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As KKP readers know, I do the weekly Reminiscings of Youth on Thursday and I did provide the one for Nik Kershaw earlier this afternoon. However, considering what I've heard in the last 24 hours or so, I feel that I have to write one more ROY tonight especially in the light of the passings of a few Japanese representatives in the music industry within the last month: songwriters Yuji Ohno（大野雄二）and Jun Hashimoto（橋本淳）along with singer Yoichi Sugawara（菅原洋一）.
Singer Peabo Bryson passed away on June 2nd a couple of days ago at the age of 75 due to what may have been a stroke. The obituaries on television often mentioned his 90s duets for "Aladdin" and "Beauty of the Beast", but I had known him for a decade prior because of his songs coming onto radio frequently. And he's already got representation on KKP through two of those wonderful melodies from his work with Roberta Flack via the 1983 album "Born to Love".
The following year, another wonderful ballad was released by Bryson titled "If Ever You're in My Arms Again", which came out in April 1984. It's a lush Quiet Storm ballad of second chances that was created by Cynthia Weil, Michael Masser and Tom Snow, and listening to it once more reminded me that they don't come up with this sort of love song anymore. Some of those notes he hits! From the list of musicians involved, I notice that at least a few of them have worked with Japanese singers such as guitarist Paul Jackson Jr. and bassist Neil Steubenhaus. On the Adult Contemporary charts in both Canada and the United States, the song hit No. 1 with it staying at the top of the US chart for four weeks. I'm glad that a new generation is discovering his wonderful abilities.
My condolences go out to Bryson's family, friends and many fans.
What else was coming out as singles in April 1984 in Japan?
Anzen Chitai -- Mayonaka Sugi no Koi （真夜中すぎの恋）
Meiko Nakahara -- Kimi Tachi Kiwi Papaya Mango da ne （君たちキウイ・パパヤ・マンゴだね。）
Yoko Oginome -- Mirai Koukai ~ Sailing （未来航海）
Anything by the oh-so-fashionable Yoko Oginome is going to be good, and 「未来航海」did not disappoint at all. I do wonder what arcade games were in her video. Anzen Chitai -- Mayonaka Sugi no Koi （真夜中すぎの恋）has that classic Anzen Chitai sound and I love it. However, this is one those Anzen Chitai songs that does not seem to get has much air time as some their other big hits. The original "君たちキウイ・パパヤ・マンゴだね" has a bit of a different atmosphere than the it's cover. The original feels a lot more like something that might have come out of latin America, while the cover feels a lot more like classic show music.
ReplyDeleteThe original "Kimi Tachi Kiwi Papaya Mango da ne" has this arrangement which seems to be part Andrews Sisters boogie and part Latin jazz. "Mayonaka Sugi no Koi" is indeed a classic Anzen Chitai number especially with the music video containing the then-cutting edge CG.
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