Barbee Boys

Barbee Boys (バービーボーイズ) are a successful 1980s Japanese rock band. The band debuted in 1984 and was popular through the 1980s, becoming the first Japanese rock band to perform at the Nippon Budokan, until disbanding in 1992. After reuniting for several short periods, the band has been continually together since 2018. The five current members are: vocalist and saxophone player KONTA (real name Atsushi Kondou); female vocalist Kyoko Sekihara; lead guitarist and songwriter Tomotaka Imamichi, who has also had a career as a songwriter for other bands; bassist and pianist ENRIQUE; and drummer Toshiaki Konuma. In 2019, they announced their first release in 29 years, PlanBee, releasing on December 18 of that year.

Name
According to the band's guitarist, Imamichi, the band's name "Barbee Boys" originated from the word "barfly", the word for a habitual patron of a bar. But, because he didn't consider the "fly" part to be very stylish, it was changed to "bee". In addition, he also said the name came from the Barbie brand of dolls, one of which KONTA purchased after a show. The "Boys" in the band name is a reference to a Japanese comedy group named City Boys. In addition, the band was initially an all male group - Kyoko joined after the band's formation. Moreover, Imamichi expressed some regret at the discrepancy of having a woman in a band with "Boys" in the name, as well as having to continue to call themselves "Boys" despite their age.

1982–1992
The band was formed with its original four member in July 1982, consisting of KONTA on vocals and saxophone, Tomotaka Imamichi on guitar, Ouji Abe on bass, and Toshiaki Konuma on drums. For some time after the band's formation, they did not attract many listeners to their live shows. At one point, the band attended a preview of the band Kats! TARUI BAND, which Kyoko was a member of. Imamichi witnessed how effectively Kyoko's band could draw crowds, which encouraged him to invite Kyoko to join the Barbee Boys.

At the time, Kyoko was working at a major trading firm, so by procuring show tickets for her coworkers, she was able to attract a large turnout to her performances. Additionally, female singers in rock bands were uncommon in the 80's, which attracted many curious male attendees. Kyoko was effectively poached by the Barbee Boys with the aim of attracting more viewers to shows, and her success in being a guest vocalist for the band during competitions led to the band creating a signature sound through the dual male-female vocalists. It was around this time that the band sent a demo tape to Sony. With the profile included with the tape, Kyoko's name was listed as a member. The audition went well, and it was becoming increasingly apparent to Kyoko that she had become an invaluable part of the band. As a result, she decided to officially join the Barbee Boys.

At this time, bassist Ouji Abe left the band to focus on production work. Finding a replacement bassist led to difficulties, due to stigma against women in the rock world. Bassist ENRIQUE approached the band, saying "If you're in trouble, how about I join?" Upon joining the Barbee Boys, he became the youngest member of the band.

In November 1983, the band won the CBS/Sony SD Audition Grand Prix.

On September 21, 1984, they debuted their first major single, Kurayami de DANCE.

On April 1, 1987, their single Onnagitsune on the Run was released, and was used in advertisements for Mitsuya Cider.

On July 2, 1988, KONTA starred in his first feature-length film, Futari Bocchi, with the soundtrack being preformed by RADIO-K and the Barbee Boys.

On January 1, 1989, the band released the single Me wo Tojiru Oide Yo. The song and the band were featured in advertisements for Shiseido's TREND・Y brand hair styling products. It reached #8 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Ranking and sold 168,000 copies.

On January 24, 1992, the Barbee Boys held a final live concert in Shibuya Public Hall, and formally disbanded. It was almost 10 years since their formation.

2003–present
In February 2003, the Barbee Boys had a limited reunion concert at Epic Records Japan's 25th anniversary event, LIVE EPIC 25. At the request of the band, footage of their performance from the event was not released until 2009, with the release of Kuradashi ・ Hachi Taizen - BARBEE BOYS LIVE STAGE ANTHOLOGY. The event was also not shown on NHK's live broadcast of the event, or on the event's DVD.

On April 21, 2008, the band reunited for one night at the SMAP×SMAP Meikyoku Kayou Matsuri, broadcast on Kansai TV and Fuji TV. They preformed Onnagitsune on the Run. On August 15, they preformed at the Rising Sun Rock Festival 2008, and on August 23, at Sound Marina 2008. As a result, the band made regular appearances at these festivals in following years.

From February 13, 2009, in celebration of their 25th anniversary, the Barbee Boys held Re:BARBEE BOYS, a special tour at four Zepp music halls across Japan. During the tour, they preformed new songs. From February 26, 2010, they held Bcc: from BARBEE BOYS AD2010, another tour. On the final day, March 7, they preformed at the Nippon Budokan for the first time in 21 years.

On February 25, 2015, they released a remastered edition of their first album, REAL BAND -1st Option 30th Anniversary Edition-. There were no live shows, but Imamichi and Kyoko gave interviews using the band name Barbee Boys.

On October 25, 2018, the band made a one-night return on the NHK Broadcast Satellite Premium The Covers'Fes.2018, their first live show in eight years, performing Me wo Tojiru Oide Yo and Onnagitsune on the Run. According to Imamichi, every member had a free schedule that day, making a live show feasible. On November 21, BARBEE BOYS IN TOKYO DOME 1988.08.22 was released, containing the recording of their 1988 Tokyo Dome concert 30 years prior.

Going into 2019, the Barbee Boys officially resumed full-fledged activities. On September 8, they announced their first album in 29 years, PlanBee, to be released on December 18. On November 8, a limited edition advance single from PlanBee titled Muteki no Valerie was released.