Signal -- Slow Down

 

Several years ago, I discovered a folk group called Signal（シグナル）whose 1975 debut single "Hatachi no Meguriai"（20歳のめぐり逢い）was a big hit that year. The song would also be covered by Hiromi Iwasaki（岩崎宏美）on her album "Sumire Iro no Namida"（すみれ色の涙）from November 1981.

Well, as has been the case for many a folk singer or group in Japan back in those days, Signal apparently also made a jump into groovier seas, and in the same year that Iwasaki recorded that cover version of "Hatachi no Meguriai", the original band made the move to a new company, Polystar, and got more into rock, pop and City Pop. Yes, in September 1981, Signal released "Passing Shower" and one of the tracks is the relaxing "Slow Down". Written by guitarist Akio Asami（浅見昭男）and composed by fellow guitarist Masanori Sumide（住出勝則）, it's an AOR-friendly tune that can be compared with some of the output by other bands from that time such as H2O and Bread & Butter.

One tidbit of trivia that I've gleaned is that Asami's wife is none other than singer and seiyuu Mitsuko Horie（堀江美都子）. She's no stranger to City Pop herself.