Sanrinsha -- Mizuiro no Machi（水色の街）

 

I think that when it comes to most people's earliest mode of conveyance that didn't require Mom or Dad's help, the tricycle was it. I had my own tricycle but I don't remember much about riding it outside of a few photos that prove that I had.

The reason that I mention about tricycles is that the group of focus here is Sanrinsha（三輪車）which actually does mean "tricycle" in Japanese, and indeed Sanrinsha did consist of three people: Minoru Yamazaki（山崎稔）, Kou* Nishinotsuji（西之辻功）and Akio Tagawa（田川昭夫）. The J-Wiki account for this folk trio was somewhat brutally abrupt by stating that they debuted while in university in 1974 and then soon after they broke up.

Judging from their discography, though it's short, still showed that Sanrinsha still came out with three singles and two albums from 1974 to 1975, and that all started with their debut single "Mizuiro no Machi" (Aqua Town). It's quite the perky and heartful song that not only reminds me of the works of Peter, Paul and Mary but also of a certain AKB48 hit that I have yet to cover. Yamazaki was the one behind words and music for their first entry which was released in July 1974. It was also included in their first album "Gogo no Fantasia"（午後のファンタジア...Afternoon Fantasia） which came out later in December.

I've never been sure about the significance of mizuiro when it comes to music but it has popped up in a number of song titles over the years with the one tune that pops up in my head being Junko Yagami's（八神純子）"Mizuiro no Ame" （みずいろの雨）. Perhaps there is something more to this soothing colour in Japanese society.

Following the breakup of Sanrinsha, Yamazaki would continue a career of songwriting and arrangement for many other singers in the years to come. One of his most successful efforts was "Wangan Taiyozoku" （湾岸太陽族）for Yoko Oginome（荻野目洋子）in 1987. 

*That first name for Mr. Nishinotsuji has a variety of readings but I couldn't specify which one was the appropriate one. So, if anyone can clear this up for me, that would be greatly appreciated.