[Mellow & refreshing] No.218 "Teen's blues" by Shinji Harada
Hi. We are just back after 5 months break. Thank you for your broad-mindedness.
The song we would like to introduce to you today is, "Teen's blues" by "Shinji Harada".
Shinji Harada's debut song "Teen's blues" appeared on the Japanese popular music scene in the late '70s.
It's totally brand new, rhythmic, elegant, & stylish melody and harmony shocked the musicians and Pop-music fans in Japan, and let them feel the new standard for Japanese Pops will be this.
It was certainly an epoch making pop song in the history of Japanese popular music.
Sorry for being a little overdramatic, but we believe "Teen's blues" is still an attractive Pop-song even for the modern music fans.
If you like, please listen to.
Links to the music shops, offering song samples, are located on the bottom of this page.
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Cover art today
Song data
| Title | Teen's blues |
|---|---|
| Artist | Shinji Harada |
| Album Title | Feel Happy |
| Catalog Number | FLCF-22183 |
| Track No. | 8 |
| Duration | 3:47 |
| Released | 1978 |
| Publisher | For Life Records |
| Lyricist | Takashi Matsumoto |
| Composer | Shinji Harada |
| Arranger | Shigeru Suzuki |
About the creators
Takashi Matsumoto Lyricist
Takashi Matsumoto is a known popular song lyricist, and a former member of a legendary rock group, "Happy End".
We have once introduced him just a little in some articles in the past.
So, if you would like to see some more information about him, and don't mind to see the part of our past article, please check the link below, and have a look at the article in the destination.
References
Just for your convenience, here are links for basic references on "Takashi Matsumoto".
For more details on "Takashi Matsumoto", please have a look at the article linked above.
Shinji Harada Composer
Composer, "Shinji Harada" is also a singer of this song.
So, We would like to come back to him in "About the artist" section later.
Shigeru Suzuki Arranger
Shigeru Suzuki is a guitarist, composer, arranger, music producer, and a former member of a legendary rock group, "Happy End", and an instrumental band, "Tin Pan alley".
We have introduced him just a little in few of articles in the past.
If you would like to see some more information about him, please have a look at the article linked below.
References
Just for your convenience, here are links for basic references on "Shigeru Suzuki".
For more details on "Shigeru Suzuki", please have a look at the article linked above.
Song image & Lyrics
Open
Link to the lyrics
Copyright notice on the lyrics link
Sound impression
Rhythmic & stylish
This seems to be a stylish, and mellow Pop song in a comfortably fast & bouncy rhythm.
Refreshing Pop sound
The drums, synthesizer, mellotrone, 12-string guitar, and the electric piano begin a grand introduction, and the bass, electric guitar, and strings section join.
In the main part, relaxing pop melody in medium speed supports "Shinji Harada's sweet, youthful & charming main vocal which was only prevailing in early years of his career.
(Since he became famous too with his cool husky voice later.)
Controlled sound of the string section is also adding refreshing and rich atmosphere.
Mellotron
You might catch the impressive cute sound like the ocarina, or the piccolo flute in the beginning of introduction, but that sound is coming from the Mellotron.
"Shinji Harada" is known as a musician to pursue his sound deeply. And already on the debut song, he was showing his persistence for his sound and originality.
In the modern world, a digital sampler can do the same job a hundred times more smartly.
But some of the musicians still prefer to use the Mellotron because of its analogue sound, and the electronic instrument is still in production.
Reference
About Google translate
About the artist
Shinji HaradaLove, Peace, & Happiness
"Shinji Harada" is a Pop Rock singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and music producer active since 1977.
"Harada" had been a super idol star in the late '70s though it was not really his will.
In 1980, "Harada" was born again as a rock singer. Since then, he is performing excellent hard rock, and Pop-rock until now.
"Harada" is also known as an ardent advocate of world peace, or warless world, which might be motivated by his place of birth, namely "Hiroshima".
He is always sending enthusiastic messages for peace together with his stylish melodies.
Shinji Harada debuted in 1977 with a single, "Teen's blues". Since then, 42 singles, and 22 original, 3 live, and 19 best albums have been released until now.
(Ref: Wikipedia-jp, Shinji Harada)
Early times
"Shinji Harada" was born to a family in Hiroshima in 1958.
He was showing some interest on music from childhood, since he became a member of a local Boys and Girls Choir at 7 (or 8) years old.
And according to an interview article, Harada began to feel Pops & Rock interesting in elementary school age.
In the middle school, his aspiration for Rock and Pops grew further, and began to think that he should make popular music his career.
He began to play the guitar and the piano also in this period.
In high school age, Harada joined in a school light music circle, and the curious guy also started to play the drums and the bass, and began to walk the way to a multi-instrumentalist.
At the same time, Harada also participated in a semi-professional local Jazz big band as a guitarist.
And this provided him a precious opportunity to learn music theory, arrangement, and score writing.
While Harada was a high school student, he was already made up his mind to be a pop musician, and looking for opportunities to realise his wish.
One day, when "Harada" was flipping over an entertainment magazine, an advertising of a music audition attracted his eyes.
"Harada" quickly recorded few of his original songs, and produced a Demo tape. Then sent it to the organizer of the audition, namely "For Life Records", which was a very newly founded (1975), artist oriented record company.
Seemingly, a person in charge at "For Life Records" were so impressed by "Harada"'s Demo tape.
Within 2-3 days, "For Life Records" sent some recruiting staff from Tokyo to his home in Hiroshima.
And 17 years old "Harada" was set to be debuted in 1 year time when he goes up to the university in Tokyo.
Debut
Record company and parties involved were all aware of "Harada"'s outstanding talent as a music artist, and even more importantly, cute and handsome mask he had.
They were feeling "Harada"'s' high potential for not only being a brilliant pop singer but also a super idol star.
As "Harada" had enough stocks of original songs already at the point of debut, the record company planned a monthly release of new single for three straight months (called "Triple single") from the timing of debut.
Along with that, the record company prepared to launch a massive promotion through the media, particularly TV, to impress his excellent music and handsome looks to the public.
And "Harada" finally debuted in the Oct 1977, with his first single record "Teen's blues".
Big success
Totally brand new melody and chord progression, (if we dare to seek an artist with closer atmosphere now, it maybe Gilbert O'Sullivan.), of "Teen's blues" stunned the Japanese music fans, and attracted them all a lot.
And on the other hand, - it was a little unexpected thing for "Harada", and as planned for the promoter's end though, - "Harada"'s cute & handsome looks, and sweet voice crushingly charmed the young women, and teenager girls.
(Because he was so cool at that time. Since his music was stylish, his piano play and singing was excellent. But as much as anything, he was so cute and handsome almost more than popular idol stars, even he was not debuted as an idol star. So, he was definitely only one.)
As a promotion strategy, "Harada" released a new single record monthly for three months from his debut. Namely,
- Oct.1977
- Teen's blues
- Nov.1977
- Candy
- Dec.1977
- Shadow Boxer
Fortunately, those three songs became hit songs, and in just a few short months, "Shinji Harada" became one of the most spotlighted singers, and idol stars.
In Feb 1978, some 5 months after the debut, "Harada" released a long-awaited his first album "Feel Happy".
Not surprisingly... No. Actually really surprisingly, "Feel Happy" achieved miraculous "debut at the top", for the first time in the history of Japan's most trusted music charts provider, "Original Confidence".
"Harada" is still an only singer-songwriter achieved it under the age of twenty, at the point of 2008.
In July 1978, "Harada" successfully hold a solo concert at a "Nippon Budō-kan", which was the largest concert venue in Japan at that time.
Of course, it was the first in the history for "Budo-kan", a rookie singer was holding a solo concert.
And in addition to that, in the evening of new year eve in 1978, "Harada" was invited to a prestigious, and long lasted year end TV music variety, "NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen" as a performer even he was a rookie singer.
By appearing on such a high rating TV program, "Shinji Harada" became a national singer.
Conflicts
In contrast to such triumphant success as a newly debuted singer-songwriter, "Shinji Harada" was not totally happy with the situation he was in.
"Harada" was thinking that the popularity he won was because he had been singing or acting as an idol star, as a part of a marketing strategy by the promoters.
His feeling might be basically correct, since his concerts were always packed with thousands of teenager girls and young women.
And he had his hands full with appearance on TV shows and hundreds of interviews from entertainment, or idol magazines.
Seeking for a better management, he moved the entertainment agency just after 6 month from the debut.
But more importantly, he was thinking that the songs he has released so far were not 100% his creations, since the lyrics in use were the ones wrote by other lyricist for inevitable marketing strategic reasons.
"Harada" was feeling that he was not go in the right direction as a music artist, since he became a singer to deliver his serious messages to the public together with his extraordinarily stylish & powerful music.
He began to insist that he wish to perform his song in more genuine style rather than arranged by someone.
The people around him were more flexible than before. But "Harada" was feeling the environment was not really the one he imagined as ideal.
This drove him to complete independence, in other word leaving from "For Life", the record company he had contracted with.
Become independent
In 1980, after released his 9th single "MARCH" from his home "For Life records", he finally told "Good-bye" to them and his agency, and became independent.
"Harada" soon set up a management agency named "CRISIS MANAGEMENT" for himself. And quickly contracted with a new record company, "Polydor record".
He also teamed up a new rock band "CRISIS" soon with 4 other powerful members.
And started a music activity under new environment.
Devotion to Rock
"Shinji Harada & CRISIS" was quick enough.
Already in October 1980, less than 1 year from their independence, they released the 1st single "Strawberry night". And in November the same year, their 1st album "HUMAN CRISIS" were launched.
Actually, "HUMAN CRISIS" was an excellent rock album, and it was the one really ahead of the times.
(We think "Modern Vision" (1984) is a lot easy to listen for Light & Mellow fans, among the albums of "Shinji Harada & CRISIS" though...)
This clearly explains why "Shinji Harada" was desperately eager to be independent.
If he was wishing to perform the music like this, and the songs like these were already sounding in his head, leaving "home" (For Life Records) was only a right choice for him. We can understand.
So, in a real sense, this was the beginning of the main section of musician "Shinji Harada".
We might have to call his "For Life" era an introduction, or incubation period.
His rock is pretty hard and heavy, and therefore it is a pretty selective type of music.
"Harada" finally obtained right fans for his music.
Since then, he has been releasing singles and albums steadily and constantly.
Quest for peace
According to some interview articles, being a star, or being rich is not really a motivation for him to be a singer.
A desire for music expression maybe a reasonable answer. But it is still not a biggest reason for him to be a musician.
But a primal urge for him for being a singer is to deliver messages to the public about the peace of the world. That is the statement that "Harada" often has stress on.
Obviously, he is also one of the postwar generation like most of us are.
But he was born in Hiroshima, so his emotion or desire for peace is far more stronger than us like ordinary Japanese, we imagine.
How to attain a warless world? How to change the world more gentle? And How can I contribute for that though music...?
Those fundamental, and straight forward questions have been the driving force for "Harada", according to the comments by him.
Recent
"Harada" is constantly releasing new songs even now. And holding a concert in various venue quite actively.
His enthusiasm for world peace seems to be even stronger, and delivering various messages in many occasions.
In September 2013, "Harada" was invited to perform at "The UN General Assembly High Level Forum on the Culture of Peace".
References
For more details about "Shinji Harada", please have a look at the references linked below.
-
(Ref: shinji-harada.com,
profile)🇯🇵
Video clip
Lastly, we would like to introduce a music clip of today's song "Teen's blues" by "Shinji Harada".
The exact music clip seems to be available on Youtube. But we would like to hold back linking to them due to copy right concerns.
Fortunately, a music video of the live version of "Teen's blues" has been uploaded on that site by "Shinji Harada - Topic" with a permission. So, we would like to bring it up for you.
If you like, please listen to.
(The video links were updated in 2023, because more suitable one was found. The old links are still available, and appearing just after the current link.)
Music Samples
8
(試聴する)
AD: Listening samples (Free)
Amazon JP(en)
recochoku.jp
music.apple.com (Track No.8)
Japanese Letters
| Song Title | てぃーんず ぶるーす(Teen's blues) |
|---|---|
| Artist | 原田真二(Shinji Harada) |
| Album Title | Feel Happy |
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