CANDIES GREATEST HITS
a review by Trooper Tru McCray
Ladies and Gentlemen… J-Pop Music fans of all ages… welcome back to the Trooper’s Review! Today’s subject is another legendary Japanese act – only this one came before Pink Lady! However – if not for [the Japanese Dynamic Duo known as] Pink Lady, I would not have known about this Tantalizing Trio known as… Candies! By name, they are Miki Fujimura, Ran Ito, and Yoshiko “Sue” Tanaka (God rest her soul). And now, on to the music!
1) Anata ni Muchū (あなたに夢中: Crazy For You): This was their very first hit single – very upbeat and happy. LEAD VOCALIST FOR THIS SONG: Yoshiko “Sue” Tanaka
2) Soyokaze no Kuchizuke (そよ風のくちづけ: Kiss Of The Gentle Breeze): This was another upbeat selection. What baffled me was that they performed this song at a local gym – and it didn’t seem like anybody was listening to or watching them. Nonetheless, they did a great job with that song. LEAD VOCALIST FOR THIS SONG: Yoshiko “Sue” Tanaka
3) Abunai Doyōbi (危い土曜日: Dangerous Saturday): This song had a rather mysterious feel to it, thus making it a bit more exciting. They received an applauding response in the middle of the song, so I felt a little better about this performance. LEAD VOCALIST FOR THIS SONG: Yoshiko “Sue” Tanaka
4) Namida no Kisetsu (なみだの季節: Season Of Tears): This song had a sad feel to it, but it was very well performed. And to make matters interesting, they performed this song outdoors while a gentle breeze was blowing. The vocal harmonies really came out in this song. LEAD VOCALIST FOR THIS SONG: Yoshiko “Sue” Tanaka
5) Toshishita no Otokonoko (年下の男の子: The Younger Boy): Another song with a happy start – and a slight country feel. The whole song was happy altogether. LEAD VOCALIST FOR THIS SONG: Ran Ito
6) Uchiki na Aitsu (内気なあいつ: The Shy Guy): This song started with marching-beat-style drums… then a country feel dominated most of the music; but as soon as you saw and heard Ran Ito bring in the opening lyrics, the music no longer mattered; you just came to see the beautiful ladies – and hear their outstanding harmony! LEAD VOCALIST FOR THIS SONG: Ran Ito
7) Sono Ki ni Sasenaide (その気にさせないで: Don't Come On To Me): This song had a bit of a disco feel to it, thus making it more exciting. LEAD VOCALIST FOR THIS SONG: Ran Ito
8) Heart no Ace ga Detekonai (ハートのエースが出てこない: Show The Ace Of Hearts): Another song with an exciting start. The beautiful harmony once again proved that Candies weren’t another set of pretty faces. LEAD VOCALIST FOR THIS SONG: Ran Ito
9) Haru Ichiban (春一番: Spring's First Breeze): Before Candies really came to my attention, I had seen clips of them performing this very song. And according to Wikipedia, this was known as their “trademark song”. And within just days of me receiving this CD/DVD set from Jeffrey Branch, this song slowly grew on me (thus making my Top 3 favorites from Candies; the other two being “Anata ni Muchū” and “Yasashii Akuma”). NO LEAD VOCALIST FOR THIS SONG; ALL 3 LADIES SANG TOGETHER.
10) Natsu ga Kita! (夏が来た!: Summer Has Come!): The beginning of this song was reminiscent of “Let’s Twist Again” by Chubby Checker – which was one of the most feel-good songs of the 1950s and 1960s. In that respect, this would become a feel-good song as well. NO LEAD VOCALIST FOR THIS SONG; ALL 3 LADIES SANG TOGETHER.
11) Heart Dorobō (ハート泥棒: Thief Of Hearts): This song had a rather busy intro – and the ladies kept the energy going. Then they got all sultry when they whispered “Mister X… Ssshhh, Ssshhh!” Then the vibrant energy came back, and the ladies gave it a decent finish. NO LEAD VOCALIST FOR THIS SONG; ALL 3 LADIES SANG TOGETHER.
12) Aishū no Symphony (哀愁のシンフォニー: A Symphony Of Sorrow): The beginning of this song started out with an 1970s-style disco ballad. The beat slowed down and picked up at different parts of the song, which made it very interesting. LEAD VOCALIST FOR THIS SONG: Ran Ito
13) Yasashii Akuma (やさしい悪魔: My Sweet Devil): Hubba hubba! The ladies dressed as strippers for this song, thus making you feel like you were in a 1960s-style night club. LEAD VOCALIST FOR THIS SONG: Ran Ito
14) Shochū Omimai Mōshiagemasu (暑中お見舞い申し上げます: Midsummer's Greetings): This song had another 1960s-style intro. That same feel continued throughout the song itself. Then as they sang, they made a rather cute noise which tickled me pink.
15) Un, Deux, Trois (アン・ドゥ・トロワ: One, Two, Three): Another soft ballad, very well performed by this Tantalizing Trio. LEAD VOCALIST FOR THIS SONG: Ran Ito
16) Wana (わな: The Trap): This song had a rather mysterious feel to it from start to finish. They were all dressed in 1960s night club attire, yet they kept the mysterious feel of this song. LEAD VOCALIST FOR THIS SONG: Miki Fujimura
I thank Miki Fujimura, Ran Ito, and Yoshiko “Sue” Tanaka for bringing Candies and their songs to this world. May God watch over the soul of Yoshiko “Sue” Tanaka. I thank Mitsuyo “MIE” Nemoto & Keiko “KEI” Masuda for bringing Pink Lady and their songs to this world… and for helping to bring Candies to my attention. I thank Jeffrey Branch for creating the Pink Lady America website… for allowing me the chance to experience the musical magic of Pink Lady & Candies… and for helping to educate me more about the world of Japanese Pop music. See you next time, Think Pink, stay sweet like Candies, and God Bless.