Isako Washio -- Onna Dooshi ~ Mes amis, mes copains（女どおし）

By Jorge Royan via Wikimedia Commons

Whenever the name of the actress Isako Washio（鷲尾いさ子）comes to mind, I always think of those vitamin drink commercials she did, complete with her own jingle. They were quite popular during my time in Japan on the JET Programme in the late 1980s and early 1990s. 

What I hadn't been aware of though is that Washio had already been releasing music since before that big Tekkotsu Inryo（鉄骨飲料）commercial. Although "Tekkotsu Musume"（鉄骨娘）was her debut single in 1990, Washio had released her debut album all the way back in October 1987. Titled "Kanojo no Kaze ~ son vent a elle"（彼女の風...Her Own Wind）, there was definitely an effort on the producers' part to bring some Gallic flavour into the proceedings since a number of the tracks were covers of French songs by France Gall and Francoise Hardy.

One such cover was "Mes amis, mes copains", translated into Japanese as "Onna Dooshi" (Among Women). The original had been sung by pop singer Annie Philippe in 1966, with Jean Hebert Leccia and Andre Raymond Pascal as the songwriters. Translated by Youta Shichino or Nanano（七野洋太）or Masumi Kawamura（川村真澄）depending on whether you go with the JASRAC database or J-Wiki respectively, Washio's cover is a bit more synthy and haunting. It feels like dancing a slow waltz in one huge and foreboding castle in France. Mitsuo Hagita（萩田光雄）was responsible for arranging all of the tracks on the album.

Miyoko Tashiro -- Blue Night in Sapporo（ブルー・ナイト・イン札幌）

From Nryate at Wikimedia Commons

 

I only had that one two-night stay in Sapporo way back when and that was back in the late spring. If I have a chance to visit the city again, I wouldn't mind doing so during the winter. Even better, I'd like to check out the Snow Festival with its huge ice statues. However, I have to point out that the above photo is of the main entertainment quarter there, Susukino. I did walk along its main street when I visited.

Susukino in the dead of winter is what I think of when I listen to "Blue Night in Sapporo" by Miyoko Tashiro（田代美代子）from 1969. Written and composed by Domei Suzuki（鈴木道明）, it's very much a love-done-me-wrong Mood Kayo thanks to Tashiro's mournful vocals, the just-as-melancholy backing chorus, the sad and shuffling rhythm and of course, the title itself (and don't forget the crying sax). It's probably not the greatest feeling plodding through sub-zero cold after a romantic breakup.

Crazily enough, I discovered that Shinichiro Hakozaki（箱崎晋一朗）would sing this very song a decade later in 1979!

Etsuko Sai -- Mujaki na Hito（無邪気なひと）

from Amazon.jp

I swear that the more I see the cover of Etsuko Sai's（彩恵津子）July 1984 debut album "Reach Out", the more I think that the stylish house behind Sai is the same one that got illustrated on Tohoku Shinkansen's（東北新幹線）album cover of their 1982 "Thru Traffic". And I'm still going to say that the good folks at paint companies such as DuPont and Glidden must be salivating in joy at the lovely exterior.

Regardless, I have another track from "Reach Out" to join other tracks such as the title track and "Heart wo Knock Shite"（ハートをノックして）that have gotten their due on the blog. This time, it's Track 5, "Mujaki na Hito" (Innocent Man) which was written by Tetsuya Chiaki（ちあき哲也）and composed by Hiroyuki Iso*（磯広行）. Incidentally, I've seen online that Iso is a percussionist who's also acted as backup chorus on songs such as "Kanashimi ga Tomaranai" (悲しみがとまらない）by Anri（杏里）.

It was a tad difficult to categorize "Mujaki na Hito" although I have nothing against the song itself; it's a lovely tune with an old-school Hollywood jazziness and sophisticated pop feeling. Kinda feel like mixing a couple of martinis for me and the missus whenever I hear that sax-y intro (nice strings, by the way). But by the time I reach the chorus, that boppy bass and the keyboards take me into City Pop land or something appropriate for Resort Pop. 

*I'm not totally sure on the correct pronunciation of the composer's family name. As usual, if anyone can confirm or correct it, that would be greatly appreciated.

Yoshiyuki Sahashi -- Diary（ダイアリー）

 

Over six years ago, I slightly lamented that I couldn't find guitarist-singer Yoshiyuki Sahashi's（佐橋佳幸） "Diary" on YouTube. I first discovered it on "Breeze", the very first disc of Toshikazu Kanazawa's（金澤寿和）series "Light Mellow" which had quite the run during the 2010s. 

Mind you, I was able to find his "Frida's Freedom" on YouTube which made for a nice consolation prize, so to speak. I was listening to "Breeze" once more a few nights ago and afterwards, I decided to check if anything had changed in the status of certain tracks on the CD that hadn't made it onto the video site all those years ago. Well, I was happy to find out that Sahashi's "Diary" finally made it on there, although strangely, the "Yoshiyuki Sahashi -- Topic" page stated that it's been up there since 2017! I have to politely contest that.

But regardless, "Diary" is that guitar-driven tune that reminds me of those sunny 1970s and happier, more innocent times. There's something about the song that hits me as being rather Billy Joel of that decade. Just like "Frida's Freedom", it was originally a track on Sahashi's 1994 album "Trust Me". The guitarist came up with the breezy melody while Hiroshi Fukushima（福島浩）wrote the lyrics. Sahashi's file on KKP mostly has him in the "back office" as a songwriter, so "Diary" is just the second article with him on the byline while his "Frida's Freedom" is the first.

Himiko Kikuchi -- Everyday's a Miracle

 

The above shows some of us on Deck 16 of the Harmony of the Seas on the second morning of our cruise several years ago. It was a pleasant start to our first full day on the ship with a hearty breakfast to greet us.

Maybe this was a feeling that jazz musician and composer Himiko Kikuchi（菊池ひみこ）was having when she came up with the wonderfully breezy "Everyday's a Miracle" from her 1981 "Flashing" album. Ernie Watts was on the saxophone for this travel-friendly or brunch-friendly track that pretty much sounds how the title reads. It's like a glass of optimism for the weary soul. If every morning can be as positive, then life would be that much more pleasing.

Mayumi Asaka -- Toki yo Hohoende（時よ微笑んで）

 

The last time I wrote on actress-singer Mayumi Asaka（朝加真由美）was back last December when I posted the article for her "Hold On Me", a track from her lone album, the October 1981 "Yasashii Kankei ~ Mayumi I"（優しい関係...A Gentle Relationship）. Well, I've got another track here titled "Toki yo Hohoende" (It's Time to Smile).

Written by Tomoko Aran（亜蘭知子）and composed by Daiko Nagato（長門大幸）, it's another City Pop treat with the wailing electric guitar and the boppy bass, but there are also some interesting classical piano riffs ripping through the instrumental bridge. And Asaka's slightly husky voice keeps things within the urban contemporary. 

Yutaka Mizutani -- Omoihateru made（思い果てるまで）

 

Wow! The series "Aibou"（相棒）has been on so long that even with all of the partners that refined detective Sugishita has had for close to a quarter of a century, the producers have gone back to the original aibou. The man still has time for his cup of tea.

Thespian Yutaka Mizutani（水谷豊）has been Ukyo Sugishita for so long that it may be easy to forget that he once had a recording career. And in fact, all of my articles on his singing are based in the 1970s and 1980s. However, a few weeks ago, the actor appeared on "Uta Con"（うたコン）to introduce his first digital single in a decade, "Omoihateru Made" (Until My Heart Is Spent), which got released on June 30th.

Listening to "Omoihateru Made" a few times, it comes across as if Mizutani were trying to channel his inner Masayuki Suzuki（鈴木雅之）. Although his voice doesn't really equate with the one owned by the God of Love Songs, he does a game performance with the song that was even written and composed by him. The song would give a nice little zip to any action scenes in his "Aibou". Yoshiki Yamamoto（山元よしき）was responsible for arrangement.