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CYCLE MUSIC #13
Livingston Taylor
“Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream”

The regular column “CYCLE MUSIC” delivers a short essay each time about bicycles and music. This time, I’d like to introduce the 1996 album “Bicycle” by folk singer-songwriter Livingston Taylor, whose gentle and heartwarming voice, along with his rich guitar sound, leave a lasting impression.

Livingston Taylor, commonly known as “Liv”, is the third of five siblings from the famous Taylor musical family, which includes the renowned James Taylor, Kate Taylor, and Alex Taylor. Since releasing his self-titled debut album in 1970, he has consistently put out new works, and he has also been a professor at the prestigious Berklee College of Music since 1989. That being said, his music leans more towards the simple and unpretentious, rather than academic. Throughout his career, the word “heartwarming” is what describes his music best, making it hard not to feel a deep fondness for it.

His 1996 release “Bicycle”, produced by his long-time collaborator Scott Petito, features a cover illustration by Nobuhiko Yabuki, with a bicycle floating in the sky as its centrepiece. This would capture the heart of any cycling enthusiast, and the title track is truly a wonderful song. Ever since this column began, I’ve always wanted to recommend it at some point.

Furthermore, back in 1996, during the peak of the Free Soul movement that I advocated, I was absolutely thrilled to find that the next track on the album was none other than “Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream”. Free Soul fans will surely understand—at the time (and even now), I couldn’t stop loving and frequently playing this heartfelt masterpiece, a cover of the song known in Japan as “Yume wo Samasanaide”, made famous by Aretha Franklin’s live take and Dusty Springfield’s version. I’m so pleased to have the chance to express the excitement I felt back then, 28 years later.

Livingston Taylor “Bicycle”



♬CYCLE MUSIC STORAGE♬
#01 The Style Council “My Ever Changing Moods”
#02 Cordelia “Play Pretend”
#03 Corinne Bailey Rae “Put Your Records On”
#04 Georgie Fame ”Happiness”
#05 Alulu Paranhos “Bicicletinha”
#06 Motoharu Sano “Angelina”
#07 B.J. Thomas “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head”
#08 The Smiths “This Charming Man”
#09 Dominic Miller “Bicycle”
#10 NewJeans “Bubble Gum”
#11 Tank and the Bangas “Smoke.Netflix.Chill.”
#12 Kraftwerk “Tour de France”
#13 Livingston Taylor “Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream”


Profile

Toru Hashimoto (SUBURBIA)
Editor / Music Selector / DJ / Producer. Founder of Suburbia Factory. Owner of Shibuya’s “Cafe Apres-midi” and “Apres-midi Selecao.” Over 350 compilation CDs, including series like ‘Free Soul,’ ‘Mellow Beats,’ ‘Cafe Apres-midi,’ ‘Jazz Supreme,’ ‘Music With A View,’ and many others, have been curated, making him the world’s foremost selector. He oversees and produces music broadcast channels “usen for Cafe Apres-midi” and “usen for Free Soul” on USEN, wielding significant influence in Japanese music scene since the 1990s. In recent years, his ‘Good Mellows’ series with a focus on mellow chillout has gained great popularity both domestically and internationally.

Art Work＿spoken words project

Post Date：2024.10.12

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CULTURE
CYCLE MUSIC #14
RM
“Bicycle”

The column series “CYCLE MUSIC” introduces a little bicycle-related music each time. This time, I’d like to write about the solo track “Bicycle” by RM, the leader of the hugely popular South Korean group BTS, who is also a hip-hop MC, singer-songwriter, and producer. I’m sure many people know far more about BTS than I do, and I feel quite apologetic for not being very familiar with them. That said, I was deeply moved by this song, which was released as part of the “2021 BTS FESTA”. The track has a laid-back groove led by beautiful guitar cutting—something I’d even recommend to Free Soul fans. It carries a slightly melancholic and sentimental melody. The chorus refrain […]

#Column #Music
CULTURE
CYCLE MUSIC #05
Alulu Paranhos “Bicicletinha”

During my youth, I was captivated by a music style known as Neo-Acoustic, which emerged in the 1980s in Britain as a fruit of post-punk to new wave, influenced by jazz, soul, bossa nova, and Latin, characterized by delicate acoustic pop. It’s been my impression that many record jackets in this style feature motifs of bicycles. Surprisingly, Brazilian music seems to have numerous tracks revolving around bicycles. This month, among them, I’d like to introduce Alulu Paranhos’ ‘Bicicletinha,’ a tune that might appeal to Neo-Acoustic enthusiasts.

#Column #Music