Seiko Matsuda - Aoi Sangoshou (1980)

Artist: Seiko Matsuda / 松田聖子
Title: Aoi Sangoshou / 青い珊瑚礁
Released: July 1, 1980
Oricon Peak Rank: 2
B-Side: TRUE LOVE～そっとくちづけて

(download)


The new era of Japanese popular music was ushered in with those sweeping strings introducing the soaring voice of a nascent superstar in the first few lines of the song. "Blue Lagoon", Seiko Matsuda's second single quickly reached the second spot of the charts, and would be her last single to not reach No. 1 for years to come.

The song paints a bright picture of a seaside with a glittering coral reef, and the budding romance the singer shares with her love, comparing her feelings of love in the chorus to the rush of the south wind. Musically, the song is a good example of the transition from the 70s pop style to the 80s pop style, with tighter arrangements, more use of electric instruments and emphasis on a steady beat, but elements of more traditional song-making such as the the strings used still remain. The expressively reaching chorus and the more intimate verses display the melodic contrast used to help emphasize the tone of the lyrics. Matsuda's singing here is unabashed, strong, and yet at the same time exhibit a lighter touch when needed, elements that would show up in a more developed form later in her career.

By 1980, the previous era of pop stars, dominated by the likes of Momoe Yamaguchi and Pink Lady was fading fast, and while there were many fresh faces in the couple years prior, none had brought in the paradigm shift in music that Seiko Matsuda and her contemporaries did, creating a new song that would bring about what many would define the decade as the golden age of idols.


(Drif's Big Laugh [ドリフ大爆笑])

青い珊瑚礁
(Aoi Sangoshou)

Music: Yuichiro Oda / 小田裕一郎
Lyrics: Yoshiko Miura / 三浦徳子

あゝ私の恋は南の風に乗って走るわ
あゝ青い風切って走れあの島へ

あなたと逢うたびに
すべてを忘れてしまうの
はしゃいだ私は little girl
熱い胸聞こえるでしょう
素肌にキラキラ珊瑚礁
二人っきりで流されてもいゝの
あなたが好き！
あゝ私の恋は南の風に乗って走るわ
あゝ青い風切って走れあの島へ

涙がこぼれるの
やさしい目をして見ないで
うつ向き加減の little rose
花びら触れて欲しいの
渚は恋のモスグリーン
二人の頬が近づいてゆくのよ
あなたが好き！
あゝ私の恋は南の風に乗って走るわ
あゝ青い風切って走れあの島へ

Toshihiko Tahara - Aishu Date (1980)

Artist: Toshihiko Tahara / 田原俊彦
Title: Aishu Date / 哀愁でいと
Released: June 21, 1980
Oricon Peak Rank: 2
B-Side: 君に贈る言葉 (アフター・スクール)

(download)

If Seiko Matsuda ushered in the new era of female idols in the 1980s, her counterpart for male popstars would be Toshihiko Tahara. A product of the perennial Johnny & Associates talent group who are responsible for churning out boy bands and teen idols for the girls to fawn over, Toshihiko made a strong entrance with his debut single "Aishu Date", an adaptation of "New York City Nights", itself the B-Side to Leif Garret's 1979 single "Feel the Need". The Japanese cover is a cleaner production compared to its American original, removing some of the heavier disco elements for a brighter instrumentation that makes it sound a bit more up to date. Despite its major success, peaking at No. 2 in the Oricon charts and granting him a spot on that year's Kohaku Uta Gassen, it is pretty clear Tahara is still working on his voice. It won't be until his second single does he start to sing more clearly and convincingly.

哀愁でいと (Aishu Date)

Music/Lyrics: Andrew Joesph di Taranto & Guy Hemric
Japanese Adaptation: Kazuko Kobayashi / 小林和子

赤い薔薇投げ捨て それで終わりにしようぜ
はしゃぎ過ぎたあと しらけちまう
火遊びみたいに 抱き合って
死ねるならいいね その日だけの恋ならば
やさしさも 無い方がマシさ

I say Bye-Bye 哀愁でいと あざやかな
Bye-Bye 哀愁でいと 笑顔みせてよ
Bye-Bye 哀愁でいと 醒めすぎた罪な奴

誰かに誘われ 君が乗り込む Yellow GT
“愛してる”なんて 疲れちまう
左であばよとドアに描き 思いきり殴る
その日だけの センセーション
心まで奪われたのさ

I say Bye-Bye 哀愁でいと あざやかに
Bye-Bye 哀愁でいと 恋を演じる
Bye-Bye 哀愁でいと 醒めすぎた罪な奴

Bye-Bye 哀愁でいと 駆け抜けた
Bye-Bye 哀愁でいと 赤い稲妻
Bye-Bye 哀愁でいと もう二度と…
Ah ha ha ha . . .

Kazuko Matsumura - Kaette Koi yo (1980)

Artist: Kazuko Matsumura / 松村和子
Title: Kaette Koi yo / 帰ってこいよ
Released: April 21, 1980
Oricon Peak Rank: 5
B-Side: やん衆哀歌

(download)


Kazuko Matsumura was somewhat of a flash-in-the-pan when she came into the music world plucking merrily on her shamisen in her debut song "Kaette Koi yo" (Come Back, My Love); a veritable youngster at the age of eighteen for a singer of an Enka tune. The song slowly grew on the Japanese populace through the end of 1980 and well into 1981. Although one may consider this to be a more pop-friendly kind of Enka song, the slightly melancholy aspect of the lyrics washed over in its rollicking melody, and the shamisen twanging away not in yearning, but just as accents. Regardless, the song proved popular enough to grant her a coveted spot in the New Year's Eve Red-White Song Competition in 1981, and that was the capstone for her musical career. Although she would continue recording into the decade, she is best known for this song, one of Japan's most treasured one-hit wonders.

帰ってこいよ (Kaette Koi yo)

Music: Noboru Ichidai / 一代のぼる
Lyrics: Tadao Hirayama / 平山忠夫

きっと帰って　くるんだと
お岩木山で　手を振れば
あの娘は小さく　うなずいた
茜の空で　誓った恋を
東京ぐらしで　忘れたか
帰ってこいよ　帰ってこいよ　帰ってこいよ

白いリンゴの　花かげで
遊んだ頃が　なつかしい
気立てのやさしい　娘だったよ
お前の嫁に　欲しかったねと
おふくろ今夜も　ひとりごと
帰ってこいよ　帰ってこいよ　帰ってこいよ

可愛いあの娘の　帰る日を
お岩木山で　今日もまた
津軽の風と　待っている
忘れはしまい　あの約束の
こんなにきれいな　茜空
帰ってこいよ　帰ってこいよ　帰ってこいよ

Seiko Matsuda - Hadashi no Kisetsu (1980)

Artist: Seiko Matsuda / 松田聖子
Title: Hadashi no Kisetsu / 裸足の季節
Released: April 1, 1980
Oricon Peak Rank: 12
B-Side: RAINBOW～六月生まれ

(download)


The origin of Seiko Mastuda's debut single was one of serendipity. During a cover shoot and filming of a commercial for the Shiseido cosmetic line, Seiko was supposed to be one of the models, but was later rejected due to her dimples. However, they instead had her sing the theme song for the commercial (good talent doesn't go to waste). Despite her nerveousness during the recording, the song proved to be a good debut hit. Even though it never cracked the top 10 in the Oricon charts, she received much positive publicity in the weeks and months ahead. This song was the beginning for her long and highly successful career as an idol and paved new paths for a new generation of singers that would later shape and define the music scene of 1980s Japan.


(Hit Studio Night [夜のヒットスタジオ])

裸足の季節 (Hadashi no Kisetsu)

Music: Yuichiro Oda / 小田裕一郎
Lyrics: Yoshiko Miura / 三浦徳子

白いヨットの影　渚をすべり
入江に近づくの　手を振るあなた
夢の中のこととわかっていても
思い切りこたえる私です

エクボの秘密あげたいわ
もぎたての青い風
頬をそめて今走り出す私
二人ひとつのシルエット

誘われた映画はまぶしすぎたの
背のびする季節と言われたけれど
ハラハラし通しのエピローグには
思わずうつむいた私です

エクボの秘密あげたいわ
もぎたての青い空
愛をめがけ今走り出す私
二人ひとつのシルエット

エクボの秘密あげたいわ
もぎたての青い風
頬をそめて今走り出す私
二人ひとつのシルエット