Minako Ito -- Yubikiri（指切り）

 

The innocent pinky swear was something I never really saw growing up here. Our way of symbolizing a promise was usually the Scout's Honour of putting up two fingers and perhaps using our other hand to trace a circle around the heart. And to be honest, there was something about latching the promise-swearers' little fingers together that was a little scary since I was worried that the other person was going to dislocate my pinky like pulling apart a turkey wishbone.

But I think the pinky swear was the thing in Japan judging from the times that I've seen it done to seal a promise in anime, and I've even done one with an old friend of mine back when I was living in the country.

Never thought that I would ever hear a City Pop song with the title of "Yubikiri" (Pinky Swear) then. But it does exist on Minako Ito's（伊藤美奈子）March 1984 sophomore album "Yuu Gyotou"（誘魚灯...Inviting Fish Lights） and it was released as her 2nd single released in the same month. Written by Shun Taguchi（田口俊）and composed by the singer, it's not innocent-sounding but a mature and smoky urban contemporary tune with some Junko Yagami（八神純子）Latin vibes and tempo. Sometimes I think the arrangement and Ito's vocals are fighting for equal air time but hey, I'm always going to appreciate my Fender Rhodes and horn section. Plus, it's got the saxophone to lead us out.

I also wrote about another track from "Yuu Gyotou" last month, "Saigo no Regatta"（最後のレガッタ）.