Reimy -- Just Only You

I had just watched one of the many regular NHK documentary shows right now, and this particular program goes all over the world to snap a shot of life in a particular village or a small section of a large metropolis. Tonight's episode focused on Soho, London via a woman who has a regular stint as a DJ at the local radio station.

Before I started "Kayo Kyoku Plus" in early 2012, I had wondered about doing a podcast and even fantasized about even doing radio, somewhat inspired by "Sounds of Japan" back in the early 1980s on Toronto's CHIN-FM. Some students have remarked that I have a voice for radio (not so sure about that) but I know that I have the perfect face for radio (best heard, not seen...ever).

If I were to ever do a radio show, one episode that I would like to explore is those singers that I have considered to be underrated. There are a number of them and I have covered them in the blog: Ruiko Kurahashi（倉橋ルイ子）, bird, the band Bonobos, and perhaps even Keizo Nakanishi（中西圭三）. One other singer that I also wished could have reached even further heights is Reimy Horikawa（堀川麗美）who has been known as just Reimy and Remedios.

Now, everyone's reaction to a singer will differ of course. But I think Reimy has always had that talent for ballads and mid-tempo feel-good tunes, both as a singer and as a songwriter, and for whatever reason, she didn't quite become that superstar. Then again, her fans, and I consider myself one of them, can also ask "Why would she need to be one?" She's got a dedicated fan base and we know that she's a fine singer so why would we need to worry? Well, perhaps, I guess there's that bit of family in all of us who wanted to see their family member hit the top.

It is starting to sound like I'm writing my very first article on Reimy which isn't true since there are 13 previous articles as of this date. And as I've probably stated in my first one for her heartfelt "Dear Tess", I first discovered the singer-songwriter from Okinawa when she had already entered the third phase of her career when she was fully endeavoring in writing these mature pop songs after her debut stage of teen pop around the mid-1980s and then going into a brief stint of American dance-pop.

However, "Just Only You", her 6th single from July 1986 is another revelation in that it seems to hint at that later third phase of songwriting. Reimy composed this one with Etsuko Kisugi（来生えつこ）providing the lyrics. Along with her vocals, I just love the rich keyboards underlying the ballad. As the title would suggest, this could have made for the perfect love song in a teen movie in Japan. I came across one Japanese blogger (which is how I found out about "Just Only You") who made a pretty impassioned entry for her and this number, and the whole underrated thing I mentioned off the top.

The single may be rather difficult to track down these days but it is available on Reimy's compilation album "yes we're SINGLES" which came out in November 1988.