Vagabond Synth Nerd’s Journal Vol. 129 - Hidden J-Pop Classics Special Part II: Japan Edition

The star of this hidden J-Pop classics Part II article is Haruko Kuwana!

This time, Part II of the Hidden J-Pop Masterpieces Special features Haruko Kuwana.
Haruko Kuwana is a vocalist from Osaka, Japan, who made her debut in 1978 with the album Million Stars, which was recorded in Los Angeles and Hawai’i.
Her brother is Masahiro Kuwana, who had the big hit “Sexual Violet No. 1” in 1979. The song attracted attention as a campaign song for a cosmetics manufacturer.
Haruko Kuwana went independent in 1986 and developed her own solo career and mainly played guitar herself. She also attracted attention for her unique activity of dedicating songs to pray for world peace at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples such as Ise Jingu Shrine, Todaiji Temple, and Kiyomizuji Temple.
Although all of Haruko’s albums were high quality music, I remember at the time that her media exposure was not as great as that of her brother’s, so she was not widely recognized. This may have been due to the fact that her activities were based in Kansai, not Tokyo.
I first encountered this album five years ago. It started when I borrowed an album from a senior colleague. I had never heard of her before until that time.

A hidden masterpiece? I think Haruko Kuwana’s album is...

A few years ago, I rarely listened to J-pop music. I only occasionally listened to Tatsuro Yamashita's Pit Inn Live. I borrowed a CD from a senior colleague and put it in the CD player in my car, thinking it would be “good for conversation”...
However, unexpectedly, it was quite good. The reason was because it was a cover of a familiar song I had heard in the past, and the sound the performer produced was excellent.
The songs were by such greats as Haruomi Hosono, Tatsuro Yamashita, Bread & Butter, and Eiichi Otaki, all of whom I respect, and I had the impression that they had been brought back to life by these wonderful arrangements.
One of the key players was the guitarist Makoto Matsushita, whom I introduced in my previous article, “Drifting Keyboard Madness“.

■ Recommended album: Moonlight Island / Haruko Kuwana (1982)

Musicians on the album include Makoto Matsushita...
It is said that people have a biological response that music heard for the first time becomes better and better as it is memorized by the brain and body after listening to it several times. What makes this album unique in a way is that many of the songs on the album are covers of songs that are considered to be J-pop classics. There is no doubt that my bar had been lowered by the familiar classics.
However, the album was much more than just a cover album in terms of its sound, the sense of speed, and Haruko Kuwana's singing on top of her excellent performance.
The musicians who participated in this album were guitarists Makoto Matsushita and Fujimaru Yoshino.
Both guitarists were my favorite guitarists that I listened to when I was a student. The rhythm section is Naoki Watanabe (B) and Atsuo Okamoto (Dr), another Spectrum rhythm section that I loved.
The guitarist and rhythm section are all AB'S members, and I used to copy AB'S in my early twenties with my band. In that sense, I was convinced that it was quite natural for my brain and ears to respond to the sounds of the backing musicians.
Joining her was keyboardist Yoshiki Kojima, who had made his name with KUWATA BANND. Kojima-san is a skilled keyboard player in Japan, having played with Makoto Matsushita in Yosui Inoue's band. In Yosui Inoue's band, he showed off his skills in backing and soloing, mostly jazz.
It cannot be bad if such skilled players are supporting the backbone of this album. Listening to this album, you can feel fragments of Makoto Matsushita's first album in many parts.
I regretted that I had not listened to such a wonderful album when it came out.

Recommended song: “Choo Choo Gatagoto"

The syncopated arrangement combined with the grooving rhythm has a different feel from the original, which was based around the New Orleans second line. Haruko Kuwana's cute singing really shines through in this song.
Haruomi Hosono's original song was also featured on the Tin Pan Alley album in 1975. Choo Choo is baby talk in American English meaning “train”.

Recommended song: “Down Town”

“Down Town” is the biggest hit song from the Sugababes album Songs and is a famous song written by Tatsuro Yamashita that has been covered by many musicians including EPO.
The song starts with a lively guitar cut. The original song is sung in Japanese, but in this album, it is sung in English. The propulsive power and speed of the song stand out when performed by this group.

Recommended song: “Ano Koro no Mama” (As it was then)

This cover is relatively faithful to the original. The arrangement of the chorus reminds me of Makoto Matsushita's albums, and Yoshiki Kojima's fill-ins on acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes in the second chorus is quite stylish.
The original song appeared on Bread & Butter's song “Late Late Summer” in 1979. The lyrics were written by Yumi Matsutoya. The arrangement was by Haruomi Hosono and Masataka Matsutoya.

Recommended song: “Yume de Aietara” (If I meet you in a dream)

A cover of the famous song written and composed by Eiichi Otaki. Many covers were created by Minako Yoshida, Cilia Paul, Razz & Star, and others. This song is another faithful cover of the original.

Recommended Song: “Yoru no Umi” (Night Sea)

The rhythm created by the grooving Naoki Watanabe and Atsuo Okamoto made the essence of this band. The octave technique of the guitar on top of the rhythm is a perfect fit for the song.
The highlight of this song is Yoshiki Kojima's acoustic piano solo. He sings melodically and simply from the break. The chorus work in the background is just like that of the famous First Light album. The guitar solo in the outro section also sounds great!

Musicians, albums, and recommendations featured in this issue

• Artists: Makoto Matsushita, Fujimaru Yoshino, Yoshiki Kojima, Naoki Watanabe, Atsuo Okamoto
• Album：Moonlight Island
• Songs：“Choo Choo Gatagoto”, “Down Town”, “As It Was”, “Yume de Aietara”, “Yoru no Umi”
• Instruments: Acoustic piano

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