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’m currently writing a story set in Shōwa-era Japan, to get into the proper headspace, I’ve been immersing myself in everything Shōwa. Television shows, radio programs, movies, news—you name it. Most of my weekends now consist of watching reruns of Tantei Monogatari (Detective Story), reading about the Narita Airport protests, and eventually falling asleep to old broadcasts of All Night Nippon.
Naturally, all this research has also introduced me to plenty of new music.
One of my favorite feelings is discovering a new summer band to rock out to. This time, it’s J-WALK, the rock band fronted by Koichi Nakamura (中村耕一). J-Canuck previously wrote about their hit song “Nanimo Ienakute... Natsu” (何も言えなくて…夏), and it’s easy to understand why the song became so popular. I can already see it joining my summer playlist alongside TUBE, Omega Tribe, and, of course, Southern All Stars.
After hearing it, I decided to check out J-WALK’s self-titled debut album. I enjoyed the record overall. Nothing immediately blew me away, but it was consistently good from beginning to end. My favorite track was definitely the opening song, simply titled “JOE.”
“JOE” is the kind of piano-led rock ’n’ roll throwback that wouldn’t sound out of place on an Elton John album. It's about what you'd expect from a tune of this era polished ’80s sound that proudly wears its Western influences on its sleeve.
I have no idea who Joe is, but judging by the song, he sounds like a leather-jacketed greaser who rides a Harley-Davidson and thinks Saturday night’s all right for fighting.
I should also mention how much I enjoy Nakamura’s gritty vocals. Like George Yanagi(柳ジョージ), he has a natural raspiness that gives the song an extra layer of bluesy swagger. A perfect match for the song’s rough-and-ready protagonist.
If you happen to spot J-WALK’s eponymous debut album sitting in the bargain bin at your nearest record shop, definitely grab it.
Since we are dead in the middle of summer, I'd like to share some songs that represent the hottest season of the year to me. They may not necessarily be summer-themed, but they are summer in atmosphere and spirit, or they simply remind me of summer.
This is a brain-off piece with simple comments rather than proper introductions of the songs. Most of the selection here already have their own entries, so if you'd like to know more about them, feel free to have a look. The idea is just to let you guys enjoy the songs with an unhinged comment or two on the side.
Since I've been talking about songs from the 1930s to the 1960s recently, perhaps some tunes here may come as a surprise as refreshing as a lemon soda on a 36 degree Celsius day. So, let's begin with those first.
I actually discovered this via KKP, so I'll have to thank J-Canuck for this. I think, more than a fun summery tune, this is a bop that just lifts my mood in general.
Perhaps I just so happen to like summer releases from the 1990s, but my "90s J-Pop" playlist tends to get more attention between June and August. Those three tunes, in particular, are my go-tos. Anyways, shall we move on to our usual suspects?
Tadaharu Nakano (中野忠晴) -- Kougen no Uta (高原の唄) (1932)
Ever since J-Canuck mentioned the idea of Mr. Nakano in lederhosen going on a mountain hike in relation this this song, that image has been burned into my mind's eye. I honestly cannot tell you if I like that image or not. It could be kinda hot like Saitama right now, but also lederhosen. I don't think I can handle seeing his legs. Not that I don't want to. Just not like this.( *｀ω´)
Mountains are a good respite from the heat, but so is the sea, so we have this breezy sailor ditty by Akira-san.
One of the funniest things my friend, Ms. C, has added to the not-necessarily-canon lore behind my beloved fellas is that Akira-san is ditzy and jolly in a "head empty" sort of way, but that's what makes him adorable (she got that impression from some snapshots I shared early on). Honestly, the more I find out more about him and dig up photos of him, I can't help but agree, and it's in "Minato Hanarete" where he sounds exactly like that.
Summer will now always remind me of Bin-san because of his death anniversary (29th July) and birthday (August 26th), as well as the memories of heading all the way up to his hometown of Odate, Akita, to pay tribute to him. Twice. Yes, I visited him this year too, and even met up with the lovely Uehara Bin Tsudoi (上原敏集い... Uehara Bin Get-Together). Also, somehow summer makes me feel like cranking up the matatabi mono. The tune that brings those two things together is "Oya Koi Dochu."
Summer also equals bon odori equals ondo, so, of course, we need our ondo ambassador, Haru-san. The temperatures have been sky high in Kanto and it is pain, yet I find it amusing in an ironic way when Haru-san happily goes, "Kyou wa seiten yokatta ne" (Isn't it great that it's a clear day?(°▽°)) Maa, ne.
From a sub-tropical island, we head to a tropical one. I found that "Jawa no Mango Uri" actually has three versions: The original duet from 1942, Hai-Katsu's immediate postwar solo, and another solo likely re-recorded around the 60s or early 70s. I have gone with the latter because its slower, more grandiose arrangement and Hai-Katsu's languid delivery. It screams island paradise.
Also, today happens to be Hai-Katsu's birthday (20th August)! Happy 113th!･:*+.\( °ω° )/.:+
Last night, on one of the City Pop radio channels, I got to hear a cool number by a singer named Kiyoshi Hasegawa（長谷川きよし）titled "Neon Kagayaku Hibi"(Neon Days). So I tried to track it down on YouTube but currently there isn't any sign of it.
But on the other hand, I did find another cover of it which could certainly rival Hasegawa's performance, and it's by the band J-WALK which has been going by the name THE JAYWALK for the past several years. Noelle has written about their most famous hit, "Nani mo Ienakute...Natsu"（何も言えなくて...夏）from 1991.
In the 1980s, though, they were known as J-WALK and in August 1984, they released their own take on "Neon Kagayaku Hibi", this soulful and bluesy ballad about casting everything to the wind and taking off on one's own on a trip of self-reflection. The guy's even letting his puppy go (don't tell John Wick!). The lyrics were provided by the whiskey-and-cigarettes-voiced Maki Asakawa（浅川マキ）with the hopeful melody by jazz saxophonist Toshiyuki Honda（本多俊之）. Definitely my compliments to whoever was handling the twangy blues guitar solo.
Found out how J-WALK got its name. In the beginning (circa 1980), the band had apparently been named Odan Kinshi Mushi（横断禁止無視）which translates directly as Ignoring The No Crossing Rule. Another way that it can be expressed is Jaywalking.
Although there is summer in its name, THE JAYWALK's 'Nanimo Ie Nakute... Natsu' just reminded me of the complete opposite. Instead of the unbearable heat and humidity of the season, the chilly air and crisp brown leaves that mark the start of winter comes to mind... along with the clear blue skies and strong but not burning sun of the Mediterranean. Well, I guess that's mostly because I had this song flowing through my head and ear buds while on a trip to Barcelona...
But the music by former JAYWALK vocalist and guitarist, Koichi Nakamura (中村耕一), does give the song an overall cooling feel which I suppose makes it a good summer tune since it counters the heat... figuratively of course. Or is it just me? Lyrics are written by the rock band's leader Mitsuyasu Tomohisa (知久光康). The original lead singer for 'Nanimo Ie Nakute... Natsu' was Nakamura, by the way as you can see from the video above.
This song was the group's most successful hit. Released in 1991 as their 18th single it's actually the summer version of 'Nanimo Ie Nakute' - you know, without the 'Natsu' at the back - which came out in their 1990 album 'DOWN TOWN STORIES'. And it sold around 980 000 copies. 'Nanimo Ie Nakute... Natsu' also was quite the late bloomer, cracking the Top 10 on the Oricon weeklies at 7th place only a year later in 1992, eventually settling at 32nd by the end of the year. It also managed to stay within the Top 100 in 1993 and placed at 64th. The song also earned THE JAYWALK their first Kohaku appearance in 1993. Wow.
'Nanimo Ie Nakute... Natsu' was one of the many songs I had picked up during my 'Popular 90's songs' phase late last year into early this year... those were good times... before my shocking and peculiar shift to Enka/Kayokyoku. Huh, I only just realized the genres' stark differences.
