Interview with Rie Nishioka of the Pen Friend Club

Their Self-Titled 8th Album

  

The Pen Friend Club have been soaring over the expanses of West Coast Pop making musical waves across the Pacific Ocean for the past 10 years. Their bass player 西岡利恵 Rie Nishioka has been with the group since its beginning. Music runs throughout Rie's life whether on bass for the Pen Friend Club or leading her ‘60s garage combo named Schultz, playing keyboards for the '80s inspired act DEAR MY FRIENDS or her latest pursuit of playing solo.  Stacked on top of all the music, she is also a fine writer and her words on her musical inspirations can be found on WebVANDA. Further, it’s not everyday we come across a multi-instrumentalist as talented and versatile as Rie. In a way, she is like one of Wrecking Crew session musicians (e.g., Carol Kaye) in her support roles and also similar to one of the Brill Building singer-songwriters (e.g., Ellie Greenwich, Carole King) when she steps forward into the spotlight. Overall, she exemplifies the inspiring Japanese way of combining the aspects and elements of a vanished past with attention to detail and quality to create vibrant and eternal sounds we can hear now. Deeply involved and immersed are understatements when it comes to describing Rie and her music.

Special mention must be made to Patrick of Tokyo's Coolest Sound blog and drummer in Childish Tones feat. Beni Usakura as he made this interview possible through his encouragement, extensive translation and technical efforts to connect the world with Japan.

This interview is presented in alternating and corresponding Japanese & English.

The Pen Friend Club

■平川雄一 : (Yuichi Hirakawa) ：Guitar, Backing Vocals

■Megumi ：Vocals, Backing Vocals

■西岡利恵（Rie Nishioka）：Bass, Backing Vocals

■祥雲貴行（Takayuki Sakumo）：Drums

■中川ユミ（Yumi Nakagawa）：Glockenspiel, Percussion

■大谷英紗子（Asako Otani）：Saxophone

■リカ（Ricca）：Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals

■そい（Soi）：Organ. Piano, Backing Vocals

 

西岡利恵さんはペンフレンドクラブの結成時から参加されていて、キャロル・ケイ／ブライアン・ウィルソン／アル・ジャーディン的な役割を持ち、その複雑なベースラインがグループの魅力的でソフトなポップセンスと挑戦的なアレンジを支えている。

You have been with the Pen Friend Club since its beginning. You play the roles of Carol Kaye/Brian Wilson/Al Jardine with some quite complex bass lines that lay the foundation for the group’s soft pop brilliance and ambitious arrangements.

10周年を迎えたばかりという長い歴史を持つこのグループとはどのように関わるようになったのか教えてください。

Rie: 10年前、リーダーの平川からバンドをやろうと誘われた時はこういうジャンルの音楽をやることも、こんなに長い期間続くことも想像していませんでした。スタジオに入っているうちに、初期の段階で平川の中で表現したい音楽性が固まったようです。ペンフレンドクラブの曲のベースラインやアレンジは彼によるものです。私はもともと60年代、70年代あたりの音楽が好きでしたがペンフレンドクラブの音楽性とは少し違っていたので、バンドをやることで新たな音楽を知って、演奏するのは楽しかったです。ライブ、レコーディングを重ねているうちに気がつけば10年経っていましたが, 新作のアルバムでは初めて創作の部分にも関わり、とても新鮮でした。

(L to R) Rie Nishioka (w/Rickenbacker 4001), Takayuki Sakumo, Megumi,
Yumi Nakagawa, Ricca, Yuichi Hirakawa, Soi, Asako Otani

Tell us about how you got involved with the long-running group who just celebrated their tenth anniversary?

Rie: Ten years ago, when leader Hirakawa invited me to form a band, I had no idea that it would be this kind of music or that we would end up continuing this long. As we repeatedly went to the rehearsal studio in the early days, the type of music he wanted to create quickly concretized. He's the one who does the bass line arrangements in the Pen Friend Club. I had always liked some music from the '60s and '70s, but it was a bit different from the Pen Friend Club's musical direction. By being in the band I got to know more music, and playing it was fun. As we did shows and recordings all along, it seemed that 10 years went by quickly, but despite that in the making of our new album I got to participate in creative areas for the first time, and that felt very new and different.

The Pen Friend Clubのメンバーになる前に、西海岸のハーモニーが充実したサンシャインポップサウンドを聴いていましたか？

Rie: The Beach Boysなども少し聴いていましたが、以前はイギリスの音楽を聴くことの方が多かったです。

Were you familiar with West Coast harmony/sunshine pop sounds before becoming a member of the Pen Friend Club?

Rie: I listened to The Beach Boys and others a little, but before that I listened to more British music.

The Pen Friend Clubの新しいアルバムが録音されたと読みました。

その方向性についての詳細を教えていただけますか？

Rie: 9/7に8thアルバムがリリースされます。これまでと大きく違うのは全オリジナル曲ということ、アコースティックギター・コーラスのリカと私が曲作りに参加したことがあります。これまでのアルバムではオリジナル曲は平川作でしたが、今回別メンバーが参加して、それぞれの音楽性の重なる部分と違いとがよく表れているように思えるので、新しいアクセントになっていれば嬉しいです。

ちなみに、ニューアルバムでは西岡さんが「The Sun Is Up」「At Least For Me Tonight」「People In The Distance」「A Better Day」の作曲を担当しました。「Floating To You」は平川雄一さんとの共作です。

 

I read that a new Pen Friends Club album has been recorded.

Would you be able to offer any details or descriptions on its direction? 

Rie: Our 8th album will be released on Sept. 7, 2022 on the Sazanami Label. The biggest difference with the previous ones is that all songs are originals. Ricca–who plays acoustic guitars and sings backing vocals–and I participated in songwriting. Until now all of the original songs were written by Hirakawa, but this time other members also took part. I believe that the musicality of each one overlaps or brings differences, and I’d be happy if that can bring a new accent.

For the record, Rie composed the music of these songs on the new album: "The Sun Is Up," "At Least For Me Tonight," "People In The Distance" and "A Better Day". She also co-wrote "Floating To You" with Yuichi Hirakawa.
The Pen Friend Club / The Sun Is Up (Official Music Video) The Pen Friend Club / Beyond The Railroad (Official Music Video)

Schultzというバンド名はどのように思いついたのですか？

Rie: Schultzは綴りは違いますがスヌーピーの作者名からとっています。

How did you come up with the band name of Schultz?

Rie: The name is taken from the creator of Snoopy, although the spelling is different.

Schultzに2人の女性メンバーがいたことがありますか？

Rie: Schultzを結成した時は5人の女性だけのバンドでした。それまで楽器経験のなかったメンバーたちとスタジオに入り音を出していたのはガレージ的で面白かったですが、メンバーがスペインに引っ越したのを機にしばらく演奏することがなくなっていました。随分経ってから、ボーカルだった向井はるかがペンフレンドクラブに加入することになり、その時Schultzも復活させました。

Did Schultz ever have two female members?

Rie: When Schultz was formed it was a band of five female members. As some members had no experience of playing a musical instrument, it was interesting to go to the rehearsal studio and make sound with a sort of garage approach. But then as a member moved to Spain, for a while we stopped making music together. It’s after quite a while that vocalist Haruka Mukai joined The Pen Friend Club, and it’s at that moment that Schultz resumed.

Schultzは「Long Distance Call」「City Looks Still the Same」「I’ve Gone Away」「I Always Say What’s on my Mind」など、オリジナル曲がかなりあるようです。

これらの録音をする予定はありますか？

Rie: 具体的な予定はありませんが、いずれ録音は考えるかもしれません。

Schultz has amassed quite a few originals such as “Long Distance Call,” “City Looks Still the Same,” “I’ve Gone Away” and  “I Always Say What’s on my Mind.”

Are there any plans to offer these recordings?

Rie: There are no concrete plans so far, but I might think about recording sometime.

Schultz (L to R) Hiroyuki Anabuki, Takayuki Sakumo,
Rie Nishioka, Atsushi Jinno

Schultz 2022 line-up

■西岡利恵（Rie Nishioka) ：Guitar, Vocals

■神野敦史 (Atsushi Jinno) ：Guitar, Backing Vocals

■ 穴吹洋之（Hiroyuki Anabuki）：Bass ■ 祥雲貴行（Takayuki Sakumo）：Drums, Backing Vocals

2022年4月24日に開催された「Add Some Music To Your Day」配信イベントでは、西岡さんがキーボードを担当する80年代風バンドDEAR MY FRIENDSがデビューしました。このバンドについてもう少し詳しく聞かせてください。

DEAR MY FRIENDSはレコーディングセッションを行ったり、リリースの予定があったりしますか？

Rie: DEAR MY FRIENDSに関しても、現時点ではレコーディングの予定はなく、ライブを目的として活動しています。

I’m excited to learn more about and hear DEAR MY FRIENDS, which is the “80s styled” band that you play keyboards for and debuted at an installment of the “Add Some Music To Your Day” live streaming event that took place on April 24, 2022.

                          

Has there been any DEAR MY FRIENDS recording sessions and/or recordings slated to be released?

Rie: Regarding DEAR MY FRIENDS, so far there are no plans of recording, as the goal is to perform live.

DEAR MY FRIENDSというバンド名はどのように思いついたのですか？ Rie: 名付けたのは私ではありませんが、曲名からきているそうです。

How did you come up with the band name of DEAR MY FRIENDS?

Rie: It wasn't me who chose the name, but it seems that it was taken from a song title.

DEAR MY FRIENDSにはSchultzのメンバーも参加されていますか？

Rie: Schultzでサポートをお願いしている2人のメンバーはDEAR MY FRIENDSでもあります。

DEAR MY FRIENDSの方は私が中心人物ではなく、3人が結成していたところに加入しました。

I’m also curious if Schultz shares any members with DEAR MY FRIENDS?

Rie: Two of the support members of Schultz are also in DEAR MY FRIENDS.

I am not the main person in DEAR MY FRIENDS, three others had already formed it and I joined.

DEAR MY FRIENDS (L to R) Bookie, Monko, JinJin, Rie

DEAR MY FRIENDS

■Monko ：Guitar, Vocals

■Bookie ：Bass, Backing Vocals

■JinJin ：Drums, Backing Vocals

■Rie ：Keyboards, Backing Vocals

 

Schultz and DEAR MY FRIENDS have the same bassist (Hiroyuki Anabuki), and Schultz's guitarist (Atsushi Jinno) is the drummer in DEAR MY FRIENDS.

ソロでのレパートリーについて詳しく聞かせてもらえますか？

ソロアーティストとしてレコーディングする予定はありますか？また、ソロでのライブ活動を続ける予定はありますか？

Rie: ソロについては先日のイベントのために行ったものでした。すべてカバーで、バンドではやらない普段聴いている好きな曲を選びました。Buffalo Springfield、Grateful  Dead、Jim Croce、Cowboy、Brewer & Shipleyの曲です。今のところ定期的なライブやレコーディングは考えていませんが、また前回のAdd Someのような機会があったらやってみたいと思います。

Could you share more insight on your solo repertoire?

Are you planning to record as a solo artist? Also, do you have any plans to continue live as a solo performer?

Rie: Regarding my solo performance, it was for the other day’s event (Add Some Music to Your Day-April 24, 22). All of the songs were covers, and I chose songs different from the band’s, ones of music that I listen to usually. I played Buffalo Springfield, Grateful Dead, Jim Croce, Cowboy, and Brewer & Shipley. So far I haven’t planned to play solo regularly or do recordings, but I’d like to play again when there’s an opportunity similar to last time’s “Add Some Music To Your Day.”

Buck Owens and His Buckaroosの曲をレパートリーに含めることを検討しましたか？

Rie: Buck Owens And His Buckaroosはソロのレパートリーには入れませんでしたが、以前にSchultzで「Above & Beyond」をカバーしたことがあります。カントリーはSchultzの音楽性には異色でしたが私はこの曲がとても好きです。

Have you considered incorporating any Buck Owens and His Buckaroos songs into your set repertoire?

Rie: I haven’t put Buck Owens and His Buckaroos in my solo repertory, but previously in Schultz we played a cover of “Above & Beyond.” Country didn’t match with the musical style of Schultz, but I like this song very much.

現在の曲のレパートリーは、西岡さんがWebVANDAに定期的に寄稿している記事と連動することが多いようです。例えば、The Rising StormとThe Enfieldsについて書かれていましたが、「I’m For Things You Do」（The Enfields）と「Bright Lit Blue Skies」（The Rising Storm）がSchultzのセットリストに登場しました。

この流れだと、ソロでSeals & Croftsの曲が含まれる可能性はありますか？

Rie: WebVANDAでは好きなもの、興味のあるものについて書いているので、自然とカバーしている内容と一致することが多くなりました。Seals & Croftsは前回の選曲には含めませんでした。

Your current repertoire of music frequently coincides with your writing projects which regularly appear on WebVANDA.  For example, you wrote overview pieces on the Rising Storm and the Enfields. Songs by these groups, the Enfields’ “I’m For Things You Do” and “Bright Lit Blue Skies" by the Rising Storm have appeared in your setlists for Schultz.

Following this same pattern, will there be Seals & Crofts songs in your solo set?

Rie: On WebVANDA, I write about things that I like or have interest in, so this naturally goes along with the songs that I cover. I didn’t play Seals & Crofts last time.

このように多数の音楽プロジェクトは注目を集め、西岡さんの音楽スタイルの幅広さと多様性を示しています。

This multitude of musical projects command attention and display Rie’s stylistic range and versatility.

Rie playing solo at Add Some Music to Your Day
 April 24, 2022

The Pen Friend Clubは、Jeffrey Foskettと共演したことがあるそうですね。

他に北米あるいはヨーロッパのバンドとの共演はありましたか？

Rie: 2015年にThe Zombies来日公演のオープニングアクトとして出演しました。

I believe the Pen Friend Club has shared stages with Jeffrey Foskett.

Are there any other North American or European acts who have appeared with the Pen Friend Club at the same concert? 

Rie: In 2015, we played as the opening act when The Zombies came to Japan.

西岡さんのご家族には他にミュージシャンがいらっしゃいますか？
若い頃はどんな音楽を聴いていましたか？

Rie: 音楽一家ではなく、私自身も音楽をよく聴くようになったのは遅めでした。10代前半はハードロック、後半はブルースをよく聴いていました。

Do you come from a musical family?

What type of music did you listen to as a youngster?

Rie: I don’t come from a family of musicians, and personally I only started rather late to listen to music. In my early teens I listened to hard rock, and in my late teens I often listened to blues.

ミュージシャンになりたいと思ったきっかけは何ですか？ Rie: やりたいことをやっていたら日常の中で音楽の割合が多くなりましたが、職業ではありません。

What made you want to become a musician? Rie: As I went on pursuing the things I wanted to do, music has taken a bigger part of my daily life, but it isn’t my profession.

西岡さんは子供向けテレビ番組の「セサミストリート」がお好きなようです。

セサミストリートは世界中においてその現地語版が存在することは知っていましたが、日本でも長く放送されていて影響力があることを最近まで知りませんでした。

Rie: セサミストリートは英語を学ぶために見始めましたが、多くのミュージシャンがキャラクターとセッションしているのが好きでした。エルビスコステロを聴くようになったのはこの番組がきっかけです。

I saw that you have an affinity for the children’s television show Sesame Street?

While I knew Sesame Street had versions all over the world, I didn’t previously know of its long run and strong influence in Japan or the NHK version of セサミストリート Sesamisutorīto.

Rie: I started watching Sesame Street to learn English, but I liked that musicians do sessions with the characters. It was the reason I began listening to Elvis Costello.

現在の日本のバンドでおすすめはありますか？

CHILDISH TONESや秘密のミーニーズはかなり熟練しているようです。

Rie: 日本の音楽は、イベントでご一緒したりして魅力的なバンドを知ることが多かったです。Childish Tonesはにぎやかで楽しい雰囲気も素敵だし、サスティーンの短い独特な音がThe Milkshakesのような空気感があってかっこいいと思いました。秘密のミーニーズの渇いた空気感や郷愁が感じられる曲やサウンドもとても好きです。

Are there any other current Japanese bands you would like to mention and recommend?

Childish Tones? The Secret Meanies sound pretty proficient.

Rie: In terms of Japanese bands, I have known many good bands by being part of the same event. Childish Tones’ lively and fun ambiance is lovely, and their distinct sound with low sustain has an atmosphere similar to Thee Milkshakes. I also love The Secret Meanies’ songs and sounds that have a dry and nostalgic feel.

 最近、大滝詠一をたくさん聴いています。 YouTubeのおかげで、彼の音楽は5年程前からアメリカでより知られるようになり始めました。

The Pen Friend Clubがこのエキサイティングなシティポップムーブメントに含まれる現代的なバンドの1つであることについてはどう思いますか？

Rie: 私自身はシティポップというジャンルに詳しくはないのですが、時々ペンフレンドクラブがシティポップだと言われることがあります。リスナーの方の音楽性によってバンドのどの側面が際立って見えるかが変わってくるのは興味深いです。

I have recently been listening to a lot of Eiichi Ohtaki 大滝詠一 (“The father of City Pop”).  Thanks to YouTube, his music has just started to become better known in the United States in the past 5 years.

How do you feel about the Pen Friend Club being one of the contemporary bands included in the exciting City Pop Movement?

Rie: Personally I don’t know much about City Pop, but sometimes The Pen Friend Club gets described as City Pop. It’s interesting how a different facet of the band may stand out depending on the listener’s musical taste.

The Pen Friend Club in Concert

The Sidewinders-S/T

Taking their name from the Byrds’ Roger McGuinn song, "Chestnut Mare,” the Sidewinders were neither country nor from the West.  However, the quintet were considered by many to possibly be the best live band in Boston during the dawn of the ‘70s. Their competition was fierce as the future mega-stars Aerosmith and the insurgent Modern Lovers were playing the same circuit.  In Boston, they opened for a variety of acts ranging from Big Star and the Grateful Dead to Del Shannon.They made the big time jump to New York and became quite the live sensation at Max’s Kansas City in Manhattan, where they became the house band and lead singer Andy Paley made it on the cover of Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine. They also have the historical distinction of being the second band to play at Max’s Kansas City after the Velvet Underground. Despite all the complications, they made it happen and continued the Boston tradition of making people want to hit the dance floor and linking Barry & the Remains and the Real Kids in the process. Their eponymous debut is also notable for being the first Lenny Kaye production.

Lester Bangs Seal of Approval

In a 1972 Creem review of their debut album, Lester Bangs called them, “Perhaps the “Live Rock ‘n’ Roll” surprise of the year.” However, Bangs considered the recording thin for its lack of bottom.  A recent Ugly Things interview has Lenny Kaye describing his production as “dry” and that he was exercising restraint from embellishments because he was wary of overproducing. Like the similar crisp production of MC5’s Back in the USA, Kaye’s sparse treatment gives the Sidewinders’ sound a distinctive streamlined minimalism that matches the music. Presented with this spacious production, these compact and competently played songs still stand out 50 years later as examples of proto-power-pop. Further, the album offered a more mainstream take on what the Velvet Underground (Loaded-era) and the Modern Lovers were doing around the time. In some quarters, the record received criticism for sounding too commercial due to its catchiness. What do you expect for an album on RCA?  A 1972 Billboard review got directly to the point: “Probably more closely geared to the Top 40 phenomenon, than underground.” With its clean production lines, it definitely would have passed the Motown test of jumping out from the dashboard AM radio.

  

Surprisingly, there are no traces of any singles being released by RCA. While not really representative of their propelling sound, “Moonshine” goes down smoothly and probably would’ve been tapped as their first 45. I do prefer the original version of “Rendezvous” over the Paley Brothers’ version that is more commonly heard. It’s one of the few times where a slower tempo works better for me. The dashing “O Miss Mary” has the feel of the Real Kids picking up the pace on “Sweet Jane,” with the song being carried along by its sweeping chorus. The foreshadowing of the Real Kids continues with the snappy “Got You Down.” The brisk song uncoils with guitars galore, including that “NYC subway sound” as coined by Jonathan Richman to describe the Velvet Underground. “Reputation” traces the lines through the Rolling Stones and "Jump into the Fire" by their RCA labelmate Nilsson. Surprisingly, Billy Squire would later join the band after this album was released and before he joined Piper. The talented Andy Paley went on to the pure pop act of the Paley Brothers before extensive songwriting, production and musical support work with Brian Wilson, Jonathan Richman, April March and SpongeBob SquarePants. While not an exceptional album in its entirety, it does have its inspired and lasting moments. Overall, it’s remarkable this direct and tuneful album was released in the first place by RCA-especially considering how contrasting it was from the prevailing sounds & styles during rock ‘n’ roll’s mostly lost years of the early ‘70s.

Cashbox Feb. 19, 1972

Ko and The Knockouts-20 Years Later

This Detroit trio came and went like a flash of lightning. I still recall the excitement of hearing this blast out of the speakers for the first time.  At the time, they most reminded me of early Blondie. Hearing this 20 years later, Ko’s vocals recalled Lisa Marr of cub coupled with the rust belt resolve of Chrissie Hynde, while the band surges with the dynamic energy of the Embrooks.

This 2002 album released by SFTRI captures their early momentum of their brief short-lived heyday (2001-2003). They generated quite an initial stir as they quickly found their sound that has retained an enduring edge.  In fall 2003, I was fortunate to see them in Tucson at Solar Culture opening for Holly Golightly with Ko backed by an entirely different line-up than the musicians heard on this recording (Eddie from the Sights on guitar and Jeff Klein on drums, Jim Diamond on organ and some others from Rocket 455). While the show was good, there was a seemingly discontented mood of “I would rather be somewhere else” feeling in the air. Tucson is certainly a lovely place to be in November. Perhaps it was an off night like we all have.

Songs like “Cry No More” and “Go Getter” are instantly captivating with their dashing tempos and Ko’s harmonized vocals leading the way. “Set Me Free” breakouts like the incendiary freakbeat stormer “When the Night Falls” by the Eyes. Fittingly, a serrated cover of the (UK) Birds’ "You're on My Mind" follows.  They are able to slow things down with the smoldering “You Did It,” which displays their command of rhythm & blues and now emerges as a worthy candidate for sync licensing. Their inspired and charged-up cover of Nolan Stong’s "If I (Could Be With You Tonight)" is up there with the best of the Detroit Cobras as they make this Fortune Records group harmony classic entirely their own. This would have also fit perfectly on 2013’s Daddy Rockin' Strong: A Tribute to Nolan Strong and the Diablos. “I Wanna (See You Again)” is an indelible out-of-time pop song with a growling guitar expressing their inherent grittiness that was mislabeled as "Twistin Postman" (and never corrected on the 2007 Wicked Cool reissue).

They were quite the garage power trio and frequently took their propulsive rock ‘n’ roll sound out to the edges of glory, demonstrating that the roll is as important as the rock. Their memorable songs are still striking not only for their infectious hooks and catchy melodies, but also for their combination of straightforwardness with some deft lane changes within songs. All this should have made them contenders on the level somewhere between the subterranean Subsonics and the major label-era of the Muffs. Overall, they made their first foray into recording appear so easy to do. Their self-titled power-packed album added a new layer to the Motor City's monumental tradition of stripped-down rock ‘n’ roll. Consequently, has there ever been a Detroit group and/or singer more deserving of thunderous applause and opportunity for a second act? 

Eiichi Ohtaki-NIAGARA CONCERT '83

Eiichi Ohtaki (1948-2013) was a towering musical figure in Post-WW2 Japanese music.  One of his foremost strengths was his ability to ingeniously unify a multitude of musical and non-musical influences into a captivating and cohesive whole. Many of his musical achievements were seemingly impelled by his natural ease and resolve to manifest, express and share his own envisioned artistic world. In addition, his overall passion for music was second to none. Inspired by his surname which means “Big Waterfall,” he established his Niagara label to release his own music along with the music of counterparts like Taeko Onuki and Tatsuro Yamashita, who both would go on to renown in the Japanese mainstream during the late ‘70s and ‘80s. Collectively, their releases have gone on to be considered the core recordings of what is now known retroactively as City Pop. This music has been at its heights of popularity this decade as it has found a worldwide audience thanks to streaming.

Ohtaki himself has been called many things: Super Producer, the Japanese Phil Spector, and the Pioneer of City Pop. Unlike Phil Spector, the more you learn about Ohtaki, the better you like him as a person and artist. As a producer and composer, he deserves to be considered in the same visionary musical realms as Brian Wilson, Gregorio Paniagua (Spain), Sohail Rana (Pakistan) and Joe Meek. In fact, he's the most Beach Boys and ‘50s & ‘60s-influenced musician of the so-called City Pop musicians as some City Pop has a little too much Miami Vice Soundtrack-ish gleam on it for my ears. Some of Ohtaki’s notable productions include Celia Paul’s Yume De Aetara from 1977 and 1981’s Kaze Tachinu by Seiko Matsuda, which both shine with their ‘60s leaning production styles. Another aspect of Ohtaki’s immense talents was his ability to compose instantly catchy songs and create art on demand. In similar fashion to Roger Nichols in the United States, Ohtaki was commissioned to compose catchy commercial jingles (known as CM songs in Japan) for iconic Japanese products like the Sony Digital Handycam, Maxim Instant Coffee, Suntory Lemon, and Mitsuya Cider. Further, I can envision Haruki Murakami writing to this music as the Waseda University alumni seemingly share a similar pop culture aesthetic that encompasses a love for baseball, real & imagined travel and a deep knowledge of Western music, all which informs and inspires their respective art forms.

Tokyo City Pop in the record store wilds of Osaka

Arrivals & Departures One can jump into Ohtaki’s catalog at any point and discover if it’s not immersive, it is intriguing at the least.  Some of his ‘70s material could be pastiche-almost to the point of a Zappa-esque mishmash where he combines elements of doo wop and the Beatles in one song and generally works depending on one’s mood. He was indeed a musical omnivore as he incorporated, assembled and arranged elements of Okinawan folk music, Gershwin, exotica, Roy Wood’s Wizzard as well as Caribbean and New Orleans rhythms besides the aforementioned ‘50s & ‘60s pop influences. By the early 80s, he was able to transition from the idiosyncratic sound of his own private musical jukebox in his head, which can be a wonderful and whimsical place, and breakthrough to a more wide-open, boundless and universal sound. By evoking and expressing the feelings of departures, new experiences and returning home filled with newfound insights and inspiration, he found a memorable sound that had the most widespread appeal in Japan. His most highly-regarded and commercially successful release also happened to be his most fully-realized. A Long Vacation lives up to its hype as a Japanese masterwork and I consider it one of the best conceptual albums ever released. The album’s opening song “You Are a Natural Color/Kimiwa Tennenshoku” is even used as a departure song on the East Japan Railway (JR East). By connecting the Brill Building to City Pop with his own Wall of Sound, he suddenly became a Japanese hit maker in the process.

NIAGARA CONCERT '83 LIVE JAM 1983/7/24 Seibu Lions Stadium At the time of this concert, Ohtaki was riding the momentum of A Long Vacation (1981) and preparing for his subsequent successful 1984 follow-up Each Time. In this period between his two most popular releases, he also recorded two albums consisting entirely of orchestrated renditions of his compositions under the name the Niagara Fall Of Sound Orchestral. While these instrumental albums, Niagara Song Book & Niagara Song Book 2, are good as airplane boarding music, they are not great because their overall production comes across as a little too clinical, which is generally not typical of Ohtaki’s studio recordings. Things are rectified in the live setting as this album features both the Niagara Fall Of Sound Orchestral and Eiichi Ohtaki himself. Both musical acts were accompanied by the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra for the concert. The live version of the Niagara Fall of Sound Orchestral transverses somewhere in the vicinity of the Hollyridge Strings, the Surf Symphony, the Beach Boys’ Stack-o-Tracks & The Smile Sessions and Song Cycle by Van Dyke Parks. “Water Color” in particular sounds like the Pet Sounds instrumental “Let’s Go Away for Awhile” converging with some soft-focus lounge pop found on a ‘60s film score. 

The cheerful “Like a Blue Sky” presents a lovely and sweeping melody perhaps inspired by “Puff the Magic Dragon” and “Navy Blue” by Diane Renay.  “In the Canary Islands” seemingly foreshadows Van Dyke Parks & Brian Wilson’s Orange Crate Art collaboration from 1995. These instrumental songs come across as alive and dimensional as the stellar recording captures the music moving through the open air of Seibu Lions Stadium on a joyous July night almost 40 years ago. 

Ohtaki then steps to the forefront to offer “Detective Story” from A Long Vacation which could be described as the Zombies’ “Leave Me Be” meets “Hurt So Bad” by Little Anthony and the Imperials suffused with Bacharachian inflections. “Just A Little Gentle'' channels “Cara Mia” by Jay and the Americans, while revealing Ohtaki’s knowledge that Brian Wilson based “Surfer Girl” on “When You Wish Upon a Star.” Another song from A Long Vacation, “Karen in Love” more than hints at “Where Have You Been All My Life” written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and recorded by Arthur Alexander and the Searchers. Next, “Funx4” starts off new wavey before becoming just playfully fun. The abundant and sweeping Spectorian melodies of “You Are a Natural Color/Kimiwa Tennenshoku” cascade down from the musical heavens as the concert reaches its pinnacle. Ohtaki’s signature number offers melodies that will keep swirling in your head for a week. As a consummate musician with excellent intonation, Ohtaki performs all of these songs with apparent ease on what would be his final live performance. The Niagara Fall of Sound Orchestral returns to properly close the musical evening on a lush note that was fortunately recorded for posterity. 

Ohtaki’s small musical enterprise has gone on to become an entire City Pop empire in Japan. By integrating some of the best aspects of Eastern and Western music, he settled on a sound all his own which was integral in the eventual rise of the City Pop movement. This sound would go on to inspire the High Llamas’ Sean O’ Hagan, Shibuya-kei along with contemporary Japanese groups & producers operating along similar wavelengths. These highly influential sounds are still continuing to ascend and radiate both in Japan and around the world.

Photo from Monari Wakita's Passing By single