Credits

I would like to give credit where credit is due. Videos are from YouTube and other sources such as NicoNico while Oricon rankings and other information are translated from the Japanese Wikipedia unless noted.
Showing posts with label Bal Balloon/Chewing Gum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bal Balloon/Chewing Gum. Show all posts

Sunday, May 25, 2025

Chewing Gum -- Okada-san no Tegami(岡田さんの手紙)

 

Earlier this month, I was doing my usual maintenance through the entries under the year 1980 and discovered that the YouTube video for obscure sister duo Bal Balloon's(バル・バルーン)1980 "Stardust Serenade"(スターダスト・セレナーデ)had been taken down. Quite disappointing especially since it was a pretty decent City Pop tune, although I was able to find an excerpt of it on Apple.

I also mentioned in that article that Rika Matsuda(松田りか)and Mami Matsuda(松田マミ)had once started their career in the early 1970s under the name Chewing Gum(チューインガム). They were much more into the folk music back then, and here is their 2nd single from October 1972, "Okada-san no Tegami" (Okada-san's Letter). Ahh...that oboe. Anyways, Mami was the lyricist and Rika was the composer as this bittersweet song talks of the usual tearful splitting of a friendship or romance between the titular Okada-san and the significant other as the former's family is on the verge of moving away to another town. 

The name change didn't stop with Chewing Gum going to Bal Balloon. Bal Balloon had its day between 1980 and 1982 before it then underwent another change to Lucky Lips(ラッキーリップス)and then back to Chewing Gum in 1983. But wait there's MORE! No, what I mean is that the Matsuda sisters took on the name MORE in 1985. The fans probably demanded year-by-year updates.

Friday, August 25, 2023

Bal Balloon -- Stardust Serenade(スターダスト・セレナーデ)

 

I had never heard of the sister duo Bal Balloon(バル・バルーン)before and I'm not sure how long they lasted, although I have to admit that the first time I encountered them on YouTube, I felt that the name could have belonged to a "Star Wars" character. Apparently, earlier in the 1970s, they used to be known as Chewing Gum (perhaps that name lost its flavour? OK, I deeply apologize....😁) according to their writeup on Hip Tank Records.

Bal Balloon has lyricist Rika Matsuda(松田りか)and composer Mami Matsuda(松田マミ)as they came up with "Stardust Serenade", the B-side to their 1980 single "Bahama". The melody grabbed me right from the start with that steady rhythm, the gallant guitar and the electric piano. And once again, KKP has been graced with another dusky scotch-friendly City Pop song. Good for a Friday evening.