Ami Ozaki -- Nijuu-isseiki no Cinderella （２１世紀のシンデレラ）

Re-discovered this Ami Ozaki（尾崎亜美） oldie on a "Sounds of Japan" tape tonight. Over the years, the melody came in and out of my head for a few seconds each time, and even though I hadn't played the tape for an eternity, those wispy excerpts of her voice automatically identified her as Ami Ozaki.

Unlike some of her earlier relaxing bossa nova-tinged hits of the late 70s, "Nijuu-isseiki no Cinderella" (21st Century Cinderella) would probably be pegged as an example of techno kayo. Considering that it was released in June 1980, as Yellow Magic Orchestra and the genre itself were in the ascendant, it doesn't surprise me that Ozaki would try infusing some of that computer music into her own stuff. Strangely enough, I can also pick up a bit of Blondie in there as well. And "Nijuu-isseiki no Cinderella" is a rather bouncy tune as Ozaki sings about a time-traveling girl heading back into the 20th century to get back her love any way she can.

The song was Ozaki's 11th single and her 1st under the Pony Canyon label, and was also included in her first album for that label, "Meridian-Melon".