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In comes March...not like a lion; more like a polar bear. Yes, it's still rather Arctic-looking outside my window but we still have three more weeks of official winter to get through.
Outside of her inclusion in ROY articles and any Author's Picks, Yuki Saito（斉藤由貴）hasn't shown up on KKP for almost a couple of years, so it's nice to begin this third month of 2026 with one of her tunes. And this time, it's a pretty ethereal one. "ONE" launches her 4th studio album "Fuumu"（風夢...Wind Dream） from April 1987.
Sounding like something that should be listened to after having lit up a particularly pungent cone of incense, Saito's voice suits the high-falutin' English lyrics by BANDIT and the near-mystical melody of Kenjiro Sakiya（崎谷健次郎）. She sings about two becoming one in a paradise-like setting. I'm just surprised that no religious figures were mentioned here.
Another track that was on the album was "MAY" but I'd like to clarify my statements there by saying that "MAY" was actually on the CD version of the album, and not on the original LP, according to the J-Wiki article regarding the album. My apologies on any confusion.
Big fan of Yuki Saito here! So, this post was like a blast from the past! I do like that she wasn't afraid to perform a song like this that was so different from the typical Aidoru songs of the 1980s or any other time in the 1980s Japanese music scene.
ReplyDeleteHello, Brian. Yes, this is quite the different aidoru song. Her vocals match the arrangement very nicely.
DeleteThis is remarkably good. I also wanted to comment on how atypical this is for aidoru music -- or at least for someone of Ms. Saito's level of fame at that time. I've noticed this in other records by her, though I've yet to really get to know her discography.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'd probably say that "ONE" might go into the area of New Age music.
DeleteIndeed. This sounds like something that could have been recorded by, say, Akiko Yano.
DeleteYeah, I think that's what makes it stand out. It's interesting because I usually associate Kenjiro Sakiya with City Pop.
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