Sing Like Talking -- Second Reunion

My favourite Japanese band for the 1980s was Anzen Chitai（安全地帯） because of Koji Tamaki's（玉置浩二） soaring vocals, which could reach operatic heights and dip into Machiavellian velvet, and because of that distinctive sound the band had, thanks to those guitars and the overall arrangement. It just spoke to the mystery of night life in the big city, whether it was Tokyo or Sapporo.

However, into the 1990s, the band for me was Sing Like Talking. As I mentioned in my very first entry for this Tokyo-born unit, I came across SLT purely by an accident of misidentification and bought their 8th album, "Discovery" on a whim. It didn't take long for me to realize that this was truly a discovery of lucky happenstance. This band spread across a number of genres which included pop, gospel, R&B, AOR and jazz.....quite the fusion group. And like Tamaki of Anzen Chitai, lead vocal Chikuzen Sato（佐藤竹善） has these great pipes that could rock, swing and strut!

"Second Reunion" was Sing Like Talking's 2nd release of a BEST album from September 1998. This time, I made an intentional beeline toward that album when it came out. Since Sato and company cover a lot of musical ground, I want to show here some of that versatility. Tracks 1-3, 6, and 10-12 have already been profiled either through articles on the individual singles or albums. All of the songs were created by Chiaki Fujita（藤田千章）and Chikuzen Sato.

1. Firecracker
2. Our Dream
3. Steps of Love
4. La La La
5. With You
6. Rise
7. My Desire - Fuyu wo Koete　（冬を越えて）
8. Hanarezu ni Atatamete　（離れずに暖めて）
9. Joy
10. Together
11. Mitsumeru Ai de　（みつめる愛で）
12. Burnin' Love
13. Seasons of Change
14. Spirit of Love

"La La La" was SLT's 7th single released in April 1991 and was a track on their 4th album, "0". I've always thought of the band as a Japanese counterpart to American bands such as TOTO and Chicago (in the 1980s anyways), and with "La La La", the melody adopted some African beats which instantly reminded me of TOTO's "Africa". According to the liner notes in "Second Reunion", keyboardist Fujita remarked that there was some anxiety between him and fellow songwriter Sato since they had never created such a song before. However, with the Gulf War having started earlier in the year and the environmental problems the Earth was (and still is) facing, they felt that they needed to push this particular song through since it lyrically pleaded for everyone everywhere to come together.

The next song is basically a 5-minute ardent marriage proposal or vow. "With You" was the band's 8th single from October 1991, and has Sato singing about crossing expanding deserts and thick clouds to be with the one he loves. I just love the keyboard intro and Sato's heartfelt vocals flying into the falsetto range. Knowing that in some of these Japanese weddings, the groom or another musically-inclined member of the party likes to hit the microphone at the reception, I think this would be an ideal tune to croon. The song was part of the band's 5th album, "Humanity".

SLT's 24th single was "Seasons of Change", one of their longer and more epic efforts which came out in May 1997, and was a track on their 9th album, "Welcome to Another World". As the title suggests, the intro has this low thrum hinting at an engine slowly revving up to begin some sort of new adventure. The song emulates a jet airliner sliding down the tarmac before it roars off into the unknown, and even the instrumental bridge hints at turbulent skies but Sato (along with the melody) vocally reassures his passengers that everything will be A-OK. But that's what my impressions are of listening to it. In terms of the lyrics, the song has grander visions of the passage of Time, Space & Nature. Guitarist Tomohiko Nishimura（西村智彦） provides a progressive dose of rock especially in the bridge and at the end.

"Spirit of Love" was the 20th single from November 1995 and an album version was included in the aforementioned "Welcome to Another World". Backed by organ, acoustic piano and a 19-strong choir, Sato gives his wonderful take on gospel music.

Although I already covered "Together" as the first Sing Like Talking article, I just had to include it again since it shows the band's fun and funkier side. Probably my favourite of favourites for SLT.

"Second Reunion" peaked at No. 3 on Oricon.