Mariya Takeuchi - Miss M (1980)

Japanese import

I can't remember exactly how I first heard of this album, but somehow I discovered that Jay Graydon and David Foster were involved with it, I was already placing an order through CDJapan, so why not give it a shot? Takeuchi has a lovely voice and the material is well-suited to her alto range. As originally released, the A side of the album was the Los Angeles side, recorded with Graydon, Foster, and other LA session pros: Jeff Porcaro, David Hungate, Steve Lukather, Bill Champlin, etc. The B side was recorded in Tokyo using (I'm assuming) Japanese musicians. I was hoping for a "new-to-me" Westcoast/AOR lost treasure along the lines of Blue Desert or Knock The Walls Down, but what I got was an okay city pop album with a few good tracks.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: not released in the US

LA tracks: Sweetest Music (music by Peter Allen) is a decent enough disco track that sounds like it was lifted directly from a TV variety show. I dig track 2, Every Night, a mid-tempo ballad with tasty horn parts. Despite being recorded in LA, Morning Glory has Japanese lyrics, but is wonderful Westcoast tune that would have worked well on a Jarreau album of the time - definitely a Graydon arrangement. Secret Love, co-written by Foster, Graydon, and Marc Jordan, has a hook-filled chorus that will be in my head the rest of the day. The final LA tune, Heart To Heart, a beautiful ballad with Japanese lyrics, was later given English lyrics, re-titled Now, and recorded by the Carpenters.

Tokyo tracks: Track 6, 二人のバカンス, starts off strong as it tries oh so hard to be Theme from The Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not), but ultimately falls flat. This is followed by the skippable, bland ballad 遠く離れて (When You're So Far Away). Track 8, 雨のドライヴ, is a well-executed, jazzy, piano trio neo-torch song. The lengthy final cut, the appropriately titled Farewell Call, never seems to get going and makes me wish 雨のドライヴ had been the last cut.

Bonus tracks: included in this 2019 reissue are four live tracks recorded in 1981. All four tracks appear on this album (as tracks 6, 4, 1, and 9, respectively). They picked three of the best songs on the album to include here, the band includes a killer sax soloist, and the polished performances are pleasant enough.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I can't say for certain, but I believe this might be the photo that led me down the Miss M rabbit hole (and with that line-up, why wouldn't it?):

(L-R) David Hungate, Mariya Takeuchi, David Foster, Jay Graydon, Steve Lukather, Jeff Porcaro