Thanks so much for the kind words, and thanks for the post!
I absolutely love HakoMusu and actually discovered Qlair through their cover!
I'm really glad there are so many modern groups doing covers and introducing their fan-base to these great classics.
Whole cover albums like HakoMusu's where lesser known idols get representation are even more precious.
I'll definitely make a point of checking Suzuki Misano's Twitter page every now and then.
32 years since their dissolution... It's always so strange to think that most of these idols are in their 50s by now.
Their young selves have been immortalised by their music and videos though, so I really think it's true that the group as it was in the 80s will remain in everyone's hearts forever.
I'll end this post with a video of Suzuki Misano's oshi, Onyanko Club Member Number 16...
Mi-Ke 想い出の九十九里浜 (Youtube recommended these ladies to me, and I am just trying to discover why in the hell they have 10 million views on one version of this song and 3.6 million on another, when artists I know were super popular do not...)
Mi-Ke 想い出の九十九里浜 (Youtube recommended these ladies to me, and I am just trying to discover why in the hell they have 10 million views on one version of this song and 3.6 million on another, when artists I know were super popular do not...)
Maybe there's something that happened recently that brought attention to the song?
Some very random old videos have been recommended by YouTube recently and have suddenly spiked in views as a result, so maybe it's just the YouTube algorithm doing its thing lol
Boy those old school idols were strong. She was fantastic and loved the lighty choreographed routine. Very classic. That was 5 stars in my book. Never heard of her, I need to do sone research.
Morning Musume - Sato Masaki (佐藤優樹) Haga Akane(羽賀朱音 )
#1: They pretty much stuck to the original and the song sounds great. I'm actually quite happy with this cover.
If you look at her dancing though, you can see that even though the choreography is "80s", her modern dance background seeps into her performance and taints her dancing with a kind of "sexiness" lol
#2 They took a classy song and turned it into a hard rock jam.
It's too heavy. And the lack of a brass section really bothered me. The song somehow lost its spark and it got... boring. I didn't like this cover at all.
Have the gods heard my prayers!? Kikuchi Momoko will recieve a vinyl re-release of one of her albums. It would appear the first Showa Era Idol Vinyl is being re-released in the west by Ship to Shore. There have been "city pop" and "technopop" reissues, but to my knowledge, this is the first idol reissue in the west that Im aware of in the vinyl ressurgence.
I personally think the only reason we are getting this albums reissue is because of Momoko's proximity to the citypop genre. Anyways, I must find a way to scrounge up the money...
Edit: Concerning Arai Hitomi, I will likely buy her single just to encourage this type of behavior. However I really think the release showcases the strength of showa era idols, especially with Akina's song, her vocals were not adequate. But the asthetic was spot on with both vids. Also, they used to play with live bands, so sonically the first one was lacking... But I am only being critical, I will buy her release!
Morning Musume - Sato Masaki (佐藤優樹) Haga Akane(羽賀朱音 )
Concerning Arai Hitomi, I will likely buy her single just to encourage this type of behavior. However I really think the release showcases the strength of showa era idols, especially with Akina's song, her vocals were not adequate. But the asthetic was spot on with both vids. Also, they used to play with live bands, so sonically the first one was lacking... But I am only being critical, I will buy her release!
Wtf was I thinking? Am I really about this Japanese Music life? It was super expensive.... but I got the album, and both singles. The Hitomi singles came today. I actually thought it was a simple cash in at first, but I got a really high quality product. I sure hope she releases more of these showa releases.
More stuff in spoiler
Spoiler
VR Glasses, Hitomi ver.
CD Japan Bonus Picture
Morning Musume - Sato Masaki (佐藤優樹) Haga Akane(羽賀朱音 )
^ It's a cardboard VR set. Using a certain app to play videos, you slide your phone into the box and the warped lenses give it a VR effect. A few different Japanese artists have used it in special editions of releases, but it hasn't really taken off (much like VR in general). It's a nice little souvenir, though, since it's branded.
I'm not sure why I haven't posted in this thread yet, since I'm really into Showa-era idols as well
My favorite right now was posted a bit above, who is 島田奈美 / Shimada Nami:
She was both really cute and has a great voice, IMO.
Also, here is a fan video of her debut event at Ikebukuro Sunshine City's 噴水広場:
Does anyone have any other good videos of idol events from Ikebukuro Sunshine City from the 1980s?
I'm glad the tradition of having Idol single release events there has continued to this day.
Also, there have been a lot of "Uta no Top 10" / "The Top 10" shows from the 80s posted on youtube recently by user "kiti ura".
I wish shows like "Uta no Top 10" were still around...
It was broadcast live, and if you were in the top 10 ranking for that week, then you were invited to perform on the stage.
Even if you couldn't make it to the stage, they would just send a TV crew and barge into your other event you had going on at the same time, whether it be a live radio broadcast or drama filming, etc
For example, watch this video at 33m15s:
The only "big" music show we really have nowadays for current music is Music Station, and who appears on that is more based on the music agencies relationships with TV Asahi instead of actual rankings on Oricon and such for that week... On "Uta no Top 10" / "The Top 10", your ranking was based on a combination of factors which included CD sales for that week, requests by viewers, ranking on TV cable, etc.
@jigenbakuda
Great choice on getting Hitomi's singles! I have those sets as well
I posted the following in the TGS thread, and I hope you don't mind if I post here too...
It's really cool how it's a translucent blue vinyl. It looks really great
I really wish Up Front would do some releases on vinyl too, especially for some of their retro-like songs. Juice=Juice's Pop Music for example would have been a great opportunity.
The segment with Honda Minako just before it (starting at about 28:10) kind of startled me. Most of the performers on 80s Jpop shows had a very recognizably 80s look - either over-the-top-and-in-your-face 80s (like Wink), or demure 80s, but definitely 80s. But Minako looks like she just stepped out of a time machine from 2006 - even the wings in her hair were low-key enough to pass in the early 2000s. I'm generally pretty conscious of the styles and look of various pop-culture eras, and although I know that not everybody has the same look at any given time in pop-culture history, but still, that was a little spooky (particularly since her look is not just from 20 years in the future, but also from right around the time that she died in that future).
But on the other hand, it is a great 80s-style Jpop song with absolutely perfect tacky 80s CGI.
Neither Heaven nor sky above, neither Hell nor earth below.
This is my favorite thread on the internet, the posts are so high quality...
Where to begin...
@Saburo
So I think there is not enough 70's idols in this thread. The formula had not been perfected, but the songwriting quality was just as high as the 90's. I'm not sure why I haven't listened to the candies. That was a tight performance, vocalists were almost unison, not as close to unison, imo, as the peanuts, but super high tier stuff regardless of silly opinions. I have got to watch more by them. I have hear and watched a good deal of pink lady, but I have to get my candies game up.
@TotallyUncool
Phew~ I am not sure why they but minako in that outfit, but I need a drink of water. I had never heard sosotte before today, but this girl is growing on me. I have loved every song I heard from her so far.
@Zeroyon
Who in the world was writing songs for Nami. That girl had some bangers. Very cute. I so much enjoyed her debut video. I've never been to tokyo, so I had no idea of these historic places that some idols have debuted at (Well I was in hiroshima around when perfume had just left the actor's school and did not know a thing about them either, so it might just be my complete ignorance ). But now I want to do some research on this Ikebukuro Sunshine city. I was able to watch about some of the clubs they used to have for eurobeat in the 90's, so finding stuff about this place shouldn't be hard.
Speaking of that are classic wota congregating in any online spaces? Like a matome or something. I can find websites on shouwa idols, but anyone currently talking about them?
On the topic of Arai Hitomi, I did not realize that she was part of a larger group, I will probably post stuff in that thread for her... but she is coming out with a new single. I am really looking forward to her album, but I hope its a good mix between covers and originals. She is doing a good amount of anime stuff... perhap to appeal to wotaI have aspirations to produce an idol and this girl is teaching me A LOT about idols. I was watching the dvd that came with shoujo a and because of my weak japanese skills, I understood very little, but what I did walk away with was how much thought went into this solo project of hers. So I hope that she covers at least one more of the three girls in my shouwa trinity of Akina, Momoko, and Momoe. We shall see. I wanted her original single because I have a budding record collection (5 crates) and I would love some new stuff. The only contemporary idols I would buy on vinyl is H!P, Babymetal, or Stardust. I am hoping she puts out a LP for the album, but if thats the case, she will have released more than half the album already, lol (I'd still buy it though).
This is the song she is covering, from a studio ghibli anime, I guess called Porco Rosso. Its not idolsong, but its a relaxing song.
I have been waiting for pictures of the cover, but its been a while and no previews.
______________
Okay, time to contribute something to the thread since I'm here.
Some Pumpkin just because...
And a random pick from the website I listed above, Miss Kawada Atsuko. Very cute voice, did not do much singing, but such a great song... and those are real deal idol vocals there, I love it so much... What beautiful things idols are...
Morning Musume - Sato Masaki (佐藤優樹) Haga Akane(羽賀朱音 )
). But now I want to do some research on this Ikebukuro Sunshine city. I was able to watch about some of the clubs they used to have for eurobeat in the 90's, so finding stuff about this place shouldn't be hard.
