6. the Closed Town_(TOZASARETA MACHI)/ Carmen Maki & OZ Lyrics: Tsuyoshi Kajiki Music composed by Hirofumi Kasuga From their (2nd album)" Closed Town" (Released on July 10, 1976 Kitty Records Japan) (English translation of the rough meaning of the Japanese lyrics) Closed in this town, above me, too, the sunset fell from that sky today As I was sitting on a high hill under the sunset sky, looking at your city The area where your house is located turned red. Unusually, there was no wind on the hill that day I could see the rotting corpse of a cat lying on the bank of the river over there. “Go home soon, your happy dream days must be over,” The bird of paradise who had forgotten how to fly said with a forced laugh... Today, too, I can hear the sound of someone blowing a grass whistle from somewhere. Listening to the sound of that, I always kept thinking “Someday I'm going to change the color of this city.” And as I was thinking that thought, the city began to glow with the color of a mirror Smiling and pointing to that sky, at my fingertips Your house sinks into the sunset without a trace Before I know it, my body is also tinted with the color of sunset My shadow appears on the horizon in a sad gesture Carmen Maki & OZ (1976) Vocals: Carmen Maki (Maki Annette Lovelace) Guitars: Hirofumi Kasuga Bass: Shigeyuki Kawakami Keyboards: Masafumi Kawasaki Drums: Yoshikazu Kudo Side A 1.INTRODUCTION 2.The Day before the Collapse_(HOKAI no ZENJITSU) 3.Clock without Pendulum_(FURIKO no NAI TOKEI) 4.Phoenix_ (HINOTORI) B-side 5.LOST LOVE 6. the Closed Town_(TOZASARETA MACHI) 7.EPILOGUE All music composed by Hirofumi Kasuga, (except A2, Hirofumi Kasuga & Shigeyuki Kawakami) All lyrics by Tsuyoshi Kajiki (Daddy Takechiyo) (except A4, Yuko Kurihara & Tsuyoshi Kajiki) Arranged by OZ & Eric Scott Produced by Shohei Kaneko & Eric Scott Recording Engineer: Kevin Ayers Mix Engineer: Dee Robb Recording Studio: Cherokee Recording Studio L.A. California in 1976. 〇Carmen Maki / Maki Annette Lovelace Maki was born in Kanagawa Japan in 1951. Her father is American and her mother is Japanese. In 1969, age 18, she made her debut as a solo singer in Japan with "Sometimes Like a Child Without a Mother" (lyrics: Shuji Terayama, music: Michiru Tanaka). It suddenly became a million hits in Japan, and she participated in NHK's KOHAKU annual song contest at the end of the year,and she became famous singer in Japan. But next year in 1970, she declared turn to Rock Singer, and next in 1971 she released an album "Carmen Maki / Blues Creation" with "the Blues Creation" led by guitarist Kazuo Takeda. The collaboration ended with the release of only one album. On this album, she made it clear that she was a Rock Singer, not a folk singer. In 1972, she met guitarist Hirofumi Kasuga who was 18 years old at the time and formed "Carmen Maki & OZ". Three years later, they released their first album in 1975, their second "Closed Town" in 1976, "Carmen Maki & OZ III" in 1977, disbanded in October 1977, and released their live show as "Carmen Maki & OZ LAST LIVE" in 1978. The OZ’s first album attracted attention due to Maki's name recognition in Japan, singing ability and charisma, and became an unusual million hit for a Japan rock album of that time. OZ played more modern rock in the 70's than “Blues Creation”, with heavy, hard, and progressive songwriting rather than the sound of Kazuo Takeda's blues-rock tendencies, partly due to Hirofumi Kasuga composition. It's surprising that OZ was already born in Japan before the NWOBHM movement and Metal genre were born in the World. It was very unfortunate that they couldn't have the opportunity to be released in Europe and the United States, for world market at that time, ended up buried only in domestic sales Japan. In Japan Maki has continued to influence the power vocal styles of later “Show-ya / keiko Terada” and current Japanese female Metal Bands Vocal style. Keiko Terada is a fan of Carmen Maki, and their song “I am storm / ARASHI” is a famous answer to OZ's “I am wind/ KAZE”. “Japanese Female Metal Rock history has Started with the arrival of “Queen” Carmen Maki..”
私の青春時代に歌っていたカルメンマキのうた。また歌いたくなりました。ありがとうございました。
6. the Closed Town_(TOZASARETA MACHI)/ Carmen Maki & OZ
Lyrics: Tsuyoshi Kajiki
Music composed by Hirofumi Kasuga
From their (2nd album)" Closed Town" (Released on July 10, 1976 Kitty Records Japan)
(English translation of the rough meaning of the Japanese lyrics)
Closed in this town, above me, too, the sunset fell from that sky today
As I was sitting on a high hill under the sunset sky, looking at your city
The area where your house is located turned red.
Unusually, there was no wind on the hill that day
I could see the rotting corpse of a cat lying on the bank of the river over there.
“Go home soon, your happy dream days must be over,”
The bird of paradise who had forgotten how to fly said with a forced laugh...
Today, too, I can hear the sound of someone blowing a grass whistle from somewhere.
Listening to the sound of that, I always kept thinking
“Someday I'm going to change the color of this city.”
And as I was thinking that thought, the city began to glow with the color of a mirror
Smiling and pointing to that sky, at my fingertips
Your house sinks into the sunset without a trace
Before I know it, my body is also tinted with the color of sunset
My shadow appears on the horizon in a sad gesture
Carmen Maki & OZ (1976)
Vocals: Carmen Maki (Maki Annette Lovelace)
Guitars: Hirofumi Kasuga
Bass: Shigeyuki Kawakami
Keyboards: Masafumi Kawasaki
Drums: Yoshikazu Kudo
Side A
1.INTRODUCTION
2.The Day before the Collapse_(HOKAI no ZENJITSU)
3.Clock without Pendulum_(FURIKO no NAI TOKEI)
4.Phoenix_ (HINOTORI)
B-side
5.LOST LOVE
6. the Closed Town_(TOZASARETA MACHI)
7.EPILOGUE
All music composed by Hirofumi Kasuga, (except A2, Hirofumi Kasuga & Shigeyuki Kawakami)
All lyrics by Tsuyoshi Kajiki (Daddy Takechiyo) (except A4, Yuko Kurihara & Tsuyoshi Kajiki)
Arranged by OZ & Eric Scott
Produced by Shohei Kaneko & Eric Scott
Recording Engineer: Kevin Ayers
Mix Engineer: Dee Robb
Recording Studio: Cherokee Recording Studio L.A. California in 1976.
〇Carmen Maki / Maki Annette Lovelace
Maki was born in Kanagawa Japan in 1951.
Her father is American and her mother is Japanese.
In 1969, age 18, she made her debut as a solo singer in Japan
with "Sometimes Like a Child Without a Mother"
(lyrics: Shuji Terayama, music: Michiru Tanaka).
It suddenly became a million hits in Japan, and she participated in NHK's KOHAKU annual song contest at the end of the year,and she became famous singer in Japan.
But next year in 1970, she declared turn to Rock Singer, and next in 1971 she released an album "Carmen Maki / Blues Creation" with "the Blues Creation" led by guitarist Kazuo Takeda.
The collaboration ended with the release of only one album.
On this album, she made it clear that she was a Rock Singer, not a folk singer.
In 1972, she met guitarist Hirofumi Kasuga who was 18 years old at the time
and formed "Carmen Maki & OZ".
Three years later, they released their first album in 1975,
their second "Closed Town" in 1976, "Carmen Maki & OZ III" in 1977, disbanded in October 1977, and released their live show as "Carmen Maki & OZ LAST LIVE" in 1978.
The OZ’s first album attracted attention due to Maki's name recognition in Japan, singing ability and charisma, and became an unusual million hit for a Japan rock album of that time.
OZ played more modern rock in the 70's than “Blues Creation”, with heavy, hard, and progressive songwriting rather than the sound of Kazuo Takeda's blues-rock tendencies, partly due to Hirofumi Kasuga composition.
It's surprising that OZ was already born in Japan before the NWOBHM movement and Metal genre were born in the World.
It was very unfortunate that they couldn't have the opportunity to be released in Europe and the United States, for world market at that time, ended up buried only in domestic sales Japan.
In Japan Maki has continued to influence the power vocal styles of later “Show-ya / keiko Terada” and current Japanese female Metal Bands Vocal style.
Keiko Terada is a fan of Carmen Maki, and their song “I am storm / ARASHI” is a famous answer to OZ's “I am wind/ KAZE”.
“Japanese Female Metal Rock history has Started with the arrival of “Queen” Carmen Maki..”
閉ざされた歳月
閉ざされた過去たち 朝焼けが
海の果てから射してきたよ わたしの上にも
崖の淵に腰かけながら お前の姿
眺めてみるとお前の顔は赤く染まり
珍しく 崖の上は風も止んで
波間の上に腐ったお前 横たわり
早く帰りな もう夢なんか終わったんだよと
でかくて空虚な宴の終わりを告げている
とぎれとぎれに漏れ聞こえる
お前の叫びを 今宵も聞きながら
俺はいつも思い続けていた
あの過去の色をいつか変えようと
そんな思いに満ちた過去は
変わらぬままに 波間の下に
とぎれとぎれに漏れ聞こえる
お前の嘆きを 今宵も聞きながら
俺はいつも願い続けていた
あの日々の無念 いつか変えようと
そんな願いに満ちた過去は
あの頃のままに 記憶の底に
あの空へと指さすその手を見送れば
為すすべもなくお前の死骸 沈んでいく
いつの頃か わたしのこの身も海の底へと
波の涯てに 悲しい二人 楚々と去り行く
by 虚空鈴Ⅹ with 虚空燐自在劫五重奏団