TOSHITARO -- Lazy Tune

 

Earlier in the year, I introduced singer-songwriter Toshitaro Hiejima（稗島寿太郎）, aka TOSHITARO, through his cool and nocturnal "Tight Night" from 1986. As I mentioned in that article, it's been difficult gaining any information about the fellow, but I was able to dig up from Takechas Records that he made his debut through a band in 1979 called Toshitaro & Riverside（とし太郎＆リバーサイド）which broke up sometime before or in 1984.

The following year, TOSHITARO released his June 1987 album "Romantic Noise", and I have to say that the cover of him looking like a Reservoir Dog or veteran comedian Teruyoshi Uchimura（内村光良）in one of his skits is quite kakkoii as well. Anyways, one of the tracks is "Lazy Tune" which is anything but. Written by Keiko Aso（麻生圭子）and composed/arranged by the singer, it's got bits and pieces of Motown, piano jazz and late-80s City Pop. 

I'm not sure whether it's a real marimba or a synthesizer in there, but the sound adds whimsy although I would have preferred some real horns over the synth-horns in one of the instrumental passages. Still, "Lazy Tune" is a fun song with some nice vocals by TOSHITARO and the backup singers.