Ulfuls
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1988 in Osaka, Japan |
| Headquarters | Osaka , Japan |
| Products | Rock music |
| Website | www |
is a rock group originating from Osaka, Japan. The band's name, Ulfuls, was inspired by a misinterpretation of the word "soulful," spotted on a beloved album cover. They began their recording career under Toshiba-EMI in 1992 before moving to Warner Music Group after fifteen years.
History
Ulfuls launched their career in 1992 with the single "Yabure Kabure," which initially had modest reception. Their breakthrough came in 1996 with hits such as "Guts Da Ze!!" and "Boogie Woogie '96." The ensemble consists of lead vocalist Tortoise Matsumoto, guitarist Ulful Keisuke, bassist John B. Chopper, and drummer Sankon Jr. In 1996, they provided the track "Sky" for the soundtrack of Gamera 2: Attack of Legion. John B. Chopper departed in 1999 but rejoined in 2002, reestablishing the original four-piece lineup.
Their track "Ryoho for you" (両方 For You) was chosen as the official anthem for the 2007 Summer Koshien baseball tournament. Moreover, "Baka Survivor" was featured as the second opening theme for the anime series Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo (ボボボーボ・ボーボボ).
After twenty-one years of performing, Ulfuls took a hiatus from touring following their outdoor "Yassa!" concert held in Osaka on August 29–30, 2009. They made a comeback in early 2014 with the release of their 32nd single, "Doudemo yo Sugi" (どうでもよすぎ), followed by their twelfth studio album titled "One Mind," which enjoyed considerable commercial success. Later releases include their thirteenth album, "Born To Be Wai Wai," and their fourteenth, "人生 (Life)," marking their 25th anniversary.
On February 19, 2018, Ulful Keisuke declared an indefinite hiatus to concentrate on his solo pursuits, leaving Ulfuls to continue as a trio.
Members
- Tortoise Matsumoto (トータス松本|Tōtasu Matsumoto|born December 28, 1966): Lead vocalist; birth name Atsushi Matsumoto (active since 1988)
- Ulful Keisuke (ウルフル ケイスケ|Urufuru Keisuke|born May 23, 1965): Guitarist; birth name Keisuke Iwamoto (1988–2018)
- John B. Chopper (ジョン・B・チョッパー|Jon Bī Choppā|born November 4, 1967): Bassist; birth name Toshihiro Kuroda (1988–1999, rejoined in 2002)
- Sankon Jr. (サンコンJr.|Sankon Junia|born October 13, 1970): Drummer; birth name Hiroyuki Sako (since 1988)
Singles
| Title | Release date | Peak chart position |
|---|---|---|
| Oricon | ||
| Desperate (やぶれかぶれ) | May 13, 1992 | — |
| MacaMaca BUNBUN (マカマカBUNBUN) | May 19, 1993 | — |
| Wonderful World (世の中ワンダフル) | October 27, 1993 | — |
| King of Debt (借金大王) | August 31, 1994 | — |
| Suttobasu (すっとばす) | November 16, 1994 | — |
| Go With All Your Might! (トコトンで行こう!) | March 15, 1995 | — |
| Osaka Strut Part II (大阪ストラット・パートII) | May 21, 1995 | — |
| SUN SUN SUN'95 | July 19, 1995 | 96 |
| Guts Daze(ガッツだぜ) | December 6, 1995 | 6 |
| Banzai ~I'm Glad I Like You~ (バンザイ 〜好きでよかった〜) | February 7, 1996 | 13 |
| Boogie Woogie '96 (ブギウギ'96) | July 3, 1996 | 2 |
| Sky (そら) | July 3, 1996 | 9 |
| Komason No. 1 (コマソンNo.1) | December 11, 1996 | 5 |
| That's Right! (それが答えだ!) | February 26, 1997 | 15 |
| Cutie (かわいいひと) | October 8, 1997 | 5 |
| Are You Happy? (しあわせですか) | December 10, 1997 | 18 |
| Leave It To Me (まかせなさい) | May13,1998 | 20 |
| Let's Play (あそぼう) | "October28,1998" | "21" |
| Young Soul Dynamite (ヤング ソウル ダイナマイト) | "October14,1999" | "29" |
| Dream (夢) | "November26,1999" | "60" |
| There's Always Tomorrow (明日があるさ) | "February16,2001" | "4" |
| Naniwa Genome ~Ulfuls Mega Mix Medley~ (ナニワゲノム〜ウルフルズ・メガミックス・メドレー〜) | "April28,2001" | "41" |
| Daredevil ~Get Hot~/Incident! (がむしゃら〜熱くなれ〜/事件だッ!) | "October17,2001" | "15" |
| If You Laugh (笑えれば) | "February20,2002" | "10" |
| Eenen (ええねん) | "November11,2003" | "20" |
| Idiot Survivor (バカサバイバー) | "November3,2004" | "13" |
| Go Crazy/It's OK (暴れだす/大丈夫) | "January13,2005" | "10" |
| Samurai Soul (サムライソウル) | 'January2,2006' | '18' |
| Passion A Go-Go (情熱 A GO-GO) | 'April18,2007' | '22' |
| Both For You/Come Cry (両方 For You/泣けてくる) | 'July25,2007' | '15' |
| For Sure (たしかなこと) | 'October31,2007' | '28' |
Exclusive Single Releases
| Release Date | Title | Chart Position |
|---|---|---|
| February 25, 2014 | Anyway, It Doesn't Matter (どうでもよすぎ) | - |
Discography: Albums
| Release Date | Album Title | Highest Chart Ranking | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debut | June 17, 1992 (Out of Print) December 14, 1994 (Reissued) January 25, 2012 (Reissued) |
爆発オンパレード (Bakuhatsu on Parade) |
74 |
| Second | August 31, 1994 | すっとばす (Suttobasu) |
61 |
| Third | January 24, 1996 | バンザイ (Banzai) |
1 |
| Fourth | March 26, 1997 | Let's Go | 5 |
| Fifth | June 17, 1998 | サンキュー・フォー・ザ・ミュージック (Thank You for the Music) |
4 |
| Sixth | December 8, 1999 | トロフィー (Trophy) |
12 |
| Seventh | March 27, 2002 | ウルフルズ (Ulfuls) |
18 |
| Eighth | December 10, 2003 | ええねん (Eenen) |
14 |
| Ninth | February 23, 2005 | 9 | 6 |
| Tenth | March 8, 2006 | YOU | 12 |
| Eleventh | December 12, 2007 | KEEP ON, MOVE ON | 9 |
| Twelfth | May 21, 2014 | ONE MIND | 8 |
| Thirteenth | September 9, 2015 | ボンツビワイワイ (Born to be Wai Wai) |
9 |
| Fourteenth | May 24, 2017 | 人生 (Life) |
12 |
| Fifteenth | June 26, 2019 | ウ!!! (U!!!) |
16 |
| Sixteenth | November 9, 2022 | 楽しいお仕事愛好会 (Fun Work Club) |
20 |
Digital Albums
- iTunes Originals - Ulfuls (available exclusively in Japan)
Video Releases (VHS/DVD)
- Ulful V (Ulfuls DVD)
- Ulful V Jū
- Live In Japan
- Ai Yue Ni Aa, Au Yue Ni Bakuhatsu!!
- Ulfuls Ga Yatte Kureru Yassa! Yassa! Yassa!
- Ashita Ga Aru Sa "Kaze Fukeba Shoshikantetsu" (DVD Single)
- Ulfuls Ga Yatte Kureru Yassa! Yassa! Yassassa!
- Tsū Tsū Ura Ura
- Eenen Osakan Graffiti
- Ulfuls at Budōkan
External links
- ulfuls - Warner Music Japan official page
- ULFULS.COM - Official band website
- TAISUKE HOME PAGE - Official site of Ulfuls’ Taisuke