The Peanuts

The Peanuts (ザ・ピーナッツ, Za Pīnattsu) was a Japanese vocal group consisting of twin sisters Emi Itō (伊藤エミ, Itō Emi) and Yumi Itō (伊藤ユミ, Itō Yumi).^[1] They were born in Tokoname, Aichi, (Japan) on April 1, 1941. Soon after the twins' birth, the family moved to Nagoya.

The twins were discovered while performing at a club in Nagoya in 1958 by pop impresario Sho Watanabe. He brought them to Tokyo and gave them the name The Peanuts. They made their first recording “Kawaii Hana” (“Cute Flower”) in 1959.^[2] In their early years they sang Japanese covers of standards, foreign hits, and Japanese folk songs; then they began singing originals, written by their producer, Hiroshi Miyagawa, and such songwriters as Koichi Sugiyama and Rei Nakanishi. They are first performers of "Koi no Vacance".

Later, the twins embarked on a brief acting career, notably in the 1961 film Mothra and Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster. In the audio commentary for the DVD of Mothra vs. Godzilla, it is noted that director Ishiro Honda fondly recalled the Itos' professionalism. Though not primarily actresses by trade, they were surprisingly skilled, learned their lines quickly, and always worked on time, despite their own busy schedules.

The pair retired from performance in 1975 after Emi married fellow Nabepro star Kenji Sawada.^[2] The duo is remembered most for its versions of European songs and for a handful of Japanese pop songs, such as "Furimukanaide" ("Don't Turn Around"). Their performing style played heavily on their being monozygotic twins with voices only slightly apart in timbre (making a duet sound like a solo artist using reverb).

Emi Itō died on June 15, 2012, at the age of 71.^[3] Yumi died on May 18, 2016, at the age of 75.^[4]

Discography

• 可愛いピーナッツ (kawaii pinattsu) 1959
• ピーナッツ民謡お国めぐり (pinattsu minyou okuni meguri) 1960
• The Hit Parade 1960
• I'll see you in my dreams 1961
• The Hit Parade Vol.2 1962
• The Hit Parade Vol.3 1962
• The Folk Songs 1963
• Popular Standards 1963
• The Hit Parade 1963
• The Hit Parade Vol.4 1964
• The Hit Parade Vol.5 1964
• The Hit Parade Vol.6 1965
• Souvenirs aus Tokio 1965
• The Hit Parade Vol.6 Around the Europe 1966
• ザ・ピーナッツ・デラックス (The Peanuts Deluxe) 1967
• Golden Deluxe 1968
• Feelin' Good new dimension of the Peanuts 1970
• ザ・ピーナッツ・ダブル・デラックス (The Peanuts Double Deluxe) 1971
• ザ・ピーナッツ・ベスト・アルバム (The Peanuts Best Album) 1971
• 華麗なるフランシス・レイ・サウンド ザ･ピーナッツ最新映画主題歌を歌う (kareinaru furanshisu rei saundo The Peanuts saishin eiga jyudaika wo utau) 1971
• 世界の女たち (sekai no onnatachi) 1972
• Superdisc 20 1972
• ザ・ピーナッツ・オン・ステージ (The Peanuts On Stage) 1972
• ザ・ピーナッツ・ベスト２０／指輪のあとに (The Peanuts Best 20 / yubiwa no atoni) 1973
• 情熱の砂漠 (jyonetsu no sabaku) 1973
• Superdisc 20 1973
• 気になる噂／ベスト・オブ・ザ・ピーナッツ (ki ni naru uwasa/Best Of The Peanuts) 1974
• ザ・ピーナッツベスト２０ (The Peanuts Best 20) 1974
• Eternal! 1975
• ザ・ピーナッツ・ベスト２０ (The Peanuts - Best 20) 1975
• Big Star Series ザ・ピーナッツ (Big Star Series The Peanuts) 1976
• Big Star W Series ザ・ピーナッツ (Big Star W Series The Peanuts) 1977
• The Peanuts Original 1978
• The Peanuts Pops 1978
• The Peanuts Love 1978
• Best Star W Deluxe 1979
• スーパースター・ベスト・アルバム ザ・ピーナッツ (Super Star Best Album The Peanuts) 1979
• Monument 1980
• ザ・ピーナッツ・ベスト (The Peanuts Best) 1980
• The Peanuts History Vol.1 1983
• The Peanuts History Vol.2 1983
• ザ・ピーナッツ・ベスト 1984
• 復刻盤　ザ・ピーナッツ・オン・ステージ (fukkokuban The Peanuts On Stage) 1984
• ザ・ピーナッツ・ベスト・アルバム (The Peanuts Best Album) 1985
• Ｄ.Ｃ.恋のフーガ (D.C. koi no fuuga) 1987
• Ｄ.Ｃ. Retro 198

Notes

External links

• Nippop Profile | The Peanuts (English)
• Extensive discography (Japanese)