Izumi Kimoto & Kyosen Ohashi And The Thoroughbreds -- Dokoka de Dareka ni（どこかでだれかに）

In terms of generations and Japanese TV, I was perhaps at the very tail end of the Kyosen Ohashi（大橋巨泉）era. For those fans of the medium over there who know about veteran hosts such as director Beat Takeshi（ビートたけし）, Tamori（タモリ）and Sanma Akashiya（明石家さんま）, before all of them, there was Kyosen Ohashi with his many commercials and his long-running stints as hosts of late-night program "Wide Show 11PM" and the quiz show "Quiz Derby". I don't remember seeing him a whole lot during my time in Japan but he was enough of a presence that his beaming and bespectacled face is something that I can still identify.

I read on his J-Wiki bio that although Ohashi had never dabbled in singing, he was involved somewhat in the recording industry. However, I'd had no idea that his name was actually connected with a group.

Still, tonight I discovered this lovely Japanese bossa song titled "Dokoka de Dareka ni" (Somewhere With Someone) that was performed by Kyosen Ohashi And The Thoroughbreds（大橋巨泉とサラブレッズ）with the vocalist Izumi Kimoto（木本いず美）. Not sure how Ohashi and The Thoroughbreds got together but I think that the latter may have been the house band on "11PM". In any case, according to Kimoto's website, the group coalesced in 1969 with Kimoto as the second vocalist.

"Dokaka de Dareka ni" was the B-side to their 1970 single "Onegai ga Aru no"（お願いがあるの...I Have A Favor）, and I do have my soft spot for bossa nova. And "Dokaka de Dareka ni" hit that spot rather nicely just when I was going to call it a night on the blog. With Kimoto's lovely and lilting vocals leading the way, I ended up listening to it twice. Ohashi himself came up with the lyrics (and was even in the chorus) while band saxophonist Atsushi or Jun Sugihara（杉原淳）composed the melody. According to one site, Ohashi, The Thoroughbreds and Kimoto released a few more singles afterwards.

Not a bad way to end the day and a pleasant surprise from a longtime veteran of the Japanese TV industry who passed away in 2016.