Hiroshi Sato feat. Wendy Matthews -- Awakening

Well, first off, I'd like to give my tribute to Revenue Canada for providing the tax refund that made my mini-splurge on 3 Japanese discs possible. Yep, I did a bit of shopping online and got myself Minako Yoshida's "Twilight Zone"(1977), "Loft Sessions Vol. 1"(1978), and musician Hiroshi Sato's（佐藤博） "Awakening"(1982). I've listened to each of the discs twice, and I think at this point, the one that has gotten the majority of my attention is "Awakening".

My three choices came from the book "Japanese City Pop", and Sato's magnum opus was especially recommended by singer-songwriter-producer Toshiki Kadomatsu（角松敏生）through an interview given in the book. I gotta say that I gotta go with Kadomatsu. It's the musical equivalent of a really smooth brandy.

After a short instrumental introductory track, "Awakening" starts the ball rolling with "You're My Baby"(above) with him and Canadian-born, Australian singer Wendy Matthews giving this dreamy ballad covered in soft wool. Continuing on with the alcohol analogy, I always see these connoisseurs come with these high-falutin' descriptions of the wine they've just tasted that bring out references to stuff like strawberries, chocolate and sandalwood. Well, listening to Sato's 4th album (June 1982), I have to admit that the same sort of thing is happening here. Sato was apparently influenced by The Beatles, Elvis Presley and Ray Charles, but "Awakening" gives off vibes from a number of singers, some of whom figure prominently in AOR. "You're My Baby" alone hints at a bit of Gino Vannelli and Boz Scaggs, in terms of the vocals and arrangements. And sometimes I can pick up a bit of YMO's Yukihiro Takahashi（高橋幸宏） as well from Sato, along with some Chaz Jankel (keyboardist with Ian Dury & The Blockheads).

But Track 6 is a jawdropper. Sato does give his tribute to The Beatles via "From Me To You", but the way he does it is by singing like British pop singer Howard Jones....over a year before the man himself debuted with "New Song"! I actually had to scour through the liner notes just to see if Jones had indeed performed a really early tune in there.

Another notable song is "Blue and Moody Music", another relaxing ballad with that hint of jazz, thanks to Sato's prowess on the keyboards. Nice song to enjoy with that glass of wine during sunset. However, I think I prefer the second, more uptempo version of the song at the end of the album with Wendy providing the main vocals. Above is the Wendy version and below is the original have-a-sip-of-wine-my-darlin' version.

The Kagoshima-born, Kyoto-raised Sato worked with and received accolades from some of the most famous figures in Japanese popular music, with Tatsuro Yamashita（山下達郎）, according to the write up on Sato in J-Wiki, stating in the liner notes of his re-release of the album "Spacy" that he was Japan's best pianist. Kadomatsu mentioned in a 1995 issue of "Music Magazine" that his piano playing was a Japanese treasure, and even Haruomi Hosono（細野晴臣） invited him to join YMO, although Sato opted to go across the Pacific to the United States to work in music there in 1979 for a few years.

And the above is "Only A Love Affair", another collaboration between Wendy and Hiroshi.

Sadly, Sato passed away late last year at the age of 65. I've only started to explore one of his albums but I have a feeling that "Awakening" may be one of those discs that will amount to a musical version of "The Little Prince"; each time I listen to it, there will always be something new  to my ears...an awakening of sorts.

I've got a follow-up on the album here.

Hiroshi Sato -- Awakening

Yutaka Kimura Speaks ~ Japanese City Pop Masterpieces 100: Hiroshi Sato -- Rainbow Sea Line （レインボー・シー･ライン）

 

Number: 098

Lyricist: Minako Yoshida

Composer: Hiroshi Sato

Arranger: Hiroshi Sato

From Sato's 1976 album "Super Market"

Hiroshi Sato's（佐藤博）"Rainbow Sea Line" is a cover of a song that he provided Minako Yoshida（吉田美奈子）, but compared to the Yoshida version, it's even mellower and more effervescent. His solo debut album "Super Market" was recorded in Los Angeles through an abrupt decision, but even so, the sense of perfection here is such that I am keenly reminded of how much of a truly talented musician he was, no matter the decade. As the title suggests, it's a number that makes me want to listen to it during a drive while feeling that sea breeze.

The above comes from "Disc Collection Japanese City Pop Revised" (2020).

Hi, J-Canuck here. I do remember posting an article regarding "Rainbow Sea Line" more than a decade ago on "Kayo Kyoku Plus", but despite me putting both Yoshida's and Sato's names on the byline, I actually wrote only about the former's version and threw in the Sato version from "Super Market" as an "emergency measure" because at the time, the only Yoshida version that was on YouTube had gotten taken down by the powers-that-be for the longest time. I didn't really bother writing anything about Sato's indeed truly mellower take which I hadn't thought was possible after first hearing the original take for Yoshida. But Kimura is right; his "Rainbow Sea Line" is ideal as a driving song with the top down on the convertible, and it's a tune that reflects the romanticism of 1970s City Pop regarding the possibilities of finally living the good life for a lot of Japanese.

I'd like to also remind readers of Yutaka Kimura Speaks that some 97 weeks ago, Sato was entry 001 for this series and I'm about to finish the final two entries in as many weeks.

Hiroshi Sato feat. Wendy Matthews/Yukiko Haneda -- It Isn't Easy

Was hoping to return to this album, "Awakening" by Hiroshi Sato（佐藤博）, a release that got the seal of approval by none other than Toshiki Kadomatsu（角松敏生）. Most fortunately, I did find a song that I hadn't covered in the original article for Sato's 1982 magnum opus.

After listening to the track "It Isn't Easy", my first and continuing thought was that it really doesn't need Sato's introductory vocal because I think it almost belongs to a different song. Once it hits 22 seconds, though, that's when we get the ironically easy melody (considering the title) by Sato, the musical equivalent of a hammock swaying gently on the beach. Wendy Matthews is back to provide her lovely voice for the English lyrics against the background of some synth-Asian arrangement, rather reminiscent of the material by Japanese-American band Hiroshima. Sato himself adds a brief jazzy element on the piano along with the background vocals. Lorrain Feather came up with the lyrics.

Yukiko Haneda（羽根田征子）is a Tokyo-born singer who was definitely blessed when she first started out in the late 1980s. Her 1988 debut album "Beating Mess" was produced by Minako Yoshida（吉田美奈子）, and then her sophomore effort in the following year, "Sora", had Hiroshi Sato in the producer's chair.

So it's not surprising then that one of the tracks on "Sora" happens to be a cover version of "It Isn't Easy", given the alternate title of "Renka Senri"（恋唄千里...Love Song Long Distance）. Not sure on my reading of that title although YouTube uploader Keir Hardie's transcription has it as "Renka Chisato" (that first attempt of the second word is based on jisho.org). In any case, Haneda's cover is still within the AOR genre although it tends toward a more soulful arrangement and the singer delivers the song in both Japanese and English; apparently the lyrics in the former language were provided by someone named Yui Masaki（真沙木唯）according to JASRAC.

Haneda has provided 3 singles and 6 albums up to 2008, and according to her website, her full stage name is Johanna Yukiko Haneda, although her real name is Yukiko Ito（伊藤征子）. On finding out that kaz-shin at "Music Avenue" reviewed "Sora", I also discovered that he has proclaimed her 3rd album from July 1997, "Good Times, Bad Times", as an AOR fan's must-have. Therefore, I will have to continue the exploration into her discography.

Hiroshi Sato -- Eve no Asa wo（EVEの朝を）

From fujiya-peko.co.jp

Just finished listening to the entirety of Rocket Brown's interview of Scott for his "Holly Jolly X'masu" podcast via Discord, and you can find out about the Mixcloud version of the show through my article on Yosui Inoue's（井上陽水）"Merry Christmas" article that I wrote earlier this afternoon. From the playlist today, it looks like I may have a lot of material this Yuletide season.

As one fellow commented on Discord when this song was played, "Man, what an intro!". Yep, I can agree with that assessment. We're referring to Hiroshi Sato's（佐藤博）"Eve no Asa wo" (Xmas Eve Morning), an October 1989 single and the first killer track on what is a compilation album by the singer-songwriter called "Hiroshi Sato '90 ~ Snow Land" also released on the same day. I was fortunate enough to discover that "Music Avenue", that Japanese-language music blog that I've often seen, also provided an article devoted to "Snow Land", and author kaz-shin stated that Sato had intended the album to be played on the car stereo while heading over to the ski resort. At the time, skiing was becoming a very popular leisure activity, something that the album cover makes abundantly clear. 

From Discogs.com

Going with what I've already mentioned, "Eve no Asa wo" has quite the intro with guitarist Takayuki Hijikata（土方隆行）blasting mellow Xmas tune-accustomed ears with a sound that is reminiscent of a scene from the first "Back to the Future" when Marty woke up his father with his own guitar. Sato really must have wanted everyone to have that ton of aural coffee. It's almost as if he had wanted to say, "SCREW YOUR NOG AND RELAXING FIREPLACE! I'M PARTYING ALL OVER TOWN TODAY!!" 

Once everyone is awake and assuming that the musician is going atypically metal, those familiar synths and Sato's soothing voice come rolling in for what comes across as folks taking a fun trip through a future city of glass and steel on Christmas Eve. Masaki Matsubara（松原正樹）joins in with his own guitar and saxophonist Masato Honda（本田雅人）helps out with some of that Steely Dan sound that's further accentuated with some of Sato's own layering vocals. Couldn't have asked for a more dynamic Xmas song but admittedly, if I hadn't heard the title and the fact that it was on an Xmas-themed podcast, I wouldn't have known that "Eve no Asa wo" was anywhere related to the holiday.

Hiroshi Sato -- Sailing Blaster

Until recently, I only had the one Hiroshi Sato（佐藤博）album, the classic "Awakening" (1982) with Wendy Matthews, but on listening to some of the late keyboardist/songwriter's other songs, including the boppy "Sweet Inspiration" and the soothing "Always", I just had to add another Sato album to the collection. Well, both "Sweet Inspiration" and "Always" belong to the album following "Awakening", "Sailing Blaster" from June 1984.

When it comes to comparing "Awakening" and "Sailing Blaster", I kinda liken the former to an afternoon lounging on those deck chairs on a cruise ship whereas with the latter, Sato invites us for a good time in the ballroom for a really happening party that same night. And continuing on with a tradition from "Awakening", he also gives us his tribute to The Beatles. Right from Track 2, we get his funky version of "Eight Days A Week" and then Track 8, a really racing take on "I Feel Fine".

As was the case with "Sweet Inspiration", Cindy Yamamoto（シンディ山本）and Sato collaborated once more for "Love Is Happening" which comes across as the ideal driving song on the Ventura Highway. There is something nicely California about it as he gives his story about falling head over heels.

Lyricist Yoko Narahashi（奈良橋陽子）, who's often helped out the band Godiego（ゴダイゴ）, provided the lyrics to Sato's "Shine Forever", a defiant declaration with some reggae about stopping time and staying relevant for eternity. According to the liner notes, Narahashi was also on backing vocals. Could be good for "Doctor Who".

One of the three instrumental tracks and maybe the longest track on "Sailing Blaster" provided by Sato is "How ya been (Do Nai?)", a funky shuffle that could make for a highlight at the ballroom party on the cruise ship that I was analogizing about earlier. Looks like the band members themselves were having a ball jamming away on their instruments and making merry. It's a lively mix of honky tonk music and some Steely Dan.

My final entry here is the lone bonus track "Sweet Inspiration '85", a slightly more amped-up version of the original "Sweet Inspiration" with a dance remix feeling.

After hearing both "Awakening" and "Sailing Blaster", I'm musing whether Sato came up with an album that symbolized the midnight cool-down following the massive soiree.

Hiroshi Sato -- Shiny Lady

 

Mighty shiny building in West Shinjuku. I hope those window cleaners got a hefty bonus for their work. Not sure whether I actually set foot in there, but there was one of those towers that I did get to enter to have dinner right at the top. Wonderful view...in fact, it was so wonderful that I've completely forgotten what I ate there. If you know my appetite, that's not easy to do.

"Shiny Lady" is the first track on singer/musician Hiroshi Sato's（佐藤博）compilation album "This Boy" from May 1985. Sato of course composed and arranged this bouncy and funky City Pop tune that, for the lack of a better word, is a typically Sato-esque creation. The man is a marvel on the keyboards which include a Yamaha DX-7, a Mini Moog and a Fairlight CMI according to the J-Wiki article on the album, and the whole effect is like a walk among the modern skyscrapers of the aforementioned West Shinjuku, day or night. Yui Masaki（真沙木唯）is behind the lyrics that Sato and his backup, EVE and Miho Fujii（藤井美保）, sing out high and low.

Now that I've been listening to City Pop with all of its members including Sato, Tatsuro Yamashita（山下達郎）and Makoto Matsushita（松下誠）among others, I've gotten some pretty solid images whenever I hear their music. With Tats, it'll either be a beach or an Eizin Suzuki painting, but with Sato, it'll be photos of gleaming Tokyo buildings.

Hideko Yoshida/Hiroshi "GWAN" Sato -- Tanpopo no O-Sake （たんぽぽのお酒）

It was kinda hard to imagine as a kid that the dandelion was an unwelcome weed. It smelled like Juicy Fruit chewing gum, looked pretty in full bloom, and it had that cool dispersal system for its seeds. Just give it a blow and watch every seed fly off under its own parachute. My "hobby" of blowing fluffy dandelion seeds was curtailed at a young age when I ended up blowing a whole ton of them into a stiff wind...which ended up in the direction of my family and all of the picnic food on the table. NOT good times, they were.

Since those salad days, I have learned that though there are many commercials selling herbicide to get rid of the yellow flowers every year, the dandelion has provided some nice parts in terms of greens for salads and tea. I'm not sure how the flower has been treated in Japan but that famous ramen noodle western from 1985, "Tanpopo" does exist and that title is the Japanese word for dandelion. Plus, a couple of years earlier, Yumi Matsutoya（松任谷由実）had given her own tribute to the flower via "Dandelion".

Well, I've just come across this other dandelion-themed folk song (that flute gives it all away), "Tanpopo no O-Sake" (Dandelion Wine) from 1975. There wasn't a whole lot of information about the song on YouTube and there was a commenter who had asked about it...5 years ago, mind you. However, the mellow music and the lovely vocals by Hideko Yoshida（吉田日出子）intrigued me enough to take on the challenge to track this down.

First thing is that Yoshida is an actress, and when I looked up her biography in J-Wiki, there was no mention of her ever going behind the mike to sing so perhaps "Tanpopo no O-Sake" was a one-off. It would be too bad if that were indeed the case since I think she actually sings the song very well. According to her bio, she would have been over 30 years of age by this recording but she sounds like a teenager here.

Apparently, the song was perhaps first performed as the theme song for an NHK drama "Roku Nen Ni-kumi no Haru wa"（六年二組の春は...The Spring for Grade 6, Class 2）but I'm not sure whether Yoshida's version is the original one for this show. The lyrics of the lives of a bed of dandelions were written by Kazuko Fujimoto（藤本和子）and the music was composed by Hiroshi "GWAN" Sato（佐藤GWAN博）. Now to be clear, this isn't the late keyboardist Hiroshi Sato（佐藤博）who had come up with the marvelous City Pop album "Awakenings" but the folk singer/actor with the same name (Hiroshi Sato is pretty much like John Smith in Japan) whom I'll be distinguishing through the inclusion of his nickname GWAN in the Labels. Supposedly, according to Sato's bio on J-Wiki, he was given the nickname by fellow actor Ryuzo Hayashi（林隆三）since the singer had eyes that resembled those of a bird that had just gotten shot by a pellet gun (gun=GWAN....go on!). Moving on...

In any case, I have recently come across some other songs by GWAN online so I would like to explore and perhaps feature some of these in future articles.

Hiroshi Sato -- Always

And now we end our broadcasting day. Yup, I'm writing this fairly close to the midnight hour but still wanted to put one more article in before hitting the hay.

Fell in love with this track from Hiroshi Sato's（佐藤博）"Sailing Blaster" from June 1984. This is the album that immediately followed his classic "Awakening" (1982), and this particular song is giving a not-so-soft knock in the ribs that I really ought to add another Sato album to my shelves. In any case, "Always" is a fine sunny-day AOR tune which Sato sings in English thanks to Lorraine Feather's lyrics while the singer-songwriter takes care of the cheerful sound.

And as Sato hits the high notes, he keeps reminding me at times that he sounds remarkably similar to Howard Jones. I'm feeling very tempted to go on a Sato rush of albums...that is, after I find out what my tax payment will be for this year. It wouldn't be too bad if I started with "Sailing Blaster".

Hiroshi Sato -- Something in the Air

If I said the title "Baroque Hoedown" to you folks, I probably would be assailed by a swarm of question marks and snarky remarks such as "Classical Country Dancing". However, when you listen to the song with that very title, a lot of you in Japan would recognize it as the main theme for the Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade. "Baroque Hoedown" was first brought to giddy life by Moog synthesizer masters, Perrey and Kingsley back in 1967.

For me, though, I first heard "Baroque Hoedown" as the theme song for the ain't-science-fascinating program "Mr. Wizard" when I was a kid, although the above video is for a much later episode. Still, though, I think many kids and former kids in Japan will identify the song more with Mickey Mouse than Mr. Wizard.

Moving onto the topic of this article, I think this particular track from the late Hiroshi Sato's（佐藤博）"Sound of Science" album from July 1986, "Something in the Air" could have also made a similarly infectiously quirky tune for an NHK science show for kids, especially those first several bars. Being weaned on Sato's classic 1982 "Awakening" album, I didn't think that the musician ever ventured into the synthpop sound.

And yet, here we are. "Something in the Air" was composed by Sato and written by Cindy Yamamoto（シンディ山本）, who also sadly passed on nearly a couple of decades ago. As I said for that intro, I don't quite know what the exact name of that synthesizer is but that adorably puffy sound it emits has had me thinking of a more contemporary Mr. Wizard trying to boil water with an ice cube. The rest of the melody is light and bouncy and quite inviting for an intense round of kid-friendly skipping on the street, and yet Sato (and I'm assuming Cindy is being featured here and there) also brings in some creamy AOR rhythms in the middle. I can only gather that Sato truly was Japanese pop music's own Mr. Wizard.

Hiroshi Sato -- Sweet Inspiration

It has been an interesting time if you're into Japanese pop culture and you are a foodie. Since returning from Japan back in late 2011, a lot of Japanese cuisine has rooted itself into the Toronto firmament: ramen, izakaya food, cheesecake and now it seems as if Japanese-style pancakes have arrived in The Six.

This is quite an ironic development. In my final year in Japan, this Hawaiian franchise decided to take a chance and see if their pancakes could make some inroads in the notoriously fickle nation of foodies. And these were just the usual flapjacks with the gimmick being that they were merely the base for a huge tower of whipped cream; the whole thing looked like the dessert version of a part of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Well, the owner of the franchise didn't have to worry. Appreciation and interest were proven by the hours-long lineups. Admittedly, the dish was very Instagram-friendly.

Now, folks in Toronto might be getting into the really fluffy Japanese pancakes which are whipped into these inflatable cushions of egg yolks and other ingredients. I went to one such place a few days ago that opened up recently called Fuwa Fuwa. Nice pancakes and not a single drop of maple syrup to be found anywhere near my plate....quite eggy in taste and texture.

I was inspired by this sweet to introduce "Sweet Inspiration" by Hiroshi Sato (佐藤博...see what I did there?:)), the opening track from his 5th album "Sailing Blaster" released in June 1984. Provided lyrics by Cindy Yamamoto（シンディ山本）and composed by Sato, the singer-songwriter-musician is in his Howard Jones voice once more to give this quirky and boppy fun tune an even fluffier lift...like Japanese pancakes.

Wasn't initially sure how to definitively categorize "Sweet Inspiration". Although it's got the hint of City Pop through some of Sato's arrangement and instrumentation, I can't say that it is a downright piece of the city. In the end, I decided to play peacemaker and say that it can be both City Pop and straight pop. I'm fairly sure that Sato and Cindy wouldn't mind too much. It's still a pity that both of them are no longer with us.

September 16 2022: You can take a listen to Cindy's own cover of "Sweet Inspiration" (and on an LD, no less) here.

Hiroshi Sato -- Awakening (Follow-Up)

Well, I would have written up this follow-up on Hiroshi Sato's（佐藤博）"Awakening" (1982), one of the representative albums of City Pop, sooner but another one of those staffing bombshells at the White House went off again and then there was the news about Major League Baseball's trading deadline which will hit in a few minutes. And it looks like the Blue Jays will be getting Norichika Aoki's services for at least a few months. I don't think he's quite as goofy and lovable as Munenori Kawasaki, though. So, no bush parties (inside joke).

Anyways, I listened to "Awakening" again after a while and it's still smooth as fine butter. I've already covered some of the tracks in the original article from 2013 along with individual tracks "I Can't Wait" with singer Wendy Matthews and the bouncy "Say Goodbye". And back in that article, I mentioned that Sato had a number of influences and that the album itself gave off vibes of Gino Vannelli and Boz Scaggs. Listening to it again, I then figured that there were even a couple of Steves in there: Steve Winwood and Stevie Wonder. Perhaps "Awakening" is even more well-titled then since with every listening, some new insight or echo of another singer may come to mind.

First off, I have to give an apology since I omitted a key player in the production of "Awakening" and that person is Lorrain Feather who wrote all of the English lyrics for the tracks.

Track 5, "Love and Peace" is a really low and slow mellow and funky/bluesy instrumental by Sato which is the equivalent of a satisfying sparerib dinner with your favourite liquid poison.

"From Me To You" (it was the first track on Side B of the original LP) is a track that I've talked about before in the original article. It's the cover of a Beatles song so Lennon and McCartney were responsible for it, but the notable thing about Sato's version is how much he sounds like British 80s singer Howard Jones.

Track 8 is "It Isn't Easy". Wendy Matthews is back to sing about getting back on one's feet after the end of a relationship and although she's well on the mend, she still misses the lug. There is an interesting Asian element in the music.

The instrumental title track as Track 9, "Awakening", has a near-YMO vibe. Perhaps it's not surprising since I think there are at least a few of the instruments used that Yellow Magic Orchestra has taken control of such as the Synclavier. It's the most technopoppy and trippiest track of the album.

Here's hoping that the album stays up for a little on YouTube while at least and that at least some of the listeners will decide "Awakening" is deserving of a spot somewhere on their shelves.

Yutaka Kimura Speaks ~ Japanese City Pop Masterpieces 100: Jin Kirigaya -- Shiosai（しおさい）

 

Number: 036

Lyricist/Composer: Jin Kirigaya 

Arranger: Hiroshi Sato

From Kirigaya's 1979 album "My Love For You"

Initially coming out with normal ballads with a languid tempo, "Shiosai" (The Sound of Waves) is a 16-beat medium-slow masterpiece by Kirigaya（桐ヶ谷仁）with a floating sensation, thanks to Hiroshi Sato's（佐藤博）touch. With the effective playing of the Moog and the timbre of the sax solo during the bridge, no matter how you cut it, this is without a doubt a miraculous pairing and it takes my breath away every time I hear it. I have to tip my hat to Alfa Records back in those days.

The above comes from "Disc Collection Japanese City Pop Revised" (2020).

Hello, J-Canuck here and just like with last week's Yutaka Kimura Speaks with Yumi Arai（荒井由実）, I'm here with another song that I hadn't previously covered on the blog although I have posted about another track on Kirigaya's "My Love For You", "Yotsuya Yuumagure"（四ツ谷ゆうまぐれ）. I guess as we get deeper and deeper into these 100 masterpieces, this sort of thing will be popping up, so we'll just play it by ear.

Anyways, although I'm not quite ready to be as gushing as Kimura about "Shiosai" since I've only started listening and only really appreciating the first track of "My Love For You", it's growing on me. The first few measures did have me wondering whether I was in for a prog rock thing but the melody quickly turned into something more warm and comfy. And Kimura was right about the pairing of the Moog synthesizer and a saxophone that sounds a lot like Artie Shaw's playing. I can only imagine how Hiroshi Sato came up with that sort of arrangement.

Yutaka Kimura Speaks ~ Japanese City Pop Masterpieces 100: Hiroshi Sato featuring Wendy Matthews -- I Can't Wait

 

Unlike for the inaugural article for Yutaka Kimura Speaks, there will be less J-Canuck blah, blah, blah and more of Kimura.

Number: 001

Lyricist: Lorraine Feather

Composer/Arranger: Hiroshi Sato

From his 1982 album: "Awakening"

This is his most contemporary mellow groove song from his landmark recording which established his distinct style after his encounter with the Linn drum. It may be a silly love song based on lyrics talking about the negotiations between a man and a woman, but thanks to Hiroshi Sato's（佐藤博）splendid taste, I can immerse myself in an aurally luxurious sensation within the dry air of Los Angeles. With the quality of the melody and the sound, it's of course very hard to dismiss "I Can't Wait" with the flavour that he imbues into it.

Anri -- Honeymoon Shuttle（蜜月船）

 

It looks like it's the Sato-and-Masaki day today. I've just finished the article on Masayuki Suzuki's（鈴木雅之）"Tandem Run" which was written and composed by Yui Masaki（真沙木唯）and Hiroshi Sato（佐藤博）respectively, and while I was in the middle of finding out the basic information about that song, I found a brief report on Masaki's creations. The first song at the top of the list was "Honeymoon Shuttle" by Anri（杏里）.

Now, as for those Martin fans who have just read about "Tandem Run", I did have to give belated birthday greetings, but I was much better with Anri since I did give those right on her birthday on August 31st via the article for her "Namida wo Umi ni Kaeshitai"（涙を海に返したい）. Anyways, as I mentioned off the top, it's indeed a Sato-and-Masaki day since the two of them had also been behind this dreamy Anri song "Honeymoon Shuttle" from her 1986 album "Mystique". The kanji which could be read as "Mitsugetsu Sen" or "Mitsugetsu Bune" is always sung as "honeymoon shuttle"  by the singer.

However, the reason that I chose to write about this Sato-and-Masaki-penned number immediately after a Sato-and-Masaki-penned one for Martin is not because of the commonality in songwriters. It was actually because "Honeymoon Shuttle" isn't only another lovely Anri tune but it also sounds quite different in my estimation when compared to the songs that she was recording during that decade with folks like Toshiki Kadomatsu（角松敏生）. Even its track mate on "Mystique", "Morning Squall"（モーニング スコール）, has some of that Kadomatsu feeling although the composer and arranger are different.

Actually, "Honeymoon Shuttle" is a romantic Latin-tinged song that sounds so Sato. In fact, I think that if it hadn't been for Wendy Matthews living large on his amazing "Awakening" album, Anri and "Honeymoon Shuttle" could have fit right in as a track there. Sato and Masaki created "Tandem Run" to fit the Martin style but for this Anri tune, it was the other way around. Incidentally, regarding the lyrics, I thought that the narrative was a happy one but then by the end, I realized that despite the honeymoon nature of the music, there was that cold and musty smell of breakup. I'm not sure why the word "honeymoon" was even included except to further dig the toothpicks under the fingernails to stress the message that what could have been didn't happen. I guess Masaki and Sato were in their own Blue period at the time.

Hiroshi Sato -- Last Trick

One of my "running gags" when it comes to what I've written in the blog for nearly 5 years is that all of those Oricon hits occupy the mere top fraction of the iceberg that is above water. There is still a huge chunk underwater left to be explored. Taking the 1970s as an example, while all those aidoru such as Momoe Yamaguchi（山口百恵）and enka singers like Saburo Kitajima (北島三郎...still miss him now that he's retired from the Kohaku) were showing up all the time on Japanese TV, there were albums coming out by musical artists who stayed firmly below the water line.

I'm now coming to the conclusion that I have to start exploring some of the New Music/City Pop material of the 1970s in further detail. I did put into my original mission statement for "Kayo Kyoku Plus" that those two decades of the 1970s and 1980s were my central years, but I think I have done quite a bit for the latter decade. There is still a fair amount to be mined in the 70s in my estimation.

My case in point here is an album by the late singer/musician/songwriter Hiroshi Sato（佐藤博）. Titled "Time", it was released in January 1977 as his 2nd album. Now as of this writing, there are 7 articles representing the man in the blog but I think the big one for him was my first one for him featuring his classic and dreamy 1982 City Pop album "Awakenings".

Now I'm quite interested in "Time" as well. I've only listened to one of the tracks so far, "Last Trick", and it's a winner for me. It is just that one track but, yes, it sounds very different from the very 1980s sound of "Awakenings", and yet I can plug "Last Trick" as very much a City (Resort) Pop tune of the 1970s. Perhaps that can be extrapolated for the rest of "Time", too.

For one thing, Sato didn't sound anything in "Last Trick" like he would in the 1982 album. I frankly thought his vocals reminded me so much of British pop star Howard Jones in "Awakenings" that I was actually tempted to send word to Jones' Twitter account. My statement on the 70s feeling comes due to his keyboard work which for this particular song was reminiscent of jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi who also expanded his instruments into organ and other keyboards into the 1970s. And yep, it's the same guy behind those "Peanuts" classics such as "Linus and Lucy". The arrangement of "Last Trick" directly reminded me of Guaraldi's soundtrack for "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving". I did mention in the other article that Sato spent a few years in America from 1980 to 1982 so I'm sure that some changes occurred during that time in Los Angeles.

I think I've already blown my money over the past few weeks on music purchases so I'm gonna have to wait a while before going ahead. However, "Time" will be on my side eventually.

Hiroshi Sato feat. Cindy -- Inspiration

 

Sorry the resolution for the above image from Aucview isn't very good but I did want to have some form of this medium to help explain myself and this particular song. This is the back of a laser disc (remember those?) that featured an album of past tunes paired with imagery by musician Hiroshi Sato（佐藤博）called "California Image Sketch ~ Twinkle Square" (1985). The uploader for the song of this article, BetoCrazy, mentioned that this is an extremely rare album, and I can believe it. I tried looking for it on Sato's long list of accomplishments on J-Wiki and even his own website, but I couldn't find any sign of "Twinkle Square" anywhere.

Anyways, I'm grateful that BetoCrazy was kind enough to upload one of the tracks from this unusual LD album. If you can squint and risk your eyesight on the thumbnail at the very top, you can see two tracks listed "Sweet Inspiration '85" and "Inspiration". The one here is supposed to be "Inspiration" and it's an English-language cover of the opening track "Sweet Inspiration", the opening track from Sato's June 1984 album "Sailing Blaster".

The original "Sweet Inspiration" is a happy funky animal but this new version "Inspiration" with singer Cindy Yamamoto, who was also the lyricist, taking over the mike this time. It's a whole lot mellower in a tropical way so I don't think that I would place it as a City Pop tune but it's pretty relaxing in an AOR way. Enjoy the rum punch on the Lido Deck!

Well, whaddaya know? YouTuber Reely Interesting was kind enough to upload the entire LD earlier this year, so enjoy the music and the views. 

YouTube

Hiroshi Sato -- On The Wind

I believe that this song by the late and great Hiroshi Sato（佐藤博）would fall under the "So-80s-it-hurts" category...but in a nice way. Kinda like musical shiatsu.

Reading somewhere on YouTube that basically Sato could do no wrong with anything he came up with, I could certainly agree, especially since coming across his summery "On The Wind". Oh, it's liquid sunshine for the soul that could potentially render any listener light and mellow. It's funky and groovy at the same time, and I think this is the second time listening to Sato that I couldn't help but feel that he was the Japanese version of Howard Jones based on his vocals.

According to an Ameblo blog, "On The Wind" was released as a 12-inch single back in October 1985, and the song was used for a commercial. However, since then, it has been added to the re-released version of his 1988 album "Aqua". Fine addition, if you ask me, but I have also written on another good track from that release, "Seat For Two".

Hiroshi Sato featuring Wendy Matthews -- I Can't Wait

Ahhhh....a mellow glass of brandy for the ears and soul. "I Can't Wait" is another track from Hiroshi Sato's（佐藤博）wonderfully comfortable album, "Awakening" (1982) that I wrote about a little over a year ago. Wendy Matthews once again adds her lovely pipes to Sato's vocals and keyboards to create this slow and dusky ballad which fits it hand-in-glove with the rest of the album.

I listened to "Awakening" again on the stereo since I knew that I hadn't covered every song on that album and wanted to find another gem there to profile. And it was "I Can't Wait" that caught my ear once more. I'm definitely not one of those romantically mushy people by any stretch of the imagination, but I could see a couple of those folks suddenly go into a slow dance on hearing the lyrics.

And for those who have never seen the singer, this is Wendy with "The Day You Went Away".

Tin Pan Alley & Chu Kosaka & Minako Yoshida -- Apple Knocker（アップル・ノッカー）

 

Last week, I translated the liner notes of Hiroshi Sato's（佐藤博）classic "Awakening" album from 1982 for Rocket Brown from "Come Along Radio" and he has put it up on his blog in the last few hours so if you're interested in giving that a gander, please do so. As I let Rocket know when I handed him the translation, my work is admittedly just 90% accurate by my reckoning, so if any of you think that there are errors in there, please let me or my friend know. The liner notes consist of an interesting interview with the late keyboardist and songwriter about what went into the making of this album.

I can't quite remember whether it was Rocket who led me to this video or if it was somebody else or I just stumbled upon it by accident. However, I am very grateful to the uploader, Masahiro Seto, since it shows a 1975 concert with the iconic rock and pops band Tin Pan Alley（ティン・パン・アレー）and singer-songwriters Chu Kosaka（小坂忠）& Minako Yoshida（吉田美奈子）. I think that I can say that it's pretty rare to discover early concert footage of either Tin Pan Alley and/or Yoshida, so to come across this video is indeed a precious find.

The song here is "Apple Knocker", a funky instrumental composed by the aforementioned Sato who was a later recruit to Tin Pan Alley, and it's a marvel and a delight to see this lineup of Japanese contemporary music (of the time) royalty up on the stage jamming away. And just before vocalists Kosaka and Yoshida toot (and strut) away, the former graciously introduces the members: Haruomi Hosono（細野晴臣）on the beefy bass, Tatsuo Hayashi（林立夫）on drums, Motoya Hamaguchi（浜口茂外也）on flute and percussion, Shigeru Suzuki（鈴木茂）on guitar, and John Yamazaki（ジョン山崎）and Sato on keyboards. Kosaka looks especially adorable looking like a preppie university student.

Listening away to "Apple Knocker" for the second or third time, I tried to search for whether this song, which sounds like the perfect accompaniment for a New York City-based comedy scene from that same decade, was actually an official song for a single or an album or just something that Sato whipped up for concert play. It took some minutes while I looked up Sato's and Tin Pan Alley's discography but as it turned out, the song is on Yoshida's live album "MINAKO II –Live at Sun Plaza Hall October 3,1975–" which was released in December 1975.

Strangely enough, according to what I see on the Discogs website, in addition to "Apple Knocker" written in katakana that is Track 8 on "MINAKO II", there is also the final track which is "Apple Knocker" written in romaji, but the music is supposedly by Jun Sato（佐藤準）. Not sure if that is a totally new song.

Hiroshi Sato -- Seat For Two

It's been a little over 5 years since Hiroshi Sato's（佐藤博）untimely passing and I'm still quite stuck on his magnum opus album "Awakening".

However, "Aqua", his 8th album from June 1988 may become a future catch. I say this because I've become quite enamored with the second track, "Seat For Two". It's a dynamic piece that's quite different from any of the tracks from "Awakening". For some reason, I kinda figure that it fits perfectly with Japan's Bubble Era of a high-flying economy, and I do like that album cover which also fits snugly with this particular song.

It could be the percussion involved in here but for another reason, I also think there's a hint of Latin spice and energy in the arrangement. Perhaps it could also be the voice of Sato and his backing singers seeming rather reminiscent of the vocals I've heard from Sergio Mendes' gang back in the 1980s. Anyways, the song promises quite the ride through the streets of Tokyo.