Night Drive

By Yudai_photography via Wikimedia Commons

Welcome to another Urban Contemporary Friday on "Kayo Kyoku Plus". I'm starting things a little differently today with an Author's Picks. I was inspired to do this one this way from actually viewing a segment on Wednesday's edition of NHK's "Asaichi"（あさイチ）morning infotainment program which focused on the Kawasaki Industrial Site.

I not only remember seeing this glittering otherworldly complex of lights and metal but for one night, I was actually within it! That night, due to a teacher falling ill, I was assigned to teach a lesson for a couple of the employees working within the complex and yep, it was pretty stunning especially when seeing it from the train. Entering the area felt like boarding the mother ship.

The Japanese tourism industry certainly didn't let the opportunity go. There are now tours on foot, bus and boat to take a look at the Kawasaki Industrial Site through selected spots. If you're interested, you can take a look at the relevant page at Japan Experience. Also, the above video is by YouTuber Hachimantai Outdoors.

The reason that I wanted to do this "Night Drive" is because seeing the Kawasaki Industrial Site from the air had me thinking of Kazumasa Oda's（小田和正）lovely ballad "Oh Yeah!". The official music video for Oda's 1991 song had couples enjoying each other's company but there were a couple of scenes in there showing some glorious eagle-view night shots of Tokyo which stayed with me.

Now, to be honest, this Author's Picks isn't something unprecedented. I've already noted "Oh Yeah!" in a 2014 article "J-Canuck's Nighttime Playlist". Plus in 2022, I whipped up "Driving to City Pop" with its cool songs. So, consider "Night Drive" to be the love child of the two articles and I will be choosing different tunes that still reflect in my opinion, the nighttime drive experience in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, etc. (although of course, you may have your own choices). Furthermore, another inspiration for this one is the old "Night Ride" 1980s late-night Toronto show that appeared almost every night in the wee hours on Global Television to relax those night owls.

(1976) Yuming -- Chuo Freeway（中央フリーウェイ） 

(1982) Yasuhiro Abe -- We Got It!

(1982) Tohoku Shinkansen -- Up and Down

(1984) Anzen Chitai -- Mayonaka Sugi no Koi （真夜中すぎの恋）

(1985) Akina Nakamori -- Lonely Journey （ロンリー・ジャーニー）

(1987) Kahoru Kohiruimaki -- City Hunter: Ai yo Kienai de （愛よ消えないで）

Strangely enough, I'm already getting entries in my head for "Night Drive 2". Maybe next month. In the meantime, you can also enjoy "Night Walk".

Yuko Kawamura -- Kodoku na Runner（孤独なランナー）

 

I see that those marathons are still taking place at the Metro Zoo in Toronto. Over forty years ago, I actually ran a couple of those in successive years as a high school student. Yes, it's hard to believe, but I, J-Canuck, did something healthy by training and then running what was actually half-marathons. Those were still enough to nearly kill me.

Jogging was starting to become a thing sometime in the mid to late 1970s as I recall, and I guess that may have also been true in Japan according to this song by Yuko Kawamura（川村ゆうこ）. Compared to her cool and refreshing debut single "Kaze ni Naritai"（風になりたい）from April 1976, her second single "Kodoku na Runner" (Lonely Runner) which was released later in September is a bit more jaunty as if the song itself were on its own jog in the countryside. In terms of tempo, I'd probably put it above a languid folk tune but not quite at the same level as an upbeat aidoru song. Kawamura is a songwriter but this time, "Kodoku na Runner" was handled by lyricist Takashi Matsumoto（松本隆）, composer Katsuo Ono（大野克夫）and arranger Mitsuo Hagita（萩田光雄）. Her first two singles were placed onto her debut album, released in November, "Konna ni Sora ga Aokute wa"（こんなに空が青くては...For the Sky to Be This Blue）.

Hatsumi Shibata -- Mou Ichido Kikasete（もう一度聞かせて）

 

Finishing off this Friday's take on Urban Contemporary songs on KKP, I've decided to go with something mellow and older...maybe the aural equivalent of good scotch. And I found this one not from the City Pop guides above as you might think, but from a YouTube City Pop compilation video.

However, I was happy to find the song all by itself in a separate video, so I will go with that. This is "Mou Ichido Kikasete" (Please Play it Again) by the late singer-songwriter Hatsumi Shibata（しばたはつみ）. Written by Shibata and composed by Yuji Ohno（大野雄二）, it's got that wonderful flute, the bluesy guitar and the splendid harmonies provided by the singer and others. 

It's been around three years since I've had Shibata up on the blog, so I'm glad to have found this lovely example of 70s City Pop which was recorded onto Shibata's November 1975 2nd album "Singer Lady"（シンガー・レディ）. There's also a goodly amount of soul in "Mou Ichido Kikasete" which reminds me a bit of Minnie Ripperton's music. 

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.

Higurashi -- Odayakana Gogo（おだやかな午後）

 

Ah, it's a Monday once more. Incomplete recovery from the weekend, deadlines to fulfill, another buildup of stress. You wonder when Friday is coming.

Well, sorry, I'm not an in-company counselor or a masseur. However, perhaps I can provide some aural solace through one of folk group Higurashi's（日暮し）songs. The trio has had their City Pop tunes but this is a folksier and very relaxing tune called "Odayakana Gogo" (Peaceful Afternoon), and boy, is there truth in advertising here. Right from Note One, Naomi Sugimura（杉村尚美）immediately lulls you into an existential nap with her vocals while your eyesight becomes less strained by looking into the calm blue sky. The acoustic guitar, the strings and electric piano become additional melodic massage therapists as "Odayakana Gogo" goes at a very leisurely tempo. The background chorus is just barely heard as it acts like a summer breeze.

Written and composed by Higurashi guitarists Seiichi Takeda（武田清一）and Yukiyo Nakamura（中村幸雄）, the track belonged to the band's fourth original album "Arifureta Dekigoto"（ありふれた出来事...Ordinary Events） from 1977. Chamomile tea, coming up!

Rainy Street by Tchabows (1976)

I don't remember exactly when or where I first heard this song, but I do remember discovering it sometime last year. I was already familiar with Masami Yoshida thanks to his 1980 solo album My Tune, My Turn, but I had no idea he had been making music before that.

What initially caught my attention was the band's unusual name: Tchabows. Written in Japanese as 茶坊主 (Chabōzu), the term traditionally refers to a Buddhist temple attendant or, historically, someone who served tea to a feudal lord.

To be fair, the mellow sound of their 1976 album Tree of Life actually feels pretty appropriate for sitting indoors with a warm cup of tea while the rain comes pouring outside your window.

"Rainy Street" quickly became my favorite song on the album. It has this wonderful pseudo-bossa nova groove, a folksy, down-to-earth acoustic guitar, and a quirky yet strangely endearing synthesizer floating around in the background.

To top it off, vocalist Mami Kikuchi could honestly give Taeko Ohnuki a run for her money. Her voice has that same wonderfully soft, warm, and inviting quality—the kind of vocal performance that doesn't need to overpower the music to grab your attention.

While a few other songs on the record venture into more  Progressive Rock territory, everything about "Rainy Street" feels gentle and unassuming. 

Masami Yoshida -- Smoke Rings

 

I guess it's approaching about a year since I last posted an article regarding singer-songwriter Masami Yoshida（吉田政美）. The former half of the folk duo Grape（グレープ）apparently had quite a time exploring the urbane and Latin sides of music since the professional breakup with Masashi Sada（さだまさし）in the mid-1970s.

My last article on Yoshida's music was for his "Orange City no Asa"（オレンジ・シティの朝）, a track from his 1980 album "My tune My turn masami". That was quite the laidback samba for hammock-loving listeners. Well, I have something even more relaxing here from the same album and that would be "Smoke Rings". I was having quite the ping-pong battle online on whether the title was "Smoke Rings" or "Smoke Ring". Then I saw the image of the actual record with the printing of the titles. It's indeed "Smoke Rings". Composed by Yoshida and written by Mami Kikuchi（菊池まみ）, Brazil is still the name of the nation for the melodic inspiration and not surprisingly, for something more relaxing, bossa nova is the genre of choice. Enjoy your caipirinha!

Gamu -- Kanashikute/Yume de Aitai kara（悲しくて・夢で逢いたいから）

 

When it comes to the folk duo Gamu（雅夢）, most listeners of Japanese pop music of the past will quickly recollect their debut single and biggest hit, the wistful "Ai wa Kagero"（愛はかげろう）from September 1980.

Well, vocalist and songwriter Kazuto Miura（三浦和人）went really dramatic with his group's 2nd single "Kanashikute" (I'm Sad/I Miss You) from February 1981. Man, starting with that epic pipe organ, it almost sounded like a particularly mournful take on Albinoni's "Adagio in G Minor". What has just been wrought here, I initially thought. Mind you, the folk ballad quickly simmers down to a melancholy piece about being alone after a breakup with the home that used to be for two now an emptier space for one. Nope, I really don't think this will be played at any wedding receptions.

I figured that for an A-side so almost overwhelmingly sad, the B-side has just got to be a whole lot more optimistic for balance's sake. And sure enough, although there is some of that romantic ache in "Yume de Aitai kara" (Because I Want to See You in My Dreams), there is also more hope in this tenderhearted tune. Miura and songwriter Haruaki Kato（夏冬春秋）co-wrote the lyrics while Miura took care of the languid melody.

Kaze/Ichizo Seo -- Hoozue wo Tsuku Onna（ほおづえをつく女）

J. Robinson and Sons from Wikimedia Commons

Y'know...try as I might, I always confuse the heck out of myself with the singer-songwriters Ichizo Seo（瀬尾一三）and Shozo Ise（伊勢正三）. It sure doesn't help that they are contemporaries and that they not only worked basically within the same sphere of music from the 1970s but they have collaborated together. Plus, there's something about the pronunciation of both of those names. One commenter even caught me on that when he noticed that I'd mistaken one for the other on one article. But let's not get all scrambly about this on Urban Contemporary Fridays, shall we?

Let's start with the cool song "Koozue wo Tsuku Onna" (The Woman Resting Her Hand on Her Cheek) which was folk duo Kaze's（風）4th single from December 1976. The aforementioned Shozo Ise, who was one-half of the duo along with Kazuhisa Okubo（大久保一久）, wrote and composed this one with the urban boogie-like rhythm and the languid rock guitar...definitely not folk. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Ichizo Seo arranged the song into something that I'd like to use as a temporal touchstone to what City Pop was like back in the early days when it felt like it could accompany anyone walking among the skyscrapers of Tokyo. The single reached No. 40 on Oricon and was included as a track on Kaze's November 1976 album "Windless Blue" which hit No. 3 on the charts and ended up as the 17th-ranked album of 1977.

Arranger Seo, who has been involved with just about everyone and anyone including Anri（杏里） and Michiru Kojima（児島未散）, came up with the second of his own solo albums "The Golden Section ~ Kaze Instrumental Album" in 1978. This particular one is an instrumental tribute with includes his take on Kaze's "Hoozue wo Tsuku Onna" right from the top. It has a much more laidback, more romantic and jazzier feeling as if the walking is over and it's now straight to drinking in one of the bars located inside one of those skyscrapers. I would say that it could even find a spot in a soundtrack of one of those Japanese cop shows.

Masahiro Kuwana -- Limelight（ライム・ライト）

From Rakuten

Just by coincidence, I noticed that yesterday would have been singer-songwriter Masahiro Kuwana's（桑名正博）73rd birthday. Unfortunately though, the native of Osaka had passed away at the age of 59 in 2012 from heart failure.

I came across this track from his 5th album titled "Kuwana No. 5" from June 1979. "Limelight" is a cool and strutting number that has been classified as blues-rock and I can also throw in City Pop and New Music into the mix. With lyrics by Takashi Matsumoto（松本隆）, "Limelight" was composed by Kuwana while its arrangement was handled by the singer and Canadian-American composer and arranger David Campbell. Noting how TOTO-like the song felt, I tried to search whether Campbell had anything to do with the legendary American band. I couldn't find anything definitive but the man has worked with artists on both sides of the Pacific including X Japan, Chika Ueda（上田知華）, Jackson Browne and Carole King.

"Summer" Songs

By Muke Tever from Wikimedia Commons

A little over a year ago, I put up "The First Day of Summer!", an Author's Picks consisting of all of those summery tunes with the explanation point being that all of the song titles contained the word "summer". Well, I figured that I would go for another similar posting but I've relaxed the rules slightly by also allowing the Japanese term for summer, "natsu". So, without further ado then, get into that hammock and pull up a citrus-y cocktail.

(1979) The Milky Way -- Kagirinaki Natsu（限りなきの夏）

(1982) Junko Yagami -- Summer In Summer ~ Omoide wa Suhada ni Yaite（サマー イン サマー 〜想い出は素肌に焼いて〜）

(1983) Yoshinori Monta with Junko Ohashi -- Natsu Onna Sonia（夏女ソニア）

(1984) Yukiko Okada -- Sayonara Natsu Yasumi （さよなら・夏休み）

(1987) Kanako Wada -- Natsu no Mirage （夏のミラージュ）

(1987) TUBE -- Summer Dream

The Works of Fumiko Okada（岡田富美子）

 

I never expected to see her name up on television but recently I saw that veteran lyricist Fumiko Okada had received some sort of award for her decades of work via an NHK report. From that, I thought that it would be time to post a Creator article regarding her.

But first a bit of background from her J-Wiki file, Okada hails from Hiroshima Prefecture. When she gradated from university, her parents pressed her to get a job at television broadcaster TBS working as a timekeeper for music programs. However, knowing herself as someone who never really enjoyed the rigors of an average job or career, she was pretty miserable. Also, she developed insomnia but one night, she gained the urge to write poetry and found out that the words flowed out of her surprisingly easily. Then one day, after amassing her poems into a collection and having some faint interest in becoming a songwriter, she was noticed by the manager of a famous arranger at work. Noting how unenthused young Okada looked, he asked her what she really wanted to do for which she replied "I want to become a lyricist". A mere few days later, that manager suggested Okada to a record company as a rookie lyricist. At least, one song with her lyrics got into a music festival and that apparently was all she needed to write...literally. She started getting requests for her words, something that has been continuing for her for close to 55 years.

(1972) Young 101 -- Kaiju no Ballad（怪獣のバラード）

In a desert where the blood-red sun set

A great big monster lived there in peace

One morning when he woke up, he heard a bell from a caravan off in the distance

He suddenly screamed out

I wanna see the ocean! I wanna love people! Monsters have hearts, too, you know!

Let's leave the desert behind and head to where love and the ocean reside

Although I didn't note this in the original KKP article for "Kaiju no Ballad", this was apparently Okada's first work as a professional lyricist. 

(1981) Ruiko Kurahashi -- Glass no Yesterday （ガラスのYesterday)

Yesterday

I danced all night with you

Yesterday, although we can never meet again

We said "See you later" and parted

You're the one who embraced me while saying

I can't love you on mere kindness

Whenever Okada's name is mentioned, I will always first remember Fashion Music specialist Ruiko Kurahashi's（倉橋ルイ子）songs since the lyricist provided a number of her works to her. 

(1986) Shibugakitai -- Sushi Kui ne! （スシ食いねェ！）

This is the No. 1 sushi restaurant in Japan

Gotta eat sushi! Gotta eat sushi! Gotta eat sushi!

Green tea! Green tea! Green tea! Pickled ginger! Picked ginger! Pickled ginger!

In contrast with the elegance of Kurahashi's signature song, the raucous "Sushi kui ne!" comes under the catchphrase of "Okada wrote this one?!". She must love her sushi.

(1987) Kiyomi Suzuki with Rats & Star -- Lonely Chaplin (ロンリー・チャプリン）

Lonely Chaplin

Time passes...and even if you fade away

I will always wait for you

Smile like the little boy you are

You want to come home

Into my arms, don't you?

As long as your dreams are unfulfilled

Oh, do what you wanna do again

Oh, do what you wanna do again

Man, didn't know that Chaplin was that lucky a guy!

(1979) Asami Kado -- Fascination (ファッシネイション）

I love you. Stop it because you make me feel so helpless

Stop it if you're only going to kiss me once

I love you. I got myself all psyched up

I hate you stalling for time

Nothing like pouty coquettishness to spice up a relationship!

Tomoharu Taki -- Toki（時）

 

Well, it's Hump Day so folks can usually get into the doldrums on Wednesday. Luckily, it actually feels refreshingly cool outside with a stiff breeze blowing all about. I would probably advise a lot of Japanese tourists to come over to our neck of the woods to escape all of the heat and humidity plaguing much of the archipelago...especially the residents of Nagoya.

Speaking about refreshing, maybe I can interest you in a glass of singer-songwriter Tomoharu Taki's（滝ともはる）discography. He's been known for some City Pop but I'm wondering if his "Toki" (Time) from his 1979 album "Taki Tomoharu II"（滝ともはるII）really fits the label. Not that there is anything wrong with it; in fact, I did refer to it as being rather refreshing in a sparkling way. It certainly begins in that manner, and we soon get to hear some laidback singing over a gently percolating Latin-esque rhythm that makes me think of a sunny inner city neighbourhood where everyone knows everyone else. And then comes the saxophone solo.😊Enjoy it with any drink you like.

Shozo Ise -- Omoide ga Tsukinai Yoru（想い出がつきない夜）

Big Dipper Asterism by NOIRLab
via Wikimedia Commons

 

For all those very dedicated "Kayo Kyoku Plus" readers and fans of singer-songwriter Shozo Ise（伊勢正三）in general, it's probably quite well known that Ise has had appendages in both the folk and City Pop fields. I've often written on his urban contemporary material including "Heart Beat" which was the topic of the most recent article that I wrote about him back in January.

Well, this time around, I'm swerving back to his folk roots via his song "Omoide ga Tsukinai Yoru" (A Night of Endless Memories) which was not only his first single from April 1980, but also a track on his debut album "Hokuto Shichisei"（北斗七星...The Big Dipper） which hit the record store shelves on the same day as that single. It's quite the folksy tune, written and composed by Ise, albeit with a richer sheen of sophistication in the arrangement. Maybe this could have been a transitional song for him from folk to City Pop. I also have to admire the song being played with the backdrop of a sky-view Tokyo at night, thanks to uploader Taka Kash. Would be interested in hearing what the rest of "Hokuto Shichisei" sounds like.

Sagamihara Singers

 

I knew that the city of Mississauga right on the west side of Toronto has had a sister city relationship with Kariya in Aichi Prefecture since 1981. For one thing, an old friend of mine from my hometown had a position as a liaison between here and Kariya by being assigned there on the JET Programme. What I hadn't known was that Toronto itself has had a similar relationship with the city of Sagamihara in Kanagawa Prefecture since 1991 (so I guess we're celebrating (?) 35 years of friendship this year). I only found out about the connection in the last year when I was curiously looking for whether Toronto itself had any sister cities in Japan. The ironic thing is that I had a couple of students who hailed from Sagamihara including one who was my regular Wednesday night Arashi-loving superfan student.

As for singers from Toronto, we have Drake, The Weeknd and Alessia Cara. But I was also wondering which singers hail from Sagamihara. I could find three such people.

(1976) Seri Ishikawa -- Asayake ga Kieru Mae ni （朝焼けが消える前に）

(1984) Sayuri Iwai -- Tokimeki no Kisetsu（ときめきの季節）

(1996) Kenji Ozawa -- Otona ni Nareba （大人になれば）

By the way, I do speak three languages: English, Japanese and food!

Miki Hyodo -- Melancolie Jungle

 

I mentioned in my most recent article on singer-songwriter Miki Hyodo（兵藤未来）that I've enjoyed her City Pop/J-AOR stuff because of her approach. Well, this time around, I wouldn't really consider this particular song of hers as an example of either genre, but it's still pretty catchy.

What I'm writing about is the track "Melancolie Jungle" from her 1979 album "Hyodo Miki". From the title of the song, which was written and composed by her, there is that certain Gallic joie de vivre as Hyodo sounds as if she were musically skipping down the Champs-Elysees (I don't think that the Champs-Elysees would have any jungle-like areas but then perhaps some of you who have been to Paris can either confirm or deny this). Nope, neither City Pop nor AOR, I'd probably peg this one as New Music with a hint of jazz.

Bonnie Tyler -- It's a Heartache

Wikimedia Commons

I was watching the local news here when the breaking news hit the screen that singer Bonnie Tyler had passed away at the age of 75 today. Apparently since the information came out regarding her death, her 1983 hit "Total Eclipse of the Heart" has been getting a lot of looks. Tyler already has recognition on this blog for that very song and I'd been thinking of using today's ROY slot to give tribute to her 1984 "Holding Out for a Hero", but then, I realized that when I had posted Miki Asakura's（麻倉未稀）cover of the song, I basically treated the article also as a proto-ROY one.

So, I've gone back several years before her really large feathery hair music video days in those 1980s and back to her 1970s days to listen to her "It's a Heartache". Released on November 4th 1977 as her 5th single, this was created by Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe and I remember it as this genteel country ballad that got a lot of airplay on AM radio. And strangely enough, I only heard it on radio and never saw the face behind the song. At the time, I wasn't much for remembering names so I was surprised years later that it was indeed Bonnie Tyler who had sung this one although it should have been recognizable because of her famously husky voice.

"It's a Heartache" was a No. 1 hit in several countries including Canada and France. In the United States, it got as high as No. 3 while in the UK, it reached No. 4. 

Speaking of her husky voice, that all came about from a surgical procedure earlier to remove some nodules from her vocal cords. "It's a Heartache" was one of her first recordings following that surgery and from what I've read on the article for the song, her "new" voice made the song and most likely her entire career from that point onwards. Of course, I was interested in how Tyler had sounded in her first few singles before surgery so I pulled out her debut single "My! My! Honeycomb" from 1976. To be honest, I find her voice here to be a smoother version without the extra burr.

The Oricon rankings had their weekly report on November 7th 1977. So, what was up at the top of the list? Also, my condolences go out to Tyler's family, friends and fans throughout the world.

1. Pink Lady -- Wanted

2. Joe Yamanaka -- Ningen no Shomei （人間の証明）

3. Momoe Yamaguchi -- Cosmos (秋桜)

Mayumi Ohnishi -- Saikai Yawa（再会夜話）

From YouTube

 

This album is a bit of a mystery to me. I would put it up as an APB with the apple pie photograph, to boot. However, this 1981 production has all the names and all the titles so they are identified. The problem is that I don't know any of the artists involved and I could only recognize one musician, Chuei Yoshikawa（吉川忠英）, on the credits.

I'm talking about "Good Season ~ New Original Songs" which has been described by YouTuber Ren as a compilation album of New Music and City Pop. Ren was kind enough to put up the album in the summer of 2023. As I mentioned above, I have never heard of any of the singers or bands involved so I'm wondering if they may have been university students recording as part of their music clubs or amateur acts that didn't last too long.

One track at 30:39 is "Saikai Yawa" (Meeting Again for an Evening Conversation) by singer-songwriter Mayumi Ohnishi（大西まゆみ）. I couldn't find anything on her at all although she has two tracks on "Good Season" including this one. It's too bad since her kittenish vocals enhance the feeling of the good life in her own creation here. Although 1981 was still a few years away from the flying-high Bubble Era, from personal experience, I already knew that Japan was already in a golden age and I can hear it in Ohnishi's light and playful bossa-influenced "Saikai Yawa". Images of fancy restaurants, champagne flutes and shameless flirting (or re-flirting) abound among the City Pop here.

If anyone, including Ren, can provide any further insight into "Good Season" aside from the one lonely page at "Rate Your Music", that would be much appreciated.

Airport Kayo

 

I was once asked by one of the commenters about an Author's Picks regarding airports. After all, in terms of an old kayo kyoku, the airport serves as a setting for romantic farewells and (rarely) greetings. Plus, they can also be the launching point for adventures abroad. Now, I believe that I had yet to post such a list of airport-themed songs so I'm going with this one today to finish my trio of articles.

(1974) Teresa Teng -- Kuukou （空港）

(1975) Hi-Fi Set -- Doyoubi no Yoru wa Haneda ni Kuru no（土曜の夜は羽田に来るの）

(1984) Akina Nakamori -- Kita Wing （北ウィング）

(1987) Kye Eunsook & Keisuke Hama -- Kita Kuukou（北空港）

(2013) Keisuke Yamauchi -- Kushiro Kuukou （釧路空港）

Kazushi Inamura and Dai Ikkan Dai Hyakusho -- Koi wo Suru Nara（恋をするなら）

 

I take a look at the band Kazushi Inamura and Dai Ikkan Dai Hyakusho's（稲村一志と第一巻第百章）album cover for their 1977 sophomore "Free Flight", and it looks like the guys were taking an overnight drive in their native Hokkaido. And yet, the song that comes from the album is plenty sunny and summery.

"Koi wo Suru Nara" (If You Fall in Love), written and composed by the late Inamura, feels like there was some inspiration from Tatsuro Yamashita's（山下達郎）sound back around the same time, and it's about falling in love (or lust) in the big city. The arrangement of keyboards, percussion and guitars makes the song a classic-sounding 1970s City Pop tune. So, perhaps the image of being stuck out on a lonely dark Hokkaido road with a malfunctioning car ought to be replaced by one of a smoothly thrumming red convertible racing out on the highway to Hakone. You can also give another track on "Free Flight" a try: "Ni-gatsu no Nioi"（二月の匂い）.