[Song Review #119] "Santa-to tenshi-ga warau yoru" by Dreams come true
Hi. Today's song is "Santa-to tenshi-ga warau yoru" (The night Santa Claus and angels laugh) by "Dreams Come True".
"Yuzu-yu" (A Yuzu citrus bath)
It is getting colder day by day.
By the way, today (22-DEC) is the winter solstice day for this year according to the calendar.
In Japan, it is called "Tōji" (the summit of winter), and we have a custom to take a "Yuzu citrus bath", which is a hot bath (39-42deg C), but several pieces of whole or halved Yuzu citrus (Citrus junos) fruits are floating on the bath.
And here is a small clip on a "Yuzu hot bath", since there are no suitable photo image about it.
"Yuzu-bath" on "Tōji" day
They say taking "Yuzu bath" on the day will prevent a person from catching a cold throughout the season.
Be that as it may, it is certainly a comfortable, and pleasant experience to take a hot bath with nice fragrance of fresh citrus.
And we can feel special by looking at a rare view of citruses floating on the bath.
If you are in Japan on this season, please try. It is often available at the public bathes (460 yen per person) or "onsen" hot spas (from 1000 yen) across Japan. (But recommend to check anyway before you go.)
People in the bath would try to tell you how healthy the "Yuzu-bath" is.
About "Yuzu" citrus
"Yuzu citrus (Citrus junos)" is a small grapefruit like citrus fruit harvested in early winter.
"Yuzu" is not usually consumed as a fruit since it is too sour.
But its juice and peel are important ingredients for various dishes or sweets.
For example, a sour "Ponzu" sauce, essential for "Nabe" hot pot, uses Yuzu juice as a key ingedient, or the "Yuzu" zest is used for non-daily, high-class Japanese cuisine.
"O-wan" basically means a lacquer ware soup bowl, but in this case, it means a dish in a bowl.
Thin yellowy garnish on the white calabash-shaped (or bell-shaped) Tōfu is the "Yuzu" zest.
"Yuzu" for sweets
As mentioned, "Yuzu" is also a popular ingredient for various Japanese sweets.
You can check some pictures of them at the page linked in below.
Japanese sweets featuring "Yuzu" citrus,
souda-kyoto.jp🇯🇵
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This will be the last post for 2018. Thank you very much indeed for your frequent visit to our site.
All of us here are very much appreciated for your continuous support.
The first article of the new year will come up on the 5th of Jan 2019 (Sat), if everything is all right.
We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year!
Thank you again and see you soon.
1.Song data
| Title | Santa-to tenshi-ga warau yoru (The night Santa Claus and angels laugh) |
|---|---|
| Artist | Dreams Come True |
| Album Title | Love goes on |
| Catalog Number | ESCB-1018 |
| Track No. | 8 |
| Duration | 4:11 |
| Released | 1989 |
| Publisher | EPIC Sony Records |
| Lyricist | Miwa Yoshida |
| Composer(s) | M. Nakamura & M.Yoshida |
| Arranger | Masato Nakamura |
- About the creators
Miwa YoshidaLyricist
"Miwa Yoshida" is a lyricist, composer, and the lead vocalist of "Dreams Come True" (DCT).
Most of the lyrics of DCT songs are written by her.
Before debut
She was already writing a lot of original songs when she was a junior high school student.
After entering high school, her music activity became more robust. She formed a band with peers, and playing concerts in local.
And the number of original songs she had written was nearing 500.
In fact, quite a few of DCT's future hit songs were already contained in here.
Team up DCT
In 1983(?), she came to Tokyo to be a singer.
Since then, she spent 3-4 years as a backing vocalist or a TV Ad singer.
In 1987, she got to know a bassist "Masato Nakamura" through work, who will be a member of DCT later.
And in 1988, "Yoshida", "Nakamura" and one more member and a keyboardist "Takahiro Nishikawa" decided to team up a band.
And in 1989, "Yoshida" debuted as a vocalist of the band "Dreams Come True".
As a lyricist
Because, she is a lead vocalist and song writer for DCT, she had been concentrating on writing songs for themselves.
But since around 2000, she has been writing lyrics for other artists too.
Any more?
As a matter of fact, her career overlaps a lot with DCT's band history.
Therefore, we would like to cover a bit more about her in "About the artist" section.
(Ref: Wikipedia, Miwa Yoshida)
M.Yoshida &
M. NakamuraComposers
"Miwa Yoshida" & "Masato Nakamura" are both members of "Dreams Come True"
Share
Not a lot, but for some of their songs, the composers are credited like this.
Presumably, they are sharing melody creation at certain percentages on these songs.
Anyway, we are referring to each creators in separate sections. Please have a look.
Masato NakamuraArranger
"Masato Nakamura" is a bassist, music producer, actor, and a member and the leader of "Dreams Come True".
Before debut
"Nakamura" began his music career as an amateur bassist from high school time.
After dropped out of college, he started to work as a session musician of a few of backing bands.
And in 1987, he got to know "Miwa Yoshida" who became a key member of his band later.
Forming a band
"Nakamura" was greatly impressed with her powerful and charming vocal.
And in 1988, "Nakamura" and "Yoshida" formed a new band called "Cha-Cha & Audrey's Project" which will be developed into the super band "Dreams Come True" later.
After debut
In 1989, their band "Dreams Come True" was safely debuted.
The band soon became popular, and they've been one of the most popular group in J-pop even 30 years have been passed.
And Nakamura has been controlling the band together with the key performer "Miwa Yoshida", and challenging to improve band quality and popularity.
As a composer
In parallel, he is writing theme music for a few of TV series, or some of the popular games.
The number of titles offered aren't many because he is too busy for band activity. But all the theme music he wrote became popular, and has been hit songs or hit theme music.
Cover art today
- Sound impressions
Fun & frisky
This is a happy, merry and joyful pop music in up-tempo rhythm.
Christmassy
After the bass drum, cello, strings, piano, keyboard, chorus and Christmassy bells start a thrilling introduction, the bass, drums, guitar and the vocal join, and play the main melody.
In the middle of the song, synthesizers and a real horn section also take part in, and support "Miwa Yoshida"s powerful and carrying vocal.
In the final part of the song, some samba instruments like samba whistle (apito) or percussions, and it becomes really happy party atmosphere.
The features of DCT melody
Quite a few of DCT hit songs basically have straightforward melodies which are the important factors for the mainstream pop music.
On the other hand, they also have released many tracks with complicated sound which would satisfy core music fans.
Since those tracks have tricky, stylish, but somewhat decent classical chord progression. And, they apply modulations very frequently to the songs, so their melodies have much dramatic impression..
So, the balance of those sounds might be a secret of DCT's popularity.
English version
It is a little bit embarrassing. but we didn't realize they have released an English version of this song, under the title of "Very merry Christmas", on their Xmas special single, "Yuki-no Christmas" (The white Christmas) released in 1990.
Actually, DCT(Dreams come true) seemed interested in performing their music in English. And for real, they have released 3 English albums so far. So, there was nothing surprising about their release of English version.
Anyway, we have provided links to the English version.
Please click the picture of the above, or click here. (Jump to sample section.).
- Reference
- About the artist
Dreams Come TrueOverwhelming popularity
A super popular pop & rock band, "Dreams Come True" (DCT) was teamed up in 1988 by 3 members, namely "Masato Nakamura"(Bass, programing), "Miwa Yoshida" (Vo) and "Takahiro Nishikawa" (Keyboard).
The band was debuted in 1989 with single "Anata-ni aitakute" (Wished to see you). Since then, 53 singles, and 18 original, 17 live(dvd), and 7 best albums have been released until now.
By the way, the band is usually called "DCT" (Dee See Tee) or "Dori-come", (or even more casually "Dori"), rather than "Dreams Come True" which sounds a bit too formal.
So, we also would like to call them "DCT" in this blog.
(Ref: Wikipedia-en, Dreams Come True)
Forming a band
The origin of "Dreams Come True" can date back to 1987 (or 1985. There are some conflicted information), when the band vocalist "Miwa Yoshida" met with a professional bassist "Masato Nakamura".
"Nakamura" was really amazed when "Yoshida" sang her original songs in front of him. And he began to think doing music with her.
In 1988, "Yoshida" and "Nakamura" finally decided to form a new pop band for debuting, by adding "Yoshida"s music peer "Takahiro Nishikawa" as a keyboardist of the band.
And in 1989, their band "Dreams Come True" (DCT) was safely debuted by releasing the 1st single "Anata-ni aitakute" (Wished to see you), and the 1st album "Dreams Come True" at the same time.
Sleeper hit
In November 1989, they released the 2nd album "Love goes on...", which is the one we are introducing today.
On this album, the band increased a pop taste on their sound. It seems the change was widely accepted, and the album sold well.
Interestingly, this album had ranked in the top 100 for 229 weeks (or times) from 1989 to 1996. And 1.8 million disks have been purchased to date.
Such long-lasting sales is a rare case, and proving the quality and popularity of the album.
WONDER 3
And finally in 1990, "Dreams Come True" rose to top of album chart by their 3rd album "Wonder 3".
This album quickly sold a million disks. And by success of this album, they have established their identity and unparalleled popularity.
Great anime series "Wonder three"
By the way, we imagine that almost certainly, this album title "Wonder 3" was a homage, or at least inspired from a classical animation "W3 (Wonder three, or "The Amazing 3" in the US)", drawn by an Anime legend "Osamu Tezuka" in 1965.
On this animation, a team of a cute female bunny, a male duck, and a male horse, is the main cast.
Actually these animal-looking members are all agents of "Galactic Federation", but transformed their figures into the animals of the earth for some reasons.
So, its plot overlaps with the makeup of the band.
If you have a chance, please check this old but thrilling animation film.
Mike Pela
Interestingly, an award winning British music producer, Mr. Mike Pela had been an executive staff of DCT's albums from their 1st to the 8th album "Love Unlimited∞".
Mr. Pela had been taking part in the albums of the super stars like Boy George, Fine Young Cannibals, The Style Council and Sade in the '80s.
Since the beginning, the sound of "Dreams Come True" had been unique, stylish but stable.
For the reasons of that, we imagine that Mr. Pale took a important role for DCT to establish their own music style.
Nishikawa's withdrawal & later
In 2002, DCT announced that an original member & the keyboardist of the band "T. Nishikawa" will be leaving DCT to start a new band with his brother.
Although the other members put on a front, we imagine it was a shake for the band since he was a pivot of member's relationship.
Anyway, the band overcame the crisis, and restarted the activity.
In spite of the environmental change on music, "DCT" has been doing well until now.
As a leader of J-pop, they are spending busy days.
(Ref: Wikipedia-en, Dreams Come True)
Video clip
Finally, here is a music clip from a recent concert tour of DCT titled, "The Dream Quest Tour 2017 Live".
The title of this song is "LAT.43°N ～forty-three-degrees north latitude". Actually, this was a A-side and coupling song for today's title track "Santa-to tenshi-ga...".
Both were recorded and released on DCT's 4th single "LAT.43°N 〜forty-three degrees north latitude〜" of 1989.
Original 1989 version of "LAT.43°N" was cool, simple and more artificial sound design, but this 2017 version has more pop, lively, and more human impression.
Even the above Amazon link provides a listening sample for the original version. Please listen and compare if you like.
* LAT.43°N
forty-three-degrees north latitude
- Samples from online music stores
About the samples
Please go to the page below, and just play or click track No.8.
Trial button is on the left side of the song title.
English version
As mentioned earlier, this song has an English version.
We have put a link from recochoku just under the original songs. So, please also check if you like.
AD :
Free listening samples
Amazon JP(en)
recochoku.jp
recochoku.jp-eng
Tower records online
8. Japanese Letters
| Song Title | サンタと天使が笑う夜 (Santa-to tenshi-ga warau yoru) |
|---|---|
| Artist | Dreams Come True |
| Album Title | Love goes on |
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