Saori Yuki -- Tegami （手紙）

Once again, NHK's "Kayo Concert" has come to the rescue as my adjunct memory by having veteran kayo kyoku singer, Saori Yuki（由紀さおり）, appear to sing a song that I hadn't heard in years. "Tegami" (The Letter) is this fairly brisk song with a bit of Latin in it, but like a lot of tunes from that era, the deceptively upbeat melody supports lyrics that are pretty sad....kinda like "Sukiyaki" by Kyu Sakamoto（坂本九） a decade earlier.

Written by Rei Nakanishi（なかにし礼） and composed by Makoto Kawaguchi（川口真）, Yuki sings about a relationship that has just ended, wondering where it all went wrong. The ending refrain is especially poignant as she phrases about that "goodbye letter finished off in tears". Again, the music may be cheerful but the lyrics for her 5th single sound about as haunting as the opening to her debut hit single, "Yoake no Scat" （夜明けのスキャット）.

Released in July 1970, "Tegami" went to the top of the Oricon charts where it stayed for 6 weeks, and it would end up becoming the 6th-ranked song of the year. Yuki won a prize at the Japan Record Awards and she was invited onto the Kohaku Utagassen for the 2nd straight year to perform it.