Hiromi Iwasaki -- Gekkou （月光）

Although "Gekkou" (Moonlight) by Hiromi Iwasaki（岩崎宏美） came out as her 37th single in October 1985, I actually got the album that it came out on, "Cinema" at Wah Yueh. The title suggested something rather romantic and the huge picture of the singer in soft focus with those huge come-hither eyes and red lips had me parting with my cash fairly quickly. It also helped that I was a big fan of hers.

Of all of the tracks on the album, it's "Gekkou" that stands out to me. For a wonderfully talented singer who became entrenched in my memory as someone who sang peppy 70s aidoru tunes and then transformed into a tender-hearted balladeer into the 80s, I was immediately hooked on this single since it has Iwasaki trying for and winning with something more urban contemporary with a beat. And I discovered in the intro that this voice could also do sultry.

When I actually started to pay attention to the people who created the songs, I was surprised to find out that "Gekkou" was not only written by Goro Matsui（松井吾郎）, who had helped out on all those Anzen Chitai（安全地帯） hits (and wrote all of the tracks on "Cinema"), but was composed by Japanese funkster Toshinobu Kubota（久保田利伸）....even before he officially debuted as a singer. After listening to the song again once I found out its pedigree, I could even imagine Kubota spinning his own take on the track. According to J-Wiki, another song had been slated to become the 37th single but once Iwasaki heard the demo tape by Kubota, she urged that "Gekkou" be the A-side. Good choice.

I'm not sure whether Kubota created any more songs for Iwasaki, but I'd be more than happy to give them a try if they are indeed out there. As it were, "Gekkou" got no higher than No. 54 on Oricon. Still has my love, though.

(karaoke version)