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.
Showing posts with label Takashi Hosokawa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Takashi Hosokawa. Show all posts
After half a century as an enka performer, Takashi Hosokawa（細川たかし）doesn't really have anything left to prove. He's looked very dapper in his suits but for the past several years, he's been appearing in more formal and traditional garb perhaps to illustrate his status as an elder stateman of the genre.
However, it also seems as if he's been willing to not only show the epic-ness of his music but also to poke a little bit of fun at his image with the help of AI and/or CG. He did this for the music video of his July 2024 85th single"Otokobune"（男船）and now he's gone even further for his most recent single, "Kamui Misaki" (Cape Kamui), which was released in January 2026.
There is an actual Cape Kamui in West Hokkaido but the music video would have you know that the song isn't really about a geographical feature on Japan's northernmost island; it's about Hosokawa as a determined ninja (who somehow got access to Captain America's Super-Soldier Serum) while being assisted by his crack team of cats. Yes, it's a rather Dadaist presentation. But as written by Ayako Fujibayashi（藤林綾子）and composed by Akihito Masuda（増田空人）, it does sound like a manly man enka with that piercing heroic trumpet and an arrangement that would make the Grand Old Man of Enka himself, Saburo Kitajima（北島三郎）, swoon.
Let's start off this Thursday with a regular Reminiscings of Youth article. I remember back in the sixth grade when our teacher was one of those really ambitious types who had some of us creating a mini-greenhouse in the classroom along with macrame owls to boot. One of my classmates was a huge Bay City Rollers fan and she couldn't stop jabbering away about"Saturday Night", one of their big hits.
Methinks that if she had ever met the guys from Scotland, she would have been jabbering in tongues for the rest of her childhood. But "Saturday Night" is indeed a catchy anthem ("S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y NIGHT!") of a power pop song and it was one of the hits that I remember hearing on telly and radio in the mid-1970s. From what I've read, there was an original version released in 1973 in the UK, but it didn't do much on the charts back then. However, it was re-recorded with new lyrics and re-released in the United States sometime in August 1975 and that was all she wrote. It hit No. 1 in both Canada and America.
I've mentioned "The Hockey Theme", the legendary former theme song for the CBC's iconic "Hockey Night in Canada" show. In that article, I also let folks know that "The Hockey Theme" and HNIC parted company years ago due to some failed negotiations between the original composer and the network. But since then, a cover version of "Saturday Night" by the band Monster Truck has been used to get the audience all revved up just before the games begin since HNIC always appears on Saturday night.
Since Wikipedia didn't bother to give an exact date of release for "Saturday Night" (simply August 1975) in the US, I'll just go with what was at the top of the Oricon chart for August 4th 1975. Here are Nos. 1, 4 and 5.
I had never heard of the British band Re-Flex before this song and I never heard from them again. But this one song by them, "The Politics of Dancing", has gone down as one of my favourite dance-pop tunes of any decade. I mean, this one could actually induce me to hit the dance floor and make an unrepentant fool out of myself once I heard those familiar opening notes.
Released in February 1983, I first discovered Re-Flex's debut single when their music video appeared on one of the local shows here, and its theme of the little guy going up against the evil authorities is a well-worn one but one that fits the lyrics here. And why not let it all go and just have a grand ol' time flailing away in the disco once in a while? That's especially true with the extended version.
Burbling bass synthesizer, simmering jangly electric guitar and relentless percussion...what's not to love? In Canada, "The Politics of Dancing" reached No. 13 on RPM and then No. 24 on Billboard in the US. I had actually been thinking of posting this as a second ROY article last week on New Year's Day to signify all of that dancing that must have been done the night before, but I figure that today is as good a day as any.
So, which singles were coming out in Japan in that month? Here are three of them.
First off, many congratulations to enka singer Takashi Hosokawa（細川たかし）on his 50th anniversary in show business. I've often seen the man in formal Japanese dress on stage with a battery of traditional musicians supporting him in the back, although not to the degree that the fellow above has.
It was indeed fifty years ago that Hosokawa debuted with his classic April 1975 "Kokoro Nokori"（心のこり） that also works as a pretty bouncy kayo kyoku. Over the past half-century, he's become famous for a number of hits including this one which became a No. 1 hit and his ticket to the Kohaku Utagassen that year.
But let us not ignore the B-side. In this case, it's "Nakiguse" which translates into "Crying Out" on Jisho.org but I can also see it as being "Forever Crying" as if it's become a sad habit. Written by Takashi Taka（たかたかし）and composed by Koichi Morita（森田公一）, the intro might have a bluesy sax as would be the case for any Mood Kayo, but the feeling here is heart-on-a-sleeve enka. I couldn't find the lyrics online but it sounds as if a guy is trying to render support to a weeping young lady one cold rainy night (of course, it would be a cold rainy night for this sort of thing to happen). Kouji Ryusaki（竜崎孝路）as the arranger provides a quaint sentimental atmosphere of solace as a shield against all that precipitation, meteorological and emotional.
George Orwell's dystopian "1984" (released in 1949) was required reading in high school. I'd heard about it before through media and fellow students, and as the year itself approached, there were all sorts of media taking snatches of its ideas for their own purposes...kinda like teeth from Winston's mouth. And perhaps even before the hype snowballed, expressions from the book such as "Big Brother" and "doublespeak" had already made their way into the vernacular.
One example was Apple launching the MacIntosh computer. It was a great commercial although I wouldn't get my own Mac for several years.
Even Canadian sketch comedy show "SCTV" did their own tribute to "1984" back in early 1981. Not sure how Orson Welles took his "casting" as Big Brother, but here's hoping that he had a sense of humour about it.
All that stuff about "1984" had me shivering in my boots because I'd gotten the paranoid impression that once 1984 arrived, everything would change and we would all be filling our sentences with antonyms.
Then came the news in 1984 (nope, Big Brother didn't arrive) that an actual cinema version of "1984" starring the late John Hurt would be appearing in theatres later in the fall. I'd already read the novel and was primarily interested in it for the twistings of language for political advantage but never really got the gumption to head to the nearest cineplex.
But in a way, I really didn't have to. The Eurythmics were more than willing to bring "1984" to us through their single and accompanying music video "Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)" which had plenty of scenes from the Hurt film.
Thus far on KKP's Reminiscings of Youth series, Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart have continued to amaze decades later with the iconic "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" and then the rock 'em/sock 'em "Missionary Man". In between those two singles though was "Sexcrime" which was released at around the same time as the movie in October 1984. This one single had Annie and Dave in dance music remix mode with a whole bunch of sampling and the former sounding as if she were vigorously stating the affirmative in Japanese. The song was supremely catchy so that hearing it in the trailer for "1984" was a bit weird considering what the movie was all about. One would think that Big Brother would have sent the hounds after Eurythmics for "coolcrime".
Both the song and video got heavy airplay to the extent that I'd gotten my life's worth of "1984" visuals without having to read the novel ever again. On Canada's RPM, "Sexcrime" managed to hit No. 18 while in America, it only reached No. 81 on Billboard although on the dance club charts, it made it to No. 2.
Anyways, what was up on the charts when the movie and the single were released in October 1984? Those Top 3 look too familiar to me so I probably posted them up on a recent ROY article. Therefore, let's go with Nos. 5, 7 and 8.
I only began watching movies regularly at the theatre from the late 1970s when I was approaching my mid-teens and one of my highlights was catching the 1980 "Airplane!", the David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker comedic buffet of craziness that had people rolling in the aisles because of the scattergun gags that came even faster than in the average Mel Brooks movie. The producers also broke the mold by casting serious actors such as Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges and Peter Graves who could deliver crazy lines in a straight-faced manner. Who could forget "Have you ever seen a grown man naked?", "I take mine (coffee) black...just like my men" and "Don't call me Shirley"?
One of those actors was the late Leslie Nielsen who hailed from Regina, Saskatchewan and was the brother of Erik Nielsen, a Progressive Conservative member of Parliament who was also once the Deputy Prime Minister between 1984 and 1986. I'd known about Nielsen since I was a little kid because he was always appearing in television dramas in serious roles as straight-edged cops or corrupt officials. Earlier than that though, Leslie had appeared as the starship commander in the 1956 "Forbidden Planet" which has been seen as a prototype for "Star Trek".
But his career made a major 90-degree turn when he took on "Airplane!". He was no longer the typical straight arrow but because of his zany performance as Dr. Rumack, he was seen as one of the most hilarious stone-faced comedians this side of Buster Keaton. And a couple of years later, he got his chance to take charge in another Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker project...this time on television as Lt. Frank Drebin on the 1982 "Police Squad!". Once again, the laughs came fast and furious (especially in our household) but after six episodes, it was suddenly cancelled for the lame reason that the head honcho of ABC Entertainment had thought that it required too much of the viewers' brain cells to get all of the humour. I had also wondered whether the craziness of the episodes could have lasted an entire season of twenty-two shows without exhausting itself but surely, it could have gone beyond six episodes (don't call me Shirley) which is why I think there may have been more at play behind the scenes than a mere disagreement of how much humour a person could take.
By this point, fans of "Police Squad!" know that the series was an affectionate comedic reference to the NBC cop show "M Squad" of the late 1950s starring Lee Marvin. And the parody extended to the opening credits and the jazzy theme song. Crazily enough, this is Ira Newborn's second time on the Reminiscings of Youth series since I also wrote about him when he came up with the groovy fusion theme for the legendary comedy variety series "SCTV" in 1981.
Well, nothing groovy or fusion about the theme for "Police Squad!". Newborn came up with an epically snazzy Big Band jazz tune that greeted viewers for each of those half-dozen episodes and slaughtered fellow Canadian thespians for half of them. Another wonderful thing is that there is a full version of the theme and it got played in its entirety for the first cinematic feature version in 1989, "The Naked Gun", another laugh riot.
So, when "Police Squad!" had made its premiere in March 1982, what Japanese pop singles were also making their mark on the record shop shelves? Well, we have three records that came out on the same day, March 21st.
One of the main images that I have whenever I hear the term "enka" is a Japanese fishing boat with its captain and crew valiantly fighting the elements as they try to bring in a good haul of mackerel or tuna for market. The arrangements are punchy and there is a goodly amount of brass in there to signify the battle against rain and high waves. Of course, one of the famous songs representing my image is "Kyodai Bune"（兄弟船）by Ichiro Toba（鳥羽一郎）.
I'm pretty sure that there have been enka tunes before and after "Kyodai Bune" that painted a similar picture of fishermen heading out to sea to get their catch. Veteran enka singer Takashi Hosokawa（細川たかし） is just the latest artist to portray the manly activity through his May 2024 single"Otokobune"(A Man's Boat). The rock guitar is in there along with the kakkoii brass, and Hosokawa gives his fine kobushi as usual. But what makes this one stand out is the mondo music video utilizing CG (ancient and otherwise) which weaves together the fishing boat theme and a day in the life of Hosokawa. The lyrics were provided by singer-songwriter Yuu Tomaru（都丸悠）and the music was by Akihito Masuda（増田空人）.
When it comes to the more traditional Japanese music genres, the name Tsugaru（津軽）has had a deep position. In all aspects of talking about Aomori Prefecture at the northern end of the main island of Honshu, it's been used for geographical features, musical instruments and styles, historical clans and the like. Of course, it's popped up in songs such as Sayuri Ishikawa's（石川さゆり）"Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyu Geshiki"（津軽海峡・冬景色）and even commenterJim Laker recently noted a monument by the Tsugaru Strait with the lyrics of a song (possibly Ishikawa's hit).
I don't know much about the genre of min'yo aside from the facts that it represents the traditional folk songs in Japan going back centuries and that it's used at the many festivals which flourish often during the summer. However, I figure that I should get to know some more, including any from the historically and culturally rich aspects of Tsugaru. One that I did find was "Tsugaru Jonkara Bushi" (Tsugaru Jonkara Song) which depending on the area of Aomori can also be pronounced "Tsugaru Jongara Bushi".
From what I could find out about the history of the song, it may have originated as early as 1597 as a ballad based on one monk's futile and fatal attempts to stop the rampaging warlord Tamenobu Oura（大浦為信）, later to take on the surname Tsugaru to form the Tsugaru clan, as he consolidated power in what would become Aomori Prefecture.
Despite its origins, the lyrics of "Tsugaru Jonkara Bushi" have changed over the centuries so that the song basically just describes life in the region. Not only that, but certain sections of the melody can be improvised so that it has been compared as a form of jazz, and according to one site regarding the song, it's now expected that performers of "Tsugaru Jonkara Bushi" come up with their own original arrangements. The instrument itself, the Tsugaru-jamisen (which is also the name for the form of shamisen music from Tsugaru), apparently can lend itself to improvisation.
Above is Yoko Nagayama's（長山洋子）conventional version of the song while below is Takashi Hosokawa's（細川たかし）unique take with a good dollop of disco in the arrangement. In any case, if anyone can clarify or correct my description above on the history of the song, please let me know.
Once again, since it is a holiday Monday here in Canada, we're having another special Reminiscings of Youth article, and this time it's on 80s British synthpop duo Yazoo and their big hit "Don't Go". Released in July 1982, I swear that the opening synth riff had been used as the theme song for a ton of music video shows in Canada and the United States. It's probably one of the most well-known riffs of the 1980s.
In fact, I had known that riff some time before I figured out who Yazoo was. There was former Depeche Mode member Vince Clarke on the keyboards and vocalist Alison Moyet who has a voice who could knock out the doors of any church with that gospel soul in her. And yet, here she was handling a technopop tune.
Although "Don't Go" was a key song of my youth, it didn't seem to make any mark on the Canadian charts. However it did reach No. 1 on the US Hot Dance/Disco chart and it also hit the top spot in Belgium, Iceland and Israel.
So, what was at the top of the Oricon chart for July 1982? I have Nos. 1, 3 and 4.
Consider this as a special Reminiscings of Youth article due to the sudden nature of the subject matter. A few hours ago, I heard about the passing of actor and comedian Joe Flaherty who was one of the members of the legendary comedy skit show "SCTV" back in the 1970s and early 1980s. I've mentioned "SCTV" in a few places on KKP, and last year, I even did a ROY based on one of the theme songs for the show by Ira Newborn.
As with every other cast member on "SCTV", Flaherty played a number of original characters centered around the fictional TV station of Melonville as well as famous Hollywood actors such as Gregory Peck and Kirk Douglas. Arguably his most famous one is that of Count Floyd, the host of "Monster Chiller Horror Theatre" which was most likely based on a similar program that actually aired on real-life Toronto station CITY-TV back in the 1970s. Count Floyd was always getting flustered that the movies were far less scarier than advertised although I think this time with "The House of Cats", he basically got a hit.
I pointed this out on my Twitter feed earlier this afternoon, but I feel that I'm truly lucky to have come across music on both sides of the Pacific when I did in the 70s and 80s and at the same time, I'm truly lucky to have grown up with "SCTV". Although I barely watch television these days outside of what I could get from TV Japan, back in my teens, "SCTV" was one of my favourites. I was about ready to head over to Japan for my second stint there when I heard about SCTV cast member John Candy passing away at the young age of 43 back in 1994. His funeral was held in Los Angeles but a special memorial service took place which was broadcast all across Canada.
Along with Candy and Harold Ramis who passed away in 2014, losing someone like Flaherty is a bit like losing a beloved uncle with a wacky sense of humour. I'm not sure whether Joe will get something as lavish a sendoff as Candy got, and knowing how bashful Joe was in real life, he'd probably blanch in horror at such attention, but I'm hoping that he will get a fine tribute somewhere in mass media over the next few days. The tributes have begun to pour in on Twitter.
For my own tribute, I'd thought about searching for something that Flaherty liked or any of the songs that he sang in character. But then, I discovered this song on YouTube that I hadn't heard about. Never knew about his 1982 SCTV-based album"Count Floyd" but here is this track called "Reggae Christmas Eve in Transylvania". Yep, it's Floyd alright, kvetching as usual, but the rhythm is pretty darn groovy.
My condolences to Flaherty's family, friends and many fans.
What were the big winners at the 1982 Japan Record Awards?
Grand Prize: Takashi Hosokawa -- Kita Sakaba (北酒場）
It's been always difficult to explain the concept of "縁(en)" to my fellow American friends. The usual English translation is "connection", "relation", or "bond". To me, it's more like "fate", a certain force in your life that makes certain encounters unavoidable, as if it's written. And so, around 3 weeks ago, on November 18, 2023, while I was traveling in Tokyo, I finally met, in person, Noelle Tham, one of KKP's contributors who's also an enka 演歌 lover. J-Canuck, the owner of KKP, was joking that I've become the official KKP ambassador, traveling around the world meeting fellow KKP members. According to J-Canuck, now that I've met both him and Noelle in person, I hold the record of having met the most KKP contributors around the world! I'm surely honored. And if this is not "縁(en)", I don't know what to call it 😊. In fact, discovering KKP back in 2012 was certainly some kind of fate.
Noelle and I met at a Yakiniku 焼肉 restaurant in Kichijouji 吉祥寺 in Tokyo. Although I've been to Tokyo many times, I've never been to that part of the city. Originally, we tried to go to a restaurant that specializes in Maguro マグロ, or Tuna, but unfortunately it's fully booked that night and so we settled for Yakiniku.
Even though we've met online several times, it's a completely different experience when I finally got to meet Noelle in person. Call me old school but I've always preferred face to face meetings. I think it'd be quite sad if we all lived our lives in the so called metaverse. But I digress.
We talked about a lot of things - family, places where we grew up, studying in Japan, life as a foreign student, traveling etc etc. It was my 5th day in Japan (I was there for a week) and Noelle asked me where I've visited. I said I went to Shibamata 柴又 because I remembered watching a Japanese drama named Tokyo Sentimental (東京センチメンタル) some years ago. In one episode, the main character went on a date in Shibamata and said it's famous for its unagi (eel over rice).
Shibamata is definitely not a tourist spot among foreigners. However, it's very famous among local tourists because of an extremely well-known TV drama and movie series called "It's Tough Being a Man 男はつらいよ". According to Wikipedia, it holds the Guinness record of the longest running movie series starring a single actor, Atsumi Kiyoshi 渥美清. From 1969 through 1989, two films were made each year, whereas from 1990 through 1995, one film was made and released each year during New Year. Kiyoshi, who played the role of Tora-san 寅さん in that series, passed away in 1996 at the age of 68.
As soon as I mentioned Shibamata, our conversation immediately shifted to one about music. It turned out that Noelle's mom loves Shibamata because it's associated with her beloved enka song "Yagiri no Watashi 矢切の渡し". In Shibamata, there is a historical site by the same name. It's a tiny little old pier where residents of Tokyo have been using to cross the Edo River 江戸川 by boat since the beginning of the Edo Period 江戸時代 (1603-1868). The boats are still running today from March through November, weather permitting. Furthermore, as I've said above, there're almost no foreign tourists in Shibamata and so Noelle's mom would like to check out this relatively off beaten path.
In 1976, Chiaki Naomi ちあきなおみ released "Yagiri no Watashi 矢切の渡し" as a B-side song in her single Sakabagawa 酒場川. It was written by Funamura Tooru 船村徹 whereas Ishimoto Miyuki 石本美由起 took care of the lyrics. It's a story about two young lovers who decided to run away from their parents. They were secretly trying to cross the Edo river at Yagiri no Watashi amid heavy rain one evening, surrendering to their fate and letting the river carry them to wherever it may be. The song was later covered by a whole bunch of people including Hosokawa Takashi 細川たかし, Misora Hibari 美空ひばり, Fuji Keiko 藤圭子 (Utada Hikaru's 宇多田ヒカル mother), and even Nakamori Akina 中森明菜. Among them, Hosokawa Takashi fetched the highest record sales for the song, according to Wikipedia.
Here's Chiaki Naomi's version.
And here's Hosokawa's version.
Personally, I like Chiaki's version better because she used two different voices, a male and a female one, for the part where the two lovers converse with each other. Her voice also brings out the drama depicted by the story of the song.
It's been a very very enjoyable evening. Thank you, Noelle. If I happen to be in Tokyo, we should do it again.
Doing another reference to last night's "Uta Con"（うたコン）, the episode began with Sayuri Ishikawa's（石川さゆり）non-enka hit, the jazzy "Whiskey ga O-Suki deshou?" (ウィスキーが、お好きでしょ）and the singer naturally sang it in the middle of a whiskey distillery. Not sure if she got free samples afterwards; it certainly couldn't have been beforehand.
But it did get me to think about another Author's Picks list about kayo kyoku involving alcoholic libations. It's a natural fit, too, since Japan has been said to possess a bar culture. Noting how much the Japanese love their drink whether it be the native sake and shochu or the imported beer, whiskey, cocktails, etc, the culture has basically woven itself into the practice of doing business in the nation. Weirdly enough, I never considered myself even a social drinker. How I (or my liver) managed to survive nearly two decades in Japan, I'll never know but I was practically forced to learn to appreciate beer in mass quantities.
However, before this article ends up as a sermon at Alcoholics Anonymous, let me show you some Alcohol Kayo Kyoku.
As with the previous article for Saori Minami's（南沙織）"Kizutsuku Sedai"（傷つく世代）, enka singer Takashi Hosokawa's（細川たかし）performance of "Oki Tegami" (The Letter I Left For You) is a song that I heard for the first time on that same episode of "Yoru no Hit Studio"（夜のヒットスタジオ）where I saw Minami perform her song.
"Oki Tegami" was Hosokawa's 5th single from July 1976 and despite the proud and jaunty arrangement by Tachio Okano（あかのたちお）, the song written and composed by Koji Tokuhisa（徳久広司）is a sad one about a woman reluctantly but necessarily ending an affair with a Dear John letter included with some mild warnings about his health. From the "Yoru no Hit Studio" performance and the listening to the above recorded version, I did think that there was some resemblance melodically with Hosokawa's famous hit debut "Kokoro Nokori"（心のこり）from 1975 and it turns out that arranger Okano was the guy in charge of that song, too, although the lyricist and composer were different.
If I'm not mistaken, the video below is right out of that "Yoru no Hit Studio" episode itself. In recent years, Hosokawa has come out on shows like "Uta Con"（うたコン）in the most flamboyant of Japanese garb, but back in the day, he used to be in those really sober-sided suits.
On the latest episode of "Uta Con"（うたコン）before it went on official summer hiatus for a month, the show began with a medley of summer kayo favourites. One such song was a Takashi Hosokawa（細川たかし） tune that I hadn't heard in a very long time and hasn't been included on the blog until now.
Probably the reason that it was placed into the summer medley was the generous inclusion of beer into the lyrics, and if I'm not mistaken, Hosokawa's 38th single from May 1991, the feel-good "Ouenka, Ikimasu" (I'm Going with the Fight Song) was used for a beer commercial, though I have yet to find it. It's an interesting song to be sure because though the veteran enka singer uses some of those enka vocal techniques, the melody by Motoyoshi Iwasaki（岩崎元是）is much more along the lines of the late pop troubadour Eiichi Ohtaki（大滝詠一）and sure enough, I've found out through Iwasaki's J-Wiki file that he was greatly inspired by Ohtaki. Actually, the Hokkaido singer-songwriter already has representation on KKP via his own City Pop stuff from the mid-1980s.
The lyrics of enjoying the company of good buddies and beer were created by veteran Shigesato Itoi（糸井重里）. Frankly, I was surprised that "Ouenka, Ikimasu" hadn't been given its own J-Wiki article since the song seems to have created a lot of good vibes for that year including folks raising their mugs of suds. At this point, I'm not sure how well the song did on Oricon but it must have been done well enough to earn Hosokawa his invitation to the Kohaku Utagassen in 1991 and 2014 to perform this particular tune.
I can imagine that the beer gardens in Tokyo are packed right now with some very thirsty drinkers, especially with the usual heat and humidity that beats down on residents in a typical Japanese summer. Drink hearty, my friends!🍻
I almost neglected to mention that this is a follow-up to Noelle's original article on the song.
Good afternoon, America! I know that the national holiday is not here but in the States but what the heck? It's time for another special holiday edition of Reminiscings of Youth along the lines of what I provided on Canada Day.
This was obviously several years before my time when Dave Garroway introduced the very first episode of NBC's venerable morning news show "Today" back on January 14th 1952, the first of its kind not only in the USA but in the world. For whatever oddball reason, I did have an affinity for morning shows whether it be the old "Canada AM" here or the kids' show "Rocketship 7" on the Buffalo ABC affiliate. Maybe it was the fact that there was a certain freshness behind the sharing of news or fun so early in the morning.
In 1975, I heard that there was going to be a new morning show on the ABC network in November called "Good Morning America", and it was going to be a breaking of the mold that had been set by the "Today" show over twenty years prior. For one thing, it was going to be headed up by actors David Hartman and Nancy Dussault. Actors are going to be doing breakfast news?! That was weird to say the least, especially since I had already known Hartman on at least one prime-time drama "The Bold Ones". Dussault was someone that I had seen on a commercial and then would gain even bigger fame starring with Ted Knight on the sitcom "Too Close for Comfort" a few years later.
Regardless, I remember practically begging my mother to wake me up early so that I could catch this "Good Morning America" right from the opening credits. It took a few tries but I finally did it, and it certainly was different. I guess I saw it with the same level of expectation and excitement that viewers had (well, those who had TV sets back then) when Garroway introduced "Today". I don't think I had ever seen a news set which resembled a well-to-do living room and kitchen from "Good Housekeeping". The approach was quite light: Steve Bell provided the news on the half-hour for a few minutes, a happy weather person came on, and then Hartman and Dussault brought in the celebrities and consumer interest folks for some light chatter. "Good Morning America" was also the show where I first heard about this weird upcoming film called "Star Wars" thanks to entertainment reporter Rona Barrett which included the TIE fighter attack scene.
It was all so very welcoming and that included the theme song by the late great Marvin Hamlisch who's already represented here on KKP via his composition of "Nobody Does It Better" by Carly Simon in another ROY article. As of this writing, it is the only morning news show theme that I still remember after 48 years since I'm not even sure whether "Today" or the CBS equivalent had theme songs at the time. Regardless, I heard different variations on the "Good Morning America" theme throughout the broadcast including a Dixieland jazz version and a flute-driven take as the show went into commercial. I do enjoy the version above although I don't think it's the one that greeted me on those mornings decades ago; it's got that pleasant AOR feeling.
I no longer watch "Good Morning America" but of course the personnel has changed and the suburban living room set is long gone. However, I am hoping that everyone enjoys the show's golden anniversary in a couple of years. As I mentioned above, the show began near the end of 1975 so who were the winners for the Japan Record Awards back then?
The name Irene Cara was on the Trending list on Twitter this morning, and usually when I see a name on that list, I think that the person is there because they have said something controversial or meaningful. But then out of curiosity and my nostalgia for the 1980s, I checked it out and I couldn't quite believe that the singer and actress had passed away yesterday. Holding onto that string of hope that it was just a sick joke, I checked CNN but sadly, it was all true.
I hadn't heard about Cara in many years. As such, I've always seen her as one of the many beacons of the 1980s. The other beacon was of course the poster of the 1983 movie "Flashdance" with star Jennifer Beals sitting towards the camera with that extended neck hole which became such a popular fashion statement of the decade. I never saw the movie but frankly I didn't have to. The movie became so popular that scenes were always being played on television.
I knew Cara for five songs. Two of them came from the 1980 film "Fame" with the title track and the heartfelt ballad "Out Here on My Own". One was the song of its times "Breakdance", and then there was another upbeat single "Why Me?". However, arguably her most famous song was the hit "Flashdance...What a Feeling"which was the theme song for the aforementioned "Flashdance" and Cara's March 1983 single.
The movie, the poster and that single created by Giorgio Moroder and Keith Forsey became the triumvirate as one of the pop culture icons of the 1980s. "Flashdance... What a Feeling" had those distinctive synths and a power pop styling that pretty much had aerobics instructors and students punching the air in triumph whenever it was played. As well, the song becoming a major hit for 1983 was a regular entry in the local TV music video rankings show "The CHUM Top 30", so I saw Beals doing her dance routine regularly as this song was playing. The accolades were enormous, too, as Cara won an Oscar, a Grammy and a Golden Globe for it. Not surprisingly, it hit No. 1 on the charts in many nations including the United States and Canada, and maybe even Japan, too. For one of my other ROY articles, the one for Commodores'"Turn Off the Lights", it was even listed as one of the songs that was showing up on the Oricon list.
In any case, I hope that Cara's family, friends and fans are holding up together right now during this very sad time. Of course, when "Flashdance... What a Feeling" was released, there were songs up on the Oricon chart for March 1983. I think that the Top 3 have already been mentioned in another ROY article so this time around, let's go with Nos. 9, 10 and 11.
As a big P.S., I also have to say that "Flashdance... What a Feeling" has been covered by a number of Japanese artists with one being Miki Asakura（麻倉未稀）, which became her 6th single released in July 1983. It was used as the theme song for the TBS drama "Stewardess Monogatari"（スチュワーデス物語...Stewardess Story）.
As if anyone needed reminding, it is indeed October 1st, 2022. Time for fall leaves, harvesting and good food such as matsutake mushrooms and grilled sanma in Japan. Turkey and pumpkin pie would be the delicacies here in Canada and the United States, but I digress.
Last Saturday, I began a series known as "Go-Touchi Songs", those tunes that reflect a certain region or prefecture or city in Japan. They are held near and dear by many people in the country and last weekend, I started with Hokkaido and the Tohoku region which tends towards the northern part of the main island of Honshu. But as promised, I am now going into the area where I spent almost two decades of my life: the Kanto region which includes Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Gunma, Chiba and Kanagawa Prefectures along with Metropolitan Tokyo. As was displayed in last week's list, the songs aren't all about enka and Mood Kayo. Also to reiterate, this is a very tiny list merely to provide a small taste of these geographically based songs (especially where Tokyo and Yokohama are concerned); you can take a look at the far more extensive list at J-Wiki. Plus, I'll be covering the Chubu region next week.
1. Yukio Hashi -- Itakogasa (潮来笠) for Itako City in Ibaraki (1960)
2. Duke Aces -- Ii Yu da na （いい湯だな）for Gunma (1966)
7. Ayumi Ishida -- Blue Light Yokohama（ブルーライト・ヨコハマ）for Yokohama, Kanagawa (1968)
As was the case with Hokkaido and the Tohoku last week, I'd like to finish with a couple of delicacies from the Kanto: yaki manju（焼き饅頭）in Gunma and monjayaki（もんじゃ焼き）in Tokyo respectively.
I'd like to acknowledge and once again give my thanks for this lovely keychain with a younger Takashi Hosokawa's（細川たかし）handsome visage sent by our KKP co-administrator and enka/Mood Kayo expert Noelle Tham. It has made for a good conversational piece all these years.
As I mentioned in my previous article regarding Junko Yagami（八神純子）, tonight's episode of NHK's "Uta Con"（うたコン）had the theme of successful kayo in other countries such as America and South Korea. Of course, Japanese City Pop has been one major factor in this flourishing and appreciation of kayo kyoku beyond the nation's shores. However, even before Mariya Takeuchi's（竹内まりや）"Plastic Love" exploded on YouTube a few years ago, there was also the phenomena of Vaporwave and Future Funk which often kneaded and manipulated some of those urban contemporary tunes in Japan. So names such as Jung Baeand Saint Pepsi as some of the driving forces also became familiar to me while we were all working on our articles on "Kayo Kyoku Plus" in the 2010s.
One other name I've seen is Night Tempo who, according to Everybody Wiki, has been around since 2015 making his brand of Future Funk in his native South Korea. The above is one of his earlier creations, "Moonlight Tokyo Bay". Night Tempo also made his appearance on "Uta Con" tonight as part of the episode's theme on kayo getting its due overseas, and much to my surprise, it hasn't just been the Japanese urban contemporary stuff of the 1980s that has been his paint and canvas.
In fact, the lad has come up with his "Showa Groove" series of overall kayo kyoku given some beats and twists. And the example that he showed tonight on "Uta Con" was his take on Takashi Hosokawa's big hit "Kita Sakaba". I was especially happy with this one because "Kita Sakaba" just happens to be one of the first kayo kyoku that slid me into my mania for the Showa Era music in the first place starting from the 1980s, and it became one of my go-to songs at karaoke.
Hosokawa appeared with Night Tempo to perform this newer version of "Kita Sakaba" along with a group of Bubble Era dancers in what looked to be a cabaret club in Tokyo. Just the place for it! If you like, you can take a gander at some of his other creations on YouTube.
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