Title: GROOVY

Type: Music and variety television series

Year: 1995
Length: 5 minutes
Number of episodes: 39

Broadcast Time: Monday to Friday, late at night
Broadcast Network: NTV

 

Amuro Namie’s Role

Amuro Namie co-hosts the show with Bro.TOM (Brother Tom ;ブラザー・トム ; real name: Koyanagi Tomu ; Thomas Akiona Akima Junior), a Japanese singer, talent and music producer born in Hawaii.

In a 1995 documentary dedicated to Amuro Namie in Okinawa, Bro.TOM surprises and supports her at the moment she receives her high school diploma.

Incidentally, Bro.TOM has also hosted Ponkickies from 1999 to 2001 and in 2005.

 

GROOVY

GROOVY is a short music and variety television series that serves the promotion of Roppongi Velfarre, a Tokyo nightclub created by music producer Komuro Tetsuya and label avex trax in December 1994. It was then the biggest disco in Asia. Velfarre hosted many international DJs and permitted the release of several mix CDs compilations. It closed its doors in 2007.

Almost every episode of GROOVY take place in the nightclub and the opening titles show both the inside and the outside of Velfarre. The first episodes are dedicated to the discovery of the place.

In most episodes, Amuro Namie and Bro.TOM interview guests: mostly artists and talents, but also various entertainers. There are notable appearances by British reggae singer C.J Lewis, American scat singer John Scatman as well as singer Fuji Keiko and producer Utada Terazune.

Former SUPER MONKEY’S, MAX, also appear twice to promote their first single Koisuru Velfarre Dance ~Saturday Night~, a cover of Whigfield’s Saturday Night, that was originally recorded for promoting the Velfarre club.

Amuro Namie promotes her own releases in the show. So does Bro.TOM who introduces Hisamoto Masami’s single Namida no kawa which he produced and his band The Bubble Gum Brothers.

Several episodes are dedicated to “Amuro’s DJ School”. They show Amuro Namie taking DJ lessons from Ujita Minoru. This part of the series was promoting the presence of DJs in Roppongi Velfarre, but also responded to one of Amuro’s wishes: fearing that her career as a singer would not last for long, she was eager to learn new skills such as playing the battery or learning how to become a DJ as an alternative.

The 39th and final episode celebrates Amuro Namie’s 18th birthday.

Amuro & Bro.TOM
Amuro & wrestler Misawa Mitsuharu
Amuro’s DJ performance

 

Music

Openings
Taiyou no SEASON – Amuro Namie
Chance is Love – m.c.A・T’n K-T

Many of the songs that have been played during the show are non-Japanese. A selection of dance/techno, but also reggae songs can be heard.
With no surprise, most of the Japanese songs are by avex trax artists. Every BGM songs used during the episodes are listed below.

 

Release


Artist
Amuro Namie feat. Bro.TOM, Ujita Minoru

Title
DJ GROOVE

Release date
1995.09.01

Label
vap

Catalog Number
VPVF-63715

 

Features “Amuro no DJ Class” from GROOVY.

 

Episodes

 

Episode 1

Guests
Takano Hirofumi, Velfarre Front manager
Yoshida Hidenori, Velfarre Manager

BGM
White Lines [Duran Duran]
EZ DO DANCE -trance drive mix- [trf]

 
Episode 2

BGM
We’re Lonely Girl [hitomi]
WOW WAR TONIGHT [H  jungle with t]

 
Episode 3

Guests
Koyama-san, CLUB SPACE Chef
Ogata-san, VIP Room Chef

BGM
Save the last dance [Saint & Campbell]
I Can’t Help Myself -Sugar Pie Honey Brunch- [The Four Tops]
Episode 4

Guests
Goto Chie, Race Queen

BGM
Namida no kawa [Hisamoto Masami] – Produced by Bro.TOM
The Big Beat [Cappella]
Episode 5

Guests
DJ Shibo (Nakamura Kenji)

BGM
Don’t mean Jak [Parallax]
Taiyo no SEASON [Amuro Namie]
Episode 6

Guests
m.c.A・T

BGM
BOMB A HEAD [m.c.A・T]
Oh ! My Precious ! [m.c.A・T]
Episode 7

Guests
m.c.A・T
Koshiba Chieko, m.c.A・T’s manager

BGM
SUPER HAPPY [m.c.A・T]
Unobore Sasete [The Bubble Gum Brothers] – Bro.TOM’s band
Taiyou no SEASON [Amuro Namie] 
Episode 8

Guests
Stan Hansen, Professional wrestler
Misawa Mitsuharu, Professional wrestler

BGM
Stan Hansen Theme Song
Misawa Mitsuharu Theme Song
Overnight Sensation ~Jidai wa Anata ni Yudaneteru~ [trf]
Episode 9

Guests
MAX

BGM
Taiyou no SEASON [Amuro Namie]
SEASON [Veronica Sales]
Koisuru Velfarre Dance ~Saturday Night~ [MAX]
Episode 10 – Amuro no DJ Class

DJ Master
Ujita Minoru

BGM
Uhh-uhh, ohh-ohh look out [Jocelyn Brown]
Sky high -radio edit- [Newton]
Talk about -rodeo mix- [D.J. Creator]
Can you feel it ? [Reel 2 Real feat. The Mad Stuntman]
Episode 11

Guests
SATOKO
Takizawa Tsutomu, Lead manager

BGM
Joto Dayo [SATOKO]
Oh Carol ! [Saint & Campbell]
Episode 12 – Amuro no DJ Class

DJ Master
Ujita Minoru

BGM
Flip up [Junior Tuck]
‘Hige’ Theme -Hip Bass Mix- Remixed by Monchi Tanaka
Episode 13

Guests
Kato Noriko, Bartender
Takano Toshino, Teppan-yaki chief
SWITCH

BGM
Shake your booty [KC & The Sunshine Band]
Time on the move [Saint & Campbell]
Shanimuni Shake ! Shake ! [SWITCH]
Episode 14

Guests
Kaido Yuko
Ogasawara Asami
Hirabayashi Mayuko, Osagawara’s manager

BGM
For Seasons [Kaido Yuko]
Pachinco Man [Boogie Man]
Episode 15

Guests
Kondou Tamami, Director of ‘Sei Shikai’ Etiquette Academy

BGM
Keep on Moving [Bob Marley]
I get lifted [Barbara Tucker]
Everyday [incognito]
Episode 16 – Amuro no DJ Class

DJ Master
Ujita Minoru

BGM
Big love [Ali Campbell]
Hyper Beat -single version- [Dulfer]
Episode 17

Guests
C.C. Girls

BGM
Believe in yourself -album new version- [C.C. Girls]
Episode 18

Guests
SAYOKO
SWITCH

BGM
Mr. LOVER MAN [SAYOKO]
Episode 19

Guests
Sakuma Hiroyuki, Dancer & Choreographer
MAX

BGM
Aishite Muscat [SUPER MONKEY’S 4]
Tougher than love [Diana King]
Koisuru Velfarre Dance ~Saturday Night~ [MAX]
Episode 20 – Amuro no DJ Class

DJ Master
Ujita Minoru

BGM
Saturday Night [Whigfield]
Motor Way [Takeda Shinji]
Episode 21

Guests
Urara
Oiwa Mari

BGM
Hold on [Jaki Graham]
Get up and dance [Freedom]
CANDY GIRL [hitomi]
DON’T GIVE IT UP [Sonic Serfers]
Episode 22 – Amuro no DJ Class

DJ Master
Ujita Minoru

DJ Master’s Master
Matsumoto Mitsugu

BGM
To the born [Vibes Ahead Aliance]
In the summertime [Shaggy feat. Rayvon]
Episode 23

Guests
Honma Yoko, Actress/Seiyuu

BGM
Country Road [Honma Yoko]
Episode 24

Guests
Suirei [Cuiling]

BGM
Koi wo Suru tabi ni Kizu Tsuki Yasuku… [Suirei]
 

Episode 25

BGM
Stop the music [Amuro Namie]
Episode 26

Guests
Bose II men

BGM
Chance is Love [m.c.A・T’n K-T]
Janai no sa ! [Bose II men]
Episode 27

Guests
C.J. Lewis

BGM
Rough’n’ Smooth [C.J. Lewis]
Chance is Love [m.c.A・T’n K-T]
Episode 28

Guests
Tanaka Yumiko, Gidayu shamisen player

BGM
Chance is Love [m.c.A・T’n K-T]
Episode 29 – Amuro no DJ Class

DJ Master
Ujita Minoru

BGM
Stop the music [Amuro Namie]
Episode 30

Guests
’95 Avex Image Girl
DJ TA-SHI
Ujita Minoru
AZ, Dance team

BGM
Dance Matrix ’95 theme
Fantastic Voyage [Coolio]
Groove to get down [T-Connection]
Clap Your Hands -power jam mix- Remixed by DJ Rusher
Episode 31

Guests
Uno Kanda, Model/Talent
Ujita Minoru,
DJ BEAT

BGM
Popstar [Scatman]
Staying alive 95 [Fever feat. Tippa Irie]
Episode 32

Guests
Ujita Minoru
DJ BEAT
Rinka, Model/Talent

BGM
6th wonder [Spoonie Gee & The Sequence]
Jirettai yo ne [Rinka]
Episode 33

Guests
Big Mountain
Maekawa Koki

BGM
Baby I Love Your Way [Big Mountain]
Caribbean Blue [Big Mountain]
Our Radio Rocks [PJ & Duncan Aka]
Episode 34

Guests
Fuji Keiko
Utada Teruzane

BGM
NEW LIFE -vocal mix- [U3]
NEW LIFE -ext. Club vocal mix- [U3]
Episode 35

Guests
MONDAY Michiru

BGM
SUNSHINE AFTER THE RAIN [MONDAY Michiru]
Episode 36

Guests
Ujita Minoru
DJ KEN-BO
John Scatman

BGM
DBC Let the music play [Stetsasonic]
Ski-ka-pop-ba-dop-bop [Scatman]
Game over jazz [Scatman]
Episode 37

Guests
Matsushima Nanako, Actress

BGM
Love & Devotion [Real McCoy]
Esmola [Skank]
Episode 38

Guests
CHIE (YOYOYO)
Ujita Minoru
Jiboa

BGM
Koi wo shiyou ! [YOYOYO]
Play that funky music [New Lick]
Episode 39

Guests
Ujita Minoru

BGM
Birthday [The Beatles]
Stop the music [Amuro Namie]
Chance is Love [m.c.A・T’n K-T]