Amethyst (I'm holding dreams of you)

AMETHYST

The earliest known VIOLET UK song.

Released in November of 1993 in instrumental form, 

and lovingly chosen by hide as the OP to X JAPAN concerts, 

where this masterpiece shined... right up until the Last Live.

The song was given new life in 2002.

We got lyrics added to the mix thanks to Daughter's vocal performance at the Classical Concert at Tokyo International Forum.

In 2005 we were treated to a live recording of that performance on the 22nd track of EMII (in typical VUK cryptic fashion, the album ended at track 9..and Amethyst kicked in at 22..)

...symbolic of 9.22 ... the 2nd coming of the 'EPIC WAIT':) 

Around the same time in a magazine interview, YOSHIKI spoke of the VIOLET UK debut album

containing only 2 ballads, the rest leaning more to the heavy end of the scale. 

Let's assume Amethyst took up 1 ballad slot. With the other anyone's guess.. 

L'arme? Sonnet155? Angel?

Anyway back to the song... 

So what does Amethyst STUDIO ver. sound like? This (Maybe):

(Piano and synth only...kicks in at about the 1:10 mark..although start from 1:00 for a laugh)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFC9-sFId4s

However, 12-13 years can do a lot to a song.

Amethyst could have updated digital effects thrown into the mix, 

much like the Last Song, Scarlet Love Song, or even the recent Golden Globes theme.

The lyrics may have also been changed.

For now we have nothing to go on...

so I'll end here with the lyrics as I hear them:

Amethyst (lyrics '05)

You were only a whisper away but I can ('t) touch you heart

If the words aren't enough to bear your soul I would give you the moon

You were always shining sun or rain, like a Violet stone

I close my eyes but you never fade, you never disappear

I a feel alone

Can't you see me standing on the verge of blue

I'll be watching all the stars till they are gone

Should I know nothing could make me miss you less

Oh I've been waiting for you to tell me what is love

I don't know how to be loved, how to be by your side

Morning light shines in my room

I'm holding dreams of you

It may take no less than this pain but I can't stop loving you

Feel my heart

You have never known that you have all of me

Every time I see you I'm falling in love

I can't live a lie, I can't live without you

Oh I've been waiting for you to tell me what is love

I don't know how to be loved, how to be by your side

Morning light shines in my room,

I'm holding dreams of you

It may take no less than my life, but I can't stop loving you

Song/lyrics: YOSHIKI

Vocals: as performed live by Daughter

VIOLET UK: Underground Discography

'Can you STRIP AWAY THE MYSTERY'?

I really wanted to list all the known VIOLET UK song titles here.
But everyone has already done that for us years ago.

So..today here's a quick post re: the mysterious songs that are still UNKOWN....HERE's my picks:

- Solomon TV show - there is a possible phrase from the song ANGEL (1st spoken about in Fool's Mate 2005)

- There is a VUK song used in YOSHIKI PR video (shown at fan/media events)

- The BGM during performance at Tokyo Dome 2009 (it sounded like a mix of songs, not just ROSA).

Have I missed any?

Feel free to leave yours below:)

Also if you have any suggestions, or topics you want covered, plz let me know.
...I'd love to interview some fans soon and keep this place flowing.

p.s. I hear VUK is still being recorded...
whether it's for another offer/one off thing or a song meant for the album is anyone's guess.

p.p.s.... In answer to the guy/gal who so kindly subtitled this picture: my vote goes to Rome.

VIOLET UK: the leaks

For a project conceived in the early 90s (remember, recording began in some form maybe even before Amethyst was penned...), VIOLET UK has suffered practically ZERO leaks.

Compare this to similar projects that have been stuck in development hell, such as Guns n Roses Chinese Democracy or even Dr Dre's Detox album both of which have had material leak during their histories, and you'll see VIOET UK's vault really has stood the test of time.

So why is this...Maybe it's because:

1. The songs are no where near ready to be released...
i.e. haven't been mixed or mastered, they've basically never left the studio.

2. There are considerably less "active" fans of the UNDERGROUND KINGDOM than the artists I listed above.

3. The kind of person YOSHIKI is has brought him a lot of respect by his peers.
He thus has less enemies than say Axl Rose or the good Dr.
Therefore, no one wants to ruin the big surprise.
...its possible, I mean so many vocalists have come and gone..none of them have ever leaked material online.. no sheet music, no clips... although a few probably didn't leave on good terms (pure speculation).

4. YOSHIKI is his own boss.. and doesn't have to compromise the security of the tracks
by handing them over to a record label.
(On a side note: there was a story about the master tape for Art of Life being given to 3 recording company staff so that in the event that one of their planes went down, the album would still make it safely to Japan from LA, to be released on time...)

5. The majority of the fans are in Japan (Its hard to say in VIOLET UK's case..I think it has a higher percentage of non-Japanese fans than X JAPAN does..but that's just my gut feeling).

....and here in Japan people tend to adhere to the rules......
Do I need to mention that MARY MONALISA was played (possibly in full) we don't even know that much... at ASIAN GIRLS EXPLOSION in March 2012 (yep, Sugizo and YOSHIKI on twin guitar) and not 1 person put the footage on youtube...Now that is pretty amazing
(or more truthfully...frustrating).

Alternative theory: YOSHIKI releases enough material for the fans to not take matters into their own hands. (We have 4 officially released studio tracks with vocals; Unnamed Song, Sex and Religion, Blue Butterfly & ROSA..and 2 instrumentals; Amethyst & Red Christmas).

DISCLAIMER: I probably should have stated this at the beginning, but I am in no way encouraging fans to try and obtain songs we don't have. I just thought it would be something interesting to write about.

In closing, I have a question...

How many of you out there are still waiting on VIOLET UK?

The latest Promo video on Youtube just went over 40,000 views...It took a few months...
and I'm sure that most ppl clicked more than once...

So...If you really want this BEAST set free...
You gotta help me make some noise!!!!!

In the end I certainly hope the album in whatever form or shape it takes,
will have some nice surprises...and.....

won't end up like this:
http://archive.classicrockmagazine.com/view/december-2008/21/the-great-robbery

Peace,
D

The 1st: Blind Dance (Improvising on a tight rope)

"I will kiss your eyes... In the senseless night"

In the year 2000 these blissful words, the opening to a song known as Blind Dance, 

sent ripples through the internet.

They ignited a spark deep in the hearts of YOSHIKI fans around the globe.

This spark that many of us in 2013 still share, I have named 'the epic wait'..

So here I sit, 13 years later writing 'The 1st' entry 

in my coverage of the UNDERGROUND KINGDOM. 

My eagerness to hear VIOLET UK in all its seductive, over the top, attention to detail, genre-bending glory, unwaivering.

Over the coming days and weeks, I invite you to join me as I attempt to break down

some of the events that have shaped the VIOLET UK legend.

For VIOLET UK one thing I know is for sure:

".....the night is never long enough" 

("" denotes lyrics from VIOLET UK songs written by YOSHIKI)