Tatsuhiko Yamamoto -- His Woman

 

Kinda wonder whether City Pop crooner Tatsuhiko Yamamoto（山本達彦）took this album cover shot following the events within the lyrics of one of the tracks on his 1983 "Martini Hour". Considering his dour countenance (nice tux, though), he may need more than one "shaken, not stirred" libation.

I am talking about the melodic if melancholy story in "His Woman" which refers to a sad fellow in his car upon seeing his old girlfriend in the side mirror with the new guy in her life. They're walking off in one direction while he's driving the other way. A most automotive description of the trials and tribulations of love.

We can all thank Machiko Ryu（竜真知子）for the lyrics while NOBODY is the one behind the music which has the essence of a Boz Scaggs ballad. I always love a rich piano and while there is that bittersweet feeling for most of "His Woman", the coda actually takes a key shift into something more hopeful in the way that while one door shuts forever, another one opens. "Martini Hour" peaked at No. 3 on Oricon.