Yoko Takahashi
Yoko Takahashi (高橋 洋子, Takahashi Yōko, born August 28, 1966) is a Japanese singer, who is best known for her work throughout the 1990s, most particularly for her singles which were performed for and featured in anime, most notably the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise.
Yoko Takahashi 高橋 洋子 | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Yawmin |
| Born | August 28, 1966 Tokyo, Japan |
| Genres | J-pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1991–present |
Career
Takahashi began her career in 1991, and released her first album, Pizzicato, in 1992, which reached #28 on the Oricon weekly charts. In the following years, she released the albums Kugatsu no Sotsugyō which charted, and Watashi wo Mitsukete, which did not achieve the same success of her previous albums.
In 1995, she released the single A Cruel Angel's Thesis (残酷な天使のテーゼ, Zankoku na Tenshi no Tēze), which was used as the opening song in the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. The song has received gold and platinum certifications, charted on the Oricon weekly chart numerous times, and has frequently been cited as one of the most influential songs used in anime.[1] She has remixed and released several versions of the single, which have been met with the same commercial success.
In 1996, she released the album Living with Joy. Following her achievements with music, she continued to release singles and albums throughout the 2000s and 2010s, for which she was met with mixed success.
Takahashi's other works in anime includes performing an "acid bossa" version of "Fly Me to the Moon", and "Tamashii no Refrain" (魂のルフラン, Tamashī no Rufuran) "Soul's Refrain", the closing theme of Evangelion: Death and Rebirth.
She also performed "Metamorphose", the opening theme to studio Gainax's 20th anniversary series, This Ugly Yet Beautiful World, the ending theme "Yoake Umarekuru Shōjo" (夜明け生まれ来る少女, "The Girl Who was Born at Dawn") for the anime Shakugan no Shana (灼眼のシャナ, "Blazing-Eyed Shana"), and the opening theme "Aoki Flamme" (蒼き炎, Aoki Honō, "Blue Flame") for Pumpkin Scissors (パンプキン・シザーズ, Panpukin Shizāzu).
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Information | Oricon chart peaks | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | Weekly | Monthly | Yearly | ||
| 1992 | Pizzicato
|
— | 75 | — | — |
| 1993 | Kugatsu no Sotsugyō
|
— | 85 | — | — |
| 1994 | Watashi wo Mitsukete
|
— | — | — | — |
| 1996 | Living with Joy
|
— | — | — | — |
| 1997 | ~refrain~ The songs were inspired by Evangelion
|
— | 6 | — | 193 |
Li-La
|
— | 10 | — | — | |
| 1999 | HARMONIUM
|
— | — | — | — |
| 2001 | AÜM
|
— | — | — | — |
| 2003 | L'ange de métamorphose
|
— | — | — | — |
| 2005 | Sore wa Toki ni Anata wo Hagemashi, Toki ni Sasae to Naru Mono
|
— | 90 | — | — |
| 2010 | 20th Century Boys & Girls ~20 Seiki Shounen Shoujo~
|
— | 152 | — | — |
| 2013 | Uchu no Uta
|
— | — | — | — |
| 2015 | 20th Century Boys & Girls 2 ~20 Seiki Shounen Shoujo 2~
|
— | — | — | — |
Koi ni Samusa wo Wasure
|
— | — | — | — | |
| 2019 | EVANGELION EXTREME
|
— | — | — | — |
Compilation albums
| Year | Information | Oricon chart peaks | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | Weekly | Monthly | Yearly | ||
| 1996 | BEST PIECES
|
— | 65 | — | — |
| 1999 | BEST PIECES II
|
— | — | — | — |
| 2001 | Super Value
|
— | — | — | — |
| 2004 | Golden Best
|
— | — | — | — |
| 2007 | Takahashi Yoko Best 10
|
— | — | — | — |
Essential Best
|
— | — | — | — | |
| 2010 | Best Selection
|
— | — | — | — |
| 2017 | YOKO SINGS FOREVER
|
— | — | — | — |
Maxi Singles
| Year | Title | Oricon chart peaks | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | Weekly | Monthly | Yearly | |||
| 1991 | "Okaeri" | — | — | — | — | Pizzicato |
| "P.S. I miss you" | — | 87 | — | — | ||
| 1992 | "SI-JI-MA" | — | — | — | — | Silent Möbius Memorial Best PANDORA DISC |
| "Mou Ichido Aitakute" | — | 38 | — | — | Pizzicato | |
| "Woman's Love" | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993 | "Blue no Tsubasa" | — | 66 | — | — | Kyuugatsu no Sotsugyou |
| 1994 | "Omoide Yori Tooku" | — | — | — | — | Essential Best |
| "$1,000,000 no Koi" | — | — | — | — | Watashi wo Mitsukete | |
| "Ano Koro ni Machi Awase You" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Moonlight Epicurian" | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995 | "Zankoku na Tenshi no Thesis" | — | 27 | — | 156 | NEON GENESIS EVANGELION |
| 1996 | "Meguriai" | — | — | — | — | Living with Joy |
| "Atarashii Shirt" | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997 | "Tamashii no Refrain" | — | 3 | — | 41 | ~refrain~ The songs were inspired by Evangelion |
| 1998 | (The title is unknown) | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1999 | "We're the One" | — | — | — | — | HARMONIUM |
| 2002 | "Kokoro no Tsubasa" | — | — | — | — | L'ange de métamorphose |
| 2005 | "WING" | — | 97 | — | — | Sore wa Toki ni Anata wo Hagemashi, Toki ni Sasae to Naru Mono |
| "Yoake Umarekuru Shoujo" | — | 21 | — | — | ||
| 2006 | "Aoki Flamme" | — | 42 | — | — | YOKO SINGS FOREVER |
| 2008 | "Seinaru Itami wo Daite" | — | — | — | — | — |
| "Kizu Darake no Yume" | — | 174 | — | — | — | |
| 2009 | "Zankoku na Tenshi no Thesis (2009 Version)" | — | 22 | — | — | 20th Century Boys & Girls ~20 Seiki Shounen Shoujo~ |
| 2010 | "Doukoku he no Monologue" | — | 35 | — | — | EVANGELION EXTREME |
| 2012 | "Wing Wanderer" | — | — | — | — | Project X Zone (Main Theme) |
| 2013 | "Shibashi Sora ni Inorite" | — | 86 | — | — | EVANGELION EXTREME |
| 2015 | "Shinjitsu no Mokushiroku" | 30 | 39 | — | — | — |
| 2017 | "Welcome to the stage!" | — | 104 | — | — | — |
| 2018 | "Zankoku na tenshi no Thesis/Tamashī no Refrain" | — | 36 | — | — | — |
Split Singles
| Year | Title | Oricon chart peaks | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | Weekly | Monthly | Yearly | |||
| 1995 | "FLY ME TO THE MOON" | — | 52 | — | — | Living with Joy |
| "Zankoku na tenshi no Thesis/FLY ME TO THE MOON" | — | 17 | — | — | NEON GENESIS EVANGELION | |
| 2003 | "Zankoku na tenshi no Thesis/FLY ME TO THE MOON" | — | 41 | — | — | |
| 2004 | "metamorphose/Natsuiro no Kakera" | — | 23 | — | — | Sore wa Toki ni Anata wo Hagemashi, Toki ni Sasae to Naru Mono |
| 2006 | "Tamashī no Refrain/THANATOS -IF I CAN'T BE YOURS-" | — | 39 | — | — | NEON GENESIS EVANGELION DECADE |
As YAWMIN
| Year | Title | Oricon chart peaks | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | Weekly | Monthly | Yearly | |||
| 1991 | "Friends" | — | 18 | — | — | — |
| 1993 | "Koi da!! Panic" | — | 64 | — | — | |
- Footnotes
- — = N/A
Solo works
| Year | Title | Album | Track |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "Maybe" | Silent Mobius Music Album "Caution" | #05 |
| "Cherry no Manma (Cherryのまんま)" | Doki² Waku² Sound Station | #10 | |
| "Mystic Eyes... Ai wa Count Down (MYSTIC EYES…愛はCOUNT DOWN)" | B Gata Doumei Music Album | #05 | |
| 1990 | "Lonely Afternoon (ロンリー・アフタヌーン)" | Menomae no Ninjin | #07 |
| 1991 | "Mystic Eyes... Ai wa Count Down (Remix)" | B Gata Doumei Another Music | #06 |
| 1995 | "Fly me to the moon -acid bossa version-" | Neon Genesis Evangelion OST | #23 |
| 1996 | "Yokan (予感)" | NEON GENESIS EVANGELION II | #01 |
| "Shiawase wa tsumi no nioi (幸せは罪の匂い)" | NEON GENESIS EVANGELION III | #01 | |
| "Mugenhouyou (無限抱擁)" | #02 | ||
| "Kibun wo Kaeyou! (気分を変えよう!)" | Fortune Quest Gaiden original sound collection | #01 | |
| 1998 | "Fushigi na Melmo (ふしぎなメルモ)" | Fukkoku Tezuka Osamu Sakuhin Kessakusyu | #18 |
| 1999 | "Shinkirou (蜃気楼)" | Tribute to Rebecca~Dream Discovery | #10 |
| 2000 | "Lullaby no Yume (ララバイの夢)" | Snuggle Up | #10 |
| 2001 | "Shirokuro Tsukete Kudasai (シロクロつけてくだサイ)" | NHK 「Mushimaro Q Gold 2000」 Dai Q ~Hara, Ippai, Hetta~ | #03 |
| 2002 | "We'll Be Together -2002-" | Aquarian Age Saga II Image Album | #11 |
| 2003 | "Change My Heart (Qwerty Mix)" | Aquarian Age Saga II ~Don't forget me...~ OST | #01 |
| "Change My Heart" | #34 | ||
| "Nijiiro Yumeiro Taikoiro (虹色・夢色・太鼓色)" | Taiko no Tatsujin Blue | #01 | |
| 2005 | "Kocchi Wo Muite Charmy (こっちをむいてチャーミー)" | — | — |
| "Nijiiro Yumeiro Taikoiro long version (虹色・夢色・太鼓色 (ロングバージョン))" | Taiko no Tatsujin Tobikkiri Anime Special Dainesshu Utamatsuri | #23 | |
| 2011 | "Iroha ni ho he to (いろはにほへと)" | — | — |
| 2013 | "Extase" | "Shiro's Songbook 'Xpressions'" | Disc2 #14 |
| 2014 | "Tamashī no Refrain (TeddyLoid Remix)" | Tamashī no Refrain (TeddyLoid Remix) | #1 |
| 2015 | "Evolve" | — | — |
| 2016 | "Tamashī no Refrain (inu crabMixx) (魂のルフラン (inu crabMixx))" | Re:animation Presents Re:Boots Legendary Animesong Remixes | #5 |
| "Zankoku na tenshi no Thesis (inu crabMixx) (残酷な天使のテーゼ (inu crabMixx))" | #6 | ||
| 2017 | "TENSIONS – he who pays the piper" | SHIRO'S SONGBOOK The Hidden Wonder of Music | #12 |
| "Silver Jaguar no Theme (シルバージャガーのテーマ)" | Sōji Ushio (Tomio Sagisu) Zenkyoku-Shū (うしおそうじ (鷺巣富雄) ピープロ全曲集) | Disc5 #1 | |
| "0-sen Hayato (0戦はやと)" | Disc5 #6 | ||
| "Magma Taishi (マグマ大使)" | Disc5 #8 | ||
| "Yadamon no Uta (Shiro-Kuro-Uta Iri) (ヤダモンの歌 (白黒歌入り))" | Disc5 #11 | ||
| "Yadamon no Uta (Irotsuki-Uta Iri) (ヤダモンの歌 (色つき歌入り))" | Disc5 #13 | ||
| 2018 | "T.o.k.y.o" | Beat Piano Music 3 | #5 |
| "A Merry Christmas to you" | TWIN GUITAR3 〜cosmic balloon〜 | #12 | |
| "TENSIONS alterna 2018" | Anison Roku plus (アニソン録 プラス。) | Disc4 #6 |
As YAUMIN
| Year | Title | Album | Track |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | "Touch me Softly -English version-" | Bannou Bunka Nekomusume Sound Phase 0I | #04 |
| "In The Fluffy Moon Nite -English version-" | #07 | ||
| 1993 | "Rainbow Sky (レインボウスカイ)" | Bannou Bunka Nekomusume Sound Phase 0III | #10 |
As featured artist
| Year | Title | Album | Track |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "Lost Paradise"
|
Tajuu Jinkaku | #07 |
| 1999 | "Utsukushii Hito"
|
Le Bel Homme image album | #18 |
| 2008 | "Hello, My Friend"
|
Otoko to Onna -Two Hearts, Two Voices- | #01 |
| 2013 | "Kuchibiru yo atsuku kimi wo katare"
|
Otoko to Onna 4 -Two Hearts, Two Voices- | #06 |
"Peaceful Times_the London-Tokyo meeting"
|
Shiro's Songbook 'Xpressions' | Disc1 #04 | |
References
- "忘れられないアニメソングベスト100". シネマでぽん！Ｓ cinema-game-toy (in Japanese). Retrieved 2019-11-04.
External links
- (in Japanese) Yoko Takahashi Official Web
- (in Japanese) Yoko Takahashi on Anison Database
