TM Revolution -- White Breath

Recently on an episode of comedian Shofukutei Tsurube's "Kazoku ni Kanpai"（家族に乾杯...Salute to Families）, I got to see Takanori Nishikawa（西川貴教）for the first time in several years. The program usually has the host and the guest visiting some of the smaller communities in rural Japan, so Nishikawa sounded even louder than usual as the guys traipsed through the side streets. Anyone seeing the guy for the first time would have thought that he was yet another member of the Yoshimoto Kogyo comedy troupe.

Actually back in the 90s, he gained fame under the name of TM Revolution. When I first saw him get his big breakthrough hit via his 6th single, "White Breath", I just wondered if he had anything to do with the band TM Network. I mean, he and that particular band seemed to be swimming in the same genre, but there was still a palpable difference. As it turned out, though, producer and the composer of "White Breath", Daisuke Asakura（浅倉大介）was supposed to have been the one behind the name. According to J-Wiki, Asakura came up with "Takanori Makes Revolution" as a clarion call for him, Takanori, the staff and all of the fans to amass behind the project and go forward. The origin story gets more interesting since Asakura was also a support member for TM Network at one time although he said that he didn't really see the similarity in the names until sometime later. Apparently, he has also mentioned on TV and radio that Tetsuya Komuro（小室哲哉）from the band had given his blessing for Asakura to use the "TM".

"White Breath" was a song that I recall got a lot of heavy promotion on the airwaves as TM Revolution sang as if he were really trying to make a revolution of sorts, vocally speaking. And I think the music video set my visual impression of the fellow: a somewhat delicate-looking guy with the intense movements and shirt-optional fashion.

Along with Asakura composing the music, Akio Inoue（井上秋緒）, a former manager of TM Network, came up with the lyrics. Released in October 1997, "White Breath" not only hit No. 1 on Oricon, but it also became TM Revolution's first million-seller hit with almost 1.3 million copies sold. It also punched his ticket to get onto the Kohaku Utagassen. Despite the relatively late release date, "White Breath" became the 39th-ranked single for 1997 and hung on to become the 66th-ranked single for 1998.

My other memory of TM Revolution involves his appearances on the Fuji-TV program "HEY! HEY! HEY! Music Champ". He always got the "good cop, bad cop" treatment from the hosts of the program, comedic duo Downtown, and Bad Cop Masatoshi Hamada（浜田雅功）comically abused the lad (often on his effeminate appearance) until he finally exploded. I wonder if music hadn't been TM's thing, whether he would have gone into Yoshimoto Kogyo for real.

Akina Nakamori/Yoshiyuki Osawa -- Ni-bun no Ichi no Shinwa （1/2の神話）

Man, I hope the video above stays up for a good long time (Nope, it didn't). That had to have been a true labour of love for Akina Nakamori（中森明菜）by the creator. (Well, it was taken down...a pity...but here is another full version of the song.)

And I'm kinda smacking myself upside the head for not having written an Akina article on this high-octane number, "Ni-bun no Ichi no Shinwa" (Half A Legend). I must have assumed that I had already included this on my article of her BEST album many many months ago. In any case, it's time to rectify the oversight.

Continuing on with the image of Akina back then as a been-there-done-that tsuppari (teenage punk girl) from "Shojo A"（少女Ａ）, her 4th single from February 1983 has Akina's character going medieval on those who would dare judge her while internally commiserating on her loneliness. The rock guitar just goes a-crazy right from the get-go as the lead instrument while allowing its accomplice horns to burst in at intervals. However, when the tsuppari does show some of that tender side, the guitar takes the briefest of breaks as the violins cut in. I wonder if the title is referring to the character's feeling that she's only half a legend as long as she has that vulnerable part. There's something strangely reminiscent of giving into the Dark Side of the Force, if that is indeed the case.

I have to admit that I enjoy "Ni-bun no Ichi no Shinwa" over "Shojo A". Written by Masao Urino（売野雅勇）, who also took care of the lyrics for the latter song, and composed by singer-composer Yoshiyuki Osawa（大澤誉志幸）, the guitar and the horns take me for a dangerous if thrilling ride on the motorcycle, especially when it comes to the instrumental bridge. And then there are these lines:

Hanbun dake yo! Otona no mane          Pretending to be a grown up is just half of it
Ato no nokori junsui na mama               The other half is still pure
Sore demo mada watashi waruku iu no  And you still disparage me?!
Ii kagen ni shite!                                     Give me a break! (or perhaps a stronger epithet)

Just the way she delivers them with that mixture of defiance and disdain is the topper for this song. Akina just comes in like a typhoon and leaves just as quickly. No muss, no fuss. And all in her way will be left as debris in her wake.

Following its release, "Ni-bun no Ichi no Shinwa" reached No. 1 on March 7 1983 and stayed at the top spot for 6 weeks into April. By the end of the year, it was the 13th-ranked song having sold over 570,000 records.

Osawa himself provided a cover version of the song as his 25th single in July 1994. The above video shows him giving an even more frenetic take. It was also released as a track on his 12th album, "Collage" from the same year.

Masako Mori -- Oiran (花魁)

My first En-kayo magazine came with the cover of Pop idol turned Enka singer Masako Mori (森昌子) dressed in a grand and lavish kimono. I kinda remember feeling a little conflicted as to whether I should purchase this gem from the Kinokuniya outlet or not since I wasn't too familiar with the singer as of yet... ... And fine, I was hoping for someone more familiar like Hiroshi Itsuki (五木ひろし) to be on the front page - although I did see his name on the cover, which ultimately helped me in the decision making department.

Browsing through the magazine afterwards brought forth the reason why she was being the feature of the month. And that reason was her 60th and latest single (released on 16th April 2014), 'Oiran'. I didn't read much into it at first, and I pretty much inferred from the way she dressed that the song named after high-ranking courteseans would be a very traditional Enka song. You know, the type with the light notes of the koto and the strumming of the shamisen.

And then came the performance on the 'Nippon no uta'  'Kayo HOT zensen' corner to prove me wrong yet again. It started out gentle with Mori singing in a high, innocent voice while in a trailing kimono and geta with soles thicker than phone books - don't know how she walks in those. Before long the rumble of the electric guitar came on and kick started the almost defiant sounding score, and you can see Mori loosen up and have that glint in her eyes. You could compare the change in music to a demure and obedient Oiran flinging all her duties away to have some fun for once.

Now the ones who composed and wrote 'Oiran' came as quite the surprise: Ryudo Uzaki and his missus Yoko Aki (宇崎竜童 . 阿木燿子), better known as the songwriting pair who spawned multiple hits for mega popular 70's aidoru, Momoe Yamaguchi (山口百恵). It's nice to finally see their names again. As for chart position, the song did pretty well for an Enka song on the regular song charts at this day and age, peaking at 57th. And then again, it is not any regular Enka song.

For those Uzaki fans, the video above has the singer-songwriter rocking out with Mori during a performance of this song (the video has been taken down and replaced). 

Thank goodness I got the magazine back then! Turns out the one I got was probably extra stock from what book shop brought in - they only do subscription orders (dangnabbit!). Hmm, I hope it didn't belong to anyone...

Kayo arena

Ikue Sakakibara -- Kaze wo Mitsumete （風を見つめて）

I actually discovered this one from one of my Twitter feeds for 80s Japanese pop music a couple of days ago. Ikue Sakakibara's（榊原郁恵）14th single, "Kaze wo Mitsumete" (Look at the Wind) from December 1979 sounds more like a summer song than something released closer to Christmas time, but thanks to lyricist/composer Ami Ozaki（尾崎亜美）and arranger Tetsuji Hayashi（林哲司）, and the brilliantly sunny delivery by Ikue-chan herself, beaches and bikinis are more the images that come to mind.

Kenjiro Sakiya -- Best Collection

I had quite a few CDs that I wanted to get if possible during my two weeks' stay in Tokyo...and one of them was a BEST compilation by singer-songwriter Kenjiro Sakiya（崎谷健次郎）, based on the strength of the two songs that I have already covered in the blog, "ROOMS" and "Mou Ichido Yoru wo Tomete". As I mentioned in the former article, he is on the same musical wavelength as two of my other favourite artists, Yasuhiro Abe（安部恭弘）and Sing Like Talking.

Here is his "Best Collection":

1. ROOMS
2. Natsu no Polaroid (夏のポラロイド)
3. Because Of Love
4. Mou Ichido Yoru wo Tomete (もう一度夜を止めて)
5. Namida ga Kimi wo Wasurenai (涙が君を忘れない)
6. Kiss of Life
7. Nijuu-go Ji no Arashi (25:00の嵐)
8. CHEERS!TOKYO
9. HEAVENLY SKY
10. Domani
11. GET STARTED
12. Kiss no Hanataba (KISSの花束)
13. Kimi no Tame ni Boku ga Iru (きみのために僕がいる)
14. Ajisai (あじさい)
15. My Best Friends
16. Rag Time On The Rag

All of the songs listed were composed by Sakiya.

"Natsu no Polaroid" (Summer Polaroid) was Sakiya's 2nd single released in June 1987 and a track on his first album, "DIFFERENCE" which came out in the same month. There is that feeling of resort pop there as well as some soul in this feel-good song, but what was pretty remarkable that Sakiya sounds somewhat like Noriyuki Makihara（槇原敬之）even before Macky himself debuted a few years later. The album itself managed to get as high as No. 68 on the Oricon charts. I might be pretty interested in getting this disc as well. By the way, as with the two individual songs that I've already covered, the lyrics for "Natsu no Polaroid" were written by Yasushi Akimoto（秋元康）.

Going through this album, it certainly sounds like ballads are Sakiya's particular forte. "Because of Love" was his 7th single from November 1989, and it's quickly become one of the standouts to me from his BEST collection. Shun Taguchi（田口俊）was responsible for the lyrics here.

Here is another ballad on the list, "Namida ga Kimi wo Wasurenai" (The Tears Will Not Forget You) which was his 12th single from November 1991. With lyrics by Goro Matsui （松井五郎）this song was actually the theme tune for what sounded like a historical motion picture, "Edo Jou Tairan"（江戸城大乱...Edo Castle Rebellion） from the same year.

"Kiss no Hanataba" (A Bouquet of a Kiss) goes back to his debut album from 1987. This is definitely a jauntier song with Sakiya singing about a day on the beach with that lovely someone while the sky is glinting off the hood of the car. It sounds like some of those good ol' summer days during the Bubble Era. The lyrics were a joint collaboration this time with Akimoto providing the Japanese side of things and Reiko Yukawa（湯川れい子）inserting the English words. The song was the B-side to Sakiya's first single, "Omoi Gakenai Situation"（思いがけないSITUATION...Unexpected Situation）.

My final selection from his BEST collection is "Ajisai"（あじさい...Hydrangea） which was the coupling song on his 15th single, "Nakanakutemoii"（泣かなくてもいい...You Don't Have To Cry） from July 1993. At first listen, I was caught a bit off guard by what sounded like a hybrid between a country tune and a Hawaiian lullaby, but I was soon charmed by the lanai-friendly charm of it all. Sakiya took care of both words and music here.

Ah, I almost forgot putting in the last track, "Rag Time On The Rug", which is a cute musical interlude that Sakiya provided as some background music for the 1997 Fuji-TV comedy-drama, "Narita Rikon"（成田離婚...Narita Divorce）starring SMAP's Tsuyoshi Kusanagi and actress Asaka Seto. I decided to put this in here since I wanted to show a bit of the singer's jazz background (although I can hear a bit of Herb Alpert in there as well).

Definitely glad that I picked this album up since I want to explore all of the songs some more.

Ginji Ito/Sugar Babe/EPO/Rika Tanaka -- Konuka Ame （こぬか雨）

Well, we're into November now. As I mentioned on my Facebook account, I knew (and was resigned to the fact) that once we get into the eleventh month, the Halloween decorations in all of the department stores change miraculously into Christmas ones. It looks like the weather decided to follow suit as well. We were given fair warning by the weather specialists earlier in the week but it was still a bit of a surprise to see snow falling down this morning in the Greater Toronto Area. None of it stayed, but still.... In any case, it's looking distinctly November-ish out there with the grayness and a light cold rain falling.

Therefore, it's the perfect day to introduce Ginji Ito's（伊藤銀次）"Konuka Ame" (A Light Rain). Konuka ame can also be translated as "drizzle" but I think the song is way too nice to earn that title. It was a song that I came across last night while going through YouTube, and remembering nikala's articles on the singer-songwriter, I gave it a nice listen. And indeed, it was a nice listen. Written and composed by Ito (along with Tatsuro Yamashita advising on the lyrics) some years previously, and recorded for his 1st studio album, "Deadly Drive" in May 1977, "Konuka Ame" lyrically and musically describe that rainy day not as something to frown about but as a poem to be contemplated.

The lyrics describe a city eternally wrapped in fog and an ashen sky threatening to cry over it while another asphalt sky down below wraps around and between the buildings. There are some wonderful strings and horns arranged by Ryuichi Sakamoto（坂本龍一）which give "Konuka Ame" an urban soulful feeling, and the Professor himself provides the piano solo (along with that pensive intro) near the end. The ballad seems to be apt for a slow stroll under the umbrella. It's not surprising that it has been considered to be a classic in the 70s City Pop arena.

I'm not sure whether "Konuka Ame" had ever been performed during the heyday of Sugar Babe in the mid-1970s, but Yamashita gave a pretty spirited version of it during his 1994 concert tour, "Tatsuro Yamashita Sings Sugar Babe". (Take the preceding with a grain of salt since that video has been taken down, and for that matter, "Konuka Ame" was indeed performed by Sugar Babe!)

Apparently, the song has become a favourite for cover versions over the years. In fact, it even got its own article in "Japanese City Pop" on that point. One of those versions was done by City Pop Princess EPO in 1984 for her album, "Hi-Touch, Hi-Tech" which has that 80s City Pop arrangement. It's interesting to compare hers with the original by Ito.

The most recent version that I know of comes from an album, "Japanese Songbook" (2012) by Rika Tanaka（たなかりか）. Tanaka is a jazz singer from Hiroshima who started learning her craft in university and then started doing the hotel/live house circuit before releasing her first album "On Green Dolphin Street" in 2004.

Teruhiko Saigo -- Hoshi no Flamenco (星のフラメンコ)

After observing one third of the Gosanke (御三家), I've come to notice that the final addition to this trio seems to have this strange habit of raising a thick eyebrow while singing. This would be slightly more obvious when he sings songs that have this Latin/Spanish flare to it. Yes, I'm talking about Teruhiko Saigo (西郷輝彦), and one such song would be his most notable hit from 1966 'Hoshi no Flamenco'.

With the blare of the trumpet and the rolling drums at the start, it sounds like it is setting the stage for a dance-off (flamenco, of course) between the flamboyant singer and his rival... huh, that makes for pretty good 60's movie material, just got to add in the female lead to be the dame the two are fighting (dancing) for. Anyway, then we have Saigo himself turning to the side and clapping his hands to the castanets, singing the song in his gentle and mellow voice with a slight cheeky smirk on his face. Oh yeah, add that part to the mentioned movie idea! Hah, now that's what I call smooth! Then the girl would definitely throw herself at him!

Since he did quite a bit of acting back in the day, 'Hoshi no flamenco' was the theme song for one of Saigo's earlier movies from 1966 with a similar name 'Harukanaru no bojo hoshi no flamenco' (遥かなる慕情～星のフラメンコ) staring the singer himself. Come to think of it, the 60's had dozens of films featuring these singer-actors and a particular song of theirs.

Written and composed by Kuranosuke Hamaguchi (浜口庫之助),  I can't give the exact figures in terms of the song's sales since there was no write-up whatsoever on the it, but I'm quite sure it did well as he's always singing it in later days. He also sang 'Hoshi no Flamenco' twice on the Kohaku during his 3rd and 10th appearance. Link below is to a recent performance to the song, by the way.

Being the tallest, youngest - not by much really - and most dashing member of this 'group' that comprised of him, Yukio Hashi and Kazuo Funaki (橋幸夫 . 舟木一夫), I don't think I'm far from the mark when I say that Saigo was the most popular out of the 3.

He looked like he had a uni-brow...

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