Hiroshi Itsuki -- Anata no Tomoshibi（あなたの灯）/Wakare no Kane no Ne（別れの鐘の音）

Enka legend Hiroshi Itsuki（五木ひろし）made one of his regular appearances on "Uta Kon"（うたコン） almost a couple of weeks back, and as he did on a past episode during a tribute to singer-songwriter Masaaki Hirao（平尾昌晃）who had just passed away, Itsuki gave his heartfelt thanks to him. But on the show from a couple of weeks ago, he would also thank him and lyricist Yoko Yamaguchi (山口洋子...who has also left this mortal coil) for launching his career into the stratosphere after a long beginning struggle under different stage names. The following two songs were indeed penned by them and were featured on the show.

The songwriting duo of Hirao and Yamaguchi would give Itsuki his first big hit "Yokohama Tasogare"（よこはまたそがれ）in 1971, and they would continue to pen around nine more songs for him during the 1970s including six consecutive tunes (which would also include his hit "Yozora") between late 1972 to early 1974. The first of these six was "Anata no Tomoshibi" (Your Light), a nice and light enka about a man pining for the love of his life who most likely lives in the snowy north. This song was featured in "Uta Kon" through some early taped footage.

Released in December 1972, this was Itsuki's 17th single and was called "rhythm enka". I'm not quite sure what that is, but perhaps the fact that there is that groove in the arrangement and no traditional instruments in the recording is a point. In a way, I could say that "Anata no Tomoshibi" takes things more into a general kayo. Itsuki's heartfelt vocals are still the constant. The song hit No. 5 on the Oricon weeklies and became the 23rd-ranked single of 1973.

"Wakare no Kane no Ne" (The Bell Tolling Farewell) was actually sung by Itsuki on "Uta Con" that night, and his performance did show how grateful he was to Hirao and Yamaguchi. He didn't do so, but it wouldn't have surprised me if he had wept somewhat.

This was his 22nd single from March 1974 and strangely enough, "Wakare no Kane no Ne" was the last of the consecutive six. To be honest, to my ears, this would have been an even better song only if those bells in there hadn't sounded so off...they almost went into horror territory. However, that's not to take anything away from the rest of Itsuki's performance or the overall arrangement as he sings about the hopefully sad-but-amicable breakup between two lovers once the bells stop tolling. As with "Anata no Tomoshibi", I gather that this would also be called a rhythm enka or enka/pop. This song peaked at No. 15.