Credits

I would like to give credit where credit is due. Videos are from YouTube and other sources such as NicoNico while Oricon rankings and other information are translated from the Japanese Wikipedia unless noted.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Yasuha -- Fly-Day Chinatown (フライディ・チャイナタウン)



No, I didn't goof up on the title up there. It is indeed "Fly-Day Chinatown" and not "Friday Chinatown" according to the write-up on J-Wiki. I gather that singer-songwriter Yasuha(泰葉)wanted to further illustrate the excitement of a night in Chinatown through the title although I think Friday nights in Chinatown can be quite jaunty.

This was another discovery on YouTube and I was automatically drawn in by the booming disco melody by Yasuha Ebina(海老名泰葉)and the interesting horns which start things off. Plus, I also like Yasuha's vocals which are in the same vein as Junko Yagami(八神純子)and Junko Ohashi(大橋純子). With the setting being Chinatown, my brain couldn't help but pull out some of my times in good ol' Yokohama. Toyohisa Araki(荒木とよひさ)provided the lyrics.


"Fly-Day Chinatown" was Yasuha's debut single from September 1981 which managed to peak at No. 69 on Oricon and was also a track on her debut album, "Transit" which was released a couple of months later. The singer is a Tokyo native and the daughter of a rakugo storyteller and an essayist. Apparently, she has also been a tarento although my memory is a bit fuzzy on whether I actually saw her on TV or whether it was another television personality by the name of Otoha(乙葉).

Including "Transit", she has released 10 singles up to 2009 and 7 studio albums.

This was actually a Friday and the photo seems
good for City Pop!

September 27th 2020: Ms.OOJA has provided a nice cover of "Fly-Day Chinatown".

3 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Hello, Anthony. The easiest option that I know is CD Japan. They have an album of Yasuha's BEST hits (around $20 US) which includes "Fly-Day Chinatown". No proxy buying service needed and the company takes all credit cards and PayPal. The link for that particular album at CD Japan is here: http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/searches?term.media_format=&q=Yasuha

      Tower Records in Tokyo is also selling her BEST album but you will need a service such as Tenso or Buyee to get it shipped over to you outside of Japan although I know that Tenso is free to join up (tower.jp).

      I couldn't find the actual single itself for sale online (one of the rarest of the rare, I suppose) but her debut album "Transit" is apparently available on Amazon.jp although that album is selling at minimum around $100 US!

      Hope you can get a copy.

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    2. Appreciate it! Very informative answer

      Delete

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