Prologue (Jomaku)

Prologue (Jomaku) (プロローグ〈序幕〉, Purorōgu (Jomaku), Prologue (Introduction)) is the debut studio album by Japanese entertainer Akina Nakamori. It was released on July 1, 1982, by Warner Pioneer under the Reprise Records label. The album includes the debut single "Slow Motion". It was recorded in the Los Angeles music studio, three months before Nakamori's debut.

Prologue (Jomaku)
Studio album by
Akina Nakamori
ReleasedJuly 1, 1982 (1982-07-01)
RecordedFebruary 1982 (Los Angeles)
Genre
Length38:58
LanguageJapanese
LabelReprise Records
ProducerHiroo Oda
Akina Nakamori chronology
Prologue (Jomaku)
(1982)		 Variation (Hensoukyoku)
(1982)
Singles from Prologue (Jomaku)
  1. "Slow Motion"
    Released: May 1, 1982

Background

Prologue (Jomaku) is the first studio album released in 1982, two months after the release of her debut single "Slow Motion".[1][2]

The early production of the album began in February and was finished within 5 days. There were five candidate songs to be chosen as a debut single: Slow Motion, Ginga Densetsu, Anata no Portrait, T-Shirt Sunset and Jōken Hansha. From among them, Slow Motion was chosen. During that time, most of the idols had debuted with an uptempo single, while the production staff wanted to make a difference in Nakamori's case and made a debut with a slow ballad.[3]

The music production team consisted of Motoki Funayama, siblings Etsuko and Takao Kisugi, Mayumi Shinozuka, Tsuzuru Nakasato, Yuji Ohno and Shizuka Ijūin.[4]

Promotion

Single

The album consists of one promotional single "Slow Motion". The single itself wasn't such a huge success as the following single, Shoujo A. The single debuted at number 30 on Oricon Single Weekly Charts and charted 39 weeks.[5]

Music home video

On May 1, 1985, a second music home video was released Hajimemashita Nakamori Akina. It was released on Nakamori's third debut anniversary. The music videoclips were filmed in the United States, mainly in Los Angeles and Santa Monica. The filming of the music home video began before her debut, between the 11th and 17th of March 1982.[6] From the original album Prologue, was recorded Bon Voyage, Slow Motion, Ginga Densetsu and T-Shirt Sunset.[7]

Stage performances

Akina performs Slow Motion in all of her live tours.[5] Some of the songs were performed in the first live tour Milky Way in 1983, such as Anata no Portrait, Ginga Densetsu, and Down Town Story.[8] Bon Voyage, Jōken Hansha, T-Shirt Sunset A-Gata Melancholy, and Imāju no Kageri were performed in the live tour Rainbow Shower in 1983.

Chart performance

The album reached number five on the Oricon Album Weekly Chart for four consecutive weeks, charted 47 weeks and sold over 453,100 copies.[9]

Track listing
Side A
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Anata no Portrait" (Anata no Pōtorēto (あなたのポートレート, "Your Portrait"))Etsuko KisugiTakao KisugiMitsuo Hagita4:20
2."Bon Voyage"Mayumi ShinozukaEriko TsukayamaKazuo Ootani3:46
3."Image no Kageri" (Imāju no Kageri (イマージュの翳り, "Drifting Image"))ShinozukaJuichi SaseHagita4:08
4."Jōken Hansha" ((条件反射, "Conditional Reflection"))Noboru MimuroNakasatoFunayama4:03
5."T-Shirt Sunset" (Tīshatsu San Setto (Tシャツ・サンセット))Masamitsu TayamaNakasatoFunayama3:12
Side B
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Ginga Densetsu" ((銀河伝説, "Legend of the Galaxy"))ShinozukaSaseFunayama3:42
2."Slow Motion" (Surō Mōshon (スローモーション))E. KisugiT. KisugiFunayama4:06
3."A-gata Melancholy" (Ē-gata Merankorī (A型メランコリー, "Type-A Melancholy"))Masao UrinoNakasatoHagita3:13
4."Hitokakera no Emerald" (Hito kakera no Emerarudo (ひとかけらのエメラルド, "A Piece of Emerald"))Alice SatōYuji OhnoKazuo Otani4:19
5."Downtown Story" (Dauntaun Su to〜ri〜 (ダウンタウンすと〜り〜))Shizuka IjūinKuniko FukushimaOtani4:13

Covers

Slow Motion
  • Takao Kisugi self-covered the song on his 1983 album Visitor.[10]
  • Ryuichi Kawamura covered the song on his 2006 cover album Evergreen ~Anata no Wasuremono~.
  • Mika Orihara covered the song as the B-side of her 2007 single "Oririn Trance ~Heartful Voice~".
  • Rie Kugimiya (as Mizore Shizuyuki) covered the song in the 2008 anime Rosario + Vampire.
  • Acid Black Cherry covered the song on their 2008 cover album Recreation.
  • Donna Fiore covered the song on her 2008 cover album Fiore.
  • Sara Takatsuki covered the song on bump.y's cover compilation album Sweet Hits.
  • Takeshi Tsuruno covered the song on his 2012 cover album Tsuruno Uta 2.
  • Yūji Nakada covered the song on his 2014 cover album Song Composite.
  • Hideaki Tokunaga covered the song on his 2015 cover album Vocalist 6.
  • Magokoro Brothers covered the song on their 2016 cover album Pack to the Future.

Anata no Portrait
  • Takao Kisugi self-covered the song on his 2011 album Hitasurani.

References
  1. "ファンタジー〈幻想曲〉 (中森明菜 ) - Warner Music Japan". wmg.jp. Archived from the original on 2008-03-02.
  2. "中森明菜 / ファンタジー〈幻想曲〉". cdjournal.com.
  3. 中川, 右介 (2014-12-30). 松田聖子と中森明菜 1980年代の革命. 朝日新聞出版. ISBN 978-4-02-261814-6.
  4. 馬飼野, 元宏 (2006-07-20). Hotwax presents 歌謡曲 名曲名盤ガイド 1980's. シンコーミュージック・エンタテイメント. pp. 64, 221–222. ISBN 440175106X.
  5. Akina (Media notes). Warner Music Japan. 1993-11-10. WPCL-770〜3.
  6. "DVD Collection 2 | Akina Nakakamori | Warner Music Japan". Warner Music Japan. Archived from the original on 2011-10-28. Retrieved 2011-07-03.
  7. Akina Nakamori (1 May 1985). Hajimemashite Nakamori Akina (VHS). Warner Music Japan. 10PV-38.
  8. (1983年) 中森明菜 Ballade Best: 25th Anniversary Selection〜#Akina Milkyway '83 Haru no Kaze wo Kanjite|Akina Milkyway '83 Haru no Kaze wo Kanjite Tour Pamphlet. (MILKY HOUSE)
  9. Oricon Album Chart Book Complete Edition 1970-2005. オリコン・マーケティング・プロモーション. 25 April 2006. pp. 3, 455–457, 883. ISBN 4871310779.
  10. "Discography of special albums (Takao Kisugi)". Takao Kisugi's Official Website.
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