Maki Ohguro -- La, La, La/Koi wa Merry Go Round （ら・ら・ら/恋はメリーゴーラウンド）

Even during my time back in Toronto for those 3 years between Gunma and Tokyo in the early 90s, I had heard bits and pieces about this pop/rock singer named Maki Ohguro（大黒摩季）. I borrowed a mix tape from one of my friends which contained a couple of her first hits: "DA-KA-RA" and "Harlem Night". She certainly had a distinctive voice.... nothing that I had ever heard before.

But it wasn't until I got to Japan again and resumed my career in Tokyo that I bought my first CD single by Ohguro. "La, La, La" was this warmhearted song that a lot of people got behind when it was released in February 1995 as her 10th single. Ohguro wrote and composed this song that ended up becoming her most successful creation in her career thus far. I recollect that I heard it a lot everywhere around the metropolis in the CD stores, on the TV and in the karaoke boxes. And it was also the theme song for a TV Asahi drama titled "Aji Ichimonme" （味いちもんめ）starring SMAP leader Nakai-kun.

 Not surprisingly, "La La La" has often become the closer at many an Ohguro concert. It's just one of those rousing get-off-your-feet-and-join-in songs. I can pretty much guarantee that even at the karaoke boxes, if this song is sung, everyone is gonna come on in. It hit the No. 1 spot on Oricon and became the 17th-ranked song of the year. 

The coupling song, "Koi wa Merry Go Round"(Love is a Merry Go Round), was also one which was a tie-in to a TV show. Along with Pizzicato Five's "Ice Cream Meltin' Mellow", this Ohguro song was also a theme to the late-night 5-minute news wrap-up, "CNN HEADLINE", also on TV Asahi. It's not quite as epic as the main song, but it's a fun high-energy tune.

Both songs were included on Ohguro's 5th album, also titled "La, La, La", released in July 1995. It also hit No. 1 on the album chart and was the 4th-ranked album for the year.

Maki Ohguro - La La La