The Goodbye NYC, Goodbye USA Theme Festival: Day One

Opening the festival is Original Love (which is effectively just one man, Takao Tajima). If the sound reminds you a lot of Pizzicato Five (who are later on the lineup) , it's because he used to be a part of Pizzicato Five before going his own way.

This is the video for Seppun (Kiss), which was later covered by Mika Nakashima in a reggae style. I'm more partial to the original.




Now the video and the lyrics remind me of two different things. The video with its shaking camera shots make me think of the frenzied action I thought I would see and be a part of. Yet, when you watch it you notice that TT is basically on his own (assuming that he's not singing to the person behind the camera, which I don't think he is). The interesting thing for me is that he's seemingly content (almost serene) being an observer.

However, the lyrics on the other hand speak of longing and unfulfillment. The kiss that he shares "each time" is not necessarily with the same person. That was my interpretation. Lyrically, Seppun reminds me of my dating life, as New York more than anywhere I had been previously, was where I discovered that I had a romantic side, and every encounter could potentially lead to something deeper...even if it was for just a moment in time.

And as for the line about "a naked body being cold and irritating," well, we've all had some one-night stands that have gone awry...I hope.

Next up is MISIA's (expect her to be featured a lot) Escape.




Now this is an interesting one. It's not so much the lyrics, but the combination of somewhat New Jack Swing beats and avantgarde artistic mise-en-scene in the video that get me. I moved to New York for grad school, and this completely reminds me of Columbia, which seemingly stood out from its surroundings, yet was totally and thoroughly was a part of the neighbourhood: khaki socialists, neo-bohemians, and homeboys all co-existing.

Now chornologically, let's go wayyy back with Monie Love's It's A Shame.




This song kicked off my interest in funk music back in high school, because I was totally in love with the sample from The Spinners. I have yet to hear anyone but them do more than an adequate version of It's A Shame, and even The Spinners themselves aren't easily hitting those notes these days.




Next time: Swing Out Sister and Pizzicato Five.

Closing out today, however, are the 1979 & 1980 opening themes from Lupin III, which are the first really just flat-out cool opening sequences that I ever saw, and ultimately became the basis of my visual sense as a scriptwriter.

Lupin '79



Lupin '80 (the best Lupin opening ever)