Romantic Guys (1983) - Yoshino Fujimal

 Yoshino Fujimal is the first artist to be discussed here that actually began his career as a session musician. Fujimal started playing guitar in Tokyo Studios in 1974, and played for a few of the names we've already encountered on our journey, such as on Mariya Takeuchi's sophomore album University Street, and countless other artists we've yet to discuss, such as Anri,  Keiko Mizukoshi, and Miki Matsubara (their time will come!). 

Fujimal also played on Patsy Gallant's 1980 album Reach for the Sky (entitled Stranger in the Mirror outside Japan). Gallant, a Canadian singer, actress, and two-time Juno Award winner in the late 70s, was married to Dwayne Ford (of "Lovin' and Losin' You" fame, in regards to yacht rock). Gallant's album is one of very few examples I have come across of cross-pollination occurring in the opposite direction: Western artists going to Japan and recording with Japanese musicians. Regardless, Gallant's album is pretty good, though I've yet to fully explore whether it might contain anything that is certifiably yacht rock.

At the time of recording Gallant's album, Fujimal was a member of Shogun, a Japanese rock band formed a year earlier, in 1979, and has notable Steely Dan influences. It is also worth noting that Shogun's members also included Casey Rankin, the little-known American vocalist who had sung backing vocals on Mariya Takeuchi's recording of "Isn't It Always Love." During their time in Shogun, Rankin and Fujimal co-wrote a song: "One on One (You're the One)," a song that Fujimal liked enough to re-record on his 1983 album Romantic Guys, with a plethora of L.A. musicians. "You're the One," as it is titled in its 1983 rendition, is ostensibly a song about falling in love, but a (very shallow) dive into the lyrics reveals the true meaning of the song: propositioning a lady, whom the narrator may not actually be in a relationship with, for sex. Is the narrator a loser and a fool? Maybe.

Romantic Guys was recorded in 1983, both in Japan and in the United States. Five of the nine tracks were recorded at Studio Sound Recorders in North Hollywood with L.A.session musicians. The album was co-produced by Fujimal and prolific Japanese record producer Ryuzo Kosugi, who had already produced city pop heavyweights like Mariya Takeuchi and Tatsuro Yamashita. 

So who were these L.A. musicians playing on Romantic Guys? 

Abe Laboriel, bassist, spent 1983 recording albums like Mornin' by Al Jarreau, Finis by Finis Henderson, and Another Page by Christopher Cross, before recording with Fujimal for Romantic Guys. A quick look at the Yachtski scale tells us the range of songs yachtski'd from these albums range from 85.25 for Finis Henderson's "Making Love" to 93.50 for "All Right" by Christopher Cross.  

When Laboriel wasn't playing bass on the L.A. tracks, Nathan East was. The year before, 1982, he had played bass on Lee Ritenour's Rit/2, specifically on the tracks "Promises, Promises" (76.75) and "Cross My Heart" (73.5). 1983 saw East play bass on George Benson's "Lady Love Me (One More Time)," which scored an 81.25. 

Mike Baird, drummer, worked on Marc Jordan's A Hole In the Wall earlier in the year, playing drums on "Slipping Away" (82.75) and "Margarita" (85.75).

Paulinho da Costa had played percussion on no less than five songs that scored at least a 90 on the Yachtski scale by the time he played with Fujimal on Romantic Guys. The highest rated of these is Kenny Loggins' "This Is It," with a whopping score of 98.25.

The second guitarist for the L.A. sessions of Romantic Guys, Robben Ford, had played previously with both Kenny Loggins (on Celebrate Me Home) and Michael McDonald (on If That's What It Takes). 

 Keyboard and synth duties were left to either Russell Ferrante (CAB: "I Like It" by Debarge, 45.) or Don Grusin (CAB: "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" by Lee Ritenour, 45.75).

When we discuss the lyrical contents of the songs on this album, "You're The One," stands out as one easily digestible for an English-speaking audience because it is...well, sung in English. That is not the case for most of the songs on Romantic Guys, and so it takes some digging to evaluate the lyrical themes for yachtiness. This is easily the biggest struggle one who is not in the slightest familiar with the Japanese language will have in divulging the secrets of Tokyocht. 

Despite this, I have worked diligently to deduce the album's opening number "Natsu no Onna" (lit. "Summer Woman," as far as I'm aware.) contains the English phrases "broken heart" and "still love you,"suggesting the narrator's desperation for a fading (or perhaps already-faded) summer romance. That, to me, qualifies as yacht rock lyrical themes. 

The other three songs recorded in L.A. for Romantic Guys: "Pacific," "Just A Woman," and "August," — are all some kind of yacht or yacht-adjacent material, and I urge anyone who is interested in this kind of music to check out the entire album. 

As always, you can check out the Yachtski scale at Yacht or Nyacht.