The Peanuts/Chiemi Eri/Lisa Ono -- Quizas Quizas Quizas（キサス・キサス・キサス）

 

Well, this all started from reading a tweet from Scott of "Holly Jolly X'masu" fame when he noted that a couple of days ago, it was National Peanut Day. I do love my goobers, especially when it's in peanut brittle or chocolate of any form.

So I figure that it was time for me to put up a song by The Peanuts（ザ・ピーナッツ）since it's been a while. I wrote up about their very first single from April 1959, "Kawaii Hana" (可愛い花）, over a decade ago in the very early months of "Kayo Kyoku Plus", so I figure that I would take a look at their sophomore effort which came out a mere two months following that debut.

That 2nd single was "Quizas Quizas Quizas" although it sold in Japan as simply "Quizas Quizas", and like "Kawaii Hana", this particular song was also a cover of a 1947 song written by Cuban songwriter Osvaldo Farrés which became a hit for singer Bobby Capó from Puerto Rico. That original Spanish title translates as "Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps", and the lyrics involve a man probably gnashing his teeth while letting his girlfriend dance with another fellow. He wonders whether this could be detrimental to the relationship, and thus the title dances about in his head.

Compared to the dramatic flair of the original by Capó, The Peanuts' cover of "Quizas Quizas Quizas" is more of a slow stealthy tango as if the poor guy who allowed his girlfriend to be possibly seduced by the other fellow is having his doubts very slowly insinuating themselves into his cerebral cortex. Hiroshi Miyagawa（宮川泰）arranged this version while the Japanese lyrics were provided by Takashi Otowa（音羽たかし）, the pen name for any director at King Records when a Western song is being translated into Japanese.

The following year, singer Chiemi Eri（江利チエミ）did a really boss version of "Quizas Quizas Quizas" in her August 1960 album "Chiemi Latin wo Utau"（チエミ ラテンを歌う...Chiemi Sings Latin）. And she performed it in the original Spanish, to boot. Perez Prado would probably have been very impressed if he'd had a chance to listen to her.

In June 2005, the incomparable Lisa Ono（小野リサ）from Brazil provided her own bossa nova-influenced take on "Quizas Quizas Quizas" in her album "Romance Latino Vol.1 -Los Boleros Al Estilo De Bossanova-". This version is so warm, honeyed and relaxing that there is no virtually no sensation of romantic emasculation here. The guy would probably let the dancing Lothario take his girlfriend away and even give the new couple some money for the hotel with his congratulations.