🍎J-Colle ② "The Prince of City Pop" Tatsuhiko Yamamoto - Masterpiece "TATSUHIKO LIVE" [J-Pop] [80s]

"City Pop", you've heard that term, right?
It refers to the "stylish and urban pop-rock" that was popular in Japan around the 1980s, and
it is currently receiving a lot of attention all over the world 🌏

Akira Terao's"Ruby no Yubiwa"andTatsuro Yamashita's"Christmas Eve"are famous, but what else is there? 🙄

The artist I've chosen this time is the "Prince of City Pop," Tatsuhiko Yamamoto.
First, let's have a listen to a track 🎧

"The Prince of City Pop"
Tatsuhiko Yamamoto - Masterpiece "TATSUHIKO LIVE" (1982)

That was Tatsuhiko Yamamoto with"I Love You So".
What did you think?
Pretty cool, right?

It starts quietly with a piano solo, and then suddenly, those striking piano chord strokes 🎹
With the guitar and drums added in, an uptempo future begins in the city streets.

"I love you so,
holding you tight... 🎵"
Tatsuhiko repeats the chorus.
Well, something like that.

Next, let's listen to another song."Konya wa Dramatic"🎧

A shuffle beat with light electric piano sounds and a 'cha-cha-ka, cha-cha-ka' guitar rhythm.

"On a night as dramatic as this.
A red dress that suits you perfectly.
Let's dance until morning tonight~ 🎵"

"The roar of the sea, you swaying.
You look just like a Matisse painting~ 🎵"
Even cheesy lines like this sound cool when Tatsuhiko sings them 👍


Starting with an a cappella chorus of "Woo-woo, ooh~ 🎵,"
the third track is"Return to 1974"🎧

"Drained beer, the autumn wind sways.
A flood of time rushing in~ 🎵"

The lyrics are as colorful and vivid as a painting 🎨

"Remember, baby, baby,
you and me, 1974.
Proof that we felt the same way.
I think so 🎵"
Tatsuhiko speaks to his former girlfriend he has reunited with.

Here, let me briefly introduce Tatsuhiko Yamamoto's profile 🖋️

Born in Tokyo, Tatsuhiko Yamamoto was born in 1954 and is currently 72 years old.
During his childhood at the prestigious Gyosei Academy, he participated in a US tour as a member of the Tokyo Boys Choir.

In high school, he formed a band with Kazumi Watanabe, who would later become a world-class jazz guitarist, and
after graduating from university, he debuted as a solo artist.

He is the "Prince of City Pop" who has left behind many sophisticated and urban masterpieces. That is Tatsuhiko Yamamoto.

Now, after the punchy TOTO-reminiscent "Mrs. Snow", the last track on Side A is a heartbreak song for the end of summer 🎧

Tatsuhiko sings this piano ballad, "Love Letter on the Side Seat".

"I find myself coming to this shop,
even though there's no one waiting for me.
A sleepless rainy night,
an empty wine glass~ 🎵"

It's a wonderful ballad that weaves the world of Seizo Watase's "Heart Cocktail" into sound 🍷

"A blue and dazzling,
love letter from you.
I understand your loneliness.
Staring at the time, now, I make the call.
I can hear your voice~ 🎵"

And so, Tatsuhiko drives his car toward that house on the coast 🚗

The second half of the album opens with the funky and cool "Lonely Tonight".

The following "Man + Woman = 100%" is a track that Japanese people seem to really love.
It's no wonder this song was released as a single.

Now, let's listen to one more song."Fly to Me"🎧

The hi-hat marking the 16-beat rhythm, and the slap bass growling.
A song heavily influenced by the latest tight arrangements from artists like TOTO and Airplay.

If someone asks, "What is 'City Pop'?",
please answer, "Urban and stylish Japanese-made AOR."
That will be just fine 🙆‍♀️

The song breaks in the middle, and all the members hit the mark perfectly together.
It looks cool when it's perfectly synchronized, but it's very difficult because everyone has to be in sync with each other's breathing.


The encore opens with Casiopea-like intro, the cool "Sunrise Highway".

With a full-on fusion sound, they finish with a flourish once again, and the backing band
Crossbeat's performance comes to an end.Tatsuhiko Yamamoto, left all alone, sits at the piano and sings 🎧

"I want to hold you tight in these arms.
It's too much, too much of a pity to just make it a dream.
You let out a small sigh.
Your closed blue eyelids,
are just fading away now.
No, no, as if to cherish every second,
this city urges me on.
No, no, you mustn't be swept away,
you can believe in me 🎵"


"Skyscraper Blues".The city night is now slowly falling asleep 🦉

🍹Today's Bonus

How was it? The City Pop masterpiece "TATSUHIKO LIVE".

When I was in college, there was a woman in the same club that I had a crush on.
My junior, M-kun, also had someone he had a crush on, so we decided to invite them to a Tatsuhiko Yamamoto concert and go see it as a group of four.

So, the two of us lined up in front of a record store in the underground mall from the night before the release date to get the front-row seats.

And with those tickets in hand, we each invited our respective crushes.
In the end, we were both turned down, and we never ended up going to the Tatsuhiko Yamamoto concert.

I've forgotten where those tickets went,
but they remain in my and M-kun's hearts, along with the lights of the empty underground mall at night.



✍I look forward to your opinions, impressions, and requests. (Furakoko)