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.
A long time ago back in the 20th century as a young pudgy lad in Toronto, my family used to go down to the local horse racetrack known as Greenwood Raceway by Lake Ontario and watch the races down there. The highlights, aside from the actual races, were making origami boats and cranes out of discarded tickets and the pizza sold there that tasted like cheese and pepperoni baked onto cardboard (mind you, fibre is important for good health).
When I was writing the article on Salty Sugar's"Hashire Koutarou"（走れコウタロー）in early November, I also discovered this song called "Saraba Haiseiko" (Farewell Haiseiko). It's an enka that stands out since it was written and composed as a tribute to a champion racehorse called Haiseiko (1970-2000), and the performer himself wasn't a singer by profession, but a racing jockey and a horse trainer by the name of Sueo Masuzawa（増沢末夫）who was the main jockey for Haiseiko.
"Saraba Haiseiko" was released on New Year's Day 1975 as a song in commemoration of Haiseiko's retirement, and I have to say that if Masuzawa had ever decided to leave the racing industry, I think that he could have become a pretty decent enka singer. The introductory trumpets are a nice touch as they resemble the horns that I remember hearing at Greenwood. And the overall melody by Kosho Inomata（猪俣公章）is a proud anthem for the champion horse given by his partner-in-arms (or saddle, as it were).
The creation of the song was definitely kept in the family, so to speak. The lyrics were provided by Iwao Kosaka（小坂巌）, a horse racing journalist, with assistance by songwriter Takao Yamada（山田孝雄）. "Saraba Haiseiko" made it up all the way to No. 4 on Oricon and finished the year as the 37th-ranked single.
For me, there are two types of fatigue. There's the one that comes about from going through some hell, whether it be cramming for exams or trying to plow through useless mounds of paperwork or dealing with someone you simply don't like. I've experienced all three. Then, there's the one that follows the successful completion of a project; you may be tired but it's a good type of tired. You put your energies into something worthwhile and you can now heal that fatigue with a party or your solo glass of libation. I've gone through that, too.
The late singer-songwriter Kazuhito Murata（村田和人）may have introduced a variation on the second one through his song "Shiawase ni Tsukarete" (Getting Tired Happily) which came from his 5th album"Boy's Life" released in May 1987. Murata wrote and composed this AOR tune with a good dollop of Latin; Ronnie Foster also co-composed the song while AB'S keyboardist Yoshihiko Ando（安藤芳彦）co-wrote the lyrics.
Within those lyrics, Murata relates the story of a man who has finished a romantic relationship and though there is that tinge of regret, there's also that feeling of wisdom (and perhaps even relief) that he learned from his experience via his ex-partner. It may not have worked out ultimately but he feels that he got something good out of it. Now that I think of it, perhaps this fatigue may actually be a hybrid of the two that I explained above. In any case, "Shiawase ni Tsukarete" is worthy of listening while knocking back a Corona.
Merry Christmas, everyone! Depending on where you are and whether you celebrate the holiday, I hope that some of you are digesting your poultry without any ill effects. My family has just gotten its turkey into the oven and we're praying that within a few hours, we will get that golden brown and succulent bird...well, I will settle for a golden brown one anyways.
Folks, this article is on another song which reiterates my line on not wholly depending on a singer's BEST compilation to get all of the gems in that singer's career. I was fortunate enough to obtain Yasuha's（泰葉）"Golden Best" collection sometime ago, but it didn't include this little jewel from her 2nd album"ViVid" from April 1982.
"Koi wa Memory" (Love is a Memory) is a pretty infectiously bouncy number which starts off with some punchy horns followed by a happy City Pop beat and Yasuha's light and chipper vocals. It's even open and generous enough to include some technpoppy synth in the middle and jazz at the end, but in the end, it's all about a trippy and joyful musical strut through Shinjuku. If I'm not mistaken, Yasuha came up with the melody while Toyohisa Araki（荒木とよひさ）took care of the lyrics.
I will be taking December 25th and 26th tomorrow from my day job duties but I was still getting a few articles translated earlier this afternoon. And y'know, the above song would probably be the tonic that I would've listened to at the end of all that.
This is Sentimental City Romance's（センチメンタル・シティ・ロマンス）"Shounai Bojou" (Longing for the Countryside) which was a track from the band's August 1975 self-titled album. Nice and leisurely, this is a pleasant musical interlude through the more rural parts of Japan. Although I have categorized it as well as a New Music tune, which by definition takes original Western melodies and places Japanese lyrics onto them, "Shounai Bojou" still has that feeling of that Japanese countryside of rice paddies, narrow paths and old mom-&-pop shops selling dagashi and Calpis.
Considering how warm it's gonna get in Toronto past Xmas, it would be nice to take a walk around but instead of rice paddies, it will be through quiet industrial parks.
After having watched my fair share of "The Simpsons", "Family Guy" and "South Park" over the years, my response to this famous lyric would be "And then I saw Daddy grabbing for his baseball bat..."
Yes, I can be pretty snarky when I want to be, but as much as the Holidays here are about Mass, Jesus Christ, Santa Claus, turkey and presents, December 24th and the 25th in Japan are all about the partying, KFC, Fujiya cakes, and romancing. I can guarantee that last night in Tokyo, there were plenty of hotels being booked and restaurants getting reserved for some of those Second Valentine's Day dates.
So, for my final J-Xmas song this season, I give you "Anata to Christmas Eve" (Christmas Eve With You) by AKB48. I had only discovered this one just earlier today, and it's dripping with all of that Xmas romance-y stuff, just like a roasting turkey and its juices ready for basting. Written by Yasushi Akimoto（秋元康）and composed by SHUJI, this apparently came out as one of the songs on the setlist for a concert by the group and then recorded for a CD which was released in March 2007. To be honest, it's a bit too treacly for me even as an Xmas song, but hey, I could imagine this song hovering over a lot of young couples walking through Tokyo neighbourhoods such as Shibuya and Omotesando.
From what I could find from the J-Wikiarticle, the CD is titled "Team A 1st Stage 'PARTY ga Hajimaru yo'"（チームA 1st Stage「PARTYが始まるよ」...The Party Is About To Begin）. "Anata to Christmas Eve" was performed by members Ayumi Orii（折井あゆみ）and Michiru Hoshino（星野みちる）.
Sister group SKE48 released their own "PARTY ga Hajimaru yo" album in October 2013 with that track (and for that matter, I think a lot of the other sister groups have given their own cover of the Xmas song). However the video above has AKB48 members Yuki Kashiwagi（柏木由紀）and Miyu Takeuchi（竹内美宥）performing a cover originally done by their own sempai.
In any case, I wish everybody out there...fellow collaborators, commenters and viewers...all the best for a Merry Christmas!
A while ago, J-Canuck wrote that Akina is the non-singer song-writer who got the most blog posts on Kayo Kyoku Plus. I replied that Akina has indeed written some songs and even penned some lyrics for her songs. Wasurete is the first song she ever wrote and the first piece of lyrics she ever penned.
Wasurete was recorded as a B-side song in the single Futari Shizuka (Tenka Densetsu Satsujin Jiken yori) (二人静「天河伝説殺人事件」より). The album reached no.3 on the weekly Oricon chart and was the last Akina single to reach top 5.
In summer 1989, Akina attempted suicide as a result of her deteriorating relationship with her lover Matchy (Masahiko Kondo 近藤真彦). She stopped work for 1 year, and came back in 1990 summer. When she was doing TV interviews, or appearing on music shows, she always put on a smile and pretended that nothing ever happened.
The song is kind of a diary/letter to herself, as well as a letter to her fans, that she wanted to forget about Matchy.
Last summer, I was so anxious to get out and buy a new swimming suit
It was a bit pretentious during that summer, burst opening my smiles in front of everyone
Memories are piling in my heart, just as everyone of you is piling layers of tan under the summer sun
As I look into the mirror, my memories with him is finally off my shoulders
I want to get rid of it
I want to get rid of it
To make room for the new swimming suit I'm buying
I want to forget
I want to forget
For I try to change the design I love...
The lyrics has a second version though. She sang it once in her 1991 concert during encore as her last song. As far as I know, the second version was never recorded in any single or album. In fact, the 1991 concert was the only time that Akina sang Wasurete live.
The second version is a letter to her fans thanking their support during her most miserable days.
Even though we're about to say goodbye
I just have one more for you
Various things happened
Please forgive me if I have made all of you worry
Before I set foot on this stage today
Anxiety was occupying my dreams
But now, I am bathing in your warmth as well as your smiles
I will never forget
I will never forget
My thought towards you will never change
Please look close at me
Please look close at me
I will continue to live as myself as I've always lived
If you want to buy the second version, I think the only way is to get the sound track of her 1991 concert, Dream 91 Akina Nakamori Special Live.
Oh, and one more thing that I found on the web surrounding this song. The 1991 concert started 7/27/1991 for 2 days. People on the Internet are saying that Matchy announced her marriage one day before the concert opened. Rumor was that Akina was heartbroken and became sick. That's why her voice was not at her best in the 1991 concert.
One small riddle that I've had for many years dealt with Yoshimoto Kogyo（吉本興業）, the Japanese comedy conglomerate based in Osaka. Who came up with that theme song for their comedy skits on stage? Folks who have lived in Japan ought to know. It's that appropriately comical muted trumpet tune, at least in the beginning.
Well, it wasn't that hard to track down the answer although I had assumed that it was some jazz orchestra based in Japan which was commissioned to come up with a theme song for the comedy troupe. Actually, though, the song's title is "Somebody Stole My Gal" as recorded by American jazz trombonist Pee Wee Hunt and his orchestra in 1954. I still don't know how the song became part of Yoshimoto legend but from the title alone, it was a good choice since losing that gal is pretty tragicomic.
Hunt was just one of many musicians who came up with their own version of "Somebody Stole My Gal", but the original was created back in 1918 by Leo Wood with Ted Weems and his orchestra getting that first big hit out of it in 1924, when, according to Wikipedia, it became a million-seller and was a No. 1 success for 5 weeks straight, although I couldn't find out what that particular chart was.
