Yoshito Machida with Godiego -- Ame wa Knife no You sa（雨はナイフのようさ）

 

The first time that I wrote about Kochi Prefecture-born singer Yoshito Machida（町田義人）back in 2017, it was for his "Senshi no Kyuusoku"（戦士の休息）, a mellow and reflective ballad from August 1978. The song was used for the movie "Yasei no Shomei"（野性の証明...Never Give Up） starring the late Ken Takakura（高倉健）. Although I never watched it myself, I could imagine "Senshi no Kyuusoku" being the ideal number for a battle-hardened and world-weary person, whether a spy, soldier or office worker, taking a respite while also taking a long drag from a cigarette on a balcony overlooking the landscape as the sun is going down.

However, the previous month, Machida had released another single, "Akai Karyudo"（赤い狩人...Red Hunter） but it's the B-side to that July 1978 single that we're focused on here. "Ame wa Knife no You sa" (The Rain Cuts Like a Knife, Man) is quite different from the relaxing "Senshi no Kyuusoku" since it sounds like it's meant to accompany that person from the above paragraph in the middle of the battle itself. It's got the downtown funk thanks to the band Godiego（ゴダイゴ）helping out in the music, and what better group to help out since that band's vocalist and songwriter Yukihide Takekawa（タケカワユキヒデ）was responsible for the cool melody.

As for the lyrics, they were provided by movie director and producer Junichi Mimura（三村順一）, who was behind the 1978 documentary "Kita Kitsune Monogatari"（キタキツネ物語...The Story of the Ezo Red Fox） whose theme song was "Akai Karyudo", and lyricist Yoko Narahashi（奈良橋陽子）. They seem to establish a setting for any hard-bitten lone wolf ranging from police detective Baretta to "Cowboy Be-Bop" bounty hunter Spike Spiegel knee-deep in the middle of a case and all of the existential sludge that comes with it. Cold rain hurts much harder when folks are in a bad mood, after all. What adds to the tension is the wah-wah guitar, Machida's seemingly hushed and rushed vocals and that rollicking piano.

Yoshito Machida -- Senshi no Kyuusoku （戦士の休息）

I remember years ago when I was back in high school when there was this sci-fi-thriller called "Firestarter" starring David Keith and a very young Drew Barrymore, still fresh from her debut in "E.T." in 1982. It was all about a girl and her father trying to flee from a sinister government agency because of her terrifying abilities at pyrokinesis.

Well, there was this other Japanese movie that I believe my parents had been watching on our ancient Panasonic VHS player that had a somewhat similar plot. Titled "Yasei no Shomei"（野性の証明...Never Give Up）, it came out in 1978 and starred the stoic Ken Takakura（高倉健）who would find Hollywood fame in "Black Rain" several years later and a very young Hiroko Yakushimaru（薬師丸ひろ子）who wouldn't end up in the recording booth for another few years. I remember seeing that one scene near the end of the movie where a whole bunch of SDF tanks were ominously approaching the characters for one last battle.

On hearing the theme song, memory engrams started flashing on and off in my brain. I know that I have heard the song before whether it be from the movie itself or on some TV retrospective of kayo kyoku. Whatever the case, "Senshi no Kyuusoku" (Respite for the Warrior) by singer Yoshito Machida（町田義人）is a nice slice of mellow 1970s pop.

Up to now, I've been partial to instruments such as the Fender Rhodes piano and a good thumpy bass. Now I realize that I have to add an especially twangy guitar. And "Senshi no Kyuusoku" has it in good amounts. It might be because that guitar automatically triggers the release of some relaxing endorphins of nostalgia, and there is something of the "lone rider traveling the open road" feeling to it. Basically the whole song has that emotion hanging off of it.

Written by Keisuke Yamakawa（山川啓介）and composed by Yuji Ohno（大野雄二）, "Senshi no Kyuusoku" was a big hit for Machida who had started out in the Group Sounds bands a decade back with Castle & Gates（キャッスル&ゲイツ）and then Zoo Nee Voo（ズー・ニー・ヴー）. The single which was released in July 1978 managed to sell perhaps up to 850,000 records as it peaked at No. 6 on Oricon.

After Machida left Zoo Nee Voo in 1970, he took on a solo career and in the next 7 to 8 years, he created about 400-500 commercial jingles for TV. There is something about "Senshi no Kyuusoku" which would make it ideal as an ad song for some product...perhaps whiskey. Very comfortable.