[Light & Refreshing]
No.228 "Okuretekita Birthday" by Takako Ohta
Hi. The song we would like to introduce to you today is, "Okurete-kita BIRTHDAY" (My Birthday, he came late.) by "Takako Ohta".
"Okurete-kita BIRTHDAY" is a light, and refreshing pop love song released in 1986 as one of the songs in the 4th studio album of "Takako Ohta" titled "200%".
"Takako Ohta" is particularly well-known as the heroine voice actor for a very popular magical girl anime TV series "Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel".
But in reality, the main part of her career is singing, and has released a few of unique albums since the debut.
If you like, please listen to.
Strangely, only very few (actually only one) music shops offer a song sample of today's song "Okuretekita BIRTH DAY", since the song has not yet been sold as Digital music.
So, please search around the video sharing sites like Youtube to find out some listening samples, by using key words like, "takako ohta birth day", etc.
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.
We are now working on improving appearances of our posts.
If you find anything odd, please kindly let us know.
Thank you.
Cover art today
Song data
| Title | Okurete-kita BIRTHDAY(My Birthday, and he came late.) |
|---|---|
| Artist | Takako Ohta |
| Album Title | 200% |
| Catalog Number | 32JC-155 |
| Track No. | 5 |
| Duration | 4:01 |
| Released | 1986 |
| Publisher | Japan Record |
| Lyricist | Hisayoshi Onda |
| Composer | Takako Ohta |
| Arranger | Fujimaru Yoshino |
About the creators
Hisayoshi Onda Lyricist
"Hisayoshi Onda" is a popular song lyricist active since around the early 1980s.
In spite of his popularity as a lyricist, There isn't much biographical information about him on the internet.
So, we would like to add some more in the future if we find any.
References
For more details on "Hisayoshi Onda", please have a look at the references linked below.
Takako Ohta Composer
The composer of this song is "Takako Ohta" herself.
"Takako Ohta" has written only 4-5 songs in 40 years of her career. And this is a rare, and the first example of her composition, as long as we understand.
Anyway, she is also a singer of this song, and therefore, we would like to come back to her in "About the artist" section later.
Fujimaru Yoshino Arranger
Fujimaru Yoshino is a guitarist, vocalist, composer, arranger, and a member of popular rock bands, SHŌGUN, and AB'S, active since 1972.
References
For more information on "Fujimaru Yoshino", please have a look at the references linked below.
Or, please also check our past post No.153 introducing one of "Fujimaru Yoshino"'s song "Who Are You", and contains some more information about him.
Song image & Lyrics
Open
Link to the lyrics
Some notes on the lyrics link
Sound impression
Sound impression
This is a light, refined, and bracing pop song in comfortable uptempo.
Refreshing
The drums, bass, electric guitar, keyboard, sampler, and a brass section begin a sunny and refreshing introduction, and the main section starts.
In the main part, a beautiful and breezy chorus supports the main vocal nicely.
"Ohta"'s much idol star like, characteristic vocal is adding a special charm to this song.
Reference
About Google translate
About the artist
Takako OhtaCreamy Takako
"Takako Ohta" is a singer, voice actor, and idol star active since 1983.
She is perhaps the most well known as the heroine voice actor, and the singer of a main theme of a magical girl anime series, " "Takako Ohta" debuted in 1983 with a single, "Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel", which was very popular in the '80s.
And in a sense, "Ohta" is one of the pioneering entertainers who work as "Singer & "Voice actor, (& idol star)" at the same time, like "Mari Iijima", or "Megumi Hayashibara".
As a singer, "Ohta" has released 13 studio albums to date, and still continues being a singer.
"Takako Ohta" debuted in 1983 with a single, "Delicate-ni suki shite" (Love me delicately) which was a main theme for a referred anime series, "Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel". Since then, 19 singles, and 13 studio, 2 mini, 1 live, 12 best albums, and 1 box-set have been released until now.
(Ref: Wikipedia-en, Takako Ohta)
Early times
"Takako Ohta" started her entertainment career by participating in a singing contest held as a part of a national popular TV talent show "Star tanjō", aired from the early '70s to the mid '80s.
"Ohta" got through the qualifying round smoothly, and advanced to the 45th final round held in 1982.
"Ohta" performed well, and very fortunately, "Ohta" won recognition from a few of record companies as a possible new idol star with potential.
And at the end of the day, "Ohta" was scouted, and recruited by one the major record companies Tokuma Japan Corporation.
Encounter with Creamy Mami
In this way, "Takako Ohta" opened her career as an idol star.
As a duty of a newly debuting idol star, "Ohta" was continuing courtesy visits to the offices of business partners.
And when she paid "Tokuma Shoten Publishing", a group businesses, a courtesy call, "Ohta" received an attractive offer from a powerful chief editor, "Ogata".
"Ogata", the first chief editor of a pioneering monthly Anime magazine "Animage", suggested "Ohta" to be a heroine of a newly launching TV anime series "Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel", by serving as a voice actor, and also singing a main theme of the series.
"Ohta" was brave enough to accept this fantastic, but tough offer, despite she had zero previous experience in those jobs.
Because she was entirely charmed by a cute illustration of "Creamy Mami".
Debuting with Creamy Mami
On the 1st July 1983, a new TV anime series "Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel" began to be aired in all over Japan.
And this naturally became a debuting day for "Takako Ohta", since she voice-acted (or dubbed) as a heroine(s) of this TV series.
And on the 25th of the same month, a new EP "Delicate-ni suki shite", a main theme of this TV series, and also the debut single of "Takako Ohta" was released.
And the launch of this was virtually a debut of "Takako Ohta" as a singer.
The TV anime series gained unexpectedly huge popularity particularly among children and teenager girls.
And good or bad, but "Creamy Mami" has been just like an alias of "Takako Ohta".
It's been 40 years since "Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel" was first broadcasted.
Nonetheless, the TV series is not just still popular, but even acquiring new fans in both domestic and overseas.
"Takako Ohta" held a special concert in 2014 for celebrating the 30 years anniversary of "Creamy Mami", and gathered an overflowing audience.
Idol pops
Think back over the career of "Takako Ohta", it seems she put more importance on being a singer than the other identities, since she only voice-acted just few TV anime series, or acted on No TV drama series at all, while she had released 13 studio albums, still active as a singer.
The music style of "Takako Ohta" might be divided into 3 periods namely,
- Idol pops era (1983-1984)
- Light & neat Pops era (1985-1987)
- Rock era (1987-1990)
As a matter of fact, "Ohta" was debuted as an idol star. So, it is quite natural and logical that the songs in her early albums are idol pops.
Actually, in 1984, "Takako Ohta" was selected as a regular cast member of one of the most popular TV live music show for young, namely, "Let's go, Young".
So, she was definitely a typical idol star at this point.
Light, neat & stylish pops
Already on the 3rd album, "Ohta" made an attempt to move her music from innocent idols pops style to neat, and more authentic type pops, by asking a support to a few of leading creators of light & mellow type songs.
This line was continued until her 6th album "Pop station", though the rock-leaning 5th album "Want" was an exception.
So, for Light & mellow fans, her albums in this era might be interesting.
Rock era and onward
The 5th, 7th, and 8th albums were designed to feature rock-leaning sound, by welcoming a talented musician "Ken Takahashi" as an arranger.
We might able to say that this trial opened a new horizon to a singer "Ohta".
In fact, we hear that "Ohta" was enjoying singing rock tunes.
From 10th album and onward, her sound has returned back to more balanced pops style, but a lot more rounded.
If you like, please give them a try.
Short break, and come back
According to some interview articles, "Takako Ohta" had been longing for marriage while she had been an active idol star.
In 1994, she finally announced her retirement to realise her "dream".
And in 1996, "Ohta" found a nice man who had no particular relation to the entertainment industry. They soon fell in love, and got married.
The couple soon blessed with children, and "Ohta" were having busy days for childcare.
But one day in 1998, "Ohta" received a love call from a big boss of "Creamy Mami" team, if she can come back.
After a while, "Ohta" accepted an offer, and started her activity by attending some events as a guest.
And this actually worked out as her come back to the business.
Since then, she has been working as a singer in her own pace.
Recent
In 2013, "Ohta" held a "Creamy Mami 30 years anniversary special live" in Tokyo, and packed the concert hall with an overflowing audience.
And on 20th May 2023 (Today), "Ohta" is going to appear on a big scale music event, "Voice actors Red vs White Song Battle in 2023" in Yokohama, as a cast member and performer representing "Creamy Mami" team.
As a singer, she has released a new full album "Voice of Angel" in 2021.
References
For more details on "Takako Ohta", please have a look at the references below.
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(Ref: ameblo.jp/ohta-takako/ ,
blog)🇯🇵
Video clip
As referred in the "Greeting" section, a sample of today's song is rare on the internet. Maybe because the digital version of this songs is not yet on sale.
So, please check the linked Tower record site as a precious source of sample of today's song.
Or you can find some on Youtube, by searching it with keywords like [takako ohta birth day], though we cannot put links here due to copy right concerns.
So, instead of them, we would like to introduce a music video of another good track of "Takako Ohta" titled "Maho β" (Magic β) .
"Mahō β" (Magic β) was released in 2021 as one of the songs in her latest, and the 13th album "Voice of Angel".
It is also a good and modern light and mellow tune. If you like, please listen to.
Music Samples
5
(試聴する)
AD: Listening samples (Free)
tower.jp
Japanese Letters
| Song Title | 遅れてきた BIRTHDAY(Okurete-kita BIRTHDAY) |
|---|---|
| Artist | 太田貴子(Takako Ohta) |
| Album Title | 200% |
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