Judy and Mary -- Power of Love

 

It's been a long time since I did a Judy and Mary tune. Plus, for all of the big hits that represented the band in those 1990s such as "Sobakasu"（そばかす）and "Hello! Orange Sunshine", it's always good and interesting to find out who they were when they first showed up all the way back when.

Well, in Judy and Mary's case,  it seems as if their style of hale and hearty pop/rock with YUKI's high and crystal-clear vocals was always there from the get-go. Their debut single was "Power of Love" from September 1993. And as much as I'm tempted to be reminded of that 1980s power ballad of the same name, J&M's "Power of Love" is a totally different animal. As I mentioned, it's some happy-go-lucky J-Pop that is so recognizably Judy and Mary. 

Wow! That's quite the debut music video for "Power of Love" which got no higher than No. 95 on Oricon (but bigger and better were on the way). YUKI is just strutting around the floor like a petite Mick Jagger with Betty Boop looks. The single was included on Judy and Mary's debut album "J・A・M" from January 1994. It did much better than the single by placing in at No. 23.

Judy and Mary -- Brand New Wave Upper Ground

Good heavens! It's been exactly three years to the day that I put up my last Judy & Mary song. Must rectify. However, I do have to warn you that if you have some problems in viewing the gutting of fish, you might want to avoid watching the end of the music video below. Instead, enjoy the above photo of my sushi plate.🐟

Wow! It's really natsukashii hearing YUKI's voice once more after so long on "Brand New Wave Upper Ground", J&M's 18th single from February 2000. And YUKI really throws it (and herself) out there in this one especially (Ah-HOW! Ah-HOW!). My memory engrams did register hearing this one either through the countdown shows and watching the video on those same programs. Since I only got to see just excerpts of the band reveling about on their instruments, I'd assumed that the setting was one of the most chill underground lounges in the city when it was something else entirely.

Written by YUKI and composed/arranged by guitarist Takuya, "Brand New Wave Upper Ground" has that familiar Judy & Mary raucous rock sound that I've always knew them by back in my Ichikawa days. And man, I almost forgot how much of a rabid pixie YUKI is on stage and in videos. The single made it as high as No. 4 on Oricon and made it onto the band's first BEST compilation, "FRESH", from March that same year.

The song was also used to advertise another round of Pocari Sweat commercials back in the day.

Judy and Mary -- Music Fighter（ミュージック ファイター）

It's been a while, Judy and Mary. Have a seat and sit a spell.

I remember when the YUKI-fronted band performed this song at a "HEY!HEY!HEY! MUSIC CHAMP" live special at one of the concert venues in the Tokyo area. After all was over, one-half of the comedy duo Downtown, Hitoshi Matsumoto（松本人志）, managed to sputter out something to the extent of "What the hell was that?!"

Apparently, a number of folks reacted similarly to JAM's 15th single, "Music Fighter" from April 1998. It didn't seem to be meant as a standalone single. One really has to listen to it, although I will try to describe it as a mix of country jazz, thrashy hard rock and some spacey vibes in YUKI's vocals.

I wouldn't be surprised if even some of JAM's fans thought that perhaps it would have been better as one of their more exploratory tracks on an album. However, I thought that "Music Fighter" was a showcase for what the band really wanted to do when they were warmed up as a quirky rock group. Plus, I did like YUKI's soaring vocals. Plus the video was interesting for a modern punkish Betty Boop-like YUKI and the Dollarama Borg drone.

Tack and Yukky took care of the lyrics while TAKUYA composed "Music Fighter". It peaked at No. 4 and was placed on Judy and Mary's 5th album "Pop Life" from June 1998. The album was a million-seller reaching as high as No. 2 on Oricon and ending up as the 22nd-ranked release of the year.

Judy and Mary -- Classic (クラシック)

Y'know...I used to see the excerpt of the music video for this song all the time on shows like "Music Station" and "Countdown TV". And it was always the camera shot overlooking Judy & Mary's YUKI singing in that red gown.

The song is "Classic", Judy & Mary's 10th single from October 1996. Written by Tack & Yukky and composed by the band's guitarist, Takuya, it's got that nostalgic 90s melodic and twangy sound with YUKI's flowing high-pitched vocals. I guess in that way, Judy & Mary struck me as one of my musical memories of my early years in Japan during my Tokyo stint. And YUKI always reminded me of a poppier version of Bjork.

I'm glad to finally see the music video of "Classic" in its entirety. It turned out to be a "Star Wars"-like cantina scene with Judy & Mary making its farthest concert appearance, although I guess the round of indifference on that planet is what goes for applause.

Anyways, "Classic" peaked at No. 3 on Oricon. It was also a track on Judy and Mary's 4th album "The Power Source", released in March 1997. That album hit No. 1 on the charts and in fact became the 4th-ranked album of the year, selling over 2 million copies. And according to the J-Wiki article on the song, guitarist Takuya had originally created "Classic" as part of his own solo project, but YUKI really wanted to be the one to sing it so it became a Judy & Mary single. However, after the breakup of the band, Takuya has been able to perform at his own concerts now.

Judy and Mary -- Kujira Juu-Ni Gou （くじら12号）

As strange as it may sound, I get rather nostalgic whenever I hear Judy & Mary. It's hard to believe that a band with the spirited and spritely YUKI which just seemed to have permanent residency on the charts broke up well over a decade ago. One example of a song that stayed on Oricon for a good long while is "Kujira Juu-Ni Gou" (Whale No. 12) from February 1997. It looked like every time I watched "Countdown TV" on TBS early on Sunday mornings, that particular J&M song was always there.

Written  by Tack and Yukky and composed by Judy & Mary guitarist Takuya, the band's 11th single had a video that I wished were still up there on YouTube (there actually is one but the sound has been muted); watching J&M videos are also a source of nostalgia for me as well. I always saw Judy & Mary as being this quirky outfit so the title "Kujira Juu-Ni Gou" didn't particularly faze me initially, but now that I've re-discovered it, I have been curious.

According to the J-Wiki article on "Kujira Juu-Ni Go", the band was apparently using an analogy of whale watching all the way up in the cold seas around Hokkaido (although the area isn't mentioned specifically) for cheering on a soccer team. Supposedly Uniform No. 12 refers to the supporters of a J-League team, although the very footnote for this statement lays it out that this was never the original intention for the No. 12.

Whatever the explanation for the lyrics and title, the song was another hit for Judy & Mary, hitting as high as No. 5 on Oricon, and eventually becoming the 72nd-ranked song for 1997. It also became a track on the band's 4th album, "The Power Source" which came out in March of that year, hit No. 1 and was the 4th-most successful album.

Judy and Mary -- Over Drive

Ahhhh....one of the nostalgia songs for me. Judy and Mary's "Over Drive" was another song that seemed to take up permanent residence on "Countdown TV". And for me, it was the first song by the band that I really paid attention to since it was just a happy and sunny tune to be sung by the chipper YUKI. The official music video is also another good memory in my noggin' with the gang shuffling about in their overalls.

Released in June 1995, "Over Drive" was Judy and Mary's 7th single. It was written by YUKI and composed by JAM guitarist TAKUYA and managed to get as high as No. 4 on Oricon and later finished the year as the 50th-ranked song. It was also included on the band's 3rd album, "Miracle Diving" which came out in December 1995 and peaked at No. 2. It would finish 1996 ranked at No. 23.

The song also was a fair favourite on TV. It was not only used on a Toyota commercial (above) but it was also the campaign tune for a soup brand in 2006 and was even utilized as the ending theme song for a 2001 high school quiz special. Just a happy, happy tune.

Judy and Mary -- Sanpomichi （散歩道）

I was being driven home last night when a tiny excerpt of a song suddenly bubbled up into memory after a very long time. In fact, it took me several seconds to remember what it was and who sang it. And sure enough, the song turned out to be Judy and Mary's "Sanpomichi" (Promenade). So allow me to put it up today, especially since it's been well over a year since I put up anything by YUKI and company.

Bright and happy "Sanpomichi" was something that I knew from watching the turn-of-the-century Fuji-TV comedy-drama, "News no Onna"（ニュースの女...Newswoman） which used it as its ending theme. I had still been a fairly avid J-Drama watcher at that time, although going into the 21st century, my interest dropped like a rock. As for "News no Onna" it was an opportunity to see actress Honami Suzuki (I'll always remember her as force-of-nature Rika Akana in "Tokyo Love Story") again in a program that wasn't too dour for my tastes. In this one, Suzuki was playing Tamaki Aso, a very competent and confident newscaster on the cusp of great things, personally and professionally, when suddenly one report turned her life completely upside down.

The theme song "Sanpomichi" was written by YUKI and composed by Judy and Mary drummer, Kota Igarashi（五十嵐公太）for release in February 1998. It's about as happy-go-lucky as any walk down the titular promenade with a loved one on a sunny day, and the song reminds me of walking through Komazawa Park in the western part of Tokyo (the photo at the bottom) while on my way to teach a student. Judy and Mary's 14th single made it up to No. 3 on the Oricon weeklies and ended up as the 50th-ranked single of the year. Plus, an invitation to the Kohaku Utagassen also didn't hurt.

For some reason, the "News no Onna" excerpts are pretty long, so here is a good chunk of Episode 1.

Judy and Mary -- Hello! Orange Sunshine

I already started hearing some of the popular stuff from Judy and Mary from the mid-90s as their media exposure steadily increased. Through the show "Countdown TV", I saw their videos for "Over Drive" and "Sobakasu"（そばかす）, and their performances on that show and "Music Station". As for "Hello! Orange Sunshine", I actually heard that one several months after hearing those songs.  Although according to J-Wiki, the song was used as one of the campaign songs for NHK Broadcast Satellite (somewhat unfortunately abbreviated as BS), I remember that it was used as the ending theme for the Fuji-TV Saturday night variety program starring the Osaka comedic duo, 99.

J&M's 4th single was released in August 1994, and I think when it comes to the pop to rock range that the band covers, "Hello! Orange Sunshine" is definitely more on the cutesy pop side of things. They may look kinda rough but take them to your mother's home for dinner, they'd probably be the most well-behaved bunch of guests. Written by YUKI and composed by Yoshihito Onda（恩田快人）, the song peaked at No. 22 on Oricon, and was also a track on their 2nd album, "Orange Sunshine", released in December 1994. It peaked at No. 5 and became the 46th-ranked album of 1995.

Judy and Mary -- Chiisana Koro Kara （小さな頃から）

This was never meant as a Xmas song (the January 1995 release would illustrate that), but again this is a personal choice, since along with trf's "Samui Yoru Dakara" （寒い夜だから...Because It's a Cold Night), Judy and Mary's "Chiisana Koro Kara" (Since I Was Little) was one song that I'd heard over and over again on another late-night show, especially during December for some reason. Vocal YUKI and bassist Yoshihito Onda（恩田快人）created this song, and I think it does fit the Xmas mood at least in melody and delivery since YUKI has that girlish voice.

Here's the concert version of the song. "Chiisana Koro Kara" peaked at No. 37 on Oricon and was a track on Judy & Mary's 2nd album, "Orange Sunshine". It went as high as No. 5 on the weeklies and became the 46th-ranked album of 1995. I think what makes the song for me is the intro and YUKI's final yell.

Judy and Mary -- Sobakasu （そばかす）

One night, I caught a rather noisy commercial on TV plugging this band led by a post-punk pixie who reminded me of a Japanese Bjork. Had to turn down the volume. But then again, I noticed this band, Judy and Mary, coming up on a lot on the "Countdown TV" rankings. "Countdown TV" was a Saturday late-night show that had these three CG characters do the weekly music rankings. I saw one of their early hits, "Over Drive", and thought there was a bit more melody to be had there in that song. Then came "Sobakasu"(Freckles) some months later, this tune that started off with a monstrous electric guitar riff before it suddenly shifts into this pop-rock-blues line. After hearing it a few more times on TV, I was hooked. It was time to get the CD single.

The start of Judy and Mary was something like out of the movies. In fact, it was out of a movie. Back in 1991, bassist Yoshihito Onda（恩田快人）, who had been with a heavy metal band called Jacks N' Joker, was visiting Hokkaido when he crossed paths with Yuki Isoya（磯谷有希）, a college student who had been recruited as an extra on some action film. Isoya had wanted to start a band but didn't know how to go about it so she asked Onda for some advice. A couple of years and a few more added people later, Judy and Mary was born in 1993 with their debut single, "Power of Love".

As for "Sobakasu", Judy and Mary's 9th single was released in February 1996, and became their first and only No. 1 hit until their breakup in 2001. It was the first theme song for the anime "Rurouni Kenshin"（るろうに剣心）, but strangely enough, the ＹＵＫＩ-penned lyrics (Onda composed the song) were actually an ode to the anime character, Candy Candy. It became the 18th-ranked song of 1996, and was included in their 4th album, "The Power Source", released in March 1997. It was also a No. 1 album and was ranked 4th for all of 1997.