Credits

I would like to give credit where credit is due. Videos are from YouTube and other sources such as NicoNico while Oricon rankings and other information are translated from the Japanese Wikipedia unless noted.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Kentaro Shimizu -- Shitsuren Resutoran (失恋レストラン)


Kentaro Shimizu(清水健太郎) started out as an actor and tarento when he got his big musical break with "Shitsuren Resutoran"(Heartbreak Restaurant). Written and composed by R&B singer Hiro Tsunoda(つのだ☆ひろ) (he was the deep voice at the very beginning of Akemi Ishii's 1986 hit "Cha-Cha-Cha"), the song is a kayo kyoku funk classic with all of the Fender Rhodes piano and guitar and horns....just has that cool urban sound that I enjoyed in 70s Japanese pop.


Released in November 1976, Shimizu's debut single was a monster hit which spent a month at the top of the Oricon charts in 1977, and became the 9th-ranking song of that year. He also won the Newcomer's Award at the Japan Record Awards and an invitation to perform at that year's Kohaku Utagassen.

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