Welcome to episode 36 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I talk about Koichi Oki’s 1975 album, “The Man from YUKIGUNI.”
This album was something of a gateway drug for me. It not only solidified my interest in Japanese Christmas music overall, but it led me to discovering the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra’s music, and it introduced me to the Electone. Electone and other electronic organ albums were quite popular in Japan from the mid-60s until the early 80s. As I mention in the episode, Michishiro was the Electone pioneer. He put out multiple albums, well into the 1980s, including four solo Christmas albums, and a collaboration with Keitaro Miho. The Keitaro Miho album was one of my earliest purchases, and I’ve gotten two of Michishiro’s solo album.
In addition to those, though, I also have albums by Mori Midori, Hideko Kojima, Keiko Ohta, Kodama Mari and Hidemi Saito. Mori Midori’s album is one of my favorites, while Hidemi Saito’s is the earliest Japanese electronic organ Christmas album I’ve found. I’ll get to them eventually.
Reading about Koichi Oki, I also found out about his son Yuichi and the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. They’ve only released a few Christmas songs, but the rest of their music is worth searching out. Their energetic and sometimes over-the-top performances are a blast to watch, and if you enjoy Ska, you’ll love their music. And as mentioned in the episode, Yuichi Oki remastered “The Man From YUKIGUNI” last year and released it digitally. Here’s a link to where you can find it:
The Man From YUKIGUNI
Thanks for listening, and I hope “The Man From YUKIGUNI” has helped add to your yuletide season. Tune in next week when I cover the 1982 album, “Non Stop! Christmas” by Pochettes. Then join me on Christmas Day for “Snow Flakes” by The Paradise Garage. It’s one of my favorite albums and one you’re sure to enjoy.
As always, any feedback on this episode would be appreciated. If have any suggestions, or if you’d like to recommend a song or album for a future episode, drop me a line and let me know.
Remember, I’ve added a button to my Ko-fi page. If you’d like to support me one cup of coffee at a time, a donation is only $3. I’ve also opened a Redbubble store. I only have a couple designs up, but keep an eye on it as I’ll be trying to add more. Any proceeds or donations received will be put towards purchasing new Japanese Christmas music to review for future episodes. You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. And if you get a chance, leave me a review on iTunes. Thanks!
