was a Japanese musician, singer, record producer, fashion designer, and actor, who was best known internationally as the drummer, lead vocalist, & co-composer of Yellow Magic Orchestra, as the former drummer of the Sadistic Mika Band, and as the drummer & backing vocalist of the Sadistics. He was also a member of the groups: the Beatniks (with Keiichi Suzuki), Sketch Show (with Haruomi Hosono), & Metafive (with Towa Tei etc.).
Career
Takahashi first came to prominence as the drummer of the Sadistic Mika Band in the early 1970s, and became known to western audiences after this band (led by Kazuhiko Katō, formerly of The Folk Crusaders) toured and recorded in the United Kingdom. After the Sadistic Mika Band disbanded, some of the members (including Takahashi) formed another band called The Sadistics, who released several albums. Takahashi recorded his first solo album, Saravah, in 1977. In 1978, Takahashi joined Ryuichi Sakamoto and Haruomi Hosono to form the Yellow Magic Orchestra.
Throughout the 1980s, Takahashi also released a large number of solo albums primarily intended for the Japanese market. Takahashi collaborated extensively with other musicians, including Bill Nelson, Iva Davies of Icehouse, Keiichi Suzuki of the Moonriders (often as a duo dubbed "The Beatniks", although Suzuki essentially functioned as a member of Takahashi's backing band during the Moonriders' brief hiatus) and in particular Steve Jansen. Takahashi released a single Stay Close and an EP Pulse as a duo with Jansen.
Takahashi helped compose the soundtrack to the anime series Nadia: Secret of the Blue Water in 1989, including the song "Families". Takahashi participated in temporary reunions of both the Sadistic Mika Band (minus the lead vocalist Mika, who was replaced by Karen Kirishima for the 1989 reunion, and by Kaela Kimura for the 2006 reunion), and Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). Both of these reunions included tours of Japan and an album of new material.
In the early 2000s, Takahashi became a member of the duo Sketch Show, with Haruomi Hosono. Sketch Show released two albums, one of which, Loophole, was released in the UK. Both Takahashi and Hosono reunited with Sakamoto as HASYMO – a combination of Human Audio Sponge and Yellow Magic Orchestra. This collaboration produced a single, "Rescue", in 2007. Takahashi released the solo album Life Anew on July 17, 2013, as well as anniversary and live albums. His later work included Saravah, Saravah! (2018), a remastered reboot of his solo debut album which, along with re-recorded vocals, featured appearances by Sakamoto, Hosono and other musicians.
Personal life
Takahashi was born in Tokyo, and began playing music from an early age. On August 13, 2020, Takahashi underwent surgery to remove the tumor; he announced that there were no after effects and that he would devote himself to treatment. On October 20, 2020, Takahashi announced through his social media that he had completed his course of treatment following the surgery.
On January 11, 2023, Takahashi died in Karuizawa, Nagano, from aspiration pneumonia, a complication of the brain tumor. He was 70.
Discography
Albums
Studio albums
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:19em;" | Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:19em;" | Album details
! scope="col" | Peak chart positions
|-
! scope="col" style="width:2.9em;font-size:90%;" | JPN<br>Oricon<br />
|-
! scope="row" | Saravah!
|
- Released: 21 June 1978
- Label: King
- Formats: LP, cassette tape, CD, digital download, streaming
| -
|-
! scope="row" | Murdered by the Music
|
- Released: 21 June 1980
- Label: King
- Formats: LP, cassette tape, CD, digital download, streaming
|12
|-
! scope="row" | Neuromantic
|
- Released: 24 May 1981
- Label: Alfa
- Formats: LP, cassette tape, CD, digital download, streaming
|21
|-
! scope="row" | What, Me Worry?
|
- Released: 21 June 1982
- Label: Alfa
- Formats: LP, cassette tape, CD, digital download, streaming
|35
|-
! scope="row" | Tomorrow's Just Another Day
|
- Released: 25 August 1983
- Label: Alfa
- Formats: LP, cassette tape, CD, digital download, streaming
|11
|-
! scope="row" | Wild and Moody
|
- Released: 10 November 1984
- Label: Alfa
- Formats: LP, cassette tape, CD, digital download, streaming
|13
|-
! scope="row" | Once a Fool
|
- Released: 1 November 1985
- Label: Canyon
- Formats: LP, cassette tape, CD, digital download, streaming
|11
|-
! scope="row" | Only When I Laugh
|
- Released: 21 August 1986
- Label: Canyon
- Formats: LP, cassette tape, CD, digital download, streaming
|24
|-
! scope="row" | Ego
|
- Released: 16 November 1988
- Label: Toshiba EMI
- Formats: LP, Cassette tape, CD, digital download, streaming
|16
|-
! scope="row" | Broadcast from Heaven
|
- Released: 4 April 1990
- Label: Toshiba EMI
- Formats: Cassette tape, CD, digital download, streaming
|11
|-
! scope="row" | A Day in the Next Life
|
- Released: 20 March 1991
- Label: Toshiba EMI
- Formats: CD, digital download, streaming
|37
|-
! scope="row" | Life Time Happy Time
|
- Released: 18 March 1992
- Label: Toshiba EMI
- Formats: CD, digital download, streaming
|22
|-
! scope="row" | Mr YT
|
- Released: 16 November 1994
- Label: Toshiba EMI
- Formats: CD, digital download, streaming
|33
|-
! scope="row" | Fate of Gold
|
- Released: 25 October 1995
- Label: Toshiba EMI
- Formats: CD, digital download, streaming
|49
|-
! scope="row" | Portrait with No Name
|
- Released: 13 November 1996
- Label: Toshiba EMI
- Formats: CD, digital download, streaming
|49
|-
! scope="row" | A Sigh of Ghost
|
- Released: 19 September 1997
- Label: Consipio
- Formats: CD, digital download, streaming
|99
|-
! scope="row" | A Ray of Hope
|
- Released: 18 March 1998
- Label: Consipio
- Formats: CD, digital download, streaming
| -
|-
! scope="row" | The Dearest Fool
|
- Released: 20 October 1999
- Label: Consipio
- Formats: CD, digital download, streaming
|88
|-
! scope="row" | Blue Moon Blue
|
- Released: 15 March 2006
- Label: Toshiba EMI
- Formats: CD, digital download, streaming
|93
|-
! scope="row" | Page by Page
|
- Released: 11 March 2009
- Label: Emi Music Japan
- Formats: CD, digital download, streaming
|56
|-
! scope="row" | Life Anew
|
- Released: 17 July 2013
- Label: Universal Music Japan
- Formats: CD, digital download, streaming
|40
|}
Compilation albums
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:19em;" | Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:19em;" | Album details
! scope="col" | Peak chart positions
|-
! scope="col" style="width:2.9em;font-size:90%;" | JPN<br>Oricon<br />
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|"BMBATASG/E"<br>
|
- April Fish (1986) – Nemoto Shōhei
- The Discarnates (1988)
- Otoko wa sore o gaman dekinai (2006) – Chief Priest
- 20th Century Boys 3: Redemption (2009) – Billy
- Norwegian Wood (2010) – Gatekeeper
- Labyrinth of Cinema (2020)
Video games
- Ginga no Sannin (1987, Nintendo)
- Sangokushi: Eiketsu Tenka ni Nozomu (1991, Naxat)
- The Journey Home: Quest for the Throne (1993, Telenet Japan)
- FantaStep (1997, Jaleco)
- T kara Hajimaru Monogatari (1998, Jaleco) - Main Theme
Publications
Books
{|class=wikitable style="font-size:small"
|-
!Title
!Author
!Release
!Publisher
!ISBN
|-
!
| Yukihiro Takahashi, Keiichi Suzuki
| 1985
| Palco
|
|-
!
| Takahashi
| 1989
| Jicc
|
|-
!
| Takahashi
| 1992
| Jicc
|
|-
!
| Takahashi
| 1997
| Daiei
|
|-
!
| Takahashi
| 2012
| Php
|
|-
! Minimally Invasive Surgery Manual
| Takahashi
| 2019
| Sakakibara Memorial Hospital
|
|-
! Love Together Yukihiro Takahashi 50th Anniversary
| Takahashi
| 2022
| Kadokawa
|
|-
! Takahashi Yukihiro
| collective authors
| 2024
| Kawade
|
|-
|}
Magazines
{|class=wikitable style="font-size:small"
|-
!Title
!Author
!Release
!Magazine name
!ISBN
|-
!
| collective authors
| 2023
| Music
|
|-
!
| collective authors
| 2023
| Sound & Recording
|
|-
|}
Other appearances
{|class=wikitable style="font-size:small"
|-
!Title
!Author
!Release
!Publisher
!ISBN
|-
! (includes special feature of Takahashi and Haruomi Hosono)
| collective authors
| 2004
| Sound & Recording Magazine
| -
|-
! (includes special feature of Takahashi)
| collective authors
| 2013
| Yurika
|
|-
! (includes special feature of Takahashi)
| collective authors
| 2013
| Music Magazine
|
|-
! (includes interview with Takahashi)
| Hiroshi Takano
| 2018
| Mile Books
|
|-
! (includes special feature of Takahashi)
| collective authors
| 2023
| Music Magazine
| 4910084790338
|-
|}
References
External links
- More complete Japanese Discography
- Album Reviews