Yumi Arai -- Cobalt Hour (Follow-Up)

Seeing pop music legend Yumi Matsutoya（松任谷由実）sashaying across the NHK Shibuya Hall stage along with two other kayo legends, Keisuke Kuwata（桑田佳祐）and Saburo Kitajima（北島三郎）on New Year's Eve at the 69th Kohaku Utagassen, the spectacle wasn't lost on me. And I internally remarked that, yes, this was indeed the Yuming（ユーミン）that I have seen and known for the past couple of decades starting with the VHS tape of her "Wings of Light" tour from the early 90s. She was flashing that huge smile and whirling around like a dervish as if she were at one of her own concerts.

When I first watched "Wings of Light", I was absolutely gobsmacked since the sight of Yuming not only singing it up but also hoofing it up along with her fellow dancers was completely different from the image that I'd had of the singer-songwriter. My impression was that she had been a pretty stoic and serious artist in her early years armed with singing and songwriting talent who would be cemented behind the microphone when she sang, and that as her career took off in the 1970s, she gradually grew into her vivacious public persona.

But then I came across this stunning footage of Yuming when she was still Yumi Arai（荒井由実）at that time, and I was so impressed that I feel compelled to give a shoutout to the uploader.

The video in question features an episode from a TV Asahi late-night program called "NOK NOK New Omoshiro Klub"（ノックノック(NOK)･ニューおもしろ倶楽部...New Fun Club） that had its run during that decade. Hosted by music critic and novelist Yuuji Konno（今野雄二）, this particular episode supposedly had him and his crew go to Arai's house to have Yuming entertain them and friends in various parts of the residence. To be honest (and at least one other commenter for the video has also given his/her doubts), I actually wonder if this is actually a very well-adorned set rather than her actual house considering the logistics involved. Mind you, near the end of the video, Konno and Yuming end up in her bedroom (OK...no giggling please), and the host actually refers to it as such....plus the lady looks quite comfy sitting on the floor by her bed.

In any case, one amazing thing is just to see this pretty well-preserved footage showing this singer in her 20s acting just as down-to-earth and outgoing as the woman next door who would be the neighbourhood social director. Yuming was always vivacious! As well, the other amazing thing is that she sings a number of her classics from that time period: "Sukoshi Dake Kataomoi"（少しだけ片想い）, "Juu-Ni-gatsu no Ame"（12月の雨）, "Ame no Station"（雨のステイション）and "Ano Hi ni Kaeritai"（あの日にかえりたい）. That last one that she does as a kinda duet with Konno is done in English under the title "Lonely Girl".

(karaoke version)

The whole experience sparked me to follow up on my article on her 3rd album "Cobalt Hour" that I had written all the way back in March 2012 since two of the songs that I've cited in the previous paragraph are in the album. Although I've written about some of the other tracks on "Cobalt Hour" in their own articles, "Sukoshi Dake Kataomoi" and "Ame no Station" are the holdouts.

"Sukoshi Dake Kataomoi" (Just A Little Crush) is one example why I will always love Yumi Arai. Her voice is unmistakably Yuming but back then, it also had that mellowness, and her music has that carefree feeling. Tatsuro Yamashita（山下達郎）and Minako Yoshida（吉田美奈子）are the backup chorus on this one which tells of the story of a fellow dropping off a female friend at her place, not knowing that she has great feelings for him. Perhaps she's chomping on the bit that the dummy won't bite but she's also laughing it off since I think she's pretty confident that he will take notice someday. Sounds like many a plot device in anime. The whole aura of "Sukoshi Dake Kataomoi" is innocent and comical at the same time. Incidentally, it was also the B-side for the single "Ano Hi ni Kaeritai". Also have a look-see at the Seiko Miki（三木聖子）cover.

But of course, Yuming can do wistful, too. "Ame no Station" (Rainy Station) is a bluesy ballad about remembering a past love at the titular station with the drizzling rain coming down. Apparently, when Arai was creating the song, she was referring to Nishi-Tachikawa Station on the JR Ome Line in Tokyo, and a memorial has been erected at the station in tribute to the song. Also in 2006, "Ame no Station" was adapted into the train departure chime there.

Singer Heaco did a cover of "Ame no Station" that you can check out here.

I want to throw one more in here and that would be the title track itself. "Cobalt Hour" is a 70s City Pop tune with Yuming playfully inviting the listener to join her in a little time travel back to 1960 where they would act as a couple enjoying a drive out on the highway in an Isuzu Bellett from the bright lights of Tokyo into the countryside. The cobalt hour refers to the time of that sky as the sun is setting in the distance. Perhaps the song could also be representative of the growing leisure activity as Japan was slowly becoming the 2nd-largest economy on Earth.

"Cobalt Hour" the album went all the way up to No. 2 on Oricon and became the 31st-ranked album for 1975 but then it showed its longevity by becoming ranked No. 5 on the yearly charts for 1976.

The album also has the famous "Sotsugyo Shashin"（卒業写真）.