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.

Sunday, June 22, 2025

Tatsuhiko Yamamoto -- Natsu no Aijin(夏の愛人)

 

We're having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave! Just like the old standard says, the Greater Toronto Area will be undergoing its first major slamdown of torrid weather for the first time in a couple of years. Until early Wednesday, we'll be getting our 35+ Celsius temperatures. Although I'm not so much of a heat demon myself (and I went through 17 years of melting Tokyo summers), there are a lot of Torontonians who've been aching for some real summer stuff since most of our year is either cold or cool.


Well, let's further emphasize the fact that the Northern Hemisphere is in summer mode with an appropriately summer number. It's been about half a year since we've brought City Pop crooner Tatsuhiko Yamamoto(山本達彦)onto the pages of KKP, so here is his May 1985 single "Natsu no Aijin" (Summer Lovers).

Written by Masao Urino(売野雅勇)and composed by Yamamoto, arranger Jun Sato(佐藤準)created a nice and mildly spicy Latin-tinged tune with a sprinkling of sophisticated pop and jazz thrown in for good measure. Not surprising considering the geography, "Natsu no Aijin" was used for a coffee commercial which reminds me that I do miss my iced coffee in Japan. The song peaked at No. 29 on Oricon, selling a little over 70,000 records.

2 comments:

  1. This style of city pop reminds me of a little of another band from the 1980's ピカソ.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We do have Picasso represented as well on KKP.

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