"Kessen wa Kinyōbi" (決戦は金曜日, lit. "Friday Is the Crucial Day") is a song recorded by Japanese band Dreams Come True for their fifth studio album, The Swinging Star. It was released as the album's lead single by Epic/Sony Records on September 19, 1992. It served as the opening theme to the CX music show Ureshi Tanoshi Daisuki - Friday Night Live, on which the band were regular cast members.[1] The single's coupling song, "Taiyō ga Miteru" was used in the advertising campaign for Fujifilm's Fujicolor Super HG 400 film.[2]

"Kessen wa Kinyōbi"
Single by Dreams Come True
from the album The Swinging Star
ReleasedSeptember 19, 1992 (1992-09-19)
Genre
Length4:43
LabelEpic/Sony Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Dreams Come True singles chronology
"Wasurenaide"
(1991)
"Kessen wa Kinyōbi"
(1992)
"Haretara Ii ne"
(1992)
Audio sample
"Kessen wa Kinyōbi"

Composition

edit

The lyrics to "Kessen wa Kinyōbi" were written by Miwa Yoshida and the song was composed and arranged by Masato Nakamura, while the track was co-produced by the band and Mike Pela. "Kessen wa Kinyōbi" came about when Nakamura and Sing Like Talking frontman Chikuzen Satō decided to challenge themselves to a friendly competition to see who could write the best song using the chord progression to Cheryl Lynn's "Got to Be Real" as base inspiration.[3] "Kessen wa Kinyōbi" and "Rise" by Sing Like Talking, from their album Humanity (1992), were the resulting tracks.[3] Additionally, Nakamura pulled inspiration from Earth, Wind & Fire's "Let's Groove" to make the perfect disco anthem.[3] The song is written in the key of C minor with a common time tempo of 126 beats per minute.[4] Yoshida's vocals span two octaves, from G3 to G5.

Critical reception

edit

CDJournal critics described the song as a "fanfare" that gets your "adrenaline pumping".[5] It was praised for capturing the essence of Lynn's "Got to Be Real", on which the song is based.[5]

Cover versions

edit

In 2003, Key of life and A.mia sampled "Kessen wa Kinyōbi" on their song "Friday Let Me Down" featuring Soul'd Out's Diggy-Mo'. In 2012, Nico Touches the Walls recorded a cover of the song to be included as a B-side to the single "Yume 1 Go".[6] In 2014, HY recorded a cover of the song for the Dreams Come True tribute album, Watashi no Dorikamu, released in celebration of the band's 25th anniversary.[7] In 2017, Daichi Miura recorded his rendition of the song for the Dreams Come True cover album, DoriUta Vol. 1.[8]

Chart performance

edit

"Kessen wa Kinyōbi" debuted at number one on the Oricon Singles Chart, with 210,970 copies sold in its first week.[9] The single stayed at the top of the chart for three consecutive weeks, selling 136,300 copies on its second charting week and 86,690 copies on its third week.[10][11] It slid to number three the following week, logging sales of 87,550 units.[12] The single spent an additional three weeks in the top ten. It charted in the top 100 for twenty-three weeks, selling a reported total of 1,070,420 copies,[13] making it Dreams Come True's first million-selling single.[14] "Kessen wa Kinyōbi" ranked at number 18 on the year-end Oricon Singles Chart for 1992.[15]

Track listing

edit

All lyrics are written by Miwa Yoshida

No.TitleMusicArranger(s)Length
1."Kessen wa Kinyōbi" (決戦は金曜日, "Friday Is the Crucial Day")
  • Nakamura
4:43
2."Taiyō ga Miteru" (太陽が見てる, "The Sun Is Staring")
  • Nakamura
  • Nakamura
4:49
Total length:9:32

Charts

edit
Chart (1992) Peak
position
Japan Weekly Singles (Oricon)[16] 1
Japan Monthly Singles (Oricon)[17] 3
Japan Yearly Singles (Oricon)[15] 18

Certification and sales

edit
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[18] Million 1,070,000[13]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ 25年前の本日、ドリカム「決戦は金曜日」がオリコンチャートの1位を獲得. Nippon Broadcasting System. September 28, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  2. ^ DREAMS COME TRUE「太陽が見てる」-『』収録. RecoChoku. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c ドリカム中村正人が断言「決戦は金曜日」はパクってない!(2017年10月12日). Excite. October 12, 2017. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  4. ^ 「決戦は金曜日 / DREAMS COME TRUE」のピアノ・ソロ譜(初中級) KMP. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Dorīmuzu Kamu Turū / Besuto" ドリームズ・カム・トゥルー / ベスト [Dreams Come True / Best]. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  6. ^ NICOシングルc/wでドリカム「決戦は金曜日」をリアレンジ. Natalie. November 5, 2012. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  7. ^ ドリカム25周年記念カバー集にいきもの、水樹奈々、miwaら参加. Oricon. January 28, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  8. ^ 三浦大知、ドリカム「決戦は金曜日」カバーを配信. Barks. June 26, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  9. ^ オリコン 1992.9.28. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  10. ^ オリコン 1992.10.5. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  11. ^ オリコン 1992.10.12. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  12. ^ オリコン 1992.10.19. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  13. ^ a b オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」 [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Taiju']. Oricon. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  14. ^ 【1991年5月】Eyes to me/ドリカムの人気を決定付けたCMソング. Sports Nippon. May 29, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  15. ^ a b "Orikon 1992-nen TOP100" オリコン 1992年TOP100 [Oricon 1992 TOP 100]. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  16. ^ 決戦は金曜日 DREAMS COME TRUE. Oricon. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  17. ^ オリコン(oricon)「1992年10月」の月間シングルCDランキング. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  18. ^ "Japanese single certifications – Dreams Come True – 決戦は金曜日/太陽が見ている" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved February 24, 2018. Select 1993年1月 on the drop-down menu