Trio Records – 3A-118 Released 1973 Japan

Track A – とん平のヘイ・ユウ・ブルース Hey You Blues

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I have promised myself to do  a post on Hidari’s “Hey You Blues”, since the day of his passing back in 2018. That was 7 years ago! Why do these things take me so long to get to? I recently pulled this record out for a radio show I put together celebrating some Japanese gems, but this time I promised myself not pack this one away until I finally share it here on this blog.

But now that I am back researching Tonpei Hidari, I am remembering why I put his story aside, which was because of the lack of information I was able to find on him at the time. Well, I’m still not finding a lot about him, but I won’t let that stop me from sharing this great release from him, and as always, just maybe, I’m hopeful, someone, anyone, that reads this who is far more knowledgeable, can share more truths and tales about the wonderful Mr. Hidari.

Tonpei Hidari (real name Hiromichi Hidaki) was born on May 30, 1937 in Tokyo, Japan. He was the youngest of three brothers and the house where he was born was a restaurant and sushi shop. In 1953 he entered Setagaya High School. At that time, inspired by the performances of the Dassen Trio and Hisaya Morishige, who were very popular at that time, he decided he wanted to be a comedian. In 1954, while still at school, he entered the Yoyogi Actors’ School. In 1956, he graduated from high school and helped out in the family sushi shop. In 1957 he formed a theatre group with his friends and in 1960 he joined Kiyoko Tange’s Etcetera Theatrical Troupe. He has appeared in films from 1963 onwards during the 60s and was under contract to Toei’s theatrical section and appeared in many plays for them. In 1962 he was married.

So to his recording career. This featured single, was his first release, and on the label TRIO Records, in 1973. The label was known for its jazz releases, and was established by the audio manufacturer later known Trio Kenwood Corporation. I always wanted a Kenwood in the seventies! This A side is killer! “Tonpei’s Hey You Blues” (Tonpei No Hei Yū Burūsu), strides through the verses with a soul jazz groove, where Hidari speaks more like in conversation than sings. But suddenly there comes the cresendos to the explosive chorus where Hidari shouts out in English “Hey you! What’s your name?” I have never known the story behind the lyrics in this song and what is behind the punch of the chorus.

With  many of the non English songs I research, I like to go to the comment sections, where ever I can find  the song posted, and hope to find meanings or peoples personal reactions. And here I could  a few things. Firstly, this song is very well known to the Japanese people, and many remember singing this chorus at schools when they were young. And many Japanese people respond to the meaningful lyrics. One commentator translates the lyrics which I will include here, and I trust it is correct, and will leave the reader to take in what they think it all means. This is one comment from a listener… “It’s a masterpiece that children who laugh and listen to without understanding the meaning eventually grow up and listen to it while crying.” And another comment… “He asks for the names of those who despise him, degrade him, and ruin him. But he must know that the name belongs to him. But I can’t help but scream. The blues of such a sad man’s soul. Even a professional soul singer would not be able to sing to this level.”

But I also find a few more exciting comments, from a Ken Muraoka, The actual Saxophonist that recorded on this track, and also the flip side track called “Tokyo Is A Great City” (Tōkyō tte ī machida na). “I’m Muraoka, who played saxophone on this song. I was invited by Mickey Curtis that day to record at a disco in Roppongi. Hey You Blues got the OK on the first take, and he said we were going to record one more song, so I wrote out the chords and we started playing and recording, and that’s how “Tokyo is a great city” on the back was completed. I had fun filling in both songs with guitar-like saxophone, right? I wonder if Mickey is reading this, hahaha.”

It is also apparent that at this time of release, the rise of new soul such as Isaac Hayes’ “Shaft” in 1971, and Curtis Mayfield’s “Superfly” in 1972, and also The Phillly Soul Sound, was not only sweeping the United States, but was spreading across the world, and influencing musicians and music lovers. Ken Muraoka also mentions that he himself got to play with Curtis Mayfield when he toured Japan, and played in Shibuya in 1984.

The B side track “Tokyo Is A Great City”, is far more smooth, but again no actual singing from Hidari, but instead it’s more spoken and narration. Well the music is smooth, but it is sounding like Hidari ends up in some kind of angry argument, and without knowing the context, it’s difficult to know the story that is being told.

The following year in 1974, Hidari released a second 7″ titled “Tonpei’s Alcoholic Life” (Tonpei no sakebitari jinsei). This is an odd show tune sound and Hidari is sounding slightly intoxicated. In 1975 he released possibly his final single with the A Side Busuna on’na (Ugly Woman) and the flip “Koyubi No Warutsu” (Pinky Waltz). He actually sings on the A side, there’s kitsch strings and the soul is, well far less deep that the featured track. It is said that he also recorded a single years later called “Ningen te nandaro” or translated to “What are humans?” But I could not for the life of me, find anything on this after a deep dive. Is this true?

After a short recording career, Hidri would become a well known actor in Japan. In the 1970s, he became through various dramas such as “It’s Time”, “Terauchi Kantaro Ikka” and “Mu Ichizoku” and he played a Japanese Columbo-style detective in “Hijo No Licence”. He gave “passionate” performance as a detective in Nippon Television’s “Female Coroner Muroo Akiko”, which began in 1986, and would run for more than 20 years. In later years, he spent most of his time doing talk shows, but featured in comedies such as “Oedo degozaru”. Hidari also appeared on the big screens, working in films such as “The Ballad of Narayama” (1983), which won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and “Yoshiwara Enjo” (1987).

But it was the popular and bizarre TV series ” MONKEY”, that really made Hidari famous around most of the world, especially to the kids. It was an adaptation of a Chinese folktale about a pilgrimage to the West undertaken by a monk and his divine guardians (based on the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey To The West). The series surprising only ran for 2 seasons, between 1978 to 1980. Hidari would come in as Pigsy in 1979, replacing Toshiyuki Nishida, who  play that character in the first season. I was at school when this was showing on out TV screens all the way over here in Sydney Australia. Everyone liked it, but some obsessively loved it! And we’d talk about it and act out some of the memorable moves! It was so lovely to find out that Hidari was a part of that Monkey Magic era, after getting my hands of this record.

Hidari died on February 24, 2018 at a hospital in Tokyo due to heart failure. Thank you Hidari for your performance on this record. It sounds like you were loved by many and whenever I play this record for someone, it has always impressed them…immensely.

– del Piero

Lyrics translated by @ikidearitashi1030

Lyrics: Gogoro Composer: Yoshimichi Mochizuki

HEY YOU HEY YOU WHAT’S YOUR NAME? HEY YOU HEY YOU WHAT’S YOUR NAME?

There is a sound in the air Do you remember your mother’s breasts? Can you remember the mole of the girl you abandoned? The world is full of people Life is a pestle, baby Life is a slippery slope OH MY BABY Listen to this blues

HEY YOU HEY YOU WHAT’S YOUR NAME? HEY YOU HEY YOU WHAT’S YOUR NAME? All my friends stole the same watermelon. All my friends were killed by the same woman All my friends were on the same train How about that? Before I know it, I’m a pestle I’ve been turned into a pestle I’m a tired and lonely pestle The one who turned me into a pestle Who is that? Who is that?

HEY YOU HEY YOU WHAT’S YOUR NAME? HEY YOU HEY YOU WHAT’S YOUR NAME? Are you saying that alcohol doesn’t make you angry? Are you saying that my wife is not excited? If there is a god who throws away, then there is also a god who heals. The pestle has become so worn down that it looks tiny. Who is Hiromon? The more a pestle works, the more it grinds. Grind it, add miso and enjoy it. There’s got to be someone who’s wearing me down. The one who turned me into a pestle Who is that? Who is that?

HEY YOU HEY YOU WHAT’S YOUR NAME? WHAT’S YOUR NAME? WHAT’S YOUR NAME? Please write your name Who are you? Who are you? Who is it? You too will become a pestle someday. I’m no good. I’m no good. HEY YOU WHAT WHAT WHAT’S YOUR NAME? HEY YOU WHAT’S YOUR NAME? I’m no good. I’m no good. WHAT’S YOUR NAME? No, no..

MOVIE CREDITS

1966 Kuromaku (Black Cutrain)
1968 Dorifutazu desu yo! Totte totte torimakure (It’s Drifter Tatsuru! Take it, take it, take it!)
1977  Torakku yarô: Otoko ippiki momojirô uncredited

1983 The Ballad of Narayama1987 Yoshiwara Enjo

1987 Yoshiwara Enjo

Live Appearance from 2002