Uta Monogatari (album)

Uta Monogatari (歌物語) is the double retrospective CD of Japanese actress/singer Hiroko Yakushimaru. It was released by EMI Music Japan in March 2011 to celebrate her 30-year career as a recording artist, with 30 of the songs that Yakushimaru herself selected.

Uta Monogatari
Greatest hits album by
ReleasedMarch 2, 2011
Recorded1981–1991, 2010
GenrePop
Length127:31
LanguageJapanese
LabelEMI Music Japan
Hiroko Yakushimaru chronology
Essential Best
(2007)
Uta Monogatari
(2011)

This collection mainly consists of the efforts from her EMI era when Yakushimaru had enjoyed successful recording career, and also includes the single version of her biggest hit "Sailor Suit and Machine Gun"—the original take of the song had rarely appeared on her previous compilations, because it was the sole material that she released via Kitty Records. Disc one is closed with a new song "Boku no Takaramono" which she recorded for the first time in 12 years. It was featured on a film Wasao starring her, and also released as a single.

None of the works released by BMG Funhouse during the late 1990s was featured on the album. The works collaborated with her former spouse Koji Tamaki were also completely disregarded, including top-ten hit single "Mune no Furiko" in 1987.

Track listing

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Disc 1: Songs & Stories
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangerLength
1."Sailor-fuku to Kikanjū (セーラー服と機関銃, Yume no Tochū, 「夢の途中」)" (Single version)Etsuko KisugiTakao KisugiKatz Hoshi4:34
2."Tantei Monogatari (探偵物語)"Takashi MatsumotoEiichi OhtakiAkira Inoue3:56
3."Sukoshi Dake Yasashiku (すこしだけ やさしく)"Takashi MatsumotoEiichi OhtakiAkira Inoue4:41
4."Main Theme (メイン・テーマ)"Takashi MatsumotoYoshitaka MinamiMasao Ōmura3:26
5."Woman (W no Higeki Yori) (Woman "Wの悲劇"より)"Takashi MatsumotoKaruho KuretaMasataka Matsutoya3:53
6."Anata o Motto Shiritakute (あなたを・もっと・知りたくて)"Takashi MatsumotoKyōhei TsutsumiSatoshi Takebe3:53
7."Suteki na Koi no Wasurekata (ステキな恋の忘れ方)"Yōsui InoueYōsui InoueSatoshi Takebe4:28
8."Sasayaki no Step (ささやきのステップ)"Takashi MatsumotoKen SatōMotoki Funayama4:18
9."Hitomi de Hanashite (瞳で話して)"Takashi MatsumotoTetsuya TsujihataAkira Inoue4:01
10."Shinshi Dōmei (紳士同盟)"Yōko AkiRyūdō UzakiSatoshi Takebe3:59
11."Hard Day's Rag (ハードデイズ・ラグ)"Yōko AkiShigeru UmebayashiSatoshi Takebe3:20
12."Jidai (時代)"Miyuki NakajimaMiyuki NakajimaMotoki Funayama3:52
13."Kataritsugu Ai ni (語りつぐ愛に)"Etsuko KisugiTakao KisugiSatoshi Takebe4:10
14."Kaze ni Notte (風に乗って)"Chika UedaChika UedaNobuyuki Shimizu4:20
15."Yūgure o Tomete (夕暮れを止めて)"Miki FūdōSeishirō KusunoseNobuyuki Shimizu5:01
16."Boku no Takaramono (僕の宝物)"Chiharu TamashiroShōgo KaidaAkira Inoue4:52
Total length:66:52
Disc 2: Hearts & Stories
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangerLength
1."Primavera"Oroshi MomijiMasao ŌmuraMasao Ōmura4:34
2."A Lover's Concerto"Tokiko Iwatani (Japanese lyrics), Denny Randell, Sandy LinzerDenny Randell, Sandy LinzerSatoshi Takebe3:57
3."Akai Hana, Aoi Hana (赤い花、青い花)"Takashi MatsumotoHaruomi HosonoHaruomi Hosono, Miharu Koshi, Yasuharu Konishi4:22
4."Destiny"Taeko ŌnukiRyūichi SakamotoRyūichi Sakamoto, Shinobu Narita4:22
5."Samishii Hito ni Naranaide (さみしい人にならないで)"Eiko KyoChika UedaAkira Inoue4:48
6."Mikansei (未完成)"Miyuki NakajimaMiyuki NakajimaKazuo Shiina5:12
7."Hyaku-tsubu no Namida (100粒の涙)"Takashi MatsumotoKyōhei TsutsumiSatoshi Takebe4:03
8."Bamboo Boat (バンブー・ボート)"Minako YoshidaTakao KisugiKazuo Shiina3:59
9."Utakata (うたかた)"Minako YoshidaChika UedaHiroki Inui4:26
10."Ten ni Hoshi, Chi ni Hana (天に星、地に花)"Takashi MatsumotoKyōhei TsutsumiHiroshi Shinkawa3:05
11."Ame wa Yamanai (雨は止まない)"Amii OzakiAmii OzakiAkira Inoue4:10
12."Ame ni Sarawarete (雨にさらわれて)"Ryō AskaRyō AskaTaisuke Sawachika5:17
13."Genki o Dashite (元気を出して)"Mariya TakeuchiMariya TakeuchiKazuo Shiina3:59
14."Toki no Okurimono (時の贈り物)"Minako YoshidaMinako YoshidaMinako Yoshida4:27
Total length:60:41

Chart positions

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Chart Position
Japanese Oricon Weekly Albums Chart (top 300)[1] 43

References

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  1. ^ "Highest position and charting weeks of Uta Monogatari by Hiroko Yakushimaru". oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved May 1, 2011.