GAM
Encyclopedia
was a Japan
ese pop
unit under the Hello! Project
umbrella consisting of Aya Matsuura
and Miki Fujimoto
. This pairing was announced mid June 2006. Previously, Matsuura and Fujimoto worked together in the one-off group Gomattou
with Maki Goto
. Because "gam" is slang for "attractive legs" in English, the girls are known for wearing very short skirts in their performances and PVs.
According to Hello! Project
producer Tsunku
, the term GAM stands for "Great Aya and Miki". After GAM's debut, Tsunku has decided to keep the group permanent instead of a one-time deal. However, Fujimoto and Matsuura graduating from Hello! Project in March 2009, the group subsequently disbanded.
" was released in Japan and made its debut at number two on the Oricon
Daily Ranking chart. The single made its debut—and peak—the following week at number five in the Oricon Weekly Ranking chart. The song has so far stayed in the top 200 for five weeks.
Their second single, , was released October 18, 2006 making its debut at number five on the Oricon Daily Ranking chart the same day. The Ninki weekly singles chart ranked "Melodies" as the fourth most anticipated new release of the week. In iTunes Store
Japan, the PV
for this song was ranked number one on the Top Music Videos list, presumably ranked by sales, as of November 3, 2006. "Melodies" features a more mature theme and contains several scenes implying an almost sexual relationship between the two singers, such as the near kiss sequence featured in the televised form of the PV; just as the two of them are about to kiss the video comes to an abrupt end. The complete version of the PV released on the DVD showed that the two singers had actually kissed at the end of the video. Due to this, they have been compared to the Russian pop duo t.A.T.u. and dubbed among some listeners as the "Japanese t.A.T.u.".
Additionally, on the evening of the 28th of an uncertain month, Matsuura officially revealed her desire to go on a tour as part of GAM. Though her partner agreed, Fujimoto commented on how the group would need to record more original songs in order to do such a thing. Eventually, both members requested an album from producer Tsunku
.
A third single, entitled Lu Lu Lu was released on March 21, 2007. Three days later, "Daisuki Rakuten Eagles" was released as a theme song of the baseball team Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
—the third Hello! Project
song to do so.
} ||align="right"| 2 November 2006
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|align="center"| 3 || Single V "Lu Lu Lu" ||align="right"| 28 March 2007
|}
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
unit under the Hello! Project
Hello! Project
is the umbrella name for all female idol Japanese pop recording artists collective that are under contract with the Up-Front Group. The "mothership" group of Hello! Project is the super-group Morning Musume. Hello! Project's current leader is Risa Niigaki, the leader of Morning Musume...
umbrella consisting of Aya Matsuura
Aya Matsuura
is a Japanese pop singer from Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.-2000–2009: Hello! Project:Aya auditioned in 2000 for the fourth Morning Musume & Heike Michiyo Protegee Audition and was selected along with Sheki-Dol to become a part of what was later known as Hello! Project. It is a common...
and Miki Fujimoto
Miki Fujimoto
, professionally known by her birth name , is a Japanese pop singer and television actress. After failing the audition to join girl group Morning Musume with the fourth generation members, Fujimoto debuted as solo artist within Hello! Project in 2002 with the single "Aenai Nagai Nichiyōbi"...
. This pairing was announced mid June 2006. Previously, Matsuura and Fujimoto worked together in the one-off group Gomattou
Gomattou
was a one-shot Hello! Project group, similar to the Hello! Project shuffle units, that released one single called "Shall We Love?".The formation of Gomattō was announced in October 2002. The idea behind the trio was an R&B style dance-based group featuring Hello! Project soloists Maki Goto, Aya...
with Maki Goto
Maki Goto
is a Japanese singer, lyricist and former actress. Born and raised in Edogawa, Tokyo, Goto began her musical career in 1999 when she joined Morning Musume as the only third generation member. Her first single with the group, "Love Machine", topped the Oricon singles charts and sold over a million...
. Because "gam" is slang for "attractive legs" in English, the girls are known for wearing very short skirts in their performances and PVs.
According to Hello! Project
Hello! Project
is the umbrella name for all female idol Japanese pop recording artists collective that are under contract with the Up-Front Group. The "mothership" group of Hello! Project is the super-group Morning Musume. Hello! Project's current leader is Risa Niigaki, the leader of Morning Musume...
producer Tsunku
Tsunku
, better known professionally as , is a prolific Japanese record producer, songwriter, and vocalist.He is best known for having two major roles in the Japanese music landscape: first as the lead singer of the popular rock group Sharam Q, and now as the producer, primary composer, lyricist and main...
, the term GAM stands for "Great Aya and Miki". After GAM's debut, Tsunku has decided to keep the group permanent instead of a one-time deal. However, Fujimoto and Matsuura graduating from Hello! Project in March 2009, the group subsequently disbanded.
History
On September 13, 2006 their first single "Thanks!Thanks!
"Thanks!" is the debut single of Hello! Project duo GAM. It is also the ending theme for the movie Sukeban Deka: Codename = Asamiya Saki, starring Aya Matsuura. The b-side, , was also used as a filler track in the same movie....
" was released in Japan and made its debut at number two on the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
Daily Ranking chart. The single made its debut—and peak—the following week at number five in the Oricon Weekly Ranking chart. The song has so far stayed in the top 200 for five weeks.
Their second single, , was released October 18, 2006 making its debut at number five on the Oricon Daily Ranking chart the same day. The Ninki weekly singles chart ranked "Melodies" as the fourth most anticipated new release of the week. In iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
Japan, the PV
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for this song was ranked number one on the Top Music Videos list, presumably ranked by sales, as of November 3, 2006. "Melodies" features a more mature theme and contains several scenes implying an almost sexual relationship between the two singers, such as the near kiss sequence featured in the televised form of the PV; just as the two of them are about to kiss the video comes to an abrupt end. The complete version of the PV released on the DVD showed that the two singers had actually kissed at the end of the video. Due to this, they have been compared to the Russian pop duo t.A.T.u. and dubbed among some listeners as the "Japanese t.A.T.u.".
Additionally, on the evening of the 28th of an uncertain month, Matsuura officially revealed her desire to go on a tour as part of GAM. Though her partner agreed, Fujimoto commented on how the group would need to record more original songs in order to do such a thing. Eventually, both members requested an album from producer Tsunku
Tsunku
, better known professionally as , is a prolific Japanese record producer, songwriter, and vocalist.He is best known for having two major roles in the Japanese music landscape: first as the lead singer of the popular rock group Sharam Q, and now as the producer, primary composer, lyricist and main...
.
A third single, entitled Lu Lu Lu was released on March 21, 2007. Three days later, "Daisuki Rakuten Eagles" was released as a theme song of the baseball team Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
The is a baseball team founded in 2004; it played its first season in the Japanese Pacific League in 2005. It is simply called Rakuten . The team was created to fill the void left by the merger of the Orix Blue Wave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes, after the 2004 season due to financial difficulties,...
—the third Hello! Project
Hello! Project
is the umbrella name for all female idol Japanese pop recording artists collective that are under contract with the Up-Front Group. The "mothership" group of Hello! Project is the super-group Morning Musume. Hello! Project's current leader is Risa Niigaki, the leader of Morning Musume...
song to do so.
Albums
| # | Title | Release Date | Peak Position | Copies Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 May 2007 | #12 | 22,506 |
Singles
| # | Title | Release Date | Peak Position | Copies Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Thanks! Thanks! "Thanks!" is the debut single of Hello! Project duo GAM. It is also the ending theme for the movie Sukeban Deka: Codename = Asamiya Saki, starring Aya Matsuura. The b-side, , was also used as a filler track in the same movie.... " |
13 September 2006 | #5 | 36,477 |
| 2 | 18 October 2006 | #8 | 33,324 | |
| 3 | "Lu Lu Lu" | 21 March 2007 | #10 | 21,836 |
| – | 24 March 2007 | - | - |
Single V DVD
| # | Title | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Single V Single V A is a type of DVD released by artists who are part of the J-Pop idol conglomerate, Hello! Project.- Single V :A Single V is often released in coordination one or two weeks after the release of a Hello! Project single. Most artists follow this pattern, except a few including Melon Kinenbi... "Thanks!" |
20 September 2006 |
| 2 |
|-
|align="center"| 3 || Single V "Lu Lu Lu" ||align="right"| 28 March 2007
|}
External links
- Hello! Project official website: Official profile, GAM announcement
- GAM's discography at the Up-Front Works official website