This is also late report. Very sorry.
Later on Oct 25th and Oct 30th event, immediately on Nov 9th, I went to sing with my very old friend’s band （Twitter: @888band). The last live was a quarter century ago. Three live events in two weeks were very tough, but I enjoyed to sing as same songs as young era with good old friends. On this band all songs are covered one and all are maniac soul songs. I was invited as a special guest and the band name was as same as those days, ‘Nakamura Soul Band’. You can imagine how I didn’t pay attention to band name.
Performed songs were five.
- Van Morrison ‘You’ve gotta make it through the world’
- Stevie Wonder ‘For once in my life’
- Van Morrison ‘Heavy Connection’
- Stevie Wonder ‘Superstition’
- Sam Cooke ‘Bring it on home to me’
Van Morrison himself is not popular in Japan, and this album called ‘A Period of Transition’ was his only one album to work with Dr. John and New Orleans style musicians. Yes, not popular even in his albums but real soul, funk album. Songs are really cool so in those days I played these songs as standard songs for my band.
As for Stevie Wonder’s songs, Superstition is very famous but For once in my life is early day’s song and not so famous. Only one new song, ‘Bring it on home to me’ is Sam Cooke’s very, very famous song but I chose the live version sung in the church and found out it’s very difficult to sing… Almost like talk. Lyrics was improvised and changed. Sam inflamed audience so much. So I needed to listen to what he said from the first.
Since this live show, I have started to use iPad. Sometimes paper scores are difficult to see on the stage when dark, but iPad always lights with back light and more convenient to see. As I just looked at lyrics, I used iAnnotate, PDF app, and showed lyrics on iPad. I use Apple Pencil to annotate.
The band members except for me was these 5 below:
- SAKAGUCHI (G)
- TARO (Dr)
- DAISUKE (B)
- KENGO (G)
- Kazunori Aono（Key guest）
Except for Kengo, all played with me when we were young. In addition, in those days our friends playing in very famous Keio University Light Music Orchestra joined to the band as a horn section. 30 years ago this kind of ‘big band’ was not so popular. And we played very maniac soul songs. How reckless we were!
For long years I didn’t sing in front of audience and in addition, as live events continues, I caught cold and the day before the live show I couldn’t have voice. On the live show, I uplifted and controlled myself and got through the event but I was in my fear. I must have not cracked my voice…probably.
Keyboardist, now living in Ehime, Mr. Aono joined to the live show. These 5 songs played by them were in good meanings no change and good quality. When you come right down to it, I was thinner than those days and a little bit better looking. After all, good looking is important.
Many old friends came to see our show. After the show I met with many of them after a quarter century passed. It was very impressed event for me. If I have a chance, I’d like to try again. In next time with the best condition… Still I can sing!
And the videos were uploaded on Youtube. Links were below. Humm… listening again and my vocal sounds not so good…terrible.
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