Sunday, December 19, 2021

Daiji Man Brothers Band -- Ai to Yuuki no Merry X'mas(愛と勇気のMerry X'mas)

 

Happy Sunday, folks! Well, we're in the homestretch for Xmas 2021 so I gotta keep on with the J-Christmas fare. If I'm not mistaken, I think that I took the above shot in South Shinjuku where they've usually put up some sort of seasonal illumination.

Whenever I hear the name of Daiji Man Brothers Band(大事MANブラザーズバンド), I always think of 1) nostalgia and 2) that big hit of theirs "Sore ga Daiji"(それが大事)from August 1991. As I mentioned in that article, I just missed the wave of popularity behind that song by perhaps a few weeks since I'd left Japan and the JET Programme just a little before the release. 

Over a year later, it looks like Daiji Man Brothers Band got into the Yuletide spirit and released "Ai to Yuuki no Merry X'mas" (Merry Xmas of Love and Courage) as their 6th single in November 1992. Written and composed by vocalist Toshiyuki Tachikawa(立川俊之), I get feelings of KAN and "Last Christmas" by WHAM! with that skippy beat.

Y'know...I never got to see Daiji Man Brothers Band performing on any stage, television or concert. Looks like I finally got my opportunity. Anyways, along with Tachikawa, I believe that the lineup for the band at that time consisted of bassist Kimihiko Tomura(戸村公彦), drummer Makinobu Hirayama(平山牧伸), keyboardist Rie Yoshida(吉田理恵), guitarist Tetsuo Yamada(山田哲生)and another drummer Hironobu Taoka(田岡広宣).

Lastly, "Ai to Yuuki no Merry X'mas" was used as the jingle (no pun intended) for the convenience store chain Family Mart. As much as I love konbini in Japan, though, I really hope that folks didn't have to go there for food on Xmas Day; after all, there were plenty of Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets and Fujiya branches in the country.

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