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.
I've actually seen the performance of this song during an EPO concert I've seen on YouTube. And I finally caught the entire concert over the Holidays; it's not all that often that I see EPO on screen, let alone actually singing so it was a nice treat seeing her bopping about on the stage.
As for "The Best Of My Love", I'm not sure if this had been just a one-off song to be sung at concerts between EPO and frequent collaborator Yasuhiro Abe（安部恭弘）, but I went to Abe's website and went through his discography to find nothing of this particular ballad anywhere in his albums or official singles. It's kinda too bad since I would have loved to have seen this song produced in a recording studio. I'm such a sap for 80s ballads. Perhaps one of the few sources then for this one is the "PUMP PUMP LIVE" concert from 1986 where Abe served as a special guest star.
Also, I'm not positive who created the song although I'm fairly sure that Abe had some role to play in it...besides singing it.
Although I must admit that Hiroshi Tachi (舘ひろし) doesn't sing particularly well, he does have a deep, soothing voice and I'm glad that he had recorded a number of songs over his 40 years in show business. As someone who would rather not watch serial dramas, even those starring him, due to my tendency of binge-watching - not a fan of suspense in all sense of the word, so I'd want to get it over and done with - it's a good way for me to see the actor-singer... Wait, no that doesn't sound right - hear him. Hang on, come into contact with him? Oh whatever, you get the point.
Anyway, when I began to take an interest in Tachi, music.163 was still up, enabling me to sample some more of the actor-singer's musical works that YouTube doesn't have as the site had songs from "TACHI THE BEST COLLECTION". Those found in this 2005 compilation album are listenable, and I'm very fond of the music from a handful of them as I find them comfortable and relaxing - something to note is that most of those were composed by the man himself. "Yoru wo Kakeru Omoi ~THE ONLY ONE~" is one such example.
Despite me discovering "Yoru wo Kakeru Omoi" much later than the other tracks, my liking for it quickly surpassed that of the others. It moves along at a steady pace with the electric guitar revving away in the back and occasionally making itself known but not in an excessively loud manner, following which is Tachi's laid-back vocals. Makes me think of the fellow riding on his bike along a long, empty stretch of road at dawn when the sun begins to rise, with a pair of shades and the wind blowing through his hair and that smirk on his face. Ah, that's so cool.
Moving on, so when music.163 closed down, I wasn't able to find this song anywhere else (or so I thought), which led me to get the aforementioned album late last year just so I could listen to "Yoru wo Kakeru Omoi" again. Though there's no loss in doing so as I could also revisit the other tracks again and have a couple of pictures of Tachi from the lyrics booklet and the jewel case, I only realised a few days ago that I could've listened to it on YouTube, the one place that I ignored as I assumed it wouldn't have a song that uncommon, in the very video above. I really underestimate YouTube sometimes. Part of me was happy that I found it as it meant that I could share it with you guys, but the other part of me is pinching my nose bridge at the fact that I missed something that was literally right under my nose this whole time.
"Yoru wo Kakeru Omoi" was written by Tachi as well as lyricist and essayist, Yumi Yoshimoto (吉元由美). It was released on 2nd February 1994 as the B-side to "Naze "(何故〜I DON'T WANNA SAY "Good-Bye"〜) - now I'm curious as to how that one sounds like - and used as the theme song to the movie "Menkyo ga nai!" (免許がない！) that had Tachi in the lead role. Seems to be about an actor learning how to drive for his role; the commercial is in the video below. He looks so cute with those glasses.
Just a bit of personal trivia to round things up. The Marutama Auntie (Japanese lady who runs the ramen joint; I've mentioned her before) said something that caught me off guard when I mentioned Tachi the last time I saw her a couple months ago when I went to Marutama for my menchi-katsu fix. Usually it's a bewildered "Ehhh?" or "Why?" which I find thoroughly amusing. Instead she went "Ah, Tachi Hiroshi! That one I can understand (why you fancy him)." It was my turn to be at a lost for words and be the one who's genuinely surprised. That's the first time I've heard such a thing when aged artistes are brought up. And then again, it is Tachi...
Yep, it was fine to see Masaharu Fukuyama（福山雅治）on the Kohaku Utagassen almost a week ago. However, I just had to put up the above video of an excerpt from a Japanese weekday wide show when the news came in earlier this year that the singer-songwriter-actor had finally tied the knot with actress Kazue Fukiishi. Apparently, it came in as Breaking News to the folks on the broadcast and I believe jaws figuratively dropped like anvils. It was amusing to witness the host even interrupting an interview with a US-Japan expert to announce this. But the running gag about Fukuyama was that he had been the most eligible (and desirable) celebrity bachelor for the longest time this side of George Clooney. So, when he got married, he got MARRIED (at the age of 46)!
Well, hello! No, really, "HELLO"....as in Fukuyama's 10th single from February 1995. It's one of the few Fukuyama songs that I know as a non-fan, and I first got to hear it when it was used as the theme song for a Fuji-TV Wednesday night drama titled "Saiko no Kataomoi"（最高の片思い...The Best Unrequited Love） starring a couple of 80s aidorus-turned-thespians Masahiro "Mokkun" Motoki（本木雅弘）and Eri Fukatsu（深津絵里）. I heard all of the hoopla surrounding this show as being compared to "Tokyo Love Story", one of my favourites. But I think I heard wrong since really the only comparison was between titles; the English title for this particular drama was "White Love Story". I simply managed to watch a part of the first episode before I decided to drop it. From the opening credits, it just seemed to be about Mokkun skiing all over the place, and I guess skiing was still all the trendy rage back in the 1990s.
However, "HELLO" didn't quite say goodbye. It had a lot more lasting power than the drama and I kept on hearing it well into the summer. And I'm fairly sure that it was quite the rousing favourite at karaoke as well. In fact, it went all the way up to No. 1 on the charts and sold in excess of 1.8 million copies, becoming the 3rd-most successful single of the year.
It's been quite a while since we all saw enka singer Sachiko Kobayashi（小林幸子）appear on the Kohaku stage but there she was in all her glory as a "special guest" on December 31st 2015 singing "Senbonzakura"（千本桜...A Thousand Cherry Trees） in her characteristic Mega-Sachiko mode.
Well, I was doing my usual translations today and one of the articles was a travel-based one in Gifu Prefecture which featured a certain brewery which specialized in a sake known as Yancha Sake which can mean Mischief Sake. To be honest, if I ever saw a bottle of clear liquid with the label of "Mischief", I would automatically think of a Calvin Klein perfume.
Still, when I was doing my research and checking online, I also came across this song by Sachiko Kobayashi under the title of "Yancha Sake". According to the lyrics by Toyohisa Araki（荒木とよひさ）, I don't think this had anything to do with that Gifu brand of rice wine but more about Sachiko-san getting giddily drunk with the man she loves. This enka ballad would come under one of the tried-and-true tropes of a well-established couple enjoying those much-appreciated drinks at the local watering hole.
"Yancha Sake" was Kobayashi's 64th single released on New Year's Day in 1999 (auspicious day at the end of the century...probably many more quantities imbibed on that one) and the cheerful music was provided by Tetsuya Gen（弦哲也）. Y'know...I wouldn't mind the singer coming back as a regular competitor in a future Kohaku and just perform this particular song without needing to take over the entire stage.
I've made a few New Year's Resolutions, one of which died a quick neck-snapping death right on January 1st. Of course, that would be "going on a diet". One other was that I personally will be taking things a bit easier when it comes to this blog that we've all been working on for almost 4 years. I think after such time, trying to put up 1~2 songs up a day is becoming increasingly more difficult since it's become harder to think up of songs that I can talk about. Of course, there are new songs that I have yet to discover that I can write about, but I think one of the main reasons for "Kayo Kyoku Plus" is talking about tunes that I've been listening to for years and how I got to know them in the first place. So I will be easing up on the reins (or try to, anyways) and not feel so pressured to get at least one article up everyday.
On that note, then, allow me to write about Momoe Yamaguchi's（山口百恵）"Sayonara no Mukou Gawa" (The Other Side of Goodbye). By the time I went fully in thrall to my kayo kyoku proclivities in the summer of 1981, Miss Yamaguchi had already become Mrs. Miura and left the stage. I had heard about her, though, in the past and even remembered some of her performances on videotape, especially for "Imitation Gold".
And some years after that, there was a spotlight episode of "Sounds of Japan" featuring Yamaguchi and some of her discography. Of course, at the very end of that tribute was this song, her 31st single from August 1980. Written by husband-&-wife songwriting duo Ryudo Uzaki and Yoko Aki（宇崎竜童・阿木燿子）, "Sayonara no Mukou Gawa" was not Momoe's official final single (her 32nd single, "Ichie"/一恵 would be for her active run), but considering the title, the melody and the lyrics, no one in Japan ever doubted that this was the swan song for this aidoru of the 1970s. I mean, the song practically demanded a montage of her career.
"Sayonara no Mukou Gawa" starts off with some very soft slow guitar and piano as if it were reflecting the start of the morning of the last day of Momoe's career as an entertainer. And then with this montage-like melody and lyrics like "...last song for you...", you can just imagine her fans seeing all of her appearances passing in front of their eyes which are probably welling up with tears as the music starts rousing up to the climax represented by that electric guitar blast at sunset.
And finally, there is the refrain:
Thank you for your kindness Thank you for your tenderness Thank you for your smile Thank you for your love Thank you for your everything Sayonara no kawari ni（さよならのかわりに...Instead of goodbye）
It's probably at that point when the lachrymal fluid dam breaks followed by an extended instrumental bridge for fans to reflect some more. Plus there is still one more verse before the refrain repeats. That is one epic goodbye from a Japanese singer at 6 minutes plus!
There was a video (unfortunately taken down by YouTube) above showing excerpts from Momoe's final concert on October 5 1980 in which she performs "Sayonara no Mukou Gawa". Most likely, there wasn't a single dry eye in the house. And she does the remarkable thing of ceremoniously placing the microphone down on the stage when she's done and leaves. Possible precursor to the mike drop? In any case, Momoe has left the house!
The ballad hit No. 4 on Oricon and became the 41st-ranked song for 1980. It also became a track on her 21st album, "Phoenix Densetsu"（不死鳥伝説...Legend of the Phoenix） which was released at about the same time as the single. It peaked at No. 6.
Even though there was still one more single to come out in October 1980 which actually peaked higher at No. 2, "Sayonara no Mukou Gawa" was the goodbye song to everyone. And she has basically kept good on her promise although I recall at least one YouTube video where some pesky journalist managed to track her down for an impromptu interview a few years afterwards. Still, professionally, she was happy to be done and pass the baton onto Seiko and Akina.
As strange as it may sound, I get rather nostalgic whenever I hear Judy & Mary. It's hard to believe that a band with the spirited and spritely YUKI which just seemed to have permanent residency on the charts broke up well over a decade ago. One example of a song that stayed on Oricon for a good long while is "Kujira Juu-Ni Gou" (Whale No. 12) from February 1997. It looked like every time I watched "Countdown TV" on TBS early on Sunday mornings, that particular J&M song was always there.
Written by Tack and Yukky and composed by Judy & Mary guitarist Takuya, the band's 11th single had a video that I wished were still up there on YouTube (there actually is one but the sound has been muted); watching J&M videos are also a source of nostalgia for me as well. I always saw Judy & Mary as being this quirky outfit so the title "Kujira Juu-Ni Gou" didn't particularly faze me initially, but now that I've re-discovered it, I have been curious.
According to the J-Wiki article on "Kujira Juu-Ni Go", the band was apparently using an analogy of whale watching all the way up in the cold seas around Hokkaido (although the area isn't mentioned specifically) for cheering on a soccer team. Supposedly Uniform No. 12 refers to the supporters of a J-League team, although the very footnote for this statement lays it out that this was never the original intention for the No. 12.
Whatever the explanation for the lyrics and title, the song was another hit for Judy & Mary, hitting as high as No. 5 on Oricon, and eventually becoming the 72nd-ranked song for 1997. It also became a track on the band's 4th album, "The Power Source" which came out in March of that year, hit No. 1 and was the 4th-most successful album.
When it comes to Takashi Hosokawa (細川たかし), I believe that the best way to get acquainted with this seasoned enka singer would be via his debut and revival hits "Kokoro Nokori" (心のこり) and "Kita Sakaba" (北酒場), more so if you're uninitiated to enka because they lean more to the genre of pop. In other words, they're easier on the ears on a whole. On the other hand, in my case, the then not-so-initiated-to-enka me had "Bokyo Jonkara" to do the introduction. All I can say is, was I lucky I was patient with it! I was actually very close to clicking out the back icon about a few seconds into watching that very video up there when all I heard was the strumming of the shamisen - I disliked anything too traditional in the early days - but for one reason I managed to stop myself from doing so.
That reason was: I wanted to see the bit that monomane champ, Korokke (コロッケ), had been spoofing. As I've said before a number of times (I think), the impressionist was responsible for introducing me to many enka singers that I now love, Hosokawa being one of them. Whenever Korokke were to do an impression of the minyo practitioner, he would more often than not just be wailing away to a little excerpt of music. I got myself to look up what he was "singing", which happened to be "Bokyo Jonkara" and I promptly went to search for that. This brings me back to where I stopped in my first paragraph, finding Hosokawa's 25th single...boring.
Well, Korokke sang most of it here.
It begins slow with just the shamisen and Hosokawa's forlorn delivery with the shakuhachi coming in from time to time. I was glad when he finally went, "Ah ah ah aaaaaaaaaah ah aaaaah aaaaaaaaaaaaaah..." in his powerful, enka-vibrato-filled voice. And then the chorus portion came on to change my views on the song completely. Unlike its start and for that matter its later part, "Bokyo Jonkara" at its chorus has got a pop-like melody made cool and dramatic by its combination strings, the electric guitar slicing in, and the shamisen in the background. I enjoy this interesting transition a lot and it kind of reminds me of "Amagi Goe" (天城越え), just more forlorn and not so much scorn. The music was brought to you by renowned composer, Keisuke Hama (浜圭介). It took me a while to get past the very minyo bits of "Bokyo Jonkara", but when I did it became one of my top Hosokawa-favourites.
Going off on a bit of a tangent here - about Hama, I'm still unable to pick out his style of music and it's bugging me more than it should. He's been creating such a variety of songs that its hard to pinpoint exactly what he's most known for. My guess is - this only came to me just - that some of his melodies will incorporate the electric guitar.
Dang, he really improves with age... His voice, to be exact.
Moving on, Ryuichi Satomura (里村龍一) penned the lyrics and since this is a bokyo song - this is where I coined the term, by the way - as you can already see, it has Hosokawa singing about missing home (which happens to be in the rural area of Tsugaru, Aomori) after leaving to work in the city far, far away. The protagonist also faces the perennial problem of feeling torn as to whether he should go back to his hometown which he so dearly misses or continue toiling away and earning money. Tough choice.
"Bokyo Jonkara" was released on 21st August 1985 and not surprisingly it did well, allowing Hosokawa to win the Gold prize at the 27th Japan Record Awards. In total, he sang it 4 times on the Kohaku Utagassen - 1985, 1995, 2000, 2009. I'm hoping that I'll be able to catch him sing "Bokyo Jonkara" on the Kohaku. I think I would be even happier than I was when he sang "Kokoro Nokori" on the most recent edition (66th).
To end this article, here's Hosokawa's student, Konomi Mori (杜このみ), giving her rendition of her mentor's hit. Not a bad attempt, I must say. There are times where I can hear the "Hosokawa-ness" in her voice.
