Takeshi Terauchi Let's Go Terry! & Show # 497

Takeshi Terauchi is an Instrumental/Surf guitarist from Japan that has earned a legendary status overseas, but is fairly unknown in North America.  His guitar playing style is frequently described as wild and frantic and he is also often listed as being a contemporary in regards to his guitar playing ability alongside artists such as Davie Allan & The Arrows, Link Wray and The Ventures.  Takeshi or Terry as he goes by, started playing guitar in Jimmy Tokita & The Playboys who played Country and Western styled music.  In 1962, Terry formed Takeshi Terauchi & The Blue Jeans, an instrumental group that performed instrumental Surf music.  The band played what was called “eleki” music, which was a new thing at the time, but basically meant electric guitar music.  The “eleki boom” was spearheaded by The Ventures visit to Japan in 1962, which resulted in thousands of young aspiring Japanese musicians to create electric guitar music.  Takeshi played with The Blue Jeans until 1966, right around the time of the British invasion when bands such as the The Beatles and others of that time made their mark in the US and around the world.  Being influenced by British Invasion styled sounds at the time or as what was commonly referred to as GS (Group Sounds), Terry formed Takeshi Terauchi & The Bunnys who also incorporated vocal numbers into their sound.  This was done in addition to the Instrumental Rock and Surf stylings that were first explored in The Blue Jeans.  

The first album released by The Bunnys was the album Let’s Go Terry!, which was prefaced by the December 1966 single “Terry’s Theme” and was backed with the energetic and frenzied “Test Driver”.  Both these songs would make it on the Let’g Go Terry! album, which also goes by the name Bunnys Tanjou.  Let’s Go Terry! brought forth a dirty Garage and Punk styled sound at times, blended with 60s Pop Group Sounds influenced by the British Invasion sound and also traditional Japanese Folk songs, which would be incorporated and adapted to Terry’s “eleki” guitar sound in more detail on The Bunny’s second full length album entitled Seico Tera Uchi Bushi.  Let’s Go Terry! featured many fuzzed out Garage riffs blended with a Punk attitude songs such as “Black Carnation” that also features prominent and haunting organ parts, “The Glamour Of The Sun” which is an organ fuelled song that sounds like an amped version of the early Kinks sound.  “Terry’s Theme” which was first released as a single, features a more mid tempo pace, but an extremely catchy melodic guitar line, while “Test Driver” begins with a hectic drum pattern, followed by a building organ part before the guitar kicks in with a frantic western twang.  

The vocal tracks on this album are also worth mentioning.  Despite begin sung in Japanese it is difficult to ignore “Irrevocable Vow”, a slower paced Pop song that sounds influenced by fifties Rock ballads, “Burning, Burning” that seems to blend a sixties Garage sound with Minyo, Japanese Folk elements.  The middle section of this song slows down as shouting is heard.  The song then launches into a solo that sounds influenced by Dave Davies.  “Dream In The Ocean” sounds like it could have been influenced by the early sounds of The Beach Boys, while “I Believe” ends the album in a slower fashion with its flamenco styled guitar parts.  

Takeshi Terauchi & The Bunnys did not remain together too long, they disbanded in 1968.  It was rumoured that he reformed The Blue Jeans to focus on his guitar playing and get away from the Group Sounds that were prevalent in The Bunnys.  Throughout this period with The Bunnys, there was however a plethora of material released.  The Bunnys released sixteen singles and six albums.  In 1969, Terry reformed The Blue Jeans and has continued to play with the band ever since.  1966’s Let’s Go Terry! still stands as a testament to the wild Rock and Roll sound that Takeshi Terauchi could produce and balance with slower vocal based, Group Sound material.  Songs such as “Burning, Burning”, “Test Driver”, “Black Carnation” and “The Flying Guitar” all serve as examples of the Garage and Punk aesthetic that was displayed by Takeshi Terauchi that he blended with his Ventures and instrumental Surf Rock sounds.  Although Takeshi Terauchi has played a variety musical genres, Let’s Go Terry! is one of the examples of him branching out.  The song “Irrevocable Vow” is perhaps a good metaphor for not only this album, but Takeshi Terauchi’s time with The Bunnys.  Irrevocable means in essence something that cannot be reversed or changed.  With Let’s Go Terry! and his work with The Bunnys, Takeshi Terauchi incorporated Group Sounds into his music and after a short period of time and a wealth of music that was produced during that time frame, it was over and he moved on to something else.  Takeshi Terauchi did not go back or change or continue with the music he once created with The Bunnys, but the music remains for us to discover.  

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This year's Revolution Surf program once again featured a guest segment from Derk Brigante of the Surfphony of Derstruction 2000 podcast. Derk previously had his program Surfphony of Derstruction on CJAM FM, but it now continues a podcast online.  His podcasts are highly recommended, which draw from a well of new and old Surf music.  Derk also first introduced me to Takeshi Terauchi many years ago, his selections for this years Revolution Surf were both interesting and diverse.  You can hear his podcasts over at his Surfphony of Derstruction blog and also like his page on Facebook.  

Surf Rock Play List:

1. Os Morgans - Opus (Portuguese Nuggets Vol 1: A Trip To 60's Portuguese Beat Surf And Garage Rock - 2006)
2. The Future Primitives - Everybody Up (Fender IV Cover) (Songs We Taught Ourselves - 2013)
3. Wes Dakus & The Rebels - Cavalier Twist (Wes Dakus & The Rebels Vol 1 - 2006)
4. The Mel-Tones - Kung Fu Saturdays (Surf Sensation - 2004)
5. Jon & The Nightriders - Hit Man (Charge Of The Nightriders - 1984)
6. The Surfites - Surf Reveille (It Came From The Hideout - The Best Of The GaragePunk Hideout Vol 1 - 2011)
7. Les Skyliners - Entre Nous Il Est Fou (Les Introuvables - Volume 2 - 2007)
8. Les Devalons - The Lonely One (instrumental) (Les Introuvables - Volume 7 - 2007)
9. Polaris! - Hypnovista (Polaris - 1997)
10 Eddie Angel - Kawanga (Eddie Angel's Guitar Party - 1997)
11. The Panasonics - Penepede (Introducing The Inscrutable Panasonics (Featuring Eddie Angel On Guitar) - 1995)

DERK BRIGANTE OF SURFPHONY OF DERSTRUCTION 2000 SEGMENT:

12. Takeshi Terauchi - Moanin’ (The World Is Waiting For Terry - 1967)
13. The El Caminos - Hornets Nest (Reverb Explosion - 1997)
14. Yuzo Kayama - Crazy Drivin’ (The Exciting Sounds of Yuzo Kayama And The Launchers - 1966)
15. The Surf Coasters - Redzone Deadzone (The Surf Coasters - 1999)
16. Goggle-A - Reverb Chase (Dendeke Rock Combo - 2003)

17. Takeshi Terauchi & The Bunnys - Terry’s Theme (Let's Go Terry! - 1966)
18. Takeshi Terauchi & The Bunnys - Black Carnation (Let's Go Terry! - 1966)
19. Martin Schiller - The Innocuous Pastiche meets Professor Adventure (The Innocuous Pastiche meets Professor Adventure - 2011)
20. The Vy-Dels - Unknown (New Wave Surf Party! - 1981)
21. The Junior Raymen -I’m Branded (Rumble '66 - 1966)
22. Dead Ghosts - Commanche (That Old Feeling Single - 2010)
23. Pow Wows - The Horse Thief (Live) (Bent Out Of Shape - 2013)
24. Davie Allan & The Arrows - High Rise (Cycle Breed - 2008)
25. The Vondells - Dill Pickles (The Vondells (Unreleased - 2003))
26. Progressives - Man Of Mystery (Lost Legends Of Surf Guitar Vol III - 2003)
27. The Bell Peppers - Salt Shaker (Sizzling Hot Bell Peppers - 2013)
28. Dick Dale And His Del-Tones - Tidal Wave (Summer Surf - 1964)
29. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet - The Case Of The Missing Lady Fingers (Dim The Lights, Chill The Ham - 1991)

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for February 25. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.