An Old Cowpoke Went Surfin'
Takeshi Terauchi started out as a sideman in Jimmy Tokita & the Mountain Playboys, a country & western band. In 1962, he formed his first eleki band, the Bluejeans, with whom he remained until 1966. He then formed a new group, the Bunnys, who recorded the eleki classic "Test Driver." After the Bunnys disbanded in the fall of 1968, Terauchi formed a new version of the Bluejeans, called Takeshi Terauchi & the Bluejeans (to distinguish them from the original Bluejeans, who continued recording and performing after Terauchi's departure, and even opened for the Beatles at their 1966 Japanese concerts). Terauchi's style is very Ventures-influenced, but much faster and more frantic, with a heavy picking style and liberal use of his Mosrite's whammy bar. Later on, Terauchi experimented with adapting flamenco and other western styles (as well as Japanese musical forms such as enka) to eleki, with mixed results. Terauchi is probably Japan's first guitar hero, and he has continued recording and touring through the years with new groups of Bluejeans.
Listen To
Comments