#ohtaki

Download ohtaki eiichi a long vacation rar

Japan has lost one of its greatest “Japanese pop culture gurus”, Eiichi Ohtaki, who died on December 30, 2013, from a dissecting aneurysm.

He was primarily known as a musician, but the reason why I call him “guru” is because not only did he produced amazing songs, but he dedicated much of his life to actively studying the history of pop music (Japanese, UK, and US), and many other cultures.

Although his work was not anime or manga related, he certainly had the “otaku” gene. He was a man who could not get over his childhood obsession with many different kinds of entertainment culture.

Singing rock in Japanese

In the late 60’s, he met Haruomi Hosono (who later became the world wide known musician behind the Yellow Magic Orchestra), Takashi Matsumono (who later became a lyric writer for various popular Japanese pop songs), and Shigeru Suzuki (later a musician/producer for various popular Japanese pop songs).

In 1969, they formed a band which changed its name to Happy End in 1970 (spelled “Ha Pi I E N Do” in Hiragana). They were influenced by Buffalo Springfield and other kinds of country rock. Very established rock bands in Japan were rare at that time.

Although Happy End was an indie band that was never popular in the mainstream music scene, they were a controversial band among music fans.

Back then, people believed that the Japanese language was not suitable to do western music. But Matsumoto insisted on experimenting with the Japanese language in Happy End’s music.

In 1970, a rock publication “New Music Magazine” conducted a dialogue session to discuss the Japanese rock scene. One of the participating artists, Yuya Uchida argued with Ohtaki that rock music should not be used with Japanese language. Japanese musicians should aim for the world by singing in English.

Bad Boys vs. Otaku Boys

Yuya Uchida later became a successful musician and actor (or rather, he became a promoter who produced musicians and introduced rock music from US/UK, more than he created music of his own.) He was known as a “Rock’n Roller” and a “bad boy”.

By contrast, Ohtaki and the ex-Happy End members all became the music legends that helped to create and build the base for today’s J-pop scene.

Later, Ohtaki remarked, “Some people said that we should not sing rock in Japanese back then. Actually, I was very confident and knew I could perform rock really well in English. And moreover, it was EASIER to do that way. ”

With Happy End, Ohtaki had chosen the way of experimental Japanese language rock. This decision was influential to so many artists in Japan…

Uchida Yuya was a “Yanki” (bad boy) type, and that probably the reason for his love of rock and roll, which had its basis in delinquent culture.

By contrast, Ohataki was not the “bad” type and was more of the “otaku” type.

He studied music and dug down its roots. And he continually experimented with the sounds and cultures he found there.

He produced many songs that used countless rock and pop music references form western music and mashed up with them with old Japanese music culture such as Ondo (Japanese festival dance music) or Minyo (Japanese traditional popular songs). Another strong influence was producer Phil Spector, whom Ohtaki deeply researched and studied to create his own “wall of sound”.

Ohtaki’s best 10 tracks

While still a member of Happy End, Eiichi Ohtaki produced his own solo album. Soon after the band broke up, he became a producer, created many songs for other musicians, and wrote songs for commercials.

He created his own music label named Niagara Records, and built a recording studio in Japan’s Fussa area (which has a strong US military presence). He lived in US style housing, drove a Cadillac, and sought out an “American world” in Japan

He started producing music just like how music was produced outside of Japan. It was very rare for a musician to do all of these type of works alone at that time.

He produced and wrote songs for many artists, and was an influence on numerous musicians such as Tatsuro Yamashita (one of Japan’s most famous singer-song writers), Ginji Itho (producer), Rats & Star (Doo-wop vocal group), Seiko Matsuda (idol), Akira Kobayashi (Enka singer, Ohtaki was a fan of him.) and so on.

Here are my recommended Ohtaki Eiichi tracks.

1.おもいOmoi (1972 from his first solo album “Ohtaki Eiichi”)

This song is full of love and respect toward the Beach Boys. After Ohtaki went solo, he began to put more and more of his favorite sounds (in this case, multi-tracked vocals) into his work than he had with Happy End. This would be the direction his future music would take more and more.

  2.ナイアガラ・ムーンNiagara Moon (1975 from  his 2nd Album “Niagara Moon”)

(Jump to the track file)

https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/niagara-moon/id615162895

From Ohtaki’s first album produced from his Niagara Records label. This song begins with the sounds of the “Great Fall “ (“Ohtaki” in Japanese), which was recorded by his disciple, Tatsuro Yamashita. Ohtaki said, “I wanted to make a song with the rhythm of “Biguine” (a type of dance music created in the Martinique island area) in a kind of 1940’s Japanese pop song style”.

  3.今宵こそKoyoi Koso (1976 from his 3rd Album “Go! Go! Niagara”)

(Jump to the track file)

https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/go!go!niagara/id615162673

This is another multi-trackingvocal from a concept album where Ohtaki pretends to be a radio disk jockey, introducing his music. Just as with “Niagara Moon”, Ohtaki overdoses on the sound mixing, and the lead vocal is buried into the multilayer vocal track. As the result, his lead sounds like “My Bloody Valentine” type of noise music vocals.

  4.Cider’73,’74,’75,’77 (1977 from his 4th Album “NIAGARA CM SPECIAL”)

https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/niagara-cm-special-vol.1/id834041895

Ohtaki’s first commercial (CM) jingle started from Mitsuya Cider CM (Japanese soft drink) songs in 1973. He said his inventionof this sound lead him directly to the later million-seller hit albums, “A Long Vacation” and “Each Time”. When he suggested making a CM compilation album, many thought it wouldn’t sell. But it turned out to be a hit record anyways.

  5.Whispering (1977 from Ohtaki produce album “Yume de Aetara” by Celia Paul)

https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/mengde-fengetara/id834163202

This is a cover of a Nino Tempo & April Stevens song. You can tell Ohtaki’s vocal range is very wide. He is singing in a high pitch like a yodel. And his Hawaiian arrangement for this song makes it even dreamier than the original.

  6.泳げカナヅチ君　Oyoge Kanazuchi Kun (Swim Mr. Kanazuchi (Kanazuchi mean a person who cannot swim) (1977 from the 4th album, “NIAGARA CALENDAR”)

(Jump to the track file)

https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/niagara-calendar-78/id834170027

The album “NIAGARA CALENDAR” was the first calendar album made in Japan. Although the sales were not good, it was very experimental, parodied many music styles, and it displays Ohtaki’s keen sense as a producer. One of the songs, Oyoge Kanazuchi Kun, was parodied from the popular kids song “Oyoge Taiyaki Kun (Taiyaki, a sweet Japanese Fish shape cake that goes back to the ocean.)

This song ironically sings about a person who cannot swim using the Beach Boys style of surf rock. In his later albums, he made a continuation song in which Mr. Kanazuchi will flies into the sky. (“Soratobu Kanazuchi Kun” from the 5th album “Let’s Ondo Again”)

  7.クリスマス音頭〜お正月Christmas Ondo-Oshougatsu  (1977 from 4th album, “NIAGARA CALENDAR”)

https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/niagara-calendar-78/id834170027

This Christmas Ondo-Oshougatsu (The timeframe from Christmas to Japanese New Year) song emphasizes a typical Japanese end of the year atmosphere very well.

The lyric says that the Christmas customs came from the west, but in Japan, Christmas a party time for eating fried chicken and getting drunk. He created a sound of Ondo (Japanese festival sound) of Jingle Bell in the Christmas Ondo. And then on Oshougatsu, he added the Japanese traditional “Oshogatsu” song using the style of western “White Christmas” (The Drifters - White Christmas) style.

Just like the Drifter’s White Christmas, Ohtaki sings like a Japanese singer, Frank Nagai, at the beginning of the song. (He credits his name as “Trank Mijikai (“Mijikai” means short. “Nagai” means long in Japanese”) and later half, he sings like singer Kyu Sakamoto, (Who is the singer of “Sukiyaki”), his credit name is “Hachi Sakamoto” (Kyu means 9, and Hachi means 8 in Japanese). He often played with Japanese credit names like this.

  8.　河原の石川五右衛門Kawara no Ishikawa Goemon song by Oshamanbe Cats (1978 from 5th album, “LET'S ONDO AGAIN”)

Because Ohtaki’s former album was not successful, he decided to close his label after the release of this album. He then decided to do whatever he wanted to and experiment even more aggressively. The result was comic and parody songs and many mash-ups with Japanese traditional pop sounds like Ondo and Minyo.

At the time of the release of this Pink Lady’s parody song, “Nagisa No Sindbad”

Ohtaki couldn't get the approval of the original creator, Yuu Aku, and he was not able to include this track on the album. It finally became available for the 1981 re-lease. This cover song featuring the story of Goemon Ishikawa, a Japanese outlaw hero in Edo period who stole gold and valuables and gave them to the poor. Now this song has been covered by one of AKB48’s sub-groups.

  9.　 FUN X 4　(1981 from 6th album, “A LONG VACATION”)

https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/a-long-vacation/id615161869

This album was Ohtaki’s first big mainstream hit. (And the first CD released album in Japan.) Finally, Ohtaki’s name became popular outside of the music fan scene. Takashi Matsumoto from Happy End did most of the lyrics.

In this album, Ohatki closed his parody approach to his creation, made his lead vocals clearer and the music production was more straightforward pop music.

In Funx4, many musicians participate in the chorus. (Oshamanbe Cats, Hiromi Ohta, Hiroaki Igarashi, and Rats & Star). Rats & Star is doing the chorus of “Fun fun fun til her dady took your T-bird away” from the Beach Boy’s “Fun Fun Fun”.

People says that She Say (Oom Dooby Doom) by The Diamonds may be the original inspiration of this song.

And another influenced song is Donna Lynn’s My Boyfriend Got a Beatle Haircut

Ohtaki made a song for Seiko Matsuda “Ichigo Batake de Tsukamete” (Catch me in the strawberry field) using the same key and rhythm of this song.

  10. ペパーミント･ブルー Pepper Mint, Blue (1984 from his last album, “Each Time”)

https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/each-time/id834037870

From his interview, Ohtaki said “My purpose of making music is to enjoy myself (as a music fan), so I hide many jokes and secrets in my music. But I realized no one discovered my ‘hide and seek’ play. So now, I decided to also drop some shadows (hints) so that people can enjoy it more easily.”

With the album EACH TIME, the songs became even clearer and were uncomplicated by parodies.

This Pepper Mind, Blue song uses many layers of sound that you can clearly tell Ohtaki’s will to re-create Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound. Also, this song marks the final form of his musical goals since he created the Cider CM in 1973.

Ohtaki uses many different credit names for himself. One of them is Jack Tones. He uses this name when he records multi-track vocals. This song is his last work by Jack Tones.

After this album, he stopped making any more new album. Perhaps, he had accomplished what he was seeking in creation of music.

As a Music Guru

2014 was the 30th anniversary of EACH TIME, and he finished re-mastering this album before his death (which was very rare for him. He was notorious of being late on release time). On March 21st at his farewell gathering, the 30th anniversary re-master EACH TIME was given as a gift to every guest.

Ohtaki was much more than just a musician, because of his otaku mentality, even though he got the gifted song writing talent and the vocal skill, he also actively hosted radio shows and spoke about his interests in various cultural histories.

Since EACH TIME’s release of 1984, he did not produce another album and was asked by many people why he didn’t make music.

His answer was, “I personally think as a musician, the task should not be limited in only making a new song. As a musician, I have to study the history and share the researched documents. To do that, a radio show is the perfect format.”

He hosted several radio shows a few times a year until recently. He shared his study of many cultures. (Roots of Japanese music, American Pop. And he was scheduled to do the roots of UK Pop).

One of his lectures that became legendary is called “Denominate Numerate Theory” (*I will post this soon.)

Any culture is the result of some influence from other culture. (There is no Star Wars if Kurosawa’s film didn’t exist, and no Kill Bill if there were no Japanese cult films.) It is fun to examine the structure and discover the roots and the reason behind creation.

And why is it so fun? Maybe Ohtaki was looking for his answer to his love towards the music.

He was known as a great musician, and an amazing music otaku, he had an amazing voice.