Shinichiro Hakozaki -- Atami no Yoru（熱海の夜）

 

Unfortunately, some of the recent news regarding the resort area of Atami west of Tokyo has dealt with the tragic mudslide its residents suffered almost a year ago. Hopefully, things have gotten better for everyone there over the past several months. I've never stayed in this city in Shizuoka Prefecture but bypassed it a few times when my friend and I went down to Ito to stay in the ryokan there. But my impression is that though it may not be a Monte Carlo, it's certainly a pretty well-to-do area for those on vacation with all of the onsen and other sightseeing spots.

Yesterday, I got to watch NHK's "Songs of Japanese Spirit" and the episode was heavy on the boozy and bluesy Mood Kayo which suits me just fine. One of the songs that I heard was "Atami no Yoru" (A Night in Atami) and it was the debut of the late Shinichiro Hakozaki（箱崎晋一郎）, released in January 1969. With that boss saxophone and the mournful strings to launch things, it's plenty of Mood Kayo. Also, what helps the mood is the characteristic falsetto tones by Hakozaki as he sings about an affair that has ended sadly in the titular city.

With Mood Kayo at its peak at the time and the fact that this was another song based in a famous city, "Atami no Yoru" became a hit for Hakozaki. It was written by Toshio Arakawa and Misa Fujimoto（荒川利夫・藤本美沙）, composed by Toshihiro Yamaoka（山岡俊弘）and arranged by Makoto Kawaguchi（川口真）. The J-Wiki file for Hakozaki mentions that there was a 1970s re-recording of the song which begins with an electric guitar instead. However, the one immediately below is the original 1969 version with the one above coming from an LP titled "Kikasete yo, Ai no Komori Uta"（きかせてよ愛の子守唄...Let Me Listen to the Lullabies of Love） from 1982.