[Song Review #181] "Good-Day - Omoide-ni..." by Takako Okamura
Hi. Today's song is "Good-Day - Omoide-ni kawaru-naraba" (Good day. If it'd become a memory someday) (Album Ver.) by "Takako Okamura".
"Good-Day…" is a little bright, and twinkling mellow ballad, from the 7th album of "Takako Okamura" who is a popular singer-songwriter for her series of excellent love ballads.
If you like, please listen.
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Cover art today
Song data
| Title | Good-Day - Omoide-ni kawaru-naraba (Album Ver.) |
|---|---|
| Artist | Takako Okamura |
| Album Title | Chou-fleur |
| Catalog Number | FHCF-2517 |
| Track No. | 6 |
| Duration | 4:59 |
| Released | 1991 |
| Publisher | |
| Lyricist | |
| Composer | |
| Arranger |
About the creators
Takako Okamura Lyricist & Composer
"Takako Okamura" is the lyricist, composer, and performer o this song, then we would like to come back to her later in "About the artist" section.
Nobuyuki Shimizu Arranger
"Nobuyuki Shimizu" is a keyboardist, guitarist, composer, and arranger active since 1976.
He is particularly well known as a talented arranger in the Japanese popular music scene since around the early '80s.
Promising arranger
"Shimizu" started his career in music as a member of a legendary pop-rock group, "Kinokuni-ya band" in 1976, when he was 17.
Around 1980, he began o work as an arranger.
And perhaps, he had a real talent on this front, since he has arranged an incredible number of big hit songs to date, and has been recognized as one of the most promising arranger in the Japanese popular music scene.
References
We have written about him slightly more on our previous post No.157. If you like please also check.
And detailed, and useful references are available on the INTERNET too.
We have put the links to those references below. So, if you like please also have a look.
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(Ref: yoshihiko-chino.com,
profile)🇯🇵
Song image & Lyrics
Open
Link to the lyrics
Copyright notice on the lyrics link
Sound impression
Celebrative & mellow
This seems to be a bit celebrative, and mellow pop ballad in a fluent slow rhythm.
Shiny & twinkling
The keyboard, synthesizer, and bass + drums (machine?) begin a shiny, twinkling introduction.
In the main part, "Takako Okamura"'s soft & relaxing vocal sings a flowing sweet melody.
5-6 different tones from the keyboard & synthesizer are creating gorgeous & bright experimental sound.
Reference
Reference
About Google translate
About the artist
Takako OkamuraVoice for female office workers
"Takako Okamura" is a singer-songwriter, radio personality, author, essayist, and a member of a popular folk-pop duo, "Aming".
"Okamura" initially debuted as a member of "Aming" in 1982 with a single, "Matsu-wa" (I'll wait).
As a solo singer, "Okamura" debuted 1985 with her first album, "Yume-no ki" (Tree of dreams).
Since then, 33 singles, and 18 original, 12 Videos(DVDs), and 17 best albums have been released until now.
(Ref: Wikipedia-en, Takako Okamura)
Early days
"Takako Okamura" became close to music in her childhood.
She started to learn the classical piano when she was a school girl, and continued it until high school age. And she was vaguely thinking that she might be a teacher of music in the future, until she listened a song of a pioneering singer-song writer, "Masashi Sada".
When "Takako Okamura" was a high-school student in the mid '70s, the singer-songwriters as a business were still in the early days.
"Okamura" was really impressed that there was an occupation like this which allows her to write lyrics, compose melodies, and perform them as a professional singer...
Since then, she began to consider a singer-songwriter as one of the options for her future career.
Aming
After she went to college in 1981, "Okamura" met with her classmate & a future music partner, "Haruko Katō" at campus.
One day, "Okamura" demonstrated her original song to "Katō". They hit it off right away, and agreed to form a duo for starting their band activity.
The 2 of them named their duo "Aming" after a song from "Masashi Sada".
And set off their career as an acoustic pop duo.
"Aming" soon began to participate in a prestigious, public open, popular song contest, called "Pop-con" hosted by Yamaha.
Already in autumn 1981, "Aming" won a performance award at the regional preliminaries of the 22nd "Pop-con".
And quickly in Spring 1982, "Aming" won the grand prix at the 23rd "Pop-con".
"Matsu-wa"
As a promised prize for the winner of "Pop-con", "Aming"'s winning entry "Matsu-wa" (I'll wait) was soon released as a debut song for them.
A little sentimental love song "Matsu-wa" swiftly achieved an incredible million seller.
suspend
"Aming" suddenly came under the spotlight, and they had to appear, and perform their song from early morning to late at night on TV.
The 2 members of "Aming" gradually exhausted from such hectic daily life in entertainment business.
And, in late 1983, "Aming" announced to suspend their activity as a unit.
Solo debut
While "Okamura"'s peer member, "Katō" had returned to college life, "Okamura" was enjoying an ordinary everyday life, among the voices asking her to start singing again as a solo.
And finally in 1985, she moved her home to Tokyo, and debuted as a solo singer with her first album, "Yume-no ki" (Tree of dreams).
"Yume-wo Akirame-naide"
In 1987, "Okamura" released a tender, and moderated pop ballad, "Yume-wo Akirame-naide" (Never give up your dreams) as her 5th single CD.
According to some interviews, "Okamura" wrote this song for "healing lost love".
But thanks to her always a little bit ambiguous lyrics, people understood this as a cheering song for everyone who are challenging ambitious targets.
The song was selected for jingles of the various TV commercials, and also used as a theme music for TV varieties.
And it became not only a smash hit, but also a signature hit song for "Takako Okamura".
The song is still very popular, and often sung in occasions like graduation ceremonies.
By this hit song, "Okamura" has established her position as a popular singer-songwriter.
Voice for female office workers
"Okamura" has created almost all of her song by herself since debut, therefore natural, or even a bit raw emotions of young women were expressed in the lyrics.
So, a lot of female office & factory workers, which shared majority of her generation felt a great sympathy for "Okamura"'s songs, and were expressing their supports.
So, people often called "Okamura" as a "Voice for female office workers"
Recent
"Okamura"'s first duo, "Aming" had not been active since 1983, but it was restarted in 2007.
Since then, "Okamura" & "Katō", the other member of "Aming," are holding acoustic concerts 2-3 times a year in small venues, because that compact sized gigs are what they were wishing to do originally in 40 years ago.
As a solo singer, "Okamura" is still constantly releasing albums in her own pace, and also frequently talking on the radio as a personality.
-
(Ref: okamuratakako.com,
profile)🇯🇵
Video clip
Finally, here is amusic clip of one of "Okamura"'s latest song "To·mo·ni" (Get together), released in 2019.
The song was written as a official theme for the 70th National tree-planting ceremony held in Aichi prefecture in 2019.
It's bright, sunny, and very positive message in a gentle & cheerful melody is well mirroring recent "Takako Okamura".
If you like, please listen.
Music Samples
6
(試聴する)
Amazon JP(en)
recochoku.jp
Apple Music(jp)
6
Japanese Letters
| Song Title | Good-Day ～思い出に変わるならば～ (Album Version)(Good-Day - Omoide-ni kawaru-naraba) |
|---|---|
| Artist | 岡村孝子(Takako Okamura) |
| Album Title | Chou-fleur |
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