昭和OK!

浪花の恋の物語 (1959)

2007-09-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

Naniwa No Koi No Monogatari (a.k.a Chikamatsu's "Love in Osaka") - Directed by Tomu Uchida
浪花の恋の物語 (監督：内田吐夢)

We digress from the world of music for a moment to briefly introduce a fabulous film of the Shōwa period, director Tomu Uchida's production of Tokugawa-era master playwright Monzaemon Chikamatsu in Love in Osaka. Uchida's films are being shown during a series of screenings presented by the Pacific Film Archive, housed on the campus of UC Berkeley.

"The plays of Monzaemon Chikamatsu have frequently been adapted into films, most notably Mizoguchi's Crucified Lovers, but few with the experimental intensity of Uchida's version of the kabuki classic The Couriers of Love Fleeing to Yamato. The adopted son of an Osaka courier falls in love with a prostitute and, discovering that she is about to be purchased by a client, steals money from his employer to redeem her. The young lovers take flight to Yamato, but, as in Chikamatsu's other domestic tragedies of love and duty, they must be pursued and their passion destroyed by death. Favorite Uchida themes, such as the indenturing of a prostitute (see Yoshiwara and Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji), and his characteristic emphasis on performance and theatricality re-emerge here; but the daring device of having Chikamatsu himself appear as a character is just one of many surprises this remarkable film holds." (James Quandt)

Tomu Uchida: Japanese Genre Master runs until September 29th.

和田アキコ - どしゃぶりの雨の中で (1969)

2007-09-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

Akiko Wada - Doshaburi No Ame No Naka De
和田アキコ - どしゃぶりの雨の中で

Akiko Wada is one of the most prominent media personalities in Japan today. She is best known as a constant fixture on Japanese television, appearing in countless shows throughout the years as host, actor, and performer. But in addition to her own radio and television programs, "Akko", as she is affectionately known, boasts a musical recording career that has spanned across nearly four decades.

Born and raised in Osaka, Wada spent her teenage years as somewhat of a delinquent: dropping out of high school, running away to Tokyo, and listening to rock and roll and rhythm and blues. It was through her interest in black music, however, that she developed early on as a singer. Wada began performing in jazz clubs and coffeehouses in the early 60s, creating a sound and style that was equal parts fierce, sexy, and tender. With her husky voice and tall, tough build, she rivaled most other male performers in both strength and character.

Wada was only 18 when she made her recording debut in 1968, scouted and signed by famed production company Hori Pro the previous year. Her second single and first major hit, the remarkably funky "Doshaburi No Ame No Naka De", was released to much applause in 1969. One can easily tell from her voice that Wada is no pushover. Her strong, powerful vocal chops and uncompromising attitude clearly set her apart from most other performers of her time, or of any other. With these characteristics in mind, it's no wonder why Akiko Wada quickly became a towering figure in the Japanese media.

Y.M.O.の前 - パート 3

2007-08-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

Before They Were Y.M.O. - Part 3
Y.M.O.の前 - パート 3

Ryūichi Sakamoto - Thousand Knives (1978)
坂本龍一 - 千のナイフ

We now conclude our three-part special, "Before They Were Y.M.O.", with Ryūichi Sakamoto and his 1978 solo debut Thousand Knives of Ryuichi Sakamoto.

It should go without saying that much of what appears on Thousand Knives hints at what was to come from Y.M.O., as both future members of the group, Yukihiro Takahashi and Haruomi Hosono, join Sakamoto on the recording. Its title track begins with an ethereal vocoder monologue that gives way to a funky space-dance groove, complete with whaling guitar solos and synthesized tribal percussion.

From the music on the album one can catch a glimpse of Sakamoto's early vision of Japanese electro-pop, a music far removed from the cold, calculated rhythms of Kraftwerk, one of Y.M.O.'s most frequent comparisons. And as with Thousand Knives, there is an organic quality to Sakamoto's music; something that is at the same time playful and daring, yet distinctly Japanese.

As a classically trained musician, Sakamoto received instruction in both traditional and electronic music, as well as composition, from the faculty at Tokyo's prestigious National University of Fine Arts and Music. As a result, it is quite easy to perceive an academic influence in the music he produced during the late 1970s. In comparison with his colleagues in Y.M.O., both of whom attended equally reputable art schools, Sakamoto was much more so a "composer" than he was performer (at least outside of the conservatory). Ultimately, it was Sakamoto's academic training coupled with his bandmates' studio background and firm grounding in rock and pop that made Y.M.O. the successful and dynamic group we know them as today.

Here's a clip from 1979 of Y.M.O. performing "Thousand Knives" live at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles:

Y.M.O.の前 - パート 2

2007-08-13T19:48:00.000-07:00

Before They Were Y.M.O. - Part 2
Y.M.O.の前 - パート 2

Happy End - Asa (1970)
はっぴいえんど - 朝

Up next in our three-part "Before They Were Y.M.O." special is bassist Haruomi Hosono and his legendary folk-rock group, Happy End.

Hosono, much like future bandmate Yukihiro Takahashi, had years of experience recording and performing under his belt before joining Y.M.O. He was a member of the psychedelic rock group Apryl Fool before forming Happy End with the band's drummer Takahashi Matsumoto in 1969.

Happy End created in Japan an original sound and image that bore the natural influence of Western rock without succumbing to sheer imitation. 1970 saw the release of the group's self-titled debut, from which "Asa" is taken. The diverse selection of music on their first album sets the stage for much of what was to come in the future, displaying the group's strong roots in blues, folk, rock, and psychedelia. However, Happy End would release only two more albums in their brief history: Kazemachi Roman the following year and another self-titled album in 1973, whose title is written in English as opposed to the previous album's Hiragana. It should also be noted that the band's name is written in Hiragana as well, instead of Katakana, a script most commonly used for words of foreign origin, thus highlighting the group's emphasis on creating a strong Japanese identity.

Following their work in Happy End, Haruomi Hosono would record with guitarist Shigeru Suzuki in the "tropical" band Tin Pan Alley, and in 2002 form the duo Sketch Show with Yukihiro Takahashi. As a producer, Hosono has worked with a number of important figures in the Japanese pop world, including Seiko Matsuda, Chisato Moritaka, and Akina Nakamori. And aside from his influence in Happy End, he has amassed a large body of work throughout his prolific solo career.

私たちの友達になりたい?

2007-08-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

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Y.M.O.の前 - パート 1

2007-08-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

Before They Were Y.M.O. - Part 1
Y.M.O.の前 - パート 1

Sadistic Mika Band - Time Machine Ni Onegai (1974)
サディスティック・ミカ・バンド - タイムマシンにおねがい

With all the talk about Yellow Magic Orchestra in the previous post, we decided to create a series of postings devoted to exploring the musical output of the members of Y.M.O. before they formed one of the most influential groups in Japanese pop history. First up in our three-part series is drummer Yukihiro Takahashi's group Sadistic Mika Band.

Unlike many Japanese groups, Sadistic Mika Band acheived notable popularity overseas, particularly in the United Kingdom. Three of their first albums, including the group's eponymous 1973 debut, were additionally released in the U.K., and in 1975 Sadistic Mika Band supported Roxy Music during their tour of England.

The band was fronted by singer/songwriter/producer Kazuhiko Katō, whose former group The Folk Crusaders, and subsequent solo work helped popularize folk music in Japan during the 1960s and 70s. Katō was responsible for a majority of the songwriting duties for the Sadistics, while the role of lead vocalist was mainly held by his wife at the time, media personality Mika.

Yukihiro Takahashi was a studio drummer when he joined the band in 1972 for their first album and has remained a member to this day through each of the group's many reunions. One such reunion occurred in the summer of 1985, as the Sadistics briefly gained the monumental talent of Ryūichi Sakamoto and Yumi Matsutōya, reforming temporarily as Sadistic Yuming Band for the legendary music festival All Together Now. The current incarnation of the band, however, aptly titled Sadistic Mikaela Band, features pop star Kaela Kimura on lead vocals.

"Time Machine Ni Onegai" is taken from the 1974 album Kurofune, released in Japan, as well as the U.K. and the U.S.. The sound of the track embodies the group's arena rock leanings and serves as a high point for the brash and sexy attitude of which the band would later seem to forget.

昭和OK!好きよ!

2007-08-05T17:12:00.000-07:00

Shōwa OK! has recently received a generous writeup in a fellow Asian music blog called The Far Eastern Audio Review. The site is run by current Chicago resident Mack Hagood and, according to their mission statement, "exists to expose you to music from Asia that matters: Taiwanese girl punk, Japanese psych, Korean indie rock, new recordings of traditional sounds and (because we like to cry in our beer) those romantic, enka-flavored oldies." Sounds good to us!

Check out their comments on Shōwa OK! by clicking here.

矢野顕子 - クマ (1976)

2007-07-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

Akiko Yano - Kuma (from Japanese Girl)
矢野顕子 - クマ

Akiko Yano is singer, songwriter, pianist, composer, translator, essayist and more all rolled into one. Described in her biography as "one of the most famous people you've never heard of", in her lengthy career as an artist she has recorded over 25 albums, only three of which have been commercially released in the U.S.

"Kuma" is taken from Yano's 1976 debut entitled Japanese Girl. Largely recorded in Los Angeles while she was only 21, Japanese Girl features the session work of Little Feat, whose founding members both played in Frank Zappa's Mothers Of Invention. Also backing Yano on the album are two members of Japanese folk-rock group Happy End: guitarist Shigeru Suzuki and a pre-Yellow Magic Orchestra Haruomi Hosono. In fact, Yano was married to Y.M.O.'s Ryūichi Sakamoto for over twenty years before the two finally divorced in 2006. Y.M.O. fans might recognize her as the female vocalist on the groups' 1980 single, "Nice Age", not to mention the countless tours on which she supported the band on keyboards.

As for the music on Japanese Girl, the collaboration of such a diverse group of musicians creates a uniquely Japanese blend of Western music that is equal parts jazz, pop, folk, and rock. A shakuhachi can be heard beneath the pentatony of a slide guitar in the song's opening notes, a juxtaposition that may serve as metaphor for the entire concept of the album. And as with much of the music on Japanese Girl, "Kuma" is at once ear-pleasing yet challenging in its rhythmic complexity; this polymetric slow jam shifts from a lulling 3/4 to a brisk 5/8 and back without loosing its cool in the least. The same flexibility can be said of Yano's ability in her songs to switch between Occidental and Oriental musical sensibilities, as the album itself is actually divided into American and Japanese sides.

坂本九 - 上を向いて歩こう (1961)

2007-07-19T14:19:00.000-07:00

Kyū Sakamoto - Ue O Muite Arukō
坂本九 - 上を向いて歩こう

With our first MP3 posting, we head straight to the classics...

Better known by its title in America, "Sukiyaki", Kyū Sakamoto's 1961 hit "Ue O Muite Arukō" took two years to hit the West after its debut in Japan. It was covered in the U.K. by Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen under the altered title and was so-named when the original version was released by Captiol Records in the States.

Sakamoto was an influential singer and songwriter in the late 50s and 60s, and served as a young voice for a generation of Japanese pop musicians. He was only 43 when he died in a plane crash in Gunma Prefecture on August 12th, 1985.

"Sukiyaki" remains the first and only Japanese-language song to ever hit #1 on the U.S. Billboard Top 100, as it did so June 15th, 1963. Since then, the song has become a standard in and outside of Japan and has been covered by hundreds of artists, most notably in America by A Taste Of Honey (1981) and 4 P.M. (1995), whose versions both made it to the Billboard Top 10.

Though its cheerful marimba work and upbeat whistling solo may deceive the English-speaking listener, "Ue O Muite Arukō", which literally translates to "look up while walking", is a ballad of heartbreak and loss. The lyrics describe a lonely protagonist who looks to the sky so that tears will not fall from his eyes.

Here's an early music video of "Ue O Muite Arukō" found on YouTube:

ようこそ!

2007-07-08T22:38:00.000-07:00

Shōwa OK! is an audioblog devoted to archiving rare and forgotten Japanese pop gems of the Shōwa period (1926-1989). Our goal is to introduce to the English-speaking listener iconoclastic popular music from Japan, focusing primarily on outstanding songs that tend to stray from the prevailing musical aesthetic of their time. We hope you enjoy the sounds we have to share!