Noriyuki Makihara/Bobby Caldwell -- Answer

Singer-songwriter Noriyuki Makihara's（槇原敬之）debut album was "Kimi ga Warau Toki Kimi no Mune ga Itamanai Yo ni"（君が笑うとき、君の胸が痛まないように....So That Your Chest Doesn't Hurt When You Laugh）, released in October 1990. I bought it almost a year later on the strength of his breakthrough 3rd single, "Donna Toki mo"（どんなときも） which I also got just before heading home to Canada from the JET Programme. To be honest, I haven't heard the album in a long time, but I still remember the first track, a heartrending ballad called "Answer".

Having heard the optimistic and jaunty "Donna Toki mo", I was struck when first listening to "Answer" by the sad piano intro and then Makihara's vocals softly weaving through the melody. The lyrics talk about a bittersweet parting for a couple as they walk toward the subway ticket gate while remembering the wonderful memories over a year. At the end, they make that final embrace before one of them walks through the gate forever. Gets you right here, doesn't it?

(cover version)

"Answer" was also released as Makihara's 2nd single in April 1991. It unfortunately didn't rank in the Oricon Top 100; I could only wonder how it would've done if it had been released after, and not before, "Donna Toki mo". In his appearance in the video above, Makihara mentions that he had created "Answer" just before graduating from high school, so perhaps in a way, it could also fit as a graduation song since there are plenty of tearful partings during that time as well. And take it from me, junior high school graduations can be pretty intense in Japan.

https://music.apple.com/jp/album/noriyuki-makihara-songs-from-l-a/215526121?l=en

(excerpt only)

I only found about Bobby Caldwell's cover of "Answer" just when I was searching YouTube for the Makihara original and saw some comments alluding to Caldwell's cover. Caldwell gives his usual sleek and soulful rendition, but his "Answer" is decidedly more uptempo and jazzier. In contrast to Mackey's "lonely guy" approach, I could picture Caldwell in his famous fedora walking along the beach with an Orange Mimosa in his hand.