RAG Musicartist
Lovely artist

Hit and popular songs by Kenji Sawada

Let me introduce the songs of Kenji Sawada, a male singer who represents the Showa era.

Even if you didn’t listen to them in real time, you’ve probably heard several of his songs at least once, such as “Katte ni Shiyagare” and “TOKIO.”

Kenji Sawada began his career in the 1960s, during the heyday of Group Sounds, debuting as the lead vocalist of The Tigers, a central band in the Group Sounds scene.

His nickname is “Julie,” which is said to come from the fact that he was a fan of the actress Julie Andrews.

Now, please enjoy these masterpieces that dominated the Showa-era pop scene.

Kenji Sawada’s famous and popular songs (41–50)

My love for yousawada kenji

This is his fifth solo single released in 1973.

It’s a warm love ballad with a Western-style sound, featuring slide guitar and a horn section.

Julie’s vocals, which still retain a boyish charm, are absolutely heart-fluttering.

I don’t care if I die.sawada kenji

This is Julie’s fourth solo single, following the breakup of The Tigers in 1970 and the short-lived PYG, a new band launched in 1971, which quickly fell apart, leading him to go solo.

It was released in 1972.

It’s a passionate kayō rock ballad with a tear-jerking melody.

White Roomsawada kenji

This is the artist’s 15th solo single, released in 1975.

The backing band is the Kenny Wood Orchestra.

It opens with a trumpet solo intro, with the trumpet featured throughout.

Strings and other elements are also used, giving it a dramatic finish.

From Yamato with lovesawada kenji

[Chinese-translated lyrics] Kenji Sawada – With Love from Yamato (A Message of Love from the Battleship Yamato) 1978
From Yamato with lovesawada kenji

The 24th single.

It was produced as the ending theme for the animated feature film Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato: Warriors of Love, released in August 1978, and a slightly different arrangement was used in the movie itself.

The lyrics never include words like “space battleship” or “Yamato,” making it a purely romantic ballad.

Oh! Galsawada kenji

This was their 27th single, and it effectively put a period on the long-running collaboration between Aki and Ohno.

In performances, he wore a costume modeled after a cruise ship captain—the setting of the song’s lyrics—and sang while holding a lit cigarette.

According to Sawada himself, it’s “the song I dislike the most,” likely because its style was far removed from the dandyism he had been pursuing up to that point.