Yukoh (Kyosuke) Kusunoki -- Fun Night

 

I hardly do a lot of double takes when it comes to this blog, but I had to do so here.

Almost three years ago, I was swooning a fair bit after discovering singer-songwriter Kyosuke Kusunoki's（楠木恭介）1985 "Just Tonight" album. The tracks were sweet and silky urban contemporary at their best in Japan, and aside from the beard and mustache, Kusunoki looked quite preppy. I swear that the right hand that's not showing on the cover of "Just Tonight" must have been holding a bottle of Perrier or a pink yuppie-friendly cardigan.

But then, some months later, I come across this other album called "Choose Me" from 1987 by a fellow named Yukoh Kusunoki（楠木勇有行）. The guy on the cover there looked completely different and since the name Kusunoki is neither supremely common nor supremely rare, I assumed that there was another singer with that last name. 

Uh-uh. It's the same guy.😮 According to J-Wiki, Yukoh Kusunoki is the singer's original name while Kyosuke was the 1985 stage name that he took. I mean, did this guy regenerate like a Time Lord between 85 and 87?! It was like seeing him go from Bobby Caldwell to Gino Vannelli and I just don't mean the appearance. The first track from "Choose Me", "Fun Night", still has that urban contemporary nature but it's now amped up with funk and rock. I don't see any Perrier or fluffy cardigan around Yukoh; it's more like a leather jacket and a six-pack of beer. However, the vocals are still familiar. The 1987 Kusunoki composed "Fun Night" while Jessie provided the lyrics about that special Friday night.