blog about hide and X-Japan. ...Mostly hide, though) Yeah, I like X-Japan. And I don't think Sugizo is a member of this group. my English is not very good, so It could be a lot of mistakes ) Sorry!
@biggeorgeous asked me about hide's favorite movies, and I thought it might be interesting for somebody else)
As far as I remember, in one of his early questionnaires he mentioned being a fan of Fellini's "8½."
As for later interviews, here are a few quotes (if anyone knows other movies hide mentioned, feel free to add them in the comments!):
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"When it comes to the best Japanese film, it has to be 'Battles Without Honor and Humanity' (Jingi Naki Tatakai). As for foreign films, there are many works that depict the inner world of their characters—not just the action—like 'The Godfather' and 'Once Upon a Time in America.'
I'm the type who watches movies indiscriminately, to the point where I can't even remember who was in them, but my absolute favorite is still 'Battles Without Honor and Humanity.' My favorite line? It's not about a single line—it's about the whole exchange, it's not that kind of film. Also, more than the violence, I like the lonely feeling you get when you step back from it. The fact that the yakuza life isn't that different from the ordinary guys on the street—that's not shown too explicitly, but when you catch a glimpse of it, it's great. 'Scarface' and 'The Godfather' are like that too. That's probably why I like yakuza and gangster films.
Also, I just like Italian faces like Al Pacino and Andy Garcia. When I put on a suit, I start to feel like I have an Italian face myself—unless I look in the mirror.
And then there's a film that's not a gangster movie—'The World According to Garp.' I love it. I watch it about once every two months." - (c) hide, Arena37, February 1997
"The drama series 'Miseinen' (Underage) that aired on TBS (starring Ishibashi Issei, Sakurai Sachiko, Katori Shingo, etc.)—I ended up watching it all the way through and, I hate to admit, cried quite a bit (laughs). Before I knew it, I'd become a fan of Ishibashi Issei. While watching, I found myself thinking, 'How did this become so surreal all of a sudden? Did Ryu Murakami sneak in here?' The latter half, with them escaping on a train, was just too far-fetched—for a moment, I even overlapped it with 'Fascism of Love and Fantasy.' Well, it's not that grand of a show (laughs). But near the end, when the arrest scene came, I realized, 'Wait, this is just the 'rotten orange' formula from 'Kinpachi-sensei,' isn't it?' Sprech—kooor♪ (No need to sing). Anyway, there were plenty of tear-jerking moments, and I was especially moved by the Generation X-style portrayal of Ishibashi Issei." - (c) hide, Arena37, February 1997
"'Wings of Desire' (🇩🇪Der Himmel über Berlin; 🇫🇷Les Ailes du désir)— I recently bought it on LaserDisc, and I'm glad I did. The sound was excellent. The angels appear as real figures; they're visible to children and certain people, but not to ordinary adults. When the film shifts to the angel's perspective, the thoughts of the humans are narrated in poetic verse. That was interesting, coming from different parts of the speakers, with a kind of echoing, layered feel.
What was shocking was 'Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom.' I bought it on LD, and it was really shocking. Until then, it had only existed in my memory—I don't think I'd romanticized it, but it was so extreme that it actually made me feel sick while watching. Still, I was able to experience it with the same feeling as when I was a kid.
There's a certain country where the president or someone creates a kind of order like 'let's take anarchism to the extreme,' and a community is built as the ultimate pleasure tailored to their tastes. In that world, homosexuality, lesbianism, incest, and scatology are all taken for granted, and the madness just escalates. It's disgusting—I still haven't watched it all the way through (laughs).
I don't watch much anime, but when I was in America, Inada-kun brought all the episodes of 'Future Boy Conan.' It was a huge amount of footage, but I borrowed them and watched the whole thing in about two nights—I guess you could say I was hooked (laughs).
Lately, I've been wanting to see 'The Crow' and 'Speed'—I don't actively seek out films to watch, so things that have remained in my head for a long time tend to take priority. That's why I watched 'Salò' (laughs). As for 'The Crow,' I had the soundtrack first and had been listening to it, so it was more about the musical interest." - (c) hide, Shoxx, November 1994
"Noriko Shouji: During the earlier X concerts, you had that "hide's room" segment. A suspicious nurse would appear, and you'd be carried away on a stretcher.
hide: Well, I was into SM back then.
Noriko Shouji: Ah, I see.
hide: I was into bondage at that time. I still go to SM parties often.
Noriko Shiuji: (lowering her voice) Is it okay to say that aloud?
hide: Of course (laughs). You might imagine old men going "Heh heh heh," but it's more stylish than that.
Noriko Shouji: So that's where you get your ideas. I see.
hide: It's interesting. There are people there who you might think shouldn't be there. Since it's a closed private party, everyone does whatever they want.
Noriko Shouji: I see.
hide: But I don't do anything! I don't do anything like this (gesturing a whip). I don't do that.
Noriko Shouji: (laughs)
hide: The party is in a place like a disco, and you can eat and drink, but there's the guys completely covered in latex from head to toe, so they can't eat or drink anything. But they stay like that the whole time, and they say that's what makes them happy.
Noriko Shouji: So it's about enduring.
hide: For the guy like him, it's the ultimate pleasure (laughs).
Noriko Shouji: The ultimate joy (laughs). Everyone must be dressed stylishly...
hide: There's a dress code—you have to wear either latex, leather, body piercings, tattoos, or a tuxedo. I enjoy listening to the people there.
Noriko Shouji: That sounds interesting.
hide: Everyone's just drinking, though. The host of these parties is a friend of mine.
Noriko Shouji: I see. Now I know your secret!
hide: It's not a secret. Do you want to go next time? Together?
Noriko Shouji: What should I put on?
hide: Latex. ...You in latex—that would be something.
Noriko Shouji: Latex with a three-tier belly (laughs). I'd look like a fish sausage (laughs).
hide: If I choose between S and M, I'm more of an M. Oh, what am I saying?!(laughs)" - (c) Shouji Noriko's book "Mother and Sons", p.11-12.
Long time ago, when I first came to Tokyo and had just joined X, back in the indie days, I was crashing at a girl's place because I didn't have money for rent. There was an apartment building nearby—nothing special, no auto-lock or anything—but for some reason, I really admired it. I used to look at it like a house of my dream, thinking, 'I wish I could live in a place like that.' I'd even pass by it when I went to the convenience store or to work.
Then, when X made their major debut and I got my first paycheck, I rented that exact apartment. Sounds like a dramatic, nice story, right? But even though I fulfilled that dream, I ended up not living there for more than two years. I never really stayed in one place for long.
After moving a few times post-debut, I found myself dreaming of an auto-lock apartment. Humans are greedy like that. So I finally moved into this auto-lock place up on a hill. I lived there for about a year.
Then one day, I was watching TV, and I felt a presence behind the curtain. When I looked, there were two or three people peeking in through the window. I moved out of there pretty quickly.
Thinking back now, I realize I must have been drunk and just not noticed, but apparently, whenever I came home drunk in the early morning, there would be two or three fans waiting at the front door—even though it had an auto-lock. They'd say, 'Welcome back!' and I'd be totally wasted and say something back. I guess I just brushed past them and went into my room. I don't remember any of it. Friends who were with me told me, 'Of course they were peeking in. Everyone knows where you live.' (c) hide, on Radio LEMONed.
On this occasion — a short translation from Nakajima's memories in April 1992 issue Arena 37, the column named "Friend about Friend"
Kazuyuki Nakajima (stylist, artist) was born August 11, 1966, in Tokyo. Worked at a hair salon in the Meguro area. He was a fan of X, with a particular love for Taiji, and also worked as a stylist and hairdresser for X.
This friend is the very person Taiji mentions in his autobiography. Nakajima's parents helped care for Taiji while he was hospitalized. It was the Nakajima couple who helped arrange the transfer of royalties for the songs. In his autobiography, Taiji also wrote that he considered the Nakajimas his adoptive parents, and that he greatly resembled Nakajima's father—so much so that they were often mistaken for blood-related father and son.
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"So, on December 31, it was officially announced on the TV program Music Station that Taiji was leaving X. I think many people noticed that Taiji did not appear in the prestigious special program that preceded this announcement. Taiji had already known he'd leave the band during the concert at Tokyo Dome. At the banquet after the Dome show, he was very cheerful, as if he were already racing toward a new life. And indeed, Taiji left X and joined another band. He really did dash forward. Currently, Taiji is in the band "Loudness." This time, I want to talk about Taiji, whom I love very much.
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I was 20 when I first met Taiji. This was before I started doing hair and makeup for X. At the time, I was working at a hair salon in Chiba. I was often seen at the local public bath (sento). And there, I kept noticing one rock guy who stood out even in the bathhouse. That guy turned out to be Taiji. He had his own bath at home, but he still went to the sento. Apparently, he really loved public baths.
And without saying a word, we always recognized each other's presence. At the bathhouse. At the tobacco shop next door. And sometimes at a popular local café... We ran into each other often. At the time, I never imagined that two years later, I'd be working with X on their hair and makeup. Thinking that we were already spending time in the same neighborhood back then, I feel a strange sense of fate.
And so, two years later, when I was 22 (and Taiji was also 22), I participated in my first job with X—it was the promotional video shoot for the song "ENDLESS RAIN." When I was introduced to the band members, I never thought that the rock guy from the bathhouse was Taiji. Apparently, Taiji didn't recognize me either.
It was only later that we realized we had been hanging out in the same place at the same time. After talking about our hometowns, we quickly became close and became friends who shared our innermost thoughts. From then on, we started spending a lot of time together.
Soon, I visited Taiji's home for the first time. The moment I entered his room, something caught my eye. It was several holes punched through the wall. They silently spoke of Taiji's inner struggles. We spent quiet hours in that room, listening to music and playing guitar. I remember that the only heater—an electric one—was bent and twisted out of shape, but still kept us warm. And even though we both preferred to hang out somewhere outside, we somehow ended up together within those four walls." - (c) Nakajima Kazuyuki, Arena37, April 1992
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Note: After seeing this article, Taiji was very moved and, on his own initiative, sent Nakajima a fax to get in touch. As a result, in the June 1992 issue of Arena37 magazine, their conversation and their joint photo were published.
• What was your impression of hide when you first met him?
He seemed intimidating. I remember feeling as though he could see right through everything I proposed, which made me lose confidence. I continued to feel that way during our subsequent photo sessions.
• Could you share a memorable episode or story about hide?
The very first time was for the opening spread of Création. He showed up on crutches because he had fractured his leg shortly before. So we shot him with the crutches. He really liked those photos, and after that, I got to work with him on the inside jacket of Ja, Zoo, artist photos, and more. I thought we'd continue working together, but then he passed away. In the end, the photos I took of hide in LA for Pink Spider and Ever Free turned out to be the last ones. - (c) Yosuke Komatsu, photographer, from "hide's Bible".
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Scans are from Création magazine (1-3) and additional shots published in hide Bible (4-6)
It's been exactly 35 years today since the album Jealousy was released, so tonight quote is about the album recording^^
"November 1990.
The members of X traveled to Los Angeles to record their second major album, Jealousy. After announcing a hiatus in June, they had a songwriting camp near Mount Fuji, but Pata fell ill afterward, delaying their departure. After arriving in Los Angeles, hide fell ill, and when he went to the hospital, he happened to witness a serious situation—Yoshiki, who had collapsed while playing drums, was brought in the same hospital as well.
During the recording, Toshi also complained of throat issues, and the album was completed despite the members' recurring health problems.
This album included three songs written and composed by hide: "Miscast," "Love Replica," and "Joker".
Although hide's health improved, Yoshiki's condition did not recover quickly. So hide thought, "Let's start with what we can do alone," and began recording "Love Replica." Having come to Los Angeles for the recording but feeling demoralized by the series of setbacks, he wanted to boost the members' spirits and hoped that completing even one song would ease Yoshiki's burden.
The first thing he wanted to focus on was the sound of the percussion, which played a 3/4 rhythm. Desiring a metallic-sounding hammer beat, hide took a hammer and started hitting everything in and around the studio. He then found a sound he liked—and it was a large dustbin, common in America. After pounding on it and getting an excellent sound, he immediately rushed to get the studio engineer.
So the engineer's very first task for the Jealousy recording was bringing that large dustbin into the studio!" - (c) Akemi Oshima, hide's Perfect Treasures Book
"Basically I hate phones. I don't really like making calls or receiving them either. But when I'm in L.A., I often find myself getting lonely. Around dawn, there's the guy who often calls me—one of the members of my solo tour, Chirolyn. He's something else. Even when I don't pick up, he leaves these long messages on the answering machine, as if he's reading from a script. He'll keep talking for a full ten minutes, right until the tape runs out. He really brightens up my lonely life over there.
Also, there's another member of the same solo tour, a guy named Kiyoshi. He's around the same age as me—though he may look like a guy who'd wear shorts, he gets lonely too, I guess. Sometimes I worry, like: 'Do you really want to leave a drunken middle-aged man's rambling complaints on my answering machine making calls to L.A? Don't you have any other friends?' *laughs*
So, yeah—phones. Basically, I hate them. I do have a mobile phone registered under my name, but even though it's a mobile phone, I've never actually carried it with me. That's just how it is." - (c) hide, on Radio LEMONed
HIDE: The first time I bought a Mockingbird was because Mitsuhiro-san (Mitsuhiro Saito, the guitarist who played in Bow Wow) was using one. And just around that time, his signature model came out, so I bought it right away.
Kyōji Yamamoto: I see. Mitsuhiro got his because Joe Perry was using one. That Mockingbird I have now, I swapped it for a Telecaster. But that shape—doesn't it hurt when you play it?
HIDE: You mean the part that digs into your stomach, right? At first, I thought I had some weird disease. When I got into the bath and looked at it, the area was all red!*laughs*
(c) interview with Kyōji Yamamoto, guitarist and lider of Bow Wow (aka Vov Wow for some period of time), circa 1989
Hide finding out about the album release on TV and imitating Yoshiki — that's priceless 🤭
"HIDE: We only see each other on TV or in the studio. But our relationship isn't bad — it's actually good. So I'm sitting at home, eating, watching TV. And there's Yoshiki on the screen. They ask him about his plans for the year. And he says:
*mimicking Yoshiki's way of speaking*
'We're releasing an album in April.'
And I'm like: 'Ehh...?!'
Interviewer: But April is right around the corner!"
"If I remember correctly, we first met (with hide) over ten years ago at Penta Studio in Ikebukuro. By that time, I had already left X after working on "SKULL THRASH ZONE" (a Victor Entertainment compilation), and hide had come in to take my place, but they needed one more guitarist. They called me, and I came to the studio. That's where I was introduced to him. I had known Kyo-chan before, but while he was playing in Saber Tiger, I didn't see him very often, so I didn't know hide personally either.
I think Yoshiki introduced him to me and said "hide-chan," but I didn't hear the name properly, and I didn't ask for clarification — so I spent the whole day thinking, "How am I supposed to address him?" — and just went around in confusion, calling out to him "Hey, hey, hey."
He already looked like the hide of the early days — a huge hat, long hair, and a Mockingbird guitar in his hands. I was in jeans, and he was wearing vinyl pants, dark glasses, and a hat, and I thought, "What a stylish guy," because no one but hide ever managed to pin his hat on with a brooch." - (с) Pata's memories, JETS vol.4
"Take cigarettes, for example — before, in bars that serve hard liquor, you could smoke freely, but now you can't even smoke in places like that.
In other words, you can't smoke anywhere under a roof.
Naturally, you can't smoke in the studio either, and so on.
On one hand, it's probably good for your health…
When I'm working in the studio, I turn into a real cigarette-consumption machine. Without even realizing it… I can no longer tell: am I smoking the tobacco, or is the tobacco smoking me? I smoke to the point where I lose all sense of boundaries.
So in that sense, the ban might be for the better.
But when I see some woman making a sour face at the sight of someone smoking — that just pisses me off. Honestly. I want to shove a cigarette down her throat.
And I think: if you're gonna get cancer from this smoke, you'd have gotten it a long time ago.
"You'd have gotten sick ages ago!" - that's what I think.
After all, they say that Japan's leading cancer specialist was a heavy smoker until the day he died, right?
These things happen.
If you'll allow me to speak my mind:
'Don't fucking piss me off!' — that's what I often think." - (c) hide, All Night Nippon radio, April 1998
"The common denominator among the members of Saver Tiger was American hard rock, as represented by bands like KISS and Mötley Crüe. Their motto was "Let's go all out with flash and spectacle!" When they found Mötley Crüe's first album at an import record store, the members were blown away, thinking, "This is it!" They decided to imitate them and wear outfits made of leather and fishnet. At the time, many major bands wore tight leggings, so they unanimously agreed: "A serious rock band wears it!"
However, in those days, there were no stores selling rock fashion like there are today. So, before their first live show, all the members decided to go to Shibuya to buy leggings. Five guys traveled all the way from Yokosuka to Shibuya just to buy it. And where did they go? A specialty store for ballet costumes! The five of them stuck out like sore thumbs among the female customers, but they were so thrilled to get their hands on the leggings of their dreams that they didn't care about the cold stares from the other shoppers. They tried on various types of it, overjoyed.
"They look good on you!"
"Ah, this is so rock!"
While the other members were excited, hide had a gloomy face in the changing room. He still had remnants of being overweight, and his thighs were too bulky to fit into the tight leggings. As he watched the other members buying it one after another, hide was troubled. He couldn't bring himself to say, "I'm the only one who can't fit them, so I won't buy any."
"Matsumoto, how are you doing?"
"Ah... I-I'm fine."
In the end, hide bought leggings that didn't fit him, just to save face. He displayed them in his room until the day of the live show and worked hard on his diet.
"I'm definitely going to wear these!"
It was the most determined diet he had ever undertaken. And by the day of the live show, hide had successfully lost enough weight to fit into the leggings — though his thighs were still a bit tight." - (c) Akemi Oshima, hide Perfect Treasures Book
"Standing in front of 10,000 people, you're basically exposing your own private space, so it's pretty intense, right?
It's kind of like, "Hey, look at that — I'm showing you my own naked ass" - (c) hide, reflecting on performing his solo corner "Hide's Room" at X's first Nippon Budokan live show (07 May 1990)
(c) "hide word file" book
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Unfortunately I don't have any proper photos of 'hide no heya' from exactly that concert. So here is photos from the other one (1991).
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