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.
With Kingo Hamada and Mariya Takeuchi（濱田金吾・竹内まりや）earlier today, we were talking about original and cover when it came to their "Lonely Wind". Now, we come to a cover of a cover.
One of the earliest Japanese pop songs that I fell for when I really got into kayo kyoku in the early 1980s was Circus'（サーカス）"Mr. Summertime", thanks to that episode of "Sounds of Japan" on CHIN-FM here in Toronto. However, I wouldn't find out for years that the 1978 hit for the vocal group was actually a cover for Michel Fugain's"Une Belle Histoire" in 1972. By the way, I never mentioned it in the original Circus article, but Machiko Ryu（竜真知子）had been responsible for the Japanese lyrics.
Well in 2008, the duo paris match performed their own cover of "Mr. Summertime" for their February 2008 7th album "Flight 7". Compared to Circus' take, this one has a bit more oomph thanks to a rocking Shibuya-kei organ and an electric guitar. At the same time though, there is some lightness thanks to Mari Mizuno's（ミズノマリ）tender vocals. Basically, when compared to the relaxing Riviera vacation that I envision when I listen to "Mr. Summertime" 1978, this version thirty years later has a bit more of spy intrigue and jet-setting adventure perfect for a 1960s caper.
Very calming, very tranquil...I think the word for that particular shade is...cerulean, actually. Cerulean blue. Cerulean blue. Cerulean makes me think of a breeze...a gentle breeze. Cerulean is a gentle breeze. Cerulean...gentle breeze.
CRASH!
I don't think I've ever heard of a colour before that could so quietly, sinisterly and violently introduce one of the most epic villains in "The X-Files", Robert Patrick "Pusher" Modell, back in that 3rd-season episode in 1996. Cerulean blue has stuck in my mind all these years for that reason.
And yeah, that's why "Cerulean Blue" reminded me of that scene. Yet, "Cerulean Blue" from paris match's June 2002 3rd album"Type III" has the opposite effect on me. With its mix of jazz, Latin and pop, this particular track by the duo also makes me think of cooling winds and tasty cocktails instead of twisted metal and destroyed flesh. Also, take a listen to another track from "Type III","Saturday" which was posted as the first article regarding paris match almost a decade ago.
We've got an additional 15 cm of snow headed our way in the next several hours so if there were a much more benign version of Modell, I would ask him for a nicer cerulean blue scene on this Hump Day.
My tradition of openly hoping that Akina Nakamori（中森明菜）is doing well wherever she is has also been transferred to pop chanteuse Mariko Takahashi（高橋真梨子）. Ever since I saw a live performance by her several years ago on television where she didn't look very well at all, I've been quite worried.
Back in May 2003, Takahashi released her 34th single"Mahiru no Wakare" (Breaking Up at High Noon), and it's the sophisticated pop-and-soul mixture song that fans have dreamed about. Written by the singer and composed by Kenjiro Sakiya（崎谷健次郎）, it follows the sad story of a woman realizing the mistake she made in letting her past lover go after playing an old record that they had once enjoyed together. Takahashi's sad lyrics aside, Sakiya's melody is heavenly, hinting at a much more romantic rendezvous at night instead of the high noon setting of the song. There's also something in the song that reminds me of Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers' original and iconic "Just the Two of Us". "Mahiru no Wakare" is also included in Takahashi's 26th album"Method" from June 2003.
The soul duo paris match recorded a cover of "Mahiru no Wakare" for their November 2022 album of covers, "OUR FAVOURITE POP Ⅱ ～TOKYO STYLE～". Actually, I discovered this cover first before realizing that it had been a Mariko Takahashi original. To continue on with the old-style soul and AOR comparison, the paris match cover seems to have a bit of Bobby Caldwell"What You Won't Do for Love" feeling in there.
Like most folks, I sometimes didn't want to cook anything at home when I was living in Ichikawa, Chiba. In that case, I was more than happy to call up the neighbourhood Domino's Pizza and have an eight-slicer delivered...often the Giga Meat which I could disturbingly devour with ease back then. But when I was with my school and the staff was getting rather peckish, they would also call in for pizza and for the sake of variety, the quattro would be ordered with four 90-degree wedges with different toppings. It is there that I discovered the distinctly Japanese tastes such as jaga-mayo and chicken teriyaki. They were all good.
So, just like a Pavlovian dog, when I saw the cover for paris match's June 2003 4th album"Quattro" (yes, I know what it means in Italian), my mind went to all things pizza. However, the opening track "Nemurenai Kanashii Yoru nara" (If It's a Sad Sleepless Night) is of course more nutritious for my ears because of course, it's paris match. Written by Tai Furusawa（古澤大）and composed by Yosuke Sugiyama（杉山洋介）, it's the usual sophisticated pop/jazz with some cool funkiness that we've come to expect from the band. Those hopeful lyrics by Furusawa relate the reassurances by one fellow that he'll come and help out his paramour if there's the slightest bit of trouble or insomnia. Maybe the lass ingested too much of that quattro pizza.
But seriously, this is a cool song for the sultry summer days and in spite of the hint of night, the rhythm and those lovely horns feel more like a fun time out during broad daylight...just like the cover of "Quattro" itself.
Just from listening to this cover of a classic Kingo Hamada（濱田金吾）City Pop song, I'm quite tempted to get this album of covers, "OUR FAVOURITE POP II 〜TOKYO STYLE〜".
And I'm talking about the cool and elegant duo paris match who came up with the album in November 2022. I haven't heard the other covers on "OUR FAVOURITE POP II", but I am definitely enjoying Mari Mizuno（ミズノマリ）and Yosuke Sugiyama's（杉山洋介）take on Hamada's "Yokaze no Information" (Night Wind Information) which was originally from his 6th album"Heart Cocktail" of 1985. I think that paris match's version still has that City Pop flavour but it's done in an updated soul arrangement. I miss that saxophone from the original but I'm happy that the ASMR-inducing key shift is still in there. On top of that, I swear that the guys put in a Doobie Bros. rhythm at the end.
Once again as a reminder, "Yokaze no Information" was written by Kazuko Kobayashi（小林和子）and composed by Hamada. Maybe when I recover from all those Holiday bills, I may consider grabbing the album.
Electronically speaking, it hasn't been a great weekend. Our television was having conniptions for a few hours before returning to normal, and then this morning, the microwave oven turned into a zombie. Just shutting the door activates it, and there's nothing more unsettling than a device that emits radiation without any control. As such, the stress levels are a bit up for a sunny Sunday.
In such a case, I need something very relaxing, even if to take my mind off of appliances for a while. And so, I found this bossa jazz number by paris match from their June 2003 album"Quattro". I immediately thought of pizza when I saw the title, but all joking aside, their "Stay with Me" makes for a pleasant de-stressor, thanks to the laidback bossa nova rhythms and Mari Mizuno's（ミズノマリ）soothing vocals. She was definitely giving off some fine Astrud Gilberto vibes. Lyrics were provided by Tai Furusawa（古澤大）, and music was by paris match composer Yosuke Sugiyama（杉山洋介）.
Yup, when I also first saw the title of the song "Stay with Me", I was reminded of Miki Matsubara's（松原みき） magnum opus "Mayonaka no Door"（真夜中のドアー）, but of course, the two songs are totally different animals. However, in their own way, both have a lot of appeal. Having said that, the search is now on for that new microwave.
If that "Yokohama Fantasy" set that I purchased last month had been compiled many years later than its actual 2004 release date, I think that this particular song would have been a shoo-in as a track.
I am talking about "Koi Iro no Machi"(City of the Colours of Love) which is a track on paris match's June 2020"Round 12" album that I've already written about. Once again, I've been treated to the rich chocolate vocals of Mari Mizuno（ミズノマリ）through this song created by lyricist Tai Furusawa（古澤大）and composer Yosuke Sugiyama（杉山洋介）.
As is displayed in the music video, the setting is Yokohama which is the titular town as a woman commiserates about her last meeting with her now ex-paramour in the Japanese port city. It may be a lyrically sad tune but the typical paris match warm and mellow groove comes out from "Koi Iro no Machi", and I have to say that those horns have me reminiscing of Bobby Caldwell's classic "What You Won't Do For Love".
There's something quite classic movie poster-like about the cover for urban groovy duo paris match's most recent original album"Round 12" which was released in June 2020. With composer and arranger Yosuke Sugiyama（杉山洋介）looking tuckered out in the ring corner while vocalist and lyricist Mari Mizuno（ミズノマリ）showing off the final round of the match, there is a feeling of anticipation with what this final tilt and my first listen to "Round 12" will bring. Even the writing on the cover has that movie credit structure and so that I include everyone, lyricist and former member of paris match, Tai Furusawa（古澤大）, is in the mix as well.
In addition to the fact that I've savored the newer form of groovy urban contemporary from paris match, I bought "Round 12" because I was hooked, line and sinker, by the coolness of one of the tracks from this new album, "Amai Yokan"（甘い予感）. After listening to this one on YouTube for the first time, it was a simple task to track down the album and pull the trigger on my wallet.
Well, giggity! The first track from "Round 12" , "Sayonara Seaside"（さよならシーサイド）, also has a music video which is very much influenced by all that Vaporwave of yesteryear. J-Wiki mentions that paris match generates an atmosphere of ennui and "Sayonara Seaside" is quite relaxing although not quite as relaxing as I think the word "ennui" would sound. I don't envision any chaise lounge in a salon but just a blanket on a beach while the sun is going down. The synthesizers involved do seem to remind me of some of that 80s AOR.
Track 2"Stardust"（スターダスト）doesn't have anything to do with the Hoagy Carmichael jazz standard but is the band's shoutout to Ziggy Stardust himself, aka David Bowie, although the way Furusawa's lyrics have it, it's more of a general love for the late superstar with mentions of the man's name, "Starman" and "Modern Love". Sugiyama's arrangement is definitely not Bowie as we get some 21st-century Japanese fusion and/or City Pop along with another trippy video. I do love the horns by Satoshi Sano.
Well, if "Stardust" is the Bowie tribute, then "Mr. Deckard" is even more self-explanatory, and what's more, it was very nice for the band to provide English translations of the lyrics in the video above. Yep, this is truly Future Funk as Mizuno sings, possibly from the point of view of an unknown Replicant, her love for the Blade Runner known as Rick Deckard. At first, I thought Mizuno was actually channeling Rachael but I was evidently wrong there according to the words. In any case, "Mr. Deckard" is indeed funky and as I listened to "Round 12", I had the observation that the vocalist was sounding quite a bit like Junko Yamamoto（山本潤子）from Hi-Fi Set（ハイ・ファイ・セット）.
Some mysterious The Style Council vibes when I listen to "Appartement no Onna"（アパルトマンの女...The Woman in the Apartment） which is ironic since the band named itself after a song by The Style Council. It's got some Latin rhythms pumping out of the synths with some sharp horn accompaniment as it describes the life of a lady in what I think is an old apartment in Paris. However, the message is that the building may be on the verge of getting demolished.
One more song that I'll introduce here is the final track "Billion" whose first verses sound like an episode of "Doctor Who" when a new companion comes aboard. However, Sugiyama's arrangement makes the song like a 70s funk fest on a Saturday night. It's all very cool and inviting. And frankly, when they do announce the new 14th Doctor, perhaps a change into someone appropriately funky while sporting one heck of a leather coat would be kinda nice.
Still got the remaining half of "Round 12" to do but I'll leave that for a future article. In any case, I've been enjoying the smooth sounds of paris match once more and I'm happy that they're still around keeping the groove going.
Ahh, yes. A sunset view from a friend's apartment overlooking Tokyo Bay and the Rainbow Bridge. Indeed I enjoyed my sojourns into the bay area including Odaiba.
It's just the opportunity to put up another cool and soulful number by the duo paris match. May I also add groovy to this track "Tokyo Bay" from their 6th album"After Six" from March 2006? With the album title and track title, one would think that "Tokyo Bay" is about getting ready for a grand Friday night in the megalopolis. Certainly, from paris match composer and arranger Yosuke Sugiyama's（杉山洋介）melody, the feeling would be the anticipation of getting all gussied up to paint the town red.
However, former paris match member and current associate Tai Furusawa's（古澤大）lyrics actually relate someone sitting on the bench right by the titular bay taking a measure of the past, present and future following a romantic breakup. But the way things are progressing in the song, it appears that everything will be OK and tomorrow will be another day. So we have some upbeat groove paired with some contemplation delivered reassuring by the velvet tones of Mari Mizuno（ミズノマリ）.
Ahhhh....the song that refreshes and soothes at the same time.
I hear all the time how people who are so extremely keen to get to Tokyo and partake in its activities and scenes. Last week, I provided an article about technopop duo capsule and their newest single in quite a few years called "Hikari no Disco"（ひかりのディスコ）. It was quite the 80s synth-heavy blast and I noted that the music video featured a car ride led by vocalist Toshiko Koshijima（こしじまとしこ）on the main highway by Tokyo Bay. It's the type of scene that would have Tokyo lovers and City Pop enthusiasts swooning.
Well, tonight, I have "Amai Yokan" (Sweet Premonitions) which is a track on urban contemporary duoparis match's 12th original album to celebrate their 20th anniversary in 2020, "Round 12". And this time, I think "Amai Yokan" would be just the thing for a slow romantic walk down in the Odaiba area of the vast megalopolis at night and the above photo is right in that region. Furthermore, instead of the synthesizers, this is more of that lovely blend of Neo City Pop and jazz that paris match has been famous for, as vocalist Mari Mizuno（ミズノマリ）describes one hot, slow and torrid night with a couple. Composed by paris match leader Yosuke Sugiyama（杉山洋介）and written by former member Tai Furusawa（古澤辰勲）, it is quite the blissful sound experience to finish off a good night.
Yesterday, KKP contributor HRLE92, aka Island Fantasia on YouTube, was kind enough to write up an article on various Omega Tribe offshootsof which Carlos Toshiki's 1993"Alquimist" was of particular interest to me. I never thought I would see the former lead singer of Omega Tribe looking so much like he was one of the cool-and-trendy citizens of Daikanyama in Tokyo.😮
Well, from his YouTube channel, HRLE92 has a just-as-cool song on there called "Kagami no Tsuki"(Moon in the Mirror) by relatively brief singer-songwriter Akiko Kohara（小原明子）in a collaboration with the mellow contemporary AOR duo paris match. Kohara who comes from Saitama Prefecture had started out creating songs for people such as Yuki Koyanagi（小柳ゆき）, Chemistry and Skoop On Somebody before debuting as a singer in 2001.
Only releasing 3 singles and 2 full albums, her second album is "AK-Note" from March 2003 and on it is where "Kagami no Tsuki" resides. Both Kohara and paris match'sMari Mizuno（ミズノマリ）provide the whispery vocals for this silky-smooth song of the city which grooves very nicely with the Chicago-esque (the band, not the city) horns and rhythm section. And hold the fort on that sax! Kohara provided the lyrics while Yosuke Sugiyama（杉山洋介）, the other half of paris match, came up with the music that may be some ideal accompaniment for a sunset walk through Daikanyama.
HRLE92 mentions just under the video on YouTube that the venture between Kohara and paris match here reminds him of Platinum 900, and his very first article for "Kayo Kyoku Plus" happens to be on that band. Feel free to take a gander of his story on one of the overlooked cool bands in Japanese pop music.
I have another contribution from the "Light Mellow" series, this time from "Avenue".
One of the more contemporary songs that I've heard in this series, this is "246" from the duo paris match via their 10th album"edition10" released in November 2012. A song about getting over a romantic spat several days prior, I've often categorized a paris match tune as something Shibuya-kei or City Pop. This time, though, I can't really say that "246" heads straight into either genre definitively so perhaps I can say that it's an example of really groovy pop although I hear that wacka-wacka guitar and a certain flute flutter reminiscent of "The Hustle"disco. Another nice one for the night car stereo, and speaking about driving, maybe the title refers to a particular highway.
Written by former paris match member Tai Furusawa（古澤辰勲）and composed by leader Yosuke Sugiyama（杉山洋介）, the originating album peaked at No. 74 on Oricon.
It's a first day of a new month and it's the first Saturday so let's have something soothing in the afternoon. For decades, this song has been flitting around in the old memories, the classic "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green from 1972.
Well, the good folks at paris match came up with their relaxing cover of "Let's Stay Together" from their July 2004 album"♭5". Not sure how to read that title, though...b5? flat 5? In any case, vocalist Mari Mizuno（ミズノマリ）and her partner Yosuke Sugiyama（杉山洋介）give the original soul more of an introspective cup-of-chamomile bossa jazz twist.
Listening to this cover, I really ought to think about investing in another paris match album sometime soon. I had also been planning to include another song of theirs, "Cerulean Blue" in here as well, but it looks like the powers-that-be struck it down with their copyright Mjolnir.
When it comes to Christmas in Japan, the adopted holiday (though not statutory) hasn't exactly shown the religious aspects to any large extent, and I think the Santa Claus side of things is even more decorative than anything else despite the sightings of Xmas trees and red-and-white suits.
In Tokyo, it's all about the massive amounts of illumination cascading everywhere in the major parts of the metropolis. As for the celebratory elements for the citizens, Christmas is partially a third Valentine's Day (after the original on February 14th and then White Day on March 14th) and a time for young folks to dress up and enjoy the party atmosphere. Good luck on getting that reservation at that hotel or restaurant on December 24th. Furthermore, perhaps this is still true in that Kentucky Fried Chicken probably still does volume business.
That's the image that I realized while watching the video for paris match's "Silent Night". When I had first seen the thumbnail and the title for it on YouTube, I naturally assumed that it was the group's take on the traditional Xmas classic. In point of fact, though, it is a stylish paris match original.
The theme of Xmas is definitely in the lyrics and the video (all of Shibuya, West Shinjuku and Yokohama's Minato Mirai are presented as one big illumination event...someone truly loved playing with the video editor), and it just feels like the ideal background music for a typical metropolitan Christmas adventure in Japan. "Silent Night" was part of the special Winter album by paris match, "song for you" which was released in November 2002. The music is cool and jazzy, and apparently according to the paris match website, the song was created with some inspiration from the sophisti-pop group The Blow Monkeys which first found fame in the 1980s with "Digging Your Scene".
At first, subways were a mighty struggle to get through in Tokyo. When the Tokyo Metro, as it is now called, printed out its maps, it looked no better initially than a mass of multi-coloured pasta.
(came from tokyometro.jp)
However, once I got used to commuting in the big city, I discovered that I could figure out some nifty and economical ways to get around plus make it into a game to figure out the best way to reach a destination. Still, I would advise folks who are heading to Tokyo on vacation to get a copy of the map beforehand to at least get an idea of what the network looks like.
Mind you, I also sympathize with anyone who gets a headache trying to pore through the various lines and stops on the Tokyo Metro (and that's not including all the JR and private lines criss-crossing through the city). May I suggest then a Tylenol and a listen to some nice Shibuya-kei via paris match's"Metro"?
"Metro" was a track on paris match's 2008 album, "Flight 7", and as one commenter said underneath the YouTube video, this song would be just right as something to play in a car bounding down the Tokyo highway at night, as opposed to listening to it on the subway. However, I think from the video and the thumbnail image, I gather that the trip involved other cities including Paris and New York. No problems, it's all cool.
But even listening to it at home on a Monday night, "Metro" is a nice and calming experience even though the musicians involved must have worked hard to generate that fine collective groove.
I don't get to see it all the time but on TV Japan on Sunday nights, there is one of those educational variety programs that NHK is renowned for showing called "Tanken Bakumon"（探検バクモン...Expedition Bakusho Mondai） featuring the veteran comedic duo Bakusho Mondai（爆笑問題）in which the fellows accompanied by tarento Sahel Rosa (サヘル・ローズ) and a production crew explore the more fascinating sights and sites of Japan that perhaps most citizens aren't aware of. When I do get to see the show, it's usually quite comfortable viewing with the occasional lunacy from the guys.
The English title for "Tanken Bakumon" happens to be "Deep Inside", and so on coming across the cool tune by Shibuya-kei band paris match, I couldn't help but be reminded of the show since it also possesses the title "Deep Inside". Released in November 2001 as paris match's 4th single, it makes for a nice accompaniment for walking through neighbourhoods such as Aoyama or Omotesando in Tokyo. It's something nice and groovy for that weekend stroll. Perhaps I should invest in that ancient Sony Walkman next time I hit the megalopolis and slip in a paris match disc.
The song was also a track on the band's 3rd album"type III" from June 2002.
And once again, I have to give my kudos to Artzie Music for providing his remix of the song for one of his video creations. Kinda feel sorry for the high school student during cherry blossom season, though. Getting a heart broken during that time must really suck.
Back in the days when I was teaching at my second school during my years in Tokyo, a couple of students and I talked about our choices in music. When I mentioned that I liked bossa nova, one of the two immediately chirped up and recommended a band by the name of paris match. I'd actually heard the name before but never tried out their stuff, but the young lady heartily endorsed their material which apparently ran the gamut from bossa nova to jazz to Shibuya-kei. She also stated that paris match was also an ideal representative of another Japanese sub-genre: Cafe Pop.
It wasn't too long that I followed my student's advice and picked up one of the band's albums, "Type III" (their 3rd) from June 2002. The first track was also their 5th single from the same month and year, "Saturday". And boy, did it groove. Visions of George Benson on his guitar entered my mind as things started off. Yup, it was definitely one of those songs that was not only Shibuya-friendly but also Omotesando-friendly, Harajuku-friendly and Aoyama-friendly.
As you can see from the official music video above, "Saturday" makes for fine driving music as well as a tribute to graphic designers and foot fetishists. I'm not sure when that car was driving on the Tokyo highways (perhaps a Saturday) but I believe a lot of daily commuters were probably looking on with extreme envy. I certainly wouldn't mind a drive like that.
paris match launched from 1998 as a musical trio consisting of leader and composer Yosuke Sugiyama（杉山洋介）, lyricist Tai Furusawa（古澤辰勲）and vocalist Mari Mizuno（ミズノマリ）. According to their history on J-Wiki, the name of the group derived from a song, "The Paris Match", by British band, The Style Council, whom I love for "My Ever Changing Moods". And y'know, I think there was a bit of musical inspiration as well by them on paris match.
