Shochuu Omimai Moushaigemasu...Standing the Test of Time

Now here is something I thing Morning Berryz might appreciate.  I'll start by saying how much I love C-ute's upcoming single, Shochuu Omimai Moushaigemasu.  What immediately struck me was the omnipresent "retro" feel to the melody.  It is very "sixties", very "beachy".  My first thought was that it was a cross between the Beach Boys sound and that of Lennon/McCartney.  I love those musical eras.  And as much as I may be a connoisseur of that style of music, I am still a virtual student when it comes to the history of J-pop.  So when I plugged the title of the song into a Google search, I was surprised and excited to find quite a few earlier versions of the song.

Candies

Lets start with the original by Candies, one of the big J-pop groups of the 70's.  Sometimes I look at the idol girls of yesteryear and find their look so dated.  But Ran, Miki and Sue were adorable.  Oh, by the way...do those names sound familar?  Yes, the same names as the guardians from Shugo Chara.  That's so cool!  And so was this cute little video from back in the days when there were no videos...

Nice Bikini shots!  Good to know that the video producers were obsessed with sex even back then!

Then there is SweetS, a group that I should love.  But I have honestly never given them the proper chance despite the prodding from J-pop enthusiasts like Ray from Pleasure Principled and Cat from Macaroni-i.  Shochuu Omimai Moushiagemasu was never a single for them, but they did perform it as a cover on their live tour a few years ago.  It's nice to see the Wota haven't changed a bit, as I love listening to them cheer their favorite girls on during the performance...

All of the different versions of the song sound essentially the same.  But that's okay.  Perfection doesn't need much tinkering.  And while C-ute's version does sound a little more contemporary, it sticks to the formula that makes the song great.  I give them credit for not trying to push so song too hard into the 21st century.

C-ute

So with all of the new releases going on with Hello! Project, this is the one that captures my heart...and my ear.  It wasn't long ago that I said that C-ute was my least favorite of the H!P groups.  But that is quickly changing.  To me this is the Hello! Project song of the summer.  And it is the one I am most looking forward to seeing performed live...

And when I do see C-ute perform this classic, you can be sure I will be thinking of the beautiful women of Candies.  Another great group from the annals of J-pop history.

CK in California