Noelle's Favourite Tadaharu Nakano Songs (マイ フェイバリット 中野忠晴 ソングズ)

In my previous article on Hachiro Kasuga (春日八郎), I brought up that Tadaharu Nakano's (中野忠晴) birthday was coming up. It's actually today, 27th May, and he would've been 115. I figured that I might as well do an article dedicated to the suave musician featuring some of my favourites just because. 

I won't go into detail about the songs here since I've either written about them, or will do so in the future. So, sit back and enjoy some of what Nakano had to offer during his tenure as a vocalist. 

1. China Tango (1939)

Of course, "China Tango" would be first on the list. After all, it's the first song that introduced me to Mr. Nakano the singer and that glorious grin. It's sweet and incredibly charming, made even more so by R. Hatter's tango-inspired melody. On top of that, the operatic segments allowed for Nakano to showcase the extent of his vocal prowess. Tamaranai. (〃ω〃人)

2. Marinella (1937)

Shall I lend you my arm? Shall we watch a revue? How about some tea? Yes.(´艸`*)

While "China Tango" presents us with a more romantic and sentimental Nakano, "Marinella" gives us his cheeky and flirtatious side. Teichiku's own jazz dandy Dick Mine covered this French number as well, but Columbia's jazz daddy dandy wins by a long shot. A fellow ryukoka fan is on the same page as me, so this isn't a biased take... Okay, maybe it kinda sorta is. 

3. Rokyoku Blues (浪曲ブルース) (1939)

And now, we have funny Nakano with a snazzy parody of (or ode to) rokyoku with a healthy dose of jazz to make it in with the times. Some of my favourite songs have a nice blend of Western and Japanese "Rokyoku Blues" being a prime example. It's also where I discovered that he could pull off the more traditional Japanese singing style despite being classically trained.

コロムビア月報　昭和12年
From the National Diet Library Archives

My favourite era, if you will, of Mr. Nakano was between 1936 to 1940 or so. Perhaps it's because I thought he finally settled into his style by '36 and find him most attractive during this period (´-`*). So, it is no wonder that "China Tango", "Marinella", and "Rokyoku Blues", all songs from this era, are the primary tunes that make up the image I have of Nakano in my head.

4. Yogiri no Minato (夜霧の港) (1932)

Stylistically, one of them on this list is not like the rest, and that is "Yogiri no Minato".  Unlike most of the Nakano works I know and love, his debut tune has a more Taisho enka style with a somewhat melancholic slant. It's such a simple Koga Melody, but perhaps that's why I always go back to it.

コロムビア月報　昭和7年
From the National Diet Library Archives

By the way, the man you see in the photo above was Nakano around the time of his debut in 1932. Setting my eyes on this photo for the first time, my brain took some time to connect that solemn face to his name. I mean, he looked like a completely different person! Honestly, he was looking like a fresh face at the local bank. The Nakano we know best showed up around 1934 when he began dabbling in jazz. It's as if he turned into a stylish Modern Boy through the magic of jazz.

5. Tanoshiki Kissaten (楽しき喫茶店) (1940)

As someone who loves cafes, I can't do without a song featuring them. While reminiscent of one of his most well-known hits, "Chiisana Kissaten" (小さな喫茶店), I find myself liking this later-day redux for its more languid tango arrangement. The narrative centering around a solo customer enjoying his quiet time over a coffee is more relatable to me as well.

6. Boku no Aozora (僕の青空) (1937)

There are some very early-day jazz classics that I like, one of them being "Watashi no Aozora" (私の青空... My Blue Heaven). You could say this that this is the Mr. Nakano take of it, and it never fails to lift my spirits when I'm feeling rather blue.

コロムビア月報　昭和9年
From the National Diet Library Archives

And that about wraps up my list of favourite Mr. Nakano tunes. As you may have noticed, I only mentioned his solo works. I love many of his collaborations with his jazz quartet the Columbia (Nakano) Rhythm Boys, many of which are fun and hilarious. However, I think they deserve a list of their own, and had I not excluded them from here, this article would be twice as long as it already is.

Anyways, Happy 115th Mr. Nakano!･:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+