The band was formed in 1987 by Sato (vocals, guitar, trumpet), Kin-Ichi Motegi (drums, vocals, sampler) and Kensuke Ojima (guitar and vocals). The addition of Yuzuru Kashiwabara (bass) and Hakase (keyboards) rounded up the original line-up. Their first recorded appearance is on the 1989 Captain Records' compilation Panic Paradise. Two years later, their first album Chappie, Don't Cry was released. The band’s easy-going sound (mainly influenced by reggae and dub, but also including elements of rock, pop, drum & bass, hip-hop, etc.), coupled with Sato’s androgynous vocals, gained them acceptance in Japan’s underground scene.
Fishmans released several albums on Pony Canyon records, slowly moving away from a strictly reggae sound, but always keeping a dub foundation, powered by Motegi and Kashiwabara’s rock-steady rhythm section. In 1995, they signed with Polydor Records. By then, both Kensuke Ojima and Hakase had left the band. Neither was replaced, and the resulting trio would work with a series of guest musicians on their next records, mainly Honzi (keyboards, violin, accordion and vocals) and Darts Sekiguchi (guitar). The addition of producer ZAK on sound mixing rounded out this second phase of the band, which further evolved its sound to incorporate space rock, ambient and shoegaze elements. Song length started to grow as well, as these new tendencies blended in with their dub foundation.
空中キャンプ (Kūchū Camp) was released in 1996, and included what is probably the band’s most famous song, Nightcruising. This was followed by LONG SEASON, a 35 minute song divided into 5 parts. Their final studio album, 宇宙 日本 世田谷 (Uchū Nippon Setagaya), was released in 1997.
Fishmans performed their final concert on December 28th, 1998, later released as the live album 98.12.28 男達の別れ (Otokotachi no Wakare). They played many of their best songs, and concluded with a full performance of Long Season. Sato left the stage immediately after a single "goodbye" with his eyes teary. This was to be Kashiwabara’s final performance with the band, though Sato and Motegi planned to continue working as Fishmans. However, Sato passed away March 15th, 1999 by unknown causes till this day.
After Sato’s death, Kin-Ichi Motegi began working as a stand-in drummer for Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra(東京スカパラダイスオーケストラ), whose own drummer passed away around the same time. He eventually became a full-fledged member of the band and plays drums and sings lead vocals with them to this day. Kashiwabara, who had planned to abandon the music industry, eventually joined forces with Ooya Yuusuke (ex. LaB LIFe) to form Polaris, whose spacey and dubby tracks bore some resemblance to Fishmans’ sound in the late 90’s.
The Fishmans story did not end there. Following Sato’s death, their popularity continued to grow. In 2004, a tribute album Sweet Dreams for Fishmans was released, and included covers by artists as diverse as OOIOO, Bonobos, and UA. This was followed by the albums Kuchu and Uchu in 2005, which included rare and unreleased tracks alongside their biggest hits.
On November 22, 2005 the remaining members of Fishmans paid tribute to their fans and Shinji Sato, by performing at the Rising Sun Rock Festival. The show lasted three and a half hours, and featured many guest singers, who performed the vocals. The following month, a tribute art exhibition The Long Season Rewind was held in Shibuya with contributions from various artists.
Most recently in 2006, The Long Season Revue was released on DVD. The live concert was originally only screened in theatres and it featured the original members of the band together with a cast of supporting musicians such as UA, Asa-Chang, ハナレグミ, Oki Yuichi (of 東京スカパラダイスオーケストラ) and 原田郁子 of Clammbon (クラムボン). Following these concerts, Honzi, long-time contributor with the band, also passed away.
ナイトクルージング
Fishmans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
イカれちまった夜に
あの娘は運び屋だった
夜道の足音遠くから聞こえる
だれのためでもなくて
暮らしてきたはずなのに
大事なこともあるさ
Up and down, up and down
Slow, fast! Slow, fast!
Stay together
おーナイトクルージング
ナイトクルージング
ナイトクルージング
窓はあけておくんだ
いい声聞こえそうさ
窓はあけておくんだ
いい声聞こえそうさ
おーナイトクルージング
ナイトクルージング
ナイトクルージング
ナイトクルージング
The lyrics to Fishmans's song ナイトクルージング speak of a girl who works as a carrier on a crazy night where everything seems to have gone wrong. The singer reflects on her life, stating that she must have been living without a purpose until she received a gift from the heavens. The song seems to be an acknowledgement of the randomness of life and the fact that people find themselves in situations they did not choose.
The chorus is a repetition of the title phrase "ナイトクルージング" which translates to "night cruising". It seems to be an invitation to join in on a night ride where individuals can enjoy the moment with each other. The beat of the song and the repetition in the lyrics contribute to a hypnotic atmosphere that encourages losing oneself in the present moment.
Overall, the lyrics to ナイトクルージング express an appreciation for the fleeting and unpredictable nature of life, and the importance of finding joy in the present moment.
Line by Line Meaning
だれのせいでもなくて
Without anyone to blame
イカれちまった夜に
On a crazy night
あの娘は運び屋だった
That girl was a courier
夜道の足音遠くから聞こえる
Footsteps on the night road can be heard from far away
だれのためでもなくて
Not for anyone's sake
暮らしてきたはずなのに
Even though I should have been living
大事なこともあるさ
There are important things, too
あー天からの贈り物
Ah, a gift from the heavens
Up and down, up and down
Up and down, up and down
Slow, fast! Slow, fast!
Slow, fast! Slow, fast!
Stay together
Stay together
おーナイトクルージング
Oh, night cruising
ナイトクルージング
Night cruising
窓はあけておくんだ
Keep the window open
いい声聞こえそうさ
I can hear a nice voice
おーナイトクルージング
Oh, night cruising
ナイトクルージング
Night cruising
ナイトクルージング
Night cruising
ナイトクルージング
Night cruising
Writer(s): 佐藤 伸治, 佐藤 伸治
Contributed by Tyler I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.