[Song Review #216] "Tori no saezuri ga kikoeru?" by Yukiko Haneda
Hi. the song we would like to introduce to you today is, "Tori-no saezuri-ga kikoeru?" (Do you hear the birds singing?) by "Yukiko Haneda".
This is a pleasant and refreshing Pop song performed by a unique singer-songwriter "Yukiko Haneda".
"Yukiko Haneda" or "Johanna Yukiko Haneda" has been singing songs of multiple categories in both Japan and the United States since she debuted in 1988.
The song for today is selected from her second album "SORA" (The sky) released in 1989. Light & mellow fans in Japan love this album since it contains a few of lovely tracks.
If you like, please listen to.
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Cover art today
Song data
| Title | Tori-no saezuri-ga kikoeru?(Do you hear the birds singing?) |
|---|---|
| Artist | Yukiko Haneda |
| Album Title | SORA(The sky) |
| Catalog Number | MHC7 30047 |
| Track No. | 6 |
| Duration | 5:05 |
| Released | 1989 |
| Publisher | CBS Sony |
| Lyricist | Yukiko Haneda |
| Composer | Yukiko Haneda |
| Arranger | Hiroshi Satoh |
About the creators
Yukiko Haneda Lyricist & Composer
The Lyricist & Composer "Yukiko Haneda" is also a singer of this song.
So, We would like to come back to her in "About the artist" section later.
Hiroshi Satoh Arranger
"Hiroshi Satoh" is a singer-songwriter, keyboardist, composer, arranger, music programmer, recording, mixing, & mastering engineer, and a music producer active from 1970 to 2012.
He was one of the most competent musician in Japanese popular music scene, and contributed to numerous recordings as a super music creator.
Short Bio.
"Hiroshi Satoh"'s page on Wikipedia.org says that he started to play the piano in his school age.
In the early '70s, "Satoh" became a professional keyboardist in Osaka, and started his career as a musician.
In around 1972, Satoh began to collaborate with various leading musicians in Osaka as a backing member.
And in 1974, he formed a new 4-piece band "This" also in Osaka.
Relatively soon, the band members were scouted by a prominent guitarist "Shigeru Suzuki", since he was looking for members for his new band.
"Hiroshi Satoh", "Shigeru Suzuki" and 2 other members agreed to form a new rock band named "HUCKLEBACK". They then moved to Tokyo, and started a new band activity.
Unexpectedly, "HUCKLEBACK" broke up in less than one year.
"Suzuki" invited "Satoh" to his home band "Tin Pan Alley". Then "Satoh" joined this reputed experimental rock band.
"Satoh" performed actively until the band came to its end in 1979.
And on the other hand, "Satoh" released three of his original album in this period.
A pioneering music programmer
In 1979, "Satoh" became a solo musician, and moved to the United States to absorb music in America, and create a new album.
He came back to Japan in 1982, and released an epoch making new album "Awakening", after spending almost two years in the US.
"Satoh" utilized the latest digital music equipments extremely well on his new album "Awakening".
The album powerfully impacted on Japanese popular music scene at that time.
Since then, he worked toward to attain the ultimate in music programming and the use of digital devices.
For that reason, people often call "Satoh" as a pioneer of music programming.
A super keyboardist & competent music producer
In parallel, "Satoh" supported hundreds of albums recorded by dozens of music artists, like Tatsurō Yamashita, Mariya Takeuchi, or Toshiki Kadomatsu, as a composer, arranger, music producer, and a super skilled keyboardist.
The detailed list of songs he took part in, is available in a Wikipedia article on "Satoh", which is linked from here.
References
For more details on "Hiroshi Satoh", please have a look at the references linked below.
Video clip
Lastly, we would like to introduce a music clip of "Satō"'s nice mellow track "Yamate Hotel".
"Satō" first released a gentle & tranquil pop tune "Yamate Hotel" as a ong in his second solo album "Time" in 1977.
Since then, "Yamate Hotel" is a popular track among Light & mellow fans in Japan.
If you like, please listen to.
Song image & Lyrics
Open
Link to the lyrics
Copyright notice on the lyrics link
Sound impression
Light & refreshing
Today's song "Tori-no saezuri-ga kikoeru?" (Do you hear the birds singing?) is a freshening, and energizing pop song in a pleasant uptempo rhythm.
Birds singing
Beautiful birds chirping, and the sound of a stream in the morning forest in spring (just an imagination from the sound), signals the beginning of the song.
Then the conga drum, slide whistle, drums, bass, electric guitar, synthesizer, acoustic piano, and backing chorus play a refreshing introduction.
In the main part, the electric piano and vibraphone also join, and support smooth and soulful vocal by "Yukiko Haneda".
In the bridge, the alto saxophone plays a very impressive nice solo.
Reference
About Google translate
About the artist
Yukiko HanedaInternational artist
"Yukiko Haneda", or "Johanna Yukiko Haneda" is a singer-songwriter, actor, model, radio personality, and culture creator active since 1988.
She started her music career as a Pop singer the late '80s.
But she has gradually extended her border in music, and is performing a various genre of music, including Pops, Jazz, Classical, Tango, world music, and folk music.
"Haneda" is becoming to be known also as a "Fado" (Folk music of Portugal) singer, since she is one of the rare active singer in this category.
Yukiko Haneda debuted in 1988 with a single, "BEATING MESS". Since then, 3 singles, and 8 original albums have been released until now.
(Ref: Wikipedia-en, Yukiko Haneda)
Early times - Debut
According to an article on Wikipedia, or a biography on her personal website, "Yukiko Haneda" was born in Tokyo to a family runs a long-established hotel in Tokyo, and also operates one of the first authentic Japanese restaurant in the United states.
There is no much information about her and music in early days.
But "Yukiko Haneda" debuted in 1989 with her first album "BEATING MESS", which was a lucky album, since a prominent music creator "Minako Yoshida" provided a rare full support to produce this.
Actually, "BEATING MESS" was an impressive Electro Funk, Soul, and Adult Contemporary album, and will let you feel the essence of "Minako Yoshida" sound at that time.
So, if it is your favourite, please try.
SORA (The sky)
In 1989, "Yukiko Haneda" tagged with an expert keyboardist, and competent arranger "Hiroshi Satō", and recorded her second album "SORA" (The Sky).
Contrasting to the first album on which a powerful music creator "Minako Yoshida" wrote & arranged most of the songs, "Yukiko Haneda" also wrote a few songs for the second album, and "Hiroshi Satō" focused almost entirely on song arrangement & album produce.
So, this album achieved a good balance of creator's characters, since the selected songwriters wrote songs as they wish, and the music producer "Hiroshi Satō" prepared "Hiroshi Satō-like" finest Pop arrangements for all songs.
Then, light & mellow fans still likes this album not only as a prime album of earlier "Yukiko Haneda", but also as an excellent work of "Hiroshi Satō".
If you have a chance, please listen to a whole album.
Good Times, Bad Times
In 1997, "Yukiko Haneda" launched a gorgeous album "Good Times, Bad Times" as her third release.
Why we call it "gorgeous" is because of the members participated in this album. Namely,
(quote)
- Producers
- Brooks Arthur, Steve Lindsey, David Foster, Dennis Lambert, Joel Dorn, Paul Anka, Humberto Gatica, Phil Ramone, and herself
- Keyboards
- Pam Reswick, David Foster, Jeff Lorber, Randy Kerber, Steve Lindsey, Doug Katsaros, Clifford Carter, Shelton Becton
- Guitar
- Bob Mann, Michael Landau, Carlos Alomar, James Harrah, Paul Jackson, Jr., David Spinozza, Yoshiteru Ito
- Bass
- Neil Stubenhaus
- Drums
- John R. Robinson, Doug Katsaros
- Percussion
- Michael Fisher, Jimmy Bralower, Raphael Padilla, Paulinho DaCosta, Buddy Williams, Toyoji Kuriyama
- Sax
- Dave Boruff, David "Fathead" Newman, Brandon Fields, Hans Crawford
- Duet Vocal
- Paul Anka(track 4), Warren Wiebe(track 7)
- Violin
- Kana Hiramatsu
- Cello
- Yumi Morooka
- Tabla
- Masaki Yoshimi
- Background Vocals
- Andrea L. Robinson, Gail S. Kantor, Jean McClain, Katrina Pekins, Dennis Lambert, Cissy Houston, Bill Champlin, Karen Kamon, Tony A. Warren, Valerie Pinston-Mayo, Jaquelyn G. Farris, Orli Cotel, Sivan Cotel, Rachael Graham, Meghan Andrews, Joel Chaiken, Michael Walker, Eden Riegel, Jean T. Fox
Quoted from：ameblo.jp/kofn, Yukiko Itoh, Good Times Bad Times
We have no idea why such big names could join for this album.
But needless to say, the album achieved a high quality, and "Perfectly typical" West Coast Adult Contemporary sound.
If you like, please listen to.
Tango & Fado
In 2005, "Yukiko Haneda" collaborated with one the Japan's most prominent Tango violinist "Kiyoshi Shiga", and released a mini album titled "Air De Tango" as her first album on Tango.
Then in 2008, she also released her first full album on "Fado", a Portuguese folk music, under the title of "Fadista".
Interestingly, "Fado" is a category not yet widely known in Japan.
So, we imagine the album, released by the singer like her, certainly energized the market.
"Haneda" seems to be continuing her activity in these music categories, and she has just released two new singles in 2022.
Music trip Aranjuez
In 2008, "Yukiko Haneda" formed a new unit with a 6-piece wind and string ensemble "Trio the trip", and began to sing as a vocalist of the group which performs world music, and smooth Jazz with Classical flavour.
And in 2010, the band finally released a unique album "Music trip Aranjuez".
"Haneda"'s soulful vocal and a gentle ensemble of the Trombone, Cello. Flute, Piano, and Oboe generate an interesting sound.
If you like, please listen to.
Because "Haneda" moved to the US in 2011, no activity seems to be happening as a unit at the moment.
But seemingly, the members of "Trio the trip" is independently holding gigs occasionally in the various compact venues.
Recent
In 2011, "Yukiko Haneda" moved to LA, the United States, for opening a new horizon on her creative act.
And she has been actively working with various composers, musicians, or other creators as a singer as well as an actor, or performer.
Music wise, she seems to be creating new expression by integrating her dance and vocal performance.
Her singing is picking up more spiritual, soul, Zen, or mindfulness like factors, and it reminds us of a sort of prayers, or chanting mantra.
So, we are feeling that she is exploring the most original style of singing, in other words an expression of emotion as its primary purpose.
Actually, her music always contain some degree of philosophical nuance since debut, so, this seems to be a natural progression.
"Haneda" is actively uploading her new style performance on Youtube, and has already released few new albums in Digital music format.
If you like, please listen to.
References
Foe more details about "Yukiko Haneda", please have a look at the references linked below.
-
(Ref: www.millionbreath.com,
bio.)🇬🇧 🇯🇵 -
(Ref: triothetrip.cloud-line.com,
about)🇯🇵 -
(Ref: ameblo.jp/kofn,
Good Times, Bad Times)🇯🇵
Video clip
A music clip of "Tori-no saezuri-ga kikoeru?", a song for today, seems to be available on Youtube.com at the moment.
(We cannot link it though due to copyright concerns.)
Instead of it, we would like to introduce "Say it", a song of "Yukiko Haneda", from her third album "Good Times, Bad Times".
A nightly, urban, and smooth vocal Pops "Say it" is a typical Adult Contemporary of the '90s, and creating a relaxing atmosphere.
If you like, please listen to.
✩ Semi-nude ✩
On this music clip, a semi-nude image of a woman, which is actually a cover art of this album, will appears.
It is an artistic illustration, but still a semi-nude image.
So, please try NOT to play this music clip if you are concerned about it.
Music Samples
6
(試聴する)
AD: Listening samples (Free)
Amazon JP(en)
recochoku.jp
music.apple.com (Track No.6)
Japanese Letters
| Song Title | 鳥のさえずりが聞こえる？(Tori-no saezuri-ga kikoeru?) |
|---|---|
| Artist | 羽根田征子(Yukiko Haneda) |
| Album Title | SORA |
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