Yuko Sugita -- Maryoku（魔力）

Over 5 years ago, nikala wrote about a little-known singer named Yuko Sugita（杉田優子）and her cheerful song "Shuu Densha"（終電車）. She mentioned that Sugita had released a couple of albums and a handful of singles before leaving the recording booth for good.

"Maryoku" (Magic) is then from her 2nd album "American Comics" (1979). Written and composed by the singer, Sugita concocts some Japanese City Boogie with the assistance of a honky-tonk piano and what sounds like a beefy saxophone or electric guitar. Although Sugita doesn't sound anything like her, "Maryoku" has that feeling of a Junko Yagami（八神純子）tune from around the same era and weaves a scene of the down-and-dirty night life somewhere in Tokyo.

Though I try not to romanticize past decades since I know that all of them had their various problems and issues, hearing "Maryoku" does make me wonder how music and life were like back in Tokyo circa 1979. But then again, I had my taste of the megalopolis for a month a couple of years later. It was literally a life-changing period.