Big Wave (Tatsuro Yamashita album)

Last updated
Big Wave
BigWaveTS.jpg
Soundtrack album by
Tatsuro Yamashita
ReleasedJune 20, 1984
StudioCBS/Sony Roppongi Studio
Onkio Haus
Alfa Studio
Genre
Length40:07
Label Alfa
Producer Tatsuro Yamashita
Tatsuro Yamashita chronology
Melodies
(1983)		Big Wave
(1984)		Pocket Music
(1986)
Singles from Big Wave
  1. "The Theme from Big Wave"
    Released: May 25, 1984

Big Wave is the soundtrack album for the motion picture of the same name, produced and recorded by Japanese singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita. It was released in June 1984 and peaked at No.2 on the Oricon Albums Chart for a 19-week stay. The album was heavily influenced by the songwriting and production of Brian Wilson. Its first half consists of original songs, with English lyrics by Alan O'Day, while the second is mostly cover versions of Beach Boys songs.

Contents

Background

The film, directed by Walter McConnelly and released May 25, 1984, features big wave surfers Mark Richards, Michael Ho, Tommy Carroll, Sam George, Rabbit Bartholomew, Peter Townend, Cheyne Horan, Willie Morris, Martin Potter, and others riding huge waves on the North Shore of Oahu and Maui. In addition, other summer sports such as windsurfing with Richard White and Matt Schweitzer, water skiing, and roller skating are featured. The film Big Wave was released on DVD by Pony Canyon (PCBH-50151) on May 27, 2005. [1]

The A-side of Big Wave is composed of the songs Tatsuro Yamashita wrote, and the rest of the album consists mostly of cover versions of compositions of the Beach Boys' frontman Brian Wilson. The song "The Theme from Big Wave" was first aired on the NHK-FM radio program hosted by Yamashita in January 1983 as "Mahou wo Oshiete" (魔法を教えて, "Teach Me Magic"). It features his former bandmate Taeko Onuki on lead vocals, and its lyrics were written in Japanese by her. As the title indicated, he remade the song as the theme for the film. English-language lyrics were written by Alan O'Day, who worked with him for the first time on Mariya Takeuchi's Miss.M album released in 1980. O'Day also contributed the lyrics for all the Yamashita-penned songs which appeared on the Big Wave, including "Your Eyes" which had earlier appeared on Yamashita's 1982 album For You. "Jody" is a newly recorded version of the lead-off track for his album Melodies released in 1983, which was originally sung in Japanese lyrics. "I Love You" was featured on Suntory's TV advertising aired from 1983 for about three years. Except instrumental version of "I Love You" and "Girls on the Beach", most songs included on the B-Side of the soundtrack were previously issued on his albums or flip side for singles, although some of them remixed or additionally recorded.

Big Wave peaked at #2 on the Japanese Oricon and sold over 450,000 copies while it was staying on the chart, becoming one of the most commercially successful soundtrack albums in Japan at the time.

Track listing

All tracks written by Tatsuro Yamashita and Alan O'Day, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."The Theme from Big Wave"3:39
2."Jody"3:51
3."Only with You"3:43
4."Magic Ways"4:48
5."Your Eyes"3:14
6."I Love You... (Part II)"2:07
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Girls on the Beach"Brian Wilson2:45
8."Please Let Me Wonder"
3:10
9."Darlin'"
  • Wilson
  • Love
3:29
10."Guess I'm Dumb"
3:14
11."This Could Be the Night"
4:03
12."I Love You... (Part I)" 2:04
Total length:40:07

30th anniversary editions

On July 23, 2014, the 30th Anniversary Edition of Big Wave was released by Warner Music Japan on CD (digital) (ASIN: B00JYR5INO EAN: 4943674181339). Seven additional tracks were added:

  1. "Breakdance" [previously unreleased]
  2. "I Love You" [previously unreleased acapella 120 sec. version]
  3. "Only With You" [guitar instrumental]
  4. "This Could Be The Night" [previously unreleased alternate mix]
  5. "Please Let Me Wonder" [previously unreleased karaoke]
  6. "Only With You" [previously unreleased karaoke]
  7. "I Love You" [previously unreleased acapella 30 sec. version]

On August 20, 2014, the 30th Anniversary Limited Edition of Big Wave was released by Warner Music Japan on 180g LP (analog) (ASIN: B00L6RRX2E EAN： 4943674181353). The two disc set has twelve tracks:

Side one

  1. "The Theme From Big Wave"
  2. "Jody"
  3. "Only With You"

Side two

  1. "Magic Ways"
  2. "Your Eyes"
  3. "I Love You... (Part II)"

Side three

  1. "Girls On The Beach"
  2. "Please Let Me Wonder"
  3. "Darlin'"

Side four

  1. "Guess I'm Dumb"
  2. "This Could Be The Night"
  3. "I Love You... (Part I)"

Chart positions

Weekly charts

YearCountryChartPositionSales
1984JapanOricon Weekly LP Albums Chart (top 100)2454,000 [2]
Oricon Weekly CT Albums Chart (top 100)2

Year-end charts

YearCountryChartPositionSales
1984JapanOricon Yearly Albums Chart (top 50)15454,000 [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariya Takeuchi</span> Japanese singer-songwriter (born 1955)

Mariya Takeuchi is a Japanese singer and songwriter. Regarded as an influential figure in the city pop genre, she is one of the best-selling music artists in Japan, having sold over 16 million records, and has received several accolades. Her husband is Tatsuro Yamashita, a singer-songwriter and record producer.

Marilyn Martin is an American singer and songwriter. She is best known for her 1985 hit duet with Phil Collins, "Separate Lives", which reached number one on several charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tatsuro Yamashita</span> Japanese musical artist

Tatsurō Yamashita, occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan O'Day</span> American singer-songwriter (1940–2013)

Alan Earle O'Day was an American singer-songwriter, best known for writing and singing "Undercover Angel," a million-selling Gold-certified American No. 1 hit in 1977. He also wrote songs for many other notable performers, such as 1974's Helen Reddy No. 1 hit "Angie Baby" and the Righteous Brothers' No. 3 Gold hit "Rock and Roll Heaven". In the 1980s he moved from pop music to television, co-writing nearly 100 songs for the Saturday morning Muppet Babies series, and in the 1990s he wrote and performed music on the National Geographic series Really Wild Animals. O'Day also collaborated with Tatsuro Yamashita on a series of popular songs in Japan including "Your Eyes", "Magic Ways", "Christmas Eve" and "Fragile".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Please Let Me Wonder</span> 1965 single by the Beach Boys

"Please Let Me Wonder" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1965 album The Beach Boys Today!. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, it was the first song Wilson wrote under the influence of marijuana. The lyrics are about a man who does not know if a girl loves him and is afraid of learning the answer, and so he prefers to fantasize that she does. On February 15, the song was issued as the B-side to their "Do You Wanna Dance?" single before the album's release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darlin' (The Beach Boys song)</span> 1967 single by the Beach Boys

"Darlin'" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album Wild Honey. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, it was inspired by singer Danny Hutton and was originally intended to be recorded by an early version of Three Dog Night. Carl Wilson ultimately sang the lead vocal.

<i>Experience the Divine: Greatest Hits</i> 1993 greatest hits album by Bette Midler

Experience the Divine: Greatest Hits is a compilation album by American singer Bette Midler, featuring many of her best-known songs. The fourteen track compilation was released on Atlantic Records in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Without You (Debbie Gibson song)</span> 1990 single by Debbie Gibson

"Without You" is a single by American singer-songwriter Debbie Gibson. Written by Gibson and Tatsuro Yamashita, the single was released exclusively in Japan in 1990 by Warner Pioneer under the Atlantic label. It was featured in the 1990 TBS drama series Otoko ni Tsuite. Originally released as a stand-alone single, "Without You" was included as a bonus track in the Japanese releases of Gibson's 1990 album Anything Is Possible and 1995 Greatest Hits album. It was also included in her 2017 box set We Could Be Together and the 2021 Deluxe Edition release of her 1989 album Electric Youth.

<i>Seasons Greetings</i> (album) 1993 studio album by Tatsuro Yamashita

Season's Greetings is a cover album by Tatsurō Yamashita, released in November 1993. It is sort of a holiday album, though some of the songs have nothing to do with Christmas or the winter season.

<i>Melodies</i> (album) 1983 studio album by Tatsuro Yamashita

Melodies is the eighth studio album recorded by Japanese singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita, released in June 1983. It was his first LP issued under the Moon Label which was distributed by Alfa Records at the time.

<i>Artisan</i> (album) 1991 studio album by Tatsuro Yamashita

Artisan is the thirteenth studio album recorded by the Japanese singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita. It was released in June 1991, led by a string of hit singles he produced. Artisan became his first album that was not released on LP. Like his 1989 live album Joy, illustration for a front cover of Artisan was drawn by Andre Miripolsky, who painted a cover art of Bette Midler's 1983 No Frills album. It debuted at the No. 1 on the Oricon, and spent 20 weeks on chart with sales of over 710,000 copies in total. In December 1991, the album won the 33rd Japan Record Awards for "Best Pop/Rock Album" and "Excellent Albums" prizes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guess I'm Dumb</span> 1965 single by Glen Campbell

"Guess I'm Dumb" is a song recorded by American singer Glen Campbell that was released as his seventh single on Capitol Records on June 7, 1965. Written by Brian Wilson and Russ Titelman, it is a love song that describes a man who regrets ending a relationship after he realizes he still harbors deep feelings for his former lover. The single failed to chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastic Love</span> 1984 song by Mariya Takeuchi

"Plastic Love" is a song by the Japanese singer Mariya Takeuchi from her 1984 album Variety. Written by Takeuchi and arranged by Tatsuro Yamashita, the song was released as the album's third single on March 25, 1985. "Plastic Love" is a city pop song; its upbeat arrangement contrasts with melancholic lyrics that describe a woman who embraces a hollow, hedonistic lifestyle after being scorned by a lover. Upon its initial release as a single, the song was a moderate success in Japan, peaking at number 86 on the Oricon Singles Chart and selling around 10,000 copies.

<i>Variety</i> (Mariya Takeuchi album) 1984 studio album by Mariya Takeuchi

Variety is the sixth studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Mariya Takeuchi. It was released on 25 April 1984 through Moon Records. Variety is considered as Takeuchi's "comeback" album after being on hiatus since 1981, and is the first album entirely written by her. The album is produced by Takeuchi's husband, Tatsuro Yamashita.

<i>Moonglow</i> (Tatsuro Yamashita album) 1979 studio album by Tatsuro Yamashita

Moonglow is the fourth studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita, released in October 1979.

<i>Go Ahead!</i> 1978 studio album by Tatsuro Yamashita

Go Ahead! is the third studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita, released in December 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ride on Time (Tatsuro Yamashita song)</span> 1980 single by Tatsuro Yamashita

Ride on Time is the sixth single by Japanese singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita, released in May 1980. This was his first single to enter the Oricon Singles Chart, peaking in at number three. Some sources claim that this was the beginning of the genre called "City pop".

<i>Softly</i> (Tatsuro Yamashita album) 2022 studio album by Tatsuro Yamashita

Softly is the fourteenth studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita, released on June 22, 2022. It has been certified platinum by RIAJ in July 2022, for sales of over 250,000 copies.

<i>For You</i> (Tatsuro Yamashita album) 1982 studio album by Tatsuro Yamashita

For You is the sixth studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita, released in January 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amaku Kiken na Kaori</span> 1982 song by Tatsuro Yamashita

Amaku Kiken na Kaori is the ninth single by Japanese singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita, released in April 1982. This was his last single under the AIR/RVC label.

References

  1. ↑ "Tatsuro Yamashita is music director of the surf documentary film, Big Wave, now on DVD" (in Japanese). CD Journal. 27 May 2005. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  2. ↑ "Tatsuro Yamashita | Yamachan Land (Japan's charts archives) - Albumd Chart Daijiten" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2007-11-11. Retrieved 2008-03-19.
  3. ↑ "年間アルバムヒットチャート 1984年" (in Japanese). Private Life エンタメデータ＆ランキング. Archived from the original on October 23, 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.