I've been a fan of Japanese popular music for 40 years, and have managed to collect a lot of material during that time. So I decided I wanted to talk about Showa Era music with like-minded fans. My particular era is the 70s and 80s (thus the "kayo kyoku"). The plus part includes a number of songs and artists from the last 30 years and also the early kayo. So, let's talk about New Music, aidoru, City Pop and enka.
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 Chiyoko Shimakura. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chiyoko Shimakura. Show all posts
September in Japan has two statutory holidays: Keirou no Hi（敬老の日...Respect-for-the-Aged Day） on the third Monday and then Shuubun no Hi（秋分の日...First Day of Autumn）. For the former, there's the usual tradition of taking the folks out for lunch or dinner somewhere and probably there is a whole plethora of gateball tournaments across the country. Of course, being an official holiday and all, the TV schedule in Japan is all different today, so as we were watching NHK News this morning (down from the usual one hour to 30 minutes), my family was getting a little confused about whether Canada was having a holiday today (the next one for us in the Great White North is Canadian Thanksgiving next month).
Out of curiosity, I took a look for any kayo kyoku list online consisting of any songs that had an association with Keirou no Hi. There were quite a few out there and most of what I can give here has that theme of gratitude and enduring through the tough times.
"Uta Con"（うたコン）devoted some minutes of its broadcast last night to the late singer Chiyoko Shimakura（島倉千代子）who had passed away ten years ago today at the age of 75. There were some very familiar kayo kyoku sung including her 1980s hit "Jinsei Iroiro"（人生いろいろ）which I posted on the day that she left this mortal coil.
However, one Shimakura song that I hadn't included here on "Kayo Kyoku Plus" was her debut single, "Kono Yo no Hana" (A Flower of This World). Released in March 1955, it was used as the theme song for the cinematic adaptation of a Makoto Hojo（北條誠） novel of the same name, and as written by Yaso Saijo（西條八十）and composed by Tadashi Manjome（万城目正）, "Kono Yo no Hana" is a wistful and wiser if sadder observation on the sweet fragility of a first love as it fritters away like a blossom. Though I've categorized it as an enka tune, enka tunes officially didn't exist until the early 1970s with a lot of sudden retrofitting of songs into that particular genre. But back then, the song had been considered to be a kayo kyoku so I've also put in the pop Label as well.
For Shimakura, who was a month shy of her 17th birthday, her dreams came true on an overwhelming level since "Kono Yo no Hana" became a huge hit, selling two million records within six months of it being put on the shelves. It has remained her biggest hit although Shimakura wouldn't actually sing the song on the Kohaku Utagassen for the first time until her 26th appearance on the NHK New Year's Eve special in 1982.
Getting a bit late in the night but I just wanted to put up one more article since it's based on one more performance that I'd seen last night on "Uta Con"（うたコン）. Did want to make it a set to join Stardust Revue's"Sugar wa O-Toshigoro"（シュガーはお年頃）and Kiyoshi Hikawa's（氷川きよし） "Koushuuji"（甲州路）.
Enka singer Fuyumi Sakamoto（坂本冬美）appeared on the show to pay tribute to her fellow entertainer and singer Chiyoko Shimakura（島倉千代子）nine years following her passing, and the song that she sang was "Karatachi Nikki"(Japanese Bitter Orange Diary). This was a 1958 single that Shimakura had recorded with lyricist Sou Nishizawa（西沢爽）and composer Minoru Endo（遠藤実） behind the songwriting. It's a very poignant enka about learning the hard lesson about that first love and that it often ends up in that first heartbreak. Incidentally, the above version is a 1963 re-recording of the song on Shimakura's YouTube channel.
Most of the song takes on a very wistful and content pattern but for several seconds in the middle, it goes into a minor key to signify the loss of love. As well, I think the title was well chosen since as the translation of it shows, the breakup is quite bitter. Plus, from what I've read about the karatachi（枸橘）or the Japanese bitter orange on Wikipedia is that its bitterness is such that it's practically inedible although it can apparently be made into marmalade and medicine against inflammation.
Another interesting thing that I read about "Karatachi Nikki" on J-Wiki was that it broke a jinx observed in the music industry back then. Evidently, kayo containing a spoken-word segment were seen as non-sellers. Well, "Karatachi Nikki" roundly smashed that superstition by selling around 1.3 million records and if Oricon had been around in the late 1950s, the song would have hit No. 1 easily. No worries about any lack of accolades though since Shimakura was invited to sing the song on the 9th edition of the Kohaku Utagassen in 1958 and in her appearances on the 1973 and 1984 shows. In fact, Shimakura starred in an adaptation of the song into a motion picture in 1959; in 1967, there was a TV drama version as well although I'm not sure whether Shimakura was in that one.
One year ago today, the World Health Organization declared the pandemic that has still been affecting our lives but perhaps there is a fair bit of hope peeking through today with a variety of vaccines that didn't even exist in early 2020 gradually being put into arms. As I remember it, it was a tense time going into spring with me having to wake up early to avoid lineups for the supermarket while shelves were often devoid of bread, toilet paper, sanitizers and tissues.
Ten years ago today, the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami struck the Pacific coast of Japan devastating towns and cities in the northern part of the nation while shaking and scaring folks like myself and millions of other residents in the Tokyo area. Although I've heard that there are may be as many as tens of thousands still displaced in Miyagi Prefecture and other vicinities, the past decade has seen recovery coming back to the Tohoku.
I was wondering what to do on March 11th for "Kayo Kyoku Plus". I didn't want to come across as overly pompous about the anniversary but neither did I want to ignore the fact that there was this major national disaster back in 2011. Therefore, I decided to search for some kayo that commemorated and celebrated the Tohoku area in some way. There was one folk song that I'd been looking at, but I then thought that the lyrics were a tad too ironic for today's article, so I will cover that one a little later on since I still think that it can have a place on the blog.
However earlier today, I did find this song that possesses a history and was created by two famous kayo writers, lyricist Yaso Saijo（西條八十）and composer Yuuji Koseki（古関裕而）titled "Miss Sendai". Originally recorded by 21-year-old Akiko Futaba（二葉あき子）for release locally in July 1936 and then nationally later that August, "Miss Sendai" provides a glimpse of the emotions and the scenery of the city of Sendai, the capital of Miyagi Prefecture, through the four seasons.
It is indeed a jaunty kayo, and the song was categorized as a shin-minyo（新民謡...new minyo）according to the J-Wiki article on "Miss Sendai". From what I know of minyo as traditional Japanese music for events such as festivals, I was rather curious about what shin-minyo was all about, and I discovered via the genre's own J-Wiki page that such songs were often requested to be made by local governments and businesses to tout their regions in the names of local patriotism and tourism to the entirety of Japan. So, basically speaking, the song was a three-minute campaign for a particular geographical area done to music.
"Miss Sendai" became a hit for Futaba in Sendai and the rest of the prefecture but then less than half a year later, her "Otome Juu-kyuu"（乙女十九...Young Girl at 19）was released in January 1937, and it was basically a slightly sped-up version of "Miss Sendai" with new lyrics by Saijo. This then became Futaba's first major nationwide hit.
Nippon Columbia was the record company behind "Miss Sendai" and it would also be responsible for a second release of the kayo by a different artist several years later. The company apparently did like their imaginative promotion strategies and so in the late 1930s, they came up with the idea of a Miss Columbia to sing songs, and they had Misao Matsubara（松原操）take on the new name.
Some years after World War II, Nippon Columbia for a similar campaign beginning in the early 1950s with a female singer who would go by the moniker, Columbia Rose...a bit of a cheeky take on the notorious Tokyo Rose. The first Columbia Rose was a native of Gunma Prefecture, Matsue Matsumoto（松本マツ江）, and she released numerous singles and made five appearances on NHK's Kohaku Utagassen throughout the decade up to the early 1960s. But then, once Matsumoto left the name, a second Columbia Rose was selected in the form of Noriko Mune（宗紀子）from Tokyo.
Columbia Rose II also released her singles which included a cover version of "Miss Sendai" in 1962. Her version also has that natsumero feeling to it but I think her vocals are also slightly more relaxed. Mune did have her sole appearance on the Kohaku in 1964, and in 1975, she moved to Los Angeles for a time. However, she became good friends with Matsumoto and even appeared frequently on stage together. Mune passed away last year in August at the age of 78 in Kanagawa Prefecture.
For the record, a third Columbia Rose, Mina Nomura（野村美菜）, made her debut in 2004.
Not sure if it's this particular recording but Chiyoko Shimakura's（島倉千代子）version of "Miss Sendai" sounds quite a bit older than its July 1974 release. The tempo is even more languid than the one for the Futaba original and J-Wiki states that Shimakura utilized some of the enka kobushi technique in her delivery of the lyrics. Since this version was the first version that I'd heard, I did wonder whether this would be considered to be an enka tune.
Last night was the return of NHK's "Uta Con"（うたコン）after its summer hiatus, and it was once again the mix of the old and the new. At the beginning, I got to hear enka singers Yukino Ichikawa（市川由紀乃）and Konomi Mori（杜このみ）sing a Chiyoko Shimakura（島倉千代子）kayo that I hadn't heard before.
"Rindou Touge" (Woodland Path Ridge) was Shimakura's 2nd single from September 1955 and this was recorded when the Tokyo-born singer was only 17 years old. Along with Hibari Misora's（美空ひばり）"Ringo Oiwake"（リンゴ追分）which had been released a few years earlier, I realized that the kayo of the time wasn't all about heading to Tokyo or crying over one's sake. There were sentimental ballads that related the quiet life back in the countryside.
Written by Yaso Saijo（西條八十）and composed by Masao Koga（古賀政男）, "Rindou Touge" may talk about the contented environment but there are also words about the beloved elder sister who has since gone off to another town over that ridge with her new husband, so perhaps that is a wistful statement on how life evolves over time. However, the gentle tempo of the song reminds listeners that that life isn't in that much of a hurry.
Shimakura's 2nd single was another huge hit since it sold well over a million copies, but that apparently still paled somewhat against her debut single"Kono Yo no Hana"（この世の花...The Flowers of This World） from a few months earlier which sold around 2 million records. A very impressive one-two punch! Shimakura only sang "Rindou Touge" just once on the Kohaku Utagassen and that was in 1978 during her 22nd appearance on the New Year's Eve special.
Last Tuesday on "Uta Kon"（うたコン）, there was a tribute to the late kayo composer Masao Koga（古賀政男）through one of his classic creations, "Niizuma Kagami"(The Bride's Mirror) which was the theme song for a melodramatic motion picture of the same name released in 1940.
Initially from the title, I had assumed that the song would relate the sufferings of a newly-married woman due to the long absences of her husband and an imperious mother-in-law. However, looking at the lyrics by Sonosuke Sato（佐藤惣之助）, they themselves tell of the strong love between husband and wife, although the movie itself as seen above in the karaoke video has the main character indeed suffering when she is blinded by what seems to be a stray bullet.
"Niizuma Kagami" was a duet originally performed by Akiko Futaba（二葉あき子）and Noboru Kirishima（霧島昇）. According to her Wikipedia profile, the Hiroshima-born Futaba was once one of the most popular female singers in Japan and participated in the first 10 years of the Kohaku Utagassen making the transition from radio into television. Along with the duet performed on last Tuesday's show, I've also enjoyed this original version as an enka/kayo waltz which has that mix of melancholy and devotion.
Futaba debuted in 1936 and retired in 2003 at the age of around 88. She passed away in 2011 when she was 96.
Chiyoko Shimakura（島倉千代子）performed a cover version of "Niizuma Kagami" at the 1965 Kohaku Utagassen, although I'm not sure whether her recorded take came out in the same year. From listening to it a couple of times, her "Niizuma Kagami" seems to have that more traditional enka flair. I could imagine cherry blossom petals frittering away in the wind, for example. Interestingly enough, Futaba herself never performed the song herself on the NHK New Year's Eve special in her decade's worth of appearances.
Y'know...I look at that performance of the Kohaku in the year of my birth and I wonder what it must have been like to view the show back in those relatively early days.
No "Uta Con"（うたコン）last night so I kinda need my dollop of enka right now. There's been quite a lot of articles going up on the relatively modern music recently so I want to swing the pendulum to the old days.
So, heck, let's go back to the 1940s and revisit the duo of Noboru Kirishima（霧島昇）& Misao Matsubara（松原操）, aka Miss Columbia（ミス・コロムビア）. Husband and wife got together again after their 1939 "Ippai no Coffee kara"（一杯のコーヒーから）to sing "Mennai Chidori" (Blind Plover) in 1940.
Masao Koga（古賀政男）composed the very cheerful song about what I believe is a newlywed bride learning the hard ropes of being a wife with Hachiro Sato（サトウハチロー）providing the lyrics. In fact, I think the song is so cheerful that I can envision a Japanese Snow White happily trilling these words away while Prince Charming is out slaying dragons or something on that order.
"Mennai Chidori" was created for the 1940 Toei movie "Niizuma Kagami"（新妻鏡...Bride's Mirror）starring Isuzu Yamada（山田五十鈴）. Although there was the official theme song with the same title, "Mennai Chidori" was used within the movie itself.
In 1965, Chiyoko Shimakura（島倉千代子）released her own version of "Mennai Chidori". Like the original version by Kirishima & Matsubara, Shimakura's cover was a B-side to her take on "Niizuma Kagami" on the A-side.
Then a few years later in 1969, Eisaku Ohkawa（大川栄策）gave his own rendition which sounds a bit more contemporary for the times. The bass beat provides a bit more of a slow gallop to the melody. However, although composer Koga tried to make this an A-side for Ohkawa so that the young singer could gain some success, the record company ultimately decided that it probably wouldn't sell, so the powers-that-be placed his "Mennai Chidori" as the B-side for someone else's A-side! There was a happy ending of sorts for Ohkawa as everyone soon discovered that his rendition was starting to gain fans, and it was then marketed as a hit B-side.
Frankly speaking, it's hard to believe hearing Ohkawa's silken and crystal voice that the record company would just dust him off like that in the first place, but then again, I don't know how Ohkawa sounded back in his early days.
Continuing on my Masao Koga (古賀政男) tribute, Part 2 here will be focusing more on his works after WWII, specifically those from the 1950's and 1960's. If you haven't read Part 1 yet, you can do so in the link here.
After some research, I realised that while the great songwriter had made a name for himself by the 50's and 60's, he had fewer hits as compared to the previous couple of decades, which I guess was inevitable with the changes in musical preferences. But still, some of the successes he had during this period of time were probably his greatest.
Before we start, I would also like to mention that Koga, like many other respected songwriters, had many students, a good number of whom are popular enka-yo artistes like the flamboyant Sachiko Kobayashi (小林幸子)andKenichi Mikawa (美川憲一), the leader of the Mood Kayo group Tokyo Romantica Masayoshi Tsuruoka (鶴岡雅義), and Eisaku Ohkawa (大川栄策) who was his last apprentice. Antonio Koga (アントニオ古賀) and Takeharu Yamamoto (山本丈晴) were also under Koga's wing but were more well-known for being a guitarist and composer respectively.
Dang, this song is so cool.
Anyway, let's begin with the songs by the Queen of Kayo herself, Hibari Misora (美空ひばり). From what I've been reading, Koga began providing the rising star that was Misora with melodies in 1950 like "Musume Sendo-san" (娘船頭さん), but it was only in the mid-60's when their collaborations were very, very warmly received. One was the extremely melancholic piece "Kanashii Sake" (悲しい酒) from 1966 which I liken to Koga's own "Kage Shitai te" (影を慕いて). The other was "Yawara" (柔) from two years before and it definitely sits better with me - I deem it as the manliest song sung by a woman at the time. The score of "Yawara" is powerful and grand, which brings to mind a strong character that'll emerge victorious, and that was probably what Koga had in mind when he created it, especially since it was used to represent Judo in the '64 Tokyo Olympics. This became Madame Misora's biggest hit in her repertoire and, if I'm not wrong, was also Koga's most successful composition - I recall seeing a plaque of "Yawara" regarding this feat displayed in the Koga Masao Museum of Music (古賀政男音楽博物館).
Since we're on the topic of the Tokyo Olympics, I will now touch on the composer's other evergreen contribution to the sporting event, "Tokyo Gorin Ondo" (東京五輪音頭). Released in 1963, this festive bon odori-inspired tune was to be used as the '64 Olympics theme song, and Koga himself had actually made it with the intent of having minyo star Michiya Mihashi (三橋美智也) sing it as Michi was known for this sort of tunes. But, as we all know by now, HaruoMinami's (三波春夫) take sold the best and it essentially became the de facto version of it. I'm not too surprised by this as Minami's vocals match the joy and exuberance in the music better than Michi's, plus there was also Minami's warm and welcoming persona. "Tokyo Gorin Ondo" will even be used in the upcoming 2020 Olympics - it got a face lift with the inclusion of other genres besides enka going along to the same melody.
Following the trend of happy, feel-good stuff from the mustachioed composer, here is "Seishun Cycling" (青春サイクリング) by Kazuya Kosaka (小阪一也) from 1957, an ode to the joys of cycling and one's adolescence. It's got a joyous composition with the shrill wind instruments and light strings and crashing cymbals, which as I had mentioned in Part 1, I've come to associate with Koga's other style of songwriting. But, of course, he created many other stuff outside of those two styles, like "Yawara" and another tune you will see in a bit.
Now, we shall move on to something a little more severe. Coming from 1958, here is Hideo Murata's debut song, "Muhomatsu no Issho" (無法松の一生) with its B-side "Dokyo Senryo" (度胸千両) included. For "Muhomatsu no Issho", there's no denying that it was written by the man himself. It was based in rokyoku for Muchi's background and intense to match Matsugoro's (A.K.A. Muhomatsu) violent tendencies, but that creepy sounding mandolin and rhythmic beat are a clear sign that this is a Koga Melody through and through. Besides "Muhomatsu no Issho", Muchi also released his version of another quintessential Koga Melody, "Jinsei Gekijo" (人生劇場), in 1959.
"Rindo Toge" (りんどう峠) was the song I was referring to earlier - I wouldn't have known Koga composed it if I didn't see his name. "Rindo Toge" was one of Chiyoko Shimakura's (島倉千代子) early hits from 1955 and the first of quite a few collaborations with Koga - "Towa ni Kotaezu" (永遠に答えず), and "Nippon Yoitoko" (日本よいとこ) with Muchi, Kikue Hanamura (花村菊江), Midori Satsuki (五月みどり), and Yuriko Okada (岡田ゆり子) are some examples of that. With its premises being about a girl seeing her sister sent off to get married, the score sounds mostly traditional and folksy, as with songs of a similar topic, but I find that there is a modern pop edge to it as well - probably that was what threw me for a loop as Koga's music, the pop kind, tend to sound... old-fashioned, for want of a better word. It also gave Shimakura opportunities to let her clear and fluttering vocals shine.
To end off, I think it'd be good to include something by his last student. I'm not sure when Ohkawa became Koga's student, but in February 1969, he made his debut in the entertainment world with the jaunty "Mennai Chidori" (目ン無い千鳥), which was originally a duet sung by Noboru Kirishima and Miss Colombia (霧島昇 . ミス・コロムビア) in 1940.
After 47 years of being in the music business, creating over 5000 songs, and making his mark on Japanese music history, Koga passed away on 25th July 1978. He was posthumously awarded the People's Honour Award on 4th August in the same year. Other honours he received included were the Medal with Purple Ribbon and 3rd Class Orders of the Sacred Treasure.
Two museums were built in his honour, the first being the Koga Masao Memorial Hall (古賀政男記念館) in his hometown of Ohkawa, Fukuoka, built in 1982. And the other is the aforementioned Museum of Music in the Yoyogi-Uehara district, Tokyo, built in 1997 alongside the JASRAC building. It was built there as that very location was where his house used to be. This museum has a section dedicated to various accomplished composers and singers, and another dedicated to Koga himself - that bit's designed to incorporate parts of his old home... It was an interesting experience to see how he lived and where he worked then.
Well, although Koga's works come from the days of yore and that he'd be over a century old if he were still around, I respect him a great deal for being able to come up with stuff that are, thankfully, still being remembered today. And despite this Creator article being rather tough on the planning, I have to say I enjoyed writing it and talking about how he made those hits and how I was able to recognize his style. I hope you guys enjoy the articles and gained a better appreciation for Koga's music too.
Happy 113th Birthday, Mr Koga.
... Yeah, I made a mistake in Part 1. My math is terrible, OK?
Considering the article I did for the opening theme song for the movie "Kono Sekai no Katasumi ni"（この世界の片隅に）early this morning, I was reminded of my university days. Specifically, although I never became much of a history buff, my favourite era in Japanese history has been the 20-25 years immediately following World War II. I was interested in how Japan was able to rise out of the ashes of the war, dust itself off and gradually become the 2nd-largest economy on the planet (although its standing has since dropped down in the 21st century).
So, of course, there was the music of those days as people set out to find work and get the nation back on its feet. And my impression has been that there were many songs reflecting this fact including beloved chestnuts such as "Ahh, Ueno Eki"（ああ上野駅）as young people started flooding into Tokyo and even kayo showing the opposite with folks heading out of the metropolis such as "O-Saraba Tokyo"（おさらば東京）.
But within these songs of coming and going with the accompanying emotions, there were tunes about life in the big city for these workers who came out from the countryside regions. One was sung last week on NHK's "Uta Con"（うたコン）during its theme of Tokyo tunes. This was Chiyoko Shimakura's（島倉千代子）big hit "Tokyo da yo, Okkasan"(It's Tokyo, Mom), a gentle enka ballad involving the singer taking her mother who has come to visit her daughter for the first time since moving away with Chiyoko giving her a tour of the recovering city.
The song isn't just about the tour, though, but also about the joy of mother and daughter reuniting again after so long and also giving tribute to an older brother who perished during the war. As someone who gave the parents a tour of Tokyo and Yokohama years back, I can understand some of the emotions involved in showing them what was then my haunt. And as you can hear in "Tokyo da yo, Okkasan",Shimakura's voice is wavering somewhat.
For the singer, this was a huge hit as it sold around 1.5 million records after its release in March 1957. Written by Toshio Nomura（野村俊夫）and composed by Toru Funamura（船村徹）, it has become one of Shimakura's trademark songs, even sparking a movie based on it starring the singer herself. Furthermore "Tokyo da yo" was inspired itself by an earlier kayo sung by kayo kyoku legend Hibari Misora（美空ひばり）who released "Hatoba da yo, Otottsan"（波止場だよ、お父つぁん...It's The Waterfront, Pop） in 1956. Shimakura wanted to sing something similar in tone to that song, and it was lucky that Funamura had also composed that Misora song.
Although Shimakura made her first appearance on the Kohaku Utagassen in the same year that "Tokyo da yo" had been released, the song itself was never performed as a Kohaku song even during the singer's long history of appearing on the NHK special. However, it has been given its due since its debut in 1957 over the decades via other singers such as Yukino Ichikawa（市川由紀乃）below.
Caught my first "Uta Kon"（うたコン）in a few weeks. The theme was one that has popped up on the program a number of times in the past including when the NHK kayo show was titled "Kayo Concert"（歌謡コンサート）...all about ardent love. The show even had an actress give a reading of some messages of love from some famous folks such as novelist Soseki Natsume（夏目漱石）and songwriter Rokusuke Ei（永六輔）.
Most of the songs that were featured have already shown up on this blog so the one new tune that stood out to me was Chiyoko Shimakura's（島倉千代子）"Ai no Sazanami" (Ripples of Love) that first saw the light of day back in July 1968 as the single commemorating her 15th anniversary in show business. What was interesting about the song was that despite its categorization on the J-Wiki article as an enka song (and all the singers in this article dressed in kimono), I really don't think it sounds like an enka tune...or a Mood Kayo song, for that matter. I don't hear any Japanese instruments; it's a gently rolling piano and guitar anchoring the ballad. In fact, I think there is almost something downright Carpenters about it. According to that article, the backing chorus was actually recorded in Los Angeles at the composer's suggestion but I'm not sure if that meant that an American group of backup singers was hired or whether Japanese backup singers were brought into LA.
"Ai no Sazanami" was written by Rei Nakanishi（なかにし礼）and composed by Kuranosuke Hamaguchi（浜口庫之助）. Nakanishi definitely leaves the love out there for Shimakura to sing. The first verse is as follows:
If there is truly a god on this Earth I want to die in your arms Gently, gently kiss me In that lone boat on the lake Over and over, just like ripples
I think it was a good choice for the song to be presented, and it was a good opportunity to find out about this fascinating pop song of the times performed by an already well-regarded enka singer. "Ai no Sazanami" was a huge hit for the late Shimakura, becoming a million-seller. And if I'm not mistaken, with Oricon just starting out, it was the singer's first entry into those charts, topping off at No. 20 for 2 straight weeks. December 1968 was also a busy one for her since she won a special prize at the Japan Record Awards as well as gaining her 12th straight appearance on the Kohaku Utagassen.
Of course for such a lovely song, covers are inevitable and I found this really wonderful version re-arranged as an R&Bballad and performed by none other than Yumi Matsutoya（松任谷由実）, Kyoko Koizumi（小泉今日子）and Ann Lewis（アン・ルイス）back in the late 1980s.
Plus, there is Fuyumi Sakamoto（坂本冬美）providing her own version in 2006. But strangely enough, when I first heard the Shimakura original, I thought that "Ai no Sazanami" would also be an ideal choice for Kiyoshi Maekawa and The Cool Five（前川清とクール・ファイブ）to tackle.
I almost forgot it was Valentine's Day today. But then again, I was never all that much invested in it, outside of the chocolates. And from what I've heard, it sounds like half the folks aren't fans of February 14th either, although I'm fairly sure that at least two couples within my group of friends are out somewhere on the town having a romantic dinner somewhere. Well, wherever you are, I hope that you and a significant other are having a good time.
Well, NHK's "Uta Con" (うたコン) did remember Valentine's Day since the producers included the theme into the show tonight. A number of love kayo got onto the lineup including this old chestnut by the late Chiyoko Shimakura（島倉千代子）, "Koishiteirun damon" (I'm In Love After All). Kaori Mizumori（水森かおり）took care of the song tonight.
Released in 1961 when she was in her early twenties, Shimakura gave a high-pitched love song about enjoying the sensation of falling head over heels with that fine young gentleman and sometimes having that lovers' spat. With the enka music and the year of release, I can only imagine the lovey-dovey couple walking on the dirt path somewhere out in the countryside.
The idea for the song came from one of Shimakura's favourite phrases which was turned into the title. And y'know...I had always thought that the singer had that certain coquettish side to her so I could imagine that title being something that she would say. Sou Nishizawa（西沢爽）provided the lyrics while Shosuke Ichikawa（市川昭介）created the jaunty music. Also, according to J-Wiki, "Koishiteirun damon" sold 800,000 copies although it was never a song that she performed on the Kohaku Utagassen. Then again, Shimakura had a number of other hits which sold far more records.
The late Chiyoko Shimakura（島倉千代子）had always struck me as the quintessential self-effacing enka singer in a kimono when she appeared on stage. And even on the above image for the video (that video has been taken down), she looked naturally far younger but wore that kimono with her hair done up just as I always remembered her.
Last night on "Kayo Concert", Sayuri Ishikawa（石川さゆり）sang one of Shimakura's old songs called "Honki Kashira" (I Wonder If That's So?), and it was fun enough so that I actually looked it up. Instead of the enka, this is a Mood Kayo number coquettishly sung by a young Shimakura which comes across like some sort of courtship between a man and a woman on the dance floor. The feeling is resolutely a light tango with the singer being backed up by a male chorus. The singer isn't exactly immune to the suitors' charms but she isn't going to relent all that quickly either.
"Honki Kashira" was released in 1966. It was written by Tokiko Iwatani（岩谷時子）and composed by Keishiro Tsuchida（土田啓四郎）, and the single became a hit for Shimakura as it sold over 600,000 records. It also earned her a 10th straight appearance on the Kohaku Utagassen that year. Shimakura actually appeared 35 times on the NHK special with her final bow taken in 2004.
The persimmon is a fruit that I got to like somewhat later in life. It's known as kaki（柿）in Japanese, and it's not exactly too common in my area of Canada at least although it is well known in my ancestral homeland. My first experience with the persimmon wasn't too good; it tasted way too bitter, and sure enough there is the expression, shibugaki (bitter persimmon), and since I'm mentioning it here in this blog, there is the Johnny's aidoru group from the 80s, Shibugakitai（シブがき隊）.
However, once it finally ripens (or gets dunked into some alcohol for a few days), the persimmon becomes this luscious, sweet and messy thing that's quite delish. I've left a YouTube video up above just to show you what this fruit looks like, just in case some of you folks elsewhere on the planet are like I was when I was a kid and had no idea what the heck a persimmon was. To give credit where credit is due, the video was made by Perry Rush.
Anyways, on to the main song at hand here. A couple of nights ago, NHK's "Kayo Concert" paid tribute to the songs of longtime composer Toru Funamura（船村徹）who was the guest of honour on the show. Basically, Saburo Kitajima（北島三郎）, one of the performers of the evening, put it best about Funamura, "If there were no him, there would be no us."
I've already profiled a few songs that were composed by Funamura, and then came across this one on the show which fired up some of those old hoary memory engrams. It was "Kaki no Kizaka no Ie"(The House on the Persimmon Tree Slope) which was originally composed in September 1957 and written by the late Miyuki Ishimoto（石本美由起）. It's a venerable old ballad that has popped up over the decades on many shows, performed by many singers. In fact, it's a bit of a surprise considering how much of an enka standard it has become that it didn't earn its own article on J-Wiki.
The original version was sung by enka veteran Koichi Aoki（青木光一）who had been born in Saga Prefecture in 1926 before moving to Fengtian, Mongolia for several years and was detained in Siberia for a few years after serving in the Japanese army before being released in 1949. A year later, he would enter Columbia Records and release his debut single, "Wakai Arashi"（若い嵐...Young Storm）.
Aoki's "Kaki no Kizaka no Ie" had that reediness in the arrangement which I often related with the wartime and postwar kayo. And Aoki had that nasal and dreamy quality in his delivery which reminded me of some of those American Big Band crooners from a few decades earlier. Kishimoto's lyrics waxed wistfully on the protagonist's old hometown with that slope where his home was being just a few clicks from the little train station, how the scenes changed with the seasons and how the fellow wanted to meet that girl who may or may not have been an old flame. Probably the overall effect was to get all those folks working hard in the big city back in those days thinking about the relatively more idyllic days back in the countryside. Well, the effect worked as the song became an unprecedented hit for Aoki according to J-Wiki although I couldn't get any concrete stats on how many records were sold.
As I mentioned, "Kaki no Kizaka no Ie" has been covered by many enka singers over the years. The above link is for one version sung by Chiyoko Shimakura（島倉千代子）, which was released in May 2004. The arrangement is lusher (which is how I've always remembered the song) with the addition of those enka strings, although it still retains that feeling of the countryside.
Like Funamura, the 89-year-old Aoki, who is even older than the composer by 6 years, is still active in his career. He is even a Chairman Emeritus of the Japanese Singers' Association.
Well, it's July 7th which means it's Tanabata in Japan, the time for those star-crossed lovers to meet for that day. The above video provides a very nice description of what the day is all about in the city of Sendai. I never got up to the city in Miyagi Prefecture but I've written my share of wishes on those colourful strips of paper and attached them to bamboo trees when I was living in the Kanto.
Of course, the holiday was also not lost on the folks at NHK. "Kayo Concert" devoted its 45 minutes to the annual Star Festival, and so the kayo all had a "star" theme to it. The second song was "Hoshizora ni Ryote wo"(Both Hands to the Starry Sky) which was originally sung in 1963 by Hiroshi Moriya（守屋浩）and the late Chiyoko Shimakura（島倉千代子）.
I couldn't really tell whether the song was an enka number or a pop kayo, but it definitely chimed in with my early memories of the J-oldies. It had that jaunty beat which seemed to invite all listeners into a singalong, and my memories of those kayo way back when didn't involve drinking establishments or samurai warriors but just regular folks having a happy time. For those folks who really remember the old movies and singers in North America, I've often likened such kayo to the duets by Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald in the 40s with the admittedly cornball devotion and love.
"Hoshizora ni Ryote wo", written by So Nishizawa（西沢爽）and composed by Yoshiyuki Kouzu（神津善行）, is in the same ballpark, thematically speaking. The couple in the song may not possess a whole lot of money but that doesn't bother them one whit. They happily bring up their joined hands to the starry night sky and proudly state that the stars will be their rings. Perhaps the younger couples these days may kinda stick their fingers into their mouths on hearing this, but for an old duffer like me, it's still quite adorable, and as you know, I'm all about the nostalgia.
Oricon wasn't around in the day but "Hoshizora ni Ryote wo" sold 700,000 records when it was released, so I could imagine it hitting No. 1 on the charts.
I woke up this morning to view the news on NHK of the passing of enka singer Chiyoko Shimakura（島倉千代子） at the age of 75. Debuting at the age of 16 with "Kono Yo no Hana"（この世の花...A Flower of This World）, she had a career that spanned over half a century with multiple hits, and was also a pillar in terms of her attendance on NHK's Kohaku Utagassen, having come onto the show annually from 1957 to 1986.
The name and the figure were very familiar to me as she often appeared on TV as that slightly portly figure with the beaming smile. However, I was never all that familiar with her discography until I heard "Jinsei Iroiro", which was released in April 1987. It was written by Daisaburo Nakayama（中山大三郎）and composed by Kuranosuke Hamaguchi（浜口庫之助）. As for the meaning of the title, it literally means "Various Things In My Life" but I think the feeling would be better conveyed with something like "The Ups and Downs of Life". In any case, it's the song that I will always associate with her. And whenever she sings it, her face takes on that countenance of an older, wiser and sadder woman but still with that wide smile.
And Shimakura and just about everyone familiar with her knew that she sang this one from the heart. Back in 1975, there was an incident in which the singer allowed herself to be the guarantor of an acquaintance who since fled after owing a significant amount of money to a loan shark. When I was watching the NHK elegy this morning, I heard that the collectors went to her home and terrified her so much that she had to seek safety in one of the theatres she performed at for some time. It took her about 7 years to pay back the hundreds of millions of yen owed during which she had to take side jobs working in cabarets and publishing photo books. However, at the same time, she was never ostracized from the Kohaku Utagassen, a fate that befell some other singers, and her popularity was still as high as it ever was, since she also appeared as a tarento on TV.
Ironically, Shimakura first sang "Jinsei Iroiro" in the year that her illustrious record for appearances on the Kohaku was finally broken. For some reason, she wasn't invited onto her musical home-away-from-home in 1987, but amends were made the following year when she was able to perform "Jinsei Iroiro". I guess the song may have been a late bloomer since the accolades came in 1988 with a couple of Japan Record Awards and a peak ranking of No. 16 on the Oricon weeklies. It finished the year as the 54th-ranked song, and spent 86 weekson the charts.
