Well, that relationship among Ishida, Hashimoto and Tsutsumi can go all the way back to the late 1960s with that breakthrough hit, "Blue Light Yokohama"（ブルーライトヨコハマ）. Several months after that release, the three of them worked together again on "Kyo kara Anata to" (From Today With You), which is a story of a woman happily in a relationship with the guy of her dreams.
Some similar sounds to "Blue Light Yokohama" here as well with those thumping drums, silky strings and of course Ishida's plaintive vocals. I think the only thing missing is the horns. "Kyo kara Anata to" didn't hit the top spot like "Blue Light Yokohama" did but it didn't too shabbily either as it went into the Top 10 to peak at No. 7.
I can easily see why she was quite the popular young lass about town.
I received some sad news this morning: Ishida Ayumi-san passed away on March 11, 2025, at the age of 76. March 11 is a significant date in Japan's history, marking the tragedy of the Great Tohoku Earthquake. I will always remember her for the iconic song "Blue Light of Yokohama," which plays in my mind whenever I walk through Yokohama's Yamashita Park. She will also stay in my memory from the famous train scene in Kita no Kuni Kara, where she leans out of the window, waving and calling out to her daughter, Hotaru, who is running on the other side of the river. May She rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteYes, Piotrfan, it is a great shame that we lost Ishida back on the 11th. I've just written an article on her debut single now that you can take a look at.
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