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.

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Cindy -- Watashi Tachi wo Shinjiteite (私達を信じていて)


I came across the above video and thought that if someone made an anime opening to the long-running soap opera "Days of Our Lives", it would look something like that. With that lass always on the pursuit, I can imagine the monologue going like this: "Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our liv--MATTE!"

Lame joke aside, I liked the song that was being sampled although I could have done without the fade-in and fade-out. Anyways, it didn't take too much of a look to find out that it was based on this tune.


"Watashi Tachi wo Shinjiteite" (Keep On Believing In Us) is a track on the album "Angel Touch" (1990) by Cindy. I have nothing to say except that I have fallen for this song: hook, line and sinker. It's that combination of the light soul melody and that drum pattern plus the vocals of Cindy. This would have been a fine song for EPO to tackle but I really love Cindy's voice which is smooth but it also has that appealing faint rasp. And most certainly, the real thing is better than the sampled version. "Watashi Tachi wo Shinjiteite" was written by prolific lyricist Chinfa Kan(康珍化)and composed by Cindy and Hiroshi Narumi(鳴海寛). It also did come out as her 4th single in June 1990 at the same time as the album.

If J-Wiki is correct, Cindy's real name is Mayumi Yamamoto(山本真裕美)and she was a singer-songwriter who debuted in 1984 with the single "Chance On Love". As a composer, she lent out her talents primarily to Miho Nakayama(中山美穂)on many of her songs. On her own, Cindy released 6 singles and 4 albums.

Sad to say, but Cindy passed away in Los Angeles in December 2001 from cancer. According to J-Wiki, the news was released by Nakayama herself on her own fan club site.


14 comments:

  1. I love Cindy's vocals in English and Japanese, such a unique sounding voice. Her debut album was produced by none other than Stevie Wonder in 1986 on Kitty Records.She also was a featured vocalist on Yuji Toriyama A Taste Of Paradise LP from 1985 on the up-tempo City Scream. Angel Touch is another one i'm going to get this week when i get payed.Love the ballad Surprise so much, fantastic vocalson it.Will have to go the E-Bay route for that one.

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  2. This song is so beautiful it makes my heart ache.

    I found this song as a Youtube Recommendation and immediately came over here to see if this artist was mentioned.

    I was not disappointed.

    While reading the Youtube comments for this video it was alarming to hear how many people lamented that Cindy died a few months before they were born?!

    God I'm getting old...

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    1. Hi there and thanks for your comments.

      I was just in Tokyo and visited Tower Records in Shibuya twice. "Angel Touch" was actually on sale there but I couldn't get it since my suitcases were already packed with souvenirs and other CDs. Oh well, I will just get it online for Xmas! :)

      As for the aging part, I do feel your pain.

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    2. Yes, I read your recent posts. I'm supposed to go there next month. However, I won't be in Tokyo. I'll be visiting a small town called Kitakata in Fukishima prefecture.

      Tokyo, aka The Big Mikan, is not for me. I don't like big cities in my own country.

      And the sprawl...

      (/-(エ)-\)

      I like tramping through the inaka. I like being the only gaijin within hundreds of miles.

      And by the way, I did get the album. (Itunes Japan FTW!) Excellent late 80s/early 90s pop!

      Recommended!

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    3. Hi there.

      Although I've never been there, I know about Kitakata since I had a student who hailed from the area and of course, I know about Kitakata ramen.

      I'm OK with both city and countryside. I've lived in both types of community and I can see their charms and weak points. I enjoyed living in my small town of Tsukiyono (now part of Minakami City in Gunma Prefecture) but once a month, I felt that I needed to get some city under me so I took the Bullet down to Tokyo for a day.

      As for "Angel Touch", are there any other tracks besides "Watashi Tachi wo Shinjiteite" that you like?

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  3. Oh yeah, When Tomorrow Comes, Special Ever Happens, Candle Light, Fall In Love...

    Damn it! Practically the whole album is so good!

    You owe it to yourself to get this. This a time capsule of the era.

    I'll put this up there with Tara Kemp, Cathy Dennis and Lisa Stansfield as female popsters of that era. Some of the songs may surpass some of them.

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    1. Indeed! Xmas is coming soon enough. Always looking for those rare and good albums.

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  4. I'm in love with the song Keep on believing in us. It always make my heart ache.

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  5. I'm in love with the song, the soul, and the voice of Cindy. I flipped it : https://soundcloud.com/remiozbeats/remi-oz-watashioshinjite

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    1. Hello there. Yep, Cindy did have a wonderfully velvety voice. I'm so sorry that she left us so early. Nice going with your own rendition of "Watashi Tachi wo Shinjiteite". It's obvious that you really do love the song!

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  6. Just really looked into her discography I never knew that she had died from cancer, I always just listened to her music while doing chores how unfortunate regardless Rest In Peace CINDY.

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    1. Yes, she sadly left this mortal coil over 20 years ago. It's hard to believe and she left us way too soon. However, Cindy did leave a fine legacy of music.

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  7. Oh so the story been said she wrote this for her son isnt right?

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