One of the most recognizable songs in kayo kyoku by intro if not by title, "Yoake no Scat"(Scat in the Dark) was Saori Yuki's （由紀さおり）debut single and is probably her trademark song. Usually if she appears on any show, it's to sing this one. As were most songs way back then, it goes for 3 minutes, with the first third devoted to Yuki giving one of the most laid-back scats (Lu, lu, lu...) in music.
Released in March 1969, it reached the top spot on the Oricon weeklies and became the No. 1 song of the year. Oricon had actually started in 1968, so "Yoake no Scat"is the 2nd song to get this honour. It also has the record for being the song with the shortest lyrics to ever become the No. 1 song of the year. It also earned a Japan Record Award, and Yuki got her first opportunity to appear on the 1969 Kohaku Utagassen.
Last year, Yuki (whose real name is Akiko Yasuda...安田章子) collaborated with the Portland, Oregon-based orchestra, Pink Martini, to release an album, "1969", a collection of kayo kyoku covers of that year, which included "Yoake no Scat"and Ayumi Ishida's "Blue Light Yokohama"which is listed in the enka section of this blog. The album garnered critical praise on both sides of the Pacific. In fact, in Japan, the album peaked at No. 4 on the Oricon weeklies after it had been released in October 2011. Yuki also became the oldest female singer to have broken into the Top 10 at the age of 63, and became the female singer to have had the longest gap between Top 5 hits (album or single) at a little over 41 years...her last Top 5 hit was in 1970.
It was just happened that I listened to this song "Yoake no scat". I never know to any Japanese song before except for "Kokoronotomo (??)" which at 30 years ago became so popular in my country.
ReplyDeleteI must admit that this "Yoake no scat" is a very beautiful song & touching. I do not understand its words, but music is music, it is universal.
January 10, 2013 2:16 AM
Hello, arad246, and thanks very much for your comments. "Yoake no scat"is indeed a classic. Even before her successful collaboration with Pink Martini, I was always hearing it somewhere now and then via old Japanese videos.
ReplyDelete"Kokoro no Tomo"(Friend of the Heart") was sung by Mayumi Itsuwa, and it's a song that I've got somewhere amongst the few albums I have of her. She is a lovely singer. Actually, if you're interested, I've profiled a couple of her other songs so you can look up her name in the Labels section on the right. Thanks very much for reminding me of the song...I'll have to do a write-up on it shortly.