Saiichi Sugiyama (born 1960 in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, Japan) is a British-based guitarist, singer and composer, best known for his writing and performing collaborations with

Pete Brown Peter Ronald Brown (25 December 1940 – 19 May 2023) was an English performance poet, lyricist, and singer best known for his collaborations with Cream and Jack Bruce.Colin Larkin, ''Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music'' (Muze UK Ltd, 1997) ...

, the lyricist for

Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this proces ...

since 2002 to date. His previous bands in 1990s featured Mike Casswell and Phil Williams of Walk on Fire, Andy Smith of

Hot Chocolate Hot Chocolate are a British soul band formed by Errol Brown and Tony Wilson. The group had at least one hit song every year on the UK Singles Chart from 1970 to 1984. Their hits include " You Sexy Thing", a UK number two which also made ...

Zoot Money George Bruno "Zoot" Money (17 July 1942 – 8 September 2024) was an English vocalist, keyboardist and bandleader. He was best known for playing the Hammond organ and for his leadership of the Big Roll Band. Inspired by Jerry Lee Lewis and Ra ...

Boz Burrell Raymond "Boz" Burrell (1 August 1946 – 21 September 2006) was an English musician. Originally a vocalist and guitarist, Burrell is best known for being the vocalist and bassist of King Crimson from 1971 to 1972 and the original bassist of B ...

Bad Company Bad Company were an English rock supergroup formed in London in 1973 by singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke (both ex- Free), guitarist Mick Ralphs (ex- Mott the Hoople) and bassist Boz Burrell (ex-King Crimson). Kirke was the only m ...

, John Cook of

Rory Gallagher William Rory Gallagher ( ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995) was an Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as "Ireland's first rock star", he is known for his virtuosic style of guitar playing and live performances. He has sometim ...

band as well as the guitarist,

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. Sugiyama's self-published studio albums in 2000s featured

Clem Clempson David "Clem" Clempson (born 5 September 1949) is an English rock guitarist who has played in a number of bands, including Colosseum and Humble Pie. Career Clempson began his career in the late 1960s with the power trio, Bakerloo (originally T ...

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(who co-wrote and co-produced the albums),

and Ben Matthews of

Thunder Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...

. Sugiyama plays a Gibson

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guitar and

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amplifiers. His guitar style has more than a passing resemblance to that of Peter Green and has a vibrato technique similar that of

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. Sugiyama collaborated with Mark Horiuchi, the former lead singer of the Japanese rock band

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who had a number of chart hits in the Japanese chart in the early 1970s, and the duo recorded several tracks that were included in the album ''So Am I'', released in Japan in 2004. Sugiyama moved from Tokyo to England in 1980 and has lived in

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

. In January 2014, the Saiichi Sugiyama Band released the live studio album ''The Smokehouse Sessions'', featuring Sugiyama, Rietta Austin (vocals), Ben Reed (bass guitar) and Mune Sugiyama (drums).

Discography

*''Saiichi Sugiyama'' (November 1994) *''So Am I'' (July 2004) *''SAIICHI'' (May 2005) *''The Smokehouse Sessions'' (vinyl edition – November 2013; CD edition – January 2014; Saiichi Sugiyama Band)

References

1960 births British blues guitarists Japanese composers Japanese guitarists Japanese male composers Japanese male singers Living people Singers from Tokyo {{Japan-musician-stub