Sadistic Mika Band

Sadistic Mika Band was a Japanese glam rock/funk rock band formed in 1972 by guitarist Kazuhiko Kato. Inspired by the glam rock scene in London, Kato returned to Japan and created Sadistic Mika Band with his then-wife Mika on vocals, drummer Masayoshi Takanaka, and lead guitarist Tsunehide Matsuki. They released their first single "Cycling Boogie" in 1972, which was produced by Kato himself. The band's sound combined elements of glam rock and progressive rock.

In 1974, Sadistic Mika Band released their self-titled debut album, featuring a mix of glam rock and light progressive rock. The following year, they released their critically acclaimed album "Black Ship," which showcased a funky flirtation with psychedelic rock and was produced by British star producer Chris Thomas. Although it achieved success in Japan, sales outside of Japan were poor.

The band gained recognition internationally when their single "Mada Mada Samba" received airplay on BBC Radio 3 and they performed on BBC TV's "Old Grey Whistle Test." They also became the first-ever Japanese band to tour the UK. However, after this period of success, Mika divorced Kazuhiko Kato and left the band. The remaining members continued as the jazz-rock oriented group called Go until disbanding in 1979.