Junichi Inagaki -- Memory Flickers

 

I've often called crooning drummer and singer Junichi Inagaki（稲垣潤一）one of the princes of City Pop all these years, and he definitely has the flair for the urban contemporary.

However, I've also realized that Inagaki, through listening to his music, also has a love for the pop inspired from the 1950s and 1960s. I think one example is his "Memory Flickers", the penultimate track from his April 1989 album "Heart & Soul". The No. 1-ranking release has been labeled a City Pop album but "Memory Flickers" feels more like an homage to those earlier decades although the music seems to have been filtered as well through contemporary arrangements and synths.

Written by Masao Urino（売野雅勇）, those opening notes of "Memory Flickers" resemble the notes in the intro of Anri's（杏里）classic "Kanashimi ga Tomaranai" (悲しみがとまらない）, and perhaps this shouldn't be surprising since both songs were composed by the one-and-only Tetsuji Hayashi（林哲司）. Beyond those introductory bars though, Hayashi's arrangements take us through a mix of thrumming keyboards and what sounds like some Motown spice. Urino's lyrics talk about a man reminiscing about a love triangle years or decades ago in which he was one of the corners competing against one male corner for the hand of a female corner. Not sure who won but I get the feeling that the main man is feeling rather bittersweet about the experience. In any case, "Heart & Soul" ended 1989 as the 47th-ranked album.

Madonna -- Like a Prayer

 

Welcome to another weekly Reminiscings of Youth article, and indeed, I was one of probably billions of people who managed to catch the real trailer for "Deadpool & Wolverine" a few days ago. Yep, it certainly was interesting alright; I only hope that the movie actually lives up to the hype. I've been burned by trailers from both the Marvel and DC universes recently since a few of their recent movies were somewhat less than what the trailers had been promising. 

In any event, pop culture fans have been going ga-ga over the trailer and as a result of one song being used in there, they've also apparently been flocking to Madonna's "Like a Prayer" which was the Material Girl's title track from her March 1989 album. It isn't even one of my favourite Madonna songs but it fits unusually well in "Deadpool & Wolverine" for some reason and not just because one of the two anti-heroes dubbed himself Marvel Jesus (which I truly hope he is for the MCEU).

I still remember the fact that the video for "Like a Prayer" got a worldwide prime-time premiere on television as it dragged a lot of controversy behind it. It even got admonished by the Vatican and other religious organizations for some of the images although today, people would probably be shrugging about what all the tumult was about back then. And yet, the song hit No. 1 in many countries. In fact, it would be easier to list the nations where it didn't peak at No. 1...which included Japan where it only went as high as No. 30. 1989 was the year when I went overseas on the JET Programme and I don't really recall much news on "Like a Prayer" in the remaining half of the year when I was residing in Gunma Prefecture.

Well, let's see what won at the 1989 Japan Record Awards.

Record of the Year: Wink -- Samishii Nettaigyo （淋しい熱帯魚）

Album of the Year: Anri -- Circuit of Rainbow

Best New Artist: Marcia -- Furimukeba Yokohama （ふりむけばヨコハマ）

A Song Vacation (mostly) by "Uta Con" April 23rd 2024

 

NHK's "Uta Con"（うたコン）had their final broadcast before going on a multi-week hiatus during Golden Week. Now, the annual spate of holidays ranging from the last days of April into the first days of May doesn't begin for a few more days yet, but I figured that I can still provide a few of the songs that got into their "Uta no Tabi"（歌の旅...Song Vacation） theme segment yesterday along with throwing in one of my own choices.

As it stands right now, though, with the Japanese currency plummeting down to 155 yen to the dollar, perhaps there won't be as much tourism from Japan to overseas destinations this Golden Week although Americans, Canadians and other people will be more than happy to fly over to Japan for the next little while. Maybe that's why some of the songs from "Uta no Tabi" were most definitely domestic. In any case, here are the selections.

Rimi Natsukawa -- Nada Soso (涙そうそう)

Hiroshi Miyama -- Oiwaki Yama (お岩木山)

Mayo Shouno -- Tonde Istanbul （飛んでイスタンブール）

Godiego -- Gandhara （ガンダーラ）

Kome Kome Club -- Roman Hiko (浪漫飛行）

festa mode -- Kanransha no Monologue ~ spring mix（観覧車のモノローグ）

 

The last time I was up in a Ferris wheel, it was the gigantic one in Minato Mirai 21 right by Yokohama Bay at night. Unfortunately, I wasn't good with heights (and I'm still not good now) and there was a gale blowing through the entire structure so I was fairly losing it. Fortunately, my bodily functions held...barely.

So, you can imagine that there is nothing romantic that courses through my body and soul when it comes to Ferris wheels. Of course though, that doesn't mean that some of you out there don't feel the same way I do. Perhaps you have those feelings of l'amour 😎as your capsule reaches the height of the ride. That's what "Kanransha no Monologue ~ spring mix" (Ferris Wheel Monologue) must be about. This was the coupling song for festa mode's third single "Play Back part III" released in March 1994.

Written by Rie Yamamoto（山本理恵）and composed by festa mode keyboardist Hitoshi Kudo（工藤仁志）, it's a mellow tune that brings in hints of 90s City Pop, Shibuya-kei and jazz although overall, I will consider it a really nice and steady pop song. The creaminess of "Kanransha no Monologue" is further enriched by the backing chorus harmonies. Moreover, I couldn't help but hear a bit of "Mayonaka no Door ~ Stay With Me"（真夜中のドアー）in the verses as well.

I first found out about festa mode several years ago in 2018 when I posted about their song "Kaze to Tabi Shiyou"（風と旅しよう）, so it's nice to bring them back once more. By the way, the original version of "Kanransha no Monologue" can also be found in the trio's first album "Festa Mode I" from September 1993. I should also give credit where credit is due...I discovered this song through a City Pop compilation by relatively new YouTuber City Pop Industries who came onto the platform back in January. Welcome aboard!

Tweedees -- KLING! KLANG!/Hello Hello

 

Ahh...good ol' Tower Records in Shibuya...oh, how I miss the old place. A few days ago, Canada and the United States celebrated their Record Store Day and I'm pretty sure a lot of the vinyl hounds were more than happy to do their flipping of the LPs in search of aural gold.

I just mentioned the band Tweedees in the previous article regarding the latest by CHiLi GiRL so I thought it was time to get another song by this pop and Shibuya-kei-focused duo onto KKP. The last time I devoted time and space to bassist Reiji Okii（沖井礼二）and vocalist Natsumi Kiyoura（清浦夏実）was back in 2022 for their 2018 "Hanataba to Jiryoku"（花束と磁力）. Well, actually, I've opted to put up two of their songs from opposite ends of their career thus far.

The first one is their first single "KLING! KLANG!" from January 2015. Having nothing to do with the Klingons in the pilot episode of "Star Trek: Enterprise", the onomatopoeia reflected in the title is really the wonderful cacophony of music as Kiyoura sings about the joy of listening to one's favourite songs. It's the first time that I've seen Tweedees in a music video and for some reason, I have the impression that Kiyoura could have been the second coming of Mariya Takeuchi（竹内まりや）but that is solely me. In fashion and in music, it's some pleasant Shibuya-kei.

From their most recent album in December 2022, "World Record", I give you their last track "Hello Hello". A short and sweet song, the lyrics were written by Kiyoura while Okii took care of the melody and arrangement. More of an adorable sing-songy pop tune, the vocalist invites the listener to join her on a voyage outside of the stifling confines of one's own room and explore the world. Y'know, I mentioned Record Store Day at the top...perhaps "Hello Hello" could be the fine theme for Library Day.

One point of trivia that I discovered about Kiyoura in her J-Wiki file is that her ancestor from a century previously, Count Keigo Kiyoura（清浦奎吾）, happened to be the Prime Minister of Japan in 1924.

CHiLi GiRL -- Secret Secret

 

Near the end of summer last year, I posted up an article regarding the singer-songwriter and shamisen player CHiLi GiRL and her song "Tokai no Mori"（都会の森）, a 2022 single combining some of the old and the new via Neo-City Pop and late 80s/early 90s urban contemporary. The song was a part of a Cunimondo Takiguchi series of CD compilations.

Well, I'm happy to say that CHiLi GiRL is still chill and continuing on with her music. In fact, her latest single "Secret Secret" came out only last month. However, instead of it being a blend of City Pop from today and yesteryear, I think the peppy "Secret Secret" has more to do with a version of Shibuya-kei from what I've heard although the music video is very much of the cityscape. According to the "Tokyo's Coolest Sound" website, Reiji Okii（沖井礼二）of the Cymbals and Tweedees has given the song his seal of approval.

As much as I love new forms of City Pop coming aboard, Shibuya-kei in the 2020s is not a bad proposition either. 

Kenshi Yonezu -- Sayo--nara Mata Itsuka!（さよーならまたいつか!）

 

It's been six months since the NHK morning serial drama "Boogie Woogie"（ブギウギ）made its presence known on weekday mornings along with its jazzy theme "Happy Boogie"（ハッピー☆ブギ）. It even had the main actress Shuri（趣里）behind the mike as well belting the song out.

But of course, with half a year going by, a new drama has come out this month called "Tora ni Tsubasa"（虎に翼...The Tiger and Her Wings） starring Sairi Ito（ 伊藤沙莉）as a young woman in the 1930s punching through every obstacle to become a lawyer in Japan's male-centric society. As with "Boogie Woogie", the main actress also has a role in the opening but instead of singing us into every episode, she does a bit of dancing with some other ladies.

And what they're all dancing to is the irresistible pop theme song, "Sayo--nara Mata Itsuka!" (Good--bye and See You Again!) by singer-songwriter Kenshi Yonezu（米津玄師）. The anarchy at the local A&W in the music video aside (our neighbourhood had its own issues in the past but I don't think even the old A&W was ever in that rough a shape), the song has got some nice punch and flow, and I like the addition of the strings. It all ends rather abruptly though but if Yonezu thought it was fine, then it's fine me with me as well.

I also learned that Ito is skilled in dancing so her choreography in the opening credits of "Tora ni Tsubasa" only gives a sliver of what she's probably capable of. Something a little clearer can be seen below. If I'm not mistaken, Ito is in front in the black T-shirt and red hat.