Kazuo Funaki -- Odorou Boku to （踊ろうぼくと）

For those in the know about 1960s kayo singers, when one mentions Kazuo Funaki's（舟木一夫）name, "Koukou Sannen-sei"（高校三年生）will be the song that usually pops up. My image of him will always be that of the earnest high school senior looking all serious and handsome in his black uniform as he exhorts that song as if it were an official anthem.

"Koukou Sannen-sei" was released back in June 1963. Well, a few years later, Funaki sang this other song titled "Odorou Boku to" (Dance With Me) which came out in 1966, and that image of the all-Japanese high school kid was gone for this ditty. The kid grew up some more and in his place, was a more confident young man beckoning a nervous young lady to trip the light fantastic on the dance floor.

Well, that's the image I got from listening to "Odorou Boku to". Written by Ikue Obayashi（大林郁恵）and Tetsuya Yoshino（吉野哲哉）and composed by Toru Funamura（船村徹）, the song stands out for me since it has enka and tango elements in there, and then there is Funaki's own delivery, which I would describe as somewhat velvety and soothing. However, I can also compare it to "Trust In Me", the song performed by Kaa the python in Walt Disney's "The Jungle Book" from 1967, although I couldn't ever really see Funaki as a predatory presence in the dance hall.