"Kazarijanainoyo namidawa"
(pronounced just like it is written)
not sure why i thought about this song today. (and the above image is the actual 24 year old "cover art" from the 24 year old vinyl record). it could have been something from this morning's Tom Morton Show. i will think about it as i finish scanning in this 45rpm record by Nakamori Akina. i loved this song back in... 1984. it was during my first year in Japan. something about her sultry voice, something about the rhythm of the words and song and something definitely about...her. i still credit Allen (Major Johnson) with introducing me to Japanese music. i should try to find him. i think he was from Memphis or Nashville. he gave me a cassette tape of the group Off Course whose lead singer is still my all-time favorite singer, Oda Kazumasa. i still have that cassette and i still have the photo i took of us at his beautiful home somewhere in Hachioji. he was a good cook and after dinner one night he played Off Course. a girlfriend of his had written the words to the songs in romaji (English letters) so he could sing them at his favorite karaoke bar. i remember he had a good voice. i can't and don't sing but i think the wine with dinner helped me attempt a few songs. that was my first real introduction to listening to and enjoying songs that were not in English. yes, there was a time when i knew very little of the world outside of Texas. and year later by fate, destiny, chance and/or luck, i have had the good fortune of seeing Kazumasa Oda twice live in concert. once in Tokyo and once in Kanazawa. at the Kanazawa concert, i think i was the only gaijin (non-Japanese) at the huge concert hall. more recently i have been lucky to have see such wonderful musicians as Kobukuro. and Sanisai. and Tozy. back to Akina, i remember why i thought of this song today. one of the last songs played on this morning's Tom Morton show was Queen of Hearts by Dave Edmunds. i think many people in the USA would think of Juice Newton as the original singer but i thought i remembered having it on another album (vinyl). and while looking for that album, i came across this 45 record by Akina. and while watching the Celtics beat the Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, i found several of Akina's tv appearances on youtube. and that's my story and that's why i have chosen to add this fun song nice memory (いいおもいで) to my blog. a funny/sad thing happened as i was watching the youtube video...i felt like i was back in Japan for the first time. the youtube video was taken from a televison show. i felt that "natsukashii" (homesick-type feeling) for that first visit to Japan. and i smiled while thinking of so many wonderful memories. my life was forever changed because of being "stationed" in Japan from 1983-1985. but when the song was over, there was no commercial. there was no next singer. i was back in 2008. it made me a little sad for the briefest of moments. so, i played the song again. and again.
"Ka-za-ri-ja-nai-no-yo-na-mi-da-wa" written by Inoue Yosui.
from what i have learned from the internet, this song debuted at #1 and sold 625,000 copies. i know where one of those copies is. if you have the chance to watch the above video from 1984, you will see why it was considered very difficult to sing because of it's "super fast lyrics". i found about 15 different videos to choose from of this song on youtube including one from Akina's last concert in 2006. she still sounds and looks great. just a little more mature, as do we all who were in our 20's in the 80's.
i almost forgot to finish the why i found this record story. Rodney Crowell sang Queen of Hearts in 1980. and that is the 28 year old vinyl album i was looking for because of the Tom Morton Show when i found this 24 year old record by Akina Nakamori which caused me to reminisce... that spelling doesn't look write : )
