Formed in Tokyo in 1973, The Alfee started as a folk-oriented quartet linked to
Meiji Gakuin’s student music scene, then solidified as a trio in 1975: Masaru
Sakurai (bass, vocals), Kohnosuke Sakazaki (acoustic guitar, percussion,
vocals), and Toshihiko Takamizawa (electric guitar, vocals), with Takamizawa
later becoming the band’s main songwriter and leader. They debuted on record as
Alfie with the single “Natsu Shigure” (August 25, 1974) and followed with their
first album Seishun no Kioku (July 25, 1975), but label tensions in the
mid-1970s stalled their momentum until a resta...