Crimson (Akina Nakamori album)

Crimson
Studio album by Akina Nakamori
Released	24 December 1986
Recorded	July 1986
Genre	Pop synth-pop electronic
Length	44:38
Language	Japanese
Label	Warner Pioneer
Akina Nakamori chronology
Fushigi (1986) Crimson (1986) CD'87 (1987)

Crimson is the tenth studio album by Japanese singer Akina Nakamori. It was released on 24 December 1986 under the Warner Pioneer label. The album includes the original version of Eki.

Background

Crimson is Nakamori's second studio album released in 1986, just four months after the release of her previous studio album Fushigi. The music production team consists of two writers: Mariya Takeuchi, Akiko Kobayashi and two arrangers, Shiro Sagisu and Kazuo Shiina.[1][2]

The album consist of any previously released single and includes recordings of 10 new songs. Nakamori sings with whisper or silent voice, which is not usual for the people who know her as a singer with a powerful vibrato. Each of the songs has balladic melody line, in the comparison with her previous studio album Fushigi.

Eki is one of her the most famous album tracks, however the song became more famous after Mariya Takeuchi's cover, which was released in 1987 as a B-side track for the single After Years.[3] Takeuchi's version was used as a theme song in the movie Good-bye, Mama. In this album, arrange is provided by Shiina, while Takeuchi's version arrangement is provided by Tatsuro Yamashita. In 2002, Nakamori self-cover this song in her first self-cover album Utahime Double Decade with arrangement by Akira Senju.[4]

Mick Jagger ni Hohoemi wo's sound effect idea was made by Nakamori herself, imagining herself in room, preparing breakfast and play from cassette tape player her own songs.[5] The original version of Mick Jagger ni Hohoemi wo is included in the CD-Box Akina released in 1993 and in the remastered version of the album released in 2023.

Stage performances

During Fuji TV's music television program Yoru no Hit Studio, Nakamori performed Mick Jagger ni Hohoemi wo, Yakusoku and Oh No, Oh Yes in 1987 and Eki in 1993 as part of the Request songs by viewers segment.

Mind Game, Mosaic no Shiro, Akai no Enamel, Pink Champagne and Jealous Candle were performed on Nakamori's live tour called A Hundred Days.

Chart performance

The album reached number 1 on the Oricon Album Weekly Charts. LP Record version charted 23 weeks, Cassette tape charted 22 weeks and CD version charted 21 weeks. The album remained at number 3 on the Oricon Album Yearly Charts in 1987.[6] As result, in the December 1987 it was nominated in 29th Japan Record Awards and won title The Album of the Year.[7]

Track listing

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Arranger(s)	Length
1.	"Mind Game"	Eiko Kyo	Akiko Kobayashi	Shiro Sagisu	4:59
2.	"Eki"	Mariya Takeuchi	Takeuchi	Kazuo Shiina	5:00
3.	"Yakusoku"	Takeuchi	Takeuchi	Shiina	4:05
4.	"Pink Champagne"	Yoshiko Miura	Kobayashi	Sagisu	4:04
5.	"Oh No, Oh Yes!"	Takeuchi	Takeuchi	Shiina	4:48
6.	"Exotica"	Reiko Yukawa	Kobayashi	Sagisu	4:50
7.	"Mosaic no Shiro"	Fumiko	Kobayashi	Sagisu	3:59
8.	"Jealous Candle"	Yumi Yoshimoto	Kobayashi	Sagisu	3:53
9.	"Aka no Enamel"	Takeuchi	Takeuchi	Shiina	4:23
10.	"Mick Jagger ni Hohoemi wo"	Takeuchi	Takeuchi	Shiina	4:41

2023 remaster reissue

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Arranger(s)	Length
11.	"Mick Jagger ni Hohoemi wo" (No SE version)	Takeuchi	Takeuchi	Shiina	2:47

Notes:

• "Mind Game," "Oh No, Oh Yes!" and "Jealous Candle" are stylised in all uppercase.
• "Mick Jagger ni Hohoemi wo" begins with an excerpt of "Aka no Enamel."

Covers

Mariya Takeuchi covers version

Mariya Takeuchi covered all five songs she wrote for Nakamori.

• Eki was released at first in the single After years as a b-side track, later in her compilation albums Impression and Expression.[8][9]
• Oh No, Oh Yes! was released at first in the single Genki o Dashite as a B-side track and later in the studio album Request.[10][11]
• Yakusoku was released as a b-side track of single Junai Rhapsody and later in first limited edition of studio album Denim.[12][13]
• Aka no Enamel was included in the reprinted version of studio album Variety in 2014 as a demo-tape[14]
• Mick Jagger ni Hohoemi wo was included in the compilation album Mariya's Songsbook as a demo-tape as well.[15]

Cover versions by other artist

Oh No Oh Yes

• Anita Mui: Lit Yim Hong Sun, 1987

Eki

• Anita Mui: Lit Yim Hong Sun, 1987
• Kenichi Mikawa: Golden Paradise, 1991[16]
• Yuko Nakazawa: Nakazawa Yuuko Dai 1 Shou, 1998[17]
• Hideaki Tokunaga: Vocalist, 2005[18]
• Ryoko Moriyama: Haru Natsu Aki Fuyu, 2008[19]
• Marty Friedman: Tokyo Jukebox, 2009[20]
• Akira Fuse: Ballade II, 2010[21][22]
• Juju: Snack JUJU: Yoru no Request, 2016[23][24]

Sales and certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[25]	Platinum	20,000^*
Japan	—	600,000[26]
^* Sales figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Year	Format(s)	Serial number	Label(s)	Ref.
1986	LP, CT, CD	L-12650, LKF-8150, 32XL-190	Warner Pioneer	[27]
1991	CD	WPCL-421	Warner Pioneer	[28]
1996	CD	WPC6-8191	Warner Pioneer	[29]
2006	CD, digital download	WPCL-10287	Warner Pioneer	[30]
2012	Super Audio CD, CD hybrid	WPCL-11145	Warner Pioneer	[31]
2014	CD	WPCL-11731	Warner Pioneer	[32]
2018	LP	WPJL-10094	Warner Pioneer	[33]
2023	2CD, LP	WPCL-13476/7, WPJL-10186, WPJL-10187/8	Warner Pioneer	[34]

Notes:

• 2006 re-release includes 24-bit digitally remastered sound source
• 2012 and 2014 re-release includes subtitles in the tracks "2012 remaster"
• 2023 re-release includes lacquer remaster which includes subtitles in the tracks "2023 lacquer remaster" along with original karaoke version of the tracks

References

1. "CRIMSON (中森明菜 ) ワーナーミュージック・ジャパン - Warner Music Japan". wmg.jp. Archived from the original on 2009-04-30.
2. "中森明菜 クリムゾン". cdjournal.com.
3. "駅. スマイルカンパニー". Takeuchi Mariya Official Website: Singles. Archived from the original on 2013-01-12. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
4. Akina Nakamori (2002). Crimson (CD Album; album notes). Akina Nakamori. Japan: Universal Music. (UMCK-1139)
5. オリジナルコンフィデンス. "Oricon Crimson". オリコン・ウィークリー (51): 31.
6. Oricon Album Chart Book Complete Edition 1970-2005. オリコン・マーケティング・プロモーション. 25 April 2006. pp. 3, 455–457, 883. ISBN 4871310779.
7. "優秀アルバム賞「クリムゾン」〈ワーナー・パイオニア〉 歌手：中森明菜". JACOMPA.JP. Archived from the original on 2008-01-27.
8. "竹内まりや / インプレッションズ". cdjournal.com.
9. "竹内まりや / エクスプレッションズ [4CD] [限定]". cdjournal.com.
10. "竹内まりや / リクエスト". cdjournal.com.
11. "元気を出して. スマイルカンパニー". Takeuchi Mariya Official Website: Singles. Archived from the original on 2013-01-12. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
12. "竹内まりや / デニム [2CD] [限定]". cdjournal.com.
13. "特番でチェック！ 竹内まりや新作オリジナルアルバム「Denim」". RBBTODAY.
14. "竹内まりや / ヴァラエティ-30th Anniversary Edition". cdjournal.com.
15. "Mariya's Songbook [2CD] [限定]". cdjournal.com.
16. "美川憲一 / ゴールデン・パラダイス [廃盤]". cdjournal.com.
17. "中澤ゆうこ(モーニング娘。) / 中澤ゆうこ 第一章". cdjournal.com.
18. "徳永英明 / ヴォーカリスト". cdjournal.com.
19. "森山良子 / 春夏秋冬". cdjournal.com.
20. "MARTY FRIEDMAN / TOKYO JUKEBOX". cdjournal.com.
21. "布施明 / Ballade 2". cdjournal.com.
22. "布施明、J-POPバラードカバー集第2弾は女性シンガー縛り". Natalie.mu.
23. "JUJU / Snack JuJu～夜のRequest～". cdjournal.com.
24. "JUJU「Request」第3弾詳細発表、本日22時より「JUJUママに訊け!」Twitter生配信". musicman.net.
25. "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1989". IFPI Hong Kong.
26. "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Big Tree'] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
27. ASIN B0CJ48C1P2, Crimson (24 December 1986)
28. "中森明菜 / Crimson [再発] (1991)" (in Japanese). Rakuten Japan. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
29. "中森明菜 / CRIMSON [再発] (1996)" (in Japanese). CD Journal. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
30. "中森明菜 / Crimson (2006) (Archived)" (in Japanese). WMG.JP. 30 July 2011. Archived from the original on 2015-02-20.
31. "中森明菜 / Crimson [SA-CDハイブリッド] [紙ジャケット仕様] [限定]" (in Japanese). CD Journal. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
32. "Crimson" (in Japanese). WMG.JP. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
33. "Crimson＜LP（180g重量盤）＞【初回生産限定】" (in Japanese). WMG.JP. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
34. "中森明菜 / Crimson【オリジナル・カラオケ付】〈2023ラッカーマスターサウンド〉 [2CD]" (in Japanese). cdjournal. Retrieved October 31, 2023.