Jun'ichi Inagaki -- Long After Midnight

If American AOR veterans like Bobby Caldwell, Boz Scaggs and Dan Fogelberg had ever heard this song, they most likely would have been hitting the bar and crying in their Perrier. Probably out of all of the songs I've heard by J-crooner Jun'ichi Inagaki（稲垣潤一）, "Long After Midnight" flies in like something from the mid-late 70s era of Album-Oriented Rock. Mr. "Bluer Than Blue" himself, Michael Johnson would be eating his heart (along with several other internal organs). The song has everything an adult contemporary singer would want: languid melody, a bit of blues riff, French horn and strings. Green with envy, the Boz is.

It wasn't released as an official single but always ends up on Inagaki's Best compilations. However, it was part of his second album, "Shylights", released in 1983. It was written and composed by Akira Inoue（井上鑑）.

Have that Perrier, look at the sunset and listen to this song! You'll be wrapping pink wool cardigans around your waist before you know it.