[Song Review #84] "Marie Laforêt ha mou kikase-naide" by Yukako Hayase
Hi. Today's song is "Marie Laforêt ha mou kikase-naide" (Wish you'd not play a Marie Laforêt tonight) by "Yukako Hayase".
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Index
1. Song data
| Title | Marie Laforêt wa mou kikase-naide (I'd rather you don't play a Marie Laforêt tonight) |
|---|---|
| Artist | Yukako Hayase |
| Album Title | amino co de ji |
| Catalog Number | PROT-1228 |
| Track No. | 4 |
| Duration | 3:54 |
| Released | 1986 |
| Publisher | Sixty records (Phonogram) |
| Lyricist | Yasushi Akimoto |
| Composer | Akiko Yano |
| Arranger | Akira Nishihira |
- About the creators
Yasushi Akimoto
Yasushi Akimoto is a lyricist, and an entertainment producer active since 1981.
He has written quite a few of excellent lyrics, but one of his lyric "Kawa-no nagare-no yōni" (Like the flow of the river) for Hibari Misora is particularly well known and regarded as a jewel of the modern Japanese popular music.
Kawa-no nagare-no yōni
(music.apple.com, Track.1)
AKB48
In recent years,Yasushi Akimoto is perhaps more well known as a chief producer of the girls pop groups represented by AKB48.
He had been involving the promotion of comparable girls pop group in the '80s, but the "AKB" is the first case he has been a chief from the start point, according to wiki.
(Ref: Wikipedia, Yasushi Akimoto)
Akiko Yano
Akiko Yano is a pianist, singer, and songwriter debuted in 1976 with album "Japanese girl",
She is a kind of "gifted" artist. The musics she creates are shockingly unique, and often let listeners wonder which part of her brain generates this kind of marvelous melodies.
Her piano play is excellent too. A recent piano session with a super Jazz pianist "Hiromi Uehara" was a good example showing her impressive performance.
Piano session
Here is a sample clip of a joint session with "Hiromi Uehara" on "Get Together LIVE IN TOKYO" in 2011.
* "Get Together LIVE IN TOKYO" digest
Akira Nishihira
Akira Nishihira is a keyboardist, composer and arranger active since 1980.
He started his music career by joining a pop-rock band "Exotics" straight from college as a keyboardist.
"Exotics" was the band, which the lead vocal was a super pop singer "Kenji Sawada", and lasted until 1984.
(Ref: Chacha the world, Exotics 2010.08.29)(Japanese)
After the breakup of the band, he has been active as a musician and arranger for supporting a lot of other J-pop artists.
Among them, his participation with the 1st album of this pop-star might be a prominent case.
"Firstlove"
It is Hikaru Utada's debut album "Firstlove" released in 1999.
This is a kind of monster album sold more than 8 million disks until now. This number of sales has been ranked top among all albums released in whole J-pop history. And on this album, "Akira Nishihira" was taking part in 5 songs as an arranger.
"Automatic"
Here is a sample clip of her song "Automatic", which "Akira Nishihira" participated as an arranger.
This is also a big hit song sold more than 2.5 million disks.
* "Automatic" by Hikaru Utada
Cover art
- Sound impressions
Simple & elegant
This seems to be a simple & elegant pop song in moderated speed with touch European taste.
A mixture of various synthesizer sounds and the classical guitar start a gentle introduction, and the drums, bass, percussion, and the electric guitar join.
Occasional fill in by the strings and band-neon, and their solo in the passage add a classical and European atmosphere and making sound richer.
Specially unique whispering voice of "Yukako Hayase" is cute & alluring, and attracts listeners a lot.
amino co de ji
The album title "amino co de ji" looks like a Latin or other kind of western language.
But it seems just a made-up word by "Yukako Hayase" with no particular meaning according to the wiki's explanation. (We still wonder though.)
- Reference
- About the artist
Cute whispering voice
Yukako Hayase debuted in 1986 with single "Sartre de nemure-nai" (Can't sleep from Sartre). Since then, 8 singles, and 7 original, 0 live, and 2 best albums has been released until now.
(Ref: Wikipedia, Yukako Hayase)
Before debut
Yukako Hayase was a child actress before debuting as a singer.
She first appeared on TV in 1979 as a heroine of a drama series for kids. And in 1985, she began to act in a TV series for family.
Promotion by "Yasushi Akimoto"
In 1986, a producer "Yasushi Akimoto" started promoting her as a singer. And this became a start of singing career for her.
"Yasushi Akimoto" was famous for producing cute and cheerful girls pop music at that time. But different from such, he provided artistic, European and "ennui" type songs for her.
Whispering voice
These songs and specially impressive whispering voice of "Yukako Hayase" matched well and created a distinctive music world.
Acquiring core fans
Her songs might have been too unique for general market, but she obtained a lot of core fans who still loves her songs much.
Recent reissue of her earlier albums by "Tower records", which we have delighted, might be an act of such enthusiasts we imagine.
- Samples from online music stores
About the samples
Please go to the page below, and just play or click track No.4.
Trial button is on the left side of the song title.
AD : Free listening samples
8. Japanese Letters
| Song Title | マリーラフォーレは もう聞かせないで (Marie Laforêt wa mou kikase-naide) |
|---|---|
| Artist | 早瀬優香子 (Yukako Hayase) |
| Album Title | amino co de ji |
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