One Way or The Other by Fifth Avenue Band (1969)

You've probably heard this story before, but back in 1975, a small band called Sugar Babe (シュガー・ベイブ) released their first and only album, SONGS. The record developed a cult following but didn't perform particularly well financially, and the band itself would break up the following year.

Its core members—Tatsuro Yamashita (山下達郎), Taeko Ohnuki (大貫妙子), and Kunio Muramatsu (村松邦男)—would go on to pursue successful solo careers, while SONGS became increasingly influential within the Japanese music scene and was eventually recognized as a classic many years later.

Ironically, much of Sugar Babe's sound owes a debt to another short-lived group from the late 1960s: The 5th Avenue Band.

It turns out that Yamashita and Ohnuki were huge fans of the band's mellow arrangements and vocal harmonies, and you can hear that influence all over Sugar Babe's music, particularly on songs like "Sutekina Melody"(すてきなメロディー) and, of course, "Downtown."

Obviously, Sugar Babe drew inspiration from plenty of other American groups, including The Beach Boys, The Righteous Brothers, and The Lovin' Spoonful. But one listen to The 5th Avenue Band's "One Way or the Other" suddenly puts everything into perspective.\

I understand it now.

Written by Kenny Altman, "One Way or the Other" is a groovy little bubblegum-pop track that honestly wouldn't sound out of place in The 5th Dimension's discography. Its acoustic-driven arrangement gives the song this wonderfully relaxed, weekend-drive kind of vibe—the same sort of breezy atmosphere that would later become such an important part of the City Pop sound.

Listening to the rest of The 5th Avenue Band's album, I wouldn't be surprised if other Japanese musicians like Shigeru Suzuki (鈴木茂) or Sentimental City Romance (センチメンタル・シティ・ロマンス) were influenced by this kind of music as well. There's something about its mixture of folk-rock,  soul, vocal harmony, and laid-back instrumentation that feels remarkably compatible with the direction Japanese pop music would begin taking during the mid-70s.

Thankfully, "One Way or the Other" has continued finding new listeners over the years, helped in no small part by Tatsuro Yamashita, who has frequently played the song on his radio program.

Shinnosuke "Peter" Ikehata -- Yoru to Asa no Aida ni（夜と朝のあいだに）

 

During my years in Japan, I got to know most of the comedians and TV personalities who became familiar presences on the tube. They can be those who have that year of fame due to some particular quirk or turn-of-phrase before largely disappearing from show business or they can be ones who seem to be part of a permanent televised tapestry. Shinnosuke "Peter" Ikehata（池畑慎之介）is one that belongs to the latter category 

The real name is something that I've only known about since I got back to Canada over a decade ago; back when I was still living in Ichikawa, I only knew them as Peter（ピーター）because that's how they were introduced each time. I only found out recently via the J-Wiki article on the entertainer that Ikehata got that nickname while they were working at a go-go dance club in Roppongi as a teenager. Their gender-ambiguous beauty had them compared to Peter Pan, and Ikehata adopted the first name as a stage name. However, I also found out that they repealed the name in 2019 and now usually goes by either their real name or Pii（ピー）. 

My impression of Ikehata has basically been just through their appearances on television where they have always come across as so elegant and vivacious that I had wondered whether they had actually attended the Takarazuka Academy. To me, Ikehata strikes me as that wealthy good buddy who just loves to regale everybody with stories and shower them with presents. A fine friend, indeed.

As for their acting career, I gather that Ikehata was up for pretty much anything. They not only appeared on Akira Kurosawa's（黒澤明）"Ran"（乱）in 1985 but in 1986, they also portrayed the host and drag queen physician/torturer in the fourth entry of the notorious "Guinea Pig" series. Yes, that "Guinea Pig" series of absolute stomach-turning horror from the early 1980s that had Charlie Sheen call the FBI after seeing one of the grueling earlier entries. Evidently, the fourth entry, "Devil Woman Doctor", could be compared to "Jason X" in the "Friday the 13th" franchise in that both movies were approaching self-parodic comedy. I'm squeamish about horror but even the excerpt above from "Devil Woman Doctor" had me going just "Oh...OK, well then...".

Now, as for their singing career, I probably have heard Ikehata singing on television but those appearances were too far and few between for me to remember. But I was able to track down their debut single from October 1969 titled "Yoru to Asa no Aida ni" (Between The Night and The Morning). I figured from listening to them speak, they would have a great smoky voice for singing and indeed they do. With lyrics by the great Rei Nakanishi（なかにし礼）, the song was composed by Kunihiko Murai（村井邦彦）and arranged by Shunichi Makaino（馬飼野俊一）as something classy and jazzy that reminds me of Henry Mancini's works. It just seems to be the right song for Ikehata to begin their career with.

A couple of tidbits of trivia were gleaned from the article for "Yoru to Asa no Aida ni". One was that their catchphrase at the time of their debut was "The boy brought from the moon by Apollo". No pressure there. The second was that at the 1969 Japan Record Awards, Ikehata won Best New Artist for the song.

Yoru ga Kuru (夜がくる）by Asei Kobayashi

   A lot of typical weeaboos fantasies about visiting Japan go something like, “I want to go to Shibuya,” or “I want to visit a maid café.”

Me? I'm a simple man.

I just want to sit down at a old izakaya and enjoy a glass of that good old Suntory Old Whisky.

Suntory it is certainly one of the country’s most famous and recognizable brands. Its commercials are especially iconic—and they happen to be some of my favorite advertisements of all time.

I still remember the first time I saw the classic 1969 commercial. 

A tall foreign traveler walks into what appears to be a traditional Japanese inn. Without needing to say a word, the hostess seems to understand exactly what he wants. Before long, the two are sharing glasses from a bottle of Suntory Old.

It’s a simple commercial, but it’s effortlessly cool and classy. More importantly, its music is unforgettable.

The commercial’s theme,  “Yoru ga Kuru/夜が来る” (The Night Comes.) , written by composer Asei Kobayashi (小林亜星), is a short but catchy combination of bluesy guitar and soulful jazz scatting. The piece was reportedly originally titled “Ningen Mina Kyōdai,” or “All Humans Are Brothers.” Which I think perfectly captures the atmosphere these commercials were trying to create. 

The original vocalist performing the memorable scat singing was reportedly Silas Mosley, an acquaintance of Kobayashi’s. Mosley was also a theology professor at Sophia University and a gospel singer, still looking for photos of the guy but his work can be found in anthology album called "The History of Jazz, The Birth of the Blues" by Jinichi Uekusa (植草甚一).

Over time, “Yoru ga Kuru” became an iconic piece of Japanese popular culture. Suntory has continued using the melody for decades, and it remains closely associated with the brand. There is also a version featuring actual lyrics, sung by Kobayashi himself. That rendition is quite good, but there is something especially grounded and inviting about the original, wordless jingle.

Maybe it’s the simplicity of it. The gentle guitar, the relaxed scatting, and the dimly lit atmosphere make it feel less like an advertisement and more like the beginning of a good evening.

Creating a genuinely memorable commercial jingle is difficult, but Suntory struck gold with this one. Even after all these years, the moment that melody begins, you immediately understand the mood: the day is over, the night has arrived, and it’s time to pour a drink.

Hopefully, one day, I’ll get to sit at a quiet bar in Japan, order a glass of Suntory Old, and hear some old man on guitar singing “Ba di dum dum dum Shoobie da dum” somewhere in the background.

Now that would be a dream come true.

Miyoko Tashiro -- Blue Night in Sapporo（ブルー・ナイト・イン札幌）

From Nryate at Wikimedia Commons

 

I only had that one two-night stay in Sapporo way back when and that was back in the late spring. If I have a chance to visit the city again, I wouldn't mind doing so during the winter. Even better, I'd like to check out the Snow Festival with its huge ice statues. However, I have to point out that the above photo is of the main entertainment quarter there, Susukino. I did walk along its main street when I visited.

Susukino in the dead of winter is what I think of when I listen to "Blue Night in Sapporo" by Miyoko Tashiro（田代美代子）from 1969. Written and composed by Domei Suzuki（鈴木道明）, it's very much a love-done-me-wrong Mood Kayo thanks to Tashiro's mournful vocals, the just-as-melancholy backing chorus, the sad and shuffling rhythm and of course, the title itself (and don't forget the crying sax). It's probably not the greatest feeling plodding through sub-zero cold after a romantic breakup.

Crazily enough, I discovered that Shinichiro Hakozaki（箱崎晋一朗）would sing this very song a decade later in 1979!

The Puppies -- Suki na Hito（好きな人）

 

Hey, KKP fans! How about taking a look at these puppies? OK...maybe slightly inappropriate but honestly speaking, the good folks at The Pet Collective have amassed this footage of the cutest puppies on Earth. Please enjoy the little ones as I use them as a segue to this song.

Commenter YMOfan04 showed me a number of these videos highlighting Japanese acts from the 1960s that I had never heard about. It made me realize how big the musical pyramids were when it came to the numbers of aidoru or Group Sounds or regular pop singers went in and out the revolving door of the music industry with 90% of them probably staying unknown or barely known while perhaps the top 1% at the peak became the iconic superstars.

One of these acts were called, strangely enough, The Puppies（ザ・パピーズ）. They don't have a J-Wiki entry so I had to do a bit of digging, and at one site, I found out that the duo was a sister act consisting of Nana（吉川ナナ）and Mimi Yoshikawa（吉川ミミ）. Maybe the powers-that-be were going for a similar Peanuts（ザ・ピーナッツ）vibe. Information is still hard to come by but at another site run by Chinpei, I also discovered that in 1968, The Puppies were latched onto a Group Sounds quartet called The Moondogs（ザ・ムーンドッグス）to release one single titled "Ai ga Subete"（愛がすべて...Love is Everything）. Chinpei wondered whether this had been a bit of a desperation move to get their joint careers on the move.

Well, most likely it didn't take since the following year in 1969, The Puppies were back on their own when they released what has been called their second debut single "Aishite Horo Horo"（愛してほろほろ...So In Love）. But I'm focusing today on the B-side of this single "Suki na Hito" (The Man I Love). It is a sweet kayo kyoku ballad with the popular harmonica, jangling guitar and backing orchestra supporting the lovely voices of the Yoshikawa sisters. One notable thing is that this rather short song was created by some big wigs: lyricist Yu Aku（阿久悠）and composer Takashi Miki（三木たかし）. However, Chinpei notes that soon after this release, The Puppies faded from view.

Andre Candre (Yosui Inoue) -- Candre Mandre（カンドレ・マンドレ）

 

After posting the cover of "Kazarijanainoyo Namida wa" (飾りじゃないのよ涙は）a few days ago for Urban Contemporary Friday and knowing the distinctly dashing figure that songwriter Yosui Inoue（井上陽水）has had all these decades with those dark sunglasses, his crumply-soft voice and the easy enigmatic grin, I kinda wondered what he was like back in his early days. Yes, I was interested in his origins. 

Incidentally, Yosui Inoue is technically a stage name for the singer-songwriter born in Fukuoka Prefecture. Although the kanji for his name has never changed, he was born under the different reading (for his given name) Asami Inoue. However, when Inoue first made his debut, he went with the name Andre Candre（アンドレ・カンドレ）for a couple of years before switching to now iconic Yosui Inoue in 1971.

Yep, in September 1969, Andre Candre released his first single "Candre Mandre" under the CBS/Sony label. I don't know how he came up with either that first stage name or that debut single title, but he burst out of the gates running with this one. Looking rather serious on the single cover through two faces, one of those faces has him sans glasses which should be a rare look for the man. However, despite the night photo and those faces, "Candre Mandre" is an upbeat and fairly fast-paced folk tune about a couple heading for that land of love. Andre would release two more singles until he decided to make that fateful name change and make a re-debut.

Mariko An -- Kanashimi wa Kakeashi de Yatte Kuru（悲しみは駆け足でやってくる）

 

At first, I'd assumed that this would be Mariko An's（アン真理子）first appearance on "Kayo Kyoku Plus", but that would have been wrong. The former chorus singer and dancer has been up here and not too long ago. In fact, back in 2022, I posted an article for the duo Yuki to Hide's（ユキとヒデ...Yuki & Hide）"Shiroi Nami"（白い波）from 1967, and as it turned out, I was reminded that Yuki had been Mariko...before she became Mariko; her real name is Yuki Sato（佐藤ユキ）.

Yuki to Hide would release a couple of singles including "Shiroi Nami" (Sato would release a couple of her own solo singles while the duo was still together) and then break up in 1968. Taking on the new stage name of Mariko An, she made a new debut with the July 1969 single "Kanashimi wa Kakeashi de Yatte Kuru" (Grief Comes Running). Written by An herself with Katsuhiko Nakagawa（中川克彦）taking care of the melody, it's a melancholy kayo kyoku although through An's lyrics, it seems as if she's really trying hard to balance the worlds of light and dark especially as they affect the youth of the nation when it comes the vagaries of love. An released seven more singles up to the mid-1970s and one original album in 1970. She also continued to work as a lyricist under her real name of Yuki Sato although the kanji was a variant version（佐藤由紀）.

Some "White" Songs for White Day

Amazon.jp

 

Ah...yes. Shiroi Koibito（白い恋人...White Lovers）...commenter Brian Mitchell (who lives in Aomori Prefecture) and a lot of Japanese travelers ought to know the above wafer cookie very well. I even bought some of them myself as souvenirs. It's one of the more famous ones from the Tohoku area and it goes well with coffee or tea.

Now, I realize that it's Urban Contemporary Friday but when I was watching Jme earlier tonight, I was quickly reminded that March 14th is indeed White Day, the day when the guys give their own version of Valentine's Day chocolates to the gals at school or in the office. So it's a bit of a rush job and after looking out for the appropriate songs on this list, I just didn't want to throw all that out and wait until tomorrow, so the fifth slot today will be for songs that have the word "white" or "shiroi" in their titles.

(1969) Betsy & Chris -- Shiroi Iro wa Koibito no Iro （白い色は恋人の色）

(1969) Billy BanBan -- Shiroi Buranko（白いブランコ）

(1978) Mayumi Shibata -- Shiroi Page no Naka ni （白いページの中に）

(1986) Miho Nakayama -- Iro-White Blend （色・ホワイトブレンド）

(1996) Saruganseki -- Shiroi no Kumo no You ni （白い雲のように）

The Tigers/Toi et Moi -- Kaze wa Shiranai（風は知らない）

 

It is once again Hump Day this week so perhaps the stress levels and blue feelings are at their peak. Well, I can't prescribe anything professionally, but at least, I can provide some soothing music. This time, I'm plucking something from the Group Sounds era of the late 1960s in Japan...specifically, this B-side from a March 1969 single by The Tigers（ザ・タイガース）titled "Kaze wa Shiranai" (The Wind Doesn't Know). Written by Tokiko Iwatani（岩谷時子）and composed by Kunihiko Murai（村井邦彦）, it was the flip side of The Tigers' 9th single "Utsukushiki Ai no Okite"（美しき愛の掟...A Decree of Love）.

There are some lovely harmonies between Kenji Sawada（沢田研二）and his colleagues and some peaceful arrangements as a lot of natural images come through Iwatani's lyrics such as wind, rainbows and the great big sky. I guess that would be par for the course for a pop song from the late 1960s. However, the impression that I got from the song was that one shouldn't rely on those symbols of nature for wisdom; ultimately, one has to rely on his/her own soul for guidance.

Some months later in December 1969, the folk duo Toi et Moi（トワ・エ・モワ）recorded a cover of "Kaze wa Shiranai" for their first album of cover songs, "Anata to Watashi to Toi et Moi"（あなたと私とトワ・エ・モワ）. The English translation of "You and Me and You and Me" sounds obviously redundant which may explain the official English title of "A Wonderful World of Toi et Moi". Anyways, their cover version is also lovely and it sounds a little more upbeat. 

The Brady Bunch -- The Brady Bunch

 

Today is Family Day and much of Canada is celebrating this regional holiday (under different names depending on the province), although since it's not a federal holiday, we should still be getting our mail. We did have our family get-together last night with some fine platters of sushi.

No matter the level of holiday though, it still means that it's time for a special Reminiscings of Youth article, and under the theme of Family Day, I thought it would be appropriate to bring in one of my fondly-remembered TV theme songs. "The Brady Bunch" was one of the many sitcoms that peppered my childhood through its first run and then reruns. If I recall, it was on Friday nights on ABC for the first half of the 1970s and from what I saw on the Wikipedia page for it, it was never a ratings winner despite its longevity but then Friday nights were usually seen as the death slot of TV shows.

"The Brady Bunch" was the quintessential family half-hour sitcom back in the day. There was nothing controversial about it...just each of the kids having their easily solvable problems and then getting help from the parents, Mike and Carol, and perhaps even their maid Alice. There were some plot lines that I remember from the series which lasted from 1969 to 1974 such as the gang heading to Hawaii and the Grand Canyon, the truth about Jesse James, the kids cutting their own hit songs, and the one depicted above where little Bobby gets his first kiss from a schoolmate portrayed by Melissa Sue Anderson who would become even more famous as one of the Ingalls' daughters on "Little House on the Prairie". In addition, the kids literally grew up right in front of our eyes and even Mike and Carol eventually got groovier with the times in their fashion and hairstyles.

Of course, there is the famous opening credits sequence with the nine squares showing off the parents, kids and Alice with the sweetly sung theme song which delivered how this blended family got together in the first place. However, my memories of "The Brady Bunch" began from the second season when the actors portraying the children sang the theme for the rest of the series. For some reason, reruns of the first season wouldn't start playing on TV here in Toronto until several years later, and it was pretty amazing seeing how young and 60s everyone looked back then. The first season's rendition of the theme was recorded by a sunshine pop band known as the Peppermint Trolley Company with series producer Sherwood Schwarz and prolific composer Frank DeVol (probably one of the great inspirers for Shibuya-kei to be born) creating the song. No matter who sang the theme, it still remains very hummable; I was doing some of that myself while typing this.

After "The Brady Bunch" got cancelled in the spring of 1974, the show was a regular rerun on many a channel, and it seems as if there were folks who wanted to bring it back in some shape or other. I remember "The Brady Bunch Variety Hour" and the animated series starring the kids. And a decade later, there was even "The Brady Brides" and eventually a film franchise taking a parodic approach. There was even "The Bradys",  a dramedy sequel that lasted all of a month in 1990; I hadn't even heard of that one since I was in Japan that year.

"The Brady Bunch" did get aired in Japan on Fuji-TV between 1970 and 1971 under the title "Yukai na Brady-ke"（ゆかいなブレディー家）which translates into "The Happy Bradys", and yes, they certainly were. I couldn't find any footage of the Fuji-TV version; the only thing I could find was this Japanese-subbed commercial that aired during the Super Bowl of 2015. Yup, it was epic. And good heavens...there was that episode about Marcia getting her nose broken by a football!

So, with the show premiering on September 26th 1969, what was at the top of the Oricon list at around that time? Here are the Top 3 from September 29th.

1. Mina Aoe -- Ikebukuro no Yoru （池袋の夜）

2. Naomi Sagara -- Ii Janai no Shiawase Naraba（いいじゃないの幸せならば）

3. Mieko Hirota -- Ningyo no Ie （人形の家）

Harumi Miyako -- Harumi no Sandogasa（はるみの三度笠）

By Miguel Discart via Wikimedia Commons

Ah, yes...the sandogasa. According to Jisho.org, it's described as a "type of traditional Japanese conical hat", although I can't really see anything conical about the hat itself. However, I have seen this on many a Japanese pate in historical TV shows and movies, and it can be quite the introductory device as a lordless ronin of justice travels the byways of Japan with the sandogasa covering his eyes until it's time ​to reveal the whole face...and usually a whole ton of sword-flashing kickass.

NHK's "Shin BS Nihon no Uta"（新BS日本の歌...Songs of Japanese Spirit） was back on for the first time since the Holidays and I got to see someone sing a Harumi Miyako（都はるみ）song that I hadn't heard before (or at least for a very long time). Apparently, lyricist and composer Shosuke Ichikawa（市川昭介）, one of Miyako's main songwriters in her first decade as a singer, was tickled pink about seeing the young enka chanteuse in a sandogasa that he just went and whipped up her 39th single "Harumi no Sandogasa" (Harumi's Sandogasa) for April 1969. 

The whole lyrical premise is that young Harumi wants to go around everywhere wearing that sandogasa so that she's not recognized, although I have to say that even in the latter half of the 20th century, I think she would have still stuck out like a sore thumb wearing that archaic hat. Perhaps if she kept her person in the Asakusa district, she would have a chance...

Well, then again, if she had been able to head back in time to the Edo era via TARDIS and completely submerge herself into a warrior's role, she may just get away with it...of course, while wearing the titular hat. Back in 1969, she got plenty of fame though by scoring a No. 25 ranking for "Harumi no Sandogasa" and even getting her 5th appearance on the Kohaku Utagassen to sing the song at the end of the year. Of course, her high but steely and growly vocals were one of the highlights.

Noriyuki Asakura & GANG/The Kingtones -- The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Good Free Photos

Have you heard that old-fashioned standard, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"? Well, I only found out today that it had evolved from a song known as "Mbube" which was first released in 1939 by South African musician Solomon Linda and an acapella group known as The Evening Birds. I also read that Linda never got his due accolades or remuneration for his creation according to the Wikipedia article for the song. I think his descendants are still fighting on that one.

As the decades passed by, the song got transformed into pieces covered by various artists such as the American doo-wop group The Tokens with their 1961 "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". The song was also titled "Wimoweh" in other versions. I first heard it many years ago and I think The Tokens' version is the one that is most cited among the covers.

I also remember one cover that was done by a fairly obscure UK pop group called Tight Fit back in 1982. The music video showed up on an episode of the local music show "The New Music" here in Toronto. 

Recently, I read that the song had a pretty important role in the both of the "Ace Ventura" movies starring Jim Carrey. Although I enjoyed him in "The Mask" and "Liar, Liar", maybe he just got a little too "carrey-ed" away in those for my liking (I will see myself out for the rest of the paragraph, thank you😁).

Anyways, the Japanese music industry was also aware of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" since I managed to find out that there were at least two recordings of the song. One was by musician and singer-songwriter Noriyuki Asakura（朝倉紀行）with his group GANG, also in 1982. Asakura has provided a lot of songs to aidoru and other singers since he basically switched over to composing and arrangement but back in those early days, he came up with his own very frantic version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" under the ironic title "Lion wa Okiteiru"（ライオンは起きている...The Lion is Awake）, although the original English title is also clearly labeled at the top of the single cover. As would befit the times, Asakura's version feels New Wave but somewhere in the middle, things slow down significantly for a bluesy turn.

The GANG cover was used as the theme song for the dramedy "Keiji Yoroshiku"（刑事ヨロシク...Detective At-Your-Service） starring comedian and future movie auteur Beat Takeshi（ビートたけし）. And yep, those opening credits for the show may have inspired the man. By the way, the translations into Japanese were done by Arisu Sato（佐藤ありす）.

Japanese doo-wop vocal group The Kingtones（ザ・キング・トーンズ）had given their own cover of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" back in 1969 in one of their albums.

Billy BanBan -- Shiroi Buranko（白いブランコ）

Wikimedia Commons

 

Since I was a child, my family had often used the Japanese term "buranko" for a swing. But considering that it was written in katakana and it sounded like something non-Japanese such as "bronco", I wondered about its origins. Apparently, one theory states that "buranko" originated from the Portuguese word for "swing", "balanço", which sounds pretty solid to me. 

Anyways, I heard "Shiroi Buranko" (White Swing) for the first time on "Shin BS Nihon no Uta"（新BS日本の歌）the other day. Interested, I then turned to YouTube for the original version by the folk brother duo Billy BanBan（ビリーバンバン）. It turned out to be the veteran group's debut single from January 1969 and there's nothing like a lone piercing trumpet to bring back the kayo nostalgia, and this is what "Shiroi Buranko" is all about: reminiscing about past times including enjoying a swing on the swing.

Written by Nahomi Kodaira（小平なほみ）and composed by one of the brothers from Billy BanBan, Susumu Sugawara（菅原進）, as his very first composition, the languid rhythm and the brothers' singing make it really easy to sigh wistfully and remember the past. According to the J-Wiki writeup on "Shiroi Buranko", the song was created in 1966 and inspired by Susumu when he was sitting on a swing at singer-songwriter Kuranosuke Hamaguchi's（浜口庫之助）house in Daikanyama, Tokyo while he was a student at Hamaguchi's music college. 

Once the song was released, it eventually sold 150,000 records and became a hit. It would also spark the boom in sibling-based folk duos for a while.

Mina Aoe -- Anata ni Naita（あなたに泣いた）

 

Well, it is a Monday so I gather that a lot of folks out there are brooding about going into another work week. Then again, this is a holiday week for most of North America with my country celebrating Canada Day tomorrow and then the United States partying up the 4th of July in a few days. 

Anyways, the setting in this song has none of that. In fact, I'd say that there is a lot of moroseness in a Japanese bar somewhere when it comes to husky-voiced Mina Aoe's（青江三奈）14th single "Anata ni Naita" (I Cried for You). Released in March 1969, once again it's one of those songs that I can't really distinguish between an enka and Mood Kayo. I've always known Aoe as a Mood Kayo expert and the subject matter of heartbreak and loneliness is perfect for a song of that genre but at the same time, the rhythm of that melody also sounds quite traditionally enka. In any case, the songwriters here are lyricist Teruko Takiguichi（滝口暉子）and composer Toshio Miyagawa（宮川としを）.

Kazuhiko Kato -- Boku no Omochabako（僕のおもちゃ箱）

 

As kids, my brother and I had a huge toy box but unlike the one above (BleuPaon Bakeshop, Japan) shown by Yoshihito Miki via Wikimedia Commons, our box was merely a very large cardboard box which had everything stuffed into it. Indeed, it was a very humble container that gradually crumbled over time but it did hold what was very dear to us.

Coincidentally enough, it was around this time that singer-songwriter Kazuhiko Kato（加藤和彦）came out with his debut single as a solo artist after years with the famed folk group The Folk Crusaders（ザ・フォーク・クルセダーズ）. "Boku no Omochabako" (My Toy Box) was released in April 1969 and it came out when Kato was a little uncertain about where his career was going after the breakup of his old band, according to the article for the song itself.

Written by his now-former bandmate Osamu Kitayama（北山修）and composed by Kato, the singer had wanted to try something other than folk when making his first solo song. As it is, "Boku no Omochabako" sounds just like the type of languid pop ballad that had been made in America back in those days. There is the gently strumming acoustic guitar, a harmonica and those warm honey-toned horns while Kato delivers his song in a somewhat quivery way which actually works well for it. Lyrically, he is inviting a beloved one to join him on a journey to a happier place while gifting his toy box to her, something filled with tears but hopefully some happy memories, too. The feeling is that the protagonist and his loved one could be of any age.

Kato cited Jimmy Webb and Glen Campbell (another name from my past) as influences for "Boku no Omochabako". The song didn't hit too high...only No. 70 on Oricon but it was the beginning of a successful songwriting career.

Harumi Miyako -- Horechattan da yo（惚れちゃったんだヨ）

 

Over the past several weeks, I've been watching the latest NHK morning serial drama "Anpan"（あんぱん） starring Mio Imada（今田美桜）. As with many an NHK asadora, "Anpan" starts off in the early Showa era as Imada portrays a countryside girl, Nobu, who eventually marries a quiet and kindhearted guy, Takashi. A fictionalized account of the famous manga author Takashi Yanase（やなせたかし）who creates the popular Japanese hero "Anpanman"（アンパンマン）, the drama thus far seems to focus on both Nobu and Takashi and it looks like from what I saw of the sneak preview for next week, "Anpan" is ready to head into the tumultuous war years. 

As for Nobu, she is also kind, headstrong and optimistic...and is more than willing to punch anyone into the next century on a wave of rage if she sees something that simply isn't right. 

If Nobu had been even more of a tomboy, I would have thought this 40th single by veteran enka singer Harumi Miyako（都はるみ）would have been perfect. "Horechattan da yo" (I've Gosh Darn Fallen in Love) was released in July 1969. Usually my impression of Japanese love songs is that a female singer vocalizes the songwriter's words into something very light and airy. Not this song. When I first heard "Horechattan da yo", my butt flew off the chair by a couple of centimetres when Miyako's bullhorn declaration cleared my ears. This truly felt like words from a farm girl who doesn't mind getting her hands and feet dirty for the family trade but finally experiences those first pangs of love for a guy in her school. Maybe there will be a Cinderella angle here. Osamu Yoshioka（吉岡治）was the lyricist here while Shosuke Ichikawa（市川昭介）took care of the melody and arrangement which are suitably sweet, languid and enka to fit the rural environment.

Sing Out/Young 101 -- Namida wo Koete（涙をこえて）

 

I heard this song on an episode of "Uta Con"（うたコン）, I believe, several weeks ago. When I did, I figured that this must have come from the 1960s or early 1970s since it involved pretty much every guest to sing in a Sunshine Pop style.

Indeed, the song was "Namida wo Koete" (Rising Above the Tears) and it was originally sung by the choral band Sing Out（シング・アウト）. Almost a couple of years ago, I wrote about a similar group called Young 101 which basically acted as the in-house singers for the NHK music show "Stage 101"（ステージ101）. Well, apparently, Sing Out was the 12-person predecessor for Young 101 which had their time between 1969 and 1971. As was the case with Young 101, certain members of Sing Out would go their own very successful solo ways such as singer Seri Ishikawa（石川セリ）, songwriter and producer Yasunori Soryo（惣領泰則）and composer Yasuo Higuchi（樋口康雄）.

"Namida wo Koete" was the first of three singles released by Sing Out in November 1969. Written by Koji Kaze（かぜ耕士）and composed by Hachidai Nakamura（中村八大）, it's a very lively, upbeat and inspiring song that had me thinking The New Christy Minstrels, an American group that used to get onto AM radio a whole lot back when I was a moppet.

As for the song, it peaked at No. 53 on Oricon. Not surprisingly, Young 101 would provide their own cover of "Namida wo Koete" on their April 1971 album "Stage 101".

Keiko Mari and Toshiaki Yokota & Rio Alma -- Hadashi no Mama de（裸足のままで）

 

As I have mentioned a few times over the course of this blog, my first time in Japan was in 1972 as a wee lad, and as such a young kid, I don't remember much about that initial foray into the country of my ancestry aside from playing about on my grandfather's farm during the summer. In retrospect though, it was a rather quiet time there although I know that I drove my relatives up the wall with my antics which included an emerging arachnophobia that lasted several years.

Most of the time was spent in the southern end of Wakayama Prefecture, but I know that we spent some days as well in Osaka where another group of relatives resided and so I got to see some of the big city in the early 1970s which included seeing plastic food on display outside of restaurants, telephones of all sizes and colours, and vast underground shopping malls. Considering how hot Japan could get even back then, those malls were a godsend. Maybe then, the early 1970s weren't all that much different from the late 1960s when the nation was plowing away and growing economically. Perhaps seeing videos like the one above can bring wistful memories of a somewhat more innocent age although I'm sure that the cities were more polluted back then and the leisure boom was still years away for most citizens.

Still, when I listen to "Hadashi no Mama de" (Going Barefoot) which was a June 1969 release by a collaboration between actress/singer Keiko Mari（麻里圭子）and the group Toshiaki Yokota & Rio Alma（横田年昭とリオ・アルマ）, I can't help feel a certain sighworthy nostalgia for a long-past time. It's all about the gentle summer stroll sans shoes on one of the countless beaches along the Japanese seashore. 

It was the dream team of lyricist Jun Hashimoto（橋本淳）and composer Kyohei Tsutsumi（筒美京平）behind "Hadashi no Mama de" which also has a certain bossa nova lilt. There is pretty much nothing in terms of information on Yokota & Rio Alma as far as I could find, so I don't know whether they were a Group Sounds band or a vocal group (will gladly accept any data that commenters can give me). However as for Mari, she was raised in Tokyo and started life in entertainment as an extra in film scenes. She made her debut as a recording artist in the genre of enka in 1967 but some advice from TV personality Kyosen Ohashi（大橋巨泉）got her to veer into kayo kyoku instead. Up to the end of 1972, Mari released around fifteen singles and three albums.

Hachiro Kasuga -- Ai no Nokoribi (愛の残り火)

"Do you still like Kasuga as much as before?"

 "Yeah." ( ；∀；)

From Shinobu

At the end of my thesis defense, I was asked if I still liked Hachiro Kasuga (春日八郎) as much as I did before I embarked on my research journey. It would be natural if I ended up getting sick of him after toiling away on the biggest project I've done thus far with him as my focal point for 2 years. There were times when it felt tedious. I'd often joke that studying my favourite singer meant that there was not a time when I could take a break from him: In work mode, I would be analysing his songs; in rest mode, I would be listening to his songs. But I also felt that because it was Hachi, I was able to continue toiling away at my work. So, as you saw in the introduction, I gave an affirmative to my professor's query.

I came across "Ai no Nokoribi" (Embers of Love) at a Kasuga Enka Denshokai session, sung by one of the members, not long before that examination. Its melody caught my attention immediately and I knew I had to look it up once I got home. I soon found out that even though "Ai no Nokoribi" was recorded in March 1969, it only left the King Records storage almost 30 years later on 24th April 1998 via the album Kasuga Hachiro Zoku Hizo Mihappyo Meikyoku Shu (春日八郎 続・秘蔵未発表名曲集... Precious Unreleased Masterpiece Compilation Part II), a compilation of his unreleased works.

That said, its melody was just as I had remembered from the club: A mellow pop sound with a hint of Mood Kayo that creates a warm, cozy atmosphere reminiscent of a nice spring afternoon. Making this tune was Kenji Yoshidaya (吉田矢健治), the man often cited as the origin of the Kasuga Bushi (春日節... Kasuga's signature type of song). The Yoshidaya-made Kasuga Bushi is generally identifiable by its plaintive mood, i.e. opposite to "Ai no Nokoribi". Yoshidaya was responsible for a large chunk of Hachi's discography and made stuff based on trending music styles, so my initial surprise upon seeing his name attached to this tune quickly dissipated.   

And then Hachi's delivery. "Ai no Nokoribi" has the singer tackling the lower range of his vocals, contrary to the clear high tone he was most known for. It was different to hear Hachi sing in such a low register for at least 50% of a song and not hear his high tone, but I think kinda works for this song. From my understanding, Haruki Tango's (丹古晴巳) words tell of a man who is taken aback after discovering that the woman he broke up with is still in love with him. Her dedication seems to stoke the embers of love in his heart, long dormant after all the time that had passed. The protagonist's feelings of disbelief and regret are conveyed in Hachi's soft vocals, and one can feel a faint desire to start anew, particularly when the singer's voice swells then peters out with the strings at the chorus. It’s a song that doesn’t express a particularly extreme emotion and the character is more introspective, yet Hachi’s lower voice still managed to aptly convey what our main character must be feeling.

After the defense, I reflected on my answers to the panel, including that for the last question. In hindsight, I actually don't like Kasuga as I once did 2 years ago. No, after all that, I'd say that I've come to like him even more than I used to. While my research made me doubt and push away his enka-ness, meeting some of his biggest fans during this process allowed me to accept this crucial element of "Hachiro Kasuga". I gained a greater appreciation for the artist who shaped both kayokyoku and enka, and I was finally able to enjoy Hachi as a whole once again.

Yukari Ito -- Ai Suru Ashita（愛するあした）/Aki no Jasmine Tea（秋のジャスミン・ティー）

 

My friend and fellow contributor to KKP, Marcos V., and his own buddy were kind enough to allow me to use some of his photographs after visiting Rio in their native Brazil some days ago, so many thanks to them both. Regrettably, I've yet to travel anyplace south of the Equator but maybe someday, I'll be able to see places like Brazil or Australia or Singapore.

Although I haven't been to Brazil yet, I've been well acquainted with their samba and bossa nova for literally decades, and it seems as if folks in the Japanese music industry have also been very admiring of the genres for that long as well. In fact, I see that Yukari Ito（伊東ゆかり）provided some of her own songs infused with those particular two. I came across these jewels not too long ago and I couldn't decide which one to go with first, so I've opted to cover both of them together.

The first one is "Ai Suru Ashita" (Loving Tomorrow). A B-side to her 42nd single, the June 1969 "Aishite, Aishite"（愛して愛して...Love Me, Love Me）, "Ai Suru Ashita" was apparently used as the theme song for a movie of the same name, and it certainly sounds quite majestically bossa nova. Written by Kazumi Yasui（安井かずみ）and composed by Osamu Shouji（東海林修）, the orchestra gives the song a sweepingly romantic heft and there's no doubt what the movie is about from the title and the arrangement of this song. In its own way, I kinda feel like it's the Japanese take on "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing".

The second song was recorded by Ito many years later in September 1984 for her album "Fado"（ふぁど）. "Aki no Jasmine Tea" (Autumn Jasmine Tea) is a more mid-tempo bossa song with a bit more of a City Pop feeling and fueled by the sweet and husky tones of the singer. Keisuke Yamakawa（山川啓介）was the lyricist while Etsuko Yamakawa（山川恵津子）took care of the brisk melody. Enjoy the drink.☕