Bow Wow - Bow Wow (1976)

Bow Wow - Bow Wow (1976)

Tracklist front / back album covers

Bow Wow are a Japanese rock band formed in 1975. Originally consisting of guitarist and vocalists Kyoji Yamamoto and Mitsuhiro Saito, bassist Kenji Sano and drummer Toshihiro Niimi, they were one of the first Japanese metal bands. After releasing nine studio albums, Saito left in 1983. The band then adopted a mainstream sound by recruiting lead vocalist Genki Hitomi and keyboardist Rei Atsumi and renamed themselves to Vow Wow. They relocated to England in 1986, before Sano left the band the following year and Yamamoto invited former Whitesnake bassist Neil Murray to replace him. After Murray left to join Black Sabbath, studio bassist Mark Gould played on Vow Wow's last album before they disbanded in 1990.

Yamamoto reformed Bow Wow in 1995 with all new members, before it became a trio when fellow original members Saito and Niimi rejoined in 1998. Niimi left in 2015 and the group now performs under the name Bow Wow G2, which refers to the two guitarists being the only official members.

Tomoaki Hokari of OK Music wrote that Bow Wow was one of the first Japanese bands to prove that domestic musicians could compete with Western hard rock acts. In Japan their best-selling album is V which reached number 12 on the Oricon chart. Internationally their best-selling album is Helter Skelter, which reached number 75 on the UK Albums Chart.

Bow Wow Band Members / Musicians

Kyoji Yamamoto (山本恭司) – lead vocals (1975–1983, 1998–present), guitar (1975–1983, 1995–1997, 1998–present)

Mitsuhiro Saito (斉藤光浩) – guitar, vocals (1975–1983, 1998–present)

Shinji Matsumoto (松本慎二) – bass (2016–present, support member)

Masanori "Cherry" Koyanagi (小柳昌法) – drums (2016–present, support member)

Kenji Sano (佐野賢二) – bass (1975–1983)

Tetsuya Horie (堀江哲也) – lead vocals (1995–1997)

Hiroshi Yaegashi (八重樫浩士) – guitar (1995–1997)

Shotaro Mitsuzono (満園庄太郎) – bass (1995–1997)

Eiji Mitsuzono (満園英二) – drums (1995–1996)

Toshihiro Niimi (新美俊宏) – drums (1975–1983, 1996–1997, 1998–2015)

Daisuke Kitsuwa – bass (1998–2015, support member)

Vow Wow

Genki Hitomi (人見元基) – lead vocals (1984–1990, 2009, 2010)

Kyoji Yamamoto – guitar, backing vocals (1984–1990, 2009, 2010)

Toshihiro Niimi – drums (1984–1990, 2009, 2010)

Rei Atsumi (厚見玲衣) – keyboards, synthesizers, piano, keytar, backing vocals (1984–1990, 2009, 2010)

Kenji Sano – bass, backing vocals (1984–1987)

Neil Murray – bass, backing vocals (1987–1990)

Mark Gould – bass, backing vocals (1990)

Bow Wow Discography Full

1976 Bow Wow

1977 Signal Fire

1977 Charge

1978 Super Live

1978 Guarantee

1980 Glorious Road

1980 Telephone

1980 Kumikyoku X Bomber (組曲Xボンバー) (for the TV series X-Bomber)

1981 Hard Dog Studio

1982 Asian Volcano

1982 Warning from Stardust

1983 Holy Expedition

1995 Bow Wow # 0

1995 Bow Wow # 1

1996 Led by the Sun

1998 Still on Fire

1998 Back

1999 Ancient Dreams

1999 Live Explosion

2000 Beyond

2001 Another Place

2002 What's Going On?

2005 Super Live 2004

2005 Era

Singles

"Volume On" (1976)

"Still" (1977)

"Sabishii Yuugi (1978)

"Hoshii no wa Omae Dake" (1979)

"Wasurekaketeta Love Song " (1980)

"Rainy Train" (1980)

"Keep on Rockin'" (1980)

"Soldier in the Space" (1980)

"Gonna be Alright" (1981)

"Take Me Away" (1982)

"Forever" (1983)

"You're Mine" (1983)

"One Last Time" (2002)

"King or Queen" (2014)

Compilations

The Bow Wow (1979)

Locus 1976-1983 (1986)

The Bow Wow II Decennium (2008)

XXXV (2011)

Videos

The Live Empire (2003)

Live Explosion 1999 (2003)

2003.3.22 Live (2003)

Rock to the Future 2002 Bow Wow vs XYZ→A (2003)

Super Live 2004 (2005)

Super Live 2005 (2006)

Super Live 2006 (2007)

Super Live 2007 (2008)

Super Live 2009 (2010)

Super Live 2011 (2012)

Bow Wow G2 Live in Tokyo (2017)