Melodies is the eighth studio album by Tatsuro Yamashita, released on 8 June 1983 as his first LP on the Moon label; it topped the Oricon chart and contains “Christmas Eve”.[1][2]
Background
Melodies was Yamashita’s first album after moving to Moon Records, distributed by Alfa.[1][2] He wrote the lyrics for every song except “Blue Midnight”, co-written with Minako Yoshida, and a cover of “Guess I’m Dumb” by Brian Wilson and Russ Titelman.[1][2] Mariya Takeuchi, whom Yamashita had married in 1982, sang chorus on the lead single “Koukiatsu Girl”.[1]
Release and legacy
The album reached No. 1 on the Oricon weekly LP chart and placed seventh on the 1983 yearly chart.[1] “Christmas Eve” was not a major hit at first, but after use in Central Japan Railway Company commercials it topped the chart in December 1989 and charted for more than 20 consecutive years, helping make Melodies Yamashita’s best-selling studio album at about 1,020,000 copies.[1]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Kanashimi no Jody (She Was Crying)”悲しみのJODY | 3:52 | |
| 2. | “Koukiatsu Girl”高気圧ガールsingle | 4:22 | |
| 3. | “Night-Fly”夜翔 | 4:25 | |
| 4. | “Guess I’m Dumb” | Russ Titelman / Brian Wilson | 3:13 |
| 5. | “Hitotoki”ひととき | 4:02 | |
| 6. | “Merry-Go-Round”メリー・ゴー・ラウンド | 6:20 | |
| 7. | “Blue Midnight” | Minako Yoshida | 4:17 |
| 8. | “Ashioto”あしおと | 3:55 | |
| 9. | “Mokusou”黙想 | 1:33 | |
| 10. | “Christmas Eve”クリスマス・イブsingle | 4:15 |
All lyrics and music by Tatsuro Yamashita unless noted. Lengths from the first CD issue.
References
- “Melodies (Tatsuro Yamashita album)”. Wikipedia. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
- “MELODIES (山下達郎のアルバム)”. Wikipedia (Japanese). Retrieved 11 October 2026.
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