From our other sites
The story
Singer-songwriter Chage (68) appeared alongside Yu Hayami on TOKYO FM’s late-night program “TOKYO SPEAKEASY,” which aired in the early hours of September 24, and looked back on the origins of the duo name CHAGE and ASKA. He revealed that in their amateur days they were billed as “Chage and ASKA,” in that order and wording — a detail that sparked discussion about how it later changed. On 5ch, users reacted to the backstory behind the name CHAGE and the story of how ASUKA became ASKA, while also debating the chances of a reunion given ASKA’s past drug conviction.
Chage: “In our amateur days, it was ‘Chage and ASKA’” — reveals secret story behind the duo’s name
9/25 (Fri) 12:35
Singer-songwriter Chage (68) appeared alongside Yu Hayami on TOKYO FM’s “TOKYO SPEAKEASY” (Mon–Thu, 1am), which aired late on the night of the 24th, and looked back on how CHAGE and ASKA got their name.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Read the original article here
What people said
It's kind of amazing that it's still used in commercials to this day
I liked Ishikawa Yuko — cute and sexy.
Didn't she and Ch◯ge end up on bad terms? (Some articles say it started partway through…)
ASKA was originally spelled ASUKA, but apparently he changed it after being called "Asuuka" while recording overseas
It sounds like a novelty song, but listening to it again, it's actually really cool
Asuka recently put out a song with Koji Tamaki that's kind of a "yeah yeah yeah" type track
He's not refusing — he's literally bringing up ChageAndAska on the radio like this.
Speaking of Chage, I liked the song "Fifty-Fifty." There are more hidden gems than you'd expect.
It turned into a real business once it took off.
Guess he'll probably never sing with Asuka [ASKA] again.
I was impressed he's still writing new music at his age.
Some of CHAGE's songs are kind of mediocre (though plenty are good too), but I think he's more original than a lot of his peers.
That said, "Oto Ginga" is basically a recycled "Only Lonely," and the song after that sounds just like "Under the Big Chestnut Tree" [a well-known Japanese children's song].
I can't even remember what the other guy's voice — the one with the sunglasses — sounds like.
I think it was "Asuka Ryo" [his real stage name]
The story goes that overseas people kept pronouncing "ASUKA" as "Osuka" instead of "Asuka," so he dropped the U
Background and Key Points of This Story
According to one post, CHAGE and ASKA were formed in 1979 as a project unit created specifically to advance through the Popcon qualifiers, and the early details of who led the group and in what order their names were billed have rarely been discussed officially. ASKA was arrested in 2014 for violating the Stimulants Control Act, and that incident still casts a shadow over the group’s subsequent hiatus and the persistent hope for a reunion. In the thread, opinions were split between users questioning CHAGE’s musical contribution and others countering that CHAGE actually led the group in its early days. The theory that ASUKA became ASKA because of how it was pronounced during overseas recording sessions was also raised — though it should be noted this remains hearsay with no official confirmation.
*This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Music] Chage: ‘In our amateur days, it was Chage and ASKA’ — reveals secret story behind the duo’s name.”
Leave a Reply