Haruomi Hosono - Paraiso (1977)

It goes without saying that Haruomi Hosono (細野晴臣) is one of the most eclectic composers and singer-songwriters Japan has to offer. His most famous albums fall under either Electronic/Techno-pop (Philharmony) or Tropical Exotica-inspired folk (Tropical Dandy), the album in question is an exciting and bizarre fusion of both. Paraiso is Hosono's third solo album in his "Tropical '' period, beginning with Tropical Dandy (1975), followed by Bon Voyage Co (1976). The album is credited to Haroumi Hosono and the Yellow Magic Band, which can be considered a precursor to his Yellow Magic Orchestra since it features future longtime collaborators, the late & great Yukihiro Takahashi on drums, and Ryuichi Sakamoto on keyboards. The album also features other well-known musicians like Taeko Ohnuki, Hiroshi Sato, Hiroshi Kamayasu, Tatsuo Hayashi, and Nobu Saito.

TRACKLIST

1. 
   Tokyo Rush ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. Shimendoka ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. Japanese Rhumba⭐⭐⭐
4. Asatoya Yunta⭐⭐⭐⭐
5. Fujiyama Mama ⭐⭐⭐
6. Femme Fatale⭐⭐⭐⭐
7. Shambhala Signal⭐⭐
8. Worry Beads⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
9. Paraiso ⭐⭐⭐⭐

THE VERDICT

Building on the influences of the previous albums, Paraiso is a collection of Exotica-infused Jazz-funk, as if  Little Feat were produced by Martin Denny, this time with an extra layer of Synthesizers to add some texture to the ambiance. The opening song "Tokyo Rush" is probably the most energetic out of the bunch.  "Femme Fatale" is another great tune that uses synths to add to the jungle ambiance, bridging the gap between lounge music and technopop. There are also some interesting covers, including a reggae rendition of an Okinawan folk song in "Asatoya Yunta" and a humorous take on the American song Fujiyama Mama, written by Jack Hammer, best known as the co-writer of "Great Balls of Fire". Overall, Paraiso proves to be a great compromise between the Tropical and Electronic eras of Hosono's career, and a great jumping point for people to get introduced to his discography pre-YMO.

Deadly Drive by Ginji Ito (1977)

Ginji Ito is probably one of the most underrated singer-songwriters in City Pop. He was a key figure for Eiichi Ohtaki's Niagara Records and was responsible for writing the lyrics for the band Sugar Babe's iconic single, Downtown. He even had his own band back in the early 70s called Coconut Bank, but unfortunately, they broke up around 1974, otherwise, they would have been Niagara's first band on their label. That didn't stop Ito from pursuing music, however. On top of joining Tatsuro Yamashita and Ohtaki with their collaborative album, Niagara Triangle, Ginji Ito also joined the Bye-bye Session Band, which was the backing band for the Japanese singer-songwriter, Lily. 

It wouldn't be until 1977 when he joined the Warner Pioneer's Asylum label that he would finally get a chance at his first solo album, Deadly Drive. Taeko Ohnuki provided backing vocals as well as lyrics for the song If You Can Be The Wind. Former Sugar Babe Guitarist Kunio Muramatsu provided the composition for the titular song, Deadly Drive. Country Rock band Sentimental City Romane provides backing vocals as well. Other great talents include prolific composer and keyboardist Ryuichi Sakamoto(坂本龍一), drummer and long-time collaborator with Ito, Yukata Uehara(上原裕), bassist Akihiro Tanaka (田中章弘) who's performed in bands like Sugeru Suzuki's Hucklebuck and folk band The Dylan, and percussionist Nobuo Saito(斉藤信男).

THE MUSIC

If You Can Be The Wind (風になれるなら) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I'm Telling You Now ⭐⭐⭐

Deadly Drive ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Konuka Rain (こぬか雨) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

King Kong⭐⭐⭐

Sucking At That Time (あの時はどしゃぶり)⭐⭐⭐

Sweet Daddy ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hobo's Lullaby ⭐⭐⭐⭐

THE VERDICT  

Overall Deadly Drive is a decent album, most of the songs are fine examples of their respective genres, but don't really do anything to set them apart as unique or outstanding. the best songs are the more light & mellow tracks which fit Ito's vocal style very well. Ginji Ito has very soft and comfy vocals, almost like Michel Franks if he didn’t sound bored half the time, and it pairs well with Taeko Ohnuki's backing vocals.

"If You Can Be The Wind" aims to recapture the magic of Sugar Babe, pretty well with much better production values on top of that. Out of all the jazz-fusion tracks the titular song, "Deadly Drive" has the most personality to it. It’s a high-speed Jeff Beck-style jazz-rock track with some great drum breakdowns, funky guitars, and an immersive driving ambiance that really makes you feel like you are in a car chase out of a scene from the Blues Brothers. "Konuka Ame" is a beautiful rainy-day soul ballad with a mesmerizing piano riff, beautiful orchestral backing, and hauntingly mesmerizing backing vocals thanks to Ohnuki. The 2nd half of the album doesn't leave as big of an impression but the songs are still good. the best one is "Sweet Daddy", a funky jazz number in the style of the Crusaders, complete with a groovy guitar & piano solo, a funky brass section, and some soulful backing vocals. "King Kong" is a mellow funky jazz-rock number with some neat use of the talk-box. "Sucking At That Time" is a pretty standard salsa dance number, and "Hobo's Lullaby" closes off the record with a bluesy country ballad with some soulful piano playing.

Deadly Drive isn't representative of Ginji's later career, but it's a good album to have if you are a Sugar Babe or Taeko Ohnuki fan. It has a more mellow approach to City Pop and is very reminiscent of Ohnuki's early albums, Grey Skies, and even Sunshower, which came out the same year.

The 14th Moon by Yumi Arai - 1976

The 14th Moon is the 4th album of singer-songwriter Yumi Arai(荒井由実), or as her fans call her, Yuming, and her final one before she got married to the producer of the album, Masataka Matsutoya (松任谷正隆). The title comes from a line from the Japanese movie Love and Farewell to Sri Lanka, although apparently she never saw the movie, rather she read it in a synopsis from the movie magazine about it.

Including Matsutoya, the album also features Tin Pan Alley members Haroumi Hosono(細野晴臣) and Shigeru Suzuki(鈴木茂). However, Hosono isn't on bass here and drummer Tatsuo Hayashi(林立夫) is absent. Thankfully, one of the session members,  Ryuske Seto(瀬戸龍介) on acoustic guitar & banjo, was able to use his connections  get two American session musicians to fill in. Leland Sklar, one of the top bass players from Hollywood who's played for artists like Diana Ross, Hall & Oates, and Phil Collins, and Mike Baird who's been a drummer for big rock bands like Ironhorse and Journey. We also get fusion guitarist Masaki Matsubara and percussionist Nobu Saito (斉藤信男). In the backing chorus, we have the vocal talents of Tatsuro Yamashita (山下達郎), Amii Ozaki (尾崎亜美), Minako Yoshida(吉田美奈子), Taeko Ohnuki (大貫妙子), and the jazz ensemble, Time Five.

Interestingly enough, Yuming was actually considering retiring after this album but soon changed her mind. It may have been in due part to the great receptions since the album reached #1 on the Oricon weekly charts and became the 4th-most successful album of 1977. Many of the songs were popular enough to be featured in various TV shows and movies. Chuo Freeway was featured in the TV drama, Rouge Message (ルージュの伝言), coincidentally named after another Yuming song from the previous year. Smile in the morning sun was used in the movie, Frozen Heart (凍河). In The Morning Light was used for the movie drama, Rip Van Winkle's Bride.

THE MUSIC

Ripples (さざ波) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The 14th Moon(14番目の月)⭐⭐⭐⭐ Where Does Loneliness Go? (さみしさのゆくえ )⭐⭐⭐ In The Morning Light (朝陽の中で微笑んで )⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Chuo Freeway (中央フリーウェイ) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Like Nothing Ever Happened (何もなかったように) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sun Shower (天気雨) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Summer Place (避暑地の出来事)⭐⭐⭐ Good Luck And Goodbye⭐⭐⭐⭐ Late Summer (The Lonely Season)( 晩夏 ~ ひとりの季節)⭐⭐⭐⭐ THE VERDICT ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The 14th Moon veers away from the Tapestry-esque style of Hikoki Gumo and Muslim and has a brighter, Middle of the Road (MOR) sound. Many songs have added brass & string orchestration on top of the rich backing vocals that give it a sound closer to something from The 5th Dimension or The Carpenters. That being said Yuming's signature interpersonal songwriting is still at work here, covering everything from getting over breakups, to college students dealing with love affairs, even getting over your dog dying. Songs like the opening track, Sazanami, and Sunshower offer breezy sunshine pop sound akin to the works of Sugar Babe. The title track 14th Moon dives into some cool piano rock ala, Elton John or Billy Joel. Chuo Freeway is a funky jazz-pop track about driving on the real-life Chuo Expressway. In the Morning Light and Like Nothing Ever Happened have got all the tropes of a signature Yuming ballad. It has sad lyrics, beautiful melodic piano backed by an orchestration, and it's been covered to death by everyone else.  In the Morning Light is probably one of my favorite Yuming songs, especially the way the song progressively becomes a power ballad with the build up of the drums and orchestral arrangement.  A Summer Place takes a detour from Tokyo to Chigasaki, as we get a tropical samba dance number perfect for a beach party.  Overall, The 14th Moon was a great way to cap off Yumi Arai's bachelorette years. It's a pretty standard 70's Adult Contemporary album, most comparable to something like Now & Then by The Carpenters or Olivia Newton-John’s Don't Stop Believin'. Which feels appropriate considering both features a marriage between the producer and lead singer. Unlike those albums, The 14th Moon has the added benefit of Yuming's knack for composing & writing catchy, original, and relatable songs. The 14th Moon is a must-have if you want to experience Yumi Arai at her best.

Sunshower by Taeko Ohnuki -1977

Taeko Ohnuki (大貫 妙子),  born November 28, 1953, is a female Japanese pop singer, lyricist, and composer. She got her official start in the music industry as part of the pioneering band Sugar Babe in 1975, alongside fellow singer-songwriters, Tatsuro Yamashita (山下達郎), and Kunio Muramatsu(村松邦男). After the failure of their first and only album, the band broke up and the trio went their own separate ways to find their individual musical identities. Yamashita's journey would take him to New York, to produce his debut album Circus Town, establishing him as Japan's next soul-brother. Muramatsu wouldn't get his next solo album until 1983's Green Water, where he went the pop-rock route. However, Taeko Ohnuki would find her musical voice in her second album released in 1977, Sunshower. 

THE HISTORY

After the breakup of Sugar Babe in 1976, Ohnuki had moved on to Crown Records, under the Panam label,  specialized in releasing folk and New Music (precursor to city pop) records. She released Grey Skies that same year, however, it was mostly an extension of the sound produced by Sugar Babe, as it features many of their unused songs. For her next album, Ohnuki wanted to focus on creating a jazz-fusion sound, which was starting to gain traction in Japan during that time. 

 In order to accomplish this, the album features some major players in the genre. Then up-and-coming session musician, Ryuichi Sakamoto (坂本 龍一), was chosen as the arranger for the album. On bass, the album features Harry Hosono (細野晴臣) and Tsugutoshi Gotō (後藤 次利). On guitar, there's Shigeru Suzuki (鈴木茂), Koichi Hara (原浩一), Kenji Omura (大村憲司), and Kazumi Watanabe (渡辺 香津美). On drums, they got Tatsuo Hayashi (林立夫) as well as American musician Christopher Parker, from the band Stuff, who they met after watching their performance at the Rolling Coconut Review in Tokyo. Even Ohnuki's old band member, Tatsuro Yamashita, provides backing vocals for the album.

Apparently, the record company did not have much faith in Ohnuki's project or new direction. But, with the help and support of Sakamoto, she persisted to go all out on this album, drawing influences from artists like Stevie Wonder and Todd Rundgren, combining it with her personal life experiences growing up in the Suginami Ward of Tokyo, to create catchy but introspective songs. Sunshower was released on July 25th, 1977, and compared to her first album, sales were lackluster. However, that didn't stop the album from being recognized as a J-Pop classic in the coming decades.

THE MUSIC

Side A

• Summer Connection: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Sunshine Pop in its purest form. A jazzy, uplifting track with cheerful horns, groovy bass, and an uplifting string arrangement, celebrating the season of the sun. The single cut of this song has a faster tempo and more lively drums.

• Kusuri wo Takusan (くすりをたくさん)| A Lot of Medicine: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
•  A song that criticized the over-prescription of medicine, which is surprising when you consider how upbeat and cheerful it is, with its joyful flute playing against a mellow samba beat. 

• Nani mo Iranai (何もいらない) | I don't need anything: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
•  The song begins with some ominous violins, followed by a deep bass drop to set the tone of this soulful tune about rejecting the environment around you and wanting to escape. The highlight of this song is again the groovy bassline and the classy smooth jazz guitar solo.

• Tokai (都会) | City: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
•  A breezy melancholy track about feeling trapped in the mundane cycle of city living. Another mellow smooth jazz arrangement featuring highlights like the stellar synthesizer solo, smooth saxophone, and the ethereal, occasionally eerie backing vocals.

• Karappo no Isu (からっぽの椅子) | Empty Chair: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
•   A sad & bluesy jazz ballad about being overcome with loneliness. This song was originally part of Sugar Babe's repertoire and was sung at their final concert in 1976.  

Side B

• Law Of Nature: ⭐⭐⭐
• A soft rock composition inspired by Todd Rundgren's Utopia that explores Man's relationship with mother nature.

• Dare no Tameni (誰のために) | For Whom: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Another Latin influenced track about vulnerability and marginalization through lack of prestige. 

• Silent Screamer: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
•  This song is about the desire to escape, too and it's strong that an image of driving a car at a breakneck speed. According to Ohnuki, back then, the energy was quite full and at least in the music, she wanted to run wild.

• Sargasso Sea: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• The unique space age-ambient theme of the mystical Sargasso Sea. The creative use of synthesizers and short piano melodies, help create a futuristic, yet nautical atmosphere of wanderlust.

• Furiko no Yagi (振子の山羊) | Pendulum of Capricorn: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• The finale composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto begins with a symphonic intro, that leads into a progressive jazz-rock ballad where Ohnuki's ghostly vocals describe the end of days for humankind and its eventual reincarnation. The song ends on a funky piano breakdown, accompanied by an epic, bluesy guitar solo as the song fades out until the final thing heard is Ohnuki stating "山羊は その枝を食べた /The goat ate the branch". 

THE VERDICT

Production: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Vocals:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Arrangement:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Aesthetic:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Memorability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Composition:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wow...just wow. After not hearing the full album in years, this blew me away. Taeko Ohnuki did a superb job of establishing her music identity. Sunshower perfectly balances progressive-pop, art rock, and jazz fusion. Each song is extremely unique and memorable and is arranged in a way that explores different sounds without going too far out of the easy listening territory. The most deviating song in the album is the Sargasso Sea since it's more of a psychedelic ambiance techno piece than anything, but it's still soothing enough to put you ina meditative state. My favorite track being Tokai, with its mellow and somber melody, combine with its anti-metropolitan lyrics, provides a listening experience that's not unlike Marvin Gaye's Innercity Blues, but retains its own identity. 

This brings up an astonishing realization; this is the most anti-city city pop album I've ever heard! Most of the songs are cover the societal problems that come with living in the streets in Tokyo, from over-medication to depression, to obligatory social status, to more heavy topics like man's relationship with nature and existential dread. Yet it's all wrapped in soothing melodies with jazzy pianos, melodic guitar solos, mesmerizing backing vocals, and psychedelic synthesizers. On top of that, Ohnuki's soft, innocent, and ethereal voice really makes you forget that she's singing about the end of all existence by the end of the record. It all starts to make sense when you learn about Taeko Ohnuki's upbringing in Tokyo, and how the post-war economic boom shaped her struggles surviving in the constantly evolving metropolis. I'm pretty confident that Summer Connection is the only happy song on the album, which isn't a bad thing since, despite the lyrical tone shift, the album retains the same breezy and whimsical vibe established by the opening number.

I'm a firm believer that Taeko Ohnuki's Sunshower is one of the rare perfect albums. While I personally think her next album, Mignone, is more approachable, I can't deny that this record is where Ohnuki's creativity was at its peak. Some songs might not be for everyone, but production is solid enough where you leave each song with something worthwhile to talk about, be it the unique and jazzy arrangements or the topical lyrics. Whether you're a fan of City Pop, Jazz, Prog, or Art Rock, Sunshower is a must-have in everyone's record collection. 

Mignonne by Taeko Ohnuki -1978

Taeko Ohnuki (大貫妙子) is known as one of the original pioneers of City Pop, and the New Music scene in 70's Japan. However, there was a point in time when she almost quit the music industry altogether. What could have caused her such frustration that made her consider giving up her career? Well, it all started with the production of her 3rd album, Mignonne, in 1978.

THE HISTORY

After the release of her second album, Sunshower, Ohnuki moved from Crown Records to RCA, where she worked under the production of  E-ji Ogura (小倉エージ). Ogura also happened to be a music critic who was very harsh on Ohnuki's past work. This inevitably developed a lot of tension between the two as Ogura's direction for the album clashed with Ohniki's vision and there was a lot of arguing during production. Thankfully she was surrounded by some more familiar faces in the studio.

 Ryuichi Sakamoto(坂本 龍一) returns as an arranger alongside Ichizo Seo (瀬尾一三). Tin Pan Alley musicians make a comeback from the previous album, including Haruomi Hosono(細野晴臣) on Bass, Shigeru Suzuki (鈴木茂) on guitar, and Tatsuo Hayashi (林立夫) on drums. The album also features Sadistics members, Yukihiro Takahashi (高橋幸宏) on drums and bassist Tsugutoshi Goto (後藤次利). Jazz-fusion guitarists Masaki Matsubara (松原正樹) and Masayoshi Takanaka (高中正義) make an appearance, and of course, the ever-present Jake H Concepcion lends his saxophone to the production. The string arrangement was handled by violinist Tadaaki Ono (多忠昭) and his ensemble.

 When Mignonne was released on September 21st, 1978, it was another commercial flop despite the amount of promotion it received by RCA. Feeling she had disappointed her fans, she had considered leaving the music business. A long gap in time would pass until she returned to stardom, and in the interim, she worked behind the scenes as a backup singer and writer for other artists.

        THE MUSIC

SIDE A

じゃじゃ馬娘 (Jaja Uma Musume)/Shrewed Woman: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The opening dance track with a strut-worthy rhythm and groovy guitars is about an uncompromising woman who likes to play with people's emotions, chase after older men, and get her hands dirty.  横顔 (Yokogao)/Profile: ⭐⭐⭐ A pretty standard piece of sophisti-pop with a warm, early morning atmosphere. Complete with a jazzy piano, and a simple & smooth walking bassline.  黄昏れ (Tasogare)/Twilight:⭐⭐⭐⭐ A soothing late-night ballad about a woman lamenting about a past love on an autumn night. Features some beautiful piano playing and a jazzy trumpet solo.  空をとべたら(Sora Wo Tobetara)/ If I could fly: ⭐⭐⭐ I light-hearted bossa nova track about setting a caged bird free. It has some pretty flutes, an infectious bass, and a soothing string section. It even throws in a Spanish guitar solo for us.  風のオルガン(Kaze No Organ) / Wind Organ: ⭐⭐⭐ A pretty basic easy-listening soft rock ballad. Features some pleasant strings and a nice keyboard solo. SIDE B 言いだせなくて(Iidasenakute)/ Can't Get the Words Out: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The first true disco track on the album with a very uplifting synthesizer intro, a great string arrangement, and an awesome saxophone solo. 4:00 A.M.: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Easily the most dynamic track on the album, about a woman who wakes up in the middle of the night, praying to God for another chance at love. The track begins with some very suspenseful flute playing, which leads into a very jazzy dance track. Complete with funky bass, a tight brass section, and a soul-chilling gospel choir. 突然の贈りもの(Totsuzen No Okurimono)/ A Suden Gift: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ As the title suggests, it's a heartwarming ballad about a heartwarming as a long-gone lover returning only to leave behind a bouquet of flowers out of the blue for her.  海と少(Umi to Shonen) /The Ocean and the Boy: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ An upbeat tune that opens up with a harp and leads into a funky dance number about a boy running across a sandy beach enjoying the tropical atmosphere.  年あこがれ()/ Longing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A beautiful bluesy soft rock ballad, that swells up into an orchestration of harmonious choir singing accompanied by an epic guitar solo towards the end. THE VERDICT

Despite my overall enjoyment of this record, I can understand why Taeko Ohnuki wasn't satisfied with this album. Everything here is less experimental and feels safer than the previous album, but overall the compositions are still really good. Some tracks feel right at home with her previous work, like Twilight and The Ocean and The Boy.

Then you get more unique songs like Jaja Uma Musume, while funky and catchy, seem a bit outside of Ohnuki's comfort zone, from a lyrical standpoint mostly, since I don't think Ohunki has a shrewd personality and her voice doesn't really carry the authority to back up what she's saying. This feels like something, you would hear from Minako Yoshida or Junko Ohashi's discography. Can't Get the Words Out is another great disco track with an uplifting melody that feels more in line with Ohuki's style. Then there's the best track, 4:00am., I remember when I first heard it being entranced by the suspenseful flute in the intro and being hooked by the gospel-style choir chanting "Lord give me one more chance!". 

Despite being made in the less-than-ideal circumstances, Mignonne is an album that's overall pleasant to listen to. Because I'm a disco/funk fan, this is the album I personally gravitate to, but I do understand why Sunshower is considered the best. There's definitely a tonal shift from the introspective, progressive jazz-fusion of Sunshower, into the more streamlined disco and soft-pop Mignonne. That being said, I think Ohnuki, being the talented composer that she is, handles this shift very well, even though it might not be what she wanted initially. I think existing fans of Taeko Ohnuki will still enjoy this album, as it retains a lot of its jazz roots. Newcomers, especially those who found 4:00am on Youtube (like I did) will enjoy the well-polished late '70s Sophisti-Pop and get to experience the origin of one of City Pop's viral sensations.

ALBUM REVIEW: SONGS By Sugar Babe 1975

Kayōkyoku (Showa Era popular music) during the 70s mainly consisted of the Jazz-influenced Mood Kayo, the disco/bubblegum style idol music, or Aidoru (アイドル), and the blues-influenced hard rock and folk-rock. While Kayo inherently has a blend of Western and Japanese musical scales, a majority of pop songs were produced to lean more towards Japanese sensibilities, with not much variety. Despite this, there was a movement to push the boundaries of how musicians made music in Japan with the advent of New Music (ニューミュージック), which started with music acts such as Happy End, Tin Pan Alley and Yumi Arai (荒井 由実), and culminated with the band Sugar Babe, and their 1975 release of SONGS.

THE HISTORY

Sugar Babe was a soft rock band formed in Tokyo, Japan in 1973 and split up in 1976. The core of the band featured the pre-solo debut of Tatsuro Yamashita (山下達郎 ), Taeko Ohnuki(大貫妙子), & Kunio Muramatsu (村松邦男). The group made its live performance debut in 1973 at the farewell concert for the rock group Happy End. Now there were a lot of one-off bands during the 70s’, however, what made them stand out was their music style. They were perhaps one of the first Japanese rock bands to use the Major 7ths & Broken chords, which made the music extremely different from the pop of that time period. While their contemporaries were hard rockers, Sugar Babe focused on playing melodic, well-crafted tunes heavily influenced by American pop from the ’60s and ’70s and soul music. Coupled with romanticized lyrics about city life, all these elements lead to the creation of their debut album, SONGS, which laid the groundwork for what would later be known as City Pop.

FROM THE LEFT: Kunio Muramatsu, Taeko Ohnuki, Kikuo Wanikawa, Tatsuro Yamashita, Akihiko Noguchi

The initial debut lineup of the band was Yamashita, Ohnuki and Kunio on vocals (and many instruments), Kikuo Wanikawa（鰐川己久男）on bass, Makoto Kimura (木村誠) on percussions, and Akihiko Noguchi（野口明彦）on drums. Although there were changes made during the actual recording of the album and the final year of Sugar Babe's existence, which included the inclusion of Ginji Ito（伊藤銀次）on guitar, and Kikuo & Akihiko Being replaced by Yuasa Uehara (上原裕) & Jiro Terao (寺尾次郎) on drum & bass respectively. Sugar Babe also had some veteran help from the likes of former Happy End front-man Eiichi Ohatki, who was the producer & mixer of the album, and Fumiyo Nunoya on backing vocals, who was the lead singer of the hard rock group, Blues Creation. The cover of the album was designed by Tatsuya Kaneko (金子辰也), whose art is a recreation of a photo of two women from a Photography Book published in 1954 called Women of Paris, by Nico Jesse & André Maurois.

FROM THE LEFT: Tatsuro Yamashita, Taeko Ohnuki, Yuata Uehara, Kunio Muramatsu, & Jiro Terao

The recording of the album started October 28, 1974, and lasted until March 7th of 1975. SONGS was released on the 25th of April, 1975, as the flagship release of Ohtaki's Niagara label, which was a sub-label of Elec Records, one of the first Japanese independent labels. The reception of the band was mostly negative from the mainstream, outside of the niche crowd of college students, which apparently included a young, pre-debut Mariya Takeuchi. With no other bands of the same style, they received a lot of irrational criticism and silly slander. In an interview with Red Bull Academy, Ohunki recalls one concert where Sugar Babe played, the audience started throwing trash and bottles at them, being screamed at and called “a bunch of cicadas” whenever they sang. The band broke up in 1976, due in part to the bankruptcy of their record label, and also the fact they grew apart musically. Yamashita, Muramatsu, and Ohnuki went on to have long and successful careers and would use much of the material they had initially written for a second Sugar Babe album, for their respective debut albums, Ohnuki with Grey Skies (1976), Muramatsu with Green Waters (1983), and Yamashita with Circus Town (1976).

Sugar Babe Alongside their producer, Eiichi Ohtaki

THE MUSIC

Sugar Babe in Live

1. SHOW: This almost Broadway Revue-style intro serves as the perfect beginning to the album, the highlight being the vocal breakdown at the end reminiscent of the Four Seasons.
2. DOWNTOWN: And here it is, what’s basically ground zero for literally all City Pop music. Combining the bright surf rock-esque guitars, with the funky drums & clavinet beat reminiscent of the Isley Brothers, to create the perfect anthem for a lively Saturday night.
3. Mirage Town (Shinkirou no Machi /蜃気楼の街): Taeko Ohnuki and her piano take the spotlight this time to give us a more mellow look at being in the city.
4. World of Wind (Kaze no Sekai/ 風の世界）: Another one of Taeko’s introspective songs, this time about feeling lonely in an empty city.
5. Always Sighs (Tameiki Bakari/ためいきばかり): A bouncy tune about morning hangover blues written by Kunio Muramatsu that's equal parts bubble gum pop & country rock.
6. As Usual (Itsumo Doori /いつも通り): A short mid-tempo upbeat tune about someone going about their unchanging life in the big city. The highlight being the awesome string arrangements during the chorus section.
7. Lovely Melody (Suteki na Melody/すてきなメロディー）: Probably the shortest and most unique song in the album. It’s an upbeat honky-tonk pop tune built around the chords of Pachelbel's Canon. It also features another interesting vocal breakdown, this time with...goat noises???
8. Somehow Today (Kyou wa Nan daka/今日はなんだか): Probably the 2nd most iconic song Yamashita sings on this album. A high-tempo soft rock tune that almost reaches power ballad territory.
9. The Rain Has Filled The Palms of My Hands (Ame wa Te no Hira ni Ippai/雨は手のひらにいっぱい): City Pop’s first official resort pop song, about a rainy day in the city. Complete with arrangements that are equal parts, B.J. Thomas ‎& Phil Spector.
10. Days Gone "60's Dream" (Sugi Sarishi Hibi/過ぎ去りし日々): The only acoustic track on the album by Yamashita himself. A nostalgic & sad song about a high-school relationship that didn’t last.
11. SUGAR: The finale of the album that feels more like a jam session than a complete song. Still enjoyable nonetheless with its more Latin-based arrangements. The lyrics also feature a nice reference to "Sugar Town" by Nancy Sinatra.

Track List from the Anniversary Release

THE VERDICT

Production: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Vocals:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Arrangement:⭐⭐⭐

Aesthetic:⭐⭐⭐

Memorability: ⭐⭐⭐

Composition:⭐⭐⭐⭐

On one hand, each individual song in...well, SONGS represents tight craftsmanship and a great understanding of American Pop music. From the attention-grabbing, Broadway intro Show, to the Isley Bros. tribute in Downtown, to the Pet Sounds meets country pop mash-up of 雨は手のひらにいっぱい. Heck, any of the tracks Ohnuki composed (especially いつも通り) fit right at home with Carol King's discography. Each tune provides its own unique experience that feels both fresh and yet evokes a sense of nostalgia. That being said, some of these songs sound like they don’t belong on the same album. 

Listening to SONGS is a lot like getting a party pack of potato chips, you technically get a lot of variety, but each bag of chips is too small to enjoy on its own and you may not like every brand of chips in the package. It’s very clear that each songwriter on this album has their particular music preferences, but the lack of full potential keeps the album from having the fluidity the listener needs for a fully enjoyable trip. Yamashita is trying to take us to California, while Ohnuki wants to go to Europe, and Muramatsu is lost somewhere in the Midwest. Even compared to their closest contemporary, Sentimental City Romance (which debuted the same year), have a more unified sound despite delving into the west coast, country rock, and funk, all on the same album. 

In its defense, however, SONGS  is one of the lesser offenders of this issue and Almost all of the individual songs are still iconic on their own merits. 雨は手のひらにいっぱい would be the first song to showcase Ohtaki’s own brand of “Wall of Sound” production, which he would later develop for his magnum opus, A Long Vacation. And tunes like Ohunki’s いつも通り & Yamashita’s Downtown would set the standard for the future sound of City Pop, both instrumental and lyrical. 

I think people who are more accustomed to the late 70s' & 80s' City Pop might feel a bit alienated from this album since its sound leans less towards Steely Dan and TOTO, and more towards Carol King, The Rascals & The 5th Avenue Band (who was quoted by Ohnuki as a major influence). But past that, I think SONGS by Sugar Babe is worth a listen just on the merit of it being ground zero for City Pop, and how it changed the landscape of Pop & Rock music in Japan. On top of that SONGS prominently changed the landscape of pop & rock forever, influencing many artists to come. According to singer-songwriter Toshiki Kadomatsu (角松 敏生), Sugar Babe was a monumental influence on him as he listened to it relentlessly in his youth. Going on about how he & other high-school students who were well versed in the 3 chord progression of rock, couldn't catch up with the more complex riffs & chords Sugar Babe was doing at all. Pop artists Eiko Miyagawa (宮川榮子), a.k.a. EPO made her career debut as one of the “Three Daughters of RCA” with a whole single & album dedicated to Sugar Babe’s signature song, Downtown. 

In a landscape that was dominated by acts like Pink Lady, Hiromi Go, Momoe Yamaguchi, & Hideki Saijo, fellow Kayo historian J-Canuck put it best when he says Sugar Babe came in and pierced through that landscape like a bolt of lightning, and truly stands out as something unique and revolutionary.

Sugar Babe Reunion! (Minus Tatsuro Yamashita 😟 )