Variation (Hensoukyoku)

Variation (Hensoukyoku) (Japanese: バリエーション〈変奏曲〉, Hepburn: Bariēshon (hensōkyoku)) is the second studio album by Japanese entertainer Akina Nakamori. It was released on October 27, 1982 by Warner Pioneer under the Reprise Records label. The album includes the controversial single hit "Shōjo A". It became Nakamori's first number-one on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart and her best sold album.

Variation (Hensoukyoku)
Studio album by
Akina Nakamori
ReleasedOctober 27, 1982 (1982-10-27)
Recorded1982
Genre
Length44:08
LanguageJapanese
LabelReprise Records
ProducerHiroo Oda
Akina Nakamori chronology
Prologue (Jomaku)
(1982)		 Variation (Hensoukyoku)
(1982)		 Fantasy (Gensoukyoku)
(1983)
Singles from Variation (Hensoukyoku)
  1. "Shōjo A"
    Released: July 28, 1982

Background

Variation (Hensoukyoku) is Nakamori's second studio album, released in 1982, three months after the release of her debut album.

The music production team consisted of main arrangers Mitsuo Hagita and Kei Wakakusa, Kisugi siblings Etsuko and Takao, Masao Urino, Hiroaki Serizawa, Yukinojo Mori and Yoshitaka Minami.[1][2]

Although the album consists of twelve tracks, "Introduction" and "Ending" are instrumental songs written and arranged by Kei Wakakusa.

Promotion

Single

The album had one promotional single, "Shōjo A". The single debuted at number 5 on the Oricon Single Weekly Charts and remained on the yearly chart at number 34. In the Best Ten Rankings, the single debuted at number 3 and remained on the 1982 yearly chart at number 13.[3]

Music home video

On 1 May 1985, Nakamori's third debut anniversary, the second music home video Hajimemashita Nakamori Akina was released. The music video clips were filmed in the United States, mainly in Los Angeles and Santa Monica. Filming began before her debut, between 11 and 17 March 1982.[4] Songs recorded from the original Variation album were "Moroi Gogo", "Maerchen Location", "Bye Bye Lullaby", "Shoujo A", "Sakihokoru Hana Ni" and "Aishū Magic".[5]

Stage performances

"Shoujo A" has been performed very often in the Yoru no Hit Studio, The Best Ten and various live tours.

Most of the songs were performed in the live tour Milky Way in 1983, including "Cancel", "Moroi Gogo", "Aishū Magic" , "Bye Bye Lullaby", "Catastrophe no Amagasa", "Maerchen Location" and "Sakihokoru Hana Ni".[6]

"Yokohama Akuma" and "Dai Nanakan (Septieme Sens)" were performed in the live tour Rainbow Shower in 1983.

"Catastrophe no Amagasa" was performed again in the acoustic live Akina Nakamori: 21 Seiki he no Tabidachi in 2000.

Chart performance

The album reached number one on the Oricon Album Weekly Chart for three consecutive weeks, charted 34 weeks and sold over 742,900 copies. It is Nakamori's best sold album. The album was ranked at number 8 on the Oricon Album Yearly Chart in 1983.[7]

Track listing
Side A
No.TitleLyricsMusicArranger(s)Length
1."Introduction" (Intorodakushon (イントロダクション)) Kei WakakusaWakakusa1:46
2."Cancel!" (Kyanseru! (キャンセル！))Masao UrinoKazuhiko IzuMitsuo Hagita3:24
3."Moroi Gogo" ((脆い午後, "Fragile Afternoon"))Tsuzuru NakasatoNoboru MimuroHagita4:21
4."Aishū Magic" (Aishū Majikku (哀愁魔術(マジック), "Sorrowful Magic"))Yukinojo MoriYasuo KosugiHagita4:32
5."Sakihokoru Hana ni..." ((咲きほこる花に……, "For Blooming Flowers..."))Etsuko KisugiTakao KisugiWakakusa4:37
6."Yokohama A-ku-ma" ((ヨコハマA・KU・MA, "Yokohama D-e-v-i-l"))NakasatoYoshitaka MinamiHagita3:42
Side B
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Märchen Location" (Meruhen Rokēshon (メルヘン・ロケーション, "Fairy Tale Location"))NakasatoMimuroHagita4:37
2."Shōjo A" ((少女A, "Girl A"))UrinoHiroaki SerizawaHagita3:34
3."Dainana-kan (Septième Sens)" (Dainana-kan (Settiēmu Sansu) (第七感（セッティエーム・サンス）, "Seventh Sense"))Mayumi ShinozukaMinamiHagita4:12
4."Bye Bye Lullaby" (Bai Bai Rarabai (X3(バイバイ)ララバイ))MoriKosugiHagita3:43
5."Catastrophe no Amagasa" (Katasutorofi no Amagasa (カタストロフィの雨傘, "Umbrella of Catastrophe"))ShinozukaTsunehiro IzumiWakakusa4:56
6."Ending" (Endingu (エンディング)) WakakusaWakakusa0:44
Total length:44:08
2022 Remaster Issue
No.TitleLyricsMusicArranger(s)Length
13."Yume Handan" (Yume Handan (夢判断))NakasatoMimuroHagita3:24
Total length:47:39

Covers

Shōjo A
  • Singaporean singer Dawn Yip covered the song in Mandarin as "Bùyào liú xià" (不要留下, "Don't Stay") on her 1983 album of the same name.
  • Taiwanese singer Anna Lin covered the song in Mandarin as "Dānshēn nǚláng" (単身女郎, "Single Girl") on her 1983 album Ānnà (安娜). This version was then covered by Chinese singer Yáng Jūnzǐ on her 1986 album Tiàowǔ jiē (跳舞街, Dancing Street) and by Wú xiǎo yún on her 1988 album of the same name.
  • Chinese singer Du Du covered the song in Mandarin as "Shàonǚ A" on her 1985 album of the same name.
  • Taiwanese singer Annie Yi covered the song in Mandarin as "Xuǎn cuò diànyǐng xuǎn cuò nǐ" (選錯電影選錯你, "You're in the Wrong Movie") on her 1990 album Jǐn jǐn yǒngbào wǒ (緊緊擁抱我, Hold Me Tightly).
  • Tak Matsumoto covered the song on his 2003 cover album The Hit Parade, with Azumi Uehara on vocals.[8]
  • Miu Nakamura covered the song as the B-side of her 2007 single "Miumiu no Toiki ~Tsuyogaru Ai no Katachi~".
  • Ryoko Shiraishi (as Sayoko Arashiyama) covered the song as an insert song in episodes 12 and 13 of the 2008 anime Natsu no Arashi!
  • Keisuke Kuwata covered the song on the 2009 live video Shōwa Hachijūsan-nen do! Hitori Benishiro Uta Gassen.
  • Janet Kay covered the song in English on her 2012 cover album Idol Kay.
  • You Kikkawa covered the song on her 2012 cover album Vocalist?
  • Tomomi Itano covered the song as the B-side of the Theater Edition release of her 2013 single "1%".
  • Ken Hirai covered the song on his 2014 cover album Ken's Bar III.
  • Split BoB covered the song as the B-side of their 2015 single "Mayakashi Shōjo".
  • Hitomi Arai covered the song in 2020.

References
  1. "バリエーション〈変奏曲〉 (中森明菜 ) – Warner Music Japan". wmg.jp. Archived from the original on 2008-03-02.
  2. "中森明菜 / バリエーション〈変奏曲〉". cdjournal.com.
  3. Akina (Media notes). Warner Music Japan. 1993-11-10. WPCL-770〜3.
  4. "DVD Collection 2 | Akina Nakakamori | Warner Music Japan". Warner Music Japan. Retrieved 2011-07-03.
  5. Akina Nakamori (1 May 1985). Hajimemashite Nakamori Akina (VHS). Warner Music Japan. 10PV-38.
  6. (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)
  7. 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.
  8. "TAK MATSUMOTO ソロ・プロジェクト・カヴァー・アルバム 『THE HIT PARADE』11月26日リリース！". Music Freak Magazine. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
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