Hi-Fi Set -- Fashionable Lover（ファッショナブル・ラヴァー）

 

From what I've heard and read, Boxing Day in Canada and the United States (December 26th) isn't really all that much of a bargain day to be had anymore, now with sales extravaganzas on earlier days such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. And to be honest, I was never all that much of a bargain hunter to begin with. If I needed to buy something right away, sale or not, I just got it. Boxing Day isn't a thing in Japan although there are sales periods in my old stomping grounds, but sales have certainly happened in areas such as Ginza (pictured above) especially via the department stores on the main strip. Still, the ritzy neighbourhood is not known for its low low prices.

It can be called fashionable, though, and that is why I have my last article for tonight, "Fashionable Lover", the title track from Hi-Fi Set's（ ハイ・ファイ・セット）June 1976 2nd album. This is also my fourth and final article for the vocal trio for 2021 which is a pretty banner year.

Words and music were by two of Hi-Fi Set's members, Shigeru Ohkawa（大川茂）and Toshihiko Yamamoto（山本俊彦）with arrangement by Masataka Matsutoya（松任谷正隆）, a good associate of theirs since some of the Set's songs were also provided by Matsutoya's to-be wife Yumi Arai（荒井由実）. It's quite the mellow party-hearty tune with everyone including remaining member Junko Yamamoto（山本潤子）having a fine time behind the mike giving out their famous harmonies. In addition, it seems as if everyone involved indeed had quite the ball from the jazzy brass to the members themselves when they suddenly went into a somewhat bizarre vocal rave at one point in "Fashionable Lover".

And yet, according to Ohkawa's lyrics, the party is really going on in one fellow's head as he's gone head-over-heels because one lovely young lady apparently has shown signs of interest in him. Right from the first line, no fashion magazine can contain her full beauty and she's graciously rejected a lot of other suitors. Yep, I can understand him being over the moon.🌜 Let's just hope that this isn't all a grand delusion.

"Fashionable Lover" is something that I can't quite define through one genre. Of course, pop is dandy but considering what Hi-Fi Set was singing during the 1970s, I can also place it within the City Pop and New Music categories as well. Whatever the case, it's a fun tune which brings images of that sunset drive through Tokyo back in the day.