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| Wikimedia Commons by Lukkojaska |
Just from my memories and what I've scrolled down at the JASRAC database, there are so many Japanese pop songs titled "Aikagi" (Duplicate Key) that it ought to get its own subgenre. At the same time, I gather that songwriters loved to whip up tunes about illicit love affairs so listeners could live vicariously in a way.
Well, this "Aikagi" is the possession of breathy-voiced actress-singer Tomoko Saito（斉藤とも子）as a track on her 1981 album "20 ANS". Sharing space with the bossa nova/City Pop tune "Singapore", "Aikagi" was once again given lyrics by Kaoru Asagi（麻木かおる）, but this time, the melody was woven by Susumu Sugawara（菅原進）into something more of a downtown Tokyo groovalicious City Pop, replete with that wailing electric guitar and saxophone. The opening of the song had me wondering into which direction "Aikagi" was going but at 25 seconds, there was no doubt. Time to make that reservation at that hotel-top bar in West Shinjuku.
I did a double take when I you said this track was from 1981! Tomoko's "Aikagi" sounds a whole lot more modern to my ears. I guess this is one those timeless song that can kind of fit in any era.
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