Up to now, the only thing that I've really heard from 70s/80s aidoru Miyuki Kosaka（小坂みゆき）was her lovingly techno-quirky "Nuance Shimasho"（ニュアンスしましょう）in 1984, created by the dream team of Taeko Ohnuki（大貫妙子）and EPO.
Then a few months ago, I heard her 21st and final single from November 1989, "Kannazuki ni Kakomarete" (Wrapped Up In The 10th Month of The Lunar Calendar) which is also pretty catchy in a different way. Written and composed by Yosui Inoue（井上陽水）, it's a fairly driving pop/rock tune with the sheen of that decade. I figured that it was probably made as a theme song for some action drama starring Kosaka.
Well, I may be half to completely right on that guess since it was used as the first theme song for an anthology drama series called "Dramatic 22"（ドラマチック22）, so titled because it was broadcast at 10 pm or 2200 hours on TBS. The show lasted for about 18 months and though I didn't go through the entire list of episodes to look for Kosaka, it looks like it starred pretty much all of Japanese show business in one way or another.
The thing is, though, that "Kannazuki ni Kakomarete" was actually originally recorded by Inoue himself for his December 1972 album "Yosui II: Sentimental"（陽水II：センチメンタル）. The album has been classified as a folk release, but Inoue's first take of "Kannazuki ni Kakomarete" also has that same urgency but within a combination of Latin rhythms and light psychedelic rock. It's like doing the tango in a wide-lapeled suit and bell-bottoms while the piano keeps on chugging along.
As for "Yosui II: Sentimental", it peaked at No. 10 on Oricon, and though it took its sweet time, the album became the 8th-ranked release for 1974 and then came in at No. 15 in 1975.
One of my favorites from Inoue's second album, for sure. The cover is pretty neat too, but I'm not sure I think the song lends itself as well to rock as some of the album's other fare. Tomoyasu Hotei has a great version of "Higashi e Nishi e".
ReplyDeleteHi, Ragnar XIV. Yeah, I guess that Inoue may have been going for something more experimental. I haven't heard the other tracks but I take it that they are more conventionally rock.
DeleteHis first two albums are folk-rock, falling more heavily onto the folk side. It wasn't until Yume no Naka e and Koori no Sekai that he started doing more up-tempo songs with electric instead of acoustic arrangements, although still with folk elements. His fourth album, Nishoku no Koma, was recorded entirely in LA and in my opinion was the first with a radically different sound to his earlier ones. After that he skirted the pop/rock line for most of his career, and now seems to mainly do lounge-style music on his newest cover albums. His work with Okuda Tamio is the most conventionally rock music he's done, I think.
DeleteI was fairly late to the party when it came to Inoue. I first got to know him through his ballad "Isso Serenade" and then "Arigato" with Okuda. Of course, there was also his association with Anzen Chitai when they were playing as his backing band. Didn't know any of his 70s material until I started the blog.
DeleteTwo questions. While I was in Japan in the 1980s, Yosui Inoue had a hit that began "Amai kuchizuke, tooi omoide" is there a recording of it somewhere on the web. Also, do you possibly know of a source for Japanese sheet music? Suchas the one here in the States, Musicnotes . com. Much appreciated if you can help.
ReplyDeleteHello there. The song that you're looking for is "Isso Serenade" from 1984 which I posted up some years ago: https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2012/03/yosui-inoue-isso-serenade.html
DeleteAs for the Japanese sheet music, the only source I know is Yamano Music in Tokyo but their website doesn't have anything listed there. You'd actually have to visit the store itself.