I was watching Friday's edition of NHK's morning talk show "Asaichi"（あさイチ...Morning Market）, and none other than Chisato Moritaka（森高千里）was performing an old favourite "La La Sunshine"（ララサンシャイン）on location in Fukuoka. Found out that the eternal techno-idol reached the half-century mark on Thursday so many birthday wishes to her.
Therefore in tribute, I'm putting up my first Chisato article in several months with an oldie but a goodie, "The Stress". However, I ought to start things off with the original song itself which was simply titled "Stress" without the definite article. A track from the singer-songwriter's November 1988 3rd studio album "Mite"（見て...Look）, "Stress" was heavier on the Eurobeat and speed, and it's the one that I've heard for the first time ever just within the last few hours. The song was written by Moritaka and composed/arranged by Hideo Saito（斉藤英夫）, and probably had everyone (including myself) who has ever worked in the service industries in their younger years feeling a lot of sympathy and...stress about the not-so-happy aspects of the job. The album itself peaked at No. 5 on the charts.
However, the one version that I've been familiar with all these years is "The Stress" with the added tag of "Stress ~ Chuukintou Version"（ストレス 中近東バージョン...Stress ~ Near Middle East Version）. This was released as a single in February 1989 and has that memorable video showing Moritaka in that waitress get-up getting treated shabbily before she gets a small measure of vengeance. The song has been slowed down slightly with some of those exotic notes and even some more nightmarish sound effects added. Some of the arrangement even reminded me of a certain Frankie Goes To Hollywood song.
The single ranked in at No. 19 and was also included on Moritaka's second compilation of hits, "The Best Selection of First Moritaka 1987-1993". That album got all the way up to No. 6 on Oricon.
From one generation of aidoru to another. Natsumi Abe（安倍なつみ）, one of the original Morning Musume（モーニング娘。）from the 1990s, has had her solo singing career since 2003. In June 2006, she released her 7th single which was a cover version of "The Stress". The arrangement seems to take on more of an early Latin electro-swing beat here, and Abe's delivery has a slightly more high-falutin' elegance. Her take on the Moritaka classic peaked at No. 14 and was placed on Abe's own BEST compilation, "Abe Natsumi~Best Selection~Juu-go Shoku no Nigaoe-tachi"（安倍なつみ 〜Best Selection〜 15色の似顔絵たち...Portraits of 15 Colours）. That got as high as No. 40.
Hi, J-Canuck.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I have never written about it, "The Stress" is a very special song to me, simply because it was the first Moritaka song I ever heard way back in 2010. With that in mind, it's thanks to Moritaka and this song that I started listening to 80s aidoru, or even 80s J-Pop/Kayo Kyoku in general.
“Stress” or "The Stress", with its sexy waitress outfit, is a classic in Moritaka's career. Therefore, four different versions of this song can be found in her discography. The first one really came out on the "Mite" album (1988), but it's not the speedy version you posted and heard for the first time today. That one is the third version, which is from the "Moritaka Land" self-cover best album (1989). The original "Stress" is actually very similar to the second version, which is the “Chukinto” one (also from 1989), but without the wacky sound effects and Chisato's spoken intervention during the instrumental section. They both even share the same tempo. In other words, the original version is the most stripped down one. Unfortunately, I couldn't find it ou YouTube, and since I'm not at home until Monday, I can't send you the mp3 of it right now (I'll do it on Monday, though).
And, finally, there's the fourth version, which is actually the "Chukinto" version, but with random dialogues from some dudes before the song starts (kind of theater-like dialogues). This version, found in the the "The Moritaka" remix album (1991), is the worst of the bunch, but I had to mention its existence.
As for Natsumi Abe's version, I even forgot how it sounded until right now. Listening to it for the first time in, I don't know, maybe six or seven years, it's not bad at all. I remember not liking it years ago, but that's probably because I'm a big Moritaka fan. I'd never think about doing a Latin arrangement to it, but those out of the box ideas are typical from mid-00s Hello! Project.
Hi, Marcos.
DeleteThanks for clarifying the various versions of "The Stress". To be honest, if I were choosing between the two versions above, I would go for the speedier one. I don't think the exotica added too much.
I kinda wonder how a jazz version of it would go.
Hi, J-Canuck.
DeleteI also like this speedier version from the "Moritaka Land" album. I remember Chisato performing it once on Music Station, probably in 1989, but the single version is the one she always performs in concerts.
Hello, Marcos.
DeleteI just listened to the true original version of "Stress", and yeah, it's as exactly as you said. It's a stripped-down take without any hint of "Chukinto". Quite refreshing to hear, actually, although I still like the speedier version. Many thanks.