For at least some of the enka-and-Mood Kayo loving fans of "Uta Kon"（うたコン）, the latest show a couple of nights ago may have been somewhat disappointing considering that there was probably only one such song...performed by Kenichi Mikawa（美川憲一）. However, for those who love Japanese pops spanning decades, it was definitely their night (and mine) since a good part of Tuesday's show was devoted to the works of lyricist extraordinaire Takashi Matsumoto（松本隆）. The man himself appeared as a guest along with his old bandmate from Happy End, guitarist Shigeru Suzuki（鈴木茂）.
Almost as if NHK was providing a visual version of my article on the works of Matsumoto, "Uta Kon" gave a montage of his songs being performed by the various singers, and I was still floored being reminded that the former drummer of Happy End did actually write the lyrics for these many, many songs.
Now, I was going to write an article on Agnes Chan's（アグネス・チャン）"Pocket Ippai no Himitsu"（ポケットいっぱいの秘密）since that was not only the debut work of Matsumoto as a solo lyricist after Happy End had broken up but it was also the first song that was performed on "Uta Kon" on Tuesday by the singer herself. However, after I checked my article "The Works of Takashi Matsumoto", I found out that I had already given my two pennies' worth of the song.
Instead I found another Chan and Matsumoto collaboration with Masaaki Hirao（平尾昌晃）, the man who introduced the Hong Kong singer to Japan, providing the music. This was Chan's 10th single from June 1975, "Hadashi no Boken" (Barefoot Adventure), and no, it isn't a song about foot fetishism. Actually, it is simply a happy tune about an innocent romp in the surf between a woman and a man.
There's quite a bit of the happy-go-lucky melody that reminded me of the Carpenters' famous "Top of the World", and perhaps that was the point there....to bring some of that sunny optimism into the proceedings. And who better than ever-cheerful Agnes Chan? However, I couldn't find out how well "Hadashi no Boken" did on the Oricon charts.
Hello again.
ReplyDeleteY'know, I didn't think I was going to enjoy this "Uta Kon" with it being almost all aidoru, but I actually found it far better than I had expected. (Surprise, surprise)
All those VTR clips with gaudy 80's fashion were amusing, I was familiar with some of the songs (stuff like "Sneaker Blues" and "High School Lullaby" are my guilty pleasures...), and it was interesting to note that Matsumoto was indeed such a big presence in the genre - it's almost like the case with Kyohei Tsutsumi wherein the guy is found in pretty much everything. So that made for a pretty enjoyable episode - can't judge a book by its cover, I suppose.
Now I just need to look for that Tatsuro Yamashita song that Aya Shimazu sang. Do you remember what it was called?
Hi, Noelle.
DeleteOh, you really don't want to see some of my old photos from my old time period. Not something that I want to take a look at again. :) Glad that you enjoyed the episode.
Yeah, Tsutsumi and Matsumoto were pretty much in everything at one point, so it's no surprise that they often collaborated on songs together.
Shimazu sang "Dreaming Girl" which is about as Tatsuesque as one can get for a ballad. I've actually written about it: http://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.ca/2015/03/tatsuro-yamashita-dreaming-girl.html
Enjoy!
Hi, J-Canuck.
DeleteHmm, somehow I can imagine the Itsuki perm in those photos. :) Thanks for the article, by the way.
Morning, Noelle.
DeleteIt wasn't the perm...that was when I was a baby! It was more the embryonic mullet back in the 80s.:)
Good morning, J-Canuck.
DeleteGood golly, I don't know which is the lesser of two evils, the perm or the mullet. And then again, this is coming from someone who had a shabbily-shaped helmet/mop of a hairdo for a good half of her life.
Baby perms, one can live with but the mullet...
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