Kingo Hamada -- Mayonaka no Tennis Court （真夜中のテニスコート）

I think instead of a tennis court at midnight, as "Mayonaka no Tennis Court" means in English, this ballad is the musical equivalent of soaking in a nice hot tub at the end of a long day. And as someone who usually came home at the bewitching hour every night, I know the feeling quite intimately.

Kingo Hamada（濱田金吾）is a figure that I've come across a fair bit in "Japanese City Pop" but is also someone that I also see quite often on YouTube so he's got his dedicated base of online fans which would include me. I did get his "Golden Best" compilation based on those two sources after all. Unfortunately, this particular ballad didn't get onto that BEST album, but it did wrap up his 4th album from October 1982, "midnight cruisin'". The cover of that album does look like a photo that I would take being such a neophyte with the camera.

"Mayonaka no Tennis Court" has got that extra something about it thanks to the introduction of a cello in there which provides a bit of old-fashioned timing to the otherwise urban pop. I couldn't find out for certain who took care of music and lyrics but I'm assuming that Hamada was at least taking care of the former. (March 24th 2020: yep, it was indeed Hamada behind the music with Kazuko Kobayashi/小林和子 on lyrics.)

In any case, I think I might try to get this album in a few months' time.

If Hamada can do wobbly, so can I!