Omae ga baka nara ore mo baka (If you're stupid, I'm also stupid)
What an iconic start to a song, don't you think? I can relate to it on a spiritual level, especially on the occasion when a friend/some friends and I share the same dried-out brain cell. This line at the very start of "Uramachi Yakyokyu" is part of the reason why it manages to remain one of my top favourite songs by Hachiro Kasuga (春日八郎).
Of course, I highly doubt Akira Sugie (杉江晃) had the intention of portraying our protagonist and his lover in the same manner as I had implied above, i.e. a bunch of clowns arguing over silly things like the feasibility of eating a live cow. Whole. This tune, instead, follows our protagonist and his love interest in what is very likely a dingy bar in the cramped backstreets of Tokyo. Perhaps they were drawn together over mutual lamentations of being dealt the short hand by the cruel world, but at least they can temporarily take refuge from that in this bar and find solace in each other's company. In contrast, Shin Yamaguchi's (山口進) music sounds quite optimistic with swelling strings and a jaunty rhythm, but maybe it can reflect the momentary joy both characters have in the city's watering hole. Aside from the "baka" line, Hachi's delivery is what I enjoy most out of "Uramachi Yakyoku"... although I think I say that for pretty much all of his songs. His vocal gymnastics really shine here being able to convey a merry mood while still sounding forlorn.
"Uramachi Yakyoku", being one of Hachi's earliest singles released in October 1954, was well-received enough to garner a re-recording later in his career - I'm not exactly sure when, but I think it was in 1970. With songs that get this treatment, I tend to have a clear favourite between the version with an updated melody and a mature-sounding Hachi or the version with a more simplistic melodic arrangement and a young-sounding Hachi. But in the case of "Uramachi Yakyoku", I'd say I like both all the same.
Despite being sort of considered one of Hachi's hits, I still feel that "Uramachi Yakyoku" is rather underrated and I don't come across covers of it as often. Fellow King Records legend Michiya Mihashi (三橋美智也) provided his rendition of it as part of "Ogon no Uta Goe 2 Mihashi Michiya Kasuga Hachiro wo Utau" (黄金の歌声 2 三橋美智也 春日八郎を歌う), the sequel of the Hachi-Michi collaboration in 1970.
In very recent times, as in quite literally just last week (early July 2022), budding enka singer Yutaka Hyoba (氷馬ゆたか) from The Netherlands had also provided his version too. I'd gotten to know him through Instagram and through the mention of "Uramachi Yakyoku" being a favourite from my beloved Hachi, it seemed like he was inspired to take up the challenge of tackling this old tune. Despite being more inclined to cover newer enka on his YouTube channel, I thought he did a pretty good job with Hachi's work and I look forward to what else he has in store.
P.S. "Uramachi Yakyoku" is one of my go-to choices when I do drop by my regular karaoke "club" haunts. But as much as I love the "baka" line, I admittedly feel slightly self-conscious when singing that in front of the elderly regulars... I can feel myself cringe a little on the inside every time I do. But then again, I reckon it's comparatively better than doing something like "Konna Watashi Janakatta ni" (こんな私じゃなかったに).
Hi, Noelle. Good to hear from you again after so long. Thanks very much for your latest article and especially one of Kasuga. Yep, I would agree with your assessment of a couple of lovers or even good friends sticking together in a harsh world. To be honest, when I read that lyric, my first thought was that of the crazy comedy "Dumb & Dumber".
ReplyDeleteI would guess that a lot of the kayo singers were experts at conveying sigh-worthy sadness through that filter of outside jauntiness. Nowadays, I don't really get that unless some of the newer enka or Mood Kayo singers are going back to basics.
Hi, J-Canuck. Nice to be writing on KKP again and hope you're doing good.
DeleteI'd say "Dumb & Dumber" is a pretty spot on impression of those lyrics! I wonder what King Records must've thought when they saw what was to be sung. Perhaps like >:[
I do agree with you about the modern day enka. A number of singers, while skilled vocally, do sound rather flat emotionally and tend to be trapped singing in that stock "enka" voice, which can make things rather dry. Perhaps it's got to do with keeping enka simply sounding like enka and having simulated emotion rather than needing the actual emotion.
I'm sure that King Records probably thought that way but when they were reminded that it was Kasuga on the mike, they quickly relented. :)
DeleteAs for the state of enka today, I appreciate the fact that it's still going and fans are keeping the faith but I think that perhaps it may be time for a once-in-a-generation singer to blast things open. Twenty years ago, that was perhaps Kiyoshi Hikawa but my feeling is that he no longer wants to be known as just an enka singer.
Ah, I did forget to mention this in my initial comment, but how are the karaoke get-togethers going these days?
Yeah, Hikawa seems to already have one foot out the enka door already and he's no longer a spring chicken. I do wonder if we will get that gem, but I suppose we'll just have to wait and see.
DeleteAs for karaoke, I actually haven't been frequenting the Kasumigaseki joint as I once had due to school commitments and having moved to a different town. The COVID situation also seems to have taken a toll on the bar's regulars and they seem to have gotten rather bored. So I do try to pop by once a month to check in on them. In fact, I had just done so a few days ago... They are advancing in age and I do worry about them, especially in this heat-stroke inducing summer we've been having, so it does put me at ease to see that they're still going strong, albeit a bit restless.
Anyways, glad you were able to enjoy a day-off from KKP to catch the "Top Gun" sequel (?). How fitting it was that Larry and I had decided to post our articles then!
It's too bad that COVID has sucked the life out of so many things. I know that infections are on the rise in a lot of countries including Japan and Canada. Hopefully, though, you'll be able to continue your karaoke with your buddies.
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