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.
Hi J-Canuck!
ReplyDeleteDon't know if you are aware of it but there was a recent development in "who is Tetsuya Komoro?", the famous "Moonlight Densetsu" composer.
For years it was speculated to be Daria Kawashima because she wrote the Key West Club (KWC) song and it shares the same melodies/structure. For the record, it was already performed live before the Sailor Moon single went on sale but due to some strange circumstances the KWC single went on sale after it with re-arranged lyrics. And in people's mind, KWC was a copy of Moonlight Densetsu but in reality it was the other way round instead.
But enough of that, in a radio program in 2021, Daiko Nagato said Tetsuya Komoro wass in fact Kazuo Yoshie who produced a lot of Being (and its subidiaries) artists and was the head of Mister Music, a company that writes a lot of music for commercial (they did the ones for Pepsi-Man).
So, in a way it makes sense because he also had a band named CM Network and gave himself the name Tetsuya Komoro (there is at least one or two compilation CDs out).
Nagato also confirmed the inspiration from Chieko Baisho song, "Sayonara wa Dance no ato ni". It was settled with Hirooki Ogawa and JASRAC so royalties are paid whenever Moonlight Densetsu is played now. Funny thing is Chieko Baisho 45th single ("Doyoubi wa Watashi to"/ "土曜日は私と", 1968) shares similiraties with her 25th single and is written and composed by the same pair: Hiroshi Yokoi / Hirooki Ogawa.
In the end lsomething is still not very clear this story. Knowing that KWC song was written before Moonlight Densetsu and even if it is sure the inspiration comes from the same Chieko Baisho song, Moonlight Densetsu came after the KWC song is taking everything from it. So, we could say Moonlight Densetsu was more inspired from the KWC song (Daria's composition/arrangement) than the original Chieko Baisho song...
Hi, Daemonskald. It's been a while. Thanks very much for giving us the update on the mystery regarding the true composer for "Moonlight Densetsu". I've in fact also provided a copy of your comments directly onto the "Moonlight Densetsu" article since it would be more appropriate there.
Deletehttps://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2012/07/dali-moonlight-densetsu-chieko-baisho.html