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Miki Matsubara

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In this Japanese name, the surname is Matsubara.

Miki Matsubara
松原 みき
Matsubara in February 1980
Born(1959-11-28)28 November 1959[1]
Kishiwada, Osaka, Japan[1]
Died7 October 2004(2004-10-07) (aged 44)[1]
Sakai, Osaka, Japan
Other namesSuzie Matsubara (スージー・松原)
Occupations
  • Singer
  • composer
  • lyricist
  • television personality
SpouseMasaki Honjo
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • piano
  • keyboards
Years active1977–2000[1]
LabelsPony Canyon

Miki Matsubara (松原 みき, Matsubara Miki) (28 November 1959 – 7 October 2004) was a Japanese composer, lyricist, and singer from Kishiwada, Osaka, Japan.[1] She participated in the opening and ending theme songs of the TV anime Gu-Gu Ganmo under the name "Suzie Matsubara".

Her 1979 debut song "Mayonaka no Door (Stay With Me)" became a hit, reaching number 28 on the Oricon chart, selling 104,000 copies according to Oricon survey, and selling 300,000 copies announced by Canyon Records. In addition, since around 2020, the song has become widely heard not only in Japan but also overseas thanks to the video sharing platform TikTok and the resurgence of city pop.

Early life

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Matsubara was born 28 November 1959[2] in Kishiwada, Osaka in Japan. She spent her childhood in Hiraoka Town, Nishi-ku, Sakai, Osaka.

She grew up in a family of four, including a father, a mother and a younger sister. Her father was a board member of a hospital[3] and her mother was a jazz singer who had sung with the Japanese jazz band and comedy group Crazy Cats. Matsubara started learning the piano at the age of three and later became familiar with jazz. As a child, she went to Sakai city's Hiraoka Elementary School and then in 1972, entered Poole Gakuin Junior High School. Around this time Matsubara became interested in rock music and joined the rock band "Kurei". In 1975 she started in Poole Gakuin High School and became active as a keyboard player of the band "Yoshinoya Band". They would play songs at a live house called Takutaku located in Kyoto. Matsubara was described as an excellent student and was expected by many around her to attend college, but at that time she had already made plans to pursue her dream of becoming a singer.[3] In 1977, when she was still in high school, Matsubara went to Tokyo alone at the age of 17 to make her debut as a singer. The Japanese pianist Yuzuru Sera [ja] found her playing music and singing in various places in Kantō such as in the live music venue Birdland located in Roppongi, Tokyo.[4]

Career

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Matsubara started her career in 1979 and is known from hit songs such as her debut and immediate breakthrough "Mayonaka no Door (Stay with Me)" which has been covered by numerous artists,[5][6][7][8] including Akina Nakamori.[9] The song was ranked 28th on the Oricon Chart,[10] and according to that chart sold 104,000 copies and 300,000 copies announced by Canyon records. Some of her other known songs were "Neat na gogo san-ji (ニートな午後3時)" and "The Winner" among others.

After the release of the song "Neat na Gogo San-ji" Matsubara became a well-known singer during that time. She was offered by many to perform in college festivals, concerts and so on. The song even gained a feature in a commercial of the famous Japanese multinational personal care company Shiseido, only less than two years after her debut.[3]

Miki Matsubara received a number of artist awards.[1] Amidst her career, she formed her own band called Dr. Woo.[3] Matsubara also had some international work with Motown jazz fusion group Dr. Strut in Los Angeles (becoming a backing band in the album recordings for "Cupid" and "Myself"), Tokyo and Osaka (Hall concerts), later releasing a jazz cover album titled Blue Eyes. On that album she covered some famous jazz songs like "Love for Sale" and the soft rock song "You've Got a Friend", originally written and sung by Carole King.[11]

Her vocal range was that of a mezzo-soprano.

During her music career she released 8 singles, and 12 albums. Despite her work being mainly domestic, outside of Japan she was also known for her work as an anime singer and songwriter, singing the opening and ending songs to anime such as Dirty Pair: Project Eden, although recently with the popularization of city pop her other work has gained overseas fans as well.[12] While singing theme songs for the anime Gu Gu Ganmo, she performed under the name Suzie Matsubara (スージー・松原). Matsubara's song "The Winner" was used as the opening for the Gundam OVA-series Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory.

From the 1990s forwards she especially worked on anime soundtracks and music for commercials.[13][1] Matsubara composed songs for a couple of anime, some of her most known musical compositions were for the anime series Gundam. Matsubara composed songs for several singers, like Hitomi Mieno,[14] but her most notable works were likely with the singer and actress Mariko Kouda, whom Matsubara composed multiple songs to. Kouda's song "Ame no Chi Special" (雨のちスペシャル), which Matsubara composed, was featured in the five-minute music television and radio series Minna no Uta as a music video in 1997. It attracted a lot of attention and ranked 28th place on the Oricon chart. The song was repeatedly rebroadcast until 2004.[15]

Personal life

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Little is known about Miki Matsubara's personal life. She married Masaki Honjo (1953–2007), a support musician (drummer) for her band. Later Masaki became a dentist and died in 2007 at the age of 54.

During Matsubara's years as a student, her eyesight deteriorated due to fatigue from a part-time job. Her eyesight was, however, fixed with surgery.[16]

Illness and death

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At the end of 2000, Matsubara sent an e-mail to her company, the members of Dr. Woo, and others around her, stating, "Actually, I can no longer continue with my music for a certain reason. I am cancelling my phone, cell phone, and email. So please do not reply. Please live your life without regrets."[17] She stopped all music activities and disappeared from the spotlight altogether. She burned all her cherished sheet music and records. In an e-mail sent to her cousin at the time, she wrote, "Please forget all the times in the past when I was singing and composing."[17]

In 2001, it was revealed that Matsubara's actions were prompted by a late-stage cancer diagnosis she had received at the time, after which she began treatment. She associated her career with the time when she became ill, so putting music behind her was in hopes for a new chance at life. She regretted doing music as she wished she got to enjoy life more instead of focusing on her career. Matsubara returned to her parents' home and spent her final years battling her illness.[17]

After being told by her doctor that she only had three months left to live, Matsubara died on 7 October 2004, at age 44 due to complications from uterine cervix cancer.[18][19] Her death was announced to the public two months later.[17]

Legacy

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An increased interest in city pop during the 21st century,[20] particularly the 2010s,[21] contributed to Matsubara gaining global recognition and "Stay with Me" (真夜中のドア, "Mayonaka no door") becoming a resurgent hit in the West and throughout Asia in 2020.[20] Billboard Japan credits Indonesian YouTuber Rainych for the song's initial surge in popularity, after she shared a cover version with her almost 1.3 million subscribers on the platform in October that year.[22] This rediscovery of the song in Indonesia—indicated by an upsurge of streams on digital music platforms Apple Music and Spotify—then spread to other countries worldwide and it continued to gain traction, especially in North America where it became a "'visible hit' on numerous streaming rankings" and "shot to No. 1 on Spotify's viral charts".[22][20] The song became a well-known sound on the multimedia streaming app TikTok, most notably during December 2020—prior to this, it was already somewhat popular in the platform's anime community—where it sparked a trend among users of Japanese descent, who shared videos of themselves playing the song for their mothers and filming their reactions when they recognized the track. One such video garnered over 23 million views and 6 million likes.[20][23] As of February 2021, the sound has been used in over 200,000 videos on the platform.

As a result of this resurgence in popularity, Matsubara's debut album, Pocket Park, was repressed on vinyl in late 2020.

Discography

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Studio albums

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Year Title Label
1980 Pocket Park See･Saw
Who Are You?
1981 Cupid
1982 Myself
彩
1983 Revue
1984 Blue Eyes (cover album)
Cool Cut
1985 Lady Bounce
1987 Dirty Pair (Original Soundtrack) Victor
1988 Wink

Compilations

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Year Title Label
1983 Paradise Beach See･Saw
1986 Super Best Pony
2002 Best Pony Canyon
2011 Golden☆Best
2013 The Premium Best
2014 Light Mellow
2015 Aya
2017 Platinum Best

Magazines

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Date of Issue Magazine name Issuer Page Type Title
1979.12.9 Weekly Myojo Shueisha End of book gravure Debuted with “Midnight Door,” a rich feeling cultivated through jazz and rock.
1980.1.1 weekly playboy Shueisha End of book gravure The other side of midnight: contemporary music
1980.1.10 GORO Shogakukan End of book gravure A love sounds singer aiming to be Japan's Diana Ross is born!
1980.1.22 weekly women's Shufu to Seikatsusha End of book gravure 50 people who were popular in the 1980s
1980.4.20 Weekly Myojo Shueisha p.92 Dialogue Haruo Chikada 's “In-depth Conversation” (22) My first love was in the third grade of elementary school, and she was 28 years old!
1980.4.22 weekly playboy Shueisha p.71 Miki Matsubara's braless incident has a cute face but likes music
1980.4.29 weekly women's Shufu to Seikatsusha p.42 A heated battle between the 7 favorites that colors the post Momoe !
1980.5.6 weekly playboy Shueisha p.53 Miki Matsubara's carefree and simple life "When it comes to a boyfriend, that's what I want"
1980.5.20 weekly playboy Shueisha Opening page gravure MISS Fresh BEST 5 If she wants a sepia- colored love, her mood is " Manhattan "
1980.5.29 Weekly Sankei Sankei Shimbun End of book gravure girl time
1980.6 PLAYBOY Shueisha p.27 MUSIC PLAY OFF Miki Matsubara
1980.7 Lovely lady Fujin Seikatsusha p.224 Woman's Heart/Singing Heart ( Noboru Hayakawa )
1980.7.1 weekly playboy Shueisha p.73 Miki Matsubara's new professional spirit leads a RICH singer life
1980.8.19・26 Merger weekly women's Shufu to Seikatsusha p.93 Great fashion survey - list of 70 stars released!!My fashion, hair, and makeup tips
1980.8.19・26 Merger weekly women's Shufu to Seikatsusha In the middle of the volume gravure Secret Revealed! Star Fashion BOOK Wearing New Autumn Fashion! Me Wearing Autumn...
1980.11.4 weekly playboy Shueisha p.46 interview Date in movie with Miki Matsubara who watched the movie " Chapter 2 " and had a deep ohanashi between a man and a woman
1980.12.23・1981.1.1 Merger weekly women's Shufu to Seikatsusha Opening page gravure The last concert of '80 feels like Hollywood !
1981.1.1 weekly playboy Shueisha p.84 The Music Miki, known as the Space Cat, has a message for those who hate cats !
1981.1.15 Women themselves Kobunsha p.67 Butamagamation! Something that surprised me recently
1981.2.3 weekly women's Shufu to Seikatsusha p.144 Spring cosmetics campaign Miki Matsubara vs. Akiko Yano faces off!
1981.3.26 Women themselves Kobunsha p.87 First release, a little MY privacy Miki Matsubara's memo diary
1981.4.14 young lady Kodansha p.76 20-year-old woman confesses “my way of love” Miki Matsubara
1981.4.16 Women themselves Kobunsha p.58 Worst Dressed Announcement 19th place
1981.5.8 weekly post Shogakukan Opening page gravure A NEET gal who dreams of becoming the No. 1 showgirl
1981.5.28 Women themselves Kobunsha p.159 Young Star 50 questions 50 answers
1981.6.9 young lady Kodansha p.113 BOYS & GIRLS topic zoom up Miki Matsubara is the topic
1981.6.18 Women themselves Kobunsha Opening page gravure 9 stars wearing their favorite summer formal wear
1981.9.27 Sunday every day Mainichi Shimbun p.43 Even the promoters were put to shame at the school festival, which was full of entertainment.
1982.10.2 Weekly Jewels Kobunsha p.67 Wonderful Time Now, I want to approach you mysteriously!
1983.1.9 Sunday every day Mainichi Shimbun gravure Walking - (Early New Year '83 - Would you like to run with a wild boar ?)
1988.9.10 smile Shodensha p.36 A kiss from my heart! Miki Matsubara I long for a kiss, but there are also “contacts” so exciting that kisses fade.
1989.7.20 Asahi entertainment Tokuma Shoten p.12 gravure The enthusiastic "good woman" has returned as a mature woman! Miki Matsubara (29)
1989.7.20 asahi entertainment Tokuma Shoten pp.35-36 interview A complete look at the current status of 20 of those "good women"! (6) Miki Matsubara Completes 4 years of "recharging" "I started hanging out with strange archaeologists..."[24]

sources:

  • Oya Soichi Bunko Magazine Article Index General Catalog Personal Name Edition 5 June 1, 1985
    Soichi Oya Bunko (editor), Kinokuniya Shoten (publisher)
  • Oya Soichi Bunko Magazine Article Index General Catalog 1988-1995 Personal Names Volume 4 1997.1.20
    Soichi Oya Bunko (editor), Kinokuniya Shoten (publisher) ISBN 4-314-10121-0
  • Weekly Magazine Article Index 81/87 People Edition Chi-wa 1988.2.20
    Toshio Otaka (ed.), Nichigai Associates (Publisher) ISBN 4-8169-0757-2

Singles

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Year Title Label
1979 "Mayonaka no Door (Stay with Me)" (真夜中のドア～Stay With Me) See･Saw
"愛はエネルギー"
1980 "ハロー・トゥデイ～Hello Today"
"あいつのブラウンシューズ"
1981 "ニートな午後3時"
"倖せにボンソワール"
1982 "予言"
1983 "パラダイス ビーチ (ソフィーのテーマ)""
1984 "Knock, Knock, My Heart"
1985 "恋するセゾン　～色恋来い～"
1987 "サファリ アイズ" Victor
"Pas De Deux"[25]
1988 "In the Room"
2020 "The Winner" Sunrise Music
"Back to Paradise"
2021 "Miki Matsubara Night Tempo Presents the Showa Groove" Pony Canyon

Some notable compositions

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Year Title Artist
1991 "Mou Hitotsu no Sotsugyou" (もう一つの卒業)[26][27] a·chi-a·chi
1992 "Men of Destiny" – Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory MIO
1992 "True Shining"[28] Rumiko Wada
1994 "Good-Bye Tears" Yumiko Takahashi
1994 "Harmony" Mariko Kouda
1994 "Run ~今日が変わるMagic~" Hitomi Mieno
1994 "誰のせいでもない二人" Mariko Kouda
1995 "Kanjite itai..." Yoko Ichikawa
1995 "Mimikaki wo Shiteiru to" (みみかきをしていると) Mariko Kouda
1995 "Heroine" (ヒ・ロ・イ・ン) Rumi Shishido
1995 "Doll-tachi no Dekuritsu Kinenbi" (Dollたちの独立記念日) Hitomi Mieno
1995 "Ame no Kioku" (雨の記憶) Keiko Yoshinari
1996 "Watashi ga Tenshi Dattara Iinoni" (私が天使だったらいいのに) Mariko Kouda
1997 "Yume wa hitori miru mono janai" (夢はひとりみるものじゃない) Mariko Kouda
1997 "Accel" (アクセル) Mayumi Iizuka
1998 "Ultraman Gaia!" (ウルトラマンガイア!) Masayuki Tanaka & Kazuya Daimon

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "松原みき". tower.jp. Tower. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  2. ^ "新撰 芸能人物事典 明治～平成「松原 みき」の解説". コトバンク (in Japanese). DIGITALIO. Archived from the original on 7 June 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d "2009/10/7 おもいっきりDON 今日は何の日 『松原みき』の日 ＃松原みき - YouTube". 8 October 2017. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2021 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ "昭和の名曲「真夜中のドア 〜Stay with Me」☆歌手松原みきさん".
  5. ^ Pinto, Tom (27 July 2019). "City Pop Is The 40-Year-Old Genre You've Never Heard Of, Until Today". Study Breaks. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  6. ^ Archila, Danny (17 December 2017). "Citypop: A Curious Fool's Primer". Yacht Rock. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  7. ^ "【オメガトライブ生んだ林哲司激白 ヒット曲舞台裏】松原みきさんと竹内まりや 予想とは真逆の仕上がりで高評価". Zakzak. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  8. ^ "松原みき【真夜中のドア】歌詞の意味を徹底解釈！季節が巡ると思い出すのは…？意味深な歌詞を紐解いてみた". otokake.com. Otokake. 10 June 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  9. ^ "中森明菜の意外なカバー曲 ＥＸＩＬＥ、ドリカム歌う 新アルバム「歌姫４」". ZAKZAK (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  10. ^ "松原みきを語る～ファンの声Vol.6". castella.chagasi.com. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  11. ^ "Miki Matsubara - Blue Eyes" (in French). Discogs. 20 September 1984. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  12. ^ O, Safiyah (23 August 2017). "Japanese 'City Pop [シティポップ]': A dreamy trip back to Japans capitalist fantasy of the 1980s". Bearded Gentlemen Music. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  13. ^ Konuma, Junichi. "松原みき（1959–2004）". f.waseda.jp/jkonuma. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  14. ^ "松原みき提供曲/マ行". castella.chagasi.com. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  15. ^ "松原みき - 真夜中のドア～Stay With Me". oh my God こりゃ なんだ (in Japanese). 24 November 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  16. ^ 「夜明けまでブルースにひたって 松原みき」. Myojo (in Japanese). No. 2. 1980. p. 122.
  17. ^ a b c d 今日は何の日　『松原みき』の日 [Today's Highlights in History "Miki Matsubara Day"] (Television broadcast) (in Japanese). Japan: Omoikkri Don!. 7 October 2009. 00:57 minutes in.
  18. ^ ＜訃報＞松原みきさん４４歳＝シンガー・ソングライター [<News of death> Miki Matsubara, 44 = Singer-songwriter]. Mainichi Shimbun. 14 December 2004. Archived from the original on 14 December 2004. Retrieved 3 March 2021 – via Yahoo! Japan News.
  19. ^ 歌手松原みきさん死去／１０月７日にがんのため [Singer Miki Matsubara dies / due to cancer on October 7]. Shinkoku News. 14 December 2004. Archived from the original on 3 March 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  20. ^ a b c d Zhang, Cat (24 February 2021). "The Endless Life Cycle of Japanese City Pop". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  21. ^ Arcand, Rob; Goldner, Sam (24 January 2019). "The Guide to Getting into City Pop, Tokyo's Lush 80s Nightlife Soundtrack". Vice. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  22. ^ a b Matsunaga, Ryohei (21 December 2020). "Global Popularity of 1979 City Pop Track 'Mayonaka no Door - Stay With Me' Explained". Billboard Japan. Archived from the original on 21 December 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  23. ^ Chan, Justin (8 January 2021). "A Japanese Song Has Unpredictably Become A Massive Hit Among TikTokers— And Their Parents". InTheKnow.com. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  24. ^ Nichigai Associates' Dictionary of Popular Musical Names, July 25, 1994, ISBN 4-8169-1223-1, adopts the theory that she returned with the theme song for Dirty Pair after a two-year hiatus.
  25. ^ "miki matsubara pas de deux - Bing video". bing.com. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  26. ^ "VIDL-52 | Mou Hitotsu no Sotsugyou / a・chi-a・chi - VGMdb". vgmdb.net. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  27. ^ "もう一つの卒業の歌詞 | a・chi-a・chi". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  28. ^ "VIDL-111 | True Shining / Rumiko Wada - VGMdb". vgmdb.net. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
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