The group sounds (or simply GS) era of Japanese rock and roll from the sixties began shortly after The Beatles' first trip to Japan in June of 1966. One year prior to this, The Ventures toured Japan and the electric guitar fever swept the nation's youth. Hundreds emerging, the typical GS act was composed of four to six clean-cut young men, clad in matching outfits. Despite nonthreatening appearances and seemingly harmless pop-rock sounds, GS acts gained a reputation of being dangerous and unpredictable, much like their foreign counterparts.
The Captains' first two recordings were released in 2002 on the independent Autobahn Records label. These were followed by their 2004 release, The New World, in which the band solidified their sound and style. Over the next two years, The Captains perfected their music and consistantly toured across the nation, gaining recognition.
They made their major label debut on Toshiba EMI with their fourth record, The Rock'n'Roll Frontline, in 2006. That year they also, in honor of the genre's 40th anniversary, released a three song EP entitled GS Covers, which included covers of GS legends The Carnabeats and The Dynamites.
2007 brought new adventures for The Captains, as they embarked on the Last GS U.S. Tour, their first visit to the United States. A new best-of compilation, Last Group Sounds, was released stateside in conjunction with the tour on US label Tokyo No Records.
The next year, The Captains, released their next CD, I Heart GS and returned to the United States in the fall, where they played several concerts on the east coast and headlined at the anime convention Anime Weekend Atlanta.
2009 has proved to be a busy year for The Captains, as they keep a packed schedule through the summer during their nationwide tour, THE PERFECT CHECKMATE. While the band has not announced their next release, their fans anxiously await to see what The Captains have planned next.
