LARD 0 Posted January 11, 2004 Share Posted January 11, 2004 Bz do seem "genuine" (for want of a better word). Link to post Share on other sites
alferg 0 Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 I'm just back from my 3 weeks in japan... damn it was great, i didnt want to ever leave... still, it felt more like 3 months, we packed so much in, so cant complain! I went to several music shops & tried to sing the "Hai Hai Hai" song, but nobody recognised it... might just have been my terrible rendition!? So if you have it, GG, I'd love to hear it! cheers Quote: Originally posted by grungy-gonads: low pressure lover I think you are referring to one of the Morning Musume masterpieces there, the festival-themed one.... ?? (I'll have to check my MM cd collection when I get back home) Link to post Share on other sites
sunrise 0 Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Here's the Aya Matsura CM recording report: For a 17yr old who doesn't speak English she did a decent job - sure, her voice just wasn't full and gutsy like ella fitzgerald's (the song was a benny goodman jazz standard called goody goody), which is what the voice on the demo was like, but she got the groove quite nicely, and her pronunciation wasn't so bad, though it wasn't what you'd call fluent. She seemed really sweet actually. She asked to listen to the track many times before singing a note, so I think it wasn't just me who seriously wondered if she was going to be able to sing it at all. Then she finally started singing along with the scratch vocal and it was obvious that she was going to be able to cut it and I think everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Not like Ella, but she could do it. Not an easy song for someone who doesn't speak English as it moves quite fast and the words come quickly. I helped put her at ease by telling her she was good and cracking a few gaijin-style jokes - well, she would have been nervous with a native English speaker in the room checking out her pronunciation. It was interesting to be part of the session - a good producer makes the talent feel at ease and that way will get a better performance out the them. And it's not like it was just the producer/engineer, her and me. The control room was pretty packed with the video production crew, Kirin people, and her entourage. Before she arrived James Genus (who apparently plays on Saturday Nite Live, and with the likes of Pat Metheny and countless others) showed up fresh off a plane from New York to record the acoustic bass - the song is just voice and bass, and he's also going to appear on the actual commercial with her. They're shooting it on Thursday and then he goes back to NY. The commercial is only 30 secs but seems like it's quite a production. It was interesting watching the bass session too - he's used to playing a bit more outside (and I'm not talking avant garde here) than what they were after, and he was probably puzzled that they would book him to play something so 'straight' when that's not how he normally plays. Still, he did a nice track for them after many demands from the producers. Personally I would have liked to have worked a little more on Aya's pronunciation, and stress on certain words, which I think could have been improved on, but the producer didn't want to take it that far. He seemed really happy with the takes they got and so did everyone else in the room. I was once told by a fluent nihongo (american) musician friend of mine that most Japanese people don't seem to notice if a Japanese singer is singing with an accent unless it's really really bad (and even then some who don't speak English won't know the difference), so the things that stuck out to me may not have been noticable at all to the others in the room, even though the producer was aware of what I'd pointed out. He said they'd be editing things later on, still, I don't think those things were editable. I didn't really feel that they were really getting their money's worth out of me, still, it's possible that half of my presence there was for the image side of things, so they might have paid me well to look the part more than play the part for all I know. That does happen here quite frequently.... Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 You did a recording session with Aya Matsura!! You should have brought me along. I'm crazy about her. Tell me the next time that happens and I'll fly down. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 You like them young then SMM? When's the ad coming out then, sunrise? We'll have to check it out... Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 Quote: Originally posted by sunrise: ...look the part more than play the part..... That does happen here quite frequently.... Form over function. One cultural thingy I cant get comfy with in Japan is this. It sounds like fun work though, Sunrise. Link to post Share on other sites
sunrise 0 Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 Yeh, I like studio work - it was fun to be on the other side of the glass for a change..... I can site numerous examples of image being more important than actual use. As well as image over talent. A friend of mine got a phone message about a tour gig singing backups. 'Yeah, there's this tour with a J-artist, and by the way, what colour is your hair?' (meaning: we want you to be blonde or we won't book you). Being blonde in Japan can be pretty lucrative. I also heard of another singer, (natural blonde) who wound up on a tour doing backups with 2 other blondes, but the other women were models who couldn't sing. this is probably typical, since they always mix the backups down so much lower than the 'star' that half the time you wonder why you're working so hard to learn the stuff cos they don't even blend with the band they're so quiet...... I got on a tour doing backups a few years back (and I wasn't even blonde.... ! ) but nowadays you have to be african american to get the gig cos that's whats hip. We also have problems around Xmas time when doing the accappella Xmas thing - it's difficult to get a gig if the group is of mixed color. They usually want 'black gospel' or 'white', so one guy who has a great bass voice can't get a gig with his usual group cos he's white. Or, it's hard for us to get a gig if we're not all 'white'. Of course this probably doesn't just apply to Japan - I mean, just look at all the record company created talento in the west also. Link to post Share on other sites
sunrise 0 Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 Gosh Markie, if I'd have known that I wouldn't have washed my hand after we shook hands - and I'd have left it that way until you return to Japan. So, I took a squizz at her website to see what all the fuss was about - cos she came in with no makeup on, just a tiny whisp of a kid. Looks a bit different from when she has makeup on posing for the camera - I gotta tell you Markie, that Japanese girl liftie that you were in love with at Kariuzawa emitted oodles more sexuality and womanly beauty to my eyes. Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 Oh yeah, the Karuizawa liftie kanojo. She was really something! However, just to be fair to our little Aya, do remember that my Karuizawa girlfriend had the benefit of make-up all her make-up each time you saw her, all three layers of it! However, apart from comparing pretty faces, when we get down to the real action, I'm sure you are absolutely right. The Karuizawa kanojo, with her very athletic build wins by miles over the frail little Aya! Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 Quote: Originally posted by sunrise: Gosh Markie, if I'd have known that I wouldn't have washed my hand after we shook hands - and I'd have left it that way until you return to Japan. Geez, sunrise, you need not go to all that trouble just to get me to kiss your hand, I'll gladly do it anyway, even though you're not Japanese, since you are such a nice person. Link to post Share on other sites
Siren 0 Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 What 'it' is now reduced to Karuizawa kanojo??! Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 Sadly, as that was just a physical fling, refering to "it" seems rather appropriate. However, Siren, if you stop pointing out the obvious, you will make my threads less boring and lose me a few less potential dates! Right Sweetaz? Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 You are prob quite right there sunrise, re appearance over talent being the quotient in more countries than just Japan. Hey, I have no talent. I might get a job as a dude that just hangs out with the tarento. No real job, never actually do anything, I just hang out and get paid to do something that no one can define. Link to post Share on other sites
sunrise 0 Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 Quote: Originally posted by d=(^o^)=b: I just hang out and get paid to do something that no one can define. Isn't that what you told us you do now? Oops, wait, sorry, wrong industry... Link to post Share on other sites
sunrise 0 Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 Siren's trying to make it tough for you Markie.... but I think you blew it with Sweetaz on your own volition. Still, I could try and put in a good word for you with her.... I think that liftie would have looked good without makeup too. Link to post Share on other sites
alferg 0 Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 I know I keep going on about this, but I really want to get this silly song... so here's my friend doing her little dance to the "Hai Hai Hai" song, in Niseko, 2002. Does anyone know the name of this song & who did it? (its a 3.7mb AVI) Snowdance Link to post Share on other sites
OnTheTin 0 Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 Don't know about the song but that sure is a sexy dance. Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 Quote: Originally posted by sunrise: .... but I think you blew it with Sweetaz on your own volition. I think everyone knows that, but Siren was being nice by letting me blame him...till you came along and spoiled it! Link to post Share on other sites
sweetaz 0 Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 yup you both roobarbed that didn't you?! Link to post Share on other sites
sunrise 0 Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 Forget her Markie - she's not a J-girl. No offence Sweetaz, (I didn't qualify either - not Japanese enough for him). Link to post Share on other sites
sweetaz 0 Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 hey...sorry...didn't realise i sounded serious! Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 Careful, sunrise, to the undiscerning reader, that might be interpreted as sour grapes! Sweetaz, hold on a bit, you're going way to fast for me. I remember we were just trying the waters for a first date, now what's this new talk about going serious.....or is that your "oops bad blind date, better scare him away" line? Link to post Share on other sites
sunrise 0 Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 Sorry Markie, didn't mean to accidentally get in the way of your hopeful date with Sweetaz. Okay Sweetaz, he's all yours now... Link to post Share on other sites
alferg 0 Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 "Hai Hai Hai, la de de do daa..." Link to post Share on other sites
Goemon 0 Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 Yatta! Link to post Share on other sites
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