Kazuya Amikura -- Chance

 

Lyricist and composer Kazuya Amikura（網倉一也）already has a fair number of articles on "Kayo Kyoku Plus" in the back office, so to speak. He's written and composed for many singers such as Hiromi Go（郷ひろみ）, Hiromi Ohta（太田裕美）and Ruiko Kurahashi（倉橋ルイ子）. However, I've never had a chance to hear him at the mike...in the front office.

Well, that changes today since I discovered his 1981 album "Scene". Amikura may be officially listed on J-Wiki as a lyricist and composer but he did put out two albums and four singles for himself between 1978 and 1981. From "Scene", I give you the first track "Chance" which is a nice blend of West Coast AOR and good ol' rock and roll. Amikura wrote and composed the song which also served as his fourth and final single to date. Some of that arrangement and Amikura's vocals also lean things a bit into the country rock realm.

Along with the fact that I discovered those nine-tenths underwater parts of the iceberg when it comes to City Pop among other genres, I've also learned that there are plenty of American AOR artists that I've never heard about. Amikura's "Chance" is one example of a type of AOR that I've probably heard through some of those Stateside singers but I can't put a finger on who he might be emulating here. By chance (no pun intended), if any of you might know something, let me know.

Just to finish up by giving some biographical information, Amikura was born in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture, and his interest in music began when he was a high school freshman and discovered the delights of folk singer Takuro Yoshida（吉田拓郎）. Once he got into Tokyo's Chuo University, he joined a folk song circle in 1978 and that's when he debuted with his single "Good-bye Yokosuka" （Good-bye 横須賀）with Ichizo Seo（瀬尾一三）helping out on arrangement.