Windless Blue by Kaze - 1976

It wasn’t unusual in the 70s for American folk and rock acts to pivot into softer rock and AOR. The same shift was taking place in Japan, a prime example being the folk duo Kaze(風), formed by Shōzō Ise (伊勢正三) and Kazuhisa Ōkubo (大久保一久). They debuted in 1975 with “22-Year-Old Farewell” (22才の別れ), a heartfelt reworking of a song Ise had originally written during his tenure with the folk trio Kaguyahime.
With their first two albums, Kaze quickly established themselves in Japan’s booming folk-pop scene, guided by the steady hand of arranger Ichizō Seo (瀬尾一三), who shaped much of their early material. But by the mid-70s, both Seo and Ise had fallen under the spell of American AOR — sleek, urbane sounds pioneered by artists like Boz Scaggs, Orleans, and Steely Dan. This influence pushed the group to broaden their sonic palette and aim for a more polished, contemporary sound.
The result was WINDLESS BLUE, released in November 1976. Returning as producer and arranger, Seo surrounded the duo with top-tier talent: jazz saxophonist Takeru Muraoka (村岡健), prolific percussionist Nobu Saito (斉藤信男), and pianist Kentaro Haneda (羽田健太郎), who would later gain acclaim for his anime soundtrack work.

THE MUSIC 

1. The Woman Who Rests Her Chin in Her Hand (ほおづえをつく女/Hoozue o Tsuku Onna) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

2. Highway at Night (夜の国道 / Yoru no kokudō) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

3. Turn Left on Route 3 (３号線を左に折れ / 3-Gōsen o hidari ni ore) ⭐⭐⭐

4. An Afternoon on the Journey (旅の午後 / Tabi no gogo) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

5. Passing Shower (通り雨 / Tōriame) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

6. Afternoon Street 25 (アフターヌーン通り25 / アフターヌーン通り25) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

7. Small Hands (小さな手 / Chīsana te) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

8. The Town Where You Can See the Horizon (地平線の見える街 / Chiheisen no mieru machi) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

9. The Youth I Walked with You (君と歩いた青春 / Kimitoaruitaseishun) ⭐⭐⭐

10. Before I Realized It (ふっと気がつきゃ / Futto kigatsukya) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

11. Just a Little Baggage (少しだけの荷物 / Sukoshidake no nimotsu) ⭐⭐⭐

THE VERDICT

Listening to Windless Blue feels like stumbling across a long-lost Seals & Crofts record. Tracks like “Hoozue o Tsuku Onna” (The Woman Who Rests Her Chin in Her Hand) and “Tōriame” (Passing Shower) highlight Kaze’s knack for weaving West Coast–style soft rock into the fabric of Japanese folk. The album’s crown jewel is easily “Yoru no Kokudō” (Highway at Night). Its groovy mid-tempo pulse and rich vocal harmonies evoke the unmistakable mood of a nighttime coastal drive — windows down, salt air rolling in, headlights stretching endlessly down the highway. You can play this track right alongside "Babylon Sisters" by Steely Dan and not bat an eye. While your average American listener might not immediately connect folk music to the emergence of City Pop, Windless Blue makes the case effortlessly. Its breezy, sophisticated arrangements mark a clear turning point in the mid-70s, pushing Kaze beyond their folk-pop beginnings and into a more refined, urban soundscape.

Downtown by EPO - 1980

Back in 1975, a band called Sugar Babe, featuring Tatsurō Yamashita, Taeko Ōnuki, and Kunio Muramatsu, released an album simply titled SONGS. Though it would later be hailed as a turning point in Japanese pop and serve as ground zero for the City Pop genre, the album initially flopped. Within a year, Sugar Babe had disbanded.

Fast forward to 1978 in a small café in Mishuku, Setagaya. RCA producer Shigeki Miyata meets an aspiring singer-songwriter named Eiko Satō (佐藤栄子). She went by her childhood nickname, EPO, a moniker that stuck ever since a tongue-twisted “Eko-chan”(えーこちゃん) came out as “Epo-chan”(エポ ちゃん). EPO and Miyata talked for hours about her love for Sugar Babe. That conversation convinced Miyata they should make an album together, planting the seed for EPO’s debut, Down Town.

At RCA, EPO was promoted as “the next Mariya Takeuchi”, part of the so-called “Three Daughters of RCA” alongside Ōnuki and Takeuchi herself. During her debut, EPO described her style as “Yellow Pop”—a unique hybrid that was neither rock nor kayōkyoku (traditional Japanese pop). Much like Sugar Babe, she sought to carve out her own space in Japanese music. Many songs on Down Town came directly from her notebooks, including compositions written in high school and lyrics inspired by her personal experiences. The album was produced by Miyata, with arrangements by Tetsuji Hayashi and Nobuyuki Shimizu. The backing chorus featured a remarkable lineup of RCA peers—Yamashita, Ōnuki, and Takeuchi—bringing EPO full circle to Sugar Babe's legacy.

Released on March 21, 1980, Down Town was accompanied by the titular single, which became her signature song, cemented when Fuji TV adopted it as the ending theme for the wildly popular variety show Oretachi Hyōkin-zoku, starring comedian & actor Beat Takeshi.

THE MUSIC

1. Down Town ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. Yakusoko Ha Ame No Naka (約束は雨の中)⭐⭐⭐⭐
3.  Klaxon ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. Nichiyo Wa Bell Ga Narumaeni (日曜はベルが鳴る前に) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5. Katarai (語愛) ⭐⭐⭐ 
6. Pop Music Suite⭐⭐⭐⭐
7. Asphalt・Hitori (アスファルト・ひとり)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
8. Iiwake Wa Shinaikedo (言い訳はしないけど)⭐⭐⭐
9. Suiheisen Oikakete (水平線追いかけて)⭐⭐⭐⭐
10. Caffe Time ⭐⭐⭐

THE VERDICT

I’ll be honest—it took a while for this album to grow on me. When I first heard EPO’s rendition of "Down Town", I brushed it off as little more than a karaoke imitation of Sugar Babe’s original. But over time—especially after buying the vinyl—it crept into my head and became an earworm I couldn’t shake. What eventually won me over was the pairing of its minimalist, synthpop-inspired arrangement with EPO’s jazzy, cheerful voice. 

It's impossible not to get cheery while listening to this record. Tracks like "Yakusoku wa Ame no Naka" and "Suiheisen Oikakete" carry a bouncy, peppy energy that flows effortlessly from one song to the next, and EPO’s singing is a big part of what keeps that momentum alive. It’s easy to hear shades of Mariya Takeuchi in her vocal style, but EPO brings a little more swing that makes Down Town feel more like its own unique experience. "Asphalt Hitori"  is the real unsung hero on this album, continuing the time-honored City Pop tradition of being a near celebratory-sounding disco track with lyrics about loneliness, complete with infectious vocal harmonies and beautiful string arrangements.

Down Town is probably the most prototypical City Pop record you can think of, yet cements itself as a seminal album in its legacy, and proof that sometimes you really can reinvent the wheel. It’s a fun, spirited debut that firmly established EPO’s signature perky, energetic sound, which she would refine further on her follow-up, Goodies. Blending the genre’s 70s roots with the 80s sparkle & sheen, Down Town is both a great intro to City Pop and an endearing showcase of EPO’s charm.

Summer Drive - City Pop Mixtape