[Melodic ballad]
No.142 "Rush-hour monument" by Yūko Ishikawa
Hi. Today's song is "Rush-hour monument" by "Yūko Ishikawa".
This is a relaxing mellow ballad, not too stylish, but gentle & natural.
In a sense, it is a typical "Yūko Ishikawa" melody.
If you like, please listen.
Some links to the music shops offering song samples are located on the bottom of this page.
Few contents have been put away in a " ▼Memo " tab in each section, so please click it to read.
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Thank you.
1.Song data
| Title | Rush-hour monument |
|---|---|
| Artist | Yūko Ishikawa |
| Album Title | Getsu-youbi no shampoo (Shampoo on Monday) |
| Catalog Number | UPCY-7069 |
| Track No. | 6 |
| Duration | 6:17 |
| Released | 1989 |
| Publisher | Toshiba EMI |
| Lyricist | Yūko Ishikawa |
| Composer | Yūko Ishikawa |
| Arranger | Ryōichi Kuniyoshi |
- About the creators
Yūko IshikawaLyricist
"Yūko Ishikawa" is the lyricist, and composer, but also the singer of this song.
So, we would like to come back to her later, in "About the artist" section.
Ryōichi KuniyoshiArranger
"Ryōichi Kuniyoshi" is a composer, arranger, keyboardist, singer-songwriter, music producer, and a former member of "Lily & Bye-bye session band", active since around 1970.
Early times
"Kuniyoshi" began to learn the piano from childhood days.
In the middle school, he started the trumpet too.
And in the early '70s, while studying in the University, "Kuniyoshi" debuted as a keyboardist of the backing band to "Kiyoshi Hasegawa", who is a very popular Pop-ballad & Bossa Nova singer, guitarist, and a songwriter.
Bye-bye session band
Not changing the subject, but "Bye-bye session band" is an indispensable subject, when talking about "Kuniyoshi".
"Bye-bye session band" was a backing band to a popular rock-a-ballad singer "Lily", who was known by her powerful husky voice. It was formed in 1974, and ended perhaps in 1976.
"Bye-bye" was just one of the backing band in the '70s, but it is still admired, and often called as a "legend".
Because, the most skillful, and creative young musicians, including "Ginji Itoh", or "Ryūichi Sakamoto", were joined next by next, and showed the excellent performances.
And each of the members participated in this band, have become influential musicians later.
(Please click the above section title to see the names of all the members.)
"Kuniyoshi" joined "Bye-bye" as a keyboardist in 1974 (or 1975), to fill the position of former keyboardist "Takasuke Kida". Because "Kida" left "Bye-bye" to become a member of other pop band called "The Natasha seven".
"Kuniyoshi" did an excellent job after he became a member. And in 1976, he left "Bye-bye" to focus on his solo activity more.
But, he later came back, and took part in multiple albums of Lily's as a keyboardist or arranger, though the "Bye-bye" was already gone as a band.
Screen music
After became independent, he spent busy days working as a session keyboardist. And simultaneously, he offered many nice melodies, or arrangement works for various artists.
Around 1985, he also began to write incremental music for both Animes and movies.
Among them, a theme music for an action Anime, "CITY HUNTER", or movies like "Poppo-ya" (Railwayman), "Hotaru" (Firefly) are famous works.
Particularly, the screen music for above 2 movies are both earned "Japan Academy Prize, Outstanding Achievement in Music" awards in those respective years.
(Ref: Wikipedia-jp, Ryōichi Kuniyoshi)
(Ref: b-b.co.jp, Ryōichi Kuniyoshi)🇯🇵
(Ref: animestyle.jp,
CITY HUNTER,19-02-2019)🇯🇵
(Ref: music-calendar.jp,
Kaze-no itami by Lily, 05-09-2016)🇯🇵
Video clip
Finally, here is a sample clip of a 2011 movie "Gakkou wo tsukurou" (Let's build a college) posted by Cinema. today.
The movie is presenting a founding story of a real University (originally a legal college) in the mid-19th century.
And "Ryōichi Kuniyoshi" wrote a screen music for this.
"Kuniyoshi" is known as an excellent composer, and arranger for pop music. But he is also very good at writing a glorious incremental music like this.
If you like, please listen.
* "Gakkou wo tsukurou" by "Ryōichi Kuniyoshi"
Cover art today
- Sound impressions
Tender ballad
This seems to be a moderate, and little sentimental ballad in comfortable medium speed.
Mellow & relaxing
A melodious & tender introduction is begin by the drums, bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboard, and percussion.
"Yūko Ishikawa"s soft and pure vocal sings a bit sentimental lyrics, when the main melody starts.
In the bridge, there is a long and beautiful saxophone solo of this track.
The player is a past master, Jake H Conception.
- Reference
- About the artist
Yūko IshikawaFragrance from Popcon
"Yūko Ishikawa" is a singer-songwriter, lyricist, composer, and used to be a very popular radio personality, active since 1978.
She was singing the most actively in the '80s. From 1990 to 2009, she switched her main activity to song writing than singing.
But she has come back, and singing again from 2009.
"Ishikawa" debuted in 1979 with a single "Jin-chou-ge"(Winter daphne). Since then, 24 singles, and 17 original, 1 live, 19 best albums, and 2 DVDs have been released until now.
(Ref: Wikipedia-en, Yūko Ishikawa)
Early days
According to wiki, "Yūko Ishikawa" started her music career by joining a local boys-and-girls choir when she was an elementary school student.
Then, she began to play the guitar from middle school age, like a lot of girls and boys did so at that time.
After entering a high school, she organized an amateur band, and really got into it.
And when she was a college student, participated in a band named "Fantastic" as a vocalist, and entered a regional preliminaries of "Yamaha popular song contest" (Pop-con) in the mid '70s.
In 1978, she entered the "Pop-con" again, but not as a band, as a solo singer this time.
She could not become a champion, but won a prize.
And it finally lead her to debut as a singer.
Pop-con
"Pop-con" is a short name of "Yamaha popular song contest" held from 1969 to 1986.
It was an "open to the public" music contest sponsored by "Yamaha".
Thousands of young musicians participated in the contest from all over Japan.
And so many brilliant musicians were discovered, and obtained a chance to debut through this competition.
From the '60s to the '80s, people was thinking that "Becoming a musician" was just like a game changer of their life.
Once their song becomes a big hit, they soon will be celebrities, end able to earn the unimaginable big income...
It might be a little exaggerated. But "music" was attractive enough to invite talented young to the entertainment business at that time.
However, the music industry was traditionally a bit closed world. And scouting, recruiting, and promoting musicians were unclear process happening in the backstage.
So, there were no established access route to the music scene for the ordinarily young who wish to be a musician.
Under the circumstances, "Yamaha music foundation" provided a very open, and very fair access route to the music scene in contest style. It was the "Pop-con".
Naturally, thousands of the most talented young musicians were gathered from all over Japan, and developed through competition.
That was why so many great singers, or bands were born from "Pop-con". "Yūko Ishikawa" is certainly one of them.
Busy days
"Yūko Ishikawa" could not became a champion at the contest, but she won a prize. And received an offer from a record company.
Then, in 1979, she debuted as a professional singer, with a single record "Jin-chou-ge"(Winter daphne).
"Ishikawa" carried on releasing a single record once every 3 month at relatively high pace.
She receiving attention already from the first single. But she gained more publicity, when her 3rd single "Crystal morning" was selected as a theme music for a TV commercial, and became a smash hit.
"Ishikawa" kept launching new songs in good pace. And in March 1981, her 7th single "Cinderella summer" was again chosen as a song for a TV advertising.
It became a big hit. Then "Ishikawa" was included in a "popular singer" group.
"Futari-no Ai-land(island)"
"Ishikawa" continued to release singles and albums constantly.
In 1984, she collaborated with her friend singer "Chage", who is a vocalist and songwriter of a pop duo "Chage & Aska", and recorded a very cheerful & pop track, "Futari-no Ai-land(island)" (Love island for 2 of us).
This song was also used in a TV commercial, and became a smash hit.
"Futari-no..." left a strong impression particularly on the young people at that time.
Therefore, the song is still a very popular duet song among people in their 50s, and 60s.
Take a break
"Ishikawa" has been regularly releasing new albums up until 1990.
But in July of that year, she held a final concert, and expressed her mind to stop singing.
She then went to New York for study. And working as a writer, or songwriter after came back to Japan.
In private, she married with her partner in 1994.
Come back
She didn't show her face in public after she retired in 1990.
But in 2016, a special concert titled "Bokura-no pop-con age" (Our pop-con generations) were held, and a few of Pop-con born singers were participated in.
On this music event, "Yūko Ishikawa" finally came back, and performed her hit songs for the first time in 26 years, after retirement.
A lot of enthusiastic fans of her were gathered, and calling out her nickname "Yukko" in thick voice, while she was singing on stage, according to some concert reports.
(Ref: Wikipedia-en, Yūko Ishikawa)
(Ref: www.hmv.co.jp,
Interview to Chage, 15 Nov 2015)🇯🇵
(Ref: wreckingcrew.la.coocan.jp,
Yūko Ishikawa, "Getsu-youbi no shampoo")🇯🇵
(Ref: sound-c.co.jp,
Bokura-no pop-con age 2019)🇯🇵
(Ref: yugen-corp.com, Pop-con singers)🇯🇵
(Ref: kayo.cdjournal.jp, Yūko Ishikawa)🇯🇵
(Ref: ameblo.jp/ayaka-19790825,
Pop-con Age, 2016-05-10)🇯🇵
Video clip
Finally, this is a music clip of a 1984 hit song, "Futari-no Ai-land(island)" (Love island for 2 of us) duetted by "Yūko Ishikawa", and "Chage", a vocalist of "Chage & Aska".
("Ishikawa" and "Chage" are batchmates of the 17th Pop-con.)
The song was produced as a summer campaign song of an airline company, for promoting a travel to Okinawa.
But it became an unexpected smash hit, and has been one of the signature song for both "Yūko Ishikawa", and "Chage".
If you like, please listen.
* "Futari-no Ai(ai)-land" by "Yūko Ishikawa & Chage"
- Samples from online music stores
About the samples
Please go to the page below, and just play or click track No.6.
Trial button is on the left side of the song title.
AD :
Free listening samples
hmv.co.jp
Tower records online
neowing.co.jp
8. Japanese Letters
| Song Title | ラッシュアワー・モニュメント (Rush-hour monument) |
|---|---|
| Artist | 石川優子 (Yūko Ishikawa) |
| Album Title | 月曜日のシャンプー (Getsu-youbi no shampoo) |
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