LEFT: "Sparrow" (11/28/1981)
RIGHT: "Sparrow"- the karaoke version (1982)
LEFT: "Hesitation" (6/12/1982)
RIGHT: "Spiral Staircase" (10/9/1982)
LEFT: "Yukata" (5/21/1984)
RIGHT: "FU*RI*NE" (Translation: "It Is To Shake"- 8/21/1985)
LEFT: "Avec Le Feu" (From the "Voice Cologne" album- 10/25/1989)
RIGHT: "Destiny Changes Morning" (8/25/1990)
On this page I've listed Kei's post Pink Lady recordings for your viewing pleasure, courtesy of the good folks at PL-NET and the owner of the Viva Pink Lady webpage. Enjoy!
THE ALBUMS
Prior to "Voice Cologne" in 1989, Kei-chan released three solo albums, two in 1982 and the third in 1985. I wasn't aware of that until just little over a year ago when I saw all three up for auction on eBay. Of course, I wasted no time bidding, and eventually winning them. And here they are:
"HITORI GA SUKI"
(1982)
"KOI SURU OTOMODATI"
(1982)
"TAWAMURERU SAKANATATI"
(1985)
"VOICE COLOGNE"
(1989)
The first time I listened to these albums when I went about burning them onto CD's, I was amazed at Kei-chan's post Pink Lady sound which was neither pop or rock and roll which her former partner Mie gravitated to. Mostly, the songs on Kei's albums were a nice and pleasant mix of ballads, mellow, easy listening songs and soft pop numbers. With her low, sultry voice, I thought Kei did an outstanding job on all those songs, it was as if she were born to sing such tunes. Quite a change from all the Disco and bubblegum stuff Kei did with Pink Lady.
If I were to categorize the brand of songs on these albums, it would unquestionably be adult contemporary, remarkable in itself since Kei was only in her mid to late 20's when she turned out those albums. In my rather biased opinion, since Kei-chan is my fave, she evolved from being just a pop singer to a songstress with decidedly sophisticated tastes in the songs she did on her albums, a trend that would continue years later on "Voice Cologne" where she really expanded her horizons by singing half the songs on that CD in French. All in all, excellent!
In September 2008, Kei-chan released her first new CD since "Voice Cologne" in 1989. Well, "Now & Then" isn't exactly all new, but it's a great effort that I really liked, however, I'm kinda prejudiced since I'm a huge fan of Kei-chan.
Keeping to her roots as a solo performer, Kei opted for smooth, mellow, adult contemporary songs, as what she presented here was quite delightful, beginning with the very first track, a funky, Jazz tinged version of "UFO"done in a slow beat, a theme she later repeated on "Nagisa No Sindbad", after thirty years of listening to those Pink Lady standards done in their original, fast paced J-Pop style, to hear Kei slowly croon those tunes was absolutely remarkable. The other songs on this CD, including yet another version of "Sparrow", Kei's first solo hit, represented a fine mix of pop, soft rock, a percussion driven techno tune ("Merry and Hurry") along with a couple of downright bluesy tunes. This was a Keiko Masuda I've never experienced before as she reinvented herself as a sexy, veteran chanteuse, and she never sounded better. Listening to this CD, I closed my eyes and imagined Kei-chan in a smoky little nightclub, wearing a clingy, low cut gown and crooning torch songs deep into the night with only a piano player tickling the ivories accompanying her. All in all, "Now & Then" was a brilliant effort from Kei-chan.
