About

"The songs we sang back then still echo today... Hear the cries of the stray piranhas!" 'Piranha Corps' was formed in 1975 mainly by actors affiliated with Toei Productions. Masaru Shiga, a member of the so-called 'big room' actors who play slashed, killed, villains, and antagonists in movies and TV dramas would naturally gather together for a drinking party after work, with the hope that one day he will play the leading role. Dreaming of this, they named it 'Piranha-kai,' and later, producers Sadao Nakajima and Tsunehiko Watase became the founders and formed 'Toei Piranha Corps.'. Other members of the corps gradually began to attract attention when Takuzo Kawatani and Hideo Murota appeared in the Nippon Television drama 'Zenryaku Ofukurosama', which began airing in October 1975. With the release of films such as 'Runaway Panic: Great Clash' and 'The Mad Beast' (both released in 1976), in which actors from the corps played the main characters, the Piranha corps boom became even more popular, and in 1977, the entire corps appeared. The movie 'Piranha Corps Dabo Shirt no Ten' was released. 

This gradually brought the other members to the attention of the public. The idea was brought to life by folk singer Hiroshi Mikami, a prolific actor himself at a drinking table with Tsunehiko Watase and heard the concept of creating a Piranha Corps record and produced it at Bellwood Records. The album was released on May 21, 1977, 11 songs were written and composed by Kan Mikami. Since its release, it has not been re-released on vinyl. The album was arranged by Jun Sato and Ryuichi Sakamoto, who also played keyboards. Other musicians who contributed to the album include Shuichi Murakami, Tetsuro Kashibuchi, Tsugitoshi Goto, Nobu Saito, and others. — (via Label)

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Label: Bellwood Records
Format: Vinyl, LP, Limited Edition, Reissue
Reissued: 2024 / Original Release: 1977
Genre: Funk / Soul, Pop

File under: Japanese Pop
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