Jazz and City Pop singer Kimiko Kasai（笠井紀美子）and legend Herbie Hancock have worked together before, and one example that we have here on the blog is "I Thought It Was You" from 1979.
Another comes from Kasai's 1978 album "Round and Round". Titled "Chameleon", this is Kasai's sung cover of the original song of the same name that originated as Hancock's jazz fusion instrumental standard on his 1973 album "Head Hunters". To give credit where further credit is due, Hancock had created it with Bennie Maupin, Paul Jackson and Harvey Mason. For the Kasai cover, Norman Landsberg provided the English lyrics for her to apply some sultry vocalese about a love 'em-and-leave 'em cad. The song is over seven minutes long but that doesn't compare to the original percolating version by Hancock.
Kimiko Kasai's Chameleon (1978) precedes the Culture Club’s Karma Chameleon (1983) by five years! Now, I doubt that they are related in anyway, but I do wonder if the writer of "Karma chameleon' was aware of Kimiko Kasai's "Chameleon'? Probably not but there is always a chance.
ReplyDelete