Ryuichi Sakamoto, Kazumi Watanabe & Yukihiro Takahashi -- Tokyo Joe

 

Never really got to know singer-songwriter Bryan Ferry all that well back in the day, especially during his time with Roxy Music. During the 1980s, he got hits with "Slave to Love" and "Don't Stop the Dance" which I heard and saw on fairly heavy rotation via radio and television. The music videos showed him as a slightly louche gentleman of charm and leisure. 

So it was only recently that I heard about his May 1977 single, "Tokyo Joe". The song is a disco rock tune that seems to fit the description that I've made for him, and despite the geographical position noted in the title, "Tokyo Joe" is something that probably made for a fine musical accompaniment for the debauchery at New York City's Studio 54 back in those days. For that matter, the song could have been covered by someone like David Bowie.

Bowie probably didn't. However, the intriguing Japanese trio of Ryuichi Sakamoto（坂本龍一）, Kazumi Watanabe（渡辺香津美）and Yukihiro Takahashi（高橋幸宏）did in 1979 when they released their own version of "Tokyo Joe" as a single. Just imagine...two-thirds of Yellow Magic Orchestra and a famed jazz fusion guitarist arranging and performing "Tokyo Joe" as a slightly more amped-up disco technopop cover. Indeed, let's wang chung tonight! Not sure how the single did but it was placed onto a 1982 New Wave compilation titled "Tokyo-Paris-London-New York, Dancing Night".

Now, to give truth in advertising, officially, the song is provided under only Sakamoto and Watanabe but Takahashi is also providing his vocals here so I am including the late drummer in the byline.