The Yellow Monkey -- Romantist Taste

 

Up to today, there's only been the one number that I covered by the rock band The Yellow Monkey, and that was "Taiyo ga Moeteiru"（太陽がもえている）from 1995. 

Now, to be honest, one thing that I hadn't written in that article was how the band got its name. Well, I dug into a 1998 "Rockin' On Japan" article via the J-Wiki profile on The Yellow Monkey, and yep, vocalist Kazuya "Lovin" Yoshii（吉井和哉）said that he chose that particular name because it had been used as a racist way of calling Asians. He also pointed out that he had wanted something totally lame and cynical, and something that started with the initial of his family name. Interestingly enough, his choice of name for the band got the royal seal of approval in a way since none other than The Rolling Stones apparently stated that The Yellow Monkey was an amazing name and something that would never be forgotten.

Something that will also never be forgotten? The music video for The Yellow Monkey's debut single from May 1992, "Romantist Taste". All sorts of images come pouring out like lava including one of dozens of squiggling newborn animals (rats, dogs, cats?...got no idea). Yoshii even has some of the little ones in his hands, and with that wild glare in his eyes, I assumed that he was going to munch on them as a snack. That would have left quite an impression with viewers...glad that he didn't do it. 

Yoshii was responsible for words and music, and those lyrics come off as being somewhat Dadaist as well. But I wouldn't say that "Romantist Taste" was unapproachably avant-garde at all. The music is actually quite hearty and happy, and I even ended up humming it several minutes after listening to the song. It made it onto The Yellow Monkey's debut album "THE NIGHT SNAILS AND PLASTIC BOOGIE" that came out the following month that year; it ranked in at a modest No. 79 on the album charts. Still, the best was yet to come for Yoshii and company.