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.

Saturday, July 8, 2017

Junko Sakurada -- Watashi no Aoi Tori (わたしの青い鳥)


In my last article, I was getting all sepia-toned and nostalgic for Namie Amuro(安室奈美恵). Can you imagine how I must feel about the 1970s?! All those happy violins and high-toned vocals by the aidoru way back when. But then again, there is a major difference. My nostalgia for the 90s extends to my old life in the Tokyo area but hearing the old music from the 1970s and further back is about my childhood and the RCA stereo and VHS tapes.


As I've said before, Junko Sakurada(桜田淳子)is the one member of that media-formed group Hana no Chuu-san Trio(花の中三トリオ...The Flower Junior High Senior Trio)which also included 70s stars Momoe Yamaguchi(山口百恵)and Masako Mori(森昌子)that I know the least in terms of her music. Mind you, all that means is that I have the privilege of exploring more of her discography.

One example is this sweet tune, "Watashi no Aoi Tori" (My Bluebird) by Sakurada which came out as her 3rd single in August 1973. Written by master lyricist Yu Aku(阿久悠)and composed by Taiji Nakamura(中村泰士), it's about as innocent as a bluebird or a lamb with the aidoru tweeting her friendship with the bird of note. It's about as 70s kayo as one can get. If music videos actually existed back then, Sakurada would have been Snow White traipsing around with Disney bluebirds flocking all around her.


"Watashi no Aoi Tori" peaked at No. 18 on Oricon becoming one of the singer's trademark tunes and selling about 150,000 records. It also won her Best New Artist honours at the Japan Record Awards for 1973.

I've suddenly got this urge to head outside and catch butterflies with a net while wearing a beanie cap.

2 comments:

  1. Here's a rarity. A modern idol, in role as an older idol, singing Watashi no Aoi Tori. Note the trademark beanie cap.

    http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xmuj3d

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, there.

      Airi looks quite the part. It would be interesting to see some of these modern aidoru take on the looks of the older aidoru if they ever do covers of the old hits.

      Delete

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