KAZUKOH holds a unique place in music history, even though, as a group, it has essential remained a very mysterious entity. With the release of “Golden Hits” we have finally been given a chance to look back through time and assess the phenomena of this group.
The duo consists of John Kazukoh and Paul Kazukoh. Both are multi-instrumental players who, in the early days, loved nothing better than to participate in studio session “jams” with musicians from all walks of musical life. As talented musicians they strove to find a new revolutionary sound, diverse and experimental, and one that at times was beyond the grasp of the general listening public.
Originally John, growing up in Silicon Valley, California, and heavily influenced by his engineering father, had every intention to be a computer engineer. But after sitting the entrance exam to MIT and failing, he entered Sirabackley Institute of Music and graduated at the top of this year.
Meanwhile, Paul Kazukoh, a child of Russian immigrants from San Francisco, grew up in very different surroundings. After entering the United States illegally, the family changed its name from Kazukvski to Kazukoh and became wealthy by the lucrative sale of stone crabs. Paul however, had little interest in following in his father’s “crab”footsteps and from a very early age developed a keen interest in the arts. He entered GCAA (The Great California Art Academy) and coincidentally, like John, graduated top of his class.
Their musical odyssey set sail when they teamed up and started playing together in local pubs in the California area. But it was a chance meeting in McDonalds that changed everything. Here they met the famous Columbia record producer Marge Geortin (not George Martin) who, while stopping by to pick up a filet-o-fish, happened to hear the duo perform.
Under Geortin’s tutelage, they released their first single You Wanna Hold My Hand, which was soon followed by their first number one hit Please Please You. However, after musical differences with Geortin as to their direction, they abandoned the music world for a while.Unfortunately, they have never been happy with these two singles, and thus they are not included on this record.
In the sixties KAZUKOH’s music was never fully appreciated (orunderstood) and eventually it drowned in the great audio sea of the times. However, with the release of “Golden Hits” the true value of their music can, at last, shine forth.
What could be more pleasing?
> Stilton Smellbad : British Music Critic / The Times
結成当時は小さなクラブ、パブなどで演奏していたが、コロンビア・レコードの敏腕プロデューサー、マージ・ジョーティンに「MacDonald」の店頭で販促のアルバイト演奏をしていた折り、ジョーティンがフィレ・オ・フィッシュを買いに寄り、そこで見いだされ最初のシングル「You Wanna Hold My Hand」を発売。２枚目のシングル「Please Please You」でブレイク、全米１位を獲得するが、ジョーティンと音楽性でもめ、音楽界から一時遠ざかる。したがって彼らの意志に反する意味からもこの２枚のシングルは収録されていない。
