Song Introduction (Time Machine ni onegai)

Song Title: Time Machine ni Onegai (Title meaning: Please, Time Machine)
Artist: Sadistic Mika Band
Lyricist: Takeshi Matsuyama
Composer: Kazuhiko Kato
Label: Toshiba EMI/DOUGHNUT RECORDS
Overview:

Released on October 5, 1974, as their third single, this song is also featured on the album “Kurofune” released on November 5, 1974.
It is one of their representative songs and has been covered by many artists.

Article Sources:
・Sadistic Mika Band -Wikipedia

About the Song

The lyrics say, “Now, turn that time machine switch and let’s go to the era you like.”

The song seems to suggest that it’s a wonderful time period filled with things that no longer exist in the present.

Here are some keywords from the lyrics representing different eras:

Distant Fossil Era
・Gelasian Period
・Ammonite
・Tyrannosaurus Rex

Innocent and Dreamy Wonderful Era
・Tap Dance
・Love and Cinema
・Golden Age
・Daughter in Mink
・Bogart’s Soft Hat (referring to Humphrey Bogart’s felt hat)
・Duesenberg (a luxury car brand from the early 20th century)

Era of Change
・Rokumeikan (a famous Japanese building of the late 19th century)
・Waltz
・Pompadour (a hairstyle popularized by Madame de Pompadour in 18th-century France)
・Top Hat

This song vividly evokes scenes from charming, nostalgic, and glamorous times, making it a classic piece that beautifully brings these eras to life.

Song Video

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Artist Introduction (Sadistic Mika Band)

Artist: Sadistic Mika Band
Members (at the time of the “Kurofune” album release):
Kazuhiko Kato (guitar, vocals), Mika Kato (vocals), Yukihiro Takahashi (drums), Rei Obara (bass), Masayoshi Takanaka (lead guitar), Yu Imai (keyboard, saxophone)
Active Period: 1972–1975 (also 1989, 2006–2007)
Official Site: Universal Music

Artist Trails

Their 1st album, Sadistic Mika Band, released in 1973, was also released in the UK.
It gained more acclaim in London than in Japan and was subsequently appreciated domestically through this reverse import.

Chris Thomas, known for producing bands like Pink Floyd, produced their 2nd album, Kurofune, released in 1974.
In October 1975, they opened for the UK rock band Roxy Music during their UK tour. Unfortunately, the band disbanded following the divorce of Kazuhiko Kato and Mika Kato in 1975.

In 1989, the band was reformed as “Sadistic Mica Band” with members Kazuhiko Kato, Masayoshi Takanaka, Rei Obara, and Yukihiro Takahashi, and Karen Kirishima as the vocalist.

They released their 4th album, Seiten, in April 1989, and their single “Boys & Girls” achieved a peak position of 13 on the Oricon charts.

In 2006, the band reformed again as “Sadistic Mika Band Revisited” with members Kazuhiko Kato, Masayoshi Takanaka, Rei Obara, and Yukihiro Takahashi, and Kaela Kimura as the vocalist.

They appeared in a Kirin Lager Beer commercial, where “Time Machine ni Onegai” was featured, gaining popularity and reaching the top of the iTunes Music Store’s download charts.

They released their 5th album, NARKISSOS, in October 2006.
On March 8, 2007, they performed at NHK Hall, marking their first live performance under the Sadistic Mika Band name in 18 years.

Unfortunately, Kazuhiko Kato passed away in October 2009, and Yukihiro Takahashi passed away in 2023.

I still remember being moved when I saw their stage performance during my student days.

Particularly memorable was Masayoshi Takanaka’s lead guitar playing, which was so fast it was almost invisible and incredibly cool!

Sadistic Mika Band had a unique vibe that was different from other Japanese rock bands of their time.

They were one of the few Japanese bands to gain popularity overseas, leaving a significant mark on the Japanese rock scene.