Machiko Watanabe -- Hold Me Tight（ホールド ミー タイト）

 

I guess the lyric "hold me tight" has been used in so many kayo kyoku probably going back to the 1960s that it was only a matter of time that it would actually be used as a title of a song.

Sure enough, Machiko Watanabe（渡辺真知子）recorded her 8th single for release in May 1980 and it's actually titled "Hold Me Tight". I'd already mentioned the song in passing last month when I covered the B-side, "Summer Night". Written and composed by Watanabe with Motoki Funayama（船山基紀）arranging everything, I would say that most of it is in the jaunty City Pop mode with a touch of disco but when the chorus comes in, I couldn't help but also hear some country and even a bit of gospel in the delivery. Lyrics-wise, it's all about enjoying that summer beach walk and in all likelihood, some of that summer romancing as the title would suggest.