Oldskool Japanese Music Thread (1920's-1980's)

[muppet]

But hang on, the song almost sounds like it's from the 50's? Isn't that era too far past for the age of the intened audience?
No, because in Japn, this song was used in Hayao Miyazaki's film "Kiki's Delivery Service", which is an 1989 film. Okay, makes sense now- the ladies who are now in their 30's and 40's were school girls when this film was released, so they will get nostalgiac buying impulses, right?

But the song still sounds 50's like......was it written in 1989? No, (to those of you who know the song, etc, please forgive me for going on and on, but this is just to show how I have discovered a lot of great music)....It is a song by Yumi Arai (who later became after marriage Yumi Matsutoya, but is best known to fans as 'Yuming')...and it was release in 1975, years before the film makers chose it for their film.

The title of the song is ルージュの伝言 / Ruuji no Dengon (Message in Rouge), and 50's style music enjoyed a revival in many countries during the 70's.

Would like to give credit for the information that I have to this website:  http://www.collectiondx.com/article/record_review_3_yumi_arai_s_message_of_rouge_ask_me_anything_express_etp_20107_kikis_delivery_service

And, thanks to YouTuber oykk53113 for posting this clip of  'Message in Rouge' with lots of nice photos including those from "Kiki's Delivery Service" .....

Roll tape Prometheus!!

[devoidikk]

Hey! This is a great thread . Thank you all for the great music posted ^^. The only "old" song I knew (until now) was nagoriyuki.

Looks like you guys have a great knowledge about this kind of songs so I wonder if you could help me remember one . A japanese teacher of mine use that song in class. She gave us the lyric but unfortunately I lost it...the only thing I can remember is that the song was about a letter, between two lovers (husband-wife I think). He died in the war and the song said something about that if she will born again, she will love him again too.

I heard the song "tegami" by saori yuki but that is not the one I remember T___T

[Mitsukuni]

Hi everyone.

And thanks for the great archive, i looove oldies. 
But i have an issue that i don't understand how can we use "twitter" download links. When i click them, it's just open my main page. Maybe i'm newbie. 

Thanks and have a nice day. 

[Saburo]

My little present to you is here : www.natsumelo.com

A site dedicated to enka / folk & kayokyoku from the 60's & 70's

Peeps: I was just browing his entry for "Momen no Handkerchief," a song that I consider the greatest of my 70s Kayokyoku youth.

I never really paid that much attention to the lyrics. But damn, I had no idea just how layered the narrative is! The melody is complex enough but damn, how bittersweet can you get in a J-pop song?! Go lookit up, folks!

[~Dan~]

This is cool. A radio show from 1964. 46 minutes in two parts.  Can anyone identify the 2 songs I can't identify in part 2.


全国歌謡べストテン (Senkoku Kayou Best Ten), CBC Radio, 1964.07.27

Funaki Kazuo - Mada Minu Kini wo Kouru Uta
Sakamoto Kyuu - Shiawase Nara Te o Tatakou (If You're Happy And You Know It)
Misora Hibari - Tabi no Wakamono
Hashi Yukio & Yoshinaga Sayuri - Soko wa Aoi Sora Datta
Azusa Michiyo - Okaa-san
Shikura Mariko - Watashi no Shiawase wa Dokko e
talk - top 20 hit songs
Hashi Yukio & Yoshinaga Sayuri - Soko wa Aoi Sora Datta



Funaki Kazuo - Kimitachi ga Ite Boku ga Ita
unknown male singer
unknown female singer
Hashi Yukio & Yoshinaga Sayuri - Soko wa Aoi Sora Datta
Misora Hibari - Tabi no Wakamono
Funaki Kazuo - Mada Minu Kini wo Kouru Uta
Hashi Yukio & Yoshinaga Sayuri - Soko wa Aoi Sora Datta
talk + end music

[muppet]

First unknown song by male (starts at 3:50 in above clip):

Artist: 西郷輝彦  Teruhiko Saigo
Song: 「星空のあいつ」 Hoshizora no Aitsu (1964)
Composer: Jun Kitahara
Lyrics: Satoru Mizushima

[~Dan~]

Thanks!  When they read out the list of the top 20, Saigo Teruhiko has another song in the charts. That other one must be a new release/new entry.
Working on the same logic I checked some of Misora Hibari's singles released after "Tabi no Wakamono" and found it.  It's Misora Hibari - Yuukyou Kaidou (美空ひばり - 遊侠街道).  I can only find karaoke versions on youtube but at least they confirm it's the right song.

[muppet]

The song by the female in the clip above (from about 7:02 to 10:22) is called  遊侠街道 / Yuukyoukaidou (Yuukyou Highway or sumpin' like dat)
The version below is by Yoshimi Tendo, but I think the recording might be Hibari Misora....but could not find a clip (Embedding disable by request, Watch on YouTube by hitting the link)

[muppet]

Thanks!  When they read out the list of the top 20, Saigo Teruhiko has another song in the charts. That other one must be a new release/new entry.
Working on the same logic I checked some of Misora Hibari's singles released after "Tabi no Wakamono" and found it.  It's Misora Hibari - Yuukyou Kaidou (美空ひばり - 遊侠街道).  I can only find karaoke versions on youtube but at least they confirm it's the right song.

Hi Dan, yes there were a lot of karaoke clips, which can cause inner ear damage 
but the version by Yoshimi Tendo is nice..............

[muppet]

Here is somewhat of a Novelty song:

伊藤アイコ / Aiko Itoh singing "Speedy Gonzalez" circa 1962, which is the year Pat Boone had a hit with this song.
It was originally performed in 1961 by a singer named David Dante.

[L4verra]

So...
I found this song while looking for Reina Triendl videos on YouTube. Hey man she's cute so don't judge

Something tells me this song is from the 70s or what now...sure sounds like it.


I like it

[muppet]

Great find L4verra san, and you are correct- 1974. And it is a cool song, and I bet Reina would like it as well. 
The group is called  三輪車 / Sanrinsha (Tricycle)
The song is called 水色の街 / Mizuiro no Machi (City of Light Blue or Aqua Colored Town, or sumpin')
The record label was 'Express'

Here is a picture of the record, and the group broke up after only recording a handful of songs. Leader Minoru Yamasaki has stayed active in the music industry as a composer, arranger, and producer.

[muppet]

Here is another song from Sanrinsha
Song: 黒いスーツ / Kuroi Sutsu  (Black Suit)

Leader Minoru Yamasaki is the man in the middle photo.

[muppet]

Artist: 奥村チヨ / Chiyo Okumura
Song: 北国の青い空Hokkaido Skies / Kitaguni no Aoi  Sora / Hokkaido Skies (Blue Skies of the North Country / Hokkaido Skies)
Release date: August 5, 1967

[muppet]

Artist: ふきのとう / Fukinotou
Song: 白い冬 / Shiroi Fuyu (White Winter) [September 21, 1974]

[muppet]

More good music from the 60's, with thanks to Youtuber akaino1000:

Artist: 伊東ゆかり Yukari Ito
Song: 恋のしずく / Koi no Shizuku (Drops of Love)  [1968]

[jigenbakuda]

I now officially fuck with ito yukari...

Here is her cover of samishii kara




I have forgotten how to embed video

Edit: Feel free to sample her music here
http://www.mediafire.com/?6ryrq9f0m41dyw1

[zeke9991]

Good morning. I am a new member. I am an older person writing about my experiences in the tokyo music scene in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In those days I knew Frank Nagai and Matsuo Kazuko, as well as Misora Hibari. I am looking for English language translations of Tokyo Night Club (1959), and also "Dare yori mo kimi wo aisu" and "Good Night, Good Night, Sweet Heart, Good Night" on Matsuo Kazuko's 10 inch LP album from 1960. Many Thanks to all. ... Paul in Arizona.

[muppet]

Hi Paul! Trying to use Google translate, and my language studies to translate:

Dare Yori Mo Kimi wo Aisu / I Love You More than Anyone

(Man's line)
 Dare ni mo iwarezu  / Don't Tell anyone
Tagai ni chikatta / We swore to each other
Karisome no koinara / If you love the trifle
Wasure mo shiyo ga / Let's also forget
Aah..yumede wa nai  tada hitosuji / Aah...Not a dream, just a wish
Dare yori mo Dare yori mo Kimi wo aisu / More than anyone, more than anyone, I Love You

Woman's line:
Ai shita toki kara Kurushimi ga hajimaru /  From the time I loved, the suffering began
Aisareta toki kara Wakare ga matte iru / Since the time of being loved, have waited for the separation
Aah...soredemo nao inochi kakete /  Aah...Still when life is over
Dare yori mo Dare yori mo Kimi wo aisu / More than anyone, more than anyone, I Love You

Man and Woman together:
Anata ga nakereba Ikite wa yukenai / Without you I don't live at all
Anata ga arukara Ashita ga iki rareru / Because you are there, tomorrow I can live
Aah... iku saigetsu kawaru koto naku / As time goes on, without change
Dare yori mo Dare yori mo Kimi wo aisu / More than anyone, more than anyone, I Love You

Matsuo Kazuko & Wada Hiroshi - Dare Yori Mo Kimi O Aisu - {With thanks to TheCoffeeShopShop}

[muppet]

And here is a version of above ^ song with
Kazuko Matsuo again, but this time paired with Frank Nagai

(there might be slight variations in the lyrics  compared with the printed lyrics that I found)