:Eiichi Ohtaki

{{short description|Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer (1948–2013)}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Eiichi Ohtaki

| image = Eiichi Ohtaki.png

| caption = Eiichi Ohtaki in 1981 promoting A Long Vacation

| image_size =

| birth_name = {{nihongo|Eiichi Ohtaki|大瀧榮一}}

| alias = {{flatlist|

{{nihongo|Eiichi Ohtaki|大滝詠一}}
{{nihongo|Eiichi Ohtaki|大瀧詠一}}

}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date|mf=yes|1948|7|28}}

| birth_place = Esashi District, Japan

| death_date = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|2013|12|30|1948|7|28}}

| death_place = Mizuho, Tokyo, Japan

| origin =

| instrument = {{flatlist|

Vocals
guitar}}

| genre = City pop{{Cite web|title=City pop revival is literally a trend in name only |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2015/07/05/music/city-pop-revival-literally-trend-name/#.VpCjNlLa789 |work=The Japan Times |date=2015-07-05 |access-date=2016-01-09}}

| occupation = {{flatlist|

Musician
singer-songwriter
record producer}}

| years_active = 1969–2013

| label = {{flatlist|

King
Niagara
Columbia
CBS/Sony}}

| past_member_of = Happy End

| website =

}}

{{nihongo|Eiichi Ohtaki{{efn|Ohtaki used three different ways to spell his name in Japanese, all pronounced the same way.{{cite web| url=http://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2013/12/31/kiji/K20131231007299670.html| title=大滝さん提供楽曲は軒並みヒット「風立ちぬ」「冬のリヴィエラ」「熱き心に」| work=Sponichi| language=ja| date=2013-12-31| access-date=2016-05-13}} he used the characters {{nihongo2|大瀧詠一}} to spell his name in songwriting credits, and {{nihongo2|大滝詠一}} as a singer.{{cite web| title=Top 100 Japanese pops Artists - No.9| url=http://www.hmv.co.jp/news/article/311040082/| work=HMV| language=ja| date=2003-11-22 | access-date=2016-01-13}}}}|大瀧榮一|Ōtaki Eiichi|July 28, 1948 – December 30, 2013|lead=yes}} was a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He first became known as a member of the rock band Happy End, but was better known for his solo work which began in 1972. In 2003, Ohtaki was ranked by HMV at number 9 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts. Patrick Macias referred to Ohtaki as Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, George Martin and Joe Meek "synthesized into a single human being," and called his work "an encyclopedia of everything that was great about pop music in the 20th century."{{cite web|url=http://japattack.com/japattack/newiframe/newjapattack/music/ohtaki.html|title=Music Review: Eiichi Ohtaki Discography|work=Japattack.com|access-date=2019-01-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060530043717/http://japattack.com/japattack/newiframe/newjapattack/music/ohtaki.html|archive-date=2006-05-30}}

Biography

Ohtaki was born in Esashi District, in what is now part of Ōshū. Before joining Happy End, Ohtaki was guitarist in a group called Taboo with future Blues Creation singer Fumio Nunoya.{{cite web |url=http://www.japrocksampler.com/artists/japrock/blues_creation/ |title=Blues Creation |work=Japrocksampler |access-date=2014-08-14 |archive-date=July 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130704064224/http://www.japrocksampler.com/artists/japrock/blues_creation/ |url-status=dead }} Happy End produced three albums, Happy End (1970), Kazemachi Roman (1971) and Happy End (1973), before officially disbanding on New Year's Eve 1972. Ohtaki had already released his first self-titled solo album back in November 1972, which Macias described as probably just what Happy End fans expected; "tuneful folk-rock" and "fuzzed out country rock nuggets ala Neil Young." However, Macias noted that this is the last time Ohtaki would create music like this in his career.

He produced the rock band Sugar Babe, and continued to produce its members Taeko Onuki and Tatsuro Yamashita after the group's break up.{{cite web |title=Happy End's Eiichi Ohtaki Dies at 65 |url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/happy_ends_eiichi_ohtaki_dies_at_65 |work=Exclaim! |date=2013-12-31 |access-date=2016-01-06}} Their only album Songs was the first release on Ohtaki's record label Niagara Records in 1975. Ohtaki's second album, Niagara Moon, followed a month later. Macias called it a record "where the artist is clearly having more fun than the listener" as it lacks truly memorable hooks and has "juxtapositions [that] are often more jarring than impressive."

Ohtaki, Yamashita and brief Sugar Babe member Ginji Ito released an album titled Niagara Triangle Vol. 1 in 1976. The collaboration was cited by MTV as one of the six Japanese supergroups that changed the history of Japanese music.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv81.com/features/lists/6-japanese-super-groups-that-are-changing-j-music-history/|title=6 Japanese Super Groups That are Changing J-music History|work=MTV81|date=2016-03-16|access-date=2016-04-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425075606/http://www.mtv81.com/features/lists/6-japanese-super-groups-that-are-changing-j-music-history/|archive-date=2016-04-25}} Later that year Ohtaki's third album Go! Go! Niagara was released. Although stating that the "kitchen sink abandon" from Niagara Moon was repeated, Macias felt that on this album the singer "hits a home run every time" by flat out recreating the beloved records of his youth, instead of simply trying to evoke them.

Macias stated that although Ohtaki had done almost everything on 1977's Niagara Calendar before; citing the "merenge [sic], wall-of-sound, Okinawan music, and odes to baseball," the difference is his increased vocal abilities deliver "another completely dazzling LP." Although he produced all and wrote several of the songs on 1978's Let's Ondo Again, Ohtaki only sang a handful of them. The album is credited to "Niagara Fallin' Stars" and features various other singers such as Rats & Star and Masayuki Suzuki. Peter Barakan noted that the songs parody Western music and called the album a masterpiece.{{cite web|url=https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/music/interview-peter-barakan|title=Interview: Peter Barakan|work=Time Out|date=2015-10-16|access-date=2019-01-06}}

Ohtaki's 1981 solo album A Long Vacation is particularly well-known and highly acclaimed. It was one of the first albums to be issued on CD,{{cite web| url=http://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2014/01/15/kiji/K20140115007389760.html| title=大瀧詠一さん、ＣＤアルバム１６年ぶりチャートイン| work=Sponichi| language=ja| date=2014-01-15| access-date=2016-04-16}} won Best Album at the 23rd Japan Record Awards,{{cite web| url=http://www.jacompa.or.jp/reco23.html| title=第２３回日本レコード大賞| work=Japan Record Awards| language=ja| access-date=2016-01-06| archive-date=April 28, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428193100/http://www.jacompa.or.jp/reco23.html| url-status=dead}} certified double platinum by the RIAJ and has been re-released in 20th anniversary and 30th anniversary editions. In 2007, it was named the 7th greatest Japanese rock album of all time by Rolling Stone Japan.{{cite web |title=Finally! "The 100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums of All Time" Listed |url=http://exclaim.ca/News/finally_100_greatest_japanese_rock_albums_of_all_time |work=Exclaim! |date=2007-11-14 |access-date=2012-08-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121231163831/http://exclaim.ca/News/finally_100_greatest_japanese_rock_albums_of_all_time |archive-date=December 31, 2012 |url-status=dead }}

Ohtaki released Niagara Triangle Vol. 2 in 1982, this time collaborating with Motoharu Sano and Masamichi Sugi.{{cite web|url=http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/SRCL-5001|title=NIAGARA TRIANGLE Vol.2 Anniversary Edition |work=CD Japan|access-date=2017-01-09}}

Following his 1984 album Each Time and its 1985 single {{nihongo4|"Fjord Girl"|フィヨルドの少女}}, Ohtaki largely retired from activities as a solo artist. Instead he focused on composing for and producing other acts. In 1997, he released the single {{nihongo4|"Shiawase na Ketsumatsu"|幸せな結末}}, which was used as the theme song for the TV drama Love Generation and sold over a million copies.{{cite web |title=大滝詠一さんが急死、65歳解離性動脈瘤でドラマ主題歌「幸せな結末」がミリオンセラー |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.jp/2013/12/30/eiichi-ohtaki_n_4521678.html |work=The Huffington Post |language=ja |date=2013-12-31 |access-date=2017-01-10}} The single {{nihongo4|"Koisuru Futari"|恋するふたり}} was released in 2003 and used as the theme song for Tokyo Love Cinema.

Death

After choking on an apple and collapsing in his Mizuho, Tokyo home at 5 p.m. on December 30, 2013, Ohtaki was rushed to a hospital but died shortly afterwards.{{cite web|title=大滝詠一さん急死リンゴのどに詰まらせ(tr: Otaki Eiichi's Sudden Death, Chokes on Apple)|url=http://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/f-et-tp0-20131231-1238243.html|work=Nikkan Sports|language=ja|date=2013-12-31}}{{cite web|title=ミュージシャンの大滝詠一さんが死去 (tr: Otaki Eiichi's musicians death) |url=http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20131231/k10014215111000.html |work=NHK |language=ja |date=2013-12-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101001154/http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20131231/k10014215111000.html |archive-date=2014-01-01 }} His official cause of death was a dissecting aneurysm.{{cite news|title=Singer-songwriter Eiichi Ohtaki dies after collapsing at home|url=http://www.japantoday.com/category/entertainment/view/singer-songwriter-eiichi-ohtaki-dies-after-collapsing-at-home|work=Japan Today|date=2013-12-31|access-date=2014-01-03}}{{cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-01-03/2nd-chibi-maruko-chan-theme-song-composer-eiichi-ohtaki-passes-away|title=2nd Chibi Maruko-chan Theme Song's Composer Eiichi Ōhtaki Passes Away|publisher=Anime News Network|date=January 3, 2014|access-date=January 3, 2020}}

Ohtaki was posthumously honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 56th Japan Record Awards in 2014.{{cite web |title=大滝詠一、貴重なナイアガラ音源満載の12枚組BOX全楽曲を発表 |url=http://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000110625 |work=Barks |language=ja |date=2014-12-12 |access-date=2016-01-06}} In March 2016, an album of previously unreleased material titled Debut Again was released posthumously. Referred to as his first album in 32 years, it features Ohtaki singing songs that he composed but which were originally released by other artists.{{cite web |title=大滝詠一さん"新作"ジャケ写公開 38年ぶり本人写真使用 |url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2067006/full/ |work=Oricon |language=ja |date=2016-02-17 |access-date=2017-01-09}} The album Happy Ending was released on March 21, 2020 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ohtaki's debut. It collects previously unreleased songs that were created during sessions for the TV drama themes he wrote in the 1990s.{{cite web |title=大滝詠一、ニッポン放送で『Happy Ending』特番決定。関係者が明かす制作秘話 |url=https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000179940 |work=Barks |language=ja |date=2020-03-16 |access-date=2020-09-17}}

Discography

;Studio albums

{{nihongo|Ohtaki Eiichi|大瀧詠一|}} (King/Bellwood, 1972)
Niagara Moon (Elec/Niagara, 1975)
Go! Go! Niagara (Nippon Columbia/Niagara, 1976)
Niagara CM Special Vol.1 (Nippon Columbia)/Niagara, 1977)
Niagara Calendar '78 (Nippon Columbia/Niagara, 1977)
Debut (Nippon Columbia/Niagara, 1978)
Let's Ondo Again (Nippon Columbia/Niagara, 1978) – credited to Niagara Fallin' Stars
A Long Vacation (Sony/Niagara, 1981)
Niagara Calendar '81 (Sony/Niagara, 1981)
Niagara CM Special Vol.2 (Sony/Niagara, 1982)
Each Time (Sony/Niagara, 1984)
B-EACH TIME L-ONG (Sony/Niagara, 1985)
Debut Again (Sony/Niagara, 2016)
Happy Ending (Sony/Niagara, 2020)