Dancing Shadows by Tadao "Daisuke" Inoue - 1979

 

 

Tadao Inoue(井上忠夫), or Daisuke Inoue(井上大輔) as he was later known in the ‘80s, was a singer-songwriter and composer with an incredibly expensive career. Usually, in conversation, people will remember his career in the 60s as a part of the Group Sounds band, Jackey Yoshikawa And His Blue Comets, or his composing work for television, like the famous "I Feel Coke" jingle for Coca-Cola, and the soundtrack to the popular Mobile Suit Gundam anime. However, one part of his career that is often overlooked is his transition into City Pop, with his 1979 album, Dancing Shadows.

Inoue began his music career as a member of the Blue Comets in 1960 as a saxophonist and a composer for the group. Inoue’s most famous composition for the band was the single “Blue Chateau”, which sold more than 1 million copies, winning for the band the ninth Japan Record Award in 1967. It also, according to him anyways, contributed to the downfall of the Group Sounds movement, as many of their contemporaries would try to replicate the sound of their hit single and fail. Although this is highly unlikely and probably had more to do with the overabundance of garage rock bands in the 60s.

After the first line-up of the Blue Comets disbanded, Inoue composed many popular songs for other artists, everyone from the 5 Fingers (a Jackson 5 clone) to The Channels (Rats & Star), to male idol Hiromi Go (郷ひろみ). In 1976, he did release his first album Artificial Blossoms (水中花), an atypical kayokyoku album. His second album, "Ten Years After: Keep Looking for Group Sounds", was all self-covers of his old Blue Comets songs. It wasn't until Dancing Shadows that he dived into New Music/City Pop territory, which was convenient since one of his original goals as a musician was to become a jazz saxophonist. With the rise in popularity of Western-style New Music Inoue would get his chance to break outside of the kayokyoku mold.

The Album features lyrics by Yoko Aki(阿木燿子), Keisuke Yamakawa(山川敬介), Machiko Ryu(竜真知子), as well as Tadao’s wife, Yoko Inoue（井上洋子). Composers, Mitsuo Hagita(萩田光雄) and Jun Sato(佐藤準) handled the arrangements. Popular band SHOGUN, led by Fujimal Yoshino(芳野藤丸) & Casey Rankin, took part in the musical backing of this album. Other popular musicians include Jazz keyboardist Jun Fukamachi(深町純), guitar hero Masayoshi Takanaka(高中正義), bassist Tsugutoshi Goto(後藤次利), and percussionist Nobu Saito. Japanese-American singer and hula dancer Sandii Suzuki is also featured on this album. She would later be famous as a member of Makoto Kubota's Sunset Gang, later known as Sandii & The Sunsetz.

THE MUSIC

1. Velvet Afternoon(ビロード色の午後 ):⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

2. Dancing Shadows: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

3. 22 Color Weekend (22色の週末) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

4. Rain (雨) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

5. Close Your Eyes ⭐⭐⭐ 

6. Please my Angela (いとしのアンジェラ) ⭐⭐⭐

7. Come On Blue Jeans! ⭐⭐⭐

8. On The Gray Morning (グレイの朝に) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

THE VERDICT

Dancing Shadows does a good job of playing around with different styles while still evoking the sounds of New York City. Inoue really shows off his skills on the saxophone here as well as the flute. One of my favorite moments is in the titular song, "Dancing Shadows", where Inoue plays an epic flute solo in the middle of the jazzy & somber soul ballad. There are also some really nice ambient effects spread throughout the record to really immerse the listener, like in the opening of "Rain" with the thunderstorm accompanied by a sax solo, which leads into a jazzy downtempo shuffle, perfect strutting down Manhattan in an April rain.

One of the things that stand out about this album is the heavy Latin influence throughout. Velvet Afternoon is a chipper salsa-based number. Songs like "22-Color Weekend" and "Close Your Eyes" tap into bossa nova territory with the acoustic guitar to create some mellow grooves. The added synths by Jun Fukamachi in the latter song really complement the melody. Of course, there are other tracks like Angela, a fun but pretty standard rock & roll number. "Come On Blue Jeans!" is a nice easy listening ballad in the style of Burt Bacharach, and In "The Gray Morning" is pleasant chamber pop. Overall, Dancing Shadows is a nice light & mellow music experience that puts you right smack in the middle of Manhattan. The best songs are definitely in the first half of the record, but the record as a whole is worth a listen.