Credits

I would like to give credit where credit is due. Videos are from YouTube and other sources such as NicoNico while Oricon rankings and other information are translated from the Japanese Wikipedia unless noted.

Saturday, July 18, 2020

BaBe -- She has a dream


BaBe may have had a brief time in the spotlight as singing duos go and the baton was passed over to Wink from the late 1980s into the early 1990s, but Tomoko Kondo(近藤智子)and Yukari Nikaido(二階堂ゆかり)left a still-recognizable and memorable sound in my head, thanks to singles like their Eurobeat-y "I Don't Know!".


In total, BaBe released 8 singles and 5 original albums between 1987 and 1990, and as I mentioned, whenever I think of any of their songs, I remember that Kondo and Nikaido were the pre-Wink Eurobeat aidoru duo. However, listening to their final single "She has a dream" which was released in March 1989, try as I might, I didn't really hear any of that familiar Eurobeat.

Written by Ken Takahashi(高橋研)and composed by Mayumi Horikawa(堀川まゆみ), I think BaBe and the powers-that-be behind them were trying to retool their sound somewhat into something more urban contemporary and sophisticated with "She has a dream". I certainly like the melody here and it was hoped that they would smash a hit out of the park. The song was even adopted as the official theme for the 1989 World Sports Fair taking place in Japan; the annual event lasted between 1983 and 1992 and included introducing various sports from around the globe.

Alas, "She has a dream" did just OK by peaking at No. 37 and sold around 14,000 copies. The song was also included on BaBe's 4th album from April 1989, "Brand-new". However, about a year later in March 1990, it was decided that BaBe would disband.


2 comments:

  1. Their pre-debut.

    https://youtu.be/9uWcRn0u7t4?si=ThAJ4mvPM0STI-a_

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    1. Thanks for the information, YMOfan04. I read about BaBe's previous incarnation as Heartbreakers with Saori Saito but wasn't aware of the even earlier time with Mariko Saeki.

      https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2021/12/saori-saito-yokogao.html

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