A simpler time, back in 1999, we had some classic hits like Mysterious Times (#52), Missing (#18) and It feels so good (Coming in #74)
2 Times by Ann Lee has always been a bop in nightclubs across UK, Ireland and beyond.
The YouTube video has the following about Ann Lee:
Ann Lee is a British Eurodance singer and songwriter who rose to fame in the late 1990s. She is known solely for her 1999 hit single “2 Times”.
Having moved to live in Italy in the late 1980s, Lee was talent-scouted, and was used as the lead singer on a series of Eurodance singles, issued under various aliases. These have included Charme, Anne, Ally & Jo, DJ Space’C, Lolita, A Kay BJ, Alex, Wienna and TH Express.[citation needed] She also released a few Eurobeat solo singles on the Italian label A.Beat-C. under the names Annerley Gordon and Annalise. Gordon is credited with contributing to the composition of “Rhythm of the Night”, released in Italy in December 1993 on the DWA record label, by the Eurodance project Corona.
Her first solo single under the name “Ann Lee” was “2 Times”, originally released in 1998. It was re-released in early 1999 and became a Top 10 hit in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Norway, as well as in Australia and New Zealand. It also hit number 2 in her native United Kingdom, and reached number one in Flanders and Denmark. In Canada it reached number 14 on the singles chart. “2 Times” was featured in the 2001 film Head Over Heels as the movie’s theme song.
In a much simpler time, 2007, Square-Enix released a new IP on the Nintendo DS, called The World Ends With You (TWEWY). An RPG utilising the DS’ bottom touch screen to move your character and using badges to unleash attacks such as fire, ice and other elements.
The game was set in Tokyo’s suburb Shibuya, and while most of the landmarks were duplicated into the video game, some names of businesses being modified, like the infamous department store 109 becoming “104” and Starbucks becoming “Outback Cafe”.
In the 2021 sequel, NEO: TWEWY, the game is once again set in Shibuya and this time it kept the names of Tower Records and Parco in the game. 104 and Outback retain their names from the first game.
(Sidenote: While they share the names, Tower Records in Japan and Tower Records in Ireland operate independently from each other, but it would be so so SO nice if I could get some Japanese only music in the Irish stores. They have some Anime movies (Mainly Studio Ghibli titles) but it would be cool to get some pop/dance/OST)
Twister while not the main theme, became synonymous with the franchise as it has been remixed many many times (25 times in fact) for battles, boss battles and final battles for the iOS Release, the Final Mix release, NEO: TWEWY release and the anime intro!
Original 2007 Version2018 “Final Remix” Version2021 “NEO: TWEWY” Version2021 TWEWY Anime Intro Version
Lyrics:
“Brain wave, main wave” Psycho got a high kick Collect and select Show me your best set “Crystals, blisters” It’s all over now Psycho cane You’re so keen I need more candy canes “Cold cake, cold break” Freak got a high kick Mr. Twister Moist with roistering Stick it up Take it up Step aside and see the world Effect has defects “Take a bow to the moon (Bow-wow to the moon)” “Brain wave, main wave” Psycho got a high kick Collect and select Show me your best set “Crystals, blisters” It’s all over now Psycho cane You’re so keen I need more candy canes “Cold cake, cold break” Freak got a high kick Mr. Twister Moist with roistering Stick it up Take it up Step aside and see the world Effect has defects “Take a bow to the moon (Bow-wow to the moon)” “Morning rays, hairspray Queens” “Get on their way to their nests, the west” “Honest, they once had a dream” “Belles of society, in the shells of their unity” Cornet ‘n spinet “The sound flows, follows till they’re home” Dragged by the power of dreams That power is yet unknown “Morning rays, hairspray Queens” “Get on their way to their nests, the west” “Honest, they once had a dream” “Belles of society, in the shells of their unity” Cornet ‘n spinet “The sound flows, follows till they’re home” Dragged by the power of dreams That power is yet unknown
“In my lifetime I have learned that hard work pays off, dreams come true. Bad times don’t last, but bad guys do.” ~ Scott Hall
When someone says the phrase ‘Wrestling Legend’, a few names are often mentioned. Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Kurt Angle, Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.
Last week, one of those legends left us as Scott Hall passed away at the age of 63.
Scott was a former:
4 x WWE Intercontinental Champion lasting 437 days
7 x WCW World Tag Team Champion lasting 571 days
2 x WCW United States Champion lasting 66 days
WCW World Television Champion lasting 8 days
AWA World Tag Team Champion lasting 119 days
IMPACT World Tag Team Champion lasting 41 days
2 x WWE Hall of Famer (Single Career 2014, Part of nWo in 2020)
He was also be in the infamous wrestling stable, New World Order in WCW when him and Kevin Nash joined Hulk Hogan which formed the catalyst for the infamous Monday Night Wars between WCW and WWF.
Back in 1979, a few days from her 20th birthday, Miki Matsubara released her debut single Mayonaka no Door (Stay With Me) under the Pony Canyon label but this wasn’t her first foray into music.
Matsubara’s mother was in a jazz band called the ‘Crazy Cats’ and while attending school, Matsubara was in the rock band ‘Kurei’ and played the keyboard.’
Stay With Me released on November 5th 1979 and it’s reached 28th on the Oricon charts. Matsubara would have continued success during her music career but Stay With Me is considered her best work.
In the 90’s, Matsubara worked on music for anime’s and commercials in Japan, most notably for Gundam
At the end of 2000, Miki Matsubara would inform her friends and colleagues to let her know that she could no longer continue her music career.
It was revealed that Miki Matsubara had a late diagnosis of uterine cervix cancer. Matsubara would battle the cancer for the last few years of her life. Matsubara died on October 7th 2004 at the age of 44.
Her music would live on in the great city pop resurgence of the 2010s when her song ‘Stay With Me’ would become a staple of the subgenre alongside Plastic Love.
The song would get another huge surge of popularity in 2020 when YouTuber, Rainych, created a cover of the song. The popularity would spread to platforms like YouTube, Twitter and TikTok.
Due to this popularity, Matsubara’s first album Pocket Park got a repress on vinyl in late 2020.
Lyrics – English:
[Intro] To you Yes, my love to you Yes, my love to you, you To you
[Verse 1] I am only me, you are only you I said that last night and still feel the same way You in your gray jacket with that familiar coffee stain Just as you always are Our reflection in the display window
[Chorus] Stay with me Knocking on midnight’s door Begging you not to go home (Ooh) That season when I cried right in front of your eyes Stay with me Saying our favourite words Holding on to our little moment (Ooh) I’ll never forget it as long as I live
[Verse 2] They say love and affection are two different things You told me last night Sometimes I think so too Winter comes again and your heart has gone away If I look back I see That I could always feel you by my sidе
[Chorus] Stay with me Knocking on midnight’s door There’s a holе in my heart (Ooh) That season when I cried right in front of your eyes Stay with me Distracted by my loneliness The needle on my record player (Ooh) Was stuck on a repeating melody
[Saxophone Solo]
[Chorus] Stay with me Knocking on midnight’s door Begging you not to go home (Ooh) That season when I cried right in front of your eyes Stay with me Saying our favourite words Holding on to our little moment (Ooh) I’ll never forget how warm it felt
[Chorus] Stay with me Knocking on midnight’s door Begging you not to go home (Ooh) That season when I cried right in front of your eyes Stay with me Saying our favourite words Holding on to our little moment (Ooh) I’ll never forget how warm it felt
[Outro] Stay with me Knocking on midnight’s door Begging you not to go home (Ooh) That season when I cried right in front of your eyes Stay with me
(Ooh, I’ll never forget how warm it felt)
Lyrics – Romaji:
[Intro] To you Yes, my love to you Yes, my love to you, you To you
[Verse 1] Watashi wa watashi, anata wa anata to Yuube itteta sonna ki mo suru wa Gurei no jaketto ni Mioboe ga aru kouhii no shimi (Ooh) Aikawarazu na no ne Shou uindou ni futari utsureba (Ooh)
[Chorus] Stay with me Mayonaka no doa o tataki Kaeranaide to naita (Ooh) Ano kisetsu ga ima me no mae Stay with me Kuchiguse wo ii nagara Futari no toki wo daite (Ooh) Mada wasurezu Daiji ni shite ita
[Verse 2] Koi to ai to wa chigau monoda yo to Yuube iwareta sonna ki mo suru wa Nidome no fuyu ga kite Hanarete itta anata no kokoro (Ooh) Furi kaereba itsumo Soko ni anata wo kanjite ita no (Ooh)
[Chorus] Stay with me Mayonaka no doa o tataki Kokoro ni ana ga aita (Ooh) Ano kisetsu ga ima me no mae Stay with me Sabishisa magirawashite Oita rekodo no hari (Ooh) Onaji merodi kurikaeshite ita
[Saxophone Solo]
[Chorus] Stay with me Mayonaka no doa o tataki Kaeranaide to naita (Ooh) Ano kisetsu ga ima me no mae Stay with me Kuchiguse wo ii nagara Futari no toki wo daite (Ooh) Mada wasurezu atatameteta
[Chorus] Stay with me Mayonaka no doa o tataki Kaeranaide to naita (Ooh) Ano kisetsu ga ima me no mae Stay with me Kuchiguse wo ii nagara Futari no toki wo daite (Ooh) Mada wasurezu atatameteta
[Outro] Stay with me Mayonaka no doa o tataki Kaeranaide to naita (Ooh) Ano kisetsu ga ima me no mae Stay with me
In less than 36 hours from this post, Final Fantasy XIV’s 4th expansion, Endwalker will be available in early access with the game fully launching on the 7th December.
As I have mentioned on previous Jukeboxes, Sokenisgreat!
Masayoshi Soken, the composer for a majority of the score in Final Fantasy XIV has been a well-deserved talking point in the last few months. During the COVID-19 lockdown, Soken had spent 6 months of the year in hospital dealing with laryngeal cancer. Most of the development team didn’t know that he was in hospital.
While he was in hospital, he wanted to continue working. Arrangements were thankfully made and he managed to produce one of the best songs in To The Edge. The music is just beautiful, the lyrics are fantastic and I am stunned how Soken could produce something this awesome while recovering from cancer!
On May 15th, Square-Enix released the Full Trailer for the ENDWALKER trailer which primarily contains the ENDWALKER theme, but also features motif’s of the previous expansions, A REALM REBORN, HEAVENSWARD and STORMBLOOD.
In a “Letter from the Producer LIVE” hosted by the director of Final Fantasy XIV, Naoki Yoshida, he announced that the expansion would be delayed by 2 weeks from the 23rd November to the 7th December to improve on the quality of the game.
In the meantime, Square-Enix released the official ENDWALKER track via 7-inch vinyl and also upload the song to YouTube.
The motif for the song will be reused throughout the ENDWALKER expansion for different themes such as the battle theme, locations and other songs.
ENDWALKER is performed by the in-house band THE PRIMALS with vocals from Architects’ Sam Carter.
Lyrics:
Heart of ember, autumntide Cooling swiftly, bleeding light Smold’ring softly, biding time Marching forward, left behind
Fire as shadows clash Forgotten footfalls engraved in ash Fire will be repaid ‘Fore our echoes begin to fade
Fade away… Fade away…
Heart of ember, autumntide Burning brightly, hot and white Kindred severed neverwhere Sorrow’s silence, we needn’t bear
Tumbling down to the never!
Every step we take Echoes in our wake Winding ’round our fate To forge ahead
Should we lose our way Tire of all this pain We won’t be afraid To forge ahead
Fearless hearts ablaze (When the world comes crumbling down) No more time to waste (Know I’ll be there) No, it’s not too late (Though our fleeting moment has gone) To forge ahead (You’re not–you’re not alone YEAH)
As we ride again (As you turn your eyes to the stars) To another end (Oh, I’ll be there) Where it all begins (With my chorus guiding you) Forge ahead (Forge ahead)
This is the last track on their 2017 album, Idols, Sakura which is probably one of my favourite Future Funk albums of all time. All songs are great on the album, but it ends with a brilliant track that makes you want to replay it again and again.
Horsey features the vocals of Sarah Bonito. If that name seems a bit familiar with you, Sarah would be one of the members of Kero Kero Bonito. In fact, I have actually highlighted her most famous song Flamingo in Edition #56
If you don’t know that song but recognise the name still, she would have sang the theme tune for the Playstation 5 launch title, Bugsnax!
Horsey is a great beat and Sarah’s vocals accompany the track very very well. It has a great summer vibe and well deserves its spot on the album.
As with most Future Funk songs, the main melody of the song is sampled from T-Square’s Circuit Wanderer which was released in 1991 and was part of the “F-1 Grand Prix World” album a year later. From what I can tell, the album has no affiliation with the FIA Formula 1 World Championship but it would be pretty cool if it was.
Around 1:14 is where Horsey takes it’s sample from
English Lyrics:
Waking up early, throwing on clothes Catching the same bus Staring at the scenery outside Driving past these concrete things This used to be a jungle, I think and It’s crazy! Humanity is amazing A certain thought with meaning in My daydream
Just remembered it’s 2014 Do you know what that really means? Looking forward to this with joy It’s the year of the horse that’s running freely It’s actually the year of the sheep but it’s it better if that’s a secret. Aren’t I strange? But I can’t get these images out of my head
I saw a bit of it on T.V. Hair swaying in wind Running freely these beautiful horses All together in a field no ending That summer breeze Unforgettable Let me run with you Let me run with you I’m already running at the same time Oh hell yeah I have a really good feeling
We’re not going anywhere and tomorrow isn’t waiting for us This life is boring
Yeah so come run with me Let’s be free Don’t look back cause we are not coming back No ones gonna ever catch me and ride me Ride me
Yeah so come run with me Let’s be free Don’t look back cause we are not coming back No ones gonna ever catch me and ride me Ride me I’m that horse that I saw on TV
![[The JukeBox] #74 – Ann Lee – 2 Times](https://padraig.blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/ann_lee_2_times.png)
![[The Jukebox] #73 – Takeharu Ishimoto – Twister](https://padraig.blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/the-world-ends-with-you-wallpapers-80329-816549-7695717.png)
![[The JukeBox] #72 – ‘Bad Boy’ (Razor Ramon) – Jim Johnston](https://padraig.blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/scott-hall.jpg)
![[The JukeBox] #71 – Miki Matsubara – Stay with Me](https://padraig.blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/stay-with-me-miki-matsubara.png)
![[The Jukebox] #70 – Masayoshi Soken – ENDWALKER](https://padraig.blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/endwalkertheme.jpg)
![[The JukeBox] #69 – Macross 82-99 – Horsey (feat. Sarah Bonito)](https://padraig.blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/macross8299-idolssakura.jpg)
