Hideki Saijo: A Fan Perspective Part 1

Chibi Maruko-chan anime

Hideki Saijo was one of the most prolific idols and music artists of the 70s & '80s. He would gain a following that would last generations with more people becoming fans of his work to this day, even after his passing in 2018. After my previous article about the 1985 album, Twilight Made, I've discovered just how huge and dedicated the Hideki fanbase is, from the newer fans that discovered him recently, to the old-school "Boomerangs" as they refer to themselves. A funny nod to an iconic song/commercial, as opposed to a more convoluted term for "Boomer". I wanted to learn how much of an impact Saijo and his music has had on the world so I've taken the time to gather a large number of perspectives on the artist to archive over the course of several articles.  Shout out to this week's fans @midori37236900, @salt12347, @kiraoftheinternet, and @70sUta, for sharing their testimonies about their experience with Hideki Saijo.

How did you discover Hideki Saijo?

@midori37236900: I've known Hideki since I was a child. He was a very popular idol star and everyone knew him. At that time some of my friends were his fans but I was NOT. When I heard the news of his death, I remembered one of them and thought, "I'll send a condolence message to her. But first, I'll listen to his songs." I was amazed when I listen to his song on YouTube after a long time. I thought, "I didn't know he was so good at singing. I didn’t know he sang such good songs. I didn’t know he sang so many foreign pop songs in his own unique way."

@salt12347: When Hideki had just made his debut (1972), I came to know him through the monthly entertainment magazines ("Myojo" and "Heibon") that my brother subscribed to. I was eleven years old in the sixth grade of elementary school at that time.

@70sUta: Very much by chance! One day, early last year, I was browsing a forum where users help each other find and identify songs. There was a guy who was looking for a particular version of a song he heard in a Japanese commercial once. He included a link to the original song for reference. I listened to it out of mild curiosity. It was the 2nd ending theme to Chibi Maruko- chan, which is sung by Hideki Saijo. I liked it because it was a fun ska song, and I've been a fan of ska music all throughout high school. But I thought the singer sounded cool, too, and decided to find out if he had other songs.

@kiraoftheinternet: I was 15 years old in 2014, and Youtube decided to show me a video of him performing his cover of YMCA. It was kind of low quality so I didn’t see his face that well, especially when he was jumping around and all. I watched it and I found it amusing, but I initially passed it off as some silly idol thing. I was used to seeing the stereotypical “wacky Japanese TV program” so I assumed he was just someone who did that sort of thing. But then I got more Hideki music in my feed and I realized that he had a good voice. I went down this rabbit hole and I concluded that 1) he was really attractive and 2) he was talented and I needed to watch him sing more.

What kind of impact has Hideki Saijo's music had on your life?

@midori37236900: Hideki had sung songs of a wide range of genres and through them, I could learn about music that I had never listened to before. I was familiar with US and UK pops but I learned about Spanish, Italian, and French pops through Hideki. Every time I find one of Hideki's Western pop songs covers on YouTube.

Also, thanks to Hideki, I started to consciously listen to City Pop. A few months after Hideki passed away, I opened a new account on Twitter to communicate with many Hideki fans to get more information about him and his music. I’d already been on Twitter but the old account was only for reading. At my new account,  I started to communicate with a wide variety of people including overseas fans as well. My English is not very good, but I think I may have improved a little. Every time I listened to him, I am meeting someone new and discovering something new through Hideki. In other words, he has expanded my place in the world.

@salt12347: I had learned to play the electronic organ since I was a child and most of my family members were older than me who loved music. So I grew up listening to different genres of music. I liked powerful, slightly husky, rhythmic vocals, and I immediately fell in love with Hideki's songs. I thought his singing voice was a perfect match for his good looks. I spent my teenage years, from junior high school to high school, cheering him on.

@70sUta: It's honestly just music that really resonates with me, so I'm very happy to have that in my life. A lot of Hideki’s music is something I listen to and think "Yes! This is my thing." Especially with his earlier stuff in the 70s, I get that feeling of fake nostalgia like a lot of people gets with city pop. It probably sounds silly, but I really do go to some distant time and place through these songs… Maybe to some people, they're just idol kayokyoku, but to me, they're some of the most charming songs I've ever heard.

I'm also very partial to the more dramatic and theatrical performances Hideki was always so good at. I adore the songs that let him use his powerful vocals to the fullest extent- it's really exhilarating to hear. I always think about the personality and passion he put into each song, and I'm impressed by the work he put in to reach that level of musicality. The more I got to know this artist, the more I’ve come to realize that I’ve never admired anyone so much before. Specifically, in terms of music, he’s really inspired me to keep improving as a pianist and make time to learn and practice despite my busy college schedule.

I also thought it was interesting that Hideki was so influenced by artists from the west; it made me want to take a second look at some western music I might have been missing out on. Even though most of his English cover songs are things they always play on the 70s/80s radio stations, some of them I hadn't actually heard before, so it's cool that I even ended up learning a few western songs through those covers. I think it's fun to explore the influences of musicians/singers I like because oftentimes I end up liking them, too.

@kiraoftheinternet: To be honest, I was far more interested in his looks than his music when I first found out about him. But I was a lonely, directionless teen, and I clung to his image as a source of comfort among the chaos of high school. It was a phase that I moved out of, but after his death in 2018 I felt guilty that I hadn’t appreciated him more as a person and an artist. I had grown up a lot and my music preferences had expanded. I had already discovered vaporwave and city pop, and listening to Hideki’s albums from the 80s was one of the things that got me thinking about seriously pursuing art and music. I thought about how Hideki Saijo wanted to be a singer from a young age and went where his heart told him to go. I was previously an engineering major (which ended badly) and I was lost on what to do with my life. I realized that I had always loved music and that I shouldn’t turn away from the arts like I had done throughout college. His music changed the course of my life! His performances give me joy and are a window into an era long passed. His passionate voice inspires and motivates me to make art. I am so very glad that he existed, as sad as it is that he is no longer here.

What’s your favorite memory associated with Hideki?

@midori37236900: I once went to a seminar on health care topics in 2006 after he was recovering from his first stroke (unfortunately he had about ten strokes before he died). He was one of the panelists and told a story about how he overcame his illness. It was the only time I saw him. I thought it was strange that he, a big star, would attend such a modest event because I had a preconceived notion that he was a flamboyant star. However, what I saw in front of me was a very modest and sincere man. Of course, he was still very cool even in his fifties. Unfortunately, he did not sing at that time. If he sang then, I'm sure I would have become his fan immediately.

@salt12347:  In 1974, I went to see Hideki's concert for the first time. It was his first stadium concert in Osaka. He was running around the large stadium to entertain the audience while singing the songs of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and so on. I was watching him from the second floor, away from the stage. To my surprise, in the latter half of the concert, he came to sing right in front of me on a large basket lifted by a crane. It was like a dream come true for me, and I was so excited that I don't really remember what happened next.

 I went to his stadium concerts in Osaka three times in all. He showed me a wonderful performance each time. It was my most wonderful experience and now it's my treasure.

@70sUta: In the midst of such a terrible year, one of the highlights of 2020 for me was getting Hideki Saijo's "Golden Best Deluxe" album, which is a compilation of 62 of his singles. I was listening to at least one of the CDs literally every day for a couple months, from summer to the end of the year. I was crazy about those songs- well, still am! It helped me get through my first semester of college because I'd have so much awesome music to listen to after I got my work done!

And in that time, for some reason I felt kind of embarrassed to have a bunch of foreign songs that I was really in love with but not know the words to them, so sometimes I would sit down and write out all the lyrics to my favorite songs and do my own amateur translations of them. It would take me forever, but it was still fun, and I actually ended up learning a lot that way. Sometimes I'd have little revelations about the language and be like "Wow. Thank you, Hideki-san."

@kiraoftheinternet: I’m not nearly as old as some of the other fans I know. But one thing I remember doing is trying to show his performances to other students at a club I went to in high school. The teacher enjoyed them but the other students didn’t know or care. It didn’t matter because he brought me joy at that point in my life. I was used to having obscure interests, and while I had no one in real life to talk about him too, I found a community on Twitter that has grown much bigger since I joined. When I joined there were no American fans and now there are several I can think of. It warms my heart.

Favorite Songs & Albums?

1. @midori37236900:
1. Songs
1. Honoo 
2. Gyarando
3. Blue Sky Blue 
4. Dakishimete Jilba( Careless whisper )
5. Through the Night 
6. Try a Little Tenderness
7. I Should Go Away
8. Sweet Soul Action
2. Album
1. First Flight
2. HIDEKI  SONGBOOK
3. BIG GAME '79 HIDEKI
4. BIG GAME '80 HIDEKI

1. @salt12347: There are too many to list, but I think Hideki's number one song would be "Kizudarake no Lola". I still love the song performed at the Kohaku Uta Gassen（an annual New Year's Eve television special produced by the Japanese public broadcaster NHK in 1974. He left us so many wonderful songs. So, my favorite one changes from time to time. The albums that I used to listen to in my youth were "Hideki Recital" and "Feeling Free". I'm currently listening to "33 Anos" a lot.

2. @70sUta: Of course there are many favorites, but if I could only take one with me for a long time... Favorite song: "Ima, Hikari no Naka e” from the Hideki Saijo Special Recital album (1980) Favorite album: Kizudarake no Lola (not to be confused with the single with the same name!)

3. @kiraoftheinternet: I can’t decide! There is a Hideki song for every mood and occasion, so it is difficult to pick just one. My current favorite single is Shake My Day and my favorite album is 33才.

What would you tell people who want to listen to Hideki’s music?

@midori37236900: Hideki Saijo is just like an ambassador of music. He tells us through his songs that there are many wonderful songs in the world that you have never listened to. So, if you listen to his songs, you will surely find songs that you like. Even if you don't understand the meaning of the lyrics, his voice will touch your heart. His performance is also amazing, so please check out his live videos. His voice sounds significantly attractive when he is singing in front of audiences than when he is singing in a studio.

@salt12347:  If you listen to Hideki Saijo's songs, you will learn what a great singer he is and how his songs make you feel comfortable. He had sung a variety of songs from his teens to his sixties. It's up to you which genre and era you will start listening to. And I hope that his songs will be on your mind forever.

@70sUta: I think he's got something for everyone. He's praised not only by his fans but plenty of people in the music industry for being someone who could sing in any genre. His discography has a ton of variety, and I'm sure if you listen to a couple songs from different points in his career, you'll hear something you really like, too. You can really hear how he grew as an artist over the years. And I think anyone can enjoy that unique voice of his.

Lastly, I definitely recommend checking out some of his live performances from old TV music programs or the “Big Game” concerts. Part of his appeal comes from the fact that he was such a great live performer. It will give you a full appreciation for the kind of artist he was: a real superstar!

@kiraoftheinternet: Don’t be intimidated! I was intimidated when I was younger because his career spanned almost 40 years. Especially for a non-Japanese fan, it’s difficult for you to know EVERYTHING about him due to the language barrier and the amount of media about him that hasn’t been reissued since release. Not knowing a song that he sang doesn’t make you any less of a fan. Personally, I love learning more about him because it makes me love him more. Also don’t feel bad if you’re not as big of a fan of a particular song, Hideki Saijo dabbled in a LOT of genres and covered pretty much every kind of Western song. There is bound to be something that you don’t like as much, but there is something for everyone and that’s the beauty of it.

Thanks again to the Hideki fans who shared their experience with me for this week's article and to the ones who waited patiently for me to post this. There will be a follow-up with more testimonies in the coming weeks. You're welcome to share your Hideki Experiences in the comments below.