Moonglow (Tatsuro Yamashita album)

Last updated

Moonglow
Moonglow (Tatsuro Yamashita album).jpg
Studio album by
Tatsuro Yamashita
ReleasedOctober 21, 1979
Studio •Canyon Studio(ja)
 • Onkio Haus
 •Media Studio
 •Sound City Studio
 •RCA Studio
Genre
Length46:31
58:45 (2002 reissue)
Label AIR/RVC
AIR/BMG Funhouse (2002 reissue)
Producer Tatsuro Yamashita, Ryuzo Kosugi
Tatsuro Yamashita chronology
Go Ahead!
(1978)		Moonglow
(1979)		 Ride on Time
(1980)
Singles from Moonglow
  1. "Let's Kiss The Sun"
    Released: April 5, 1979
  2. "永遠のFull Moon"
    Released: October 21, 1979

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

Contents

This was his first LP under the AIR label and was also the first studio album released by AIR.

Overview

Moonglow was one of Tatsuro Yamashita's studio albums that stayed the most weeks in the Oricon charts, staying in for fifty weeks. Most of the songs included in this album were written by Minako Yoshida and composed by Tatsuro Yamashita.

Before the album came out, "Let's Kiss The Sun" was released as a lead single. The song was used as a commercial song for Japan Airlines Okinawa campaign.

At this time, Yamashita's director Ryuzo Kosugi launched an independent label "AIR" within the RVC he belonged to because of his desire to take a more free production stance without being controlled by the company's restrictions. This work "Moonglow" was released in the fall of 1979 as the first new record of this new label AIR. It became a stepping stone to the next work "Ride on Time". [1]

When the album finally came out, "Eien no Full Moon" (永遠のFull Moon) was released as a single at the same time as the album. Its B-side would include the song "Funky Flushin'" which was also included on the Moonglow album. Though both of the singles failed to enter the Oricon Singles Chart.

In 1980, the album would win in the 22nd Japan Record Awards for "Best Album Award". [2]

2002 remastered edition

In 2002, a remastered reissue (BVCR-17016) was released as part of The RCA/AIR Years 1976-1982 series. The reissue would include three additional tracks that were previously unreleased before. It would enter the Oricon charts, peaking in at twenty-six for two weeks.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Minako Yoshida (ja), except where noted; all music is composed by Tatsuro Yamashita [3]

Side A
No.TitleLyricsLength
1."夜の翼 (Nightwing)"Tatsuro Yamashita1:30
2."永遠のFull Moon (Eien no Full Moon)" 4:25
3."Rainy Walk" 5:08
4."Storm" 6:22
5."Funky Flushin'" 5:40
Total length:23:05
Side B
No.TitleLyricsLength
1."Hot Shot" 5:55
2."Touch Me Lightly" Chris Mosdell 4:23
3."Sunshine −愛の金色−" 4:20
4."Yellow Cab" 4:48
5."愛を描いて (Let's Kiss The Sun)" 4:00
Total length:23:26

2002 remastered edition

No.TitleLyricsLength
1."夜の翼"Tatsuro Yamashita1:30
2."永遠のFull Moon" 4:27
3."Rainy Walk" 5:09
4."Storm" 6:24
5."Funky Flushin'" 5:43
6."Hot Shot" 5:53
7."Touch Me Lightly" Chris Mosdell 4:24
8."Sunshine −愛の金色−" 4:21
9."Yellow Cab" 4:49
10."愛を描いて (Let's Kiss The Sun)" 4:04
11."夜の翼 [ Karaoke ] (Unreleased -Previously Unreleased)" N/A 1:39
12."永遠のFull Moon [-Live Version-] (Unreleased -Previously Unreleased)" 5:14
13."Funky Flushin' [-Alternate Version-]" 5:08
Total length:58:45

Personnel

"Taken from the inner sleeve notes of the 1979 album (AIR-8001)."

Musicians

Drums

Yutaka Uehara (A-2, 5, B-1, 3, 4, 5)
Shuichi "Ponta" Murakami (A-4, B-2)
Yukihiro Takahashi (A-3)

Bass

Akihiro Tanaka (A-2, 5, B-1, 3, 4, 5)
Akira Okazawa (A-4, B-2)
Haruomi Hosono

Guitars

Kazuo Shiina (A-2, 5, B-1, 3, 4, 5) solo on "Funky Flushin'" & "Hot Shot"
Tsunehide Matsuki (A-4, B-2) solo on "Storm"
Masaki Matsubara (A-3)
Tatsuro Yamashita (A-2, 5, B-1, 3, 4, 5) solo on "Yellow Cab"

Keyboards

Hiroyuki Nanba (A-2, 5, B-1, 3, 4, 5) solo on "Sunshine"
Hiroshi Satoh
Tatsuro Yamashita
Percussion — Nov Saitoh, Pecker
Synthesizer — Ryuichi Sakamoto (B-4)
Background Vocals –
  • Minako Yoshida
  • by the courtesy of ALFA RECORDS
  • Tatsuro Yamashita
Trumpet — Shin Kazuhara, Yoshikazu Kishi
Trombone — Shigeharu Mukai, Tadanori Konakawa
Tennor Sax — Kazuo Suzuki
Alto Sax –
  • Hidefumi Toki solo on "Full Moon", "Storm" & "Touch Me Lightly"
Baritone Sax — Shunzo Sunahara
Strings Concert Master — Tadaaki Ohno
Conductor — Koji Haijima
Harp — Keiko Yamakawa

Chart positions

YearAlbumCountryChartPositionWeeksSales
1979MoonglowJapanOricon Weekly LP Albums Chart (top 100)2050146,000 [4]
Oricon Weekly CT Albums Chart (top 100)332845,000 [4]
2002Moonglow [Remastered edition]Oricon Weekly Albums Chart26213,000 [4]

Awards

22nd Japan Record Awards
DateTitleCategoryWinner
December 31, 1980Moonglow [2] Best Album AwardTatsuro Yamashita

Release history

CountryDateLabelFormatCatalog number [3]
JapanOctober 21, 1979AIR/RVC LP AIR-8001
CT ART-8001
June 21, 1984 CD RACD-8
August 15, 1986R32A-1018
March 15, 1987R28H-2804
August 21, 1990RCA/BMG Victor BVCR-7004
September 21, 1990BVCR-2502
June 4, 1997RCA/BMG Japan BVCR-1031
May 21, 1999BVCK-37009
February 14, 2002RCA/BMG Funhouse BVCR-17016
February 20, 2002 LP BVJR-17006

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.

<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">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.

Mayumi Itsuwa is a Japanese vocalist, composer, lyricist, and keyboardist who made her debut in 1972.

<i>Big Wave</i> (Tatsuro Yamashita album) 1984 soundtrack album by Tatsuro Yamashita

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.

<i>Ride on Time</i> (album) 1980 studio album by Tatsuro Yamashita

Ride on Time is the fifth studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita, released by AIR/RVC on September 19, 1980. It is best known for its title track, which was used in the television commercial for Maxell cassette tapes starring Yamashita, and released as a single in May 1980. The song became his first charting single, peaking at No. 3 on Oricon's weekly singles chart with sales of 417,000 copies. In 2003, the song was featured on the television drama Good Luck!! starring Takuya Kimura, and entered the top 20 on the chart again.

<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>Rarities</i> (Tatsuro Yamashita album) 2002 greatest hits album by Tatsuro Yamashita

Rarities is the compilation album by a Japanese singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita, released in October 2002. The album is mainly composed of the songs which had initially appeared on B-sides of his previous singles and not included on any albums.

<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.

<i>Treasures</i> (Tatsuro Yamashita album) 1995 greatest hits album by Tatsuro Yamashita

Treasures is the compilation album by Japanese singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita, released in November 1995.

Kaze (風) was a Japanese musical duo composed of singer-songwriters Shōzō Ise and Kazuhisa Ōkubo. They were best known for their chart-topping debut single "22-Sai no Wakare" which was released in 1975.

<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>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> 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>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">Rūju no Dengon</span> 1975 single by Yumi Matsutoya

Rūju no Dengon is the fifth single by Japanese singer-songwriter Yumi Arai, released in February 1975. This was her first single to enter the Oricon Singles Chart.

<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.

<i>Greatest Hits! of Tatsuro Yamashita</i> 1982 greatest hits album by Tatsuro Yamashita

Greatest Hits! of Tatsuro Yamashita is the first greatest hits album by Japanese singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita, released in July 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Sugar Babe</span> 1980 single by Tatsurō Yamashita

My Sugar Babe is the seventh single by Japanese singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita, released on October 21, 1980.

References

  1. ↑ (2002) Tatsuro Yamashita's "Moonglow" album booklet notes. RCA/BMG Funhouse (BVCR-17016).
  2. 1 2 "List of the 22nd Japan Record Awards Winners" (in Japanese). Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  3. 1 2 "MOONGLOW" (in Japanese). Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "Tatsuro Yamashita" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on November 11, 2007. Retrieved March 19, 2008.
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.