Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964) and Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster. Director Ishirō Honda commended their dedication and professionalism despite their primary focus on singing.
To preserve their identical twin image, Yumi adopted Emi’s distinctive mole located near her left eye.
Foreign performances
The pair made an appearance in the United States on The Ed Sullivan Show on April 3, 1966, performing "Lover Come Back to Me". At a time when Japanese artists rarely achieved international exposure, they found notable success in Germany and Austria. During a visit to Japan in 1963, Caterina Valente discovered them and subsequently invited them to perform in Germany. For the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics opening ceremony, producer Michael Pfleghar included them as part of the program. Meanwhile, musical director Heinz Kiessling produced German-language recordings such as "Souvenirs from Tokyo". Between 1964 and 1967, The Peanuts released eight singles in German. Their song "Souvenirs from Tokyo" reached number 18 on Austrian charts and number 40 in Germany in 1965; another single, "Bye, Bye Yokohama," peaked at number 30 in Germany in 1967. They also performed at Paris's renowned Olympia venue in 1966.
Retirement and death
After completing a farewell tour from March 21 to April 5, 1975, The Peanuts retired from performing. This decision came shortly after Emi married fellow Nabepro artist Kenji Sawada. Emi and Kenji later divorced in 1987. Following retirement, Yumi embarked on a career in fashion design and never married. Their legacy remains strongly tied to their European cover versions alongside Japanese pop classics like "Furimukanaide" ("Don't Turn Around").
Emi Itō passed away from cancer on June 15, 2012, at age 71; Yumi died on May 18, 2016, aged 75.
Discography
- 可愛いピーナッツ (Cute Peanuts) (1959)
- ピーナッツ民謡お国めぐり (Peanut Folk Song Country Tour) (1960)
- ヒットパレード (The Hit Parade) (1960)
- 夢で会いましょう (I'll See You in My Dreams) (1961)
- ヒットパレード第2巻 (The Hit Parade Vol. 2) (1962)
- ヒットパレード第3巻 (The Hit Parade Vol. 3) (1962)
- フォークソング (The Folk Songs) (1963)
- 人気の基準 (Popular Standards) (1963)
- ヒットパレード (The Hit Parade) (1963)
- ヒットパレード第4巻 (The Hit Parade Vol. 4) (1964)
- ヒットパレード第5巻 (The Hit Parade Vol. 5) (1964)
- ヒットパレード第6巻 (The Hit Parade Vol. 6) (1965)
- Souvenirs aus Tokio (1965)
- ヒットパレード第6巻 – ヨーロッパ周辺 (The Hit Parade Vol. 6 – Around Europe) (1966)
- ザ・ピーナッツ・デラックス (The Peanuts Deluxe) (1967)
- ゴールデンデラックス (Golden Deluxe) (1968)
- フィーリング・グッド – ピーナッツの新しい次元 (Feelin' Good – New Dimension of the Peanuts) (1970)
- ザ・ピーナッツ・ダブル・デラックス (The Peanuts Double Deluxe) (1971)
- ザ・ピーナッツ・ベスト・アルバム (The Peanuts Best Album) (1971)
- 華麗なるフランシス・レイ・サウンド ザ･ピーナッツ最新映画主題歌を歌う (Brilliant Frances Ray Sound – The Peanuts Sing the Latest Movie Theme Song) (1971)
- 世界の女たち (Women in the world) (1972)
- スーパーディスク 20 Superdisc 20 (1972)
- ザ・ピーナッツ・オン・ステージ (The Peanuts On Stage) (1972)
- ザ・ピーナッツ・ベスト20/指輪のあとに (The Peanuts Best 20/After the Ring) (1973)
- 情熱の砂漠 (Passion Desert) (1973)
- スーパーディスク 20 (Superdisc 20) (1973)
- 気になる噂/ベスト・オブ・ザ・ピーナッツ (Ki ni naru uwasa/Best Of The Peanuts) (1974)
- ザ・ピーナッツベスト20 (The Peanuts Best 20) (1974)
- 永遠の (Eternal!) (1975)
- ザ・ピーナッツ・ベスト20 (The Peanuts – Best 20) (1975)
- ザ・ピーナッツ (Big Star Series – The Peanuts) (1976)
- ザ・ピーナッツ (Big Star W Series – The Peanuts) (1977)
- ピーナッツオリジナル (The Peanuts Original) (1978)
- ピーナッツポップス (The Peanuts Pops) (1978)
- ピーナッツラブ (The Peanuts Love) (1978)
- ベストスターWデラックス (Best Star W Deluxe) (1979)
- スーパースター・ベスト・アルバム ザ・ピーナッツ( Super Star Best Album – The Peanuts)(1979)
- 記念碑( Monument)(1980)
- ザ・ピーナッツ・ベスト( The Peanuts Best)(1980)
- ピーナッツの歴史第一巻( The Peanuts History Vol. 1)(1983)
- ピーナッツの歴史2巻( The Peanuts History Vol. 2)(1983)
- ザ・ピーナッツ・ベスト( The Peanuts Best)(1984)
- ザ・ピーナッツ・オン・ステージ( The Peanuts On Stage)(1984)
- ザ・ピーナッツ・ベスト・アルバム( The Peanuts Best Album)(1985)
- D.C.恋のフーガ( D.C. koi no fuuga)(1987)
- D.C.( Retro)(1988)
Kōhaku Uta Gassen Appearances
The duo made several appearances on Kōhaku Uta Gassen, the yearly New Year's Eve program broadcast by Japan's public network NHK. Their participation is detailed as follows:
| Year | Appearance Number | Song Title | Performance Order | Competing Against | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959/10th edition | 1 | Jounetsu No Hana | 7 out of 25 | Hiroshi Wada & Mahina Stars | |
| 1960/11th edition | 2 | Kanashiki Juurokusai | 11 out of 27 | Hiroshi Wada & Mahina Stars | |
| 1961/12th edition | 3 | Suku Suku | 19 out of 25 | Dark Ducks | |
| 1962/13th edition | 4 | Furimukanaide | 5 out of 25 | Dark Ducks | |
| 1963/14th edition | 5 | Koi No Vacation | 22 out of 25 | Duke Aces | |
| 1964/15th edition | 6 | Una Sera Di Tokyo | 24 out of 25 | Kyu Sakamoto | Second Finale |
| 1965/16th edition | 7 | Rock And Roll Music | 21 out of 25 | Duke Aces | |
| 1966/17th edition | 8 | Rome No Ame | 16 out of 25 | Jackey Yoshikawa and His Blue Comets | |
| 1967/18th edition | 9 | Koi No Fugue | 22 out of 23 | Ai Jyoji | Second Finale |
| 1968/19th edition | 10 | Glass No Shiro | 6 out of 23 | Teruhiko Saigō | |
| 1969/20th edition | 11 | Una Sera Di Tokyo | 20 out of 23 | Frank Nagai | |
| 1970/21st edition | 12 | Tokyo No Hito | 3 out of 24 | Nomura Masaki | |
| 1971/22nd edition | 13 | San Francisco No Hito | 18 out of 25 | Masaaki Sakai | |
| 1972/23rd edition | 14 | Sayonara Wa Totsuzenni | 11 out of 23 | Billy BanBan | |
| 1973/24th edition | 15 | Una Sera Di Tokyo | 12 out of 22 | Tsunehiko Kamijō | |
| 1974/25th edition | 16 | Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy | 20 out of 25 | Akira Fuse |