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.
Considering that he died at such a young age (40 years old), I think that a lot of his fans can only wonder now what the late actor Yusaku Matsuda（松田優作）could have further achieved in Japan and perhaps even in Hollywood (beyond "Black Rain"). His characteristic role and appearance as the lone wolf avenger has passed even onto anime and manga characters such as Kenshiro from "Fist of the North Star" and Spike Spiegel from "Cowboy Be-Bop".
I discovered that he was once in a 1979 crime film titled "Yomigaeru Kinrou"（蘇る金狼）with him playing a quiet accountant by day and a robber-assassin by night. As usual, he had that huge puff of locks while sporting a natty suit.
For such a lone wolf, the perfect theme song was created. "Yomigaeru Kinrou no Tehma"(The Theme of "The Resurrection of the Golden Wolf") was released as the late Yoko Maeno's（前野曜子）4th single in July 1979. A bluesy folk rock ballad, it was written by Hiroko Asano（浅野裕子）and composed by Casey Rankin of the band SHOGUN. The theme song seems to fit around Matsuda's Tetsuya Asakura just like a dirty trench coat. The thick sounds coming from the guitar work some wonders here.
Perhaps I could have done this one about three weeks later when autumn has officially arrived. However, it's already starting to feel like summer is making its way to the finish line although the leaves have quite turned yet.
But I digress. "After Summertime" by the late Yoko Maeno（前野曜子）is a refreshing pitcher of sangria. From her final original album"Twilight" in 1982, the song is a laidback tune on changes of all types with a bit of Latin thrown in there. It's wistful but not maudlin and has that feeling of "Tomorrow's another day". Lyrics were provided by Chikara Ueda（上田力）and the music was by Kayoko Fuyumori（冬杜花代子）.
There's another track from "Twilight" that I contributed an article about back in 2019: "Winelight".
A night shot of Okachimachi, just on the cusp of Ameyoko, the famous street market in Ueno. Various types of dining establishments exist there including an Indian buffet restaurant, the usual doner kebab eateries and at least a few places where I can have some luscious kaisendon. Oh, and before I forget, there is the famous Niki confectionary and snack supermarket.
If tourists from other countries can make the trip to Tokyo once again, then why not take a chance and try out some of the goodies in Ameyoko and for that matter, anywhere in the Ueno-Okachimachi area? And now that I've bludgeoned you with a really obvious segue, here is "Take A Chance" by the late great Yoko Maeno（前野曜子）.
Written by Fumiko Okada（岡田富美子）and composed/arranged by Mitsuo Hagita（萩田光雄）, "Take A Chance" was the B-side to Maeno's 5th single from May 1980, "You Are Love"（ユー・アー・ラヴ）, and it fits that turn-of-the-decade City Pop aesthetic with that certain type of piano...kinda urban, kinda honky-tonk. I think that I've heard that piano sound from folks like Junko Yagami（八神純子）and Junko Ohashi（大橋純子）. I also love that combination of chords in the refrain as well, and it seems to be a cool and relatively low-key song of the genre, and so, I feel that it makes for a steady-on B-side. I almost forgot to add that the song was also a track on Maeno's 2nd album"Half Time" from August of that same year.
On "Kayo Kyoku Plus" in 2013, I put up an article on the Latin/jazz band Pedro & Capricious（ペドロ＆カプリシャス）for their debut single, the dramatic "Wakare no Asa" (別れの朝）from October 1971 with the first vocalist for the group, Yoko Maeno（前野曜子）, at the helm. It certainly made a mark for the band right off the bat by hitting No. 1 and ending up as the 8th-ranked single for 1972.
The B-side to "Wakare no Asa" is no slouch, either, as it turns out. Never thought that the combination of an electric guitar and a flute could create such a boss sound but that's what starts "Yoru no Carnival"(Night Carnival). When I first heard this, I had assumed as with "Wakare no Asa", it was a Japanese cover of a tune by a non-Japanese singer and in this case, I thought the original act here was Sergio Mendes and his buddies.
Not at all. "Yoru no Carnival" does have that Brazil '66 feeling but it's actually a homegrown song with former Spiders' guitarist Hiroshi Kamayatsu（かまやつひろし）creating that rumbling rockin' samba melody and Rei Nakanishi（なかにし礼）, the lyricist for "Wakare no Asa", providing the words here as well. It's got quite enough oomph in there that I would have thought it an ideal theme song for some 1970s urban thriller, and man, does that flute have quite the solo. I also do love the harmony between Maeno and the rest of the group and at times, the song can get folks up on the stands to do their go-go.
The last time I wrote about Yoko Maeno（前野曜子）, the first vocalist for the band Pedro & Capricious（ペドロ&カプリシャス）, was back in late 2019 when the song of note was the 1982 City Pop cover version of Grover Washington Jr.'s"Winelight". Cool track, that.
This time, we take things back in Maeno's discography by nearly a decade to September 1973 when she released her 2nd single as a solo artist, "Yoru wa Hitoribocchi" (The Night Alone). With those dramatic horns, a thundering timpani and a wacka-wacka rock guitar, my first thought that this song just had to have been the theme for some police show on Japanese television. However, there is no indication so far that "Yoru wa Hitoribocchi" ever graced any sort of TV program.
Despite all of the melodic equivalent of a cop takedown in the streets of Tokyo, Maeno keeps her vocals rather soft and slightly raspy until she lets them soar at key points in "Yoru wa Hitoribocchi". In a way, I'd say that she is unleashing her inner Shirley Bassey. The lyrics were created by Kazumi Yasui（安井かずみ）and the music was by Shunichi Tokura（都倉俊一）. Meanwhile, the arrangement was by jazz pianist and composer-arranger Norio Maeda（前田憲男）.
Gonna finish my quartet of songs tonight with another urban contemporary number from the 1980s.
Yoko Maeno's（前野曜子）"Winelight" is a cover of the title track from Grover Washington Jr.'s 1980 studio album. Originally created by William Eaton, Washington's "Winelight" is a great chance to hear the saxophonist getting to have his generous portions of Beef Wellington...in a musical sense, of course. As for Maeno's cover, this was included on her final album released in 1982, "Twilight". The singer does a great job as well with those Japanese and English lyrics, although I couldn't track down who provided the Japanese (is this a job for Daemonskald?) with a nice funky group of musicians behind her.
To finish off, "Winelight" is a fine title track but the album also has a far more famous and beloved song with Bill Withers providing his vocals. And Toshinobu Kubota（久保田利伸）managed to sing a cover of this one. Have a good weekend!
Another Friday night is upon us so hey, let's go with City Pop here. I found this song by Yoko Maeno（前野曜子）titled in a sultry way "Ai no Hitojichi" (Hostage to Love).
A track from her 7th and final album"Twilight" from 1982, "Ai no Hitojichi" is this urbane but wistful song with a slightly sexy streak thanks to Maeno's vocals. I like some of that twiddling on the keyboards and the horns that accompany her. Just my opinion, but I think from Maeno's singing, this sounds like a 1970s City Pop tune given some of that 1980s arrangement.
I wasn't able to find out who took care of words and music but I do appreciate that nighttime vibe that emanates from the song. It kinda reflects a very smart evening out on the town. Finally, I also like that cover on the album. Simply stated, I have a soft spot for twilight-themed photos.
Still digesting my buffet lunch at The Dragon Legend earlier today. Even at my advanced age and inclusion of wisdom in using pacing and conservatism when it comes to the number of rounds and choices at the buffet tables, I still ate a goodly amount of food. The Dragon Legend comes by its name quite honestly.
Anyways, I start my night on "Kayo Kyoku Plus" from a rather extraordinary setting this time: the toilet in my host family's house while I was on the JET Programme. Yup, you heard me. Ironic that I had started with a report on my huge lunch today and have now transitioned to the end of the digestion process. Well, luckily I will spare you the gory details but the reason that I start here is that by the porcelain god, there was always a pile of manga.
Now, I've always heard about the age-old tradition of taking some reading material into the washroom when you need to do your business. Take in stuff while disgorging stuff. Though that was never something I did while growing up here in Canada, I have to admit that I did pick up a few of those manga and leafed through them. One of those comics was the sci-fi epic "Cobra"（コブラ）about the titular man-of-adventure surrounded by plenty of gritty settings, sex and violence. I didn't convert into a fan but at the time, I kinda wondered if there had ever been a Hollywood live-action adaptation, a merging of Dolph Lundgren and Harrison Ford would have been in order or a really kick-butt version of Owen Wilson.
Getting back to the music aspects of the original 1982anime "Space Cobra"（スペースコブラ）, I was at my buddy's place during anison hour when the opening theme for the series came on. Simply titled "Cobra", I was automatically entranced by that epic jazz orchestra and the silky and sultry vocals of Yoko Maeno（前野曜子）who had been the first vocalist for the 1970s pop groupPedro and Capricious（ペドロ&カプリシャス）. Of course, the music was composed by Yuji Ohno（大野雄二）who could come up with some very spicy theme songs. "Cobra" is a stylish and rousing romp with some spectacular horns and strings. Kayoko Fuyumori（冬杜花代子）provided the lyrics.
The same trio of Maeno, Ohno and Fuyumori was also responsible for the ending theme, "Secret Desire" which keeps the jazz. However, whereas "Cobra" is sweeping and action-packed and spy-jazzy, the ender is playful and relaxed with a more swing jazz arrangement. Even Cobra needs to unwind once in a while in his favourite gin-soaked watering hole-in-a-wall. Both songs came out as official and separate singles for Maeno in 1982.
A few nights ago, I came across a YouTube video of Mariko Takahashi（高橋真梨子） performing this lovely ballad at a concert:
I'd never heard this song before, so I was wondering if this had been a relatively new tune by Takahashi, but it sounded somewhat old-fashioned. And in fact, it was. This was actually "Wakare no Asa"(Morning of Parting), the debut single by the Latin/jazz band Pedro & Capricious, released all the way back in October 1971. As I've mentioned in previous articles on the band and Mariko Takahashi herself, Takahashi had been a member of the band for several years in the 1970s.
Takahashi wouldn't join Pedro & Capricious until 1973, so the very first rendering of this song was with original vocal, Yoko Maeno（前野曜子）. As with Takahashi, Maeno gave a heartrending performance of Rei Nakanishi's（なかにし礼） lyrics which speak of a couple trying to smile through the tears as they spend their last moments with each other. The song also hit a chord with the music-listening public as it hit the top spot on Oricon and became the 8th-ranked song of 1972, selling over 500,000 records. It became Pedro & Capricious' biggest hit of their career which is a revelation for me, since I was also listening for decades to some of their later folkier hits (that have also become permanently attached to Takahashi) such as "Go-ban-gai no Mari e"（五番街のマリへ） and "Johnny e no Dengon"（ジョニーへの伝言...A Message For Johnny）.
This is Takahashi's version of the song when she was with the group.
I've heard about Masanori Sera （世良公則） for years but hadn't really heard his music since I was never all that much of a rock fan. However, I have seen him as an actor on a number of dramas such as last Fall's NHK morning serial "Ume-chan Sensei" as a somewhat unorthodox but kind doctor. Still, I think he's a rocker at heart and in 1994, he released his own rock ballad version of "Wakare no Asa" accompanied by some blistering guitar.
However, all these different Japanese versions all come from a non-Japanese source. In 1967, singer-songwriter Udo Jurgens released "Was ich dir sagen will"(What I Want To Tell You). And a year later, this was also made into a Matt Monro (famous for his rendition of "From Russia With Love", the theme of the 2nd James Bond movie of the same name) song under the title of "The Music Played".
No matter the title and the language, though, it's still a wonderful song to listen to.
