Hiromi Go - Otokonoko Onnanoko (1972)

Artist: Hiromi Go / 郷ひろみ
Title: Otokonoko Onnanoko /
男の子女の子
Released: August 1, 1972
Oricon Peak Rank: 8
B-Side: 夢をおいかけて

(download)

Hiromi Go possesses one of the most enduring careers in Japanese music, and has so far today not shown signs of slowing down just yet. Even so, it is still worth looking at how he once started, during the formative years of Japanese idols. He was the most junior (in terms of career) of the "The New Big Three" [新御三家], a trio of male singers in the 1970s, that comprised of him, Goro Noguchi, and Hideki Saijo, though none of them were ever truly alike in singing styles, Goro was primarily a ballad singer, Hideki was the slightly edgier rock-ish one, while Hiromi captured the pop world's attention. Yet, he was the first of the three to score the major hit. His debut single "Otokonoko Onnanoko" (Boy and Girl) certainly evokes that teen pop attitude, with its catchy refrain and light arrangement. Here, his voice had that quality common in young male Japanese singers: high, slightly nasal, and without significant depth. It would take some time for his voice to mature to that of a high, slightly nasal man. However, the song's appeal was strong enough in itself to garner Hiromi Go a Newcomer's Prize in the 14th Japan Record Awards, as well granting him his first of many appearances in the Red-White Song Competition.

男の子女の子 (Otokonoko Onnanoko)

Music: Kyohei Tsutsumi / 筒美京平
Lyrics: Tokiko Iwatani / 岩谷時子

君たち女の子　僕たち男の子
ヘイヘイヘイ　ヘイヘイヘイ　おいで遊ぼう
僕らの世界へ　走って行こう

幸福さがすのは　まかせてほしいのさ
ヘイヘイヘイ　ヘイヘイヘイ　夢があふれる
一度の人生　だいじな時間

アアアア　青空に
アアアア　陽が光る
明るい風の中　髪をなびかせて
GO GO GO GO

ほほえむ女の子　みつめる男の子
ヘイヘイヘイ　ヘイヘイヘイ　愛の雨降る
一度の人生　だいじな時間

泣いてる女の子　ふりむく男の子
ヘイヘイヘイ　ヘイヘイヘイ　胸がふるえる
一度の人生　だいじな時間

アアアア　あの瞳
アアアア　好きなんだ
花火があがるんだ　ふたりで手をとり
GO GO GO GO

男と女の子　心がふれあえば
ヘイヘイヘイ　ヘイヘイヘイ　おいでいそごう
僕らの世界へ　はだしで行こう

Mako Ishino - Ookami Nanka Kowakunai (1978)

Artist: Mako Ishino / 石野真子
Title: Ookami Nanka Kowakunai /
狼なんか怖くない
Released: March 25, 1978
Oricon Peak Rank: 17
B-Side: ひとり娘

(download)

The Nippon Television Network talent show Star Tanjou! [スター誕生!] (A Star is Born!) has produced a significant number of highly successful singers that graced the Japanese charts during the 70s and 80s, two of them have been featured here in this blog: Hiromi Iwasaki , Akina Nakamori and Momoe Yamaguchi. We'll be looking at another one of the show's successful alumni: Mako Ishino.

Despite her homely appearance and slightly crooked teeth (Asian dentistry wasn't so great at the time), her cute image and decent singing (of a Japanese cover of a Danièle Vidal tune) won the judges over, among them the lyricist Yuu Aku, who would later pen the words to several of Mako's earlier songs. She signed onto the Victor Entertainment label and released her debut single "Ookami Nanka Kowakunai" ("I Ain't Afraid of Wolves"). The song is a breezy number playing up the metaphor of men as wolves in the game of love. As per habit for Japanese singing, the song had its own trademark moves, in this case Mako pursing her right hand to imitate a wolf's head when singing the chorus. Her singing character straddles between the voice of the typical pop teen voice and that of a feminine and mature woman, giving her the potential for versatility in song material that is not very common for most singers. Needless to say, her producers took advantage of that, the results we'll see when we get back around to her again later on.


(Hit Studio Night [夜のヒットスタジオ])

狼なんか怖くない (Ookami Nanka Kowakunai)

Music: Takuro Yoshida / 吉田拓郎
Lyrics: Yuu Aku / 阿久悠

あなたも狼に変わりますか
はじめてのルージュの色は
紅過ぎてはいけない
大人の匂いがするだけでいい
唇をすぼめたままで
くちづけは出来ない
鏡に向かってあれこれ思う
鼻が邪魔だと誰かがいってたわ
古いと映画の台詞(セリフ)だったかしら

あなたも狼に変わりますか
あなたが狼なら怖くない
あなたも狼に変わりますか
あなたが狼なら怖くない

ハイヒール両手に下げて
逃げたりしちゃいけない
片目をつぶって 見るだけでいい
あのひとはいいひとだから
傷つけたり出来ない
その日を思ってあれこれ悩む
熱が出るわと誰かがいってたわ
ヒットソングの言葉だったかしら

あなたも狼に変わりますか
あなたが狼なら怖くない
あなたも狼に変わりますか
あなたが狼なら怖くない