Favorite J-pop Singles: Judy and Mary / Over Drive
The first time that I actually got to see Judy and Mary on TV performing live was during the Japan Record Awards (Recordo Taisho) that New Year’s. It was 1995, and the band was promoting MIRACLE DIVING, the album that would ultimately be their “Sgt. Pepper’s” i.e. the album that would explode them into the mainstream audience! The song up for the award that night was a single from the album called Over Drive, a tune that up until that point I hadn’t heard before…but BOY would I remember it afterwards!
Now, the Record Taisho usually had a mix of live performances and video clips featured throughout the show, and so it wasn’t unexpected that when Judy and Mary’s song was announced, a huge screen was dropped down to show the Over Drive PV. Once the song started though, the announcers danced over to the screen, and lifted it up, revealing the band playing right behind it!
There was Takuya on Guitar, Onda on Bass, and Kohta on Drums…but where was Yuki? Why, she was in a carrier sailing over the audience as the band played! By the time Takuya got to his blazin’ guitar solo, she’d reached the stage, sashaying out of the cage, revealing a cute kimono outfit! In fact, everyone was dressed up in very matsuri style costumes as befitting the occasion!
Once all together, the band got into it in earnest, and MAN… I had known how zany the group was already, but for some reason, I still didn’t expect the amount of energy and passion that the group would radiate! It was truly a heartful performance!
“Motto asonde yubi wo narashite yondeiru koega suru wa
hontou mo uso mo kyoumi ga nai no yo
yubisaki kara surinuketeku youbarina waraigoe mo
gochamaze ni shita suupu ni tokasu kara
yoru ni ochitara koko ni oide...
oshiete ageru saikou no MELODY
anata wa itsumo naiteru youni waratteta
mayoi no naka de kizu tsukiyasukute
chizu wo hiraite itazura ni pen de nazoru
kokoro no hane wa umaku mawaru desho?
otoni awasete kutsu wo narashite
atashi dake no himitsu no basho
Hashiru kumo no kage wo tobi koeru wa
Natsu no nioi oikakete
aa yume wa itsumademo samenai
Utau kaze no youni... “
At this point Yuki reaches the stage and Takuya takes over, belting out a
guitar solo in his matsuri animal outfit in all its zaniness..!
“Yoru ni ochitara yume ni oide...
takaramono wo mitsukerareruyo...
SHINJITERU NO!
Itoshii hibi mo koi mo yasashii uta mo
Awa no you ni kieteku kedo
aa ima wa itami to hikikae ni
uta kaze no you ni...
Hashiru kumono kagewo tobi koeruwa
Natsu no hizashi oikakete
aa yume wa itsumademo samenai
utau kaze no youni...”
Then Yuki wraps up the song with a heartful little ending that totally MAKES the song:
“La la la la la Yah…
Oh la la LA LA LA LA Whoa….YEAH!”
and with that, all four members start “pogoing” around on stage totally into the music as the song ends!
After that single, they would go onto releasing the acclaimed Sobakazu single (of Rurouni Kenshin fame) and take Japan by storm, one great single at a time. Through songs like Classic, Sampomichi, and the killer jazz/pop/punk masterpiece Music Fighter, they just kept churning out the hits! But to me, Over Drive will always be the one song that stands head and shoulers above the rest, It ALWAYS makes me feel good, the passion of the song always captivates me, and IMHO, I truly believe it’s one of the greatest j-pop singles of all time!
