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, October 14, 2012

Junko Ohashi -- Nemurenai Diamond (眠れないダイアモンド)


(the above is the Cantonese version by Sandi Lam)

Just as I did with Seiko Matsuda's(松田聖子)"Hitomi wa Diamond"(瞳はダイアモンド...Diamond Eyes), I'm putting in another diamond-themed Japanese pop song in tribute to the revelation that 55 Cancri e is a Diamond Planet of sorts 40 light-years away from Earth.

This is "Nemurenai Diamond"(Sleepless Diamond), Junko Ohashi's(大橋純子) 23rd single released in February 1988 from her 12th album, "DEF"(January 1988). I first heard it on one of the later shows from "The Sounds of Japan" radio show, and was hooked by its sophisticated pop sensibilities. I think I mentioned about Asami Kado's(門あさみ)"Fascination" , and how it was labeled as an example of Fashion Music. I think this song kinda fits the bill, too. Certainly Ohashi's very vogue looks on the album lend to that feeling.

The song, by the way, was written by Goro Matsui(松井五郎)and composed by Ken Sato(佐藤健). Listening to it, I kinda feel like walking down the Ginza on a Friday night....not that I could afford to enter most of the nightclubs there.

Of course, for other diamond-themed songs, there is Princess Princess' big 1989 hit, "Diamonds" but that's already been profiled.

2 comments:

  1. Do you have any leads on where I can download Ohashi's and Kando's discographies!? I'm a huge New Music/City Pop and general "J-funk" fan, but these records are SO hard to find!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, there.

      I definitely sympathize with you on tracking down those New Music/City Pop albums. A lot of good stuff out there but awfully hard to find them online. And unfortunately, the topic of this article is no longer available online either. :(

      However, as for your request on the discographies for Ohashi and Kado, I was able to find the one for Ohashi at her website:

      http://junko-ohashi.com/disco_album.html

      And there is also a good one for Kado at a fansite:

      http://www002.upp.so-net.ne.jp/ohkura/kadoasami_site/

      Also, perhaps you might have this book already but there is a guide for Japanese City Pop that I wrote about a few years ago:

      http://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.ca/2012/02/japanese-city-pop.html

      I hope you can find and purchase those favourites. :)

      Delete

Feel free to provide any comments (pro or con). Just be civil about it.