50 YEARS OF HAKO: Part IV: Phantom BoogalooYou didn't think we were done celebrating 50 years of Hako, did you?This time we got a real treat. Hako's debut live (also known as 幻のデビュー・リサイタル - phantom debut recital - hence the subtitle of this thread) that took place 5 days before the release of Hako's first album, Tobimasu, on the 26th of September 1975. The title of this new old live is "1975 デビューライブ ~飛・び・ま・す" (1975 Debut Live ~Tobimasu) and it was released on 8 July 2026.Fortunately, the quality is much better than the bonus live songs from Tobimasu Deluxe Edition and Tsunawatari Deluxe Edition. It's a gem any Hakonnoisseur will surely enjoy.Full playlist on the official Youtube channel:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kaC9e0pAWKBxtS__1tOucpupNdbAilDfoOther official means of listening to the album (Spotify etc.):https://lnk.to/1975debutTracklist in real letters:1. 望郷 - Boukyou2. 橋向こうの家 - Hashimukou no Ie3. ハーモニカ吹きの男 - Harmonica Fuki no Otoko4. 竹とんぼ - Taketonbo5. かざぐるま - Kazaguruma6. トーク1 - Talk 17. ひまわり - Himawari8. 子守歌 - Komori Uta9. さすらい - Sasurai10. 気分を変えて - Kibun wo Kaete11. 影が見えない - Kage ga Mienai12. 街 - まち - Machi13. サヨナラの鐘 - Sayonara no Kane14. トーク2 - Talk 215. 飛びます - Tobimasu16. 気分を変えて - Kibun wo Kaete (encore)More links for this and previous anniversary albums in the thread.
All the official links are in the OP, so here's an unofficial one too (flac):https://www.mediafire.com/file/2ixj0fao7mg32ca/And while we're at it, previous anniversary albums as well. Remastered editions of Hako's first two albums with additional content: demos and lives.>Tobimasu Deluxe Edition (2025)https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mbvKFdlv9zPa5LdZN4OSNARO_0JxptxSMhttps://lnk.to/tobimasuDXeditionhttps://www.mediafire.com/file/w14niwd2u2qjad1/>Tsunawatari Deluxe Edition (2026)https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kNy5C5Jptf5jHnlHIMsHNl3YuDe9JrDjYhttps://lnk.to/Tsunawatari_DXhttps://www.mediafire.com/file/bsv5mtucn3qb09f/And some other things I posted in previous threads.>Live Set - consists of remastered First Live (1977) and Live II (1979) albumshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kyl_sVd3Z86SqnllhM_C8LMqRiGBDjeIQhttps://www.mediafire.com/file/94sdvuoaiw5tkac/>Watashi no Shiawase (1986) - another live album, but this one can't be found on YT for some reasonhttps://www.mediafire.com/file/bycflo6va2g5s6w/The last song is an mp3 because it's a vinyl exclusive.>Tobimasu...17sai (2001) - 4 demos that are also included in deluxe editions of Tobimasu and Tsunawatari, so you probably don't need thishttps://www.mediafire.com/file/kii2tjvg70ti44b/As always: if possible, support Hako by listening through official means, or perhaps even buy some albums.
Even though the new album has been available on YT for over a month now, I listened to it for the first time yesterday, when my copy arrived.Despite that, I've already listened through all songs 15+ times in the last 24 hours. It's really, really good.
By the way, I got a couple of other things with the album we're listening today.1. Hako's third album, Ai Iro no Uta, released on vinyls and cassettes in 1977. On CDs it was released for the first time in 1994. I managed to get this first CD edition, unopened. Will look good next to my first CD edition of Tsunawatari from 1990, also unopened.2. My Best 20 - a rather rare cassette. Pic related.3. A manga.You didn't actually think I only buy things related to Hako, did you?
Hey man I know you have an incredibly strong fixation on Hako Yamasaki but have you ever tried listening to Maki Asakawa? I think you might enjoy her as well.
>>131239369Just kidding. Of course I only buy things related to Hako. Let me explain what this manga I bought has to do with her.It was first released in 1970 by Kamimura Kazuo (art) and Aku Yuu (story). The title is 男と女の部屋 (Otoko to Onna no Heya - A Room of a Man and a Woman). No, it's not your imagination, you've heard this title before. In 1974 - a year before releasing her first album - Hako recorded four demos (that we know of), now available in deluxe editions of Tobimasu and Tsunawatari. One of those demos' title is Otoko to Onna no Heya. As it happens, it's one of those rare songs not written by Hako herself, although the music was composed by her. The author of the lyrics is none other than the writer of the manga, Aku Yuu. In fact, the lyrics appear in the manga itself.Aku Yuu died in 2007 and in the same year the manga was re-released. This time, with a bonus. As expected, the bonus is a CD with the song.That would be one of the reasons why I bought the manga. The second is, I reckon reading it will give the song additional context. And I'm quite sure Hako also read it, otherwise she wouldn't be able to sing the song convincingly.Is the manga good? Probably not. I don't think it was ever translated into any other language. I tried to look it up and it does exist in MyAnimeList's database at least. 62 users have it in their lists. Most as "plan to read", I bet. There are no discussions about it.I'll share my impression when I'm done reading. In this thread if it lives long enough.The song in question:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMzlXmIhsUc>the album we're listening to todayFix'd.>>131239460She's good and I checked her along with a dozen or two of other artists that according to people and/or algorithms are similar to Hako. But I didn't feel any of them actually were. And by nature I'm only interested in rock and metal, Hako is an exception.
Two things worth noting:1. "1975 Debut Live ~Tobimasu" is the first time we get to listen to live versions of: Taketonbo, Kazaguruma, Komori Uta and Kage ga Mienai.2. This isn't the last time we're having this thread. Pony Canyon has already announced another anniversary CD. It's a live promoting Hako's second album, Tsunawatari, and it was held on the day of release (25 May 1976). The album, called "1976 リリースライブ ~綱渡り" (1976 Release Live ~Tsunawatari), will be available on 30 September, so a bit over a month from now. Currently, the cover remains unannounced, but I have a feeling it's going to be a particularly fabulous Hako. Expect a thread in October.
