½ no Shinwa

"½ no Shinwa"
Single by Akina Nakamori
from the album Best Akina Memoires
LanguageJapanese
English titleHalf the Myth
B-side"Nukumori"
ReleasedFebruary 23, 1983 (1983-02-23)
Recorded1982
Genre
Length3:20
LabelReprise Records
Composer(s)Yoshiyuki Ohsawa
Lyricist(s)Masao Urino
Producer(s)Yoshiaki Tanaka
Akina Nakamori singles chronology
"Second Love"
(1982) 		"½ no Shinwa"
(1983) 		"Twilight (Yūgure Dayori)"
(1983)
Music videos
"½ no Shinwa" (Live) on YouTube

"½ no Shinwa" (1/2の神話, Nibun no Ichi no Shinwa, lit. "Half the Myth") is the fourth single by Japanese entertainer Akina Nakamori. Written by Masao Urino and Yoshiyuki Ohsawa, the single was released on February 23, 1983, by Warner Pioneer through the Reprise label. It was also the lead single from her first greatest hits album Best Akina Memoires.[1][2]

Background

"½ no Shinwa" was originally titled "Furyō ½" (不良1⁄2, Furyō Nibun no Ichi, lit. "Half as Bad"), but NHK executives insisted to have the title changed under the network's strict broadcasting regulations. Lyricist Urino was dissatisfied with the title change, as he felt it hindered the impact of the song.[3][4]

Composer Ohsawa self-covered "½ no Shinwa" on his 1994 album Collage.[5] Nakamori has re-recorded the song for the 2006 compilation Best Finger 25th Anniversary Selection. In 2010, she re-recorded the song for the pachinko machine CR Nakamori Akina: Utahime Densetsu ~Koi Moni Dome nara~ (CR中森明菜・歌姫伝説〜恋も二度目なら〜, CR Akina Nakamori: Utahime Legend ~If Love Is For the Second Time~).[6]

Chart performance

"½ no Shinwa" became Nakamori's second No. 1 on Oricon's weekly singles chart and sold over 573,100 copies.[7][8]

Track listing

All music is arranged by Mitsuo Hagita.

Original release
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."½ no Shinwa" (Nibun no Ichi no Shinwa (1/2の神話, "Half the Myth"))Masao UrinoYoshiyuki Ohsawa3:20
2."Nukumori" ((温り, "Warmth"))Azusa InoueInoue4:34
Total length:7:54
1998 reissue bonus track
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
3."½ no Shinwa (Live Version)" ((1/2の神話(LIVE VERSION)))UrinoOhsawa 

Charts

Chart (1983) Peak
position
Japan (Oricon)[7] 1

Release history

Year Format(s) Serial number Label(s) Ref.
1983 7inch LP L-1660 Warner Pioneer [9]
1988 8cm CD, CT 10SL-133, 10L5-4043 Warner Pioneer [10]
1998 12cm CD WPC6-8661 Warner Pioneer [11]
2008 Digital download - Warner Pioneer [12]
2014 Digital download - remaster - Warner Pioneer [13]

See also

References

  1. ^ "中森明菜『1/2の神話』". Idol.ne.jp. 2019-01-03. Retrieved 2022-08-20.
  2. ^ "中森明菜/1/2の神話". SoundFinder. Retrieved 2022-08-20.
  3. ^ "新曲は「１／２の神話」にタイトル変更　ＮＨＫへの「忖度」だった". Zakzak. Sankei Shimbun. 2020-10-06. Retrieved 2022-08-20.
  4. ^ "NO1ヒットメーカー売野雅勇が明かす"80年代アイドル"の戦乱（2）中森明菜の「少女A」ウラ話". Asagei. 2016-09-01. Retrieved 2022-08-20.
  5. ^ "大沢誉志幸「1/2の神話」原点に戻るために中森明菜に提供した曲をセルフカバー". Ongaku Hiwa. 2020-10-16. Retrieved 2022-08-20.
  6. ^ "CR中森明菜 歌姫伝説～恋も二度目なら～". P-World. Retrieved 2022-08-20.
  7. ^ a b "1/2の神話 | 中森明菜". Oricon. Retrieved 2022-08-20.
  8. ^ "中森明菜". Yamachan Land. Archived from the original on 2011-05-24. Retrieved 2022-08-20.
  9. ^ "7inchシングル 1/2の神話 中森明菜". hmv.co.jp (in Japanese). HMV Japan. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  10. ^ "シングルCD　中森明菜 / 1/2の神話(廃盤)". suruga-ya.jp (in Japanese). Surugaya. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  11. ^ "中森明菜 / 1/2の神話 CD" (in Japanese). WMJ. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  12. ^ "中森明菜 / 1/2の神話 Digital Purchase-Archived". listen.jp (in Japanese). listen japan. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  13. ^ "1/2の神話 (+3) [2014 Remaster]". mora.jp (in Japanese). Mora. Retrieved October 31, 2023.