Hiromi Iwasaki -- Gobangai no Shiroi Dress（五番街の白いドレス）

 

The following is about a song that fellow Hiromi Iwasaki（岩崎宏美）fan Jim Laker informed me about some days ago, and it's a special one since although "Gobangai no Shiroi Dress" (The White Dress on Fifth Avenue) exists on the JASRAC database, this Hiromi song has, as far as I know, never been officially recorded onto an LP or CD.

"Gobangai no Shiroi Dress" was apparently only meant as a concert-only song and it's a sweet story of a typist on a modest salary who one day comes across a shop window with the most darling white dress. Of course, she desires it like anything and decides to save up the yen to purchase it in the not-too-distant future. That day finally comes but when she happily skips down to the store to buy the dress, her heart breaks on finding out it has just been sold. Her sadness is short-lived, however, on finding out that the person who bought it is a fellow who she also had her eyes upon and the swell guy purchased it just for her. 

Geez, lyricist Keisuke Yamakawa（山川啓介）...O. Henry much? I was able to find out some information about "Gobangai no Shiroi Dress" through some of the comments on YouTube and an Ameblo blog entry from earlier this year in May in which the song was probably first featured in 1982. The author also describes the melody by Norio Maeda（前田憲男）as being somewhat European in feeling, and as someone who has been discovering that some of the 80s Japanese pop songs by folks like Kazuhiro Nishimatsu（西松一博）and Taeko Ohnuki（大貫妙子）can be described as baroque pop, I think I can peg "Gobangai no Shiroi Dress" as being in that same category. I would say that it's perfect as an Iwasaki ballad: heartfelt and poignant.

In a way, it's a pity that the ballad never made it onto vinyl or whatever the heck a CD is made from, but the fact that it has never been recorded for sale has given "Gobangai no Shiroi Dress" that elevated mystery status. And to perform it, Iwasaki has to make that dramatic stage change from her regular performing dress into that titular white dress itself which means that the back singers have to hold up their end for a minute or so...rather unusual. I did ask Jim about what the dress change was all about since at the time I wasn't sure what was going on, but now that I do realize the meaning, it has had quite the showmanship effect at her concerts, I'm sure. In fact, according to that author for the Ameblo blog has stated that this song popular among Hiromi fans has been dubbed "The Dress-Change Song".

Television viewers got that rare look and listen to the song as you can see above in the video. According to the blog, the show was televised on Fuji-TV back in February 1983 under the title "The Star Iwasaki Hiromi ~ 45 Kaiten de Dakishimete ~"（ザ・スター　岩崎宏美〜45回転で抱きしめて〜）which I believe means "Hiromi Iwasaki: Embracing Her 45" Singles", so I think the special was meant to highlight those hits from yesteryear. Apparently, there was a variety show component as well with Iwasaki portraying the typist herself and a bunch of tarento portraying her fellow goofy staffers. 

One last thing that I wanted to mention is that at the beginning, Iwasaki seems to be dressed up as a rakugo comedian as she introduces "Gobangai no Shiroi Dress". I very rarely see her talking aside from doing the usual inter-song chit-chat with hosts, so to see her speaking to the camera like a buddy was very nice to see. Thanks very much to Jim, and if by chance, anyone knows whether the song has actually made it onto a BEST compilation or an anniversary collection for the singer, please let us know!