| The Hit Parade | |
|---|---|
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| Studio album by Tak Matsumoto | |
| Released | November 26, 2003 (2003-11-26) (physically) September 4, 2024 (2024-09-04) (digitally) |
| Genre | |
| Length | 67:02 |
| Label | Vermillion Records |
| Producer | Tak Matsumoto |
| Singles from The Hit Parade | |
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| 2024 digital album cover | |
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The Hit Parade is a covers album by Tak Matsumoto in conjunction with several guest artists. It was released on 26 November 2003 through Vermillion Records.
Background
The album features cover songs, which were popular during the 1970s and 1980s in the Japan music scene from artists such as Momoe Yamaguchi, Candies, Akina Nakamori or Tatsuro Yamashita.
The album has been performed by young artists from Giza Studio such as Mai Kuraki or Rina Aiuchi, and veterans artist from the 1990s such as Keiko Utoku or Koshi Inaba. Originally 20 songs were recorded, however 17 were included. The recording started in 2002 and ended in 2003.
The album jacket cover visually resembles the album The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions by Howlin' Wolf.
After a fraud scandal with Azumi Uehara is 2003, the album went out of print. However, on 31 December 2018, the album was re-printed and included a limited Kansai version of Koshi Inaba's Minano no Yoko, Yokohama, Yokosuka.
In May 2024, a continuation of the album The Hit Parade IIhas been announced and released on 28 August. On the same release day, it has been announced that first The Hit Parade album will receive digital download from 4 September with "selected 14 tracks", not including 3 tracks from the original release. New artwork for the digital version of the album has been published at the same time.
Promotion
Singles
The first promotional cover single was Ihoujin, originally performed by Saki Kubota and covered by Zard. The single was released on 27 August 2003. The B-side song includes cover of Ame no Machi wo, originally performed by Arai Yumi and covered by Akiko Matsuda from Ramjet Pulley. In the media, cover version of Ihoujin was broadcast as an insert theme song for Fuji TV television drama Anata no Soba ni Dare ka Iru. The single debuted at number three on the Oricon Weekly Single Charts and charted for sixteen weeks. The single has sold over 155,263 copies. The single was announced in 2003 as the 58th biggest selling single of the year.
The second promotional cover single was Imitation Gold, originally performed by Momoe Yamaguchi and covered by Mai Kuraki. The single was released on 8 October 2003. The B-side song includes cover of Watashi wa Kaze, originally performed by Carmen Maki & Oz and covered by Yuri Nakamura from Garnet Crow. The length of B-side song is over seven minutes, which makes the longest track from cover album. The single debuted at number one on the Oricon Weekly Single Charts. The single has sold over 75,000 copies.
Chart performance
The album debuted at number two on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart and sold 225,125 copies in its first week.
The album was announced in 2004 as the 27th biggest selling album of the year. The album sold more than 450,000 copies.
The album has been rewarded with The Best Pop-Rock album of year by Japan Gold Disc Award in 2004.
Track listing
CD version
| No. | Title | Original performer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Katte ni Shiyagage (勝手にしやがれ)" (by Koshi Inaba) | Kenji Sawada | 3:23 |
| 2. | "Ihoujin (異邦人)" (by Zard) | Saki Kubota | 3:28 |
| 3. | "Namida no Taiyou (涙の太陽)" (by Rina Aiuchi) | Emy Jackson | 2:37 |
| 4. | "Sono Ki ni Sasenaide (その気にさせないで)" (by Aiko Kitahara, Ai Takaoka and Yuuka Saegusa) | Candies | 3:07 |
| 5. | "Imitation Gold (イミテイション・ゴールド)" (by Mai Kuraki) | Momoe Yamaguchi | 3:45 |
| 6. | "Minato no Yoko, Yokohama, Yokosuka (港のヨーコ･ヨコハマ･ヨコスカ)" (by Tak Matsumoto) | Down Town Boogie Woogie Band | 4:34 |
| 7. | "Ame no Machi wo (雨の街を)" (by Akiko Matsuda (Ramjet Pulley)) | Yumi Arai | 4:58 |
| 8. | "Paper Doll" (by Fayray) | Tatsuro Yamashita | 3:49 |
| 9. | "Ichigo Hakushou wo Mou Ichido (『いちご白書』をもう一度)" (by Akane Sugazaki) | Ban Ban | 4:31 |
| 10. | "Foggy Night" (by Yumi Shizukusa) | Amii Ozaki | 4:05 |
| 11. | "Shōjo A (少女A)" (by Azumi Uehara) | Akina Nakamori | 3:30 |
| 12. | "Byun Byun (ビュン・ビュン)" (by Daria Kawashima) | Gedou | 2:12 |
| 13. | "Purple Town by (Shiori Takei)" (パープルタウン 〜You Oughta Know By Now〜) | Junko Yagami | 3:57 |
| 14. | "Toki ni Ai wa (時に愛は)" (by Keiko Utoku) | Off Course | 5:24 |
| 15. | "SPINNING TOE-HOLD" (instrumental) | Creation | 2:46 |
| 16. | "Hitori: I stand alone (一人)" (by Jeffrey Qwest) | Takayuki Inoue | 3:42 |
| 17. | "Watashi wa Kaze (私は風)" (by Yuri Nakamura (Garnet Crow)) | Carmen Maki & Oz | 7:15 |
Digital version
| No. | Title | Original performer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Katte ni Shiyagage (勝手にしやがれ)" (by Koshi Inaba) | Kenji Sawada | 3:23 |
| 2. | "Ihoujin (異邦人)" (by Zard) | Saki Kubota | 3:28 |
| 3. | "Sono Ki ni Sasenaide (その気にさせないで)" (by Aiko Kitahara, Ai Takaoka and Yuuka Saegusa) | Candies | 3:07 |
| 4. | "Imitation Gold (イミテイション・ゴールド)" (by Mai Kuraki) | Momoe Yamaguchi | 3:45 |
| 5. | "Minato no Yoko, Yokohama, Yokosuka (港のヨーコ･ヨコハマ･ヨコスカ)" (by Tak Matsumoto) | Down Town Boogie Woogie Band | 4:34 |
| 6. | "Ame no Machi wo (雨の街を)" (by Akiko Matsuda (Ramjet Pulley)) | Yumi Arai | 4:58 |
| 7. | "Paper Doll" (by Fayray) | Tatsuro Yamashita | 3:49 |
| 8. | "Ichigo Hakushou wo Mou Ichido (『いちご白書』をもう一度)" (by Akane Sugazaki) | Ban Ban | 4:31 |
| 9. | "Foggy Night" (by Yumi Shizukusa) | Amii Ozaki | 4:05 |
| 10. | "Byun Byun (ビュン・ビュン)" (by Daria Kawashima) | Gedou | 2:12 |
| 11. | "Purple Town by (Shiori Takei)" (パープルタウン 〜You Oughta Know By Now〜) | Junko Yagami | 3:57 |
| 12. | "SPINNING TOE-HOLD" (instrumental) | Creation | 2:46 |
| 13. | "Hitori: I stand alone (一人)" (by Jeffrey Qwest) | Takayuki Inoue | 3:42 |
| 14. | "Watashi wa Kaze (私は風)" (by Yuri Nakamura (Garnet Crow)) | Carmen Maki & Oz | 7:15 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album booklet.
- Tak Matsumoto: guitar, vocal, arrange
- Hideo Yamaki: drum
- Akihito Tokunaga: bass, arrange
- Yoshinobu Ohga: arrange
- Koshi Inaba: Blues Harp
- Akira Onizuka: acoustic piano, organ
Release history
| Region | Date | Version | Format | Label | Catalog No. | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | November 26, 2003 | Standard edition | 1×CD | Vermillion | BMCV-8009 | |
| Various | September 4, 2024 | digital download | Vermillion |
References
- "TAK MATSUMOTO ソロ・プロジェクト・カヴァー・アルバム 『THE HIT PARADE』11月26日リリース！". Music Freak Magazine.
- "『THE HIT PARADE』収録内容に関するお知らせ". ビーイング. 2018-12-19. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
- "松本孝弘、邦楽カバーアルバム第2弾『THE HIT PARADE Ⅱ』リリース決定". Billboard Japan.
- ^ "松本孝弘 NEW ALBUM「THE HIT PARADE Ⅱ」配信スタート ＆ 「THE HIT PARADE」配信リリース決定!!". B'z Official Website.
- "Tak Matsumoto Interview: Ihoujin". Music Freak Magazine.
- "The Hit Parade (オムニバス)". Oricon.
- "The Hit Parade (オムニバス)". Gold Disc.
- Tak Matsumoto (2003). The Hit Parade (CD Album; Booklet). Tak Matumoto. Japan: Vermillion Records. BMCV-8009.
- "THE HIT PARADE I".
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