[Airy & Joyful]
No.186 "Kimagure Highway" by Miharu Koshi
Hi. We are just back after 5 months break. Sorry for not being able to post for a long time.
Now, Today's song is "Kimagure Highway" (Driving on the highway on a whim) by "Miharu Koshi".
This airy, and cheerful pop track was written, and performed by a talented singer songwriter, "Miharu Koshi".
"Miharu Koshi" is popular & well known with her series of Synth pop, New romantic, or elegantly re-arranged Classic, Jazz, Oldies, and Chanson.
But for a certain period of time after debut, she was writing & performing fairly straight urban pop songs like this one.
If you like, please listen.
Links to the music shops, offering song samples, are located on the bottom of this page.
Some contents have been put away in tabs with "▶" mark in each section, so please click it to see.
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Thank you.
Cover art today
Song data
| Title | Kimagure Highway |
|---|---|
| Artist | Miharu Koshi |
| Album Title | Omocha-bako Dai-ichimaku |
| Catalog Number | BVCR-5022 |
| Track No. | 1 |
| Duration | 3:28 |
| Released | 1979 |
| Publisher | |
| Lyricist | |
| Composer | |
| Arrangers |
About the creators
Miharu Koshi Lyricist
The Lyricist & Composer, "Miharu Koshi" is also a singer of this song.
So, We would like to come back to her in "About the artist" section later.
Makoto Yano & Mitsuo HagitaArrangers
This section has become unexpectedly long.
If you are in a hurry, please skip to the next section by clicking this.
On this song, 4 famous names, namely, "Tatsurō Yamashita", "Minako Yoshida", "Makoto Yano", and "Mitsuo Hagita" are credited as the arrangers.
Among these 4 people, "Tatsurō Yamashita" & "Minako Yoshida" contributed on chorus part. But not just as the arrangers, but also as the singers in backing chorus.
For more information about them, please check with our past posts on "Minako Yoshida" & "Tatsurō Yamashita" if you like.
So, "Makoto Yano" & "Mitsuo Hagita" took part in as the main arrangers, we didn't know who did what though.
About "Mitsuo Hagita", a prominent popular music arranger, we have written a short article in our previous post, "No. 115". If you like, please have a look.
Therefore, in this section, we would like to focus on introducing "Makoto Yano" a bit.
About "Makoto Yano"
"Makoto Yano" is a composer, arranger, music producer, and keyboardist active since late '60s.
"Yano" is one of the key persons, who play a part in a revolutionary development of the Japanese popular music scene in the early '70s.
He contributed not only as a excellent music arranger, but more importantly, he worked like a node or bridge to connect most talented young music people each other through him.
And helped to cause chemical reactions between the musicians from different fields.
Early days
"Makoto Yano" was born in Tokyo in 1947 to a parents understanding music.
He was grown up in a music-rich environment. And already in high school, Yano" was confident enough that he would be able to contribute for bringing a dramatic change to the Japanese popular music scene, after he would have become an adult.
In 1966, "Yano" went to a college of music, and majored in music composition.
But, while studying in a college, he also started a music activity as an amateur. And soon, he began to get into it.
Became an arranger
In the early days of the '70s, "Yano" teamed up a high level amateur band with his friends. Luckily, the band received an offer from a record company. Then, the band recorded their first album, and debuted in 1972.
Interestingly, the music producer took care of them was "Tadataka Watanabe", who was also known as a younger brother of a shining & rising popular music composer, "Kyōhei Tsutsumi".
One day, "Watanabe" took their demo tape to "Tsutsumi"'s place, and played it to him.
"Tsutsumi" listened it, and found "Yano" interesting.
Since then, "Tsutsumi" began to ask some song arrangements to "Yano".
"Yano" always responded to his expectation by delivering brilliant works. "Yano" was soon recognized as a competent writer, and became a professional music arranger in the process.
As a node, or bridge
Almost coincidentally, "Yano" came to know "Takashi Matsumoto" through their common friend.
"Takashi Matsumoto", now a prominent lyricist, was a member of legendary rock group "Happy end" at this point.
"Matsumoto" was already becoming an active music producer.
He asked "Yano" to support his work, and produced albums of notable musicians, like "Nobuyasu Okabayashi", "Yoshitaka Minami", and "Morio Agata" together.
And finally in 1973, "Matsumoto" and "Yano" formed their band "Moon Riders" (original).
As it turned out, "Yano"'s connection to "Tsutsumi" & "Matsumoto" who represent commercial pops & artistic pops respectively, became a rare, and important bridge between the two sides.
Traditionally, there had been a barrier between the two sides, and it was still there in the early '70s, And it was preventing free communication of both sides.
"Yano"'s acquaintance with 2 key persons worked like a main bridge, and connected various music peoples in both side.
At here, you can check the list of albums that "Yano" has involved so far.
And you might notice his unique connections with the musicians in different music fields.
Talent spotter
"Yano" also took an important role as an unintentional "Talent spotter".
In the early '70s, the Japanese popular music scene was like an eve of revolution.
In the amateur music scene in the major city, there were many young musicians with high potential, and struggling to create their own music.
But because of the chaotic situation of that time, they were not always in the right place.
Actually quite sometimes, brilliant young musicians were playing music which was not really fit for them.
It seems "Yano" was always carefully looking at the amateur music scene, if there were any such musicians.
And whenever he spotted, he suggested him or her to move to more suitable environment. And actually, "Yano" connected them to the right people.
In this context, the most notable examples are "Taeko Ōnuki" & "Akiko Yano", who both are masters of Japanese popular music now.
In case of "Taeko Ōnuki", she was about to debut in 1972, as a member of a folk group.
"Makoto Yano" happened to be invited as a producer for their debut album. But soon, "Yano" recognized that "Ōnuki" was so talented, and this type of music was not a right direction to express her potential fully.
"Yano" suggested "Ōnuki" that she should move to more fitting place, and introduced her to young "Tatsuro Yamashita".
They later formed a legendary pop group, "Sugar babe".
And when "Ōnuki was debuting as a solo singer at a later date, he asked young "Ryuichi Sakamoto" to produce, and support her, according to an article on the internet.
"Sakamoto" was still a graduate student at a music college in those times.
In case of "Akiko Yano", she was singing in a folk group.
One day, "Makoto Yano" came to see her live, and noticed her outstanding potential. But he was also feeling, that there should be more appropriate place for her.
Soon, "Makoto Yano" provided an opportunity for them to launch a single record under his production.
But the band "Akiko" belonged to, broke up before too long. "Makoto Yano" then introduced "Akiko Yano" to the members of a super band "Caramel Mama", and began to produce her in earnest.
(By the way, "Makoto" & "Akiko" suddenly married at this timing. Since then, "Akiko" is using "Makoto"'s family name "Yano" as hers, even now.)
And finally in 1976, "Akiko Yano" released her legendary first album, "Japanese girl", which is also often praised as a masterpiece, in recent days.
Like this way, "Makoto Yano" played a key role to take a Japanese popular music to new level.
Recent
"Makoto Yano" is having busy days since he became a music director of "Fujimi City cultural hall" in 2011.
He is continuously presenting innovative concerts to the audience.
Song image & Lyrics
Open
Link to the lyrics
Copyright notice on the lyrics link
Sound impression
Airy & jaunty
This seems to be an airy, and joyful pop song in a tripping rhythm.
Tripping piano
The introduction begins with a strumming of the acoustic guitar, and a tripping sound of the acoustic piano played by "Miharu Koshi" herself.
The drums, bass, percussion, keyboard, and the strings join, and form a basic ensemble.
In the middle of main melody, stylish & funky backing chorus appears gradually.
The singers are "Minako Yoshida" & "Tatsuro Yamashita", who both had also arranged the melody of chorus part, as a whole.
"Miharu Koshi"'s vocal is bright, dynamic and cute, because she was still a young woman aged 18, at that time. But her high potential for singing is instantly noticeable.
Credit
Here is a list of musicians participated in this track.
- Vocal, acoustic piano
- Miharu Koshi
- Acoustic & Electric guitar
- Mitsuo Nagai
- Keyboard
- Makoto Yano
- Bass
- Ray Ohara
- Drums
- Michael Kawai
- Percussion
- Nobu Saitō
- Chorus
- Tatsuro Yamashita & Minako Yoshida
- Strings
- A session team
Reference
About Google translate
About the artist
Miharu KoshiMusic artist in Esprit
"Miharu Koshi" is a singer, songwriter, and keyboardist active since 1978.
"Koshi" debuted in 1978 with a single, "Love step". Since then, 12 singles, and 20 original, plus 2 best albums have been released until now.
(Ref: Wikipedia-en, Miharu Koshi)
Early times
"Miharu Koshi" was born to a music family in Tokyo in 1960.
Her parents provided music education for her from childhood, and "Koshi" began to learn the piano when she was three.
And already in 8 years old, she was enjoying creating melodies.
When she was 18, just before going to a university, "Miharu Koshi" entered one of the popular talent scout audition programs on TV, and gathered an attention.
Eventually, she was scouted from a record company, and debuted from RVC in 1978.
Became popular
"Koshi"'s rhythmic debut song "Love step", and her skillful & dynamic piano self-accompaniment were well accepted, and the song became a reasonable hit.
Soon, she received an offer from a popular TV music program for young, and became a cast member.
And thanks to this, she made her name.
Gaps
However, a well-made "girl's pops like music style, and an "Idol star" like position were not really things, that "Koshi" was hoping to do in music.
Her entertainment agency, and record company were expecting her to take that role, but "Koshi" was feeling gaps.
"Koshi" gradually reduced her speed of work, and stopped making albums in this sound style, after released her 3rd album "Make up".
We don't know why, but she is not referring to the activities in this period, on the profile page of her official site.
There might be some reasons.
Join to "YEN label"
Around 1982, "Koshi" was taking time to recharge herself, and by utilizing this time, she'd been creating "Electronic" style pop songs with her newly obtained latest synthesizers.
Quite unexpectedly, she had a chance to play a demo of those songs to the leader of Japan's electronic pop, "Haruomi Hosono".
"Hosono" found her music interesting, and invited "Koshi" to "YEN record", which was a record label newly formed in 1982 by "Haruomi Hosono", and "Yukihiro Takahashi", who both were original members of a famous "Techno (Electronic)" band, Yellow Magic Orchestra" at that time.
Soon afterward, "Koshi" started recording her new album on new label, putting "Hosono" as a producer.
"Hosono" said to "Koshi", "Let's make all the tracks as same as they are recorded in your original demo tape basically. Usually, it's the best".
"Hosono"'s words relaxed and encouraged "Koshi". And for the first time in her life, "Koshi" created her album as she wished.
Then "Koshi"'s 4th, (but it's like the 1st for her), album "Tu Tu", turned out to be a fine, but pretty chic electro pop album, like it was predicting the future of her sound.
By and by, it was released in 1983 from "YEN record".
"Koshi" & "Hosono"
It seems "Miharu Koshi" & "Haruomi Hosono" were on a fairly similar wave-length.
From then on, "Hosono" participated in the recording of most of "Koshi"'s album.
And, "Koshi" continued to work with "Hosono", whenever she created a new album.
And finally in 1996, "Koshi" & "Hosono" teamed up a unit "Swing slow", and revived American oldies songs in acoustic, but with a bit of electronic sound.
Both "Koshi" & "Hosono" are talented unique artists, and have strong musical identities.
It is not a problem for them to compose fine & orthodox pop songs. But it seems they usually put more importance on creating more inspirational music.
So, we imagine there are some kind of resonance between them. Therefore, they are still working together.
Aesthetic, classical, and eccentric
In the early '80, "Koshi" was performing pretty spunky electronic pop songs.
But gradually, her albums began to pick up aesthetic, and classical atmosphere.
She went deep into the forest of vintage Jazz, pop music, or classical music, and faced up to them.
And once she attained her own interpretation, she rendered them in her sound.
They are quite unique, and even eccentric some time.
But through this approach, "Koshi" successfully established unique, her own music world.
Chanson & film music
As "Koshi" entered the '90s, her music began to evolve further, and she set off singing classical French pops, "Chanson".
Actually, Chanson was a music had a strong impact on her when she was a child.
One day, when "Koshi" was eleven, her mother took her to a concert held by one of Japan's most prominent chansonnier, "Fubuki Koshiji".
"Koshi" was completely entranced, and soon began to sing chanson with piano accompaniment by herself.
So, for "Koshi", chanson is an important origin of her music.
Now, she is keen to re-introduce classical master pieces of chanson to modern listeners.
Whenever watching old French movies, she is also checking inspiring songs, or back ground music in the films.
She then listens their absolute original, then she creates her own interpretation afterwards.
It is easily recognizable that all of her covers have been made, by paying maximum respects to the originals.
The covers are always very smartly rearranged like modern pop music. But strangely or paradoxically, they are illuminating the charm of original songs.
It is exactly a proof of "Koshi"'s excellent music sense, and an abundance of talent.
Recent
As always, she is releasing albums in her own pace even after 2000s.
In 2013, she released a new album, "Madame Crooner", which is focusing on "crooner".
According to wiki, "crooner" is a unique way of singing, which was particular among some male singers of American classical Jazz.
She also released a same concept album, "MOONRAY", in 2015 as a 2nd round.
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(Ref: miharukoshi.info
profile)🇯🇵
Video clip
Finally, we would like to introduce a sneak preview of "Miharu Koshi"'s concert tour, "Madame Crooner Concert 2014", held in 2014.
This tour was planned in association with the release of her 20th album, "Madame Crooner".
You might be able to feel the present music style of "Miharu Koshi".
If you like, please listen.
Music Samples
1
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Japanese Letters
| Song Title | 気まぐれハイウェイ(Kimagure Highway) |
|---|---|
| Artist | 越美晴(Miharu Koshi) |
| Album Title | おもちゃ箱 第一幕(Omocha-bako Dai-ichimaku) |
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