Masako Mori - Sensei (1972)

Artist: Masako Mori / 森昌子
Title: Sensei / せんせい
Released: July 1, 1972
Oricon Peak Rank: 3
B-Side: 太陽の恋人

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Momoe Yamaguchi was not alone when she made her debut into the music world. As mentioned earlier, she was one of three who graduated at the same time from the Star Tanjou! talent competition. Masako Mori was one of the other two and was the first to officially debut with her single "Sensei". During the competition, many in the industry found her voice the most appealing of the three and predicted great success in her future. Peaking at #3 on the Oricon charts and garnering recognition in the Japan Record Awards later that year, the song's strong start showed good signs for Masako. Her singing style is steady and clear, and high in register yet without shrillness. These qualities were well suited for her entrance as an Enka singer, which was rare to bestow on someone as young as she. "Sensei" has the qualities of melancholy and more traditional melodic structure found in Enka, yet its arrangement is rather light and friendly to popular music tastes. The broad appeal of the song combined with her personal appeal would see her become a big favorite in the Enka world, and, for the time being, find a place in the dynamic and competitive world of the teen idol.

せんせい (Sensei)

Music: Minoru Endo / 遠藤実
Lyrics: Yuu Aku / 阿久悠

淡い初恋　消えた日は
雨がしとしと　降っていた
傘にかくれて　桟橋で
ひとり見つめて　泣いていた
おさない私が　胸こがし
慕いつづけた　ひとの名は
せんせい　せんせい　それはせんせい

声を限りに　叫んでも
遠くはなれる　連絡船
白い灯台　絵のように
雨にうたれて　浮んでた
誰にも言えない　悲しみに
胸をいためた　ひとの名は
せんせい　せんせい　それはせんせい

恋する心の　しあわせを
そっと教えた　ひとの名は
せんせい　せんせい　それはせんせい

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

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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

Linda Yamamoto - Dounimo Tomaranai (1972)

Artist: Linda Yamamoto / 山本リンダ
Title: Dounimo Tomaranai /
どうにもとまらない
Released: June 5, 1972
Oricon Peak Rank: 3
B-Side: 青い月夜は

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Linda Yamamoto started her career as a teen model, often referred to in fashion circles as the "Japanese Twiggy" for her thin build. She turned to singing and scored her first hit with "Komacchau na" in 1966. However, her fame as a singer was rather middling soon after that and she continued her modeling career. She didn't see another musical success until 1972 when she released her smash hit "Dounimo Tomaranai", which ranked 32nd overall in the 1972 Oricon charts. This exotica-infused number by Shunichi Tokura and Yuu Aku with its incessant conga drumming reshaped Linda Yamamoto from a teen sensation to an star idol. And it didn't hurt that she combined it with her stage dress, slashed low-rise flares and a blazing red shirt tied up to reveal her midriff (or as the Japanese termed it then the "heso-dashi"), giving her performances a provocative sexual appeal in an otherwise conservative society. Regardless, the song proved popular enough to grant her a spot in the 23rd Red-White Song Competition in New Year's Eve of the same year.

どうにもとまらない (Dounimo Tomaranai)

Music: Shunichi Tokura / 都倉俊一
Lyrics: Yuu Aku / 阿久悠

うわさを信じちゃいけないよ
私の心はうぶなのさ
いつでも楽しい夢を見て
生きているのが好きなのさ

今夜は真赤なバラを抱き
器量のいい子と踊ろうか
それともやさしいあのひとに
熱い心をあげようか

あゝ蝶になる　あゝ花になる
恋した夜はあなたしだいなの
あゝ今夜だけ　あゝ今夜だけ
もう　どうにも　とまらない

港で誰かに声かけて
広場で誰かと一踊り
木かげで誰かとキスをして
それも今夜はいいじゃない

はじけた花火にあおられて
恋する気分がもえて来る
真夏の一日カーニバル
しゃれて過ごしていいじゃない

あゝ蝶になる　あゝ花になる
恋した夜はあなたしだいなの
あゝ今夜だけ　あゝ今夜だけ
もう　どうにも　とまらない