Release date
June 17, 1987
Format
Vinyl, cassette
Catalog number
07SH-1937 (LP)
10KH-2205 (CT)
Price
¥700
Tracklist
1. JESSY
2. Sekidou wo Koeta Somerset Maugham (赤道を越えたサマセットモーム)
Oricon ranking
3rd place
Sales
78,000
Additional info
JESSY was released as a single version of "Jessy no Higeki" included in the studio album "Rouge et Bleu", which became the culmination of the French pop line, the lyrics and arrangement changing drastically. Proposed by the director, 8 beats and 3 rhythms were used, because he wanted to try giving the song a "European classic" feeling.
"Somerset Maugham Beyond the Equator" was originally named "Somerset Maugham" (サマセットモーム), provided by Yasushi Akimoto. Other considered titles were "Salinger as Borrowed" (借りたままのサリンジャー) instead given to Miki Yamazaki, "Sleep in Sartre" (サルトルで眠れない), a literary expression that was liked by Yasushi Akimoto at the time (the lyrics and the work are not particularly related).
"Rouge et Bleu" also contains a song titled "Ame no Ki" which is most likely quoted from the title of Oe Kensaburo's work.
Music critic Age Ogura commented in the music magazine [ミュージックマガジン] that "This is a hit!" / "The voice is very similar to Yoshimi Iwasaki (in the early 1980s) when she was doing Mediterranean pop."
Another version of the previous video, with commentary in the beginning.
The sound is bad in this video but to me it's still enjoyable to watch ^^