Happy End
Happy End’s debut on URC (1969) was an outstanding soft-rock album which didn’t stay unnoticed in Japan. Not only was it the first album sung in Japanese, breaking the local rules in rock music (where western covers were played most commonly), which is something the label of course also stimulated (especially folk-rock movement with Japanese influences, besides influences from blues and at least some psychedelia later on), also the production and arrangements show a subtle brilliance, especially in the rhythm section which builds up to three layers of percussion (drums, hand percussion and handclaps), and for the electric fuzz guitars, which interplay similarly in a slightly different rhythm intervals, or which are combined with acoustic guitars or rhythm guitar layers. But also the vocals are highly attractive, have a romantic touch, have some beautiful vocal harmonies. One could imagine a slight bluesy softrock approach, as well as a West Coast feeling into this music. A winner. The two main composers had shown more important moves : drummer Haruomi Hosono had come from Apryl Fool, and bass player Hosono formed the Yellow Magic Orchestra afterwards.
