Earth Wind & Fire -- Fantasy

 

I should have figured it out long ago, but I only found out recently that Earth Wind & Fire's January 1978 (US release) "Fantasy" was inspired by Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" the previous year. As I've mentioned before, I hadn't been much of a lyrics guy so I wasn't paying much attention.

For this week's regular Reminiscings of Youth though, I think I have one of the more interesting stories behind how I discovered "Fantasy", even more than its connection to "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". Even though this Earth Wind &Fire classic had been released several months before the first of what I consider to be the royal trio of EW&F songs, "September", followed by "Boogie Wonderland" and "Let's Groove", my introduction to "Fantasy" actually took place years later into the 1990s.

The royal trio and other EW&F tunes were something I discovered through the radio, an episode of "WKRP in Cincinnati", the movie "Caddyshack" and even hockey broadcasts. But "Fantasy", which is known as "Uchuu no Fantasy"（宇宙のファンタジー...Space Fantasy） in Japan, first hit my ears when I caught the above Fuji-TV show. Titled "Kanzen Jintai Harimoto"（完全人体張本...Perfect Human Body）, my friend had sent the episodes of this bizarre yet informative 1994 late-night Friday program via videotape.

Unfortunately, the only YouTube videos showing anything about "Kanzen Jintai Harimoto" have only then all-star Fuji-TV announcer Sato Kondo（近藤サト）giving the teaser. But perhaps that was just as well since the program went into very stark footage of bodily functions that normally prime-time shows would eschew such as the mechanics of breaking wind, producing poo and getting drunk (that last one had Kondo and two tarento actually getting drunk on camera over a few hours). A couple of the regular segments involved the techniques in giving that notorious "happy ending" at massage parlours and aidoru Hiromi Nagasaku（永作博美）clipping her toenails on camera.😲

Now, where does "Fantasy" fit into all this? Well, it was used as the opening theme for "Kanzen Jintai Harimoto" and even the opening credits were pretty risque. Each week, Sato would interview a young lady briefly about the conditions of her areolas (colour and shape) before the lass stripped and showed them off from all angles with a cute CG star covering the nipples (well, some decorum was needed). The ending actually had a naked guy show up to jump around...all to the strains of the aforementioned "Boogie Wonderland" (of course, the man's "boogie" was hidden behind CG). Yeah, I guess maybe it was a good idea not to have YouTube videos of the show.

Although my memory of "Fantasy" will always be tainted by rogue areolas, I have learned to appreciate the song over the years since it comes across as this life-affirming disco funk anthem that reminds me somewhat of The 5th Dimension's "Aquarius" and a religious song. Man, those final sky-high notes by Philip Bailey! It was nominated for Best R&B Song at the Grammys while hitting No. 37 in Canada and No. 32 in America. 

Now, I can't take credit for coming up with the idea to feature "Fantasy" as this week's ROY article by myself this time around since good friend and City Pop guru Rocket Brown had sent me some days ago the link to the above YouTube video. It shows the periodic monomane（ものまね...celebrity impressions） special with comedic duo BG4（ビジーフォー）as EW&F performing "Fantasy" before getting a rather big shock.

Before finishing up the main section here, I also have to give a shoutout to the music reaction channels such as the above Rob Squad Reactions. When I see these young folks listening to the old-school music and reveling in the discovery of the past, I always get that warm feeling inside. Anyways, what was also being released in February 1978?

Jiro Atsumi -- Yume Oi Zake（夢追い酒）

Candies -- Hohoemigaeshi （微笑がえし）

Hiromi Iwasaki -- Hatachi Mae... （二十才前...）