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.
weather report
Fishmans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
部屋の中に居続けることもあるさ
まるで魚になった気分だよ
まるで水槽の中の魚
まるで泳がない魚
台風の夜は風が吹き続けて
紙ふぶきをまきちらすこともあるさ
紙ひこうきをとばし続けることもあるさ
何だか夢のあることだと信じてます
風が吹き続けて いつもここにいるよ
何かいいことがなかったけなあ 何か
風を止めたいなあ どっか遠くへ行きたいなあ
風を呼びたいなあ このままこうしてもいたいなあ
東京地方に青空が広がって
春なのに25度を越えていこうとするような時もあるさ あるさ
なんだかそれはデート日和なんだ
風が吹き続けて いつもここにいるよ
何かいいことがあったはずさ
風が吹き続けて いつもここにいるよ
だれかがいつもそばにいたはずさあ
The lyrics to "Weather Report" by Fishmans depict the emotional and physical experience of being trapped inside during a period of heavy rain or wind. The first verse describes the feeling of being stuck inside like a fish in a bowl, unable to escape the constant rain. The second verse shifts to the experience of a windy night during a typhoon, where there is the possibility of flying paper planes and a sense of dreaming. The chorus repeats the idea that the wind is always blowing and the feeling of being rooted in that spot without anything particularly good happening. However, the final verse brings a glimmer of hope, as the blue sky returns and there is the suggestion of a potential date.
The lyrics are simple and reflective of the everyday experiences of the band's hometown, Tokyo. However, the repetition and use of specific images, like the fishbowl, create a sense of confinement and longing for escape. The song's melody and instrumentation also contribute to this feeling, with the use of spacey synths and a reggae-inspired rhythm giving a sense of floating or drifting.
Overall, "Weather Report" captures the mood and atmosphere of a rainy or windy day in Tokyo and the emotional currents that come with it, offering both a sense of resignation and a hint of optimism.
Line by Line Meaning
東京地方に大雨が降り続けて
It's continuously raining heavily in the Tokyo region
部屋の中に居続けることもあるさ
Sometimes I feel like staying inside my room
まるで魚になった気分だよ
I feel like a fish
まるで水槽の中の魚
Like a fish in an aquarium
まるで泳がない魚
A fish that doesn't swim
台風の夜は風が吹き続けて
The wind keeps blowing on a typhoon night
紙ふぶきをまきちらすこともあるさ
It blows paper fliers around
風にのっかってね 風にのっかってね
Ride the wind, ride the wind
紙ひこうきをとばし続けることもあるさ
Sometimes I fly paper airplanes continuously
何だか夢のあることだと信じてます
Somehow, I believe it's a dreamlike situation
風が吹き続けて いつもここにいるよ
The wind keeps blowing, I am always here
何かいいことがなかったけなあ 何か
I feel like something good didn't happen
風を止めたいなあ どっか遠くへ行きたいなあ
I want to stop the wind, go somewhere far away
風を呼びたいなあ このままこうしてもいたいなあ
I want to call the wind, want to stay like this
東京地方に青空が広がって
The blue sky spreads in the Tokyo region
春なのに25度を越えていこうとするような時もあるさ あるさ
Sometimes, even in spring, it becomes over 25 degrees
なんだかそれはデート日和なんだ
It feels like perfect weather for a date
風が吹き続けて いつもここにいるよ
The wind keeps blowing, I am always here
何かいいことがあったはずさ
Something good must have happened
風が吹き続けて いつもここにいるよ
The wind keeps blowing, I am always here
だれかがいつもそばにいたはずさあ
Someone must have always been by my side
Writer(s): 佐藤 伸治
Contributed by Daniel B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@nathanbathan
i can't even listen to the studio version anymore, this version is superior in every way imaginable
@audiofile8311
FACTS
@user-tv7xm7ho7v
True
@jakobsanchez738
One of the greatest of all time, discovering this song was like falling in love for the first time.
@snow-ei3jt
man it always looked like they had so much fun rest in peace sato
@KiIIua_
This was fucking awesome. My favorite song at first was Night Cruising...then it became Long Season and now this version of Weather Report came into my life. I cannot wait to listen to more Fishmans music. The drumming in this is so tight, bassline is groovy as fuck, honzi's violin playing superb as always and Shinji's guitar and voice are iconic.
@Swishead
Recommended: Walking in The Rhythm. Magic Love. Daydream. Baby Blue. Smilin' Days, Summer Holiday and Yurameki in The Air live 98.12.28. Also the live version of Night Cruising, and a cover by a band called Clammbon.
@KiIIua_
@@Swishead I've listened to all of Kuchu Camp, 19.28.12 and I love Clammbon so once I saw they did a Fishmans cover, I clicked on the video immediately lol. I'll check out the other songs, I appreciate it!
@Swishead
@@KiIIua_ Great! I actually discovered Fishmans through Clammbon, fun times :D
@user-sb4yd7hc1t
Honji and boys😂