Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Peking Ducks -- Techno Duck(テクノダック)


I'm gonna sound like that announcer from those K-Tel record ads but do any of you remember radio DJ Rick Dees' 1976 recording of "Disco Duck"? Just like Pepperidge Farm, I myself do remember since it was on all of the commercials when disco could do no wrong back then. Could never imagine that Donald could pull that one off.


Well, I recently discovered the genre cousin of "Disco Duck". Several years later in 1982, someone or a group called Peking Ducks(北京ダックス)recorded their own novelty techno kayo titled "Techno Duck". Aside from the year of the recording, that's basically all I could find about the song or the band. It's definitely more playful than "Disco Duck" but it still has all the quacking that you would want although I'm not sure if it's ducks or chipmunks that have the speaking roles here.

Anyways, if any of you have more information about Peking Ducks or "Techno Duck", please let me know.

2 comments:

  1. Hi J-Can(d)uck!

    Thanks for the challenge! Accepted, of course!

    I definitely did not find out who was/were the group Peking Ducks but could gather several evidence of who was behind that song.

    First, to put this records in context, it can be seen as the Japanese take on the "Chicken Dance" song which regain fame in Europe and especially in France ("La Danse des Canards") in the begining of 80's.

    You can find some insight on the EP sheet itself.

    This song is also registered at JASRAC under the names "La Polka des Canards" and "The Polka of the Ducks".

    Now, onto the credits. Weird song = weird credits.

    What is credited on EP sheet:
    Lyrics: モコ・ナンリ = Moko Nanri
    Music: R.マニックス = R. Mannix
    Arrangement: 波田利郎 = Toshiro Hata (most likely, hard to read, never found this person credited on other musi release)

    What is credited on EP ring:
    Lyrics: モコ・ナンリ = Moko Nanri
    Music: シュキ・Y・レヴィ = Shuki Y. Levy
    Arrangement: 波田利郎 = Toshiro Hata

    R. Mannix = Shuki Levy (Y. stands for his real name Yehoshua, Shuki being in fact a stage name)
    Robin Mannix being an alias of Shuki Levy

    At this point I started to have doubt about the lyricist: alias, same person as the producer Taka Nanri?
    Nope, surely a relative of Taka Nanri. Wrote lyrics for 1982 Queen Millennia Animated film's song "Angel Queen" (星空のエンジェル・クィーン) as well as for Norikazu Osawa's 1991 album "Tight Rope". Romanization of her/his name, found on several material. Name in Kanji: 南里元子

    But everything changed again, when I discovered that Moko Nanri was not the lyricist but more likely the Japanese translator/lyricist.

    The song first came up with English lyrics wrote by someone's named Kussa.

    I think fans of Shuki Levy already guessed who is behind this alias: Haim Saban himself, who often worked in pair with Levy on a gigaton of animation series songs.

    Why is he omitted from credits on EP? It sometimes happen when lyrics are translated into Japanese; I could see it on some of my albums.

    And voilà:
    English/Original lyrics: Haim Saban
    Japanese lyrics/translation: Moko Nanri
    Music: Shuki Levy
    Arrangement: Toshiro Hata

    Is the song available on CD? Yes!
    https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%83%A6%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BB%E3%82%B2%E3%83%A9%E3%83%BC%E3%80%81%E5%B7%A6%E3%81%A8%E3%82%93%E5%B9%B3%E3%80%81%E8%B2%B4%E4%B9%83%E8%8A%B1%EF%BC%8F%E6%AD%8C%E8%AC%A1%E6%9B%B2%E7%95%AA%E5%A4%96%E5%9C%B0%E3%83%88%E3%83%AA%E3%82%AA%E3%83%AC%E3%82%B3%E3%83%BC%E3%83%89%E3%80%90TV%E3%83%BB%E3%83%8E%E3%83%B4%E3%82%A7%E3%83%AB%E3%83%86%E3%82%A3%E7%AF%87%E3%80%91-%E6%81%8B%E3%81%AE%E3%83%9B%E3%83%AF%E3%83%B3%E3%83%BB%E3%83%9B%E3%83%AF%E3%83%B3-%E3%83%A6%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BB%E3%82%B2%E3%83%A9%E3%83%BC%E3%80%81%E5%B7%A6%E3%81%A8%E3%82%93%E5%B9%B3%E3%80%81%E8%B2%B4%E4%B9%83%E8%8A%B1%E4%BB%96/dp/B07KLS2X1T

    -------------------------
    Reference:

    EP Sheet, credits + history of song:
    https://static.mercdn.net/item/detail/orig/photos/m23274911853_2.jpg?1502523138

    EP A Face credits:
    https://static.mercdn.net/item/detail/orig/photos/m23274911853_3.jpg?1502523138

    モコ・ナンリ = 南里元子, "Dragonfly" (ドラゴンフライ) being the B-Face of the EP:
    https://ibb.co/bQmM91n

    Moko Nanri name romanization:
    https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91yC-WhOLAL._SL1421_.jpg

    JASRAC credits:
    https://ibb.co/XJw53JP

    Kussa = Kussa Mahchi = Haim Saban
    https://ibb.co/Vgzcr6R
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haim_Saban

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    Replies
    1. Hello, Daemonskald.

      I figured that I was gonna be calling you on the Bat-phone, but it looks like my last sentence was the equivalent of the Bat-signal. Anyways, many thanks on the information.

      Interesting about Levy's connection with the song, so I gather that means that "Techno Duck" and the theme song from "Inspector Gadget" are siblings, so to speak (https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2017/08/sakiko-ito-himawari-musume.html).

      Delete

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