Tropical Dandy Explained
Tropical Dandy is Haruomi Hosono's second solo album. This album continues the tropical style of Hosono House (which would continue later on with Bon Voyage co. and Paraiso) and also features performances from "Caramel Mama" (who had, by this point, changed their name to "Tin Pan Alley"). This album was re-issued as part of a box set with bonus tracks taken from Tin Pan Alley albums by Crown decades later.[1] [2] [3]
Album cover
The album's cover is a parody of the sailor-themed packaging of Player's Navy Cut cigarettes, similar to the 1969 Procol Harum album, A Salty Dog. The quotation marks around Hosono's surname is in reference to the "medium" version of the cigarette. The cover also portrays a ship resembling the RMS Titanic, which Hosono's grandfather Masabumi infamously escaped the sinking of on her maiden voyage.
Personnel
- Haruomi Hosono – Bass, Vocals, Mellotron, Marimba, Guitar (Acoustic & Electric), Clavinet, Cowbell, Whistle, Backing Vocals/Choir, Production, Liner notes
- Masataka Matsutoya – Piano, Hammond organ, String Arrangements
- Shigeru Suzuki – Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals/Choir
- Tatsuo Hayashi – Drums, Percussion
- Hiroki Komazawa – Pedal steel guitar
- Hiroshi Satō – Piano, Clavinet
- Ginji Itō – Electric Guitar
- Motoya Hamaguchi – Percussion
- Makoto Yano – Strings, Horn (Wind and Brass) & String Arrangements
- Minako Yoshida – Duet Vocals, Backing Vocals/Choir
- Makoto Kubota – Backing Vocals/Choir, Scat Vocals
- Teruyuki Fukushima – Trumpet
- Masayuki Kuniyoshi – Flute
- Yōji Yamashita – Ukulele
- Clare Francis – Voice
- Kayo Ito, Taeko Ōnuki & Kōsetsu Minami – Backing Vocals/Choir
- Kazuhiro Ichihashi – Backing Vocals/Choir, Assistant Engineering
- Shincihi Furuzaki – Re-mixing
- Yasuo Yagi – Cover and Back Tropical Artwork, Concept Art
- Michiko Oshima – Liner Artwork
- Takumi Uchida – Photography
Notes and References
- Web site: Powell. Mike. Found Sound 2007. Pitchfork. 10 March 2014. 1 January 2008. Hosono deserves distinction for prefiguring stuff like Pizzicato Five and Momus and Stereo Total.
- News: Bell. Clive. Sayonara Cruel World. 10 March 2014. The Wire . August 1997. 33–34. It combines Martin Denny's already outdated 'Exotica' and fake orientalism with Dr John-style New Orleans piano..
- Book: Hosokawa, Shuhei. Widening the Horizon: Exoticism in Post-war Popular Music. 1999. Indiana University Press. 9781864620474. 124. Philip Hayward. 11 March 2014. Haruomi Hosono and Japanese Self-Orientalism. reminiscence of a childhood both overwhelmed and enlivened by Americanism.
