right on, man. one of my all-time favorite artists from Japan is Ryuichi Sakamoto, but they're not related. i had not heard this track before. it's crazy to think that in 1963 this was number ONE on the Billboard top 100 for Three Weeks. that is so wild. thanks so much, Jamel the Music Teacher. you opened my mind and my ears a little bit more today. rock on, man.
REQUEST. THE Flower travelin’ band - House of the rising son. They’re a Japanese rock band from the early seventies, not sure if they are any video of them. The critics said they were what Black Sabbath should have been. They have some good yet different stuff. Thank you
lovely song. I live in Japan and this song gets selected almost every time I do karaoke with Japanese co-workers and friends - still popular to this day and by now, I can sing every word.
I'm from the UK and i have been playing this song for over 50 years, one of the most beautiful songs ever writen, we have the English words to it as we,ll so can sing along to it, ............... RIP MR SAKAMOTO
@@SKYTIERNORTHWEST umm taste of honey did not sing a translation if the song. They made up English words they could have used the translation. I really hate the English version. Love this one
This song was so popular, and played on the radio so much, that we could all sing along without knowing what the heck we were singing. He was such a pleasant guy, always smiling. So sad when he died so young.
I remember, he was on the Ed Sullivan show, I was allowed to watch this show' I was very young, 7, years old, I was listening, to it, I started crying' I didn't understand it, but my young heart did' 💕 🇨🇦
He had a beautiful, emotion filled voice. I remember this came out when I was a child. It blew up, it was everywhere. One of the songs you don't know the words, but you love the beauty.
This song makes me cry, especially when I think of him writing that letter to his wife and daughter while that plane was going down causing the end of all of those people. His voice was incredible.
Oh, God, was he on that Korean airline that lost the vertical fin on the tail, making the rear end of the jet swing left and right repeatedly for several minutes as they descended?
@@kennethlatham3133 It was Japan Airlines 123 (August 12, 185) which had difficulties 12 minutes into the flight crashing 32 minutes later. 520 of the 524 on board were killed. It was the deadliest plane crash in history. A heartbreaking story for everyone involved that just makes this song so much sadder, yet still compelling to hear. My memory of the song goes back to when I was four or five years old. It also brings back memories of where I was, and who I knew, in those days.
I grew up with this version of the song. My dad was stationed in Yokosuka Japan in the 70s and fell in love with it. He learned all the words even though he never really got good at speaking Japanese. Said the first time he heard it, even before he got someone to translate it for him, he knew what it was about, and that it made him miss home and my mom.
I played this for my aunt in the nursing home because she lived in Japan as a young wife. Her husband was stationed there. She couldn't remember much, but she could hum right along to this.
It’s honestly beautiful that you listened to this growing up; I heard it on TV as a Japanese kid (I’m half Japanese) growing up in Tokyo. I gotta say that there’s really no way to communicate just how emotional the nuance of the Japanese is in the lyrics, but I’m so weirdly happy to find out that you listened to this over in the states too
I was only six years old when I first heard and fell in love with this beautiful song. My mother had been amazed that I was in tears listening to it. Although it seems to have cheerful music there was something very sad about it to me.... though I could only (just about) speak English.
Wow, Your reaction bought a tear to my eye. I love that you love this Jamal. He was killed on Japan Air Lines Flight 123. 520 people lost their lives that day.. So sad.
I lived in Japan for 4 years and this song is still popular, and I remember many nights in a Japanese Izakaya drinking sake with the locals and then singing this drunk at karaoke and they were surprised I could sing it in Japanese. Miss those days
OMG, can't believe you're doing this! Huge memory from my childhood! My mum and dad had this record. Me and my brother made up our own words, trying to sound clever, ha ha!!
My favourite group of the moment is from Japan - Arashi - I have not a clue what they are singing, but I love their songs (they have done a couple in English though :-)
Correct. Japan Airlines flight 123, the deadliest plane crash in history. More than 500 died, yet somehow 4 survived. I think of this whenever I hear that wonderful song.
@@markburnham7512 In the JAL air disaster 520 people lost their lives. Today, March 27 in 1977 is actually when the worst aviation crash occurred. 583 died when a KLM 747 and a Pan Am 747 collided on the airport runway on Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands.
@@netescape7771 the JAL was the worst SINGLE plane air crash. The KLM one you refer to was a larger toll because it was two 747's that crashed on a runway. The JAL is still the largest loss of lives for a single plane.
When I was a little girl this song always made me feel like I was riding a horse in some dusty town in a Western. Reminds me of being in the car with my parents, and this would play on the radio
when i lived in Osaka back in the nineties i used to do this when we went out for karaoke and amazed the locals with my flawed Japanese in a cockney accent this was literally the only thing i could say in Japanese , luckily the people there loved trying out their English its a lovely song beautifully sung and recorded
Oh wow!! My mom had this record, so I grew up listening to this song. I can sing all the lyrics in Japanese, but I never knew the English version of Sukiyaki!! 💗 Chills here too!! I don't speak Japanese, I just phonetically learned to sing along. Thank you Jamal!! 🤗
You have to remember, this was not long after the war. 'Shintaro', was on our TVs in the afternoon, and this was on the radio. The kids loved them, but our parents were perplexed. This was in Australia, possibly the same in the USA.
It was the same way in Japan. The elders didn't want to associate with us unless our blue eyes blonde haired baby was with us. Young people like We were at the time didn't carry around the same scars there elders did and loved American music and culture.
@@Momspennies2 l never heard anything bad said about this song by Adults in Detroit , we tried to sing along to it as best as we could. This is the first time l ever saw the lyrics. l was ten in 1963.
Yes, there was plenty of post-war anti-Japanese hostility in the US for years after, so the fact that a Japanese pop song could become the most popular song in America less than 20 years after the end of the war is nothing short of amazing.
I remember that song when I was around 6 years old. About two decades ago I found that song and kept it in my collection of my best ever. Awesome vocal and composition. Thanks Kyu and RIP.
Taste of Honey I think that’s the version that goes “If only you were here, I’d wash away my tears, the sun would shine and you’d be mine all mine....” that’s the version I know as a GenXer, and the one I think Jamel was trying to recall.
I bought a original record from 1962, and I love it, fell in love with this song on the internet and now i have it part of my collection, Music is a beautiful thing.
l remember this song as a 10 year old boy riding to my little league baseball games in Detroit Metro Area. # 1 song all Summer. l heard it on Sirius Radio last week for the first time in 40 years!
The actual title is "Ue o Muite Arukō". It was given the title "Sukiyaki" in English because it was a Japanese word that was short easy to pronounce and familiar to most Westerners.
And I personally absolutely refuse to ever refer to this song as "Sukiyaki". Sukiyaki is a damned food that has absolutely _nothing_ to do with the actual song. It's kinda like me, as a Dutch guy, referring to Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling In Love" as "Twinkie" because it's American, short, easy to pronounce and familiar to me.
This was one of my Mom's favorite songs. She played it often. No matter how many times I hear this, my goosebumps on top of goosebumps that cover my entire body. Thank you for stirring the memory pot Jamel.
There were a lot of instrumentals back in the early sixties, and because you couldn't understand any of the words it was like a sudo instrumental, absolutely beautiful,when I hear the lead in with the xylophone it takes me right back to 63 and gives me goose bumps.
Singing this in Japanese is my karaoke bar party trick. I'm nowhere near as good of a singer as he was, but this gaijin can throw down with some nihongo. Thanks for reacting to it!
Good on you! I was planning to sing this in Japanese at our yearly off-Broadway SXSW gig here in Austin, but COVID beat cover. I was going to end it by singing the last line in English.
Long before you kids tuned in to Japanese anime shows or Korean pop, your grandparents were singing along in Japanese to this song. We didn't know the words, unless you listened to the English version he did, but we could sure sing along phonetically. What a beautiful tune.
1963 I was 6 living in Japan and moving to the US, this song was number 1 in Japan and was a hit song when we arrived in America. A very comforting thing for a little kid in a new land. God rest your soul Mr. Kyu Sakamoto, and thank you. This song still makes me feel good today.
I'm proud to say that both this song and Dominique were in my MP3 player, long before I saw this video or your comment. Years now. At least 10-15 years. And before that, my CD player.
Thank you for the reacting to this great song. My parents had it on the single 45 vinyl and I remember playing it a lot. There's something about it that has always drawn me in. Thank you for keeping great music alive.
Thank you I was eight and this song is one of my favorite and I ended up growing up loving to hear the original. When I heard he died I cried. Fell in love with his voice.
I was 14 in 1963 and this was all over the radio we were singing it everywhere, and no one knew a damn word but boy it hit the charts and it stuck with all of us.
My mom loves this song so much. I bought her an original 45 rpm record and she played it a lot at home. Thanks Jamal! You are such an endearing soul and love your reactions to discovered music. God bless and rock on!
I was in junior high when this was on the radio. We all sang along the best we could, phonetically. We'd act like we knew what the song was about, act all worldly wise and cool, "Yeah, man, you know that's Cherokee . . . " We were in Texas, and that was about as exotic as we could dream of. Japanese never entered our minds. lol!
I've always loved this song. We were very fortunate 10 years ago to be on a Dinner Cruise in Bali. This song was played by the DJ and a table of Japanese Seniors sang along with it beautifully. You could tell by their smiles that this song meant so much to them.
My sister & I performed a dance to & sung this song in the late 70’s with our classmates. I never forgot the words & still have a copy of an 8mm film of our performance. I’m so happy to hear it was performed at the Olympics & has finally gained/regained global exposure. It’s a beautiful song & I, too, get goosebumps when I hear it performed, especially this Sukiyaki OG version. Thank you for sharing this. I admire your platform diversity. It sets you apart in the most tasteful of ways & is truly attractive to a broader audience than the lot of YT channel hosts. Outstanding work! I just subscribed & am sharing ya. Had to “like” it even though I really love it.🥰
Great example of how a melody is what makes a song great. If a song doesn't have any melody, is it a song? My generation loved this song and gathered a sense of the sadness because of the melody and the great performance of the singer, even though we had no idea what he was singing about. Thanks Jamel for doing this one. Great memories! Keep up the good work!
When I was in high school in the early 70’s, I would hear this song on the radio as I studied for finals, a really soft breeze would be coming in the window and as I would look out the window watching the sunset , life seemed very good and I was just thankful. Every time I hear that song, I remember that moment.
to make it more accurate, the lyrics in japanese say "counting the stars that blurr" which implies seeing the stars in teary eyes. it makes it more lyrical
This was a huge hit here in Hawaii when I was a little kid, kind of timeless music when you think about it, I've never heard it analyzed as you did here. The whistling at the end was pretty cool.
i was 9 and this is another example of music lyrics transcending language. :) the city i was born we had an asian restaurant and each booth had those mini jukebox at the table where you could play music and sukiyaki was a fav....man i haven't thought about that in many years, thanks for the memory :)
You, young man, are a connoisseur. It gives me such pleasure to see someone your age highlight and appreciate a piece of music from so far outside your generation. This song, with its haunting melody, was and is a part of the fabric of my life. It always brings joy and tears to me whenever I hear it. I’m always transported back to those summer evenings with my friends and cousins where we enjoyed outdoor fun while listening to this and so many other tunes on the radio till well after the sun went down. Thank you so much for turning the spotlight on this song and the wonderful young man who brought it to the world and left us too soon. Well done sir.
20 years ago whilst in a 5 star hotel in bangkok, i was having a drink in the piano bar and there was a handful of customers, when i heard this being played, to my surprise an elderly japanese man had sat at the piano and started singing this, complete with the whistling i thought it was the actual record, when finished he simply got up and walked through the bar , i have always loved this song .
I grew up in Japan and he was extremely popular and Sukiyaki remains one of my favorite songs which I play when I miss the beauty of Japan. Oh, it was A Taste of Honey who did the English version in the 80's and change the translation, followed by a Black group called, I think 4FPM, whom I think was London based.
You are in the right field. Your dancing to the song made me smile the whole time. Thank you for enjoying it. I also enjoy world music. I am glad to find someone like you who passes on this beauty to others. I am old and enjoy your videos.
Check out the French song "Dominque" (from 1963) by The Singing Nun for another #1 hit in the USA and worldwide in a foreign language. Immensely catchy.
I love that you seem to take the songs that I grew up with and loved and appreciate them for yourself. ELO and now this, you see Music stretches all across of our lives
My parents had this record, which was really different from their other music selections. Thanks for the happy memories of me as a kid in the 1960's trying to sing along in Japanese with Kyu Sakamoto. Feel my spirit lifting. Love you!
I live in Hollywood. This song was huge in my childhood. I learned to sing it phonetically and when I see Japanese tourists I might sing this way loud and my words come out a bit Japanese and a lot of gibberish. What a beautiful melody and your interpretation ain't half-bad. How to confuse and engage a Japanese tourist group (the tour guide has a flag on a stick - I'm not making this up) with song. Sayanora.
SO COOL! I had forgotten about this song, but the title tickled some long dead memory and caused me to click on your video. So glad I did. Thank you for the memories.
I loved this song. I had a neighbor who was a sergeant in the Army and his Japanese wife was like a second mother to me. Amazing lady, she was a Japanese police woman after WWII and was an interpreter for the US during the occupation. Sadly she passed away several years ago. The song came out around the time I used to hang out with her kids. Whenever I her this song, I think of her. RIP Kyu Nakamoto and RIP Nobuko, I miss you.
Always loved this song. We'd hear it on KOMA, Oklahoma City, as we went riding around on summer nights in the early 60s. So beautiful. Thanks for the video.
I have always loved this song! One of my all time favorites. I hate to admit it but sometimes it makes me tear up. I was 13 when it came out in America in 1963. He had a big hit with this song in 1961 in Japan (his home country). It was a huge hit all over the world and the single sold 13 million copies. Congratulations to him. I did not know he got killed in a plane crash in ‘85. Sad.
Brother, you brought me to tears... I mean sobbing, snot dripping tears! My Mom played this song all the time when I was a kid in the late 50s/early 60s! She would sing along as she did chores and sometimes my Dad would join in. I remember most of her records from Japan were a translucent green but this one was red! The English version was by Taste of Honey in the early 80s. I would sing both versions to put my sons to sleep. Brother, I love you! You brought back great memories of my Mom! Thanks!
The Repository of All Knowledge relates: "[The lyricist] wrote the lyrics while walking home from a Japanese student protest against the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security Between the United States and Japan, expressing his frustration and dejection at the failed efforts. However, the lyrics were purposefully generic so that they might refer to any lost love."
I just now got home from a solo show by Raul Malo of the Mavericks. For his encore song he sang this song in Japanese--holding the lyrics on a page in his hand--in that beautiful tenor voice of his. You could hear a pin drop. I'm going to put it on my RUclips channel because I think it needs to be shared and the song needs to be honored. The song was a hit the summer I turned 5.
‘KEEP GREAT MUSIC ALIVE’ Shirts and More, Enter Promo Code ‘Jamel’ jamel-aka-jamal-youtube-store.creator-spring.com
The group was Taste of Honey. Sukiyaki is the song.
right on, man. one of my all-time favorite artists from Japan is Ryuichi Sakamoto, but they're not related. i had not heard this track before. it's crazy to think that in 1963 this was number ONE on the Billboard top 100 for Three Weeks. that is so wild. thanks so much, Jamel the Music Teacher. you opened my mind and my ears a little bit more today. rock on, man.
Did you see that 2 Rockin Grannies gave you a shout out the other day?
REQUEST. THE Flower travelin’ band - House of the rising son. They’re a Japanese rock band from the early seventies, not sure if they are any video of them.
The critics said they were what Black Sabbath should have been. They have some good yet different stuff. Thank you
Kyu is pronounced Q. Far better version the Selena. Sissel Korkjebo's version is the best cover of this song.
lovely song. I live in Japan and this song gets selected almost every time I do karaoke with Japanese co-workers and friends - still popular to this day and by now, I can sing every word.
So great to read that.
It is like the "Unchained Melody" of Japanese karaoke. Even when I was in Japan, I heard it almost every night there.
You should see the clip on here of Michael Jackson doing a bit of it!
Wish I could sing every word, but I can only pronounce the words without knowing what theyean.
I'm from the UK and i have been playing this song for over 50 years, one of the most beautiful songs ever writen, we have the English words to it as we,ll so can sing along to it, ............... RIP MR SAKAMOTO
No one else ever did justice to this song. He made such a beautiful haunting recording.
uhm Taste of Honey had the best version and Selena was pretty close
@@SKYTIERNORTHWEST umm taste of honey did not sing a translation if the song. They made up English words they could have used the translation. I really hate the English version. Love this one
Jewel Akens made a pretty solid delivery with the English translation. And maybe so Bobby Dee as well if he ever released a full version of it.
Even performing live, Kyu Sakamoto never really nailed it. There was magic in the recording studio the day this record was made.
This song was so popular, and played on the radio so much, that we could all sing along without knowing what the heck we were singing. He was such a pleasant guy, always smiling. So sad when he died so young.
I remember, he was on the Ed Sullivan show, I was allowed to watch this show' I was very young, 7, years old, I was listening, to it, I started crying' I didn't understand it, but my young heart did' 💕 🇨🇦
Good thing it was not like the song in the Soesman Language Training commercial then.
i remember as a child when this was popular. Did not know what he was saying but I thought it was beautiful song.
This is the first time I’ve ever seen the translation and I was around when it came out.
Gorgeous isn't it.
One of the highest selling singles, only two Japanese songs made it to billboard I think, sukiyaki and another.
He had a beautiful, emotion filled voice. I remember this came out when I was a child. It blew up, it was everywhere. One of the songs you don't know the words, but you love the beauty.
Hello, this was the first Asian song to be #1 on Billboard top 100 In 1963. It held that title until BTS in 2010. Many covers since.
This song makes me cry, especially when I think of him writing that letter to his wife and daughter while that plane was going down causing the end of all of those people. His voice was incredible.
Oh, God, was he on that Korean airline that lost the vertical fin on the tail, making the rear end of the jet swing left and right repeatedly for several minutes as they descended?
@@kennethlatham3133 It was Japan Airlines 123 (August 12, 185) which had difficulties 12 minutes into the flight crashing 32 minutes later. 520 of the 524 on board were killed. It was the deadliest plane crash in history. A heartbreaking story for everyone involved that just makes this song so much sadder, yet still compelling to hear. My memory of the song goes back to when I was four or five years old. It also brings back memories of where I was, and who I knew, in those days.
@@obbor4 Deadliest single plane crash in history.
i’m crying just reading your comment
obbor4: Same here.
Goose bumps and tears..i followed his life.. amazing. He had such an aura!
I grew up with this version of the song. My dad was stationed in Yokosuka Japan in the 70s and fell in love with it. He learned all the words even though he never really got good at speaking Japanese. Said the first time he heard it, even before he got someone to translate it for him, he knew what it was about, and that it made him miss home and my mom.
I played this for my aunt in the nursing home because she lived in Japan as a young wife. Her husband was stationed there. She couldn't remember much, but she could hum right along to this.
It’s honestly beautiful that you listened to this growing up; I heard it on TV as a Japanese kid (I’m half Japanese) growing up in Tokyo. I gotta say that there’s really no way to communicate just how emotional the nuance of the Japanese is in the lyrics, but I’m so weirdly happy to find out that you listened to this over in the states too
I was only six years old when I first heard and fell in love with this beautiful song. My mother had been amazed that I was in tears listening to it. Although it seems to have cheerful music there was something very sad about it to me.... though I could only (just about) speak English.
Oh yes we did, and still do, love this song! ❤
I was young 6 year old when I feel in love with this song, and never forgotten it! Still listens when I need soothing!
I've always loved this song. Brings me to tears feeling his want and sorrow in his song with not a damn clue what's being sung peace
His Voice really was so lovely.
This was the first non-English song to hit the number one spot on Billboard Hot 100 June 5, 1963.
And the last non-American number one before the Beatles.
And the only Japanese song to go to #1 in the USA.
@@bradparnell614 Didn't Dominique by the Singing Nun reach number one in December 1963?
@@kittyprydekissme Yes, you are correct, December 7th (Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day) 1963.
Now the only other Asian artist is BTS since Kyu. They now have four number ones in Billboard. They are South Korean. Great music
This was a 10,000 mile crossover hit covered by multiple American artists.
Wow, Your reaction bought a tear to my eye. I love that you love this Jamal. He was killed on Japan Air Lines Flight 123. 520 people lost their lives that day.. So sad.
I lived in Japan for 4 years and this song is still popular, and I remember many nights in a Japanese Izakaya drinking sake with the locals and then singing this drunk at karaoke and they were surprised I could sing it in Japanese. Miss those days
I was three when it came out, and remember hearing it a lot as a kid.
OMG, can't believe you're doing this! Huge memory from my childhood! My mum and dad had this record. Me and my brother made up our own words, trying to sound clever, ha ha!!
My favourite group of the moment is from Japan - Arashi - I have not a clue what they are singing, but I love their songs (they have done a couple in English though :-)
Oh boy, this takes me way back. No idea what he was singing, but it was so beautiful.
A classic song. He died a tragic death think, an airplane crash. But it was a big hit.
Correct. Japan Airlines flight 123, the deadliest plane crash in history. More than 500 died, yet somehow 4 survived. I think of this whenever I hear that wonderful song.
@@markburnham7512 In the JAL air disaster 520 people lost their lives. Today, March 27 in 1977 is actually when the worst aviation crash occurred. 583 died when a KLM 747 and a Pan Am 747 collided on the airport runway on Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands.
@@netescape7771 the JAL was the worst SINGLE plane air crash. The KLM one you refer to was a larger toll because it was two 747's that crashed on a runway. The JAL is still the largest loss of lives for a single plane.
@@greatunz67 it was shot down by North Korea or Russia
The aircraft he was on was shot down by a Soviet fighter.
When I was a little girl this song always made me feel like I was riding a horse in some dusty town in a Western. Reminds me of being in the car with my parents, and this would play on the radio
He was marvelous, lots of teens singing this with out knowing the words.
Everyone loved this song. We sang along, having no clue what the words meant and we didn't care. The feelings this song evoked were so fine.
when i lived in Osaka back in the nineties i used to do this when we went out for karaoke and amazed the locals with my flawed Japanese in a cockney accent this was literally the only thing i could say in Japanese , luckily the people there loved trying out their English
its a lovely song beautifully sung and recorded
Oh wow!! My mom had this record, so I grew up listening to this song. I can sing all the lyrics in Japanese, but I never knew the English version of Sukiyaki!! 💗 Chills here too!! I don't speak Japanese, I just phonetically learned to sing along. Thank you Jamal!! 🤗
You have to remember, this was not long after the war. 'Shintaro', was on our TVs in the afternoon, and this was on the radio. The kids loved them, but our parents were perplexed. This was in Australia, possibly the same in the USA.
It was the same way in Japan. The elders didn't want to associate with us unless our blue eyes blonde haired baby was with us. Young people like We were at the time didn't carry around the same scars there elders did and loved American music and culture.
@@Momspennies2 l never heard anything bad said about this song by Adults in Detroit , we tried to sing along to it as best as we could. This is the first time l ever saw the lyrics. l was ten in 1963.
Yes, there was plenty of post-war anti-Japanese hostility in the US for years after, so the fact that a Japanese pop song could become the most popular song in America less than 20 years after the end of the war is nothing short of amazing.
I remember that song when I was around 6 years old. About two decades ago I found that song and kept it in my collection of my best ever. Awesome vocal and composition. Thanks Kyu and RIP.
Great recommendation for whoever mentioned it - this was a huge hit.
One of the greatest melodies of all time.The covers NEVER rivaled the original.
Because the covers are not a translation
@@neeleynonea and just not done very well.
The german and french versions are abominations.
Taste of honey did an English version back in the early 80’s
A group called 4PM (For Positive Music) did an English acapella version in the 90's.
Taste of Honey I think that’s the version that goes “If only you were here, I’d wash away my tears, the sun would shine and you’d be mine all mine....” that’s the version I know as a GenXer, and the one I think Jamel was trying to recall.
Yes - that is the version I knew. I never heard this. I really like it! What a great voice!
(And he was really good looking lol)
An English version but not a translation if the song. Some writer made up new words in English and plagiarized the tune
@@neeleynonea This one might help ;) ruclips.net/video/gocJpfbWnCo/видео.html
I bought a original record from 1962, and I love it, fell in love with this song on the internet and now i have it part of my collection, Music is a beautiful thing.
l remember this song as a 10 year old boy riding to my little league baseball games in Detroit Metro Area. # 1 song all Summer. l heard it on Sirius Radio last week for the first time in 40 years!
I could not be more pleased to see this on your channel. Hubby and I played this at our wedding 20 years ago. I LOVE this song. 💜
The actual title is "Ue o Muite Arukō". It was given the title "Sukiyaki" in English because it was a Japanese word that was short easy to pronounce and familiar to most Westerners.
And I personally absolutely refuse to ever refer to this song as "Sukiyaki". Sukiyaki is a damned food that has absolutely _nothing_ to do with the actual song. It's kinda like me, as a Dutch guy, referring to Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling In Love" as "Twinkie" because it's American, short, easy to pronounce and familiar to me.
@@rdevries3852 Absolutely agree. A newsweek writer said it would be like releasing Moon River in Japan as Beef Stew.
That's about right. Imagine a popular Chinese song such as "Rose, Rose I love you" and calling it "Chopsuey" .
@@rdevries3852 Imagine someone calling 'Het Dorp' van Wim Sonneveld 'Frikandel'
This song was on heavy radio rotation when I was a kid. I always loved it. It stood out like a sore thumb, but in such a good way.
This was one of my Mom's favorite songs. She played it often. No matter how many times I hear this, my goosebumps on top of goosebumps that cover my entire body. Thank you for stirring the memory pot Jamel.
I’ve loved this song since I was a kid, and I’m 68 now.
There were a lot of instrumentals back in the early sixties, and because you couldn't understand any of the words it was like a sudo instrumental, absolutely beautiful,when I hear the lead in with the xylophone it takes me right back to 63 and gives me goose bumps.
Singing this in Japanese is my karaoke bar party trick. I'm nowhere near as good of a singer as he was, but this gaijin can throw down with some nihongo.
Thanks for reacting to it!
Good on you! I was planning to sing this in Japanese at our yearly off-Broadway SXSW gig here in Austin, but COVID beat cover. I was going to end it by singing the last line in English.
Henna gaijin!
@@KeshHarp Sōdesu!
@@scottconnell1583 Nihongo Jozu, ne!
@@KeshHarp Arigatōgozaimasu!
I am so glad you covered the original of this.
Long before you kids tuned in to Japanese anime shows or Korean pop, your grandparents were singing along in Japanese to this song. We didn't know the words, unless you listened to the English version he did, but we could sure sing along phonetically. What a beautiful tune.
As it was playing, I remembered singing along with this on my car radio...The Japanese words suddenly flowed out...not bad for 76!!
1963 I was 6 living in Japan and moving to the US, this song was number 1 in Japan and was a hit song when we arrived in America. A very comforting thing for a little kid in a new land. God rest your soul Mr. Kyu Sakamoto, and thank you. This song still makes me feel good today.
Always loved his voice, now follow this up with "Dominique" by The Singing Nun's 1963
exactly
Sadly, she died tragically too. When funding for her community centre was cut drastically, she and her assistant committed suicide.
I'm proud to say that both this song and Dominique were in my MP3 player, long before I saw this video or your comment. Years now. At least 10-15 years. And before that, my CD player.
@@vhfgamer I'm old enough that I had both on vinyl, just so pure not like the autotuned crap of today...
Dominique
I first heard this while in high school in the early 60's. Mind was blown.
Thank you for the reacting to this great song. My parents had it on the single 45 vinyl and I remember playing it a lot. There's something about it that has always drawn me in. Thank you for keeping great music alive.
Thank you I was eight and this song is one of my favorite and I ended up growing up loving to hear the original. When I heard he died I cried. Fell in love with his voice.
This is still a favorite in the Japanese / Japanese American community. Thanks for sharing this!
I lived in Japan for many years. This song was like Japan's second national anthem.
I was 14 in 1963 and this was all over the radio we were singing it everywhere, and no one knew a damn word but boy it hit the charts and it stuck with all of us.
My mom loves this song so much. I bought her an original 45 rpm record and she played it a lot at home. Thanks Jamal! You are such an endearing soul and love your reactions to discovered music. God bless and rock on!
The song you were singing was by a group called A Taste Of Honey.
They also had a hit song called
Boogie Oogie Oogie.
I love this beautiful old song! 🎶🥰. Remember it well from my childhood.
I was in junior high when this was on the radio. We all sang along the best we could, phonetically. We'd act like we knew what the song was about, act all worldly wise and cool, "Yeah, man, you know that's Cherokee . . . " We were in Texas, and that was about as exotic as we could dream of. Japanese never entered our minds. lol!
That other version you heard was by a group called "A Taste of Honey" and yes, they just used the melody.
I've always loved this song. We were very fortunate 10 years ago to be on a Dinner Cruise in Bali. This song was played by the DJ and a table of Japanese Seniors sang along with it beautifully. You could tell by their smiles that this song meant so much to them.
My sister & I performed a dance to & sung this song in the late 70’s with our classmates. I never forgot the words & still have a copy of an 8mm film of our performance. I’m so happy to hear it was performed at the Olympics & has finally gained/regained global exposure. It’s a beautiful song & I, too, get goosebumps when I hear it performed, especially this Sukiyaki OG version. Thank you for sharing this. I admire your platform diversity. It sets you apart in the most tasteful of ways & is truly attractive to a broader audience than the lot of YT channel hosts. Outstanding work! I just subscribed & am sharing ya. Had to “like” it even though I really love it.🥰
Great example of how a melody is what makes a song great. If a song doesn't have any melody, is it a song? My generation loved this song and gathered a sense of the sadness because of the melody and the great performance of the singer, even though we had no idea what he was singing about. Thanks Jamel for doing this one. Great memories! Keep up the good work!
When I was in high school in the early 70’s, I would hear this song on the radio as I studied for finals, a really soft breeze would be coming in the window and as I would look out the window watching the sunset , life seemed very good and I was just thankful. Every time I hear that song, I remember that moment.
I absolutely love this song. Was a favourite of my Mums. She introduced me to it as a child - and have loved it ever since.
to make it more accurate, the lyrics in japanese say "counting the stars that blurr" which implies seeing the stars in teary eyes. it makes it more lyrical
Thank you so much for reacting to this. No matter where I am when I hear it, I am transported straight back to summer 1963.
I remember when this song first came out. No idea what the lyrics were but loved the whistling too.
I was in Jr Hi in 1960 when this came out, every radio station in Seattle played, beautiful song we couldnt get enough of, no wonder it went to #1
This was a huge hit here in Hawaii when I was a little kid, kind of timeless music when you think about it, I've never heard it analyzed as you did here. The whistling at the end was pretty cool.
I do remember this sweet song from long ago. This is going waayyy back.thanku for playing this !
i was 9 and this is another example of music lyrics transcending language. :)
the city i was born we had an asian restaurant and each booth had those mini jukebox
at the table where you could play music and sukiyaki was a fav....man i haven't thought about
that in many years, thanks for the memory :)
I remember hearing this on the radio and fell in love with this song. I get chills hearing this . Thank you!
Goosebumps, always when I listen to this beautiful song. Thank You!
You, young man, are a connoisseur. It gives me such pleasure to see someone your age highlight and appreciate a piece of music from so far outside your generation. This song, with its haunting melody, was and is a part of the fabric of my life. It always brings joy and tears to me whenever I hear it. I’m always transported back to those summer evenings with my friends and cousins where we enjoyed outdoor fun while listening to this and so many other tunes on the radio till well after the sun went down. Thank you so much for turning the spotlight on this song and the wonderful young man who brought it to the world and left us too soon. Well done sir.
It was just so beautifully different when it was released. I was thirteen.🇬🇧
Mahalo, Jamal. I love the oldies but goodies in any language. I remember this song and still love it. Bless you for playing it again.
20 years ago whilst in a 5 star hotel in bangkok, i was having a drink in the piano bar and there was a handful of customers, when i heard this being played, to my surprise an elderly japanese man had sat at the piano and started singing this, complete with the whistling i thought it was the actual record, when finished he simply got up and walked through the bar , i have always loved this song .
I grew up in Japan and he was extremely popular and Sukiyaki remains one of my favorite songs which I play when I miss the beauty of Japan.
Oh, it was A Taste of Honey who did the English version in the 80's and change the translation, followed by a Black group called, I think 4FPM, whom I think was London based.
You are in the right field. Your dancing to the song made me smile the whole time. Thank you for enjoying it. I also enjoy world music. I am glad to find someone like you who passes on this beauty to others. I am old and enjoy your videos.
Check out the French song "Dominque" (from 1963) by The Singing Nun for another #1 hit in the USA and worldwide in a foreign language. Immensely catchy.
#1 song and a one hit wonder from this wonderful artist... covered by tons of artists! Mr. Sakamoto deserves so much more credit!! RIP namaste!
One of the most beautiful songs ever written.
I love that you seem to take the songs that I grew up with and loved and appreciate them for yourself. ELO and now this, you see Music stretches all across of our lives
A tune that wasn't even in English and still was a big hit in the U.S.! Man died tragically young! My mother had this on a 45!
My parents had this record, which was really different from their other music selections. Thanks for the happy memories of me as a kid in the 1960's trying to sing along in Japanese with Kyu Sakamoto. Feel my spirit lifting. Love you!
I live in Hollywood. This song was huge in my childhood. I learned to sing it phonetically and when I see Japanese tourists I might sing this way loud and my words come out a bit Japanese and a lot of gibberish. What a beautiful melody and your interpretation ain't half-bad. How to confuse and engage a Japanese tourist group (the tour guide has a flag on a stick - I'm not making this up) with song. Sayanora.
SO COOL! I had forgotten about this song, but the title tickled some long dead memory and caused me to click on your video. So glad I did. Thank you for the memories.
I love this with all of my heart.
I love the A Taste of Honey version!
Me too!
I loved this song. I had a neighbor who was a sergeant in the Army and his Japanese wife was like a second mother to me. Amazing lady, she was a Japanese police woman after WWII and was an interpreter for the US during the occupation. Sadly she passed away several years ago. The song came out around the time I used to hang out with her kids. Whenever I her this song, I think of her. RIP Kyu Nakamoto and RIP Nobuko, I miss you.
Oh I LOVED this song when I was a kid. Thanks for brining it back!
Always loved this song. We'd hear it on KOMA, Oklahoma City, as we went riding around on summer nights in the early 60s. So beautiful. Thanks for the video.
I reckon this is the first time in 30 years that I have heard this song, loved it then, love it now
I have always loved this song. It makes me so happy! ☺️
Love this song. How on earth did I miss this one when it was popular.
Wonderful singer, wonderful song .......Music of my youth tysvm!
I'm so glad you reacted to this song. It is so beautiful and touching.
I have always loved this song! One of my all time favorites. I hate to admit it but sometimes it makes me tear up. I was 13 when it came out in America in 1963. He had a big hit with this song in 1961 in Japan (his home country). It was a huge hit all over the world and the single sold
13 million copies. Congratulations to him. I did not know he got killed in a plane crash in ‘85. Sad.
Brother, you brought me to tears... I mean sobbing, snot dripping tears! My Mom played this song all the time when I was a kid in the late 50s/early 60s! She would sing along as she did chores and sometimes my Dad would join in. I remember most of her records from Japan were a translucent green but this one was red!
The English version was by Taste of Honey in the early 80s. I would sing both versions to put my sons to sleep.
Brother, I love you! You brought back great memories of my Mom! Thanks!
I so respect your obvious love of music and its a pleasure to watch you. Thank you.
The Repository of All Knowledge relates: "[The lyricist] wrote the lyrics while walking home from a Japanese student protest against the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security Between the United States and Japan, expressing his frustration and dejection at the failed efforts. However, the lyrics were purposefully generic so that they might refer to any lost love."
I think of myself as a bit of a hard rocker , but after 60 years this still sends chills up my spine , what a great performer . RIP BRO .
I just now got home from a solo show by Raul Malo of the Mavericks. For his encore song he sang this song in Japanese--holding the lyrics on a page in his hand--in that beautiful tenor voice of his. You could hear a pin drop. I'm going to put it on my RUclips channel because I think it needs to be shared and the song needs to be honored. The song was a hit the summer I turned 5.