Izumi Taku Singers/Candies -- Kaerazaru Hi no Tame ni（帰らざる日のために）

 

This will be the late Taku Izumi's（いずみたく）23rd article on "Kayo Kyoku Plus", and the composer has been responsible for a lot of works including a commercial jingle and themes for television shows along with his hit songs such as Saori Yuki's（由紀さおり）"Yoake no Scat"（夜明けのスキャット）and Aoi Sankaku Jougi's（青い三角定規）"Taiyo ga Kureta Kisetsu"（太陽がくれた季節）. However, I didn't know about the fact that he had his own group of singers.

Working since the 1950s, in 1972, Izumi brought together a total of thirteen young men and women from an entertainment company, the alumni group from the NHK music-variety show "Stage 101" and even members from the defunct Group Sounds band Fifi the Free to form Izumi Taku Singers（いずみたくシンガーズ）. Initially, the group was divided into a singing team and a dancing team, and during their three years together, they released seven singles and three albums.

However, by the time of their fourth single, Izumi Taku Singers was basically pared down to around seven members. That single was "Kaerazaru Hi no Tame ni" (For the Day of No Return) which was released in April 1974. A bossy and boppy kayo composed by Izumi and written by Keisuke Yamakawa（山川啓介）, the No. 13-ranked hit was created for the NTV rugby-based drama "Warera Seishun!"（われら青春!...Our Salad Days!）that had an April-September run in that same year. 

The legendary aidoru trio Candies（キャンディーズ）covered "Kaerazaru Hi no Tame ni" on their December 1974 3rd album, "Namida no Kisetsu"（なみだの季節...Season of Tears）. Their version is a bit brighter, for the lack of a better word.