JAPAN 1992 - MEMORIAL CONCERT
Billy Vaughn and his Orchestra:
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Orchestra - Tracks -
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- Memories 1 -
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Memories of Billy Vaughan
Etsuhisa Honda（International Director and in charge of Western Studies Department, Victor Music Industry Co.)
After 30 years of working in the field of Western music, I have come to know many foreign artists and have many memories of them. Among them, I have a special attachment to Billy Vaughan. That is why I was shocked when I heard of his death last year.
I first became acquainted with Billy Vaughan when I was still a student in 1957, when the song "Sail Along Silvery Moon," which featured two saxophones and had a breezy sound with a light rock beat, was being played around town. Along with Pat Boone, he was the main artist for Dot Records, which JVC began releasing.
In 1958, I joined Victor in charge of popular music and was directly involved in planning the Japanese release of the Billy Vaughan Band records. As music director of Dot Records, Billy arranged, conducted, and produced music for Pat Boone and other singers, while at the same time recording and marketing a series of LPs featuring the band, of which he was the bandleader. The Billy Vaughan sound is best known for its twin saxophones, but the band's style of performance varied freely, sometimes using gorgeous strings, sometimes a lighter sound featuring vibes, or other arrangements, depending on the song and album. Among the Billy Vaughan Band's hit recordings were several cover recordings, such as "Wheels" and "Look for a Star," which were even bigger hits in Japan than the original recordings. There are also examples such as "It's a Lonesome Old Town" and "Pearly Shells," where a song from an LP was excerpted and released as a single and became a hit.
"Look for a Star" and "Pearly Shells" were used as theme songs for radio programs at the time, and they were aired weekly and spread throughout Japan. Along with these single hits, many LPs were released, sometimes specially recorded for the Japanese market, and the Billy Vaughan Orchestra became the king of mood music and the most popular popular popular orchestra in Japan.
One day in May 1964, just before the Tokyo Olympics, Billy Vaughan and his wife came to Japan for the first time. For me, that was the first time I met Billy. Unlike the image I had of the cheerful American, he was shy, but at the same time mischievous, friendly, and sincere, and I liked his personality very much. Even though it was a sightseeing trip, he cooperated in press interviews, TV appearances, and autograph sessions at the Yamano Gakki store in Ginza, Tokyo. He told me that he had invited three young men from Japan who had sent him fan letters to the United States. I will never forget the shrimp at a tempura restaurant in Shinjuku, where he loved them so much that he kept picking them up with his fingers. I remember how he called Mrs. Shigeru "Mam...Mam..." and how he relied on her so much, which was quite charming to see.
From the following year, 1965, it became a regular event for the orchestra to come to Japan every May for a concert tour. Although Billy specialized in making records in his home country and did not give concerts, many musicians who admired Billy wanted to join the orchestra in Japan, and every year the orchestra attracted outstanding musicians.
