Ahh...nothing like a breezy J-Pop song to begin the work week. And this song was provided by singer-songwriter Sachiko Kumagai（ 熊谷幸子）, whose other song "Circus Circus"（サーカス サーカス）had once been the subject of a KKP APB. This time around, "Kaze to Kumo to Watashi" (The Wind and the Clouds and Me), was Kumagai's 5th single from February 1994.
Composed by Kumagai and written by Mica Project（マイカプロジェクト）...which is basically Masataka Matsutoya（松任谷正隆）and friends, "Kaze to Kumo to Watashi" was given its refreshing sheen through arrangement by the singer and Hiroshi Shinkawa（新川博）. It was used as the theme song for a Fuji-TV drama from that year, "Natsuko no Sake"（夏子の酒...Natsuko's Sake）. Starring Emi Wakui（和久井映見）, the drama (adapted from a manga) centered around a woman who ends up becoming a sake brewer after her brother in that business suddenly passes away.
The song hit No. 10 on Oricon and became the 86th-ranked single for 1994. It also got onto Kumagai's 3rd album "Poison Kiss" from April that year.
She has a very nice, calming voice. I hear some Yuming influence. Sometimes I like the raspiness of Yuming's singing, but I can't listen all day. However, she is a genius level composer.
ReplyDeleteHi, Robert. No, I don't think I can listen to Yuming all day, especially her material from the last twenty years. Just a little too reedy for me. I do agree regarding her composition skills. That's one reason for her husband picking up on Kumagai's abilities.
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