Omni Sight Seeing is the thirteenth studio album by Japanese musician Haruomi Hosono, released on July 21, 1989.
Background and recording This was their first studio album in four years since their last album, "Endless Talking", and their first release since moving to EPIC/SONY RECORDS.
This work was the result of sessions and collaborations with Arabian musicians, with an inclination towards the 'world music' that was gaining attention at the time.
Track listing
Music description ESASHI The title Esashi is taken from "Esashi oiwake" ("Esashi crossroads"). Hosono was watching NHK Nodo Jiman in 1988 and could not forget the song Esashi Oiwake sung by then 14-year-old Kimura Kasumi from Hokkaido Esashi Town, so he sought her out and recorded it a cappella.from the liner ANDADURA The genre is "Arab music". The vocalists are the Tunisian-French singer Amina Annabi and Hosono. 'ORGONE BOX' The title refers to the orgone discovered by Wilhelm Reich. The song is about Cloudbuster. (See Orgon for more information.) OHENRO-SAN The title Ohenro refers to Ohenro. It contains some of the songs used in A Promise, a 1986 film directed by Yoshishige Yoshida. CARAVAN Hosono himself says: "A compilation of quotations, a ghost band of ghost musicians"; the names Les Paul and Duke Ellington are credited, but this is a simulation, not an actual performance and recording. RETORT The lyrics are included on the lyric card, but the singer himself explains, "I can't sing it very well, so I'm hoping someone will record a song version of it for me one day." He explains,.From the liner A song version self-cover was included as "Retort - Vu Ja De ver." (M11) on his 2017 album Vu Jà Dé. LAUGH-GAS The lyrics are in French and the song is sung by "Amina Ben Mustapha".From the liner KORENDOR Image of "a deranged alien playing piano in the Japanese countryside", according to the man himself. 'PLEOCENE' The song PLEOCENE is a development of the song PLEOCINE, which was used in the 1985 film Night on the Galactic Railroad. The vocals are sung by Hosono and Moro Fukuzawa.
Personnel
ESASHI Kasumi Kimura: Main Vocal Masako Kawasaki : Chorus Masaya Honjou : Ai-no-te and Chorus Miharu Koshi : Backing Chorus Zouhir Gouja : Accordion Julien Weiss : Quanoon Hidetarou Honjou : Orientation
ANDADURA Amina Ben Mustapha : Arabic Vocal Zouhir Gouja : Accordion Julien Weiss : Quanoon Moro Fukuzawa : Chorus Maria Kawamura : Chorus Miharu Koshi : Chorus
ORGONE BOX Harry Hosono : Voice Miharu Koshi : Chorus TR-808 : Rhythm
OHENRO-SAN Harry Hosono : Prepared Piano, Sanu-kite
CARAVAN Duke Ellington : Piamo, Horn Session Les Paul : E.Guitar, Rhythm Arrangement Gene Klupa : Drum Solo Yasuaki Shimizu : Sax Solo Harry Hosono : Vocal in Japanese-English style Yasuo Kimoto : DX-7 Miharu Koshi : Hearing
RETORT Harry Hosono : Celeste Miharu Koshi : Junior Hohner & additional Arrangement Kouji Ueno : Orchestrations(original for strings)
LAUGH-GAS Amina Ben Mustapha : Arabic Vocal Zouhir Gouja : Accordion Julien Weiss : Quanoon Tomoko Nunoi : French Voice Unknown Children : Laughing Miharuomi : Synthes TR-808 : Rhythm E.M.S : Bass
KORENDOR Hosonoid : Piano Solo Evansoid : Orchestration
PLEOCENE Harry Hosono : Vocal, Kaya-gum Moro Fukuzawa : Chorus Masako Kawasaki : Chorus Masaya Honjou : Chorus Miharu Koshi : Electric Piano Hidetarou Honjou : Chorus Arrangement
References