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.
I was flipping through the pages of the original "Japanese City Pop" once more and I came across singer Toshiya Igarashi's（五十嵐寿也）one-and-only album from 1983, "Lady Danger". Some years ago, I posted an article regarding the B-side,"Before We Say Good-Bye", to his one-and-only single from the same year, "Kanojo no Nikka"(Her Daily Routine).
Whereas "Before We Say Good-Bye" has this rather smoky and sunset-y City Pop atmosphere, the A-side"Kanojo no Nikka" has a bit more of a bouncy and upbeat AOR that brings back a lot of West Coast feeling to the ears. The verses also have its share of Latin rhythm and an echo of that old-fashioned disco. Norie Kanzawa（神沢のりえ）was the lyricist here while Koji Nishimura（西村耕二）took care of the melody.
The duo Bread & Butter（ブレッド＆バター）has always been a welcome presence on "Kayo Kyoku Plus" ever since we started things up in 2012. One intriguing thing though is that for 2024, the Iwasawa Brothers have been represented just through the weekly Yutaka Kimura Speaksseries three times. As well as they should, too, but maybe it would be nice to have them back with an original article, something that we haven't seen since May 2023.
One reason that I've enjoyed Bread & Butter for so long is that they can record songs with fine hooks across the genre spectrum just like Kirinji and Sing Like Talking. Mind you, neither Iwasawa brother was responsible for the making of "Baraketa Initial" (Scattered Initials) which was written by Norie Kanzawa（神沢札江）and composed by Yasuhiro Abe（安部恭弘）with arrangement by Jun Sato（佐藤準）. Still, it's a nice, bouncy and contemplative pop song to add onto their City Pop and folk with a hint of an odyssey through European environments.
"Baraketa Initial" was the duo's 20th single from September 1984 and was also included on their 9th album"Second Serenade" which was released later in November.
As I mentioned in the article for Akiko Yano's（矢野顕子）"Cream Stew"（クリーム・シチュー）, I rather preferred the beefier taste of minestrone soup over cream stew, a dish that I only found out about in Japan along with corn potage soup at a McDonalds near the Tokyo Prince Hotel back in 1981. Cream stew has been hit-or-miss with me. I've had some very nice bowls of the stuff but then I've had other examples which could be compared to umami-filled Elmer's Glue. However, it seems like cream stew is the go-to slurping dish in Japan because just like clockwork, commercials for the stew start popping up like the mushrooms that may go into it once the colder months arrive.
Yano's "Cream Stew" was used for a House Foods cream stew commercial in 1997 but a few years earlier, singer-songwriter MANNA, who I've usually associated with the quirky 1980 technopop tune "Tokio Tsushin"（TOKIO通信）, came up with the wholesome "Onaka Suita ne" (Boy, I'm Hungry) as a single in September 1993. Even more than the playful "Cream Stew", the folksy arrangement of "Onaka Suita ne" brings the images of kids running as fast as possible through the cold weather to hit home and kitchen to have a steaming bowl of cream stew.
Norie Kanzawa（神沢礼江）was responsible for the heartwarming lyrics while MANNA herself took care of the melody. I'm not sure how well "Onaka Suita ne" did on Oricon but the song has been mentioned on her J-Wiki file as one of her trademark tunes.
Last Tuesday, I wrote up an article about Side A of Kaoru Sudo's（須藤薫）February 1987 6th album"Hello Again", and so I'd like to follow up with my feelings on Side B.
The side begins with a pretty frenetic pop and rock-n'-roll"Sayonara wa Go-gatsu no Fubuki"（サヨナラは5月の吹雪...May Blizzard Goodbye）. Written by Norie Kanzawa（神沢礼江）, composed by Yoichi Shimada（嶋田陽一）and arranged by Seiichi Kyoda（京田誠一）, there's even a slightly toy store march like feeling to this song which seems to be about getting along just fine following a breakup. May blizzards aren't totally unknown in my neck of the woods although they are happily quite rare.
There's initially more of the 80s version of the 50s with "Daddy Long Legs" with Hiroko Hosoda（細田博子）on lyrics and Satoshi Kimura（木村聡）on melody with Kimio Mizutani（水谷公生）arranging everything. But the melody then subtly evolves into something more relaxing and languid with Sudo's vocals to match. I'm pretty sure that there are no spiders involved with the titular figure probably being a very tall man that a woman is hugging like all get out.
Mizutani is once again the arranger for "Mugon no Message"（無言のメッセージ...Wordless Message） which is a straddling between Sudo's pop stylings and City Pop as she sings about a woman who's falling apart while trying to call someone she has feelings for. Remember that there were no smartphones in the 1980s so she's probably trying to make contact from an old-fashioned glassed-in phone booth somewhere near a park. Shun Taguchi（田口俊）was the lyricist while Nobuyuki Yamazawa（山澤宣幸）was on composing duty.
The same guys behind the above "Sayonara wa Go-gatsu no Fubuki" are also behind "Sweet Little Heartache", a fleeting contemporary pop number although there is some of that 50s and 60s flavour in Kyoda's arrangement. Kanzawa's lyrics seem to be about a couple at some fairly swanky place but the lady is a bit out of sorts for some reason. There's something about the song that reminds me of some of EPO's tunes, too.
The final track on the original album is "Utsukushii Koyomi"（美しい暦...Beautiful Calendar） which was actually composed by Sudo, written by the aforementioned Hosoda and arranged by Kyoda. With the strings in there, it feels like a classy 70s pop ballad by someone like Boz Scaggs. Sudo's soft and purring voice supplemented with the echo effect does give "Utsukushii Koyomi" that heft as a gallant final track. It feels like the sun is setting with this song which makes it appropriate as the last number.
The 2008 re-release of "Hello Again" on CD has three bonus tracks which happen to be live versions of the title track, "Sakamichi wa Pearl Iro"（坂道はパール色...The Pearly Slope） and "Onai Doshi no Koi"（同い年の恋...Love at the Same Age） all of which were covered in Side A. This particular album was Sudo's highest-scoring release, peaking at No. 41 on Oricon.
When I bought Kaoru Sudo's（須藤薫）"Hello Again" album years ago, I had thought for some reason that it was a BEST compilation. For a lack of a better word, the cover looked like a BEST: Sudo looking all wistful and content in black-and-white. But nope. It is actually an original album (her 6th) that was first released in February 1987. Several weeks ago, I gave my two-part writeup on her previous album "DROPS" from November 1983 and so I've decided to provide some insight into "Hello Again" which basically continues Sudo's tradition of smooth and sleek pop and AOR.
Track 1 is the brief intro and title track "Hello Again". Sounding like a torch song off the soundtrack of a frothy 1950s Hollywood romance flick, this was written and composed by Sudo's good friend Masamichi Sugi（杉真理）with arrangement by Seiichi Kyoda（京田誠一）.
The first full-fledged song is "Saikai no Airline"（再会のエアライン...Meeting Again on the Airline）, a breezy AOR number about a budding romance in the air thanks to a fortuitous re-encounter although knowing that it is a Japanese pop song, I doubt that the couple will be joining the Mile High Club. With lyrics by Norie Kanzawa（神沢礼江）and composed by Yoichi Shimada（嶋田陽一）, I opted for a video featuring Sudo in performance since I wanted to see her in the flesh so to speak and she demonstrates some great vocals.
"Sakamichi wa Pearl Iro"（坂道はパール色...The Pearly Slope） would be notable simply for the fact that its lyrics were provided by none other than Seizo Watase（わたせせいぞう）. Yes, that Seizo Watase, the creator of the manga "Heart Cocktail"（ハートカクテル）and all of those City Pop-friendly illustrations including those on the calendar that I possess on my wall. However, the song itself is a lovely if bittersweet ballad about a woman bumping into an old flame in a seaside resort; her hair and makeup may have changed but that pearl earring that she got from him is still solidly in her earlobe. Keizo Hamada（浜田啓造）came up with the wistful melody with Kimio Mizutani（水谷公生） arranging everything.
I think that my favourite track on Side A of "Hello Again" will be a flip between "Sakamichi wa Pearl Iro" and this one, "Machikado no Antoinette"（街角のアントワネット...Street Corner Antoinette）. Perhaps it's because that I may actually have a very soft spot for French pop...would explain my love for Taeko Ohnuki's（大貫妙子）early 1980s material. Anyways, Sudo keeps her voice in the higher and flightier register as she and it trip the light fantastic over Hiroko Hosoda's（細田博子）lyrics (and Paris maybe) regarding the titular Antoinette, who has quite the reputation in her neighbourhood. Shimada, who came up with the AOR "Saikai no Airline" above, did the Gallic melodic weaving for "Machikado no Antoinette" with both he and Kyoda handling the arrangement.
There's some tropical and some doo-wop in the unusual but upbeat "Drop Handle"（ドロップ・ハンドル）with lyricist Shun Taguchi（田口俊）handling the story of a woman out for a jog. Although the title does pop up in the song, I don't know how it fits into the morning run; maybe she's left a note on the drop handle for the door. Hamada and Mizutani once again take care of melody and arrangement.
Side A finishes up with "Onai Doshi no Koi"（同い年の恋...Love at the Same Age）. If this sounds familiar, the song is another version of "Hello Again" which begins the side. The composition is by Sugi but this time, different lyrics are provided by Taguchi although the general theme is still the same: a couple staying together through the thick and thin of marriage. It's a wonder that this hadn't been adopted as a commercial jingle for an anniversary ring ad. "Onai Doshi no Koi" has more of a conventional pop sound compared to its twin at the beginning.
Martin is in a pensive mood tonight? Is he perhaps thinking about what he could do to top "DADDY DADDY DO" when the next season of "Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai ~ Tensai-tachi no Ren'ai Zunousen"（かぐや様は告らせたい～天才たちの恋愛頭脳戦）finally appears? We can all bet that fans of that anime are hoping that the King of Love Songs comes back to help out with the theme.
In the meantime, we fans of Masayuki Suzuki（鈴木雅之）can go way back in his solo career to his 2nd album"Radio Days"(April 1988) to partake in some of that wonderful soul music. From the same release that has brought listeners "Misty Mauve" and "Guilty", I give you "Hohoemi wo Machi nagara"(Waiting For Your Smile).
Lyricist Norie Kanzawa（神沢礼江）, composer Yasuhiro Abe（安部恭弘）and arranger Hiroshi Sato（佐藤博）have provided Suzuki with some of that wonderful nighttime soul through "Hohoemi wo Machi Nagara", a cool tune about a man who's pining away for that young lady who just doesn't seem to notice him. It could be the most kakkoii ballad involving an adult Charlie Brown and the Little Red-Haired Girl or if the dynamics were different, even the story of Kaguya and Miyuki from the above-mentioned anime (personally, I wouldn't mind one of Martin's earlier hits put into an episode as an insert song).
Before I get carried away on the implications of Kanzawa's lyrics, let me also compliment that music with the keyboards and the city sax solo. And of course, there is the King's voice. Not a bad way to end a Friday.
When I hear a PSY-S song, I look forward to two things usually: CHAKA's high and beautifully resonating voice and Masaya Matsuura's（松浦雅也）synthesizer hooks.
I still get those with "Separate Blue", a track from the duo's 6th album"Signal" released in July 1990. With Matsuura, I get those "thrip, thrip, thrip..." notes from his synth (your onomatopoeia mileage may vary) while CHAKA gives out those plaintive and penetrating vocals. "Separate Blue", along with that ever-present jangly beat, also has some added warmth thanks to a brief interlude in the song which sounds like the melody dropped in at an old-fashioned toy shop in Germany or elsewhere in Europe. It's these little turns in new directions that made PSY-S stand out as a technopop band.
In April 1994, PSY-S released "Home Made", an album of self-covers and they performed a quieter and unplugged take on "Separate Blue". Next to Matsuura's melody, Norie Kanzawa（神沢礼江）provided the lyrics.
For Masayuki Suzuki（鈴木雅之）fans, this could be one of the rarer pieces of the collection since "Long Run", his November 1988 single, was never placed on an original studio album, and I'm unsure whether it was even included in any of his BEST compilations.
I think it also has a certain distinction in that it comes across to me as a pop song overall. Usually with Martin's music, I get that City Pop/R&B sense immediately. However, with "Long Run", although it gently pushes into areas of the aforementioned genres and even jazz, it stays in the pop genre. It's still his wonderful voice so the whole thing, written and composed by Norie Kanzawa（神沢札江）and arranged by Yasuhiro Abe（安部恭弘）, is very pleasant to listen to.
Kanzawa's lyrics are even special because it's the first time that I have ever heard any Japanese (and English) song to refer to the movies "MASH" and "The Sting". To explain, the story is that it's about two lovers who share a common affinity for watching movies at the local theatre, and Suzuki sings that the relationship is looking like it's gonna have a long run...perhaps as long as the very first "Star Wars" did at the Fairview Theatre relatively close to my home. That was for 2 years straight everyday. Literally speaking, though, I hope that the relationship in "Long Run" lasts for many more decades.
I hadn't heard of singer-songwriter Yumi Tanimura（谷村有美）until I entered Tower Records in Shibuya and heard her "Tomodachi" on the speakers. As I mentioned in that article, the gentle balladry and the Burt Bacharach horns kinda got me right here (❤), so I ended up picking up Tanimura's 2nd BEST compilation"with II" from the shelves. The album was released back in August 1994, and it was still a few months before I made it back to Japan at that point, so I think it was kismet that I managed to hear that song although the album was probably no longer being campaigned for.
As has been the case with many an album that I've heard, my first time hearing "with II" and Tanimura's brand of mellow mid-tempo pop didn't leave me with an awesome impression (aside from "Tomodachi"). Her songs struck me as being fine but nothing particularly supremely catchy, and considering how often I was snatching up CDs at the time, it was all too easy to give them a listen and then put the album back on the shelf for the next several years. I think it was basically how I treated my food at the time: it was more about the quantity than the quality. So, I did love my all-you-can-eat buffets.
Well, buffets are no longer my thing anymore and over the past few years during the existence of "Kayo Kyoku Plus", I've been revisiting some of those initially abandoned albums, including "with II".
"with II" includes her songs ranging over the time of her 6th to 18th singles. Unless specifically mentioned, Tanimura wrote and composed these songs.
1. Genki Dashite yo（元気だしてよ）re-mix 2. Ichiban Daisuki datta（いちばん大好きだった） 3. Issho ni Kurasou（一緒に暮らそう） 4. Parade, Parade（パレード・パレード） 5. Hitotsu Tsubu Namida（ひとつぶの涙）Single version 6. Roku-gatsu no Ame（6月の雨） 7. Tomodachi（友達） 8. Tokimeki wo Believe（ときめきをBelieve） 9. Taikutsu na Gogo（たいくつな午後） 10. Ima ga Suki（今が好き） 11. Saigo no Kiss（最後のKISS） 12. Shiawase no Namida（しあわせの涙） 13. Kon'ya Anata ni Furaretai（今夜あなたにフラれたい） 14. Ai suru Yuuki（愛する勇気）
(cover version)
"Genki Dashite yo"(Cheer Up) is a coupling song on her 17th single, the aforementioned "Shiawase no Namida" (Happy Tears) from May 1994. It has that sunny 60s feeling to it and is a nice way to start off this BEST album.
Another coupling song that got onto the album is "Issho ni Kurasou" (Let's Live Together) from her 16th single released in November 1993, "Somebody Loves You". This was one of the songs that got me to re-think my initial thoughts about Tanimura's work. It's pop but it also has a small infusion of soul in there; that soul and the use of synthesizers even reminded me of some of the cooler stuff by PSY-S. Of course, when I read that title, I naturally assumed that it was a guy trying to convince his girlfriend to take the next big step of co-habitation, but apparently, according to the hosts of "Music Station" above, it doesn't necessarily mean so, with one of the hosts stating that Tanimura had been living with her mother at that time.
Her 12th single from June 1992 is "Tokimeki wo Believe". It's one of those recovery songs in which Tanimura sings about finally getting on with her life after the end of a romance. I think it's the one ballad that I felt was rather indicative of the love ballads of that time which were performed by singers such as Mariko Nagai（永井真理子）and Miki Imai（今井美樹）. With the help of jisho.org, the direct translation of the song came out to "Believe in Your Palpitations" or "Believe in Your Throbbing", but one sounded too medical and the other was simply not right, so I went with "Believe in Your Heartbeat". "Tokimeki wo Believe" was written by Kazuko Sakata（坂田和子）and composed by Kenjiro Sakiya（崎谷健次郎）.
I kinda had to inflict the Gibbs slap onto myself since I had completely forgotten about "Ima ga Suki"(I Love You Now) which is actually a track from Tanimura's 5th album"Ai wa Genki desu"（愛は元気です...Love is Fine） from May 1991. It's got some pretty cool AOR-type funk in there, and that guitar reminded me of Billy Joel's "Movin' Out". Norie Kanzawa and Hiromasa Ijichi（神沢礼江・伊秩弘将）created this one for the singer, and both of them also had a hand with some of Misato Watanabe's（渡辺美里）songs.
"Saigo no Kiss"(The Final Kiss) is a Tanimura creation which has some of that nice light funk action in there, and it's the other song that I kinda remembered from my initial listening to "with II" along with "Tomodachi". This was her 14th single from June 1993. I'm such a sucker for a good sax (no snickering, please). Perhaps I should actually translate the title as "The Kiss-Off" since Tanimura's lyrics state about not having to see the guy's toothbrush, frying pan and ashtray anymore. Well, being a lifelong non-smoker, I certainly could sympathize with that last item.
The final song that I will be showing tonight is "Kon'ya Anata ni Furaretai"(I Want to Be Dumped by You Tonight). Also not exactly the happiest lyrics as a woman wants to get out of a toxic relationship, but Tanimura's melody has got a bit more of a rock beat in there. This was her 18th single from July 1994.
Well, I've had "with II" all these years, so why not see if "with" is available?
Met up with a couple of old friends earlier tonight for dinner in the wilds of Mississauga, Ontario. We used to get together far more frequently when most of us were single a couple of decades back for food and movies, but my friends have become family men in the last several years. While we were noshing on clearly unhealthy fare, we were discussing on how quickly the next generation was growing. In my case, I was using my niece as a proxy. As I am approaching the big Five-0 this year, my darling daughter of my brother will be hitting the big One-0...I first met her when she was but 18 months old. Amazing how these whippersnappers sprout up like weeds.
Well, the above was an obvious segue to the subject of this article, Misato Watanabe's（渡辺美里）"Growin' Up". It's been some months since I wrote anything by the big-voiced singer so I guess there is some kismet here. This was Misato's 2nd single from August 1985, several months before her breakthrough hit of "My Revolution", and listening to this original version way back when, I kinda went "Awwww..." since she sounded so adorable. Not that I would identify her as an aidoru here but compared to her boomer of a voice later on, her vocals on "Growin' Up" had me thinking of her as that really energized teen trying her darndest to become a star....a J-Judy Garland, so to speak. The single didn't make that much of a dent on the charts, though....just getting as high as No. 83. I kinda wonder if that's the reason she's pouting on the cover above...or maybe it was that haircut.
Cue ahead nearly 7 years. Having become a big Misato fan during my time in Gunma Prefecture, it didn't take too much convincing for me to get her album of self-covers, "Hello Lovers" from July 1992 via "Eye-Ai" money order. Most of the tracks were fine although the orchestral version of "My Revolution" was just a bit on the pretentious side. However, I did think Misato hit pay dirt with the oomphed-up version of "Growin' Up", which was the very first version of the song that I heard.
Compared to the original from 1985, the 1992 cover had a Pet Shop Boys disco sheen grafted onto the Yasuyuki Okamura (岡村靖幸...yes, Mr. "Viva Namida" himself) melody and the Norie Kanzawa（神沢礼江）lyrics. But thanks should be given to arranger Goh Hotoda（保土田剛）instead for making "Growin' Up" a bit more grown up and a bit more fitted for warp speed. Plus, there were the fully adult vocals of the lady herself which sounded as if it had even more joy in them. Let's say in my mind whereas the 1985 version was a wonderful bit of busking fun, the 1992 "Growin' Up" was traveling on a jet going at Mach.
As for "Hello Lovers", it hit No. 1 on Oricon and finished the year as the 22nd-ranked album. The original "Growin' Up" was also a track on Misato's debut album, "eyes" (October 1985) which hit No. 4. Strangely enough, according to J-Wiki, that album finished 1986 also as the 22nd-ranked album.
Although I'd known about Misato Watanabe's（渡辺美里）key song, "My Revolution" for a few years, the first albums I purchased by her were her turn-of-the-decade releases, "Tokyo"(1990) and "Lucky"(1991) when I was in Gunma, since I enjoyed the two singles that came from them respectively, "Summertime Blues" and "Natsu ga Kita"（夏が来た...Summer Is Here). However, just before heading back to Canada in 1991, I'd decided to get that one breakthrough album of hers which contained "My Revolution", "Lovin' You" which was her 2nd album released in July 1986. The above video is for the very first track, "Long Night", an upbeat power pop declaration written by Watanabe herself and composed by Yasuyuki Okamura (岡村靖幸）. It was one of three songs to be released as singles from the album with "My Revolution" being the first one in January 1986. An edited version of "Long Night" was released a few weeks after the album's release in July; it made it up to No. 11 on the Oricon weeklies.
"Lovin' You" works on two levels. First, it's a showcase for Watanabe's vocal talents. She may have looked like an aidoru with the huge eyes and cute face, but she also had a voice that could do more than just the run-of-the-mill tune. She could also belt out lyrics on a rock level which she would later demonstrate as her voice continued to develop, but at the time of this album, she could also sing sweetly in the higher registers. "Teenage Walk" is another Misato classic which shows this other voice.
The song also illustrates the overall message of "Lovin' You" which is the second of the two levels. The album just radiates positivity through songs like "Teenage Walk" and "My Revolution". The former song talks of trying to slough off the bad times and move forward with the help of the good. The official music video above has Watanabe looking very much like a junior high school student. I can just imagine her being the student council president with her optimistic take on life. "Teenage Walk" was the 2nd single to be released from the album in May, and got as high as No. 5. Norie Kanzawa（神沢礼江） was behind the lyrics, and Tetsuya Komuro （小室哲哉）composed the music. In addition, it would become the Hokkaido campaign song for All Nippon Airways during the summer.
"Suteki ni Naritai"（素敵になりたい....I Wanna Become Wonderful) wasn't released as a single, but it's one of the songs that still sticks in my head whenever I come across the album. It's a teenybopping, kick-off-those-shoes, bouncy tune which has Watanabe in pure fun mode as she enjoys throwing her voice around off the horns, percussion and guitars who seem to be following her lead for swinging around the bedroom. I consider it my "orange juice" song of the album. This one was also composed by Okamura and written by Kanzawa.
And to finish it all up, the title track finishes off the whole album. "Lovin' You" is a lovely ballad written by Watanabe and composed by Okamura. It has that gospel feel and shows off that rich Misato voice which would become more prominent as the years went by. It's a song that can probably end any of her concerts very satisfyingly.
I mentioned this fact about the album for my profile on "My Revolution", but "Lovin' You" was unprecedented since it was the first time that a 2-CD album was created for a singer who was still, according to Japanese law anyways, a teenager. And only on her 2nd album for that matter. It hit the No. 1 spot and became the 7th-ranked album for 1986.
Another smooth mid-tempo adult contemporary by crooner Yasuhiro Abe（安部恭弘）. Actually I knew "Kuu na" when Masayuki Suzuki（鈴木雅之） first sang it on his 1989 album, "Dear Tears". Suzuki's version and Abe's self-cover are fairly similar in arrangement, although Suzuki's has more of a soulful inflection. It was never a hit and, in fact, was never even released as a single, but I've always enjoyed it as a pleasant pop song with an easy, breezy tempo.
Composed by Abe and written by lyricist/novelist/illustrator Norie Kanzawa（神沢礼江）, Abe's version came out on his album of cover songs, "Passage" in 1994. The lyrics talk of the singer having a major case of love for a certain woman...just imagine AOR crooner Bobby Caldwell singing this at a slightly faster speed than he's used to.
As for the translation of the title....I'm not quite sure. The lyrics don't really help in deciphering the meaning there. It could either me "Don't eat!" or "Don't come here!" in a very informal (or rude) way. If there are any Suzuki or Abe fans who can help out here, I'd be very appreciative.
Happy to say that someone did upload the Suzuki version.
