Teruhiko Aoi -- Anata dake wo (あなただけを)

A commenter sent a message back on New Year's Eve about a suggestion for a song that had yet to be talked about on "Kayo Kyoku Plus". Titled "Anata dake wo" (Only You), as has been the case with many songs that we've covered over the years, the title didn't ring a bell but the melody itself certainly did, so I'm quite glad that he brought it to my attention.

Teruhiko Aoi（あおい輝彦）is a name that I've heard on TV shows and he's even been shown in the annals of this blog as one of the members of the very first Johnny's Entertainment group, Johnnys (ジャニーズ), back in the 1960s. Born in January 1948 in Tokyo's Suginami Ward, he has not only been a singer but also an actor and a seiyuu. In fact, fans of classic anime will know him as the original voice behind boxer Joe Yabuki from "Ashita no Joe" (あしたのジョー). Plus, he was the 3rd actor to take on the role of Suke-san, one of the two loyal samurai traveling with the vice-shogun-turned-roving man of justice Mitsukuni Tokugawa on the long-running "Mito Komon"（水戸黄門） (1988-2000).

Aoi's first solo single was "Boku no Himitsu"（僕の秘密...My Hidden Secret） released in August 1968, but it was with his June 1976 release of "Anata dake wo" that he made his big mark in music. Written by Masumi Ono（大野真澄）, the vocalist of folk group Garo（ガロ）, and composed by Nobuo Tsunetomi（常富喜雄）, this is a fairly swinging and breezy kayo about wanting to be with that special girl. I figure considering the date of release, this would be a nice walk-on-the-shore sort of tune.

The song also hit a chord with the nation's listeners as it not only hit No. 1 but stayed at the top spot for 6 straight weeks from late August to late September 1976. It eventually became the 7th-ranked song for that year, and so of course, NHK knocked on Aoi's door to have him over for the Kohaku Utagassen. This would be his only appearance on the show.