[Floaty]
No.229 "Hello Hello Hello" by Izumi Kobayashi & Flying mimi band
Hi. The song we would like to introduce to you today is, "Hello Hello Hello" by "Izumi Kobayashi & Flying mimi band".
Floaty & relaxing Pop song "Hello Hello Hello" was originally released as a song contained in the debut album of a Pop-rock band "Izumi Kobayashi & Flying mimi band" active in the late '70s.
"Izumi Kobayashi" is a pioneering female Fusion keyboardist in Japan, and has written dozens of very nice Pops & Pop instrumental songs until now.
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 | Hello Hello Hello |
|---|---|
| Artist | Izumi Kobayashi |
| Album Title | Orange Sky - Endless Summer |
| Catalog Number | PROT-1055 |
| Track No. | 2 |
| Duration | 5:33 |
| Released | 1978 |
| Publisher | Universal Music |
| Lyricist | Izumi Kobayashi |
| Composer | Izumi Kobayashi |
| Arranger | Izumi Kobayashi |
About the creators
Izumi Kobayashi Song writer & Arranger
"Izumi Kobayashi" is the Lyricist, composer, arranger of this song. also a singer of this song.
She is also the singer of this song, and therefore, we would like to come back to her in "About the artist" section later.
Song image & Lyrics
Open
Link to the lyrics
Some notes on the lyrics link
Sound impression
Like floating on the calm sea
This is a gentle, drifting, and relaxing Pop song in a laid-back rhythm.
Floaty
The drums, bass, electric guitar, saxophone, flute, electric piano, and string synthesizer begin a very relaxing, slow and floaty introduction, and main part starts.
In the main part, the vocal by "Izumi Kobayashi" and backing vocals also join. However they are not like a vocal in the usual sense, but more like one of the instruments in the ensemble.
"Kobayashi"'s singing is fine, airy, and delicate and sounds like an angel's voice.
Reference
About Google translate
About the artist
Izumi KobayashiPioneering Fusion keyboardist as a woman
"Izumi Kobayashi" is a keyboardist, singer-songwriter, music producer, columnist, and entrepreneur active since around mid '70s.
She has been well-known as a talented keyboardist and musician mainly in Fusion, and Pop instrumental category.
But at the same time, she is also famous as a composer and arranger of "Lum's Love Song" , the opening theme of a super popular TV anime series, "Urusei Yatsura"
She is also recognized in Europe as a studio musician, since she has spent more than half of her career in there.
"Izumi Kobayashi" debuted in 1977 with a single, "My Beach Samba". Since then, 2 singles, and 2 original albums as "Izumi Kobayashi & Flying mimi band".
After broke up "Flying mimi band", "Kobayashi" has released 4 singles, and 4 studio albums as a solo artist until now.
(Ref: Wikipedia-en, Izumi Kobayashi)
Early times
According to an interview article, "Izumi Kobayashi" began the piano in childhood days.
She liked to play the piano, and actually she had some talent.
And just after entering high school, "Kobayashi" took a part-time job as a pianist of a band at the dance hall.
The hall paid performance fee to her every time, though it was not a big amount.
Nonetheless, this was the beginning of her (semi) Professional career.
Presumably, her piano play was liked by some audiences. And before too long, "Kobayashi" began to receive more orders from various restaurant, bars, or clubs around Tokyo, asking her to perform the piano at their premises.
And when "Kobayashi" was in the third year of high school, she was already performing in the US military base where both the level of performers and the level of performance fee were regarded as the highest.
In fact the salary for musician was enormously high at that time.
Thanks to this more than enough earnings, "Kobayashi" was able to pay her tuition for the music college where she was going to go on to later.
At the US military base, "Kobayashi" met with many young and talented musicians, and was inspired a lot.
One day in the base, a fellow musician named "Tokashiki" ,a drummer, invited her to his band "ASOCA" outside the base.
"Kobayashi" accepted his offer and became a member.
And this later turned out as her first band "Izumi Kobayashi & Flying mimi band", which made her debut as a professional musician in 1977.
ASOCA on Eastwest
"ASOCA" was a 4-piece rock band from Chiba (near Tokyo) consisted of three men and one woman.
All members were just under twenty, but had a fantastic playing skill, and aspiring to be a professional musician.
In 1976, a music instrumental company "Yamaha" newly started a music contest for top class amateur bands, and named it "EastWest".
As if it is a natural course of action for them, "ASOCA" participated in the contest.
Predictably, the contest was very competitive. (Because "Casiopea" like later super bands were also taking part in.)
Nevertheless, "ASOCA" proudly won the grand prix on the first "EastWest" music contest in 1976.
And "Izumi Kobayashi" was also awarded a "Best Keyboardist" prize.
Debut & Debut again
On the other hand, while "Kobayashi" was working as a backing musician to a major artist, a person in the entertainment industry noticed her potential, and suggested if she is interested in debuting as a singer.
Before too long, "Kobayashi" his offer, and the man took her to the first record company.
Smoothly enough, her debuting schedule was set up, and "Kobayashi" also completed the recording of her debut single.
But already at this point of time, she was realizing that there was a significant gap in understanding between the record company and her end, regarding her position as a talent.
Actually, the record company was planning to promote her as an idol star. But it was almost an opposite direction that "Kobayashi" was wishing.
"Kobayashi" consulted with her manager. And they decided to move the record company after released the debut single.
At the 2nd record company, the manager reaffirmed her intention on her music style.
As a result, the members of "ASOCA" got called in, and "Izumi Kobayashi & Flying mimi band" were formed.
And "Izumi Kobayashi" debuted again as a vocalist & keyboardist of "Izumi Kobayashi & Flying mimi band" with their first single, "My Beach Samba '78".
By the way, "Mimi" is a nickname for "Izumi Kobayashi"
The rest of the members of "Flying mimi band" were, "Marty Bracey", "Morio Watanabe", "Takayuki Hijikata", "Yasuaki Shimizu", "Yuichi Togashiki".
And, the three of them, namely, Shimizu, Hijikata, and Watanabe later became a core members of a legendary Fusion group, "Mariah" in 1979.
"Takanaka", "Parachute", and as a solo
After released two albums as "Flying mimi band", "Kobayashi" became a solo artist, and began to release albums of her own.
And in 1981, she released her first solo album "Coconuts High" by inviting gorgeous musicians like, Abraham Laboriel, Hervey Mason, or Tower of Power horn section.
At the same time, "Kobayashi" received offers from Japan's top Fusion bands, or musician like, "The Square", "Parachute", or "Masayoshi Takanaka" to become a member.
Because they put a very high value on her playing skill, creativity, and presence as a rare woman keyboardist.
After consideration, "Kobayashi" joined "Parachute" and "Takanaka" band in around 1979.
In either groups, "Izumi Kobayashi" became an indispensable member, and performed actively on recordings and concerts.
Lum's Love Song
Also in parallel, "Izumi Kobayashi" began to receive orders from various parties to write songs for their TV commercials, or TV Anime series.
Soon, she began to rise as a songwriter in this field.
And in 1981, one of the Pop song "Kobayashi" wrote as a main theme for a TV anime series, "Urusei Yatsura" originally drawn by a rising (at that time) manga artist"Rumiko Takahashi".
That was the now-famous Anime song, "Lum's Love Song".
The anime series caught on quickly, and the main theme "Lum's Love Song" enjoyed an uncommon popularity as a theme music for a TV Anime series.
Now a days, "Lum's Love Song" is often listed as an Anime song represents the '80s. And it's been covered by many Pop singers until now, including young artists who might watched the TV series in returns.
So except Fusion fans like us, the name of "Izumi Kobayashi" is known as the composer of "Lum's Love Song" in general.
Move to Europe
In the interview article, "Kobayashi" recollected that she was feeling exhausted in this period.
And she was also hoping to perform as a musician in overseas as well.
She made some demo tapes of her music, and handed them to the musicians from overseas whenever she has a chance to meet with them.
In mid '80s, she had a response from a German Post-punk musician "Holger Hiller", saying you should pursue this style of music in Europe.
Before too long, "Kobayashi" received an entry VISA, a flight ticket to Europe, and a key of a flat sent by the manager to "Holger Hiller".
"Kobayashi" decided to take this lucky opportunity, though it means she needed to quit all the on-going jobs in Japan and terminate contracts with business partners.
"Kobayashi" moved to London where "Holger Hiller" lived in those days.
And started to work as a member of a backing band for "Holger Hiller".
International
Not only participating in "Holger Hiller"'s, but "Kobayashi" also worked with bands or musicians like, "Depeche Mode", "Stephen Tin-Tin Duffy" (Duran Duran), "Billy MacKenzie", "Swing Out Sister", or "Mathilde Santing" as a keyboardist, and supported them with her excellent performances.
Through those works, she got established in the music industry in the UK, or Europe.
Since then, "Kobayashi" completely settled down in the UK, and cond continued to work as a musician, or business person until quite recent.
So for the Japanese music fans, "Kobayashi" seemed almost suddenly to disappear in the mid '80s, from the Japanese music scene.
Recent
"Izumi Kobayashi" seems to have resumed music activities in Japan since around 2018, by appearing as a special guest on several music events.
In 2021, "Kobayashi" collaborated with a known American visual artist, "Abdul Qadim Haqq", and launched a unique picture-book which might also be very useful for fostering music senses of children.
In addition to that, she started a remix project of her famous hit song, "Lum's love song", by working together with various edgy artists like, "Hidefumi Kenmochi", "3asic", "Limited Toss", or "Gus Lobban" of "Kero Kero Bonito".
From this project, three EPs has been released so far.
As seen above, "Izumi Kobayashi" is always active in music wherever she is.
References
For more details about "Izumi Kobayashi", please have a look at the references linked below.
Video clip
Lastly, we would like to introduce a music clip of today's song "Hello Hello Hello" on Youtube.
Fortunately, many of the albums have been remastered and being sold as digital music.
And samples of them have been made available on Youtube.
To our ears, treble, or high-tone range seems to have been a bit too emphasised on "Remastered" version compared with the original, but just a bit.
But we imagine the majority might prefer the sound of "Remastered" as modern.
If you like, please listen to.
Music Samples
2
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Amazon JP(en)
recochoku.jp
music.apple.com
Japanese Letters
| Song Title | ハロー・ハロー・ハロー(Hello Hello Hello) |
|---|---|
| Artist | 小林泉美&Flying Mimi Band(Izumi Kobayashi&Flying Mimi Band) |
| Album Title | Orange Sky - Endless Summer |
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