The man who tugged people’s heartstrings of laughter and has gone like the wind.
“Albums, remember those? Albums still matter. Like books and black lives, albums still matter.” It was Lord Prince who delivered this message at the appointed speech for Album of the Year at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, 5 years ago. And on the other hand, it was Ken Shimura who left such notes about charms of Albums as “LP has same composition as a song”, “Having A and B side was good, too,” and “To find such a good set of sequences on both sides was a great pleasure of listening to it.” Unveiling his whitewashed mask of “clueless feudal lord” surfaced his passion for soul music. He was a genuine soul music lover to admire analogue discs and contribute reviews to music magazines. However, he tended to close his reviews with such punch lines which belonged to the those of the comedy as “Well, it’s no less than the plot of my skit for the TV show.” or “Putting all the elements into flow of the show is always my goal.” But it was a charm of his writing.
“Records hunting? Regrettably, I have been a bit off from it past one or two years. Too many new ones are on the market, and its trend changes quickly. Too hard to catch up with them, and I realize nothing stays with my taste after all. Now I am into the Enka by Ikuzo Yoshi at night. His Album compiling greatest hits is now available, and this time of the year is the best for music like his. When I met (Masashi) Tashiro-kun for the first time, we often discussed our favorites... But now I am just taking his straight tips. Tashiro-kun is young enough to have an open mind to new ones and gives me such advices as ‘Play this song over that scene. It surely will work fine.’” This is a quote from the interview of special article, appeared on 8 pages with 2 colors for a weekly magazine.
It was approximately 4 years before Fuji Television had moved to Odaiba (beginning of 1993). At that time, he was the 42 year-old entertainer with 25 year-career, enjoying high rating by domestic viewers to 2 TV shows produced under his name, Daijoubudaa (=I‘m all right) and Bakatono (=clueless feudal lord). At the time, he was obviously in the middle of one of his peak season, and hardly had time for listening to his favorites. “Just a few minutes before closing my eyes are for them.“ I remember first encounter with him. It was a cafeteria at the head office of the TV station in Kawada Cho where I was allowed 30 minutes interview to him.
Around that time, there came booming season of video-gram. He was known as a hard worker and spent the nights with video to study. “Once I started, I would keep watching it till to 3:00 or 4:00.” He told Yurikago Wo Yurasu Te (The Hand That Rocks the Cradle) was his recent favorite, and then he kept on. “Well, recently I have been taken by So Kuramoto’s Kita No Kuni Kara (From Northern Country) and watching it in details. Two special versions beside eight volumes of video. I watched them thoroughly. It was the set of video which I bought, but I heard that of Laser Disc was also available. I understand the drama was mostly shot outside and the landscape with high resolution should be more beautiful. So I had to buy another whole set of it on Laser Disc.”
I asked him if he always liked the works of Kuramoto before it. “Well, what I really like is not him but Kita No Kuni Kara. Every time I watch it, I am inspired and impressed by its shooting technique, or camera work, the way driving the story and the interactions among characters... It’s just awesome. It’s really well composed...”
It is commonly said that skits based on daily life went on increasing after his involvement with the Drifters. The rumor is very convincing of his eyes and tastes for the art of entertainments as you see above. At the time, I heard that the man in question, Mr. Kuramoro longed for writing skits for Daijoubudaa from one of my source. So I threw him the question if he knew it.
“Yes. I was aware of it, too. It was twice through people with Fuji Television, I remember. The proposals were too good for me. Well, if it happens, he doesn’t have to write whole skit. Contributing to small portion of it would be good enough. But first of all, we have to win his permission to run the intentional telop, telling ‘this part is written by So Kuramoto’.”
In the line of what we have talked, I asked him if he liked Ozu films.
“Yasujirou. Yes, he is one of my favorites, why not! I am interested in picking up funny things in daily life. A normal, simple and ordinal event eventually grows into something chaotic and unbelievable. This is what I make myself interesting. Imagine that such a stupid guy is possible, such a strange thing can happen, or anything can become this or that. Of course, I know what I represent in the skit goes too far beyond the reality.”
It was short interview, so I tried to fish as many interesting episode related to soul music as possible. But away from that intention of mine, the interview was consumed on his eyes for films and drama in the end. No chances were left for him to talk about personal history of his ears. So I took the opportunity of writing this music related article to scrutinize all the resources in my file concerning him. Thereupon I was able to see through and reconstruct the elements of his ears in a way. Sympathy for Beatles as the dissident of the age made up his mind to play the guitar. Music started dominating his decision in life. It is famous story that “the skit with music” and “music enriches the skit” were the reasons for him to choose the Drifters when he wavered in his decision which to become apprentice of the Drifters or Conto 55. During the days of working as the servant, he fell in love with Soul Music. While joining the Drifters as a regular member, he became a regular customer of the Disco in Shinjuku and came across the live performance of Soul Music there. “Grooving with just one chord on the same rhythmic figure all the way. That was so cool, and I was taken by it.” (from A Strange Dude - Complete Edition, Shincho Bunko Library)
When he started producing his own TV show, he chose all BGM for the skits by himself. The biggest hit song “Theme for ‘Moustache’”was composed on the bass lines taken from “Do Me” by Teddy Pendergrass. And there was a skit plotted around “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding. His FM Radio program titled “Soul, Powerful, Wonderful”, where he put his favorites on the air, had launched with the song “Security” by Otis. This was the song he sought heeling for when he felt low. On the other hand, “Almaz” by Randy Crawford was useful song for him whenever he needed some music for the skit. The song attracted public attention afterwards. It has appeared with Japanese title “Sweet Love” for the theme song of a TV drama. This explains that Soul Shimura, as the master of Soul Music had an insightful perspective over the music.
In the case of that well known “Higashi Murayama Ondo”, Yon-chome (first chorus of the ondo) sung in major follows the original ondo version by Michiya Mihashi, and then lyrics of other two choruses changes. San-chome (2nd chorus) is in minor and Ichi-chome (final chorus) is arranged a bit like soul. Also in the case of “Henna Ojisan (=A Strange Dude)”, he noted the episode on above mentioned book as “The only reason allowing me to use the melody of ‘Haisai Ojisan (=Hello Dude)’ is that the song has same rhyme of ‘Haisai Ojisan’”. Regarding ”The Dance of Moustache” choreographed by “very simple movement for the dance,” he concluded and accepted it as the result of “call and response effect”: “That was well accepted because the performance always happened in front of the audience.“ and “The audience was the reason for us to dance.” And now, the hottest news about him on the internet is the movie of an ad, capturing his collaboration with Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra and Hiromitsu Agatsuma. It is about the movie of Kirin Hyoketsu on the sites (its original release was 2016). The late Mr. Shimura playing the shamisen appears on it. And now calling for its rebroadcasting is increasing among his fan with their condolences.
That is all about short history of Shimura’s ears. It was 4th grade of elementary school when he made first appearance with his skit which plot was about Drunken man taken from the album of Rakugo by Kingoro Yanagiya. By the way, how did he whom everybody including himself acknowledged as crazy comedy mania evaluate younger generation? In the 25th anniversary since his debut, He replied this question as follows;
“Recently, Downtown is of note, I think. I’ve been trying not to miss Gaki No Tukai Ya Arahende!! (Stop Bugging Me, We Aren’t Gofers!). So my video recorder always keeps eye for it. (Hitoshi) Matsumoto-kun’s inspiration, and harshness of (Masatoshi) Hamada-kun’s reaction to it, that’s wonderful. Specially, His reaction is fantastic, and look at him! Since my first impression to them has been fixed upon Matsumoto-kun’s inspirations, it took a while for me to find that their hilariousness comes from Hamada-kun's reaction. The harsher he becomes, the easier it becomes for Matsumoto to be funny, I think. It’s really good combination. We have been missing that type of reaction in these days. I’m just jealous of that.”
On April 3 the TV program Downtown Now rebroadcasted the drinking party of 4 yeas ago, titled as Our Condolences, Drink to the Memory of Mr. Shimura with Special Thanks In this party, his subject was fixed on Hamada’s art of “reaction”. “He is the only one who can spank my head without any hesitation.” said Downtown’s senior, and drove every one there into laughters. Among so many rebroadcasted programs which were dedicated to him, this one evoked my memory with him of 28 years ago which has been staying at the bottom of my heart.
And there was another senior who received such a frank question from Shimura as “Why can you interact with such young generations at any moment?” It was the late Mr. Hachiro Azuma who played a roll of daimyo’s minister in early Bakatono. The unforgettable answer from the senior who cast a significant influence over Shimura had stayed in his mind as life long motto. Azuma’s answer was “Because I always cut loose. This attitude enables me to hang out among young. Ken-chan, becoming complete idiot is important for comedian. I know some people can tell if you are just stupid or not. To pretend like an intellectual, or decent person kills your life as a comedian.” He wrote in his book as “I will bring these words with me to the grave,” and closed the curtain as a comedian at 70 years old.
