Kiichi Yokoyama -- December Love

 

I'm not 100% convinced that singer-songwriter Kiichi Yokoyama's（横山輝一）3rd single "December Love" is actually an Xmas tune judging from his lyrics but then again, it's possible that even throwing in the month of December liberally within the song was good enough to earn that Yuletide kiss for listeners.

Yokoyama was first mentioned here on KKP a couple of years ago when I posted his 1987 song "Falling In Love". This 3rd single was released in November 1986 and it's a fast and snazzy tune with its funk, again thanks to the singer, about a man reminiscing about a girlfriend that he had this time the previous year in the final month of December but he no longer has this December due to a rather nasty breakdown in the relationship. From the upbeat nature of the melody, though, perhaps the protagonist isn't too depressed about things and his attitude seems to be of the "C'est la vie" variety. "December Love" also ended up on Yokoyama's debut album "A Long Good Bye" from October 1989.

Kiichi Yokoyama -- Falling In Love

 

Quite a few months before Valentine's Day but I did bring a box of chocolates from the late establishment 100% Chocolate Café to my school one time. Yes, I believe that February 14th is the day in Japan when women give the chocolates to men while the reverse happens on White Day on March 14th, but I was sticking with my Canadian traditions when I opted to give the box to the staff. But allow me to state that this was purely giri choco or obligatory chocolate and nothing more.

Anyways, also allow me to introduce singer, songwriter and producer Kiichi Yokoyama（横山輝一）to "Kayo Kyoku Plus" for the first time. That name rings a bell and although I couldn't see any song that he has written for other artists that I could recognize and/or have put onto the blog, I believe that he has popped up in the production of at least a song or two that I've covered here. I simply have to seek them out again.

Getting back to the Hokkaido born-and-raised Yokoyama, according to his J-Wiki file, he's released a lot of singles and albums of various sizes over the decades right up into the 2010s, but I did want to show off this particular track from his second album "Voice" from May 1987. "Falling In Love" is a pleasant City Pop number composed by Yokoyama and written by Ichiko Takehana（竹花いち子）, and the singer has quite the resonant voice accompanied by some of those late 80s synths, a bluesy saxophone solo and some floaty background vocals.

Yokoyama started out at STVradio Broadcasting in Sapporo as a host and DJ in 1979 before becoming the vocalist for the band Stella（ステラ）in 1981. He came out with his first single "Boogie Walkin'"（ブギー・ウォーキン）and his debut album "I Like It" in 1986.