Ollie & Jerry -- Breakin'...There's No Stopping Us

 

Although I've known comedian and actor Takashi Okamura（岡村隆史）for a few decades because of his time as one of the two fellows in the Osakan comedic duo 99, the last several years have had him primarily showing up as the co-host of the popular NHK information variety program "Chiko-chan ni Shikarareru!"（チコちゃんに叱られる!...Chico Will Scold You!）. Last week's episode included a question on the origin of the term breakdancing.

Okamura's crazier antics in 99 have largely given way to a more self-effacing sort of humour so it was no surprise that despite the question, he didn't toot his horn all that loudly about the fact that he had once been a breakdancer himself in his much younger years. His nickname was "KID" and he really did cut up a rug. I knew that he had the legs for it since during my Japan days, I did see Okamura in a commercial for a drink in which he was showing his fine moves on the dance floor.

Along with the breakdancing question on "Chiko-chan", there has been attention paid recently on NHK news toward the activity due to the fact that Japan is sending a breakdancing team to the Paris Olympics next year since it has been included as a new event in the upcoming Summer Games. Nostalgia has been flooding my brain ever since because I remember as a high school kid here in Toronto that breakdancing and the music surrounding was a big thing in pop music and culture for some years in the 1980s although this form of street dance had originated back in the early 1970s in New York City.

There was always that sound with the funk and the synthpop mixing together, and one of my biggest memories connected with breakdancing music was the single "Breakin'...There's No Stopping Us" by dance-pop duo Ollie & Jerry from the soundtrack of the May 1984 movie "Breakin'". Depending on which area of the Wikipedia article for the song you read it, the single was released in either May or June 1984. Anyways, the music video with scenes from the movie itself was on heavy rotation for weeks on television. I never got the dancing bug that Okamura did but it still made for fascinating viewing watching the cast and the dancers spinning and popping away like no tomorrow. Apparently, a young Jean-Claude Van Damme was in the video himself dancing away as an extra. 

I don't know how it did in Canada but Stateside, "Breakin'...There's No Stopping Us" hit No. 9 on Billboard's Hot 100 while it got to the top spot on the dance charts. Although through my limited rentals of video tapes of Japanese television, I never really saw any evidence of breakdancing in Japan, there apparently was some popularity in the activity there on reading that people were getting into it in Yoyogi Park, the same venue where a few years ago, the young folks were making like 50s and 60s bobbysoxers and greasers. Of course, Okamura got into it. In any case, when I do see those breakdancers perform and compete in Paris next year, I'm gonna wonder whether I'm seeing the future or the past.

So, what was hot on the Oricon charts in May 1984? Let's look at the Top 3.

1. Checkers -- Kanashikute Jealousy （哀しくてジェラシー）

2. Akina Nakamori -- Southern Wind （サザンウインド）

3. Seiko Matsuda -- Jikan no Kuni no Alice（時の国のアリス)

This was a special ROY article since Monday was a holiday of sorts but I didn't get this published until 12 minutes past midnight into Tuesday. The regular ROY will be back on Thursday.