Kaori Kuno -- Time is Up

 

"Takeshi no Koko dake no Hanashi"（たけしのここだけの話...Takeshi's "Just Between You and Me" Talks） was a relatively short-lived Fuji-TV evening talk show that lasted between 1988 and 1990 on Sundays, so I guess it must have preceded the music show "Music Fair". I never saw it myself but I gather that compared to some of comedian and cinematic auteur Beat Takeshi's（ビートたけし）other chaotic programs, "Takeshi no Koko dake no Hanashi" was slightly more civilized.

Takeshi's co-host was TV broadcaster and tarento Mie Yamaguchi（山口美江）, a refined and vivacious lady that I used to see a lot on the the telly in various capacities. She was very popular as someone who could handle the wilder male celebrities with a silk-and-steel approach if need be and I knew that she was also quite fluent in English. Her premature death at 51 in 2012 was a true shock to everyone.

Yamaguchi also provided the lyrics to a song that was composed by singer/saxophonist Kaori Kuno（久野かおり）for the latter's 2nd album "Sincere" from 1989. "Time is Up" also happened to be the second ending theme song for "Takeshi no Koko dake no Hanashi", and true to Kuno's discography, it's another light and classy number with bright piano and shimmering strings that could have its place in the more expensive and stylish areas of Tokyo. But I think rather than City Pop, I would put it in AOR or sophisticated pop. You can also check out another track from "Sincere", "Just Only Tonight".