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, September 26, 2018

Tatsuro Yamashita -- Hot Shot


I heard this one through Van Paugam's race on the highway and thought it was another perfect fit as a driving song.


"Hot Shot" is another wonderfully cool and funky Tatsuro Yamashita(山下達郎)and Minako Yoshida(吉田美奈子)creation that features some guy shedding any pretense and presumably any inhibitions as well to make it not just the best night for him on the town but perhaps the best night for anyone within shouting distance of him. Perhaps it's Clark Kent making like Superman on the disco floor.

Anyways, Yamashita has a bit more of his rock guitar in here and according to the liner notes for "Moonglow" (October 1979), the originating album for "Hot Shot", the singer-songwriter tried to reflect some of the style of the Isley Brothers from that decade. I don't know enough of the Isley Brothers to agree or disagree, but some of that keyboard work had me thinking Gino Vannelli.


"Moonglow" itself was Yamashita's 4th album which peaked at No. 20. I also had to include the video above since uploader fuijiki tnichi does a great job on bass, and after all, City Pop usually needs some great bass to propel things forward.

2 comments:

  1. Good evening J-C. Take a listen to the 1973 Isley Brothers "That Lady" and you'll definitely hear the Ernie Isley influence in Hotshot ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4oCKDii_nA )

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    Replies
    1. Good morning, T-cat.

      Yup, I can definitely hear "That Lady" in "Hotshot". I didn't watch "Soul Train" as a child but seeing the Isley Brothers perform in the video, I still got rather nostalgic.:)

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