What is the meaning of "Pizzicato Five"? As far as i can tell:

"Pizzicato"' is an italian past participle, which means "pinched", as a musical direction it is generally used to mean that the strings of an instrument should be pinched (not played with a bow, as normally expected). 

"five" is a number, more than four, less than six. although this should be expected to mean that this particular band has five members, this has rarely been true. for instance, as of feb 2000 the group has two members (see NOMIYA MAKI and KONISHI YASUHARU).

1979

KONISHI yasuharu met TAKANAMI keitaro in "Better Days"; a music lovers' society on Aoyama university. After that encounter, KONISHI and TAKANAMI started to form a band with KAMOMIYA ryo who was also in the society. They looked for a vocalist.

1984

They decided SASAKI mamiko for their vocalist on the Christmas Eve of 1984. WADA hiromi, who knew Konishi since Konishi was in High-school, brought HOSONO haruomi (ex-YMO), to Konishi's room. Hosono loved their demo tapes and he decided to release it from his label "Non Standards.

1985

THE Band Members were KONISHI YASUHARU, TAKANAMI KEITARO, KAMOMIYA RYO and SASAKI MARIKO.

APRIL: Debut live at Shibuya Live inn with Voice, Carnation. Lives at La Mama, Crocodile in April and May.

JUNE: Started recording their debut record "Audrey Hepburn Complex". Music event "All Together Now" as a back chorus of HAPPY END.

AUGUST: "Audrey Hepburn Complex". Live at Roppongi Inkstick.

SEPTEMBER: Started recording "Pizzicato Five in Action".

OCTOBER: Non Standard all stars' live at Kintetsu Theater. Osaka. With Mikado, Urban Dance. Worldstandard and Shi-shonen.

DECEMBER: Non Standard's compilation album "THE BEST OF NON STANDARDÓ which includes their "What's new, Pizzicato?" was released. Distributing Special recording "from Party to Party" for Tobu Department store campaign. Live with Blue Tonic at Space part 3 in Shibuya Parco. Title: "Watch those December's children".

1986

JANUARY: "Pizzicato Five in Action". Started collaborating with an art director, SHINDO mitsuo of Contemporary Production.

APRIL: Radio l-D of "Pop & Rock day" for NHK-FM.

OCTOBER: Transfered to CBS SONY records. Joined omunibus album "Winter Lounge".

DECEMBER: Live in Osaka. With Urban Dance.

1987

APRIL: "Couples"

JULY: Compilation CD "Pizzicatomania!" which includes songs from Non Standard. Soundtrack for TV Drama series "Kiss yori kantan" "ohimanara kiteyone" (directed by KAWAGE shunsaku).

DECEMBER: Live at Shibaura Inkstick. Title: "Merry Pizzicato".

1988

APRIL: SASAKI mamiko and KAMOMIYA ryo resigned and TAJIMA takao joined as the group's new vocalist.

SEPTEMBER: "BELLISSIMA". From autumn to winter, the band performed lives at Club Quattro Shibuya, MZA Ariake and Roppongi Inkstick. Soundtrack for TV Drama series "Dakishimetai" (directed by KAWAGE shunsaku).

1989

FEBRUARY: Live with Original Love at Sibaura Inkstick. Started recording "On Her Majesty's Request". NOMIYA maki appeared in one of its title "Satellite hour".

JULY: "On Her Malesty's request". Live tour (11 places).

DECEMBER: Christmas Live at Ebisu Factory

31st DEC: Live at MZA Ariake. With Begin. FairChild, TAKANO hiroshi, QUJIRA etc.

1990

From this year on (LOVER'S ROCK, jun 1990) Nomiya Maki has been the main vocalist and source of inspiration for the group. By this time the group assumed a stable public image as a trio (Takanami, Konishi, Nomiya) and went on to produce some of the best pop ever heard on the planet.

JANUARY: Started recording "Soft Landing on the Moon".

APRIL: Performed in "S-Ken's Camereon Night" at Ebisu Factory.

MAY: Releasing "Soft Landing on the Moon". Live at Sougetsu Hall. Tajima resigned after this live.

JUNE: "Lovers Rock". from this single, Nomiya joined as the official vocalist.

OCTOBER: They transfered to Nippon Columbia/TRlAD.

DECEMBER: First live with Nomiya at Suzue Inkstick.

1991

From May, 5 months of continuous-releasing campaign which titled, "5X5". Releasing records "Hi, guys! Let me teach you" (TV soundtrack). "This Year's Model", "London-Paris-Tokyo", "Readymade Recordings" and full album "This Year's Girl". Live tour Tokyo-Nagoya-Osaka in July and September.

NOVEMBER: First Video "This year's girl in action".

DECEMBER: Third live tour of this year. In Tokyo, the group performed at Nihon Seinenkan.

1992

JUNE: "New Music Seminar" in NY.

JULY: live video "Miss Pizzicato Superstar".

SEPTEMBER: Releasing "Sweet Pizzicato Five".

OCTOBER: Double remix LP "Pizzicato Free Soul", DJ plays and club events.

DECEMBER: Live at Nakano Sunplaza (live-recorded).

1993

MARCH: Releasing first live album "INSTANT REPLAY".

APRIL: Single "Sweet Soul Revue" made hit. Live at Shibuya On Air.

MAY: Joined Triad's event "Magic Garden" Appeared in TV-CM "Hiroshima Wiz Wonderland".

JUNE: "BOSSA NOVA 2001" produced by OYAMADA keigo and P.F..

JULY: "SOUVNIER 2001" (special package version). Live at Shibuya On Air. New Music Seminar in NY, P.F. received high attentions and was ready to deal with foreign labels.

OCTOBER 31, NOVEMBER 1: 2days-Live at Nakano Sunplaza.

NOVEMBER: Remix album "EXPO 2001" and remix double LP "Free soul 2001".

DECEMBER: Single "The night is still young" (theme of TV program "Ugo Ugo Lhuga").

1994

JANUARY, FEBRUARY: Appeared on TV program "Ugo Ugo Lhuga".

FEBRUARY: Mini album "a television workshop e.p.".

APRIL: Single "HAPPY SAD".

JULY: Single "Superstar" and video clip compilation "Readymade TV". Made CM song for "Tokyo Tele-message". Their third New Music Seminar in NY. Filmed for album cover and video clip in NY and flew to LA for U.S. promotion.

AUGUST: Takanami resigned. Releasing "5X5" through MATADOR in USA.

OCTOBER: Album "overdose" and single/video single "On the sunny side of the street". Appeard in SISLEY'S advertising campaign.  US debut album "MADE IN USA" from MATADOR.

1995

In Spring 3 Videoclips "Twiggy Twiggy", "Baby Love Child" and "Sweet Soul Review" where released in the US through Matador. Other releases:  "CDJ"-RMXs - Japan & US ( for the US featuring Melodie Sexton) +  "Karaokes & Stack-o-tracks" / "TYO: Big Hits and Jet Lags (1991-1995)" 2 Samplers with their biggest Hits until then + "Quickie EP #1 & #2"

In September another 10 releases made us more happy than sad: "Happy Sad RMXs", "Robert Haber Memorial Box Set", "Unzipped EP", "96 Tears of Pizzicato Five" and the new Album "Romantique 96".

This year Sony released KONISHI yasuharu's collected solo-works on "The Emperor's Closet".

Oktober brought "The Sound of Music"

Until the end of '95 Sony released an instrumental version of "Couples" called "A quiet Couple", another Sampler "Antique 96" plus the "Non-Standard Years '85-'86"-Sampler containing the tracks from "Audry Hepburn" and "In Action".

Nomiya got married and was pregnant during the japanese tour of Romantique 96. she could not do much recording during this period so their next album, Great White Wonder (oct 1996) is just a collection of rarities and oddities. 

1996

This year was a turning point in the group's history for a number of reasons. Konishi went to europe on a dj tour and met people who were trying to do something very close to what he thought his music was all about -- EASY 
TUNE in holland, LES HAMMOND INFERNO in germany, BERTRAND BURGALAT in france had been deeply influenced by shibuya-kei concepts and looked up to Konishi as the ultimate master who had shown them the path to absolute beauty. Very satisfied with this mythic image he realised he had acquired abroad, Konishi went on to produce his most ambitious album, one that encompasses so many musical ideas and tendencies ("Happy End Of The World" 1997).

"Combinaison Spaciale" and "Sister Freedom Tapes" brought us great new tracks plus some fantastic remixes (especialy the hardcore-version of "Airplane")

Sony released another Sampler "Great White Wonder" with outtakes, demos, commercials and other rarities.

The year ended with "A Message Song".

1997

Starting of for Japan with "It's all too beautiful", later this year also released in Italy.

April: US fan club released a promo videotape covering the "Magic Carbetjetset Tour - Winter 1995". A very rare intem, you're lucky, if u got one.

June: "Happy End Of The World" was finaly released, which brought us until the next year a massive wave of P5-RMXs from famous DJs all over the world (including DJ Dara, DJ Dimitri From Paris, Momus...)

December: "Big Hits and Jet Lags 1994-1997" another Sampler, this time from readymade Records.

1998

January: "Readymade Records Remixes" - a sampler with different Readymade Recors-Acts (P5, 5th Garden and Fantastic Plastic Machine) remixed by international Remixers (incl. Arling & Cameron, Momus, Le Hammond Inferno, Elektropez...)

Same time "Readymade TV Video Volume2" was released including some Commercials.

May: The Remix Album "Happy End Of You" gathered all the "Happy end Of The World"-Remixes earlyer released on 12"-Vinyl by "Matador".

Oktober: "The International Playboy & Playgirl Record" was released  in Japan (for the US in April '99) with a nice packing and lots of stuff and pics inside. Forthcoming releases where "Such A Beautiful Girl Like You" and "Week-end".

1999

A new Series was started in April - "JBL Maxisonic Series" bringing us "Darlin' Of Discoteque ep.", "Nonstop To Tokyo ep." (July '99) and "Perfect World" (Oktober '99).

The year ended with the new album "Perfect World"

2001

The LAST album "Ca et la du japon" is released.... and the story of p5 ends...........