Tempalay -- Kakumei Zen'ya（革命前夜）

 

A few hours ago, I put up an article regarding 1970s underground scene singer Kimiko "Kiiko" Shiba（芝紀美子）and gleefully noting that she was another new discovery for me. Well, the same can go for a group in the 2010s.

It's interesting how J-Wiki and Wikipedia can categorize the same band. In the article regarding the band Tempalay in Wikipedia, it's been called "...a Japanese lo-fi psychedelic pop band..." with only two genres listed for it: indies rock and psychedelic rock. Meanwhile, for its J-Wiki article, it's been described as a mere rock band but there is far longer list of genres given for them there: indies rock, indies pop, psychedelic rock, dream pop, art rock, noise pop, experimental rock, bedroom pop (!) and lo-fi...allow me to catch my breath here.😵

Guitarist/vocalist Ryoto Ohara（小原綾斗）and bassist Yuuya Takeuchi（竹内祐也）were drinking buddies who had created a previous band before Tempalay was formed in 2014. Drummer Natsuki Fujimoto（藤本夏樹）would later join in. In June 2017, Tempalay released their first digital single, "Kakumei Zen'ya" (Night Before the Revolution) and with all of those genres whirling around the band, I have been left wondering what two or three genres can apply to this oddly soothing song. Is it dream pop, psychedelic rock or art rock? Is there some other new genre that could apply here? There's quite a bit of stuff happening in its four minutes and change, but underneath all of the echoing, soft chord banging and Ohara's haunting yet reassuring vocals, I can even pick up some old kayo kyoku whether that was his intention or not when he created "Kakumei Zen'ya". 

Up to this point, Tempalay has released three EPs from their earliest days between 2014 and 2017, five tangible and digital singles and six albums (one of which is a mini-album). Takeuchi left the band in June 2018 after which synthesizer artist AAAMYYY joined up officially a month later although she had already been with the band in its early days as a support musician.

Yoshiko Miyazaki/Junko Yagami -- No Return

 

I've probably already made the same observation in a past article regarding actress, tarento and singer Yoshiko Miyazaki（宮崎美子）, so apologies in advance, but her singing back in the day had that certain creaminess in her delivery which reminds me of one of her contemporaries, Hiroko Yakushimaru（薬師丸ひろ子）. Her debut single was "No Return" from October 1981 and it could have surprised quite a lot of listeners in that she not only could hold a tune but could also hit the high notes fairly well after her first few years in show business as a pin-up model and commercial star. "No Return" was a Junko Yagami（八神純子）creation with Sonomi Ari（阿里そのみ）also co-writing the lyrics while Motoki Funayama（船山基紀）arranged the song as a contemporized version of a happy-go-lucky 1960s pop tune. 

Yagami herself would cover "No Return" as a B-side to her City Pop 13th single, the sultry "Summer In Summer ~ Omoide wa Suhada ni Yaite"（サマー イン サマー 〜想い出は素肌に焼いて〜）which was released in March 1982. Her version still had the contemporary touches but skewed a little more toward the traditional side of 1960s pop, thanks to Ichizo Seo's（瀬尾一三）arrangement.

Kimiko Shiba -- Nagarete Ikitai（流れて行きたい）

 

Happy cooler Monday! I'm also a little less cranky because I have discovered another intriguing singer-songwriter from way back with a pretty cool song.

There's not a lot of information on Kimiko "Kiiko" Shiba（芝紀美子）but from what I could gather on Amazon and OK Music, she was representative of the underground music scene in the 1970s alongside other singers including Yoshiko Sai（佐井好子）, Hako Yamasaki（山崎ハコ）and Douji Morita（森田童子）. She made her debut in October 1975 with the album "Shikomegari"（醜女狩り...Ugly Woman Hunting） which has a blend of kayo kyoku, blues, folk and soul.

Starting the album is "Nagarete Ikitai" (I Want to Go With the Flow) which was written by Toshimitsu Saishu（さいしゅとしみつ）, composed by Masamitsu Tayama（田山雅充）and arranged by Kimio Mizutani（水谷公生）. I was immediately entranced by Shiba's rich chocolate-y vocals (kinda reminiscent of Akiko Wada) and that arrangement of piano and strings. That combination has often transported me to other lands such as Europe, and perhaps that was the same for the listeners in Japan when they picked up "Shikomegari". As such, I am just as willing to classify it as Fashion Music as I am willing to give it the New Music label. 

Apparently, Shiba released one more album after which she disappeared from view. 

Matsuko Mawatari -- Hohoemi no Bakudan（微笑みの爆弾）/Homework ga Owaranai（ホームワークが終わらない）

 

I'll be honest here and say that though I've heard the title "YuYu Hakusho"（幽☆遊☆白書）for years, I have never seen a single episode of the anime adaptation of the original manga which began in 1990. The only connection that I've ever had is my university friend wearing a T-shirt with the characters. As I would later find out, it's all about a teen rebel getting killed off and then turned into an underworld detective.

Mind you, the very first opening and closing themes for the Fuji-TV anime have been fun to listen to. Both were recorded by singer-songwriter Matsuko Mawatari（馬渡松子）who hails from Miyazaki Prefecture. Her 2nd single from November 1992 just happens to carry those first opening and closing themes, "Hohoemi no Bakudan" (Smile Bomb) and "Homework ga Owaranai" (Homework Never Ends) respectively. 

"Hohoemi no Bakudan" is quite the snappy opener that has enough of an urban beat that I could describe it as a City Pop tune of the 1990s. Written by Lee Shauron（リーシャウロン）and composed/arranged by Mawatari, I could also see the song belonging to the "City Hunter" series of cool songs. It made its album debut on her second release "nice unbalance" from April 1993; the album ranked in at No. 66.

Shauron and Mawatari keep the "bright lights, big city" approach with the coupling song and first ending theme for "YuYu Hakusho" with "Homework ga Owaranai". There's a little bit of House influence here but it's still about grooving down the avenue in a sports car with this one, too. Interestingly enough, "Homework ga Owaranai" had originally been included in Mawatari's debut album "Aitashi Gakunari Gatashi"（逢いたし学なりがたし）from June 1992, several months before being included with "Hohoemi no Bakudan". Her first album peaked at No. 74. Not sure how that title is translated, though, so if any you can help me out on that one, I'll be a grateful person.

Bob's Fish Market -- Bob's Fish Market

 

I gotta admit that as a YouTube uploader has put it, this Japanese band has one of the most interesting names that I've ever heard. Would like to know how this quintet of guys came up with the name Bob's Fish Market...and whether Bob gave his blessing to them to use the name of his fish market, wherever that may be.

There isn't a whole lot of knowledge about them but their 1979 debut album "Bob's Fish Market" has been described as folk rock with a touch of reggae depending on the song. I did discover from one Japanese blog that Bob's Fish Market has been seen as the Japanese version of The Band with Levon Helm and Robbie Robertson. The blog has also given the lineup as vocalist and guitarist Takashi Tsuruga（敦賀隆）, guitarist Toshiro Higurashi（日倉士歳朗）, pianist Toshihiro Kunimi/Kokumi（国見敏博）, bassist Tatsuji Yoshida（吉田達二）, and drummer Masaaki Maeda（前田政明）. According to Higurashi's own website (unfortunately, he passed away in 2021), the band has been around since at least 1976.

The above video from Hee Hyeong Moon has the first two tracks from the self-titled album. It begins with "Itsu datte Fuitekuru"（いつだって吹いてくる...The Wind Always Blows） and when I first heard it, I did get some of those Happy End vibes. As well, this song written and composed by Tsuruga rolls along with a sunny and bouncy beat that seems a bit anachronistic for 1979 when thinking about the grooving City Pop and the sparkly technopop that were rising at the time. It really does sound like something from the early part of that decade. 

At 3:55 above is "Mata Hoe Hajimeta yo"（また吠え始めたよ...I Started Barking Again） is a bit more growly and laidback roots rock. Just think of Grizzly Adams on his porch sipping his whiskey on the porch and you'll get the idea. I couldn't find the official songwriters for this one, but I'm assuming that it is Tsuruga again for this track and probably for all of the other tracks except one at least.

One more track that I'll show here should be familiar to all kayo kyoku fans since it is a light reggae cover of Kyu Sakamoto's（坂本九）classic "Ue wo Muite Arukou" (上を向いて歩こう) , i.e. the "Sukiyaki" song from 1961. It's also very sunny and airy which ought to draw out any folks out from the blues.

I'm not sure whether Bob's Fish Market released any more albums soon after their first album, but in 2011, the band did put out a CD called "Three Decades".

Pedro & Capricious/Junko Miyama -- Yokohama Rainy Blue（ヨコハマ・レイニー・ブルー）

 

I realize that I could have written about this one last night during Urban Contemporary Fridays but heck, it's better late than never.

"Yokohama Rainy Blue" could be one of the hidden great City Pop ballads. Sung by Naoko Matsudaira（松平直子）as the lead vocalist of the band Pedro & Capricious（ペドロ＆カプリシャス）during a good chuck of the 1980s, you couldn't get more romantically bittersweet than this. Not only is it set against the backdrop of the great port city of Yokohama, the melody by Kunihiko Suzuki（鈴木邦彦）contains the sumptuousness of the good life of being driven in a sports car, dining at fine restaurants, drinking at an expensive bar and living in a penthouse bar overlooking the bay. Of course, the bluesy sax solo and the dramatic strings make their appearance known as well. Meanwhile, the lyrics by Mayumi Shinozuka（篠塚満由美）relate the story of all good things having to come to an end but at least, they did happen.

The single came out in April 1984 and it was also the title track of the album that was released later in November. Another track mate there is "Silky Silver Rain".

I have next to nothing in terms of information for the singer Junko Miyama（美山絢子）aside from the observation that she had released three singles in the early 1990s including a cover version of "Yokohama Rainy Blue" in 1991.

Fukumimi -- Hoshi no Kakera wo Sagashi ni Ikou Again（星のかけらを探しに行こう Again）/Kyoko -- Hoshi no Kakera wo Sagashi ni Ikou（星のかけらを探しに行こう）

 

I remember the special music group Fukumimi（福耳）when they came out with the single "Hoshi no Kakera wo Sagashi ni Ikou Again" (Let's Look for Pieces of a Star Again) back in July 1999.

I also remember the black-and-white music video for the song. Basically what stood out to me was the main vocalist for this special group, Kyoko（杏子）, since she was one of the lead singers for the 80s rock band Barbee Boys. So, I was a tad surprised to see her after so many years handling a pop love song. But she got together with singer-songwriters Masayoshi Yamazaki（山崎まさよし）and Shikao Suga（スガシカオ）to form the initial trio for Fukumimi in 1998, and "Hoshi no Kakera wo Sagashi ni Ikou Again" was the debut single for a string of singles that have been released years apart. In addition, the members for the group have kept on rotating and rising like The Avengers. Acts including Sukima Switch（スキマスイッチ）and Chitose Hajime（元ちとせ）have also joined over the years.

From J-Wiki

As for the meaning behind the naming of the group, Fukumimi actually refers to the old Japanese saying of having big ears to be able to gather a lot of wealth (a number of the Japanese gods have big ears). According to a radio program interview, the members said that the president of the Office Augusta record label, Yoshinobu Morikawa（森川欣信）, had wanted to place the word fukumimi onto Yamazaki's and then Suga's albums, but both artists gave a hard NO to that, so it ended up becoming the name of this special music unit.

Getting back to the song, "Hoshi no Kakera wo Sagashi ni Ikou Again" peaked at No. 8 on Oricon and later became the 82nd-ranked single for 1999. It would get its appearance on an album for the first time on Fukumimi's "Fukumimi The Best Works" which came out in September 2006 and peaked at No. 3.

What I hadn't known until today was that there was an original version of the song simply titled "Hoshi no Kakera wo Sagashi ni Ikou" which came out in stores in February 1995 as Kyoko's 4th single. The tempo is quicker and there's even a bit of a reggae beat in there, compared to its more elegant cousin. Kyoko was responsible for the lyrics while Kazuyoshi Baba（馬場一嘉）was the composer. The original song ranked in at No. 90.

Momoiro Clover Z -- HOLIDAY

 

Heck of a time to write about Christmas when Japan is currently roasting like a chestnut over an open fire and Toronto has just emerged from a mini-heat wave. However, it's been a sorta/kinda tradition here on KKP to throw in one song related to the Yuletide during the summer to show the whimsical (or deranged) spirit. And I'd like to remind viewers that we're now less than five months away from the Holidays.

Of course, on Scott's podcast, "Holly Jolly X'masu", everyday is Christmas and Japanese, and for his latest episode, he's focused on his annual "Christmas in July" tunes because Japanese pop culture contains a lot of Xmas-themed summer ditties. Apparently, Christmas is surprisingly seasonally pliable there. One of the acts that he's focused on is the veteran aidoru group Momoiro Clover Z（ももいろクローバーZ）.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find the Momoiro Clover Z song that Scott had featured on the podcast on YouTube, but on the other hand, I was able to track down another similarly-themed song of theirs on the group's November 2019 20th single, "stay gold". "HOLIDAY" is a snazzy tune written and composed by singer-songwriter CHI-MEY that has incorporated some of those old kayo kyoku elements because it was utilized as the theme song for Momoiro Clover Z's short concert tour "Momoiro Christmas 2019 ~ Fuyuzora no Mirror Ball"（ももいろクリスマス2019 〜冬空のミラーボール〜...Winter Sky Mirror Ball） in December of that year in Osaka and Saitama. The live events were patterned after the old NTV variety show "Shabondama Holiday"（シャボン玉ホリデー...Bubble Holiday） which had its initial run between 1961 and 1972.

Yutaka Kimura Speaks ~ Japanese City Pop Masterpieces 100: Kirinji -- Aliens （エイリアンズ）

 

Number: 016

Lyricist and Composer: Yasuyuki Horigome

Arrangers: Tomita Lab and Kirinji

From Kirinji's 2000 album: "3"

Even when calling a town a town, it's so Kirinji（キリンジ）to not take into consideration a town or neighbourhood within the nation's capital but a community within the suburbs. I've been unexpectedly taken aback with the precision and vividness of the detailed depiction of things like "public housing", "bypasses" and "sports car looking like masks". Those who are isolated from the centre of things may suffer quietly from alienation and loneliness but hope springs eternal within this beautiful melody.

The above comes from "Disc Collection Japanese City Pop Revised" (2020).

ClariS - Sabishii Nettaigyo -SCRAMBLES ver.- (淋しい熱帯魚 -SCRAMBLES ver.-)

It's hard to write about Japanese music these days without a sense of distance. I started listening to K-pop about 3 months ago and it has been a very interesting experience. It's not an understatement to say it changed me as a person as I had felt connected to Japanese music, particularly idol music, to the point it felt like a personality trait.

I had listened to ClariS' cover of Wink's hit Sabishii Nettaigyo (淋しい熱帯魚) before I started getting into K-pop and today I discovered there was a new version rearranged by SCRAMBLES, the team of musicians behind idols affiliated with the agency WACK. I would have to be the person I am today to fully appreciate this: anime singers performing a Showa idol song with a modern idol arrangement. That was the order by which I experienced Japanese music over the years.

It was an emotional experience, especially at this point in time. I don't think it's fair to compare this version with the original but I liked this reinvention very much. It's comparable to what I felt while listening to BiSH's cover of Moon Revenge, but with an additional Showa idol component that makes it even more fascinating.

Things feel very different now, but I doubt I will ever stop loving Japanese music!

Miei Natsuo -- Shiroi Toiki de Mon Amour

 

It doesn't elicit quite the interest and gravitas of the question "Who is Keyser Soze?", but for this article, I've been left with the inquiry "Who is Miei Natsuo?". At this point, I've got bupkis.

From the looks on the cover of her single, "Shiroi Toiki de Mon Amour" (White Breath Mon Amour) from 1986, Miei Natsuo（夏生三暎）appears to be one of the sexier and slinkier singers and/or actresses in the 1980s, but I haven't been able to find any other information other than the fact that she's also done some photo shoots for magazines. I don't even know if this was her lone single.

Well, let's go with what we've got here. One Japanese website has a rather tongue-in-cheek description of the cover, describing it as having so much atmosphere and mood to make the author choke, and they even ponder what Natsuo might be wondering (Ahhha...am I truly a good woman? Is this a sin?). Indeed, the music of "Shiroi Toiki de Mon Amour" is bossa nova City Pop in a high-class hotel provided by Meiyu Otani（大谷明裕）and arranged by Makoto Kawaguchi（川口真）with Mayumi Hara（原真弓）providing the lyrics. Natsuo's vocals are suffused with ennui, and again with her draped on what looks like a chaise lounge on the cover, one would be forgiven if the song were assumed to be Fashion Music.

The mystery behind Natsuo is such that I'm wondering whether singing was her primary occupation or whether she was working as a club hostess in Ginza or Akasaka. If any of you readers out there might have some insights, please let us know.

Meiko Nakahara -- New York de Salsa （NEW YORK でサルサ）

From Good Free Photos

 

Ah, yes....Ryan Serhant presents one of the highest and most expensive real estate properties on Planet Earth at a quarter of a billion dollars. I guess whoever does win the Powerball lottery in the next several hours may be looking at this place in New York a little more sagely. Hmmm...I wonder if it comes with Wi-Fi.😏

From what I've heard regarding former singer-songwriter Meiko Nakahara（中原めいこ）, she may have been plying her trade as a realtor in the Big Apple for the past few decades, so this particular song is quite prophetic. "New York de Salsa" (Salsa in New York) is the final track on her March 1986 album "MOODS", and though Nakahara's melody (and lyrics) has nothing to do with salsa, it does have a lot to do with the jazzier caviar-and-champagne wing of City Pop going into the late 1980s. It really does feel like painting the town red in the tonier parts of Manhattan and leaving the bill with Mayor Ed Koch.

Now, to provide both sides of the issue, here is Erik Conover showing off one of the cheapest apartments in New York City. I remember Conover showing off those palatial mansions too back in the day on YouTube. I guess things do change over time.

Michihiro Kobayashi -- Margarita（マルガリータ）

 

TGIF! We're supposedly in the last day of a three-day heat event with some cooler weather arriving for the weekend. The above is a Coconut Margarita that I had with my Crispy Chicken Sandwich when I caught "The Flash" in VIP a few weeks ago. The margarita wasn't so strong to get rid of my memories of how bad the CG was in the movie but it sure was tasty.😵

Let's start off this Friday's batch of urban contemporary stuff from Japan with singer-songwriter Michihiro Kobayashi's（小林みちひろ）"Margarita". A few years ago, I wrote about this obscure fellow's "Giniro no Ame"（銀色の雨）from his 1980 album "Nice to Meet You". Well, "Margarita" happens to be its track mate. I noted that "Giniro no Ame" has some Tatsuro Yamashita（山下達郎）here and some AOR band Ambrosia there. This time though, I've noticed that Kobayashi has taken on a bit of Yosui Inoue（井上陽水）in his delivery against the background of a snappy and bubbly Caribbean rhythm which would deserve its own Coconut Margarita.🍹 Perhaps I can add that this particular song, just like a real margarita, has got its own genre ingredients: City Pop, Latin, New Music and J-AOR.

Kobayashi wrote and composed the song while Ichizo Seo（瀬尾一三）provided the arrangement. I gather that folks here and in Japan are probably hitting the margaritas hard today....or settling for some refreshing beer.🍺

JUJU -- Bet On Me

 

I'm not sure whether it was the pandemic that did it in or it's just reached its natural end, but I still miss the NHK information variety program "Sekai wa Hoshiimono ni Afureteru"（世界はほしいモノにあるふれてる...This World is Filled With Wants） that used to show up on Tuesday nights following "Uta Con"（うたコン）via TV Japan. It used to be a regular weekly program but it switched to occasional specials from May 2021 so I'll take what I can get. The show about Japanese buyers scouring the globe for certain commodities was so gorgeously and glamorously shot that even though I couldn't quite understand some of the talk, I was still able to enjoy the cinematography of the marketplaces in countries such as Morocco and Spain. 

One of the co-hosts of the show is jazz and R&B singer JUJU, and frankly from my vantage point, I usually only see her in her position on "Sekai wa Hoshiimono ni Afureteru" and not as a singer all that much, although she does sing the snazzy show tune-friendly opening theme, "Remember (The Good Times)". However, earlier this year, JUJU provided a theme song for a drama on Fuji-TV called "Stand Up Start"（スタンドUPスタート）, a live-action adaptation of a 2020 business-based manga.

"Bet On Me" was written by singer-songwriter Sachiko Aoyama（蒼山幸子）and composed by Kai Shiono（塩野海）as a fairly high-octane tune with some 1960s go-go jazz flavour. Fans can get their Watusi on for this one and I get some of that feeling of a spy caper movie when I listen to it (the flute definitely helps). The song was released as JUJU's 43rd single in March 2023. 

Takashi Hosokawa -- Ouenka, Ikimasu（応援歌、いきます）

 

On the latest episode of "Uta Con"（うたコン）before it went on official summer hiatus for a month, the show began with a medley of summer kayo favourites. One such song was a Takashi Hosokawa（細川たかし） tune that I hadn't heard in a very long time and hasn't been included on the blog until now.

Probably the reason that it was placed into the summer medley was the generous inclusion of beer into the lyrics, and if I'm not mistaken, Hosokawa's 38th single from May 1991, the feel-good "Ouenka, Ikimasu" (I'm Going with the Fight Song) was used for a beer commercial, though I have yet to find it. It's an interesting song to be sure because though the veteran enka singer uses some of those enka vocal techniques, the melody by Motoyoshi Iwasaki（岩崎元是）is much more along the lines of the late pop troubadour Eiichi Ohtaki（大滝詠一）and sure enough, I've found out through Iwasaki's J-Wiki file that he was greatly inspired by Ohtaki. Actually, the Hokkaido singer-songwriter already has representation on KKP via his own City Pop stuff from the mid-1980s.

The lyrics of enjoying the company of good buddies and beer were created by veteran Shigesato Itoi（糸井重里）. Frankly, I was surprised that "Ouenka, Ikimasu" hadn't been given its own J-Wiki article since the song seems to have created a lot of good vibes for that year including folks raising their mugs of suds. At this point, I'm not sure how well the song did on Oricon but it must have been done well enough to earn Hosokawa his invitation to the Kohaku Utagassen in 1991 and 2014 to perform this particular tune.

I can imagine that the beer gardens in Tokyo are packed right now with some very thirsty drinkers, especially with the usual heat and humidity that beats down on residents in a typical Japanese summer. Drink hearty, my friends!🍻

I almost neglected to mention that this is a follow-up to Noelle's original article on the song.

Frankie Valli -- Grease

 

Scott of podcast "Holly Jolly X'masu" (and by the way, he has his latest on summer Xmas songs) and I were having a talk the other day, and he mentioned that his family was able to catch Frankie Valli in concert recently. At 89, the man still has it although I'm not sure whether he can still hit those stratospheric heights with his voice. I remember getting to first know Valli and The Four Seasons via those K-Tel record commercials. There was "Sherry" and "Walk Like a Man" from the early 1960s. Just getting back to Valli himself, I remember remarking "Can a guy's voice sound that high?!".

But just when I was thinking that The Four Seasons were going to remain eternally on K-Tel, I ended up watching "Grease" on the big screen. I've already mentioned through a ROY article last year about the late Olivia Newton-John's "Hopelessly Devoted to You", the showstopper ballad that she sang midway through the movie. Well, I found out earlier that the 1950s-set motion picture had also been injected with a disco theme song in the opening credits which were pretty funky itself, to say the least. 

And indeed it was Valli behind "Grease", the theme song for greasers everywhere. I was kinda figuring that the song sounded rather contemporary for an old rock-and-roll flick but hey as the years have passed, even Valli's "Grease" has picked up some of that lovely sepia and nostalgia (especially with those strings). The Barry Gibb-penned single was released in May 1978, and it hit No. 1 in America, Canada, and the Netherlands. In fact, it would end up as the No. 6 single of the year in my country.

So, what else was being released in May 1978 over in Japan?

Momoe Yamaguchi -- Playback Part 2 （プレイバック・パート２）

Hitomi Ishikawa -- Migi Muke Migi （右向け右）

Southern All Stars -- Katte ni Sinbad （勝手にシンドバッド）

Yutaka Ozaki -- Machikado no Kaze no Naka（街角の風の中）

 

The rolling wake 'em up rhythm that starts off singer-songwriter Yutaka Ozaki's（尾崎豊）"Machikado no Kaze no Naka" reminds me a lot of another song which I've enjoyed since I was a kid, Billy Joel's "Don't Ask Me Why". 

"Machikado no Kaze no Naka" is a B-side on Ozaki's October 1987 single , the No. 2-ranking "Kaku"（核...Core）, and though it directly translates into English as "Inside the Wind on the Street Corner", the official English title is "Twilight Wind". And yeah, it's short, sweet and perhaps a bit more romantically evocative. Being accustomed to Ozaki's ballads, it's nice to hear something this upbeat as a couple of people who have seen better days decide to throw caution into the wind and just enjoy themselves in the moment. Well, maybe lyrically speaking, "Machikado no Kaze no Naka" has a kissin'-cousin connection with "Don't Ask Me Why". 

This particular Ozaki song hadn't gotten onto any of his original albums but the 2009 re-release of his September 1988 album "Gairoju"（街路樹...Roadside Trees） has included it as a bonus track.

Reiko Mizumachi -- Bokura no Sekai（ぼくらの世界）

 

Actress Reiko Mizumachi（水町レイコ）was born Reiko Ono（大野領子）in Tokyo as one of five siblings. I had never heard of her and perhaps you hadn't either but if you're like me and have an interest in the wide spectrum of Japanese popular music, you will know her father: enka legend Saburo Kitajima（北島三郎）.

Her J-Wiki file has her also listed as a singer although I only see one music-related output there which is "Bokura no Sekai" (Our World). It was used as a special one-off ending theme for the May 23rd 2008 episode of the long-running "Ojarumaru"（おじゃる丸）anime. A couple of months ago, I'd written about a much more recent ending theme for the series, "Ito wo Kashi"（いとをかし）by Ringo Shiina（椎名林檎）, and like that one, "Bokura no Sekai" also has that waltz feeling, albeit in a slower circus-type arrangement. Mizumachi's song is so child-friendly that the single probably came with a safety cap. Interestingly enough, her father was responsible for singing both opening themes for "Ojarumaru".

"Bokura no Sekai" was written and composed by MAKOTO゜ who was Mizumachi's brother (and Kitajima's son). Makoto Ono（大野誠）was the vocalist for the rock band 1st Blood who also created songs for his father under the pen name of Toko Daichi（大地土子）including those opening themes for the show. Sadly, he passed away in March 2018.

Masayuki Sakamoto -- High Tide

 

I can consider the name Masayuki Sakamoto a fairly common one with different kanji representing it. For example, in the Japanese entertainment industry, there is the member of the Johnny's Entertainment group V6 with that name（坂本昌行）.

Not too long ago, I also found another Masayuki Sakamoto but with a differing kanji at the very end of his name（坂本昌之）. According to his J-Wiki file, he is a keyboardist, arranger, composer and music producer who comes from Sapporo, and his data only begins from the late 1990s. Therefore, I was wondering whether this was the same Masayuki Sakamoto who came up with the 1987 album "PSYCHE" although in katakana, it's pronounced as "pushuke"（プシュケ）. But apparently according to Discogs, this is indeed the same fellow.

Discogs also notes that his "PSYCHE" delves into technopop, New Age and classical music. I think that the track that I have for you here, "High Tide", covers the first two genres. It's a very cheerful instrumental that rather straddles the fence between the synthy works of another Sakamoto and the Japanese-American band Hiroshima. There is also the contemporary technopop side paired with a traditional side that makes me feel as if I were taking a walk through the older neighbourhoods of Kyoto. Going back to that incomplete Sakamoto article on J-Wiki, the fellow has worked with many other artists including Miyuki Nakajima（中島みゆき）, Akina Nakamori（中森明菜）, Junichi Inagaki（稲垣潤一）and Chikuzen Sato（佐藤竹善）.

Agnes Lum -- Ame Agari no Downtown（雨上がりのダウンタウン）

 

As I was mentioning in my previous article, I was out with friends all day yesterday for some lunch downtown and then the movie "Oppenheimer". Meteorologically, we also had quite the thriller outside. As we were chatting and drinking away at our coffee, what had been sunny and hot skies suddenly exploded into a major tropical cloudburst for about five minutes before clearing. Then, perhaps an hour later, we had finally left the coffee shop and barely made it onto a streetcar before another downpour occurred. I've said it before and I'll say it again...Toronto can be predictably unpredictable in the weather department.☂

Well, for the purposes of being coincidentally and meteorologically appropriate, why not have the song "Ame Agari no Downtown" (Downtown After the Rain) as the topic of this article? It was recorded by American model and singer Agnes Lum（アグネス・ラム）as her first of two singles in 1977. Lum is someone that I'd seen on old Japanese television occasionally and indeed she shares a given name with another famous Agnes in the geinokai, Agnes Chan（アグネス・チャン）from Hong Kong.

Agnes Lum, however, hails from Hawaii as the daughter of a Chinese father and a mother of Korean, Native American and Native Hawaiian descent. Since I hadn't known too much about her background, I did find out that she had been working as a model in the Aloha State when she became famous in Japan, too, due to her selection as the very first Clarion Girl in 1975. 

Of course, becoming famous and popular in Japan also means that it's time to cut that record. And so, the whimsical "Ame Agari no Downtown" came to be in July 1977. Lyrics were provided by Keisuke Yamakawa（山川啓介）but unlike the above video's statement that Kunihiko Kase（加瀬邦彦）was the composer, the JASRAC database and one other lyrics website have stated that it was singer-songwriter and actor Yuzo Kayama（加山雄三）under his regular songwriting pseudonym of Kosaku Dan（弾厚作）who actually composed "Ame Agari no Downtown". According to the Wikipedia article on Lum, the song reached No. 79 on Oricon with the hint that she was able to get onto that year's Kohaku Utagassen because of it. However, the J-Wiki article with the original source being the book "Dankai Punch 4"（団塊パンチ 4）states that Lum had actually appeared on the 1976 edition as a guest, over half a year before that first single saw the light of day.

Lum also released a couple of original albums in 1977 and 1978, and she also dabbled in some acting in movies and TV dramas with a number of variety show appearances. Of course, commercials were her main stock-in-trade. However, she retired from show business in 1983. 

Harumi Tsuyuzaki -- Downtown Boy

 

Yesterday was one of those rare days that there were no articles posted onto the blog with the reason being that I was out for most of the day with KKP's Larry and one other friend for lunch at our favourite izakaya-turned-store (with a tiny eatery) Kingyo in Cabbagetown. Then, we caught "Oppenheimer" at the theatre. It wasn't exactly light viewing but those three hours passed by at the speed of an electron because the performances and the editing were just that good. "Barbie" will be next as the second half of the famous "Barbenheimer" marketing gag.

Will be starting off today's round of articles with a cover version. When I first saw "Downtown Boy" next to Harumi Tsuyuzaki's（露崎春女）name, I did figure that she would be doing her version of Yumi Matsutoya's（松任谷由実）perky 80s pop song from one of her best albums "No Side" released in 1984. Sure enough, it was.

"Downtown Boy" is a coupling song on Tsuyuzaki's 9th single from November 1999, "Break On Out". With arrangement of the original Yuming（ユーミン）melody by Jeffrey Kuriyama and Mayks. The song is now a contemporary slow jam with inter-verse rap under Tsuyuzaki's cooing vocals. It's a very laidback version although I think that they may have gone a little overboard with the strings.

Keiko Fuji -- Sayonara Tokyo（サヨナラ東京）

 

Well, while I was writing up Kyu Sakamoto's（坂本九）bittersweet kayo kyoku "Sayonara Tokyo" from July 1964, I noticed to the right of the screen that there was another song with the same title, this time performed by another veteran who also sadly left this mortal coil several years ago.

My initial impression was that Keiko Fuji's（藤圭子）"Sayonara Tokyo" was a cover of the Sakamoto original, but nothing could be further from the truth. Actually, this song was written by Kazuya Senke（千家和也）and composed by Yukihiko Ito（伊藤雪彦）. Senke's lyrics also actually tell of a romance gone bust but the dynamics are different in that the poor woman scooted from the countryside or small town to see her lover in gigantic Tokyo, only to be shocked and heartbroken.

Whereas Sakamoto's "Sayonara Tokyo" had a distinctive Latin guitar, Fuji's "Sayonara Tokyo" has the much more twangy guitar and the overall arrangement is much more in the Mood Kayo (including that sharp trumpet) vein that is her genre-in-trade. The song was also not released as a single but was included as a track on her December 1977 album "Omokage Heiya"（面影平野...Field of Reminders）. 

Kyu Sakamoto -- Sayonara Tokyo（サヨナラ東京）

 

Not sure where I first heard this one by the late great Kyu Sakamoto（坂本九）. Well to be more specific, I heard a cover of his "Sayonara Tokyo" on one of the kayo shows that we get on TV Japan. I didn't see the title at the "Uta Con"（うたコン）website so I'm assuming that it was probably on "Shin BS Nihon no Uta"（新・BS日本の歌...Songs of Japanese Spirit）. 

"Sayonara Tokyo" was released in July 1964 although it wasn't officially a Tokyo Olympics song. In fact, it was released some three months before the start of the Games, which were set for October since the host nation had wanted to avoid participating athletes potentially swooning in the notorious heat and humidity during a typical July in the nation's capital. And according to the J-Wiki article for the song, the record company had also wanted to avoid their star's record losing sales because of enormous interest toward the Olympics, so it was July.

It certainly doesn't sound like an Olympics song by any means with the verve and energy of Haruo Minami's（三波春夫）"Tokyo Gorin Ondo"（東京五輪音頭）. "Sayonara Tokyo" is simply a bittersweet farewell to the city and perhaps a now-former paramour that was created by the same dynamic duo behind Kyu's most famous hit "Ue wo Muite Arukou" (上を向いて歩こう) a few years earlier, lyricist Rokusuke Ei（永六輔）and composer Hachidai Nakamura（中村八大）. I do like the Latin guitar and the background chorus.

Still, despite the somewhat lonely lyrical theme and the title, Sakamoto ended up performing the song and its B-side "Kimi ga Suki"（君が好き...I Love You）, also created by Ei and Nakamura at the official welcome party for the Olympics. Not only that, he made another appearance on the 1964 edition of the Kohaku Utagassen to perform "Sayonara Tokyo". By the middle of the following year, the single sold around 600,000 records.

Yano to Agatsuma -- Otemoyan（おてもやん）

 

Ironically, for a fellow who has been writing about Japanese popular music almost daily for 11 1/2 years, concerts haven't been events that I have visited with any great frequency. Price may be one thing but there's also the observation that though I have been willing to entertain the shared experience of watching a movie, I don't seem to get the same level of enjoyment from the shared experience of seeing singers or bands performing their craft on stage or for that matter, sports teams fight it out for the win. Having said that, I slightly regret that I had missed out on Akiko Yano's（矢野顕子）joint concert with Skoop on Somebody at Toronto's Japanese-Canadian Cultural Centre earlier in March, having only found out about it by that chance encounter with a poster weeks after it had already taken place. Them's the breaks, I guess.

Usually the Sunday-at-1:00 pm slot on TV Japan is held by NHK's "Nodo Jiman"（のど自慢）the long-running and popular amateur singing contest but for whatever reason, it wasn't shown today. Instead, it was replaced by another NHK show that has often appeared on the channel, "Minyo Damashii ~ Furusato no Uta"（民謡魂 ふるさとの歌...The Soul of Minyo: Songs of Home）. As the title indicates, the show which has TOKIO's former leader Shigeru Joushima（城島茂）as the co-host features the traditional folk genre of minyo from all over the nation via various talented singers and groups.

It just so happened that the aforementioned Yano appeared on the show with shamisen artist Hiromitsu Agatsuma（上妻宏光）under the duo name of Yano to Agatsuma（やのとあがつま...Yano & Agatsuma）. The theme of today's episode was the evolution of minyo into the 21st century, and the duo was one fine example showing off their small group performing their version of the Kumamoto Prefecture minyo "Otemoyan". Having made its original debut some time in the mid-1930s, it's been performed by countless other musicians over the decades according to the JASRAC database.

Via NHK's other show for the traditional music, "Uta Con"（うたコン）, I've known that enka, Mood Kayo and just good old-fashioned kayo kyoku have been getting their brush-ups over the years. But Yano to Agatsuma illustrated their "Otemoyan" with some subtle technopop elements in their arrangement while the two main performers were at home on their own instruments (there are even English lyrics added). So, perhaps we now have some techno minyo. The song was part of the duo's debut album "Asteroid and Butterfly" that was released in March 2020. 

The realization of the evolution and technology behind the new "Otemoyan" wasn't lost on anybody involved in the production. The music video even had a couple of robots in the roles of a happily married couple from many years ago. I also have to point out that Yano's long-famous vocal flexibility works well in the world of minyo.

Curtis Creek Band -- Nite Flite

 

Almost a couple of months ago, at Rocket Brown's recommendation, I tried out Curtis Creek Band, a group of Japanese musicians and fishing enthusiasts that got together in 1979 to make music and land some trout apparently. 🐟 I also made mention of the fact that there was a "Star Trek" connection as well in the first article for the group, "Foggy" which was a track from their 1983 album "Windy People".

Well, I've now found another lovely song by Curtis Creek Band and it hails from their 1982 album "Love Songs", and I do love the album cover. "Nite Flite" is a very sweet instrumental filled with languid guitar, jazzy flute, silky strings and romantic harmonica. One Japanese music blog titled "Round Midnight" gave their own thoughts on "Love Songs" and when they were comparing the band to fusion groups The Square and Casiopea, Curtis Creek Band was much more on the easy listening end of things, and "Nite Flite" fits the bill exactly. The title might refer to something airborne, but there is also something there that would make for nice accompaniment to some fine fly fishing in Curtis Creek itself.

Noting that I'm not exactly the most relaxed passenger on a plane, I could use "Nite Flite" to settle my jangled nerves. It's probably a whole lot safer than sleeping pills.

Key West Club -- O-Atsuraemuki no Destiny（お誂え向きのDestiny）

 

When I wrote up the article for the iconic "Sailor Moon"（セーラームーン）theme over ten years ago, I hadn't had any realization that there was not only a kayo inspiration for Dali's "Moonlight Densetsu" (ムーンライト伝説）, but also the same version of the song with different lyrics and a different title: "Yume wa Majorica Senorita" (夢はマジョリカ・セニョリータ....My Dream is Majorica Senorita）. I always love doing these articles which take me down a rabbit hole the length of a soccer pitch.

"Yume wa Majorica Senorita" was performed by the short-lived aidoru duo Key West Club, and that fact led me to another amazing discovery in that one of the two ladies involved was none other than actress Miki Nakatani（中谷美紀）who had her solo singing career going further in the 1990s. Usually when I think of Nakatani behind a mike, I always associate her with the late great Ryuichi Sakamoto（坂本龍一）as they made some beautiful and eclectic music together.

But an aidoru duo? Never had a clue. Nakatani was paired with Keiko Azuma（東恵子）for that period of one year between 1991 and 1992, and even before that, the two had been associated with the larger aidoru group Sakurakko Club Sakura Gumi（桜っ子クラブさくら組）which was formed under the aegis of an early 90s TV Asahi variety program known as "Sakurakko Club".

Anyways, Key West Club released just three singles and two original albums including "Yume wa Majorica Senorita" which was their final single in August 1992. However, their debut single released in November 1991 was "O-Atsuraemuki no Destiny" (A Most Suitable Destiny). Written and composed by Daria Kawashima（川嶋だりあ）, the same person behind that final single and "Moonlight Densetsu". Kinda like "Moonlight Densetsu", there is that touch of Latin in the song and the synths, and in a way, I think that this was a type of tune that could have been placed as an anime theme as well. The song peaked at No. 57 on Oricon and was the title track for Key West Club's first album from December 1991.

Yuiko Tsubokura -- Kuchibiru Yuugi（唇遊戯）

 

It's been over a year since we've had Yuiko Tsubokura（坪倉惟子）back on the blog, but she's here now. This time, it's for the B-side of her November 1985 debut single, "Cry for the Moon". The A-side is a smoldering power pop ballad but the nocturnal "Kuchibiru Yuugi" (Lip Play) has some more kick in the City Pop department. Written by Yoshimasa Shibayama（柴山好正）and composed by Tsubokura herself, "Kuchibiru Yuugi" still has plenty of sex appeal thanks to the singer's delivery. 

Although "Cry for the Moon" got onto Tsubokura's debut album "Always in Love", I'm not sure whether "Kuchibiru Yuugi" ever made it onto any original album. Her J-Wiki file doesn't even show any BEST compilations at this point, but if anyone here knows if "Kuchibiru Yuugi" resides anywhere outside of the B-side, please let me know.

Ann Lewis -- Please Tell Me

 

Well, after catching "Mission: Impossible ~ Dead Reckoning Part 1" the other day, the big movie event seems to be today's joint release of the extremely fluffy and cheerful "Barbie" and the dead serious nuclear test-creating "Oppenheimer". The joint marketing of these two diametrically opposite movies has apparently become a godsend (ironically, smack dab in the middle of a contentious writers and actors' strike) known as Barbieheimer for both flicks. Supposedly, Margot "Barbie" Robbie was showing off her ticket for "Oppenheimer" and Christopher Nolan, director of "Oppenheimer", was displaying his pass for "Barbie". 

May both do well. In fact, I may be watching one of those movies next week with a friend of mine. However, I will probably not be wearing anything pink for "Barbie" or a soberly brown suit for "Oppenheimer". 

Ah, speaking of pink....I'd like to delve into Ann Lewis'（アン・ルイス）6th studio album "Think! Pink!" from September 1978. Specifically, there's one track there "Please Tell Me" which sounds like a nice slice of 1970s City Pop thanks to the words and music by Tommy Snyder of Godiego（ゴダイゴ）fame. Bassist Tsugutoshi Goto（後藤次利）arranged everything into a cool downtown soul-pop strut into Roppongi or Shinjuku. Lewis also sounds very fetching and plaintive, but I have to admit that the picture of her on the cover can be a little scary (as beautiful as Lewis is). She looks like something out of Terry Gilliam's imagination for "Monty Python". 

Incidentally, the previous Ann Lewis song that I covered was about a year ago. It was for her "Shonan no Otoko-tachi"（湘南の男たち）which was also placed onto "Think! Pink!".

Toshiki Kadomatsu -- August Rain ~ It's Our Pure Hearts

 

Still several days before August arrives but I figure that since it is Urban Contemporary Friday here on "Kayo Kyoku Plus", we can move up the schedule for this one.

My snarky comment for the album cover of Toshiki Kadomatsu's（角松敏生）June 1986 "Touch and Go" is that if he's gonna do stunts like that on his plane, it will be truly touch and go regarding his survival. 

But no complaints whatsoever regarding one track "August Rain ~ It's Our Pure Hearts". Not surprisingly, it is indeed a summery Kadomatsu creation with the able help of the one and only Jerry Hey and his splendid horns (just mentioned him yesterday for "The Dude"). "August Rain" can truly make August rain look romantic with this light and mellow hammock-worthy song. Plus, the saxophone solo is the cherry on top. Overall, the song makes me want to take deep cleansing breaths after a busy work week.

Yutaka Kimura Speaks ~ Japanese City Pop Masterpieces 100: Jin Kirigaya -- Umi e Kaerou（海へ帰ろう）

 

Number: 015

Lyricists: Jin Kirigaya and Yumi Kojima

Composer: Jin Kirigaya

Arranger: Masataka Matsutoya

From Kirigaya's 1979 album: "My Love For You"

Jin Kirigaya（桐ヶ谷仁）is a singer-songwriter who has displayed a refined sensibility just short of lyrical folk songs. "Umi e Kaerou" (Let's Return to the Sea), which also shines from Masataka Matsutoya's（松任谷正隆）splendid arrangement, is an excellent song with a comfortable medium groove and soft vocals which melt into our ears. It's the type of song that I want to hear while driving to the ocean once summer has passed. Drummer Tatsuo Hayashi（林立夫）chose the song as one of his favourites for his own album of selected music, "Non-Vintage".

The above comes from "Disc Collection Japanese City Pop Revised" (2020).

A slightly sheepish J-Canuck here. Usually I wouldn't step on Mr. Kimura's shadow here but the fact is that I hadn't covered "Umi e Kaerou" either until it was time for this particular episode of "Yutaka Kimura Speaks". There's really nothing much for me to add since I agree with he has said about this comfy tune which hits me as a "Margaritaville" song. It's got bounce and sway and I do like the flute that lands and flies about like a butterfly. 

By the way, co-lyricist Yumi Kojima（児島由美）is someone that I have covered for a couple of articles including her own 1979 album "Comme Des Garcons"（コム・デ・ギャルソン）. And I have written about another "My Love For You" track by Kirigaya: "Return to the Sky".

Farewell and Thank You, Tony Bennett (1926-2023)

from Wikipedia

 

I'll just let him sing.

Hiromi Iwasaki -- Shi-Teki-Kuu-Kan（私・的・空・間）, Part 2

 

Well, in another case of "Ach, my memory's going!", I completely forgot that I'd promised to have Part 2 of Hiromi Iwasaki's（岩崎宏美）"Shi-Teki-Kuu-Kan" (Personal Space) up by a few nights ago on Monday following Part 1 the previous Monday. I would have done it last night but Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell kept me busy at their movie. Allow to make amends by taking care of things now.

Part 2 will logically go into Side B of the original LP although I'm basing this article on the 2007 issue of "Shi-Teki-Kuu-Kan" with its extra tracks. To start off, here is "Kotozuke" (ことづけ...Sending Word) which is a gently rolling pop ballad of a remembrance over a past romance. Although there doesn't seem to be any direct mention of sending messages to the old flame, Hiromi is singing that all's well with her and she hopes that the same is true of her former paramour. Mieko Arima（有馬三恵子）was the lyricist with Koji Tamaki（玉置浩二）composing and Mitsuo Hagita（萩田光雄）arranging.

Just seeing the title "Morning Breeze" had me assuming City Pop and/or J-AOR or a Febreeze spray scent. It's once again Tamaki and Hagita on composition and arrangement duties but the interesting thing is that the City Pop feeling tends to undulate throughout the song; at one point, it feels like a straight pop tune but then the chorus kinda kicks things into City Pop mode, and then the coda suddenly shifts into a different key, perhaps showing a bit of uncertainty in the romance department. This time, it's Yasushi Akimoto（秋元康）providing the lyrics of a couple enjoying the early hours rising from bed and then having breakfast. 

"Ikigai"（生きがい...Raison D'etre） has that undercurrent rhythm which reminds me of "Joanna" by Kool & The Gang, but otherwise, it's a wholly different animal. The rotation of songwriters continues here with lyricist Arima back with arranger Hagita but this time it's prolific Kyohei Tsutsumi（筒美京平）handling the melody. There's something of the Douglas Sirk melodrama imbued in "Ikigai" but if I've understood Arima's lyrics correctly, it may deal with a man and a woman...perhaps colleagues in the same company...who are sharing some secret personal time after hours but cannot afford to reveal their tryst.

The final track on the original Side B is "Higure no Martini"（日暮れのマティーニ...Martinis at Sunset） has Arima and Tsutsumi working together again but the arranger is Keiichi Oku（奥慶一）. Sounding like an elegant ballad from the 1970s powered by a piano, the heroine here is sharing that titular martini with a new friend and she suddenly has this deja vu. Maybe love has come around once again? 

As I mentioned in Part 1, there are five bonus tracks on the 2007 issue of "Shi-Teki-Kuu-Kan". I covered one of them already there. Another one that I will talk about here is "Waiting" which was the B-side to "Suteki na Kimochi"（素敵な気持ち）, Iwasaki's 30th single that I covered some years ago (and you can find the link to that article in the third paragraph from the top of Part 1. It's another grand contemporary pop ballad that the singer could do in her sleep with Machiko Ryu（竜真知子）behind the lyrics and Shinji Kawahara（川原伸司）as the composer under his pseudonym of Natsumi Hirai（平井夏美）.

The other bonus track is "Yoake no Tenshi-tachi"（夜明けの天使たち...Sunrise Angels） and it's another B-side, this time for Iwasaki's 31st single "Shinjuu no Period"（真珠のピリオド...Pearl Period） that was actually described as the first track of "Shi-Teki-Kuu-Kan" in Part 1. Only two minutes and forty-nine seconds long, it ends rather abruptly but it's still pretty sweet and snazzy with some of that disco/City Pop and I'll always love those horns. Tsutsumi was behind the melody with Takashi Matsumoto（松本隆）handling the lyrics. For both bonus tracks here, Hagita took care of the arrangement.

Well, again, sorry for the delayed article and hope you enjoy both parts.