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.
Wishing you the penultimate Happy Monday for 2023 as Kayo Grace Kyoku enjoys the coffee and cake set at a stylish café during the Holidays. It's safe to say that a lot of us are in the homestretch of Xmas shopping before next Monday.
Since Christmas is seen as a party hearty holiday in Japan, let's start off this week with a seasonal song reflecting that. The late aidoru group Tomato n' Pine contributed their own feelings to Yuletide music in the form of their 3rd single as a major act in December 2011 with the No. 68-ranking"Jingle Girl Joui Jidai"（ジングルガール上位時代...The Superior Age for Jingle Girls）. One of the coupling songs on the CD was "Yuki ga Furu kara" (Because the Snow Will Fall), a typically upbeat and jingly-jangly tune about getting the lasses together for a Christmas Eve sleepover talking about the usual things as their favourite guys and stuff. According to the lyrics by Kotaro Kusuno, one of them is even in charge of the (Kentucky Fried) chicken. How Japanese Xmas can one get? The music is provided by Kenji Tamai and Takahiro Furukawa.
Come to think of it, I'm in charge of the turkey this year so it'll be time to get that stuffed thigh roll sometime this week. Wouldn't mind chilling in some stylish café though just like Kayo.
Ahhh...the Big Box shopping complex in Takadanobaba in Tokyo just north of Shinjuku. I didn't go in there all that much but it's a landmark for the neighbourhood. Speaking of which, I had a big box of poutine along with my hamburger for lunch today when I met up with an old friend. I'm really going to have to walk an hour or so tomorrow. Oh, and we're having steak for dinner tonight.😋
We're starting off Urban Contemporary Friday on KKP with a little something from the long-departed disco aidoru group Tomato n' Pine. In fact, it's been a little over a decade since they called it quits at the end of 2012. I think that my first article on them was on their catchy and groovy "Wanna Dance!" from 2011.
The same guys behind "Wanna Dance!", lyricists Kenji & Jane and composer Takahiro Furukawa, were also responsible for "Daiji na Love Letter" (A Dear Love Letter), a track from their August 2012 album"PS4U". As would be the case for the songwriters, this particular creation also has that bouncy disco beat but this time around, there is also a bit more swift-winged speed in the arrangement as Yui, Hina and Wada relate the story of a young girl sending herself a letter to buck up and overcome all of those troubles. Maybe at the same time, it might be good for her to put on the dancing shoes and hit the Roppongi disco.
I don't live in a postcard city like Rio de Janeiro, but
the town where I live, called Resende, is also quite charming... especially
when the nature helps. This photo was taken in 2012.
Earlier this year, I shared a selection of Japanese
songs that were inspired by Brazilian music genres here on Kayo Kyoku Plus called Marcos V.’s Special Selection: Love Letter to Brazil. It
wasn’t a new idea, as I’ve done a similar exercise at least once many years
ago, but I believe I’m more suitable to its challenges right now… basically
because I’ve been paying more attention to these crossovers recently. Also, considering
that there are a lot of Japanese pop songs composed and arranged like samba or
bossa nova (which is something quite surprising to me, honestly speaking), I
could probably build countless of these selections. Many of the songs are very
faithful to Brazilian rhythms and composing style, while another good chunk is
just vaguely inspired. I like both types, though, so I decided to post five
Japanese songs, plus a Brazilian one at the end, but in a very free manner,
without worrying so much about authenticity or things like that. I just happen
to like them, and they remind me of the rich musical heritage of my country…
even if, in this case, filtered by Japanese lens.
Megumi Hayashibara – Distance
It was not easy to choose this one among many other
Brazilian-inspired pop songs released by Megumi Hayashibara (林原めぐみ) since she began her singing career. Originally
released in 1991 as an image song to the OVA adaptation of Yuzo Takada’s (高田裕三) manga “3x3 EYES”, “Distance” is curious because it has
nothing to do with Brazil or Latin American, since its lyrics, if I’m not
mistaken, are closely related to the character Pai (パイ), voiced by Hayashibara, who alternates between a
sweet and innocent Tibetan girl and a powerful, ancient, three-eyed demon who
lives inside her (hence “3x3 EYES”). Anyway, the music is clearly samba-inspired,
just don’t ask me why, and I love Hayashibara’s raw vocals from her early days.
“Distance” was later rerecorded and included in her second album, “WHATEVER”,
released in 1992.
Chisato Moritaka – Modorenai
Natsu (戻れない夏)
Besides Pink Lady (ピンク・レディー) and The Beatles, I believe Chisato Moritaka (森高千里) is also a big fan of bossa nova/samba, since
she has recorded many Brazilian-inspired tunes through the years. “Modorenai
Natsu”, an early example of this trend in her discography, is probably the one
I listen to the most, mainly because it’s kind of relaxing and features a nice
arrangement filled with jazzy keyboards, a sometimes relentless cuíca and the
rich instrumental breakdown. It’s not one of Moritaka’s strongest vocal
performances, though, but her breezy vocals are also kind of charming.
“Modorenai Natsu” was included in the singer’s third full album “Mite” (見て), which was released in 1988.
Toshiki Kadomatsu – La Carnaval
Toshiki Kadomatsu (角松敏生) is probably best known for the City Pop sound he
explored through the 80s, but the man kept releasing quality stuff even after
the dawn of the Bubble Era, with 2010’s“La Carnaval”, from the album
“Citylights Dandy”, being a nice example. This time, though, there’s no obvious
urban City Pop quirks, as Kadomatsu uses his musical experience to create a song
full of Brazilian rhythms and swing. Just like Moritaka’s “Modorenai Natsu”
beforehand, Kadomatsu also engages in a jazzy piano solo here.
Aya Matsumoto – TOKYO Wagamama
Musume (TOKYOわがまま娘)
Easily one of the rarest Japanese singles I’ve ever
listened, Aya Matsumoto’s (松本彩)
“TOKYO Wagamama Musume” is as bouncy as a Japanese take on samba can be with
its nice percussion and that melodic short guitar solo in the instrumental
breakdown, even though, apparently, it has nothing to do with Brazil in its thematic.
Anyway, I really like the inclusion of cuíca (well, based on the examples above, it
seems like Japan loves to include those when doing a Brazilian-inspired song)
and samba whistle in the arrangement. Unfortunately, besides this single, which
was released in 1989, Aya Matsumoto just vanished from show business and never
released other songs.
A promotional song from the Tomato n’ Pine’s album “PS4U”, which was
released in 2012, “Odore Carnaval”, lyrically speaking, is a big mishmash of a
song, but in a good and fun way. It mentions lots of Latin American countries
(including Brazil, of course), cities and words related to their music genres,
contains the Italian expression “mi amore” and evokes a hot, sweaty and
tropical party… all of this behind a discofied Carnival-like sound. Everything
is very stereotypical here, combining lots of different things into an
amorphous Latin song, but I don’t have a problem with that at all, since it’s
so well done and cute. The original video (which I’ve found with English and
Portuguese subtitles on the link above) is also a treat, so let’s just ‘mawasu,
mawasu, mawasu, mawasu, mawasu’ with these girls forever and ever.
Gilberto Gil – Toda Menina
Baiana
To finish, here's a song by Gilberto Gil, one of Brazil’s
legendary singer-songwriters. This is a thrilling forró version (forró is a
music genre from Brazil's northeastern region) of “Toda Menina Baiana” (which
can be translated as “Every Bahian Girl” or “Every Girl from Bahia”), one of
his many hit songs, which was originally included in the album “Realce”, released in1979. I almost need to get
up and dance every time I listen to this song.
Happy Monday! Along with the mystery surrounding how they managed to get the caramel into the Caramilk bar (inside national joke), the other bugbear is how did the erstwhile aidoru group of the early 2010s, Tomato n' Pine, end up with that name. Was the producer hanging about in the produce section of a supermarket during the Holiday season and he/she noticed that there were Xmas trees selling nearby? Enquiring minds want to know.
While we mull that eternal question, I've unearthed another one of the group's catchy numbers "POP SONG 2 U", a track from their 2nd single“Captain wa Kimi da!” (キャプテンは君だ!) released in August 2010. Beginning with a riff that sounds like it was inspired from Kylie Minogue's"I Should Be So Lucky" or Sinitta's"Toy Boy", I gather that the members of Tomato n' Pine plus the songwriters Kenji, Jane and Yoshihiro Saito wanted to revive 80s Eurobeat once again. Heck, even during the opening rap by Yui, Hina and Wada, I even got a bit of Tom Tom Club.
Not sure what Kenji and Jane's lyrics are all about but they've been fortified by a lot of tropical fruits on a level that would rival the orchard that lives in Meiko Nakahara's（中原めいこ）"Kimi Tachi Kiwi Papaya Mango da ne"（君たちキウイ・パパヤ・マンゴだね）. For me, though, the important thing is that my memories of Stock, Aitken and Waterman are still happily intact thanks to this song. "POP SONG 2 U" is also available on the trio's lone full album "PS4U" from August 2012. It peaked at No. 38.
Happy Monday! I've often been enjoying some of the contributions by YouTube artist Artzie Music in weaving remixes from older/newer Japanese pop songs to form what could be called examples of Vaporwave or Future Funk, or as I would call it, Kayo on Disco Acid. Part of the pleasure personally speaking is trying to find out what the original song was. Last night, I saw the above video and got hooked onto the song here. I had to go through the YouTube comments with a fine-toothed comb and finally found out that the tune was a relatively recent creation.
The song is "Wanna Dance" by the late aidoru group Tomato n'Pine. I first heard about this trio consisting of YUI, HINA and WADA in Marcos V.'s March 2014 article on his "Retro Grooves and Underground Aidoru Gems Playlist". I was grateful to my co-blogger for introducing me to the various artists especially the 80s City Pop-influenced aidoru unit Especia. I ended up getting a couple of CDs by them because of the very catchy "Kurukana" (くるかな).
When I first heard of Tomato n'Pine, my first impressions were either of a new fruit juice on the supermarket shelves or a vegan detective duo. Nope, they were actually that aforementioned trio that had a brief life between 2009 and 2012, and it seems like they were in the same vein as Especia in terms of their devotion to the lively pop music of yesteryear.
With "Wanna Dance!", there was even more of a funk and disco element than what I heard from their "Captain wa Kimi da!"(キャプテンは君だ...The Captain is You!) from Marcos' article...and I could even hear a hint of the old theme song from the US cop show "SWAT" (cue wistful sighs). It's quite the combination of the aidoru vocals from Tomapai teamed up with music that I used to hear the grownups boogie to when I was a kid.
Catchy "Wanna Dance!" was Track 3 on the unit's 3rd and final single for Sony Records, "Jingle Girl Joui Jidai" (ジングルガール上位時代...The Superior Era of the Jingle Girl) from December 2011. The single didn't get any higher than No. 68 on Oricon, but listening to this fun track and remembering Especia, y'know, I wouldn't mind hearing some more of these examples of aidoru doing disco. Perhaps a new genre can be born: Aidoru Funk. Ah, just before I forget, "Wanna Dance!" was written by Kenji Tamai and Jane Su with the disco melody by Takahiro Furukawa.
Just to follow up, I think giving the members' full names might be in order:
Inspired by my own post about Greeen Linez’s “HibiscusPacific”, I came up with a small playlist of retro inspired songs focusing mostly
in late night grooves and some underground aidoru-pop
gems that also flirts with a retro style. As always, I had a lot of fun “building”
this entry, and I hope you guys enjoy the songs presented here. Also, different
from my other lists, there's no preference order here.
I consider Hitomitoi’s (一十三十一) “Dive” to be Greeen Linez’s “Hibiscus Pacific” sister track. They’re not directly related, but both songs were released around the same time (summer of 2012) and featured a City Pop inspiration. Based on that, “Dive” is a lovely light disco song that would not be out of place in a late night walk around the city. It was included in Hitomitoi’s 2012 City Pop album, “City Dive”. Also, the video portrays a beautiful and sexy Hitomitoi. It’s worth a watch.
Especia is quite an underground aidoru group with a gimmick focused on a retro 80s style. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I couldn’t find the original version of “Umibe no Sati” (海辺のサティ), which is not as lengthy as this one. On the other hand, this "Vexation Edit" remix is amazing for people that, just like me, love extended versions of these types of grooves. As for the song, it’s a nice late-night funky gem with a warm melody. Also, the arrangement is incredibly rich with lots of synths and catchy electronic drums. Finally, “Umibe no Sati” can be found in Especia’s “Midnight Confusion” (ミッドナイトConfusion) single ("Midnight Confusion", the title track, is also a killer synthpop aidoru song).
As a side note, a Greeen Linez remix of "Umibe no Sati" was also included in the "Midnight Confusion" single, but I couldn't find it on YouTube.
Negicco’s shibuya-key styled “Aidoru Bakari Kikanaide” (アイドルばかり聴かないで) is a bright aidoru song about a girl who wants her boyfriend to pay more attention to her instead of keep listening to aidoru songs. It’s a fun critique that reveals the self-awareness of this aidoru group. The song, which was released in 2013, features strong and tense strings, courtesy of Pizzicato Five’s Konishi Yasuharu (小西康陽). As for the video, while not very complex, features an interesting retro and classy style.
NOTE: If the link above gets deleted, here's an alternative link featuring half of the song (click here). Since this alternative link is from the label's official YouTube channel, it probably won't go away.
saori@destiny was an electro-pop artist that
started singing around 2007, when Perfume and a bunch of other auto-tuned
artists were trying to conquer the Oricon charts. Also, as everybody knows,
only Perfume reached stardom while the others faded after a couple of good
releases. In the case of “OFF THE WALL”, it’s an album track that was included in
saori@destiny’s 2011 mini-album “Domestic domain”. Alongside the laid-back funky
vibe, I dig the synth melody that comes along in the 1:07 mark. It also makes a
second appearance in a filtered form after the 2:29 mark. As for saori, her
vocals, although auto-tuned to death, are kind of wispy and sexy in a way that matches
the song’s vibe very well.
The now disbanded Tomato n’ Pine released the glittery disco “Captain wa Kimi da!” (キャプテンは君だ!) as their first "indies" single back in 2010. The song is quite something and I remember that it was the only “new” thing that caught my eyes when I watched the DVD featuring performances of the first Tokyo Idol Festival at the time. Although not a laidback groovy song like some of the others it has a nice throwback sound and a bright aidoru vibe. Bass, strings, horns, cute girls and a good melody… what more could I ask?
