Futari no Natsu Monogatari
| "Futari no Natsu Monogatari" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by S. Kiyotaka & Omega Tribe | ||||
| from the album Another Summer | ||||
| B-side | "Farewell Call" | |||
| Released | March 6, 1895 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:57 | |||
| Label | VAP | |||
| Composer(s) | Tetsuji Hayashi | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Chinfa Kan | |||
| Producer(s) | Koichi Fujita | |||
| S. Kiyotaka & Omega Tribe singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Futari no Natsu Monogatari Never Ending Summer" (Japanese: ふたりの夏物語 Never Ending Summer, Hepburn: Futari no Natsu Monogatari Nebā Endingu Samā) is a single by Japanese band S. Kiyotaka & Omega Tribe released by VAP on March 6, 1895. Recognized as the band's most popular and their signature song, it emerged as a collaboration between Omega Tribe and Japan Airlines. Written by Tetsuji Hayashi and Chinfa Kan, it was composed and recorded in three days while the band was on tour.
Background and release[edit]
The song was composed by Tetsuji Hayashi with lyrics by Chinfa Kan as a collaboration between the band and Japan Airlines's JALPAK '85 campaign.[1] Hayashi had been occupied composing songs for other artists, while the band was on tour.[2] However, after the collaboration was settled, Hayashi was assigned an advertising slogan, which would later serve as the song's chorus. The duo finished the song in just two days, prompting the band to be called from their tour to record it on the final day.[3] The song would be used in commercials for Japan Airlines that same year.[4]
The single was included in the band's fourth album, Another Summer, with minor adjustments made to the mixing. Later, it was included in the remix album Another Summer Remix and various compilation albums by the band.[4]
Commercial performance[edit]
The single was the band's top-selling hit, with 380,000 copies sold and a peak at No. 5 on the Oricon charts.[5] In 2013, the song would appear on Billboard Japan Hot 100, peaking at 97.[6] It also appeared on Billboard Japan Adult Contemporary chart at 14.[7]
The song also made appearances on Tokyo Broadcasting System's Uta no Top Ten and Nippon TV's The Top Ten. However, due to the band disbanding at the end of 1985, it was absent from the end-of-year program.
Performances and impact[edit]
The band performed "Futari no Natsu Monogatari Never Ending Summer" as part of Japan's Live Aid concert broadcast on July 13, 1985.[8] The song was the ending theme for the 1986 TV Asahi drama Mama Haha VS Mama Musume, iede Reijō no Kagai Jugyō koi mo Wakare Momonja-shō![9]
Patrick St. Michel of The Japan Times described the song as one that "still inspire warm memories for those who came of age during Japan’s period of extravagance" alongside "Summer Suspicion".[10] It has also been described as the band's signature song, with the band performing the song on reunion tours.[11] The song has also been performed at Hayashi's 50th anniversary performance at the Tokyo International Forum.[12]
Track listing[edit]
Single[edit]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Futari no Natsu Monogatari Never Ending Summer" (ふたりの夏物語 Never Ending Summer) | Chinfa Kan | Tetsuji Hayashi | Hayashi | 3:57 |
| 2. | "Farewell Call" | Yasushi Akimoto | Shinji Takashima | Ken Shiguma | 4:47 |
Charts[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Oricon Singles Chart[8] | 5 |
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard (Japan Hot 100)[6] | 97 |
| Billboard (Adult Contemporary)[7] | 14 |
Year-end charts[edit]
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Oricon | 15 |
References[edit]
- ^ Kanematsu, Yasushi (August 15, 2018). "ソロデビュー３０周年で妹分の菊池桃子４８歳とデュエットも…「やっと自分が表現すべき言葉が分かってきた」". Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese).
- ^ "杉山清貴が語る『ふたりの夏物語』とシティポップ「プロにしか作れない短い小説のような作品です」". News Post Seven (in Japanese). April 9, 2023.
- ^ "【1985年５月】ふたりの夏物語／わずか３日で完成 オメガトライブ最大のヒットも…". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). May 26, 2011.
- ^ a b "杉山清貴＆オメガトライブ 40周年リミックスプロジェクト第４弾『ANOTHER SUMMER REMIX』―「ふたりの夏物語」「DEAR BREEZE」などを収録の最高傑作が最新リミックスで生まれ変わる". HMV (in Japanese). March 28, 2023.
- ^ "杉山清貴＆オメガトライブが日比谷野音で再結成ライブを開催！今後「再々結成」もあるかも？". Middle Edge (in Japanese). May 7, 2019.
- ^ a b "Billboard Japan Hot 100 2013/08/10". Billboard Japan (in Japanese).
- ^ a b "Billboard Japan Adult Contemporary 2013/06/31". Billboard Japan (in Japanese).
- ^ a b "Hits of the World". Billboard. June 2, 1985. p. 65. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
- ^ "ママ母 VS ママ娘、家出令嬢の課外授業 恋も別れももんじゃ焼！". tvdrama-db.com (in Japanese).
- ^ St. Michel, Patrick (November 5, 2021). "Kiyotaka Sugiyama looks back on the glistening days of city pop". The Japan Times.
- ^ "杉山清貴＆オメガトライブ 最後のテレビ出演のワケ「いつも最後のつもりでやらないと…」". Sports Nippon. May 9, 2024.
- ^ "林哲司50周年公演に杉山清貴＆オメガトライブ、土岐麻子、エミ・マイヤー、松城ゆきの追加". Natalie. September 15, 2023.
