The Works of Jun Hashimoto (1939-2026)（橋本淳）

From Yahoo Japan

 

Not to say that I'm an X-Man or anyone like that, but earlier today as I was entering my usual digestion-induced nap, I got a little spark in my head about whether there would be an obituary regarding someone in the music industry, and annually, there have been a few. As it turns out, less than an hour ago, I was watching the morning news on NHK and the report came out that veteran lyricist Jun Hashimoto had passed away on May 21st at the age of 86 due to cirrhosis.

Since I began this blog back in 2012, as someone who hadn't been too up on lyricists, arrangers and composers at the time, Hashimoto's name was one that I came across fairly often especially in the early years of KKP. And according to both J-Wiki and NHK, he had written approximately 2000 songs of which a little over 70 have been covered here. He worked with a number of composers during his career which lasted close to 60 years but it was his collaborations with the late Kyohei Tsutsumi（筒美京平）that produced a lot of those kayo kyoku hits.

Born on July 8th 1939, Hashimoto was born Junsuke Yoda（与田凖介 ）, the son of famed poet and children's book author Junichi Yoda（与田凖一）, in Tokyo. He started learning about lyric writing on his own while studying at Aoyama Gakuin University, and he eventually came under the wing of composer Koichi Sugiyama（すぎやまこういち）in 1961. Some years later in 1966, his first stint at lyrics which ended up as a record was "Kiiroi Lemon"（黄色いレモン...Yellow Lemon） by another Sugiyama protege, singer Koichi Fuji（藤浩一）who would later become Masato Shimon（子門真人）. It was also Tsutsumi's first stint at composing a record as well under Sugiyama's wing. Thus, the source of all those Hashimoto/Tsutsumi hits can be tracked back here.

Of course, a couple of years later, Hashimoto and Tsutsumi would pen their first evergreen kayo hit, "Blue Light Yokohama"（ブルーライト・ヨコハマ）by Ayumi Ishida（いしだあゆみ）. 

The lights of the city are really beautiful, aren't they?                                                                                  Yokohama, Blue Light Yokohama                                                                                                                The two of us are so happy

As always, those words of love                                                                                                                    Yokohama, Blue Light Yokohama                                                                                                                Give those words to me

A year previously though, Hashimoto with Jackey Yoshikawa and his Blue Comets member and composer Tadao Inoue（井上忠夫）came up with "Blue Chateau"（ブルー・シャトウ）, arguably the Group Sounds band's most famous hit from 1967. In fact, NHK reported that Hashimoto was instrumental to the GS boom of those late 1960s.

Surrounded by the woods and the springs                                                                                                  There quietly sleeps the Blue Chateau                                                                                                      You are waiting for me                                                                                                              The dark and lonely Blue Chateau

Another Group Sounds hit that Hashimoto wrote was "Amairo no Kami no Otome"（亜麻色の髪の少女）by The Village Singers  (ヴィレッジ・シンガーズ) in 1968 with his mentor and composer Sugiyama behind the melody. 

The wind gently folds the long flaxen hair                                                                                              The girl holds the white bouquet to her chest                                                                                               As she comes down the hill as if with wings                                                                                     To her kind boyfriend she goes                                                         Her singing voice cheerful because she's in love

Even with the end of the Group Sounds period in the early 1970s, Hashimoto would continue to pen the hits including the popular duet song "Canada Kara no Tegami" (カナダからの手紙）in 1978 with Masaaki Hirao（平尾昌晃） , who also composed it, and Yoko Hatanaka（畑中葉子）. Yeah, to think I pummeled the heck out of that one at karaoke, and it was a Hashimoto classic!

Love letter from Canada                                                                                                                              If by chance, we were together                                                                                                                      How much fun we would have on this trip                                                                                                  Love letter from Canada

Hashimoto and Hirao would work together again soon after and this time, it would be for the theme song of one of the most famous anime series ever created, "Ginga Tetsudo 999"（銀河鉄道999）as sung mightily by Isao Sasaki（ささきいさお）.

The train comes out of the darkness into the sea of light                                                                     It's the endless universe where dreams scatter                                                                                          Let's cross the bridge of stars                                                                                               People will always search for happiness                                                                               As if they were voyagers

My last entry here involves Hashimoto's dalliance with City Pop, and I'm not sure how far down the rabbit hole he went but he and Tsutsumi worked together here as well to make Hiromi Iwasaki's（岩崎宏美) "Street Dancer" in 1980. 

As I keep my sunglasses on                                                                                                                          I gaze at the flow of time                                                                                                                            Weekend                                                                                                                   The neon at noon, the glittering streets                                                                                Stuffing my face with a hamburger                                                                                                          Seeking the sprit of youth                                                                                                                          Together

Of course, this article isn't anywhere near as comprehensive as I would like it to be. However, I did want to pay homage to the man in some fashion and hopefully some of you can take a look at the other articles of songs that Hashimoto wrote over his decades in the music business. My condolences to his family, friends, fans and many fellow songwriters in the industry.

The Village Singers -- Barairo no Kumo（バラ色の雲）

 

When I hear about the Group Sounds band The Village Singers（ヴィレッジ・シンガーズ）, the go-to song that comes to mind is the cheerful and laidback "Amairo no Kami no Otome"（亜麻色の髪の少女）from 1968. It has since gone on to become a kayo classic.

About half a year earlier in August 1967, The Village Singers also had another hit in the form of "Barairo no Kumo" (Rose-Coloured Clouds). Via J-Wiki, according to the liner notes in another major CD collection for the late composer Kyohei Tsutsumi（筒美京平）who had made this one of his earliest compositions, the title originated through lyricist Jun Hashimoto（橋本淳）whose father was poet Junichi Yoda（与田凖一）; apparently, Hashimoto picked up the secret from his father and fellow literati that listeners' and readers' imaginations can be aroused through the intriguing usage of abstract words. Personally though, I think rose-coloured clouds can exist depending on the time of day and the angle, but that's about as far as I will go on my theories.

In any case, "Barairo no Kumo" has got quite the urgent rhythm compared to the relaxing "Amairo no Kami no Otome" as the protagonist in the song looks on those titular clouds in the sky as he pines for that woman he left behind in her hometown. There's also some good power through the popping percussion and the sharp strings. The song managed to hit No. 2 on Oricon.

Mason Williams -- Classical Gas

 

On this week's Reminiscings of Youth, I'd like to take you back to my early childhood late 1960s. Though my memories of that time are getting hazier the farther I age away from them, I still remember those days going into the 1970s as the era of the prime-time variety show in America. One of those programs was "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" on CBS which had a shorter run than I had thought at only two years (1967-1969). Tom and Dick Smothers have been folk singers and comedians who had their duo act with Tom being the goofy sibling while Dick was the straight man.

I have always been grateful to YouTube for being able to show all of these old television shows from my childhood since they no longer show up on regular television anymore. I don't think that I'd seen any rerun from "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" since when I did see them in their first run, and frankly the only reason that I had been able to remember Tom and Dick and their show was because of one song.

"Classical Gas" was one weird title for a song but it was one big hit for classical guitar player Mason Williams. Released in April 1968, it was this rather epic instrumental piece that seemed perfect for the times with some tender playing by Williams before things erupted into this whole orchestral adventure. For years, I just considered it to be pop orchestra along the lines of whatever The Boston Pops Orchestra was doing but now I know it to be one of the first examples of Baroque Pop that I ever heard. But I always wondered why whenever I remember The Smothers Brothers, I always hear "Classical Gas".

Of course, I figured that Williams probably played the song on the show. Well, I found out from Wikipedia that he played it several times over the course of the show's time on television. In fact, I also discovered that Williams wasn't only a performer there but also one of the comedy writers on "The Smothers Brothers" and he was even the fellow who came up with the theme song for the show! He would also become a writer for "Saturday Night Live" many years later.

Getting back to "Classical Gas", I remembered that it was a source for a rather ribald joke said by probably Tom (and maybe written by Williams) comparing the title to some sort of physical consequence after consuming lots of beans. Can't take the music all that seriously after all. I was wondering how the title came to be...was it a typically hippie expression of an existential miasma infused into all enlightened beings? Well, Wikipedia has come to the rescue again...the origins were far more mundane. It had originally been known as "Classical Gasoline" as in a source of fuel for classical guitar music in general, until it was accidentally shortened by a music copyist. I've also learned that Mike Post, the composer of so many famous TV theme songs including that of "The A-Team", was behind its arrangement. "Classical Gas" hit No. 2 on both the American and Canadian singles charts.

Unlike "Classical Gas", I never remembered Williams' theme song for "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" but here it is.

In any case, what was being released in April 1968 in Japan? Well, according to my usual source, considering the age, it's not surprising to note that it was all about Group Sounds. I've found three although according to what I've written about them, they actually came out in February and March of that year.

The Village Singers -- Amairo no Kami no Otome （亜麻色の髪の少女）

The Tempters -- Kamisama Onegai （神様お願い）

The Spiders -- Ano Toki Kimi wa Wakakatta（あの時君は若かった）

Hitomi Shimatani/The Village Singers -- Amairo no Kami no Otome （亜麻色の髪の少女）

This was another one of those songs that seemed to be everywhere at every time during the space of a year. I had heard of Hitomi Shimatani（島谷ひとみ） previously, through her cover of the Janet Jackson hit "Doesn't Really Matter", but she really hit the pay dirt with this souped-up cover of a song by a band from her own (rhythm) nation from decades back.

I hadn't heard the original version of "Amairo no Kami no Otome" (The Girl With The Flaxen Hair), and I suspect many of the fans of this new version probably hadn't either, but it was one of those tunes that seemed to prick up everyone's ears and get them moving. Released in May 2002 as Shimatani's 7th single, the 21st-century dance arrangement was such that I hadn't realized that it was a cover of something from the 60s, and just thought it was Avex Trax coming up with another rumbly hit a la Namie Amuro or Tomomi Kahala. In any case, the infectiously happy melody, the video, Shimatani's vocals and looks all helped to get the song up to No. 4 on Oricon. It sold about 375,000 copies and got the Hiroshima-born singer an invitation to the Kohaku Utagassen. Ultimately, "Amairo no Kami no Otome" became the 22nd-ranked song for 2002.

The big hit for Shimatani also brought attention to the original song which had been released in February 1968 and sung by The Village Singers (ヴィレッジ・シンガーズ), a Group Sounds band that was around from 1966 to 1971. "Amairo no Kami no Otome" was written by Jun Hashimoto (橋本淳...who also came up with the classic "Blue Light Yokohama" for Ayumi Ishida) and composed by Koichi Sugiyama（すぎやまこういち）. However, the song had a proto-existence of sorts when it was initially made for singer Michi Aoyama（青山ミチ） under the title of "Kaze Fuku Oka de"（風吹く丘で...On a Windy Hill） in 1966; but it got put into the vaults instead until it was dusted off a couple of years later with the new title.

It has that breezy Hawaiian twang feel that was common to a lot of Group Sounds songs. The 1968 "Amairo no Kami no Otome" went as high as No. 7 on the then-newborn Oricon chart. It was also used as the theme song for a TBS talk-music variety show aimed at the younger generation titled "Young 720", and from last year, it has been used as the train departure warning chime at Isesaki Station on the Tobu-Isesaki Line going through Gunma Prefecture.