Itunes Has No Love for Sukiyaki

For my b-day this year, The Hubby gifted me with among other things, an Itunes gift card. It’s been a while since I’ve bought anything, but I’ve been jonesing for the Kate Nash album (in it’s entirety). I usually will just buy songs as I like them and I usually have to love a whole album (I used to have a 3 song rule before Itunes – I must hear 3 songs from the album in order to warrant the purchase) or the artist in general before I will shell out my nine bucks. So, I bought Made of Bricks based on just my quick perusal, and my instincts were correct (it’s great). With almost fifteen dollars burning a hole in my account, I thought I would thank The Hubby and buy him a song he’s wanted for some time – Sukiyaki by Kyu Sakamoto or "Ue o muite arukō" as it’s know in Japan. We have long liked this classic song for the 60’s and were reminded of it the other night during Mad Men (yay! by the way) in a scene where Don Draper is drowing his sorrows in Mai Tais in a cheesy Polynesian restaurant. So, I went on to Itunes and searched by the song title – a whopping 86 versions came up. Everything from the syrupy Taste of Honey mis-translated cover (in English) from the 80’s, a spicy Selena version en Espanaol, and a Japanglish cover by The Four Preps. Alas, no Kyu Sakamoto. First, he gets disrespected by all of America (changing the poetic lyrics of his song to the name of a Japanese dish because they couldn’t understand the full title) and now, no Itunes love? Well that’s just not fair. Therefore, I am inducting Sukiyaki into the Cold Sake Hall Of Fame.

And here’s a stream of the song for your listening pleasure: