[Song Review #194] "TRADE WIND" by Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe
Hi. Today's song is "TRADE WIND" by "Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe".
"Omega Tribe" was one of the most popular Pop-rock band of the '80s. And its name has been well-known as a classic summer icon among the people.
The band is specialized for performing stylish & urban song line up, emphasizing "Summer", "Sea", and "Resort" images.
Today's song "TRADE WIND" is also a kind of breezy ballad-rock, or AC (Adult contemporary music) singing about an episode in marine resort in the late summer.
But interestingly, a summer song like this unexpectedly goes well with this cold weather, in other word, sounds quite relaxing & warm, even listening in the midst of winter.
Is it really so? 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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Information
By the way, we are planning to post an instrumental music on our next posting date, the 6th Feb 2021, instead of a regular vocal pop song.
Since the planned next song, which has a calm, peaceful, and almost healing music like acoustic atmosphere, would fit for this time of the season.
If you like, please also listen to.
Thank you.
Cover art today
Song data
| Title | TRADE WIND |
|---|---|
| Artist | Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe |
| Album Title | |
| Catalog Number | VPCC-84003 |
| Track No. | 7 |
| Duration | 5:47 |
| Released | 1983 |
| Publisher | |
| Lyricist | |
| Composer | |
| Arranger |
About the creators
Yasushi Akimoto Lyricist
"Yasushi Akimoto" is a lyricist, scenario writer, film directer, and a music producer active since 1977.
"Akimoto" is known as one of the most prolific lyricist in the Japanese popular music scene, who has written more than 4000 songs to the various artists, according to Wikipedia,
But perhaps more importantly, "Akimoto" is famous as a producer, who formed & promoted dozens of large-sized female idol pop groups represented by "AKB48", and achieved tremendous success.
Omega tribe
"Yasushi Akimoto" had involved in "Omega tribe" project as a lyricist from its beginning, in his early days.
"Omega tribe" was ultimately a project began in 1983, to promote a high potential rock band, "Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe".
In the project, the band was asked from producer not to sing their original songs, but perform songs provided by the professionals along with the set marketing concept instead.
So, it was just like promoting an idol star, but the band accepted this idea after consideration. And began to perform provided, well designed songs.
In "Omega tribe" project, "Yasushi Akimoto" was requested to be a member of song writing team.
And he had written many excellent lyrics to the band, until "Kiyotaka Sugiyama &Omega tribe" broke up in 1985.
"Omega tribe" actually achieved huge success in only 2 years time from 1983 to 1985.
And "Yasushi Akimoto" made a great contribution to the project as a lyricist.
References
Luckily, useful references, or interview articles are available on the inter-net, although some of them are in Japanese. (Please use Google translate.)
Please check them from the links below for more details about Mr. Akimoto.
Or, we have written small article earlier in our post No.151, which is available from the link below.
So, if you like, please also check it out.
Kiyotaka Sugiyama Composer
The composer, "Kiyotaka Sugiyama" is also a singer of this song, and a member of "Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe".
So, we would like to come back to him later in "About the artist" section.
Kenzō Shiguma Arranger
"Kenzō Shiguma" is a composer, arranger, and music producer active since around the early '80s.
He is known as a music creator for a very popular Detective television series, "Abunai Deka" (Dynamite Detectives), aired from 1986 to 1989.
And of course, his excellent works for "Omega tribe" is also famous.
In brief
Even "Kenzō Shiguma" is a fairy big name as an arranger, there aren't much references on the inter-net.
But as long as we see, "Shiguma" started working as a professional arranger in 1981, by participating "Toshiki Kadomatsu"'s debut album, "Sea Breeze".
In 1984, he bagan to involve "Omega tribe" project as an arranger, and core member.
Actually, "Shiguma" took an important role for establishing a basic music style of "Omega tribe", together with a composer "Tetsuji Hayashi".
Since 1986, he started to take part in a popular Detective television series, "Abunai Deka" (Dynamite Detectives), as a composer of incidental music.
As the popularity of the TV series increase, "Shiguma"'s work on music also well appreciated.
"Shiguma" made his name by this, and actively working as a popular arranger since then.
Reference
As mentioned, it seems there aren't much reference about him on the inter-net.
We would like to update if we found anything new.
Song image & Lyrics
Open
Link to the lyrics
Copyright notice on the lyrics link
Sound impression
Nostalgic & stylish
This is a breezy, touch nostalgic, but fairly stylish Pop-ballad in a moderated middle tempo.
Urban & relaxed
The drums, bass, acoustic piano, electronic key-board, electric guitars, string-synthesizer, and percussion begin light & moderated introduction, then urban, and relaxed main melody starts.
In the main part, youthful & sweet vocal of "Kiyoyaka Sugiyama" delivers a little bit sentimental lyrics with atmosphere.
In the bridge, the alto sax plays a cool & Jazzy improvisation, and creates one of the highlights in this moderated ballad rock.
Reference
About Google translate
About the artist
Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe Summer icon
"Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe" was a 6-piece Pop-rock group debuted in 1983, and lasted until 1985.
Their series of hit songs, emphasizing "Summer" & "Resort", are well known, and still very popular.
So, they are often called a "Summer Icon". One of the Pop-rock bands representing the '80s.
By the way, "Omega tribe" itself was lasted until 1990, by changing the vocalist from "Kiyotaka Sugiyama" to "Carlos Toshiki" in 1986.
"Kiyotaka Sugiyama" has been a solo singer since then, and still very active.
Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe debuted in 1983 with a single, "SUMMER SUSPICION" . Since then, 19 singles, and 11 original, 3 live, and 19 best albums have been released until now. (Incl. "1986" & "Carlos Toshiiki" periods)
(Ref: Wikipedia-en, Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe)
Early times
The history of the rock band, "Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe" began when "Kiyotaka Sugiyama" joined "Cutie Pachos", a precursor band of "Omega Tribe", in 1978 in Yokohama.
"Kiyotaka Sugiyama", the vocalist of "Omega Tribe", started his amateur activity in middle school.
In high school, he experienced several amateur bands, and in 1978, when he was 19, "Sugiyama" joined an amateur band "Cutie Panchos", which some members of "Omega tribe" originally belonged to.
Pop-Con
"Cutie Panchos" began to enter one of the most prestigious amateur music contest "Pop-con" (Yamaha Popular song contest) from 1979, since the contest guaranteed the winner a debut as a professional singer or band.
They entered the contest for 3 times, and in 1980, at the 19th Yamaha Pop-con, "Cutie Panchos" became a finalist, and won a prize.
Omega Tribe
Since then, "Cutie Panchos" began to receive approaches from several entertainment agencies.
Among those agencies, there was one office offering immediate debut, but asking them not to sing their original songs, but perform office provided songs which was created by professionals based on the marketing concept set by the office.
The members of "Cutie Panchos" accepted this offer after thought, and began to prepare for the debut.
New band name "Omega Tribe" was also given by the office on this timing.
Debut
In 1983, "Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe" finally debuted in 1983 with a single, "SUMMER SUSPICION".
Surprisingly, slightly sentimental, but light & bright debut song, "SUMMER SUSPICION" was ranked 9th on the hit charts.
And thanks to this song, "Omega tribe" was invited to an acclaimed music event, the 12th "Tokyo Music Festival" as a contestant, and fortunately received an award.
"Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe" quickly became popular, and one of the most promising Pop-rock group.
Summer, Beach, Resort...
As mentioned little, "Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe" was not like a normal independent rock band, but more like the cast members of a bigger "Omega tribe" project.
On this project, the concept of the band, and marketing strategy, like "Summer, Beach, Resort", were basically crated by the entertainment agency.
The agency then invited competent & rising music creators, and requested them to become brains of the project.
The team of the music creators, then created songs based on the concept. And the band performed those songs instead of their original songs.
So, in a sense, it was a common process for promoting idol stars.
But such system was not applied for an amateur rock band before, so this might have been a first such case.
Fortunately, the band, songs, and marketing strategy were all fine on "Omega tribe" project, and it achieved a significant success since the project was started in 1983.
"Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe" became one of the most popular Pop-rock band already in 1985.
Break-up, and the Begin next chapter for each
"Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe" quickly became hugely popular, rock band.
But because of that, the members of the band were feeling the mounting pressures, since they had to be always successful, because they were performing on behalf of the project, not on their own responsibility as an independent band.
The members of the band finally came to a conclusion, that they were going to break up in 1985.
After a while, some members of rallied again, and restarted "Omega tribe" in 1986, by welcoming a Japanese-Brazilian singer "Carlos Toshiki" as a new vocalist of the band.
Their 5-piece new band, "1986 Omega Tribe" changed its name to "Carlos Toshiki & Omega tribe" in 1988. And lasted until 1990.
On the other hand, the former vocalist "Kiyotaka Sugiyama" was told from agency, that he should become independent, and continue to sing as a solo singer.
By the request from the agency, "Kiyotaka Sugiyama" started new career as a solo artist.
"Kiyotaka Sugiyama"
Actually, "Kiyotaka Sugiyama" is not just an excellent singer, but also a pretty talented song writer.
He has released 27 studio albums since he started a solo career in 1986, and most of the songs were composed by himself.
It seems "Sugiyama" has been careful for not changing the sound style from the one he was performing in "Omega tribe".
In other words, his basic music style is Adult Contemporary music (AC), or stylish soft rock, though there are some exceptions.
So, we think you can also enjoy his songs.
Recent
The most members of "Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe", are still active in the Japanese popular music scene.
Among them, "Kiyotaka Sugiyama" is perhaps the most visible, since he is still constantly releasing new albums.
In 2016, "Sugiyama" celebrated the 30 years anniversary of his solo career.
In 2019, "Sugiyama" called on the member of "Omega tribe" to restart, and held a nationwide concert tour.
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(Ref: sugiyamakiyotaka.jp,
KT's History)🇯🇵
Video clip
Lastly, we would like to introduce "Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe"'s debut & first hit song "SUMMER SUSPICION" released in 1983.
The song was ranked 9th on the hit charts even it was just a debut song.
And thanks to this lucky success, "Omega tribe" was invited to an acclaimed music event, the 12th "Tokyo Music Festival" as a contestant, and fortunately received an award.
"Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe" quickly became popular, and one of the most promising Pop-rock group.
The song is slightly wistful, but light, mainstream style soft rock.
If you like, please listen.
"Kiyotaka Sugiyama" solo
We would liek to introduce one more song, but this is a solo performance by "Kiyotaka Sugiyama"
Gentle, and stylish ballad rock, "Other Views" is a song from his latest album, "Rainbow Planet", which has been released as his 27th solo album.
If you like, please listen.
Music Samples
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Japanese Letters
| Song Title | TRADE WIND |
|---|---|
| Artist | 杉山清貴&オメガトライブ(Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe) |
| Album Title | AQUA CITY |
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