Among all the pop/rock tracks, however, was a decidedly NON poppy song, a gentle vocal ballad called “Bara Iro No Handkerchief” and, though not the style of J-pop I was currently into, really caught my ear and had me replaying it over and over!
The artist was a woman named Tokiko Kato, and though I did not know it at the time, was (and still is) a legendary vocalist in Japan of Diva-like status for her powerful and moving songs. All I knew was that I could not get the song out of my head and though it didn’t fit in with my usual J-pop songs and I probably wouldn’t be blasting it at work, still had to tack it on the end of a mix tape so I could listen to it on my walk home!
Eventually I made a definitive mix compilation culling my favorite tracks from those two CD collections, beginning with the explosive “Otoko” by Ruriko Kuboh, down through songs like “Hitosuji Ni Narenai“ by Kome Kome Club, "Totteoki No Toki" Seishiro Kusunose, “Akai Hana” by Rie Miyazawa and others, and for its album closer was, yes, Tokiko’s “Bara Iro no Handkerchief” , a PERFECT conclusion, and it always left me feeling in a melancholoy mood every time I listened to the tape!
I was just listening to the said J-Pop mix tape, and upon hearing Bara iro No handkerchief again, just got goosebumps listening to it…it’s so darn great! Sombre and soothing, like a cool night wind…
Must say that I had no idea back then that those two Sony Music CD compilations would have such an everlasting impact on my J-pop music experience...two albums well worth their price!!!