Happy End (1970 album)

Happy End
Studio album by Happy End
Released	August 5, 1970
Recorded	April 9, 1970 - April 12, 1970 Aoi Studios
Genre	Folk rock
Length	35:54
Label	URC Records
Producer	Masaki Hata
Happy End chronology
Happy End (1970) Kazemachi Roman (1971)

Happy End (はっぴいえんど) is the self-titled ^[1] debut album by Japanese folk rock band Happy End.

All the album's lyrics were written by Takashi Matsumoto, with the exception of "Tobenai Sora" (Haruomi Hosono) and "Ira Ira" (Eiichi Ohtaki).^[2]

This album marked an important turning point in Japanese music history, as it sparked what would be known as the "Japanese-language rock controversy" (日本語ロック論争, Nihongo Rokku Ronsō). There were highly publicized debates held between prominent figures in the Japanese rock industry, most notably the members of Happy End and Yuya Uchida, regarding whether Japanese rock music sung entirely in Japanese was sustainable (previously, almost all popular rock music in Japan was sung in English). The success of Happy End's debut album, as well as their following album Kazemachi Roman, proved the sustainability of Japanese-language rock in Japan.^[3]

Track listing

Side one

1. "Haruyo Koi" (春よ来い, "Come, spring!") - 4:17
   • Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto, Music: Eiichi Ohtaki
2. "Kakurenbo" (かくれんぼ, "Hide and seek") - 4:32
   • Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto, Music: Eiichi Ohtaki
3. "Shin Shin Shin" (しんしんしん, "Newly-fallen snow") - 3:06
   • Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto, Music: Haruomi Hosono
4. "Tobenai Sora" (飛べない空, "Unflyable sky") - 2:44
   • Lyrics and Music: Haruomi Hosono
5. "Kataki—Thanatos o Sōkiseyo!" (敵タナトスを想起せよ!, "Remember your enemy—Thanatos!") - 3:00
   • Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto, Music: Haruomi Hosono

Side two

6. "Ayakashi no Dōbutsuen" (あやか市の動物園, "Ayaka City Zoo") - 2:48
   • Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto, Music: Haruomi Hosono
7. "Juuni Gatsu no Ame no hi" (12月の雨の日, "A Rainy Day in December") - 3:27
   • Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto, Music: Eiichi Ohtaki
8. "Ira Ira" (いらいら, "Nervousness") - 3:15
   • Lyrics and Music: Eiichi Ohtaki
9. "Asa" (朝, "Morning") - 2:29
   • Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto, Music: Eiichi Ohtaki
10. "Happy End" (はっぴいえんど, "Happy End") - 3:26
    • Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto, Music: Haruomi Hosono
11. "Zoku Happppy Eeeend" (続はっぴ-いいえ-んど, "Continued Happppy Eeeeend") - 2:20
    • Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto, Music: Haruomi Hosono

2004 Bonus tracks

12. "Juuni Gatsu no Ame no hi" (１２月の雨の日) (Unreleased Version)
13. "Juuni Gatsu no Ame no hi" (１２月の雨の日) (Single Version)
14. "Ira Ira" (いらいら) (Long Fade-out Edit)
15. "Asa" (朝) (Take 3)
16. "Tegami" (手紙) ("Kaze wo Atsumete" Rehearsal Take)

Personnel

• Haruomi Hosono (細野晴臣) - vocals, bass, keyboards, guitar
• Eiichi Ohtaki (大瀧詠一) - vocals, guitar, 12-string guitar
• Shigeru Suzuki (鈴木茂) - lead guitar, celesta
• Takashi Matsumoto (松本隆) - drums, percussion
• Eiji Ogura (小倉栄司) - 12-string guitar, hand clapping

References