Until Twilight...Hideki by Hideki Saijo - 1985

There have been many artists to lay claim to the tile of King of their respective genres. Elvis was considered the King of Rock & Roll, James Brown is known as the Godfather of Funk, and of course, Michael Jackson will forever be known as the King of Pop. However, in Japan, the title of King of Pop belonged to another multitalented superstar by the name of Hideki Saijo (西城秀樹). Hideki Saijo (born Tatsuo Kimoto [木本龍雄]), was singer, actor, and television celebrity whose career has lasted from the 70s up until his untimely passing in 2018. He was known as the most popular male idol singer of his time, however, like many artists, at some point in the 80s, he eventually wanted to evolve his musical identity, which brings us to his sixteenth album, Until Twilight...Hideki (トワイライトまで …ヒデキ).

THE HISTORY  

In January 1985, Hideki Saijo performed at Nippon Budokan to sing all 50 of his singles since his debut to commemorate the release of his 50th single " Ichimankounen no Ai ". It was at this point that he wanted to break away from releasing the single-focused teenybopper pop songs he was accustomed to. Enter, Toshiki Kadomatsu (角松敏生), who provided one song for Saijo's 1984 album GENTLE - A MAN, titled Through the Night, which ended up being one of the stand-out tracks of the record, Hideki even performed it live on Fuji-TV's "Yoru no Hit Studio.  At that time, Kadomatsu was a young, up-and-coming singer-songwriter making a name for himself as a music producer who specialized in sophisticated funk & soul, and found success producing for artists like Anri. Hideki Saijo saw Kadomatsu as the perfect candidate to help him crossover into the world of City Pop.

Hideki Saijo hoped that a more adult contemporary album would help change his public image as a musician. Even down to the original concept for the album, a mature story about a man hanging in his car at twilight in a lover's quarrel with his girlfriend in the passenger seat. This narrative was recreated in the art for this album, which would be the first not to have his face on the cover, instead, a beautiful pastel illustration by Kazunori Konda(近田和典), who also designed a few of Toshiki Kadomatu's albums. 

On top of having Kadomatsu return as a composer, Saijo also sought out Minako Yoshida(吉田美奈子), for lyrical assistance and backing vocals. This turned out to be an ideal partnership as Kadomatsu has admired Yoshida since his amateur days. Saijo also happened to be acquaintances with guitarist Fujimaru Yoshino(芳野藤丸), who used to play backup for Saijo in the 70s. Fujimaru also brought on fellow ABs band members Naoki Watanabe (渡辺直樹), and Atsuo Okamoto(岡本郭男) for bass and drums respectively.  Toshiki Kadomatsu also contributes to guitar and brought along his bassist, Tomohito Aoki (青木智仁), as well. The music composition was a collaborative effort between Kadomatsu, Akira Okamoto (岡本朗)(formerly known as Issei Okamoto[岡本一生]), and Mayumi Horikawa (堀川まゆみ). If you haven't guessed by now, the saxophone is handled by the omnipresent Jake H Concepcion.

Until Twilight was released on July 21st, 1985. Unfortunately, it did not become a hit, but it did produce a popular single in the form of the song, Beat Sreet, which was released two months after the album's release on September 5th. Even though the album did not succeed as expected, Hideki Saijo continued down the path of City Pop and successfully crafted his own signature AOR sound in his 1986 follow-up, From Tokyo. 

THE MUSIC

• 
  Sweet Surrender: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A high octane synth-pop track with punchy horns and a lively drum track.
• Beat Street: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• The second verse same as the first, but this time there's a kickass guitar solo thrown in. Plus Yoshida's backing vocals are given more presence, making the song much livelier.
• Halation:⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A groovy pop-rock tune perfect for cruising down the highway. The highlight of this track is the smooth saxophone solo in the middle.
• ワインカラーの衝撃 ( Watercolor No Shogeki) | Watercolor Impact: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A mellower, funkier groove featuring a super reverbed guitar solo.
• Platinumの雨  (Platinum No Ame) | Platinum Rain:⭐⭐⭐
• A pretty typical yacht rock ballad that's given an extra boost thanks to the great string arrangement and Minako Yoshida's warm and breathy backing vocals. 
• リアル･タイム | Real-Time:⭐⭐⭐
• A mid-tempo synthpop ballad that features a nice jazzy interlude in the middle of the song.
• オリーブのウェンズディ(Olive No Wednesday) | Wednesday Olive:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Another funky dance song about a DJ falling in love. Saijo puts on a voice throughout the song as the DJ tries to sweet-talk a young lady who's obviously rejecting his advances.
• Beautiful Rhapsody:  ⭐⭐⭐
• A jazzy upbeat boogie track that really swings. 
• Television: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• The funkiest track on the record, with the best use of bombastic horns, funky guitar riffs, and soulful backing vocals. 
• レイク・サイド | Lake Side: ⭐⭐⭐
• Another model slow ballad to close out the record. Complete with an overdramatic piano at the end.

 

THE VERDICT

For his first attempt at a full-city pop production, Until Twilight is a pretty good start for Hideki Saijo. The composition style shifts between Omega Tribe style soft-rock to Toshiki Kadomatsu brand funk, with both done surprisingly well. There's also a good mix of tight brass, groovy guitar riffs, and melodic vocal arrangements to offset this predominantly synth-pop record. 

However, this album can sound a bit too familiar. I remember when I first heard this album without knowing who Hideki Saijo was and my initial impression was this was an imitation of After 5 Clash & Gold Digger. Even the track Wednesday Olive feels like a retread of Secret Lover. Of course, that doesn't mean the songs are bad, they just lack an identity of their own. 

Despite that, I think the Kadomatsu & Hideki Saijo combo really works wonders, especially since they both share a very similar vocal register. But there is something about Saijo's voice that packs more of a punch than Kadomatsu's, which helps out this album tremendously. Both singers know how to sound smooth on the mic, but when it's time to sound more bombastic, Saijo has a more commanding presence, obviously due to 15+ years of experience under his belt at this point. Saijo's charismatic voice is what keeps songs like Halation & Real-Time from being just above-average and makes already fun tracks like Beat Street and Television so satisfying to listen to. Minako Yoshida's sensual backing vocals also compliment Saijo extremely well, especially in slow jams like Platinum Rain.

At the end of the day, Until Twilight is a decent Toshiki Kadomatsu album starring Hideki Saijo. While not outstanding, the music carries a consistently positive energy that will keep you dancing for hours. It has all the classic charm you'd expect from mid-to-late '80s synth-pop, plus the added bonus of Saijo's charming voice. If you want to get acquainted with Japan's King of Pop Until Twilight is a good starting point.