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 discovered this single by Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra（東京スカパラダイスオーケストラ）some weeks ago titled "Tsuioku no Lilac" (Lilacs of Reminiscence) that came out back in December 2005.
With the smooth stylings of Hanaregumi（ハナレグミ）as the guest vocalist, TSPO's 28th single still had the band's usual cool ska strut, but there seemed to be a bit more of a subdued feeling to the arrangement. Plus, despite Hanaregumi's high-toned delivery, the video itself was done in a more solemn tone with the band members all sporting dark suits and countenances while playing in a more dimly-lit setting.
I was reading some of the comments underneath this YouTube video, and apparently the song created by baritone saxophonist Atsushi Yanaka（谷中敦）and keyboardist Yuuichi Oki（沖祐市）was meant to be a tribute to a former member of Tokyo Sky Paradise Orchestra who had passed away. I did some checking about that, and I found out that vocalist Cleanhead Gimura（クリーンヘッド・ギムラ）and drummer Tatsuyuki Aoki（青木達之）had died in the 1990s, both at the age of 32. Perhaps the song, as the title hints at, was made as a memorial to Gimura and Aoki.
"Tsuioku no Lilac" peaked at No. 23 on Oricon. It was also a track on the band's 12th album"Wild Peace" which came out in June 2006 that went as high as No. 2 on the charts.
Another year, another Akiko Kobayashi（小林明子）article. I'm such a fan of hers but it is difficult to find a variety of her songs on YouTube, although some other sites have helped out. Still, it's always nice to have some sort of video representing her music.
Whenever I cast my eyes on to the cover of Kobayashi's 5th album"Bon Voyage", I always think that the singer-songwriter was taking things into a new direction. The photo of Kobayashi in her pure white outfit against a beautiful blue sky planted that image into my head, and the tracks in the album just seemed to have a fresher feeling.
"Maybe This Time" seems to be a fine representative of my thought. Written by MAYUMI and composed by Osny Melo, the song has that happy uplifting feeling with the lyrics talking about a couple of folks who have gone through romantic repercussions with other people in the past but are willing and hopeful for something more everlasting with each other. It's the sort of mellow pop that I would like to hear on a sunny day like today.
Strangely enough, the previous Akiko song, "Miracle of Love", also from "Bon Voyage" was written up on "Kayo Kyoku Plus" just around a year ago.
With the World Cup halfway done and Wimbledon just beginning, I remember when my journey into Japanese pop music was getting underway, a year after my fateful trip to Japan in the summer. It just so happened that the 1982 World Cup in Spain was taking place along with the tennis championships in England. So remembering one of the first cool kayo, "Mizuiro no Ame" (みずいろの雨）due to the fact that I had first heard it on "Sounds of Japan", I also have images of the folks playing soccer and lobbing the ball back and forth across the net. I had actually been listening to the taped version of the radio show while watching sports (multitasking in the pre-Mac era). Yes, I realize that it's kinda weird being reminded of two different sports when it comes to one of Junko Yagami's（八神純子）classics, but it is what it is. Maybe there's something Pavlovian in that.
Speaking of the amazing Yagami who seems to have become one of the great City Pop/Vaporwave discoveries in recent years alongside Mariya Takeuchi（竹内まりや）and Toshiki Kadomatsu（角松敏生）, earlier in that year of 1982, she released her 4th album"Yume Miru Koro wo Sugite mo"（夢みる頃を過ぎても...Even When The Dreaming Passes）. The second track is "Secret Love", a sultry number focusing on a hot-and-heavy tryst by the beach in a car, generously punctuated by the singer's own sighs and some of that fine bass (hey, I wrote "bass"...with a 'b'!). The lyrics might hint at that romantic rendezvous out by the coastline, but there is still that feeling of love in a metropolitan hotel.
Yagami and Machiko Ryu（竜真知子）wrote the lyrics while Tsugutoshi Goto（後藤次利）provided the melody and the arrangement. Some nice guitar in there, too. Having listened to "Secret Love" a few times, I don't think it's quite on the same level as "Mizuiro no Ame" or some of those other hits by her, but even Yagami's less incredible works are still mighty fine. As for "Yume Miru Koro wo Sugite mo", it peaked at No. 2 on the Oricon weeklies and later became the 34th-ranked album of the year.
Just checked Google right now to discover that the Japanese entry in the 2018 World Cup has been defeated 3-2 after getting the lead 2-0 in the second half. Ouch! I hadn't expected the Blue Samurai to win but, man, it was too bad to see how the team lost. I took a look at the YouTube live stream camera overlooking the gigantic Shibuya intersection right now, and there is no sign of folks crowding up the area despite the presence of police...just folks making an early commute with perhaps some fans going through some blue morning blues.
Well, this is just the segue I need to introduce my first article of the week, "Blue Morning Blues" by Tomomi Sawa（沢知美）. Sawa was another singer who came and went through the 1960s going into the 1970s getting her 15 minutes of fame but not much more than that. No J-Wiki article for her but I did find an article on her at "Ongaku no Aru Mura"（音楽のある村）.
Sawa was born Miwako Nakano（中野美和子）in 1947 in Tokyo and made her debut in 1967 as a chanteuse with "Watashi ni Iwasete"（私にいわせて...Let Me Say It）although she had already made some appearances in movies. "Blue Morning Blues" was apparently released as a single in November 1971 although it had also been a track on her 1969 album"Hito no Ki mo Shiranai de"（人の気も知らないで...Not Knowing Him）.
I couldn't find out who the songwriters were, but "Blue Morning Blues" is quite the rousing pop number from those times. What has attracted me to it is the funky bass, the horns and Sawa's husky and come-hither voice. Everything helps to keep a pretty brisk urban pace. There were a few more singles in her recording career but none of her songs ever became hits, and in 1972, she retired from show business before getting married to a nightclub manager in 1975.
Anyone who follows my Twitter is aware that I've been, let's say... fangirling about a new genre of idol groups, the alternative ones, especially BiS.
While some may know BiS as the rock/punk group who coined the term "alternative idol" (after its first use referring to Togawa Jun in the 80's), the current identity of the group is a bit different. While they're still not traditional idols, they're milder, less reactive than the original girls. Back in the day, BiS released music vídeos mocking AKB48 "scandals"; now they even use similar gimmicks for promotion, splitting the group in two teams with line-ups chosen by fan election.
Still, the group freely plays all their repertoire, and one song that can't miss any decently-sized setlist is nerve. Released in 2011 (and re-released many times over the years), it is BiS' signature song. And yet, it's just about your quintessential idol song; which is interesting for a group who took so much pride in their anti-idol stance.
The song was composed by miifu and originally arranged by Schtein & Longer. The team did a good job making a catchy tune while still incorporing some rock and electronic beats that make the song more modern and unique-sounding. The lyrics by Kubota Yoji (久保田洋司) tell the feelings of a girl whose boyfriend can't seem to have the nerve to take their relationship to the next step. Yeah, about as stereotypical as you could think.
When BiS disbanded, people around the Internet made a tribute by covering the song (specially the choreography). Above is Oomori Seiko's version (with a cameo by former BiS member Koshouji Megumi, now part of Maison book girl).
As BiS continues to exist with different members, and is now part of an agency/supergroup called WACK, we can expect the song to be played for years to come. By the way, my favorite member is the short-haired, cute-and-tomboyish Gozeela.
I'm more about the current line-up but I can't hide how much I love the old BiS, especially right before disbandment. You can still follow the antics of those members as they all have their personal projects (BILLIE IDLE, Maison book girl, Tentenko), as well as a YouTube channel created by founder Pour Lui. It's cleverly called BYS (Brand-new Youtuber Society).
I'm excited to dig more into the idol hole but I like to remember that what got me into it in the first place were Showa idols. I love having this broad view - it definitely puts several things into perspective, and it's nice to see the evolution of this unique field of entertainment.
Happy Canada Day! And perhaps it's a happier Canada Day than most for Torontonians. It's hot, sunny and summery...the annual Ribfest at Centennial Park is shoveling out the zesty spareribs and funnel cakes. Plus it was announced that our NHL team Toronto Maple Leafs have just experienced the biggest free agent acquisition in years with the signing of superstar John Tavares. Not that 90%~95% of folks reading this from around the planet will really know or care, but hey, just wanted to put it out there.
So, being the 151st birthday of my country, I was thinking about what kayo I could put up which has any connection with Canada. Perhaps there was some sort of momiji-themed enka or folk song out there, since momiji does refer to the Japanese maple.
However, I decided to go with singer-songwriter Ayaka's（絢香）"Nijiiro" (Rainbow Colours) which was the theme song for the NHK morning serial drama "Hanako to Anne"（花子とアン...Hanako and Anne）broadcast for the bulk of 2014. The connection lies in the fact that the drama dealt with the life and times of Hanako Muraoka（村岡花子）, the first translator of "Anne of Green Gables" into Japanese, and of course, Anne Shirley is so beloved by the Japanese that perhaps she's as much an icon there as she is over here. I think there are still quite a number of Japanese tourists making the pilgrimage over to Prince Edward Island where Anne lived.
"Nijiiro" was Ayaka's 13th single released in June 2014 and it's a sweet and mellow pop song about getting through life with hope and optimism despite any setbacks. I think it's an appropriate tune to adorn both Muraoka and Shirley, and now it's gotten to the point where if I ever think of Prince Edward Island or "Anne of Green Gables", "Nijiiro" will be the image song. In fact, it's replaced "Mikazuki"（三日月）as my representative Ayaka tune.
(short version)
The song hit No. 8 on Oricon and went Triple Platinum. Plus, "Nijiiro" provided Ayaka with her 7th appearance on the Kohaku Utagassen later that year. It was also a track on her 4th album "Rainbow Road"（レインボーロード）from April 2015 that reached No. 3 on the album charts.
My family made its own way to PEI back in 1980. We did visit the Green Gables farmhouse in Cavendish and even enjoyed a lobster buffet nearby.
My visits to Sugamo's Mukashi no Uta no Mise, besides giving me the satisfaction and joy of singing songs I love for the people who love them, are opportunities for me to expand my knowledge in the field of enka and kayo kyoku. Many a times had the folks picked songs unfamiliar to me, and while some simply garnered a lukewarm "Eh...", a fraction of them get the immediate green light to be seared into the annals of my mind and to later be checked out via YouTube, and a couple even got articles of their own. Today, I will be giving another such song it's write-up.
I will always associate this song to this memory: It had been easily a couple of hours into the Saturday afternoon session and I had downed my sushi peace offering, a Madeline pastry and some sort of flattened, sweetened tofu thing (I didn't like this one, but finished it for the sake of courtesy). Waiting for my selection to go up the list of songs to be sung, I saw "O-hyakudo Koi-san" up next. It wasn't a title I knew, but the sight of Hiroshi Wada & Mahina Stars (和田弘とマヒナスターズ) beside it gave me a sense of familiarity and a little reassurance. It also gave me the impression that a Hawaiian-themed Mood Kayo, be it depressingly melancholic or whimsically playful, was about to hit the ears of all present. Whatever it was, we were sure to be in good hands as M-chan, the quietest but easily the most popular performer, was behind the mic.
Amidst the rabid cheers for M-chan and excited chatter, what I heard from the karaoke melody of "O-hyakudo Koi-san" and the unassuming uncle's gentle crooning had a different sound unlike my initial speculation. In fact, it had more of an soft enka flavour that agreed with me... even though I could just barely hear the song. So during my own free time, I decided to look up this interesting Mahina Stars number with the intention of listening to it again and to relive that insane afternoon. Hearing it again just made me like it even more.
With this being a song from a Hawaiian MK group, of course the music has to have that cold Western twang of the steel guitar, contrasting the otherwise somewhat traditional Japanese sound it has going for it. And when the vocals come in, both provide a lonely and haunting atmosphere to "Koi-san", though I find it oddly comforting. As for the lyrics, this song is set in Osaka's central business district of Senba (船場), and is about the titular Koi-san making trips to the famous Hozenji shrine to pray.
Considering that the Hozenji Mizukake Fudo is one of the best known deities to pray to for love and lasting marriages (Meoto Zenzai), I have an idea as to what Koi-san wishes for. From my understanding, I think she is absolutely smitten with this childhood sweetheart of hers, and in hopes that they'd be together forever she goes to the little temple to pray for that to happen. Despite the, perhaps, odds of their union, Koi-san refuses to give up on this fellow and religiously visits Mizukake Fudo (a hundred times, hence the title) to increase her chances... ... *Sudden epiphany* What if her beloved was actually set to marry/likes someone else, but Koi-san can't accept this and hopes that the moss-covered deity can intervene someway or somehow? (Cue dramatic gasp)
Well, that aside, this brings me to my favourite part of the song, which is hearing the way the Mahina Stars guys make her plight known through their forlorn manner of singing, which sounds like the woman desperately beseeching the deity for some breakthrough.
"O-hyakudo Koi-san" was released early on in the Mood Kayo group's career in May 1960. It had its words written by Kunizo Kishi (喜志邦三), and the melody composed by Masanobu Tokuchi (渡久地政信), who was renowned for putting together the markedly jollier "Otomi-san" (お富さん) 6 years prior. "Koi-san" seemed to be decently received commercially as I've been seeing that it does get its time in the spotlight during some of the Mahina Stars' medleys, so it wasn't just left as just a memory to avid fans of the group from days of yore and sung on occasion in a dingy little karaoke joint.
P.S. To give you an idea of how M-chan sounded like, I thought his vocals were surprisingly similar to the lead vocalist Satoshi Mihara (三原さと志) - the singer with the deepest vocals and the one who sang first in this song.
