Tuesday, November 7, 2023

Original Love -- Tsuki no Ura de Aimashou (月の裏で会いましょう)~ A Follow-Up

 

In early 2018, I posted an article on one of the many supremely catchy Original Love songs, "Tsuki no Ura de Aimashou" (Let's go to the darkside of the moon) created by band members Takao Tajima(田島貴男)and Ryutaro Kihara(木原龍太郎). Released back in November 1991 as their 2nd single, I was rather reminded of the song once again when I heard it being performed a few days ago on NHK's amateur singing contest "Nodo Jiman"(のど自慢)

The reason that I'm doing a follow-up, along with the fact that "Tsuki no Ura de Aimashou" is a darn fine song, is that I've gotten a little more information since first finding out about it a few years ago. For one thing, the YouTube video that I added to the original article was that of a revised version of the song. The one above is an older take that is slightly less funky but no less wonderful which was on their 2nd album "Kesshou ~ Soul Liberation"(結晶 -SOUL LIBERATION-...Crystal) from May 1992

I also mentioned in the original article that the song was used as the opening theme for the Fuji-TV drama "Banana Chips Love"(バナナチップス・ラヴ). The above is the opening credits sequence that was first put up a couple of years following my article so it's nice to see it up here now. Apparently, the late-night drama involved a young lady following a romantic breakup who decided to start a new life for herself in the Big Apple (all of the episodes were filmed in New York City) and by the usual magical coincidence encounters an even older flame. Many hijinks ensued, I'm sure.

According to the liner notes in one of Original Love's BEST compilations "The Very Best of ORIGINAL LOVE" from April 1995 via J-Wiki, the director for "Banana Chips Love" Tsuyoshi Takashiro(高城剛), who had requested the song from Tajima and company in the first place, wasn't impressed at all with the first result of the song and it sounds like he acted like the typical irritated corporate section chief and demanded a better take by having the song start out with the chorus to bring in the viewers. Well, as they say, you gotta break a few eggs to make an omelette. 

1 comment:

  1. This is a great mellow cover of this song by Chika Takahashi

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDcEZku-y-k

    This one is also great, perfect amount of reverb

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdOE4PvhBSo



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