Every single genre, regardless of the style or tone taken and expanded throughout its years of relevance in the music scene, has a starting point. An artist or group of artist that were in the right place at the right time, and that would go down as iconic landmarks of the music that they helped to mold into what it would become. This happens to a bigger or smaller extent depending on the place, the time, and the genre in question. Sometimes, some of these artists don't really get that much attention outside of their main scene, just to be discovered years later, with their efforts recognized and loved with new generations appreciating the ideas that were presented on the albums. Even a genre such as City Pop have those moments. That sweet and interesting history that would lead to the creation of timeless music, that would be rediscovered decades after its release, but that during the time of its conception, would mark the proper starting point of the career of different titans in the genre. And the group that would come up with the idea to blend all their different influences onto a unique sound that could catapult an entire generation of Japanese pop music would be none other than Sugar Babe.
Sugar Babe would be born out of the ashes of the Add Some Music To Your Day quartet, that during its final stretch was conformed by Susumu Namiki, Shinichi Takekawa, Kikuo Ogawa, and Tatsuro Yamashita; all of them being friends and being between 19 and 20 years old. The band self-recorded and self-produced their only album with the help of other guest vocalists and musicians, and after the release of their self titled album, limited to only some private pressings, and the poor sales of it, the group decided to break up for different personal reasons. However, the album itself (that consisted of a collection of covers from different pop songs, going from conventional pop to surf rock, and taking a vocal choir approach to the renditions of the tracks. Far from being perfect, the album would show a sweet and notable passion for the music that was being played, with a young Tatsuro showing glimpses towards styles that he would expand in his future solo work) would start being shared among musicians and fans of pop music at the time. After the quartet decided to part ways, Tatsuro started to formulate the idea of making another music group, this time with him tackling the guitar parts. Teaming up with old bandmate Kikuo, who would take bass duties, and Kunio Muramatsu (one of the guest musicians on the "Add Some" record) on rhythm guitar. Later on, he would be introduced to Taeko Onuki and Akihiko Noguchi, two other independent musicians while performing on rock cafés, who would be incorporated to the band taking upon vocal-keyboards and drum duties respectively. And that is how the first and most iconic lineup of Sugar Babe would come to be born.
This first lineup of the band would start writing their music in 1973, being a collective effort where the clash of different influences would be merged into one coherent sound more inclined towards an occidental sound, relying on the use of seventh chord progressions and a soft rock approach to the music, something that was unusual for the popular Japanese pop music at the time. Despite Add Some's self-titled debut having some poor sales, it would end up calling the attention of guitarist Ginji ito, who would pass it down to now legendary Eiichi Otaki, who was then still a part of the popular Happy End. Eiichi, impressed with the vocal abilities of the members, would find out about the birth of Sugar Babe, and would be really interested in becoming the producer to their music. The chemistry between the band members and Eiichi was such, that Sugar Babe participated as background vocalists on Happy End's last concert, months before properly starting with their debut concert in late 1973. Later on, most members of the band were caught on a tight spot, but the members, and the group itself, were starting to get recognized due to their gigs on small festivals and concert halls, with the members getting recognized due to their collaboration as background vocalists with other artists such as Yumi Arai (and also this being most evident on Tatsuro's side, who started to participate as background vocalist or guest musician/guitarist due to his economical problems). Not long after that, in 1974, they were the first band to be signed up to Otaki's label Niagara, that would also go down as the first musician handled label to go big in Japan, with Otaki himself trusting the talent of the band in order to represent the potential of the label. After some time reserved for rehearsal, recording duties took place for some months, with Sugar Babe's debut, and only, album, SONGS, along side the single Down Town, being released at the same time in 1975.
Sugar Babe was born out of many different factors that lead to a band creating a unique and unconventional sound for pop music in Japan at the time. All the members were at the right place, at the right time, and the group was pushed forward by both their needs to create music and the love for the many influences that had lead them up to that point. There was a clash of different instrumental styles and musical aspirations, with some members being more driven by Soft Rock of the likes of Ravin Spoonful, while others were more pop driven, with artists like The Beach Boys, resulting in moments of uncertainty regarding the way on which the songwriting would be approached. The mostly occidental influences would take a toll in how the music came out to be, with the group standing out in music cafés and other small gigs due to how different the music they offered would be from the popular artists at the time. The compositions, songwriting, and performances relied heavily on trial and error, with the entirety of their songs being a collective effort more than anything, not only limiting themselves with their influences, but with Yamashita being inspired by Otaki and Ginji and taking control of most important decisions in order to expand their horizons and use as much resources as possible to make a polished record. Every aspect of the record took unconventional and unexpected turns, but the end product was something rich and full of life, passion, and love for the music that was being presented by every single member.
SONGS presents a collection of eleven songs, all taking different approaches in songwriting and instrumental performances, but keeping a consistent tone, ending up in a balance between the compositions and the production that offers quality track after quality track, from the very first moments to the last closing rhythms. Every song holds its significance, and they all present interesting ideas in how the rhythm is created across the track. The opener, Show, presents all of these elements in the beat way possible. This was the first song that Yamashita wrote and presented to the band in order to be completed and performed as the opener for their first shows. Every single instrument holds a simple pattern, but that when combined together, make up for a unique and cheerful rhythm. The opening notes are powerful, and call for the attention of the listener, transitioning right into the main upbeat rhythm. Taeko's marked keyboard (being delicate in the performance, but imposing itself as an important element of the song), Noguchi's simple and precise drums, and the fascinating coordination between the simple chord progressions of the bass and both guitars, courtesy of Kikuo, Kunio, and Tatsuro, with Tatsuro's charming and lively vocals being the cherry on top, almost as if it was another important instrument in the mix. All the band's influences can be found here one way or another, from the surf rock sustained notes, the soft rock driven solos, and the pop inspired vocal choirs. It is all incredibly balanced, offering a dynamic track, that knows when to switch between verses, chorus, and bridges, being a catchy pop song, but that has a lot of things going on in order to work the way it does.
Down Town, the single released the same day as the album, also being a song that came out between the interactions of Ginji Ito and Yamashita before the recording of the album, changes the mood to something much more melancholic in the performance, but still maintaining the initial tone. The main ideas follow the same spirit as the opener, being simple instrumental compositions that make up for a funky and passionate main rhythm, where Yamashita offers a very sweet vocal performance, with a catchy bridge and chorus that make this a really memorable song. The main concept, and the final sound of the track, appear to be easy in spirit, but taking one single instrument out of the mix would make this something completely different. Everything has its importance, and Eiichi's production really feels outside of its time in the sense that there is an uncanny balance found between all the elements used. The mood is shifted once again for the first track where Taeko takes the spotlight vocally and instrumentally, but also being a common favorite during live performances. Regarding the production, it is a rather subtle, but genius, change, where the mix makes both Taeko's vocals and keyboard be slightly higher in volume compared to the rest of the instruments. The main tone of the album is still present in the guitar, while the rest of instruments give in to the sentimental nature of Taeko's sweet and passionate performance (with this track also being one to hold a lot of emotional value for Taeko, later being re-recorded for her album Romantique). 風の世界 comes into place, where the sentimental and melancholic tone gets even more embraced with the chord progressions, and the small details that give the track a dynamic feeling from beginning to end (like the little mistake caused by Muramatsu, where Taeko's breath got delayed and recorded, but still fitting the track on a beautiful and charming way).
The first side of the album closes with ためいきばかり, a song that not only picks up the main upbeat feeling, contrasting the mellow mood seen on previous tracks, but that also shows something very important that not a lot of people take into consideration. Sure, Sugar Babe's main spotlight were Taeko and Tatsuro, specially considering the legacy that they would build up with their solo careers after the release of SONGS, but Sugar Babe was a band, a group of people who were passionate for their music, where they all had their respective parts, their importance in the way the songs would come to be in the final product. This track in particular shows Muramatsu's attempt at songwriting, with a very charming and spring like feeling, being very intriguing due to the use of different keyboards during the song (with Taeko tackling the main keyboard tone, and Tatsuro backing it up in the background), and the way the guitars interact with each other right at the end, creative a cohesive and immersive rhythm that captivates with all its charm. The second side of the album starts off with the third, and also final, Taeko track, いつも通り, following the main ideas presented by her previous contribution, but showing an important factor that would make the second side highly interesting: the implementation of different types of beautiful percussion and backing instrumentals. This track in particular uses some background strings, as well as leaving space for a brief saxophone solo, which immediately takes the spotlight, while also shifting the tone to something much more upbeat, interacting in fantastic ways with Tatsuro's guitar, making up for a song that not only stays as one of the most layered instrumentally, but also one of the calmest of the entire album (and also offering some insight to what Taeko would use for her first solo studio albums). The balance between the different emotions conveyed by the instruments, with each one of them having their own space in the final product, is certainly something truly special and wonderful considering both the status and experience of the band at the time. And these details, these passionate elements that are placed with care and thought put into them, just keep popping up in the rest of the tracks.
すてきなメロディー changes the tone once again to something much more upbeat, that manages to offer a lot despite its short length. Taeko and Tatsuro perform as a duet on vocals, with their voices having a particular echo due to the fact that Eiichi's studio was small and had only one microphone at the time, but this style fits surprisingly well with the style of the song. Instrumentally, this is one of the most dynamic songs in the album, shifting between different tones, and implementing small detail throughout the song (most notably the use of a trumpet following the bridge after the piano, guitar, and vocal choir solos), keeping things fresh and subtle with the use of every element that the band could implement. If a single song from this record is able to represent it as a whole, it certainly is this brief, joyful, and nice melody. A much more soft and easy going track is found in 今日はなんだか, a track reminiscent of Phil Spectre, where Tatsuro takes the vocal spotlight once again in order to present a contrast between different moods within the same song, building upon the formula of many simple rhythms (with a much more energetic keyboard and a guitar that uses the whammy effect to add layer to its performance) making up one cohesive melody by using different percussion and outside elements, with the trumpets that appear having their own solo right at the end, serving as a climax to the sweet and powerful song that Tatsuro presented with the help of his passionate vocals and the use of some string arrangements. Once again, the mood is contrasted with 過ぎ去りし日々, a piano driven track, this time with Tatsuro taking the spotlight in vocals, with the helps of an acoustic guitar, a marked bassline, and minor percussive elements for atmosphere. A very nostalgic song, with lyrics written by Ginji Ito looking to pay tribute to the 60's in the soft style that it tackled, being a reflective and sentimental song, and a treat to the ears in how sweet and calming it turns out to be.
Finally, the climax of the album comes in a mostly instrumental track under the name of Sugar, the longest song on the album, and the one where all the members and elements presented up to that point come together for a musical bonanza, a passionate love letter where the performances make up for a very unique and fun track. Not only is it the conclusion of all things the band had been working on for more than a year, it is a love letter to their live performances (being that this song was planned as a big closer for their shows, and its easy to tell why), their influences, and the music that they were performing. With every major element extracted from their main inspiration being put on one big party track that celebrates the joy of being part of Sugar Babe. The structure is similar to what was already presented, but the band takes more liberties this time around. Simple rhythms that make up a catchy and fleshed out melody, but the structure shifts from time to time, keeping things fresh and in constant movement. The vocal interactions between all the members, with the random background noises, Tatsuro's joyful verse before the instrumental bonanza inspired by Nancy Sinatra, the fantastic guitars interacting with each other taking a latin inspired riff as the base for the whole song, with a marked bass, simple drums accompanied by percussion, and Taeko's rhythmic piano playing, with Eiichi's fantastic production adding a unique and timeless feeling by balancing all the different layers into one memorable experience. It all comes together on a dynamic, varied, charming, and fun track that just bleeds of unconditional love for the music that is being performed. It is a beautiful and fantastic way to end an already fantastic album.
Sugar Babe was many things, but most of all, it was the passion of all the members that formed the group being incarnated onto music that knows no age. This would be the proper start not only of the long and impressive career of two major artists, but of an entire style of Japanese pop at the time. They marked the birth of what would be known as City Pop (implementing both the musical style, approach to songwriting, and main themes that would be expanded and developed over the course of the next years by both members of the group as well as other artists that would find inspiration in what the band presented), as well as being ahead of their time with the elements used in their music, being almost completely overlooked at first, but eventually being recognized as one of the most important bands in the history of modern Japanese music. Eiichi Otaki's production style culminated on a unique and powerful sound, outside of what Japan had to offer at the time, being very polished but also having a garage quality, keeping the genuine factor, the passion and the heart of the performances, while seeking a clean and clear balance between all the elements that held the record together. It is an incredibly enjoyable project that hides too many interesting and charming details behind the layers that it presents. Consistent from front to back, never wasting a single moment, and showing the potential the members had regarding songwriting, performances, and musical arrangements. No instrument outshines the other, they all have their spotlight, their moments to show their talent, and all those moments are used in the best and most beautiful way possible.
People take Sugar Babe as being only conformed by Tatsuro, Taeko, and Eiichi; when in fact it was a proper band composed of talented artists that had an equal love for the music that was being performed both live and on studio. Just looking at what this landmark meant for the artists involved is more than enough to see the presence that they all would carry in the future. Sugar Babe did not break up due to creative differences, it broke up because it was the natural step for the musical ambitions of all the artists involved. After the release of Songs, the band would change its initial lineup a couple of times, and it also held the performances of material that would belong in different solo projects for the members in 1976 (with Tatsuro's Windy Lady and Taeko's Wander Lust having their first live renditions during the last Sugar Babe concerts). Tatsuro would find that he had a love for arranging the music himself, so he would eventually move into his solo career, as well as appearing as a guest artist in other albums, including Taeko's, and collaborating with Eiichi Otaki and Ginji Ito in Niagara Triangle. Taeko would start her solo career as well, recording and releasing Grey Skies in 1976, and starting writing material for Sunshower that same year. Kunio Muramatsu would take a while before releasing his solo career, but in the meantime he would appear as guest musician in albums of Eiichi Otaki, Niagara Triangle, EPO, among many others. Akihiko Noguchi would also appear as guest musician in projects from Mariya Takeuchi, Tokiko Kato, Sachiko Suzuki, and many others. Each artist would have its collaboration in other iconic pop projects from the time, and many other artists would slowly become aware of the existence of Songs and take it as inspiration for their own material. It all started here, it all had its roots on a simple project that aimed to convey the love of the members towards their music.
Both the music and the style on which the album is presented are the reasons why SONGS feels so timeless. It stablishes a marked personality that knew how to use all the things that the band was familiar with, expanding them, and fleshing them out with new elements in order to create something new, fresh, and full of heart; that felt joyful and full of life from beginning to end. It is a delicate, well crafted, and engaging project, that always invites the listener to fall in love again and again with the joyful tunes that it offers. City pop, and Japanese pop in general, perhaps wouldn't be the same without the influences that Sugar Babe brought to the table. It is one of the best pop albums that has come out of Japan (and dare I say one of the best pop albums in general), and it certainly deserves more recognition outside of the City Pop label attached to it. It simply has so many wonderful things to offer. Ahead of its time in many ways, and embracing an attitude that should be more common in music. It is no wonder why the artists involved still hold it as something truly special within their hearts even decades after the band ended (with Yamashita putting out songs like My Sugar Babe and performing concerts remembering the band that properly started his musical career) It is a sweet, charming, memorable, and highly enjoyable experience.
A collection of passionate and wonderful songs that just look to add some sugar to your life. Simply beautiful.
Overall Rating: 10/10
Favorite Track: Sugar / Show / すてきなメロディー
No comments:
Post a Comment