The Seatbelts
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The Seatbelts (also known as SEATBELTS or シートベルツ) is a Japanese blues/jazz band led by composer and instrumentist Yoko Kanno. The name of the band, according to the fictional description given in the Japanese anime Cowboy Bebop, derives from how the performers wear seatbelts to be safe while they play hardcore jam sessions.
The band performed the whole soundtrack of the anime series Cowboy Bebop and produced a total of seven albums and one live DVD. Their style is very diverse and ranges from a straightforward big band jazz to more refined rock 'n roll ballads.
Since the band is focused mostly on instrumental work, The Seatbelts have no lead singer. But Steve Conte (from The Contes and Crown Jewels) and Mai Yamane participate and sing in many of their songs. The lyrics of these songs are written mainly by Tim Jensen and Yoko Kanno herself. Singers Soichiro Otsuka and Gabriela Robin are responsible for the back vocals on songs such as "Blue".
After a few years in hibernation, The Seatbelts have regrouped in 2004 to compose the soundtrack of the second Cowboy Bebop video game, which is currectly available in Japan.
Many of the members of The Seatbelts have also worked with Kanno and with each other on other projects, as well, and some have even gone on to compose their own work. For example, guitarist Tsuneo Imahori also played guitar on the soundtracks for and Wolf's Rain (both of which were composed by Kanno), as well as composing the soundtracks for Trigun and Gungrave.
Musicians of The Seatbelts
Japanese musicians
- Drums - Yasuo Sano, Akira Sotoyama
- Bass: Hitoshi Wantanabe, Maki Kitada, Suzuki Bakabon
- Guitar: Tsuneo Imahori, Masayoshi Furukawa
- Percussion: Mataro Misawa, Ikuo Kakehashi, Yoichi Okabe
- Trumpet: Koshi Nishimura, Koshio Araki, Yusuke Hayashi, Akio Terashima
- Trombone: Yoichi Murata, Satoshi Kawano, Hideaki Nakaji, Yoshiaka Hashimoto, Masanori Hirohara, Junko Yamashiro
- Saxophone: Masato Honda, Shigeo Fuchino, Masakuni Takeno, Takuo Yamamoto, Osamu Koike, Naruyoshi Kikuchi
- Flute: Hideyo Takakuwa, Kazuhiro Iwasa, Mika Hayashi
- Tuba: Kiyoshi Sato
- Harmonica: Nubuo Yagi, Ryuichiro Senoo
- Strings: Masatsugu Shinozaki
- Synthesizer: Keishi Urata
- Producer/Composer/Arranger/Keyboards/Noises/Voices/Mood Setting: Yoko Kanno
- Recording & Mixing : Masashi Yabuhara
New York musicians
- Drums: Jim Mussen, Bobby Previte, Tony Reedus
- Guitar: Stuw Cutler
- PF : Mark Soskin
- Bass: Booker King
- Trumpet: Steven Berstien
- Trombone: Josh Roseman
- Soprano Saxophone: Steve Wilson
- Alto Saxophone: Bob Debellis
- Tenor Saxophone: Paul Shapiro
- Baritone Saxophone: Jim Hartog
- Djembe: Mike Wimberly, Jonh McDowell
- Harmonica: Bill Lynas
- Chorus: Paule McWilliams, Nicki Richards, Sharon Bryant-Gallwey, Lisa Fischer
- Recording & Mixing: Rudy Van Gelder
Paris musicians
- Guitar: Pierre Bensusan
- Percussion and Voices: Sydney Thiam, Michel Reman, David Mirandon, Philippe Drai, Phillipe Nalry, Thierry Boucou
- Recording & Mixing: Dupouy Christophe
Guest vocalists
Carla Vallet, Tim Jensen, Mai Yamane, Steve Conte, Masaaki Endo, Gabriela Robin, Masayoshi Furukawa, Tulivu-Donna Cumberbatch, SYDNEY with Sister R, Emily Bindiger, Jerzy Knetig, Aoi Tada, M, Raj Ramayya, Hassan Bohmide, Scott MatthewDiscography
Studio recordings
- Cowboy Bebop OST 1: Cowboy Bebop (1998)
- Vitaminless (1998)
- Cowboy Bebop OST 2: No Disc (1998)
- (1999)
- Ask DNA (2001)
- Future Blues (2001)
- Tank! THE! BEST! (2004)
Live recordings
Miscellaneous
External links
- [The Jazz Messengers], site with many Cowboy Bebop resources.
- [] at MusicBrainz
| Main | List of Cowboy Bebop episodes > List of Cowboy Bebop manga | | List of Cowboy Bebop characters | List of Bountyheads in Cowboy Bebop |
|---|---|
| Music | The Seatbelts > Yoko Kanno | Cowboy Bebop (album) | Vitaminless |
| Other | Red Eye (drug) > Woolong | Cowboy Bebop (PlayStation game) | Cowboy Bebop (PlayStation 2 game) |
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