Top 10 Mariya Takeuchi Songs

Mariya Takeuchi is most known around the globe for her internet sensation, Plastic Love. While it's a great song, there are plenty of others that showcase Takeuchi's singer-songwriter just as well. From R&B to idol pop, to Country Music, Mariya has proven to be a versatile artist. Here are my 10 favorite songs by Mariya Takeuchi that prove just that. 

Natalie: Out of all the Mariya songs that ended up being my favorite, it ended up being a Country Pop Ballad. Unironically, this is the song I relate to the most out of her entire discography; a ballad about a young girl who moves from Georgia to Los Angeles, CA to become a movie star and ends up losing her identity as an individual. I remember when I first this song, I immediately thought of one of my best friends from college who moved from Wisconsin to Hollywood to make it as a screenwriter. A really talented woman who unfortunately couldn't make it in the big city. As someone who went to film school and even worked in the entertainment industry, I've met plenty more people like Natalie; people with big dreams who move to California in search of fame & fortune only to be disillusioned by a tough city filled with smog, taxes, traffic, and unkind people. Not only is the subject matter relatable, but the Country Ballad arrangement is so authentic, so much so I'm surprised I didn't hear it on Go- Country 105 FM. Plus this has to be my favorite English vocal performance by Mariya. Not only is her voice clear understandable, but I can also feel the emotion she puts in every time she asks Natalie if she's happy. Makes you wonder if she's really singing about herself...

Secret Love: Speaking of English songs, Secret Love is another underrated gem that really makes me upset that we never got any of her albums released in the US. Secret Love basically sounds like a lost Doobie Brothers track. This is fitting considering Bill Chaplin sang backing vocals in this song. 

Sweetest Music: Believe it or not, Mariya's normal style of songwriting goes for a more Connie Francis or Linda Carpenter vibe. But every once in a while, she veers into dance territory to give us one-of-a-kind gems like Plastic Love and my personal favorite Sweetest Music. Not only an energetic, rockin’ disco tune, but it's in another great English song, so I can sing along with it too.  

Broken Heart: Easily my favorite track from Variety. This is the only time I can recall Mariya going into classic slow-jam R&B territory. I can't think of another song where her voice sounds this sensual, it really sets the mood.

Fly Away: Every once in a while, I'll listen to a great song, find out it's a cover, and end up being underwhelmed by the original song. This happened to me when I listened to Fly Away, originally composed by Australian singer-songwriter Peter Allen. A talented songwriter who's worked with the likes of Christopher Cross and Olivia Newton-John, but his version feels a bit too safe, even for AOR standards. Mariya's version just has a bit more of to it in the instrumental thanks to the great backing chorus and jazzy saxophone. On top of that Mariya's vocal performance gives the song a more whimsical and hopeful aura to the song.

Last Train: One thing I will always be grateful for Mariya Takeuchi for, is reminding me how much I actually love country music. Mariya channels her inner Dolly Parton for another Country Rock number. This song is so satisfying to listen to, especially when you're driving down the highway. This song always takes me back to when I was in the Air Force, stationed in Wichita Falls Texas. Every weekend I and the boys would head to the local country bar. Being a Califonia kid, I stuck out like an M&M in a bowl of rice, especially since I had no idea how to square dance. But boy I'll tell you what, listening to this song makes me regret not learning.

Plastic Love: Don't get it twisted, just because I put two Country songs ahead of this one doesn't mean I don't appreciate how epic the song is. There's a club in Downtown LA that has a City Pop night every month, and when Plastic Love comes on, me and the rest of the club pop off every single time. Nobody can resist the quintessential City Pop song; the funky bass line, the tight brass section, and the hopelessly romantic lyrics will get everybody on the dancefloor.  Personally, the most underrated part of this song is the string section, which is both tragically beautiful and whimsically bouncy when it needs to be. This is most accentuated in the Extended Club Mix. Mariya & Tatsuro were not playing games when they came up with this song.

Yume no Tsuzuki (The Dream Goes On): Another great show stopper that gets everyone hyped at the clubs in Downtown LA and Little Tokyo. From the 1987  album, Request, Mariya manages to recreate the Plastic Love magic in synth-boogie form. My favorite part of the song is the breakdown towards the end where we get to hear some great backing vocalization from Tatsuro Yamashita.

Hollywood Cafe: A song from when Mariya Takeuchi was still an unknown name. Hollywood Cafe was a song included in the 1978 compilation Lounge Sessions Vol 1. Which featured a collection of songs sung by up-and-coming female artists, including a pre-debut Mariya. What I love about this song is the ominous noir feeling I get from this jazzy ballad. 

二人のバカンス (Vacation for Two): A fast-paced soft rock song that rivals Taking it To the Streets as the perfect AOR tune for speeding down the highway. With lyrics by Mariya Takeuchi and composed by veteran songwriter Tetsuji Hayashi (林哲司). 

What are your Favorite Mariya Takeuchi Songs? Share them in the comments below 

ALBUM REVIEW: Variety by Mariya Takeuchi - 1984

At the time of my writing this review (March 20, 2020), City Pop fans all over the globe celebrate the birthday of the Queen of City Pop herself, Mariya Takeuchi. Mariya Takeuchi (竹内まりや) is a Japanese singer-songwriter with a musical career that spans several decades, with her most recent album being the 40th-anniversary commemoration, Turntables. There was a time when she was relatively unknown outside of Japan, but thanks to the internet, people from all over the world discovered her musical talents thanks to a particular single that fans have now codified as the national anthem of City Pop, Plastic Love. 6th album, Variety.

THE HISTORY

Variety was an important milestone in Mariya's career. It was her first album since coming back from a 3-year hiatus to start a family with Tatsuro Yamashita (山下達郎). It was also her first one in which she handled both writing and composing chores for all of the songs, as opposed to previous works in which she performed songs written for her by other people.

Tatsuro Yamashita was in charge of the overall production, which means he had the members of his own band as session musicians, including Jun Aoyama (Drums), Koki Ito (Bass), Hiroyuki Nanba (Piano), and Kazuo Shiina (Horn Arrangement). There are a number of other noteworthy musicians like Hiroshi Sato on piano, Ryuichi Sakamoto on synthesizers, Yutaka Hosoi & Tokuo Nakano from rock band Sentimental City Romance, and American jazz saxophonist Ernie Watts, who was a featured soloist on many of Marvin Gaye's albums during the 1970s. There are also a lot of famous voices featured as backup vocals, some Japanese voices you might recognize include Ginji Ito, Masamichi Sugi, Kazuhito Murata, & Taeko Onuki. However there's also some American vocalists as well, Jim Haas, Stan Farber, & Jon Joyce, who have all sung on Mariya's previous albums, Joyce in particular had also sung with former Beach Boy, Brian Wilson, and is a perfect fit for this album aesthetic.

 Variety came out in April 1984. It became a number one hit, outselling her previous release and debuting at the top of the domestic charts, it also happens to be Mariya’s favorite album that she worked on, and for good reason. 

THE MUSIC

1. もう一度 | Once Again: A stellar opening track about a woman longing for a second chance at love. Mariya's ethereal voice and Yamashita's signature doo-wop harmonies make it sound like it's Connie Francis meets the Four Seasons. On top of the stellar Wall of Sound production make this a perfect homage to American standards of the 50s & 60s. 
2. Plastic Love: The most iconic song on the album. We skip a few generations for a more contemporary disco boogie. Easily the most "City Pop" track on the album, it has all the essential elements; a strong bass line, a tight brass section, some Steely Dan style guitar noodling, and lyrics about a hopeless romantic trying to fill the gap in her heart in a neon-lit metropolis.  
3. Let's Get Married: We head back in time again with this song. Complete with saccharine lyrics about becoming the ideal couple in a big house with a dog in the backyard this sugary homage to 50's style romantic ballads, not without its more contemporary touches, particularly the sax solo by the legendary Ernie Watts.
4. One Night Stand: A pretty standard but well-done Country Pop ballad about a lonely drifter who rides from town to town in pursuit of a fling, with only his fellow blue jean-clad buddies keeping him company. 
5. Broken Heart: Keeping the theme of tragic love going, we wave an R&B ballad with some serious late 70's vibes, with Mariya's soulful crooning about losing the man she loves to another woman.  
6. Amphitheater Night: Mariya takes us all to the sock-hop with a lively rockabilly style number. Complete with tight horns, a honky-tonk piano, and a classic 50's rock & roll guitar solo.
7. とどかぬ想い | Irresistible Feeling: A soft rock ballad reminiscent of The Walker Brothers. The soft backing vocals & gentle trumpet that play throughout the song really set the mood.
8. マージービートで唄わせて | Let Me Sing In Merseybeat:  An ode to the British invasion that takes us on a trip through Liverpool. 
9. 水とあなたと太陽と: A bossa nova influenced lounge number about a lovely couple getting cozy during an island getaway. 
10. ふたりはステディ| They're Going Steady: Mariya & Tat's take a page from album Pet Sounds for this jaunty track about a young & blissful relationship. 
11. シェットランドに頬をうずめて | Burying My Cheeks in The Shetland: For the finale of the album, Mariya treats us with a Carpenters style ballad about a couple's life retiring from the city and moving into the countryside. The beautiful, dramatic string arrangements really compliment Mariya's voice as she sings about knitting a comfy sweater for her loved one by the fireplace. 

THE REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

True to its name, Mariya Takeuchi covers a lot of ground, from the bar-counter country and Rock & Roll to lounge jazz and bossa nova, there's even an ode to British pop to make things interesting. And of course, the most well-known song on the album, Plastic Love; a hypnotizing urban melody that conceals bittersweet lyrics. While generally everyone likes that song, I've heard mixed things about Variety as a whole. Many people have told me that while Plastic Love is great, none of the other songs hold up as well.

While certain songs come off as a bit too pastiche, Merseybeat & Amphitheater Night being the biggest offenders, most of the other songs are pretty awesome on their own merits and worth the second listen. I especially enjoy carrying this overarching theme of love and how it tries to mend itself over time, starting with Once Again, despite how upbeat it is, it's telling us lonely the main character is. Plastic Love and One Night Stand give us examples of unhealthy coping mechanisms surrounding love, the former being more about filling a void materialistically and the latter through meaningless flings. Of course, the album doesn't deny us examples of healthy relationships blooming in songs like They're Going Steady, and  Burying My Cheeks in The Shetland. Honestly, my favorite song from the album is actually Broken Heart, as it's probably one of the only times we hear Mariya tackle more contemporary sounding R&B and this track has the making for the perfect slow jam. That and it's one of the only 2 80's sounding tracks on the album, besides Plastic Love. 

Despite the overall abundance of oldies' revival, Variety manages to crossover from imitation to authenticity quite well, thanks to Mariya's great composition & writing and Yamashita's superb production skills. I also feel this is an album that will satisfy multiple levels of nostalgia whether you grew up in the 60s', 70s', or 80s', there's something here for everybody. If you fell in love with Plastic Love, you're gonna enjoy the entire package for sure. Let me know what you guys think of Mariya's Magnum Opus in the comments below.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Miss M by Mariya Takeuchi - 1980

The “M” embroidered sweater shown on the album jacket was woven by writer Osamu Hashimoto.

If you were introduced to City Pop for the first time, it was probably because of Mariya Takeuchi, specifically her 1985 hit single, Plastic Love, arguably the most iconic song in the genre. While Plastic Love happens to be most people’s favorite Mariya song, it’s not mine, as I’ve discovered that her catalog of music is much more diverse than what people are used to. A key example of this is her 1980 classic album, Miss M. Miss M is the fourth studio album by Mariya Takeuchi. What stands out most about the album is that the 1st half was recorded in Los Angeles, California along with musicians from the bands TOTO & Airplay at the height of their career, thus giving the album a more West Coast AOR sound.

THE HISTORY

The famous viral photo from the single version of Sweetest Music, Photography by Alan Levenson

The A side was recorded in California, USA , specifically at Monterrey Sound Studios in Glendale, which operated between 1979~1989. The studio was owned by producer Jack Daugherty, who happened to be a long-time producer of one of Mariya’s biggest musical influences, The Carpenters. The song arrangements were handled by David Foster and Jay Graydon, otherwise known as the band Airplay, they participated as session musicians as well. "LA Side" was joined by members of  TOTO  including Jeff Pocaro on drums, Steve Lukather on guitar, and David Hanggate on bass. On the other hand, the B-side is a "Tokyo Side" recorded in Japan from around June 1980, before the LA side was recorded. Some notable band members for the Japanese portion include the legendary guitarist Shigeru Suzuki (鈴木 茂), pianist & songwriter Nobuyuki Shimizu (清水信之), and bassist Kenji Takamizu (高水 健司).

Mark Jordan, David Hanggate, Mariya, David Foster, Jay Graydon, Steve Lukather, Jeff Pocaro

The album also features some well-known singers on backing vocals. Some notable people representing America include Bill Champlin from Chicago and Carmen Twillie who sang Circle of Life from the Lion King movie. Representing Japan we have AOR crooners Yasuhiro Abe (安部恭弘) & Tatsuro Yamashita (山下達郎), fellow RCA darling EPO, and the folk duo Buzz, formed by the older brother of Yellow Magic Orchestra member Yukihiro Takahashi (高橋 幸宏). 

THE MUSIC

THE LA SIDE

1. Sweetest Music: A rockin’ disco number written by David Lasley and composed by Peter Allen. Features a great guitar solo by David Foster.

2. Every Night: A light & mellow blue-eyed soul number in the vein of Bobby Caldwell, composed by Tatsuro Yamashita with lyrics by Alan O'Day.

3. Morning Glory: Following up the mood from the previous song, Morning Glory is the perfect song to wake up next to your loved one. Written & composed by Tatsuro Yamashita, who would later cover it in his own album, For You.

4. Secret Love: A smooth disco-tinged R&B tune with lyrics by Marc Jordan, that would fit in with Michael McDonald’s catalog.

THE TOKYO SIDE

Mariya with D.Foster & B. Champlin

5. Heart To Heart: A Carpenters style love ballad co-written by Roger Nichols. Ironically, it was given English lyrics and a new title, "Now.", when it was covered by the late Karen Carpenter in 1983, which happened to be her swan song.

6. 二人のバカンス (Vacation for Two): A fast-paced soft rock song that rivals Taking it To the Streets as the perfect AOR tune for speeding down the highway. With lyrics by Mariya Takeuchi and composed by veteran songwriter Tetsuji Hayashi (林哲司).

7. 遠く離れて (When You're So Far Away): Another R&B ballad, this time composed and written by Mariya herself, and arranged by Totsuka Osamu (戸塚 修).

8. 雨のドライヴ (Rainy Drive): Another good driving song but this time, it’s for a slow cruise through the city. The awesome piano work accompanied by Mariya’s crooning really set the atmosphere for a rainy night at a Jazz lounge.

9. Farewell Call: For the finale, we’re sent off with an arrangement that sounds like an homage to Karen Carpenter. It’s a pretty by the numbers ballad, but it fades off into a pretty cool guitar solo.

THE VERDICT

Production: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Vocals:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Arrangement:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Aesthetic:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Memorability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Composition:⭐⭐⭐⭐

My initial first listening of Miss M threw me for a loop, I wasn’t expecting to hear so many songs where Mariya is singing English and really good English at that! There’s a lot of reasons for City Pop fans to invest in getting Miss M as their first Mariya album. The English songs are perfect for people who’ve always wanted to sing along with their favorite City Pop artists but don’t have the time to learn Japanese. On top of that, the combination of both Japanese & American arrangements means there’s something for people who want to feel at home with the unadulterated West Coast sound, as well as people who enjoy the blend of East meets West found in J-AOR. Although it’s not anything groundbreaking for the genre, Miss M provides the perfect marriage of Japanese & American pop sensibilities that are fine-tuned with the help of the most iconic & prolific players in the genre.

If you'd like to learn more about Mariya's time in Los Angeles, Concert manager & Music Shopkeeper, Mutsumu Nakajima wrote an essay about his first-hand experience, with detailed play-by-play of the album's recording.

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