Hiroshi Itsuki & Marie -- Duo Shinobi Ai （デュオしのび逢い）

Yes, I can smell the cigarettes, perfume, wine.....and later on, the guilt from the bedsheets in that hotel.

"Duo Shinobi Ai"(Duo Tryst) is one of those classic Latin-tinged karaoke bar songs to be sung over a couple of glasses of shochu. With that sultry tenor sax and the piano in the background playing that slow tango, it wouldn't surprise me if one of the karaoke pair suddenly got inspired to put a long-stemmed rose in his/her mouth. And believe me, after a few swigs of shochu, it wouldn't be that difficult.

Strangely enough, though, I never actually did hear this in a karaoke box or bar, although there are plenty of YouTube videos of folks proving the above point. I actually caught it on "Sounds of Japan"one night and I was quite taken with it for some reason, but then again, I came to the realization that Mood Kayo was one of my favourite parts of kayo kyoku. When I first became interested in the country of my heritage, I was especially drawn to what Tokyo was like in terms of its nightlife. And Mood Kayo is still the theme song for a few quarters in one of the largest metropolises on the planet such as Roppongi, Akasaka and Shimbashi.

Enka crooner Hiroshi Itsuki（五木ひろし） composed (he's also quite a talented multi-instrumentalist) and provided one-half of the singing duties for "Duo Shinobi Ai", which was released in November 1984. As for his partner, Marie（マリエ）, I couldn't find anything about the lady. Lyrics were provided by Takashi Taka（たかたかし）, and give plenty of imagery about a romantic couple tripping the light fantastic, slowly energized by some of the bubbly. The video above also helps in that department as well as give some great scenes of the Japanese nightlife.

The video below is just one of the many versions done of the song at karaoke. And although faces have been hidden to protect the innocent, apparently, this couple seems rather young.

Alas, Roppongi, I hardly knew ye!