Cold and wet like a dog's nose out there. Not sure if we're gonna get any snow in the next 24 to 48 hours but it certainly feels like winter is finally around the corner.
Anyways, I feel like I need to make a course correction in terms one of singer-songwriter Mioko Yamaguchi's（山口未央子）songs. Back in 2018, I devoted time and space to her debut album "Yume Hiko"（夢飛行）from November 1980 and one of the tracks that I covered within that release was her "Tokyo Lover". Not realizing it at the time, the album version and the single version of that very song are quite different.
The album version of "Tokyo Lover" on "Yume Hiko" was written and composed by Yamaguchi with arrangement by Akira Inoue（井上鑑）, and that was more of a technopop number. However, Jun Sato（佐藤準）arranged the single version from April 1981 (her 2nd) and it's definitely got a very different feel. Very proud and brassy, the new version sounds as if it's making the declaration that it is now morning in Tokyo and what a wonderful morning it is and what a wonderful city it is. It's City Pop alright and I can even hear some Doobie Brothers in there as well.
Wow, now this is a fascinating find! I wonder why the album and the single version of Mioko Yamaguchi's "Tokyo Lover" are basically different genres? Hmm, it makes me wonder what versions of the song did they play on the radio?
ReplyDeleteNot sure why Yamaguchi decided to have different arrangements except that perhaps the singer wanted to try infusing some of that City Pop into the later single version.
DeleteWell, whatever the reason I am glad she did
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