Now that we are all looking toward the final days of 2020, I was wondering what I could do in terms of a special KKP article, so of course, I was thinking about an Author's Pick. Then I remembered about the category of The First which had centered around 2017 and 2018 and invited some of the blog collaborators to write about what the first song to bring them into the world of kayo kyoku/J-Pop was.
Therefore, I've decided to combine the two categories of The First and Author's Picks together to provide a quick list of firsts so that you good folks can find out what some of the seminal songs in my kayo life have been. I have covered them individually over the past 9 years, so you can get a fuller picture through the links to them but here, I'm just gonna provide the bare bones. As well, you can get a look at my original The First article which has what I first heard during my summer trip in 1981, my first City Pop song and the first song that I'd heard on the radio program "Sounds of Japan".
1. First Kayo (that I can remember as a baby): "Muhyou" by Yukio Hashi or "Ue wo Muite Arukou" by Kyu Sakamoto
Both in their own ways are melancholy and both have stuck in my heads for the past several decades. I also remember being right in front of the RCA stereo speaker as they were played. Not sure if sitting by something with a big magnet affected my brain.😱
2. First Aidoru song: "Hitori Janaino" by Mari Amachi
Such a cute and schmaltzy song thanks to those muted trumpets. Too bad when I first heard this, I was in the process of barfing all over my good clothing in the taxi on the way from Haneda Airport in Tokyo. The driver seemed rather nonplussed...true professionalism.
3. First 80s Aidoru song: "Natsu no Tobira" by Seiko Matsuda
Yes, it just had to be Seiko-chan that I first heard on landing in Tokyo for the 1981 summer trip, and what better ambassador to introduce me to the world of Japanese teenyboppers. I have to thank that Suntory commercial and that appearance on the 1981 Kohaku Utagassen to sear the image of idolatry into my brain forever.
4. First Karaoke song: "Yukiguni" by Ikuzo Yoshi
Had to represent my country on the JET Programme and my pride in the karaoke bar so I went all Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and combined the two concepts to choose "Yukiguni" as my go-to karaoke song. Considering the number of times that I've sung this all over Gunma and Tokyo and all places in-between, the singer should have gotten quite a healthy royalty cheque from me.
5. First J-Pop song while on the JET Programme: "Samishii Nettaigyo" by Wink
My third landing in Japan at the end of the 1980s would be for my first post-university job as an English teacher in the Japanese educational system. The song that would line my welcome into Gunma was by a couple of newfangled aidoru at the time that had the distinction of presenting themselves as human porcelain dolls on a rotating stand with expressions that the Vulcan Science Academy would actually praise highly.
6. First J-Pop song while on my 17-year stint: "Try Me" by Namie Amuro with Super Monkey's
7. First enka/Mood Kayo that I truly enjoyed: "Brandy Glass" by Yujiro Ishihara
Before this slice of traditional Japanese pop, I merely listened to the genres of enka and Mood Kayo simply because my parents were playing it on the stereo but after having returned from that 1981 trip, I somehow gained the ability to actually enjoy these genres. "Brandy Glass" by the Big Man was one of a string of genre kayo that I would begin to cherish from the early 1980s. I didn't particularly become a drinker even in drink-friendly Japan but the music was good enough for me to savor.
8. First Technopop song: "Firecracker" by Yellow Magic Orchestra
KKP readers might assume that it was "Rydeen" which was my first when it came to the music of YMO, but it was actually "Firecracker", and for that I would have to thank the local show "Japanese Panorama" for introducing the music video one night. I had heard "computer music" before through a record that I listened to in the junior high school library, but it was all an avant-garde mish-mash of bleeps and bloops. "Firecracker" proved to me that synthesizers and other musical technology named with a combination of letters and numbers (and the musicians behind them) could produce some truly magical and catchy songs.
Well, those are my eight Firsts. If any of you have your Firsts that you would like to share, I'm all eyes and ears.
The first song I remember that would be classed as Kayo was, funnily enough, a cover of Sentimental, long before I'd heard of Hiromi Iwasaki.
ReplyDeleteThe first idol song that I remember in its original Japanese form was Arigato Anata by Momoe Yamaguchi. I didn't know what the song was called, who sang it, or anything about it other than a famous Anita Mui cover (whose title I didn't know) and the opening words "Watashi no...". It was through hunting for that song and then exploring related material that I came to love Cosmos, and via a 2004 performance of it, Hiromi Iwasaki.
The first Hiromi song I heard as a Hiromi song was a 2009 performance of Shishuuki in a pink dress, which got me even more interested in this lady singer. Having got used to her 2004 performance of Cosmos and 2009 performance of Shishuuki, on listening to an original recording of Shishuuki I was shocked to realise that Hiromi Iwasaki was once a young singer. Lol indeed.
The first young Hiromi song to really hook me was the 1980 Symphony concert performance of Watashi Tachi. This stately singer of mature ballads could really rock it in her youth.
Hi, Jim. Thanks for your reminiscences of Hiromi. I'd first known her as that very talented singer of 80s love ballads so I was also surprised to find out that she had started out as a 70s aidoru with the choreography to boot. Plus, she used to have a short bob.
DeleteI meant to respond to this the other day. Just a few random firsts:
ReplyDeleteThe first Japanese song I had any real awareness of was, like a lot of folks in the US, "Sukiyaki." My mom listened to the local Oldies stations when we were kids and we heard it from time to time.
The first modern Japanese band I ever listened to was Loudness. They opened for some band my brother saw in concert and he bought their tape. I don't remember anything about it, other than that we listened to it in his Chevette on the way to school for a week or so.
The first Japanese Christmas album I really went nuts over was Shoji Suzuki's "Swingin' Christmas." A guy in Indonesia shared it online long before I was ever able to find a copy of Akira Ishikawa's album. It's absolutely phenomenal. I was so excited to finally get a copy of my own last week that my hands were shaking when I opened it.
The first J-X'mas album I bought was Jackey Yoshikawa's "Christmas With Blue Comets." I had a few others in that order, but it was the first one I added to my cart, and the first one I listened to when they arrived. It's still one of my favorites.
The first non-Christmas Japanese album I (accidentally) bought was a promotional album called "Tropical Winter." I thought it was a Christmas album based on the title. It had singles from Mayo Shouno, Kumiko Yamashita, Penny Tohyama, Bloody Mary and Juicy Fruits.
The first non-Christmas album I intentionally bought was Mayo Shouno's "Ai Ai Ai," which I tracked down because of "Tropical Winter." It's one of my favorites. The funny thing is, after I ripped the vinyl, I found that I'd downloaded it back in the late 90s or early 00s.
Hi, Scott, and a Happy New Year! Yep, "Sukiyaki" was probably the first Japanese-language song that a lot of folks in my generation heard. At the time, I couldn't understand what Kyu-san was singing about but it sure was cheerful.
DeleteLoudness was a band that I heard about back in my high school days. At the time, when I found out that they were doing gigs in America, I wondered whether they would become the next big Japanese thing after Kyu Sakamoto.:)
Shouno was a revelation for me since I had only known about her "Tonde Istanbul" which is a prime example of the exotic kayo of the late 1970s. I would later discover that she was also quite the City Popster as well...and then there was her collaboration with Oingo Boingo.
First Japanese song: Nothing exciting here, really. “Sukiyaki,” followed by Pink Lady’s “Kiss in the Dark” (their American hit).
ReplyDeleteFirst Japanese album: Kurofune (Black Ship) by Sadistic Mika Band. At the time, I didn’t know that they were something of a “supergroup,” just that Brian Eno liked them. I played the grooves off of my first vinyl copy of this, especially the A-side, with the temple-bell like Fender Rhodes intro leading into an inspiring bass-driven groove. After ten minutes were are dropped right into the flashy glam-rock fabulousness of “Time machine ni onegai.” After a jarring end, it’s on to the epic title track, a soaring Floydian instrumental. I initially thought this was their debut album, because I owned the self-titled North American release...only to find their REAL first album (UK release on Harvest) a couple of years later!
First Japanese single: I seem to remember buying three on the same record store trip. In chronological order: “Tabidachi no uta” by Tsunehiko Kamijo & Rokumonsen, “Musobana” by Hiroshi Madoka and “Daitokai” by Crystal King.
First “New Music” song: Strangely, NOT something by Hiroko Taniyama, but a sorta-soundalike, “Hananusubito” by the sadly late Asuka. I am still enchanted by this one, it sounds like a piano sonata with a vocal part added.
First J-fusion album: Self-Portrait by Kenso. This single-LP compilation of their first two albums was my introduction to the wonderful world of Kenso. From the opening notes of the evergreen “Sora ni hikaru,” I was sold. I since upgraded to the Electric Bird reissue of Kenso II, which contains the same four tracks from Kenso I as bonuses. I saw them live in L.A. in 2000, where they were the highlight of the music festival (one of them, Italy’s venerable Banco del Mutuo Soccorso were the other); guitarist and de facto leader Yoshihisa Shimizu memorably performing in his dentist’s coat!
Hi, Mike, and Happy New Year! Thanks very much for your choices. Yep, "Sukiyaki" is no surprise.
Delete"Time Machine" from "Black Ship" is up on YouTube and boy, is it epic! I thought it was powered by TARDIS engines. It's so swoon-worthy 70s. Tragically enough, I saw the LP at a used book store a couple of years ago, and went against my own advice and didn't snatch it up when I had the chance. Next time, I went there it was gone. C'est dommage!
Haven't heard of "Tabidachi no Uta" but know "Musobana" and "Daitokai" well. I'll have to see if I can find some sign of "Self-Portrait" online.
Actually, I should correct myself. I HAVE heard of "Tabidachi no Uta" but didn't know the title. It's quite the rousing song and I don't think I've ever seen such a joyful performance on Japanese TV:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0Sjx3rCGxQ
DeleteI was actually mis-remembering. My actual first single was "Hotarukawa" by Toru Asashio, the enka-singing sumo. I don't remember what it sounds like, unlike "Tabidachi no uta."
ReplyDelete