THE BAWDIES

The band was started by ROY, JIM and MARCY, who knew each other from school. They were then joined by TAXMAN. With a shared passion for music from the ‘30s and ‘60s, the four started a band called THE BAWDIES in January 2004.

Their first album, YESTERDAY AND TODAY, was released two years later. Around this time, the band started working under the label SEEZ RECORDS and on their first tour THE BAWDIES visited only six venues.

In early 2007, their single I BEG YOU was released and quickly sold out. Line notes for this single were written by Hoshika Rumiko, music critic, songwriter and long-time translator for The Beatles and Led Zeppelin press in Japan. The single was also released as an analogue disc. One of its songs, BABY SUE, was used on a Fuji TV DVD release, which contributed to the rise in their popularity. In April, they managed to perform a sold out live at the famous Shinjuku Red Cloth.

Their first overseas tour took place in June 2007 and was quite unusual, since they decided to go to Australia. They went back there a year later for another tour and also performed at the Australian festival QUEENSCLIFFE MUSIC FESTVAL. In addition to this, their second album Awaking of Rhythm And Blues, which was released in Japan in February 2008, had its premiere in Australia. This time the line notes were written by music critic Onuki Kensho. The album was promoted during the band’s first national tour and the tour final in Shibuya CLUB QUATTRO was sold out. In September 2008, THE BAWDIES took part in the Makuhari Messe festival, sharing the stage with artist such as TOKYO SKA PARADISE ORCHESTRA, Ketsumeishi and DJ OZMA.

Their second single, EMOTION POTION, was released in March 2009 as a 7-inch vinyl disc only. Soon afterwards the band became major, signing with the label Getting Better. Their first major release, the album THIS IS MY STORY, was produced by LOVE PSYCHEDELICO’s NAOKI. The promotional tour took the band to twenty-eight cities all around Japan. Their first major single, IT’S TOO LATE, reached the Top 10 on the Oricons Charts and all seven lives held to promote this single sold out within hours.

In March 2010, the band released the single HOT DOG. Its title track was included on a vinyl disk recorded together with the band LOCKSLEY, who contributed the song THE WHIP. A month later, THE BAWDIES' second major album, THERE'S NO TURNING BACK, hit the stores. The band was touring from May until November and visited forty different locations. During this tour, the group managed to release another collaborative vinyl single, JUST BE COOL, this time with the band riddim saunter. They performed at a few festivals and finished the year with the release of their first live DVD, LIVE AT AX 20101011.

January 2011 saw the band touring to promote the single JUST BE COOL. In March they released another single, recorded with singer AI. Summer brought about the release of a new album, LIVE THE LIFE I LOVE, and in September the band released their first PV collection titled KEEP ON MOVIE. Their next single, Red Rocket Ship, appeared in October and on November 27 THE BAWDIES finished the tour with a performance at the prestigious Nippon Budokan. This live attracted almost 13,000 people.

The year 2012 started with the single ROCK ME BABY, which was used in the TV drama series "Hungry!". In March, the band released their live DVD LIVE AT BUDOKAN 20111127 which featured footage from their live at Nippon Budokan. In the same month they started a tour together with the band THE SONICS, which was titled THE SONICS × THE BAWDIES JAPAN TOUR 2012. Three months later they started another tour to promote their new single.

In the next few months the band held several lives and appeared in various media. Their new single LEMONADE was released on October 31 and the title song was used in the PENTAX Q10 commercial. The beginning of November saw THE BAWDIES touring with 9mm Parabellum Bullet. The band finished the year by appearing at two events: LONDON NITE X'mas Special 2012, held on December 15 at Kawasaki CLUB CITA and COUNTDOWN JAPAN 12/13, held on 28-31 of December.