Let’s travel back to 2001 with a dance classic from Dee Dee with Forever.
There is nothing notable to say about this other than it reached Number 12 in the UK singles chart in the summer of 2001.
Lyrics:
I´m all alone in bed and I can´t sleep I´m feeling blue I try to close my eyes but all I´m thinking of is You! Baby, only you!
I cry my eyes out, baby Wondering what I have to do I’m looking inside my heart And know for sure this love is true
Refr: Day by day heart to heart I hope that we will ever be together. Will it be, me and you? I dream that our love will last, forever. Hold me tight, in your arms. I know we have the strength to stay together. When we meet In the end I promise to be there, forever forever
I´m all alone in bed, and I can´t sleep, I´m feeling blue. I try to close my eyes, but all I´m thinking of is You! Baby, only you!
Refr: Day by day, heart to heart, I hope that we will ever be, together Will it be, me and you I dream that our love will last forever Hold me tight in your arms. I know we have the strength to stay together when we meet in the end I promise to be there, forever forever
Normally with The JukeBox posts, I discover a song or an album, add it to my Spotify playlist, go back through the playlist at a later stage (Normally 6 months to a couple of years) and then decide whether to create a post for it.
This song, I heard one day and I must have instantly liked it but never added it to any playlist and therefore I forgot about it.
It recently came back up during one of my many City pop listening sessions using the new ‘Enhance’ feature on Spotify.
This song is fantastic. It’s a Japanese song by MONDO GROSSO (Real name: Shinichi Osawa) who is a DJ from Tokyo. I will not lie and say that I haven’t heard any other of MONDO GROSSO’s work!
Here is Labyrinth with Hikari Mitsushima as the dancer.
YouTube
Spotify
Lyrics:
Mitsumenaide kanashii hou wo Me wo tsubutte kuchizuke shiyou Amaku tokeru merodii
Hikikomarete Meikyuu no paradaisu Deguchi mo naku owari mo naku Tsutsumarete itai no Jama shinaide Mayonaka no paradaisu Iki mo sezu ni Mogutte iku Futari dake no dansu
Within specific genres of music, there are those ‘staple’ songs. A set of pieces that capture the essence of a genre. Within the City pop genre, you would find some staples, Plastic Love, Dress Down, Stay with Me, and Flyday Chinatown. Jazz Fusion sensation, Casiopea would be a staple band for the genre.
Still going today as Casiopea-P4, (Their 4th iteration) has been around since 1976 and became very popular in the 80’s even having a world tour. With almost 60 albums since its inception, the band focuses on instrumental music with high-energy and high-tempo music.
Over the years, they have had 13 different members come and go with the guitarist Issei Noro being the only member who has been in the band the entire time. The band even disbanded from 2006 until 2012 due to exhaustion.
For more about the history of Casiopea, I would highly recommend checking out T2norway’s video on the band which was uploaded in 2021.
Arguably, the band’s most popular song, Galatic Funk became a staple for City pop fans.
Galactic Funk originally was on the band’s 6th album Cross Point released in 1981 but has been re-arranged and re-recorded over the years.
Live
Studio
For me, this band and their live performances remind me of the Miami Sound Machine with Gloria Estefan with their high-energy, high-tempo music.
Recently on Spotify, I was playing a 90’s / 00’s pop mix and rediscovered this fantastic song by The Beautiful South.
It was released in September of 1996 and ready Number 5 in the UK Singles Charts and Number 11 in Ireland and was part of their 5th Album, “Blue is the colour”
With its catchy lyrics and beat, it’s something to go back to and enjoy once more.
Lyrics:
And the women tug their hair Like they’re trying to prove it won’t fall out And all the men are gargoyles Dipped long in Irish stout
The whole place is pickled The people are pickles for sure And no one knows if they’ve done more here Than they ever would do in a jar
This could be Rotterdam or anywhere Liverpool or Rome ‘Cause Rotterdam is anywhere Anywhere alone Anywhere alone
And everyone is blonde And everyone is beautiful And when blondes and beautiful are multiple They become so dull and dutiful
And when faced with dull and dutiful They fire red warning flares Battle khaki personality With red underwear
This could be Rotterdam or anywhere Liverpool or Rome ‘Cause Rotterdam is anywhere Anywhere alone Anywhere alone
The whole place is pickled The people are pickles for sure And no one knows if they’ve done more here Than they ever would do in a jar
This could be Rotterdam or anywhere Liverpool or Rome ‘Cause Rotterdam is anywhere Anywhere alone
This could be Rotterdam or anywhere Liverpool or Rome ‘Cause Rotterdam is anywhere Anywhere alone Anywhere alone Anywhere alone Anywhere alone Anywhere alone, alone, alone
Ooh this could be Rotterdam or anywhere Liverpool or Rome ‘Cause Rotterdam is anywhere alone Alone, alone
Nocchi, KASHIYIKA and a-chan make up the Japanese pop girl group sensation, Perfume.
Formed in 2000, the trio have been a staple in the Japanese pop scene since they were signed to Amuse, Inc in 2003. They would stay with them for 9 years before signing with Universal Music Group in 2012 and have been there ever since.
Perfume has been a guilty pleasure of mine for years and every so often, I go back to listen to the album that got me hooked on them.
Their newer music is just as good as the ‘old’ and still a great listening experience.
Today, we look at ‘Love the World’, released in 2008 and was the first ‘technopop’ song to reach Number 1 on the Oricon charts (Basically the Japanese version of the IRMA Single Chart or the UK Top 40.)
This would become one of the singles released ahead of the 2009 release of their 2nd studio album Triangle (⊿) album. (In Japan, the singles are released ahead of the release of the album)
YouTube/Spotify
Lyrics
Kossori himitsu wo ageru wa zutto suki ni shite ii no yo Kitto kimi mo ki ni iru yo futari dake no tokutouseki
Choppiri unmei mitai na Kyara ni mo nai you na koto mo Kanjitatte ii janai no Dareka kaita shinario?
Mada kono saki ga mienai Ichibanboshi sagasu te ga furuetemo
Akiramenai de taisetsu na Sukoshi no iji to kimi yo daarin Shigekiteki hora suteki Mieru sekai ga kirameku wa Tesaguri no atashi ni mo Sukoshi wakaru ki ga shiterun da Yawaraka na kimi no taimingu Zurui desho chuchuchu Love love the world
Yappari chansu wo ageru wa yatto mieta kimi no sukima Kitto hitori de nayande oshiete kurete iin da yo
Choppiri hanse mitai na Kyara ni mo nai you na koto mo Tama ni wa ii janai no Dare ka kaita shinario?
Mada kono saki ga mienai Ichibanboshi sagasu te ga furuetemo
Akiramenai de taisetsu na Sukoshi no iji to kimi yo daarin Shigekiteki hora suteki Mieru sekai ga kirameku wa Tesaguri no atashi ni mo Sukoshi wakaru ki ga shiterun da Yawaraka na kimi no taimingu Zurui desho chuchuchu Love love the world
Have a nice day! Be in a good mood yeh! In all the world Love the world
Yorokobi no naka mada kono saki ga mienai Ichiban boshi sagasu te ga furuetemo
Akiramenai de taisetsu na Sukoshi no iji to kimi yo daarin Shigekiteki hora suteki Mieru sekai ga kirameku wa Tesaguri no atashi ni mo Sukoshi wakaru ki ga shiterun da Yawaraka na kimi no taimingu Zurui desho chuchuchu Love love the world
Have a nice day! Be in a good mood yeh! In all the world Love the world
I could have sworn that I have already covered Fragma’s – Toca’s Miracle from 2001 but it looks like I didn’t.
While searching, I noticed that there has been a re-release of the song at the start of July 2022 by Coco Star who created the lyrics back in 1996 for ‘I need a miracle’.
The song was released as a track on Fragma’s album Toca in 2001 with the instrumental Toca Me also included on the album.,
The song was released on the Spinnin’ Records label.
Lyrics:
If you’re gonna save the day And you’re hearin’ what I say I feel your touch Your kiss, it’s not enough And if you believe in me Don’t think my love’s not for real I won’t take nothin’ less then a deeper love
Let me tell you, you know Aah, I need a miracle I need a miracle It’s more than physical What I need to feel from you Let me tell you, you know Aah, I need a miracle I need a miracle It’s more than physical What I need to get me through
Tell me that you understand And you’ll take me as I am You’ll always be the one to give me everything Just when I thought no one cared You’re the answer to my prayer You lift my spirits high Come on and rescue me
Let me tell you, you know Aah, I need a miracle I need a miracle It’s more than physical What I need to feel from you Let me tell you, you know Aah, I need a miracle I need a miracle It’s more than physical What I need to get me through
Let me tell you, you know Aah, I need a miracle I need a miracle It’s more than physical What I need to feel from you Let me tell you, you know Aah, I need a miracle I need a miracle It’s more than physical What I need to get me through
![[The JukeBox] #84 – Dee Dee – Forever](https://padraig.blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/deedeeforever.png)
![[The JukeBox] #83 – MONDO GROSSO – Labyrinth](https://padraig.blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/20170719022359.jpg)
![[The JukeBox] #82 – Casiopea – Galactic Funk](https://padraig.blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/casiopea_cross_point.png)
![[The JukeBox] #81 – The Beautiful South – Rotterdam (Or Anywhere)](https://padraig.blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/tbs-bitc.jpeg)
![[The JukeBox] #80 – Perfume – Love the World](https://padraig.blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/lovetheworld.png)
![[The JukeBox] #78 – Coco Star – Toca Miracle](https://padraig.blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/photo-1458093257227-0f30303eb1f0-1.jpg)