J-Canuck's NEXT Favourite 6 Mariya Takeuchi Songs

 

Well, I'm a day or so late but allow me to wish Mariya Takeuchi（竹内まりや）a very Happy Birthday since she was born on March 20th. I'm fairly sure that she wouldn't have wanted to celebrate it here in Toronto since for the second day of spring, we were suffering a -13-degree Celsius wind chill factor this morning. 

I'd been wondering which song of hers to pick out to celebrate the occasion but I really couldn't find one that I hadn't already covered, and of course over a dozen years of KKP, I will have covered quite a bit of Mariya's discography since she is one of my favourites. As such, I've opted to do another Author's Pick list; to be specific, this is a sequel to "J-Canuck's Favourite 6 Mariya Takeuchi Songs" that I wrote up over the Holidays at the end of 2015. The lady's discography has so many catchy tunes and ballads that I figured that I could afford one more list. So, without further ado (and this time, I'm not ranking them as I did in the first list):

(1980) Gosenshi（五線紙）

After getting to know Mariya for so many years and then discovering City Pop crooner Yasuhiro Abe（安部恭弘）over the past decade and change, I know now to never ignore any collaboration between them, and that's what happened here when this snazzy and jazzy tune was made for her "Love Songs" album. There have been cover versions by professionals and amateurs of "Gosenshi", and it's no wonder. It's such a timeless standard and personally, I'm a sucker for wonderful doo-wop jazz harmonies.

(1980) Every Night

Another collaboration that I won't leave alone is anything by Mariya and Airplay. Sure, it was the late Alan O'Day and her husband-to-be Tatsuro Yamashita（山下達郎）behind words and music respectively but "Every Night" was one of the tracks of Side A on her "Miss M" album that were produced and recorded in Los Angeles. Plus it was David Foster and Jay Graydon who were responsible for the rhythm arrangements. Yamashita may not have been all that praiseworthy with the original version (he even did a Take That of sorts by providing his own version on his 1982 "For You") but this AOR hound will never deny the groove and smoothness of his wife's "Every Night".

(1980) Secret Love

With "Secret Love" included on this list along with its trackmate above and another "Miss M" song "Morning Glory" on the first list, I can pretty much admit that "Miss M" is one of my very favourite albums by Mariya and it's pretty much one of my favourite City Pop albums. I don't think I ever mentioned this in the original article for the song but there is something about the first minute or so in the arrangement and Mariya's exclamation of "Hero..." which has made me wonder whether "Secret Love" is the Malibu cousin to The Eagles' "Desperado". 

(1978) Just Friends

"Just Friends" (or "Just Friend" as pronounced in the original Japanese) struck me right from Note One with that dramatic intro. Speaking of collaborations, this was Mariya from her inaugural album "Beginning" and her cooperation with the rock band Sentimental City Romance on a number of the tracks including this one with its soft rock vibe. I can pick up on some of that country twang in there, but the images flowing through my head as "Just Friends" is playing include an intrepid walk through the old part of any city on the globe...probably after getting dumped.

(1992) Forever Friends

The very first full album of hers that I ever bought was "Quiet Life". Before that, I'd gotten a couple of CD singles while I was in Gunma Prefecture but the 1992 release was my first Mariya album. All of the tracks have been solid but the first track that caught me was "Forever Friends", one of those without-a-care-in-the-world sort of pop tunes. It sounds just perfect as the accompanying song for a stroll in the park, alone or with buddies.

(1978) Hollywood Café

For the end, we will go to the beginning...or pre-beginning...or pre-"Beginning". Indeed, I'm being cute here. But I am talking about "Hollywood Café", a song that isn't on any original Mariya album because it and another song of hers were actually on a special 1978 compilation known as "Loft Sessions Vol. 1", which had been released eight months before she even officially came out with her debut single and album. It's also one of my favourites because although it's undeniably Mariya behind the mike (albeit in a slower and thicker mode of voice), the melody and arrangement aren't in the usual Mariya vein but that same melody and arrangement are also things that I have enjoyed listening to...usually by Taeko Ohnuki（大貫妙子）, and Ohnuki was involved in the song although it was for the lyrics only. Mariya herself came up with the melody. Interestingly enough, Ohnuki wouldn't fully get into the European introspective balladry for another few years.

In any case, I hope that Mariya and family were able to enjoy that birthday cake or a sumptuous dinner somewhere in Tokyo or at home.