Sunday, June 23, 2013

Kenji Sawada -- Rokubanme no Yu-u-u-tsu (6番目のユ・ウ・ウ・ツ)




Kenji Sawada(沢田研二) made quite the impression on me and on most of the viewing public when he appeared on the 1981 Kohaku Utagassen looking like Japan's gift to feather boas and glam rock as he performed his hit, "Stripper". Well, he was selected again for the 1982 show, and although he didn't come out looking quite as wild as the year before, he still made for an arresting figure on the stage with his band, Exotics. This time, he underwent conversion to become a New Wave Man.


His new song, "Rokubanme no Yu-u-u-tsu" (The Sixth Melancholy) also took on that New Wave sheen with techno mixed into the rock, as Sawada sang it like a disaffected fellow bored with life. With lyrics by Yoshiko Miura(三浦徳子) and melody by Exotics keyboardist Akira Nishihira(西平彰), the title was derived from that fellow being fully sated with the first five elements of clothing, food, shelter, money and women, only to hit the 6th element of ennui or dissatisfaction. He felt like a prisoner in his paradise and just wanted to escape from everything....including love.

Julie's 37th single was released in September 1982 and peaked at No. 6 on Oricon. Within a few months, it earned itself a place on the Top 100 of the year at No. 57. It sold 250,000 records and won the Gold Prize at the Japan Record Awards.

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