Ichiro Araki -- Midnight Blues

 

When it comes to the classic anime "Ashita no Joe"（あしたのジョー）, of course the theme song any fan or even those who aren't fans but at least are aware of the original manga and series will remember is the iconic one of the same name as performed by Isao Bito（尾藤イサオ）. Grim determination seems to sweat out of every pore on the song.

But along with the fact that there have been a number of entries for "Ashita no Joe", anime and live-action, there have also been a number of songs attached to the franchise, although the original theme song will always be the best remembered. For instance, I was surprised to find out about this relatively lighthearted theme of honky-tonk blues that adorned each episode in the latter half of the second series of "Ashita no Joe" that got televised in 1981.

Titled "Midnight Blues", this was an April 1981 single (yup, 40 years ago) written, composed and performed by Ichiro Araki（荒木一郎）who does seem to love his blues. In fact, my first article on the Tokyo singer-songwriter also had him doing something bluesy but still within the kayo parameters by my reckoning. "Midnight Blues", though, seems to take Araki away from Japan and transports him to some place like Tennessee (hi there, harmonica solo), and he and his band are happier than peas in a pod. No one dies in the ring here; instead, everyone heads out to the nearest bar for a cordial round of brewskis after the fight...with Joe treating. The single also found itself on Araki's February 1983 album "SCENE-PHONIC".