(cover version above)
I think that duo of Tatsuro Yamashita and Minako Yoshida （山下達郎・吉田美奈子）was golden for City Pop. They've worked together on a number of songs such as the catchy "Let's Kiss The Sun" and the relaxing "Blue Midnight".
And here's another one which, in terms of tempo, inhabits that middle ground between those two collaborations. Yamashita (music) and Yoshida (lyrics) created "Tsuite Oide" (Follow Me Along) as a track on the former's 3rd studio album, "GO AHEAD!" from December 1978. Despite the winter release, there's still quite the summery sheen to it (I think summer and City Pop go together hand-in-glove). Lyrically, the two of them send out the message that if the folks are feeling blue, then they should just follow ol' Tats (and Mina, by association) for a good ol' singalong. Nothing like whistling a happy tune to chase the blues away.
I guess that's why karaoke boxes and bars popped up like rabbits in Japan. "GO AHEAD!" only got as high as No. 75 in its original release, but when it was re-released in 2002, it soared up to No. 25. Nice to get that re-appreciation.
Plus for me, it's nice to hear another new and shiny Yamashita song. "Tsuite Oide" starts off like an old bluesy ballad but then takes off at a nice skippy beat once the clouds part and the sun comes streaming through.
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