Well, as they say, you always remember your first. Shoko Minami（南翔子）is a singer that I first got to know through the old Toronto multicultural radio station CHIN-FM's "Sounds of Japan" show with her 80s love ballad "Nakimane"（泣きまね）from 1986. So, it was imprinted into my mind that Minami would always be associated with those slower pop tunes.
However, another expression states to the effect that one should keep their eyes and ears open for new possibilities. And as such, I come across this earlier 2nd single by Minami titled "Nagisa no Separation". Coming out in April 1985, it's about as different as a song can get from the romantic "Nakimane". It's got a jangly rock vibe on the side of AOR and there's something in Kimio Mizutani's（水谷公生）arrangement that speaks something Foreigner. And yet, Minami very coolly and nonchalantly delivers the song.
Mebae Miyahara（宮原芽映）was behind the lyrics for "Nagisa no Separation" while Ryo Matsuda（松田良）was the composer here.
「Well, as they say, you always remember your first」Hmm, interesting comment. I am not sure I understand. But, I know that 南翔子 started her career back in 1984 and that would lead me to believe that she wasn't the absolute first Japanese singer you heard but I guess she might have been the first of some particular genre of Japanese music you heard.
ReplyDeleteHello, Brian. Actually what I meant to write was that Minami's "Nakimane" was the first of her songs that I'd heard so I got the impression that she was more into the softer tunes, and for that matter, it was the only song by her that I would know for many years. "Nagisa no Separation" therefore was a bit of a surprise.
DeleteI was trying to figure out the mystery, but hey that makes sense.
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