[Chic & breezy]
No.154 "Ai-no hitotoki" by Hide to Rosanna
Hi. Today's song is "Ai-no hitotoki" (Between waves) by "Hide to Rosanna". (Hide & Rosanna, "Hide" is read as hɪde, and not as hʌɪd).
This is a chic & breezy, nice Bossa Nova song in the late '60s.
If you like, please listen.
Some links to the music shops offering samples are located on the bottom of this page.
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Song data
| Title | Ai-no hitotoki |
|---|---|
| Artist | Hide to Rosanna |
| Album Title | Italy-no Kyūjitsu |
| Catalog Number | CORR-10951 |
| Track No. | 11 |
| Duration | 2:17 |
| Released | 1969 |
| Publisher | |
| Lyricist | |
| Composer | |
| Arranger |
About the creators
Jun HashimotoLyricist
"Jun Hashimoto" is a long serving lyricist active since 1965.
Early times
"Hashimoto" started his professional career by becoming an apprentice to a known TV director, and composer "Kōichi Sugiyama".
(Perhaps, Sugiyama is more well known as a music creator for a popular RPG(roll playing game) "Dragon Quest series" now a days.)
And, thanks to Sugiyama, he became a professional lyricist in 1965 by writing a song for a popular male vocal ensemble, "Bonny Jacks".
"Hashimoto" was lucky enough, because the timing of his debut was coincided with the beginning of "GS (Group sounds) boom".
"Hashimoto" soon began to write many lyrics for the various "GS" groups, like "Ox", "Village singers", or "Golden cups".
But among them, his contribution to a popular group "Blue comets" was tremendous.
Songs like, "Blue eyes" (1966), or "Blue Chateau" became historic super hits.
(For "Blue comets", we have posted a related article earlier, and some more information is there. Please click the below link box if you like.)
Hit song maker
Even the "GS boom" ended in early '70s, he continued to write attractive songs thorough out the '70s to the '80s, and became one of the most famous hit song maker.
Now, his career as a professional lyricist has exceeded 50 years. But he is still active and providing good songs to the people.
Video clip
Lastly, this is a video clip of one of "Hashimoto's signature song "Blue light Yokohama" (1968).
The original singer of "Blue light Yokohama" is a notable artist, and actor "Ayumi Ishida". But this video is a covered version by a popular TV character, and drag queen, "Mitz Mangrove" (or Mitz Mangrazie) in 2010.
Actually, the performance of Mitz Mangrove is very nice. It is just as good as full-time professional singers.
The lyricist is "Jun Hashimoto", and the composer & arranger is "Kyōhei Tsutsumi" originally. They are the same pair for the song for today.
If you like, please listen.
Kyōhei TsutsumiComposer & Arranger
"Kyōhei Tsutsumi" is a known, long serving, and award-winning composer active since 1963.
He has sent more than 500 songs in the hit chart until now, and been a record-holder, selling the biggest number of records, or CDs as a composer.
Then, he's been recognized as the greatest hit song maker, and music creator in the Japanese modern popular music history.
Early days
"Tsutsumi" began learning the piano when he was three.
At a university, he joined a music circle, and enthusiastically got into Jazz. And began to play the piano in music pubs, or bars as a semi-professional.
After graduated from the university in 1963, "Tsutsumi" directly joined to a record company. And he was put in charge of a director's job for foreign pops.
While "Tsutsumi" was working for a music firm, he had started to write a music in parallel, having support from his peer "Jun Hashimoto", who was already a professional lyricist.
In 1966, "Tsutsumi"'s first song was released as a single record.
Then in 1967, he resigned the record company, and started a professional career as a composer.
A breakneck pace
"Tsutsumi" achieved a smash hit, already with his third song wrote for a front line pop singer.
Thanks to this hit, the singer, "Mieko Hirota" was selected to perform at a prestigious TV music festival, "Ko-haku Uta-gassen" in 1967.
On the heel of this hit, "Tsutsumi"'s next song, that was wrote for a popular "Group sounds (GS)" band, "Village singers", became another big hit, and sold a surprising 0.6 million disks.
"Blue light Yokohama"
And in 1968, "Tsutsumi" wrote a pop ballad in minor, titled "Blue light Yokohama" for a growing pop singer "Ayumi Ishida".
This song sold more than 1.5 million disks, and certainly topped the chart. And eventually, it became a historic big hit.
Thereafter, this song has been a signature song sor both "Ishida" & "Tsutsumi".
The song is still very popular, and proudly representing the port city of Yokohama.
Since then, a great deal of requests for his melodies came flooding in for "Tsutsumi".
But he continued to write an amazing number of hit songs in miraculous high pace, like they were easy tasks.
As a result, "Tsutsumi" became a champion of Japanese popular music composers, and being one of the most respected music maestros.
(Ref: Wikipedia-en, Kyōhei Tsutsumi)
(Ref: Wikipedia-jp, Kyōhei Tsutsumi)
Video clip
Finally, here is a promotion video of a pop singer "Riho Iida"'s 2016 song, "Aoi Honoo syndrome" (Blue flame syndrome).
On this song, "Kyōhei Tsutsumi" is credited as the composer.
Through this cool & pop melody line, we again realize that "Tsutsumi" is still standing at the forefront of the Japanese popular music.
If you like, please listen.
Cover art today
Cover art today
Song image & Lyrics
Open
Link to the lyrics
Copyright notice on the lyrics link
Sound impression
Calm & Breezy
This song is just like a combination of a soft & gentle Bossa Nova, and a good old French pop.
Chic
The wood bass, drums, acoustic guitar, acoustic piano, vibraphone, percussions (Güiro, Shaker), flute, and scat singing by the vocalists start playing at the same time, and perform the romantic introduction as an ensemble.
In the main melody, the acoustic guitar & piano, flute and vibraphone perform impressive Jazzy ad-lib in turns.
"Hide" & "Rosanna" are singing same melody line from beginning to the end, but oddly enough, it sounds like they are harmonizing.
Reference
About Google translate
About the artist
Hide to RosannaPioneering Bossa duo
"Hide to Rosanna" (Hide & Rosanna) was a Bossa & Pop duo, formed by a Japanese male singer "Hide Demon", and Italian female vocalist "Rosanna Zambon" in 1968, and had been active until 1990.
One of the most popular male-female pop duo particularly in the '70s, and released many hit songs by 1990.
Because, some of their POP songs are too well-known, "Hide to Rosanna" is often seen as a pop duo.
They are, however, one of the pioneering artist of Bossa Nova in Japan at the same time, like "Kiyoshi Hasegawa", who is also a popular singer & guitarist in the same category, and debuted in 1969.
The duo debuted in 1968 with single "Ai-no kiseki" (The Miracle of Love). Since then, 31 singles, and 8 original, plus 18 best albums have been released until now.
(Ref: Wikipedia-en, Hide to Rosanna)
Hide Demon
"Hide Demon" was a singer, composer, and actor active from 1962 to 1990.
"Hide" initially debuted a film actor in 1962. But he also started his career as a singer, by releasing the first single record, "Tokyo romantic guy" in the same year.
In 1966, he formed his first pop duo "Yuki to Hide" with "Yuki Satō", but this group could not last long.
He then formed a new pop duo with a young Italian singer "Rosanna Zambon" in 1968. And this group became a popular duo "Hide to Rosanna".
By the way, his name "Hide Demon" was actually a stage name, but its family name "Demon" is an existing Japanese family name, though it is rare.
It coincides with an English word "Demon", but doesn't mean "Devil".
According to some articles on the internet, it might mean a branch of a large family, since "De" mean exit, and "Mon" means a gate.
Rosanna Zambon
"Rosanna Zambon" is a singer, TV character, essayist, and an Italian cuisine instructor active since 1968.
"Rosanna" was born and grown in Italy. And, after graduated from a music school in 1967, she came to Japan.
She had an uncle in Japan who was working as a band master. And by a recommendation from him, "Rosanna" visited Japan, and began to work as a singer.
One day, "Rosanna" was sounded out to form a pop duo with a Japanese male singer, namely "Hide".
They have met later, and liked each other a lot. Then "Hide" and "Rosanna" formed a pop group, "Hide to Rosanna" in 1968.
Debut
"Hide to Rosanna" released their first single record, "Nan-nimo ienai-no" (Can't say anything) in 1968, and started their career as a pop duo.
Fortunately, and ironically, a coupling song (B-side song) of this record, namely, "Ai-no kiseki" (The Miracle of Love) became popular, and turned out to be a smash hit.
Some data on the internet shows, the sales of this record reached 0.35 million disks.
(Early '70s?)
Big hit
Since then, "Hide to Rosanna" continued to release new single records constantly. And all of them were getting fair popularity.
In 1970, the pair released a new song, "Ai-ha kizutsuki-yasuku" (Love is fragile) as their 5th single record.
The song had a nice lyrics and melody, which really fit with the people's preference of that time.
It quickly gained the popularity, and eventually topped the chart in 3 month time from the release.
This single record sold 0.65 million copies, and "Ai-ha kizutsuki-yasuku" became a biggest hit song of "Hide to Rosanna" at the end of the day.
Thanks to a big hit of this, "Hide to Rosanna" was chosen as a group to perform at the prestigious year end music program "Ko-haku Uta-gassen", which can be watched, or listened to in all over Japan.
And the pair became one of the most popular, and well known pop duo.
Busy days & wedding
After this major event, their life became pretty busy and prosperous as a popular pair of singers.
Even after the big hit song, they continued to release new single every 3 to 4 months until 1975.
Luckily, all of them became fair hit, and "Hide to Rosanna" frequently appeared on various music programs on television.
Through appearing on music programs many times, their cheerful, and friendly nature came to well known.
They began to be invited for a few of TV variety show s as well. Then they became a common face on television.
In this way, "Hide" & "Rosanna" spent a lot of time together, and that nurtured their love little by little.
After 6 years since they started to go out, "Hide" & "Rosanna" got married in Hawaii in February 1975.
fulfilling life, but...
For some time after marriage, they came back on TV and appearing together.
But soon, they welcomed a new family member, and "Rosanna" began to spend more time for taking care of baby.
In reaction to this, "Hide" switched his job to 3 new area. In other words, music composition, singing as a solo artist, and acting.
As a composer, he created a beautiful melody to a popular singer "Rumiko Koyanagi, and supported to make her 22nd single "Hoshi-no suna" (The star sand - Wiki) into a big hit.
As a solo artist, he released 7 singles, and gained fair popularity.
And as an actor, he appeared on a number of dramas on both TV and Films, and showed impressive performances.
Like the above, "Hide" was having a full and busy life to raise 3 children that "Hide" & "Rosanna" were blessed with.
But in winter 1990, "Hide" fell into poor health, and in June the same year, he departed this life at the age of 47.
Come back
It must have been a massive shock for Rosanna. But she had no much time to lament, because the couple was bringing up 3 children at that time.
Rosanna returned to TV, and began to appear frequently as a character.
On the other hand, she published more than a dozen of cookery books, by utilizing her extensive experience in Italian cuisine.
Thanks to her efforts, the children have been grown up. And now, Rosanna loves being a grandma to her 6 grand children.
Recent
Rosanna celebrated the 50 years anniversary of "Hide to Rosanna" in 2018.
In this occasion, Rosanna formed a new mixed duo with a vocalist "Takamichi Katō", and named the group, "Taka to Rosanna".
The duo recorded 2 brand new songs, and they've been included in "Hide to Rosanna"'s 50 years anniversary album,"CINQUANT'ANNI D'AMORE" (To the 50 years, with love).
If you like, please check.
Just for reference, "Takamichi Katō" is a member of male pop duo, "Karyūdo" (hunter), and active since 1977.
"Azusa 2-gou" (1977) is one of their well known hit song.
(Ref: Wikipedia-jp, Hide to Rosanna)
(Ref: Wikipedia-jp, Rosanna Zambon)
(Ref: Wikipedia-jp, Hide Demon)
(Ref: Wikipedia-jp, Ai-no kiseki)
(Ref: biglobe.ne.jp, Hide to Rosanna)🇯🇵
(Ref: music-calendar.jp,
Demon Hide)🇯🇵
(Ref: setagaya-ldc.net,
Portable record player)🇯🇵
(Ref: zakzak.co.jp,
45 years of Rosanna, 13-07-2012)🇯🇵
(Ref: sponichi.co.jp,
Hide to Rosanna, 03-07-2011)🇯🇵
Video clip
Finally, here is a music clip of "Taka to Rosanna"'s 2018 song, "Amore - Ai suru hitoyo" (My dear).
As mentioned, Rosanna & "Takamichi Katō" of "Karyūdo" (hunter) teamed up a duo, and recorded 2 new tracks.
The lyricist & composer of this song is "Ikuzō Yoshi", who is a very popular "Enka" & Pops singer, and song-writer.
If you like, please listen.
Music Samples
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Apple Music(jp)
11
Japanese Letters
| Song Title | 愛のひととき(Ai-no hitotoki) |
|---|---|
| Artist | ヒデとロザンナ(Hide to Rosanna) |
| Album Title | イタリーの休日(Italy-no Kyūjitsu) |
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