Cruise
Studio album by
Akina Nakamori
Released25 July 1989
RecordedApril 1989
StudioThe Hit Factory
GenreJ-pop
Length44:38
LanguageJapanese
LabelWarner Pioneer
Akina Nakamori chronology
Best II
(1988)		 Cruise
(1989)		 Best III
(1992)
Singles from Cruise
  1. "Liar"
    Released: 25 April 1989

Cruise is the fourteenth studio album by Japanese singer Akina Nakamori. It was released on 25 July 1989 under the Warner Pioneer label. The album includes lead single Liar. It was released after Nakamori's suicide attempt.

Background

Cruise is the final studio album released under label Warner Pioneer.[1][2]

The album was recorded between 3 and 4 April 1989 in New York, at recording studio The Hit Factory. The album content is similar to her previously released studio album Crimson, which has only slow and medium melodies and singing with whisper voice (with the exception of Liar, which in the chorus part she used vibrato).

The title track Akai Fushigi was once used in the earlier published track list of the studio album Fushigi. It's unknown whenever the melody line is same or different during that time.

Aside of domestic music writers, several oversea writers were involved in the recording such as a Brazilian singer-songwriter Osny Mello or British songwriter Nicky Wood.

After the album release, Nakamori took one-year hiatus from her music activities and made her comeback in 1990 with single Dear Friend. Due to contract breach with recording label, Nakamori didn't release new studio album until 1993.

In 1999, numerous tracks from the album has received a special mix version and were included in the box-set "Collection 1982-1991" released in limited number of copies. However, in 2024 reissue of the album, the mixes will be included and available to public for the first time since its release with subtitle Collection 1982-1991 version.[3]

Promotion

Single

It consists only one previously released single, Liar. It includes renewed arrangement with the change of a few instrumental sections. The original version of Liar is included in the third Best compilation album series in 1992. It's Nakamori's first album in 4 years which includes at least one leading single, previous studio albums had only new recorded tracks.

Stage performances

In Fuji TV music television program Yoru no Hit Studio, Nakamori performed Liar twice between April and May. In TBS music television program The Best Ten, she performed Liar six times between May and June. In NTV music television program Top Ten she performed it five times between May and June. On 9 July, two days before suicide attempt, she performed it in music television reward program Megapolis Kayou Matsuri.

The single Liar was performed many times during her live performances between 1989 and 2003. For the first time, it was performed during special live East Live Index in April 1989, both live album and live DVD were released later. Ame ga Futteta, Ranka, Close your eyes, Singer and Liar were performed in Nakamori's live Yume 91 Akina Nakamori Special Live in 1991. In the live album Listen to me were recorded more tracks than in the DVD of live Yume 91 Akina Nakamori Special Live. Liar as only song was performed in special live Nakamori Akina True Live in 1995 and All About Akina 20th Anniversary It's Brand New Day in 2000. Rakka and Ame ga Futteta were performed in live tour Nakamori Akina 2000: 21 Seiki he no Tabidachi. Liar and Ranka were in the live tour I hope so in 2003.

Chart performance

The single Liar debuted at number 1 on the Oricon Single Weekly Chart and charted for 20 weeks. The single remained at number 28 on the Oricon Album Yearly Chart in 1989. The single debuted at number 2 on The Best Ten Weekly Chart and kept the same position for consecutive two weeks. The single debuted at number 2 on the Uta no Top Ten Weekly Chart.

The album reached at number 1 on the Oricon Album Weekly Chart and remained in the same position for the three weeks. The other released version debuted at number 1 as well. Vinyl Record version charted 15 weeks, Cassette tape charted 17 weeks and CD version charted 13 weeks. The album remained at number 31 on the Oricon Album Yearly Chart in 1989.[4]

Track listing

No.TitleLyricsMusicArranger(s)Length
1."Uragiri"Ikki MatsumotoDaisuke InoueSatoshi Takebe4:46
2."Akai Mystery" (赤い不思議ミステリー)Akiko KosakaKosakaKazuo Shiina3:47
3."Sayonara ja Owaranai" (さよならじゃ終わらない)Gorō MatsuiKōji TamakiTakebe3:42
4."Liar"Mitsuko ShiramineKazuya IzumiAkira Nishihira4:33
5."Ranka" (乱火)Akira OotsuKisaburō SuzukiKōji Makaino4:28
6."Close Your Eyes"Masako ArikawaOsny MeloSatoshi Nakamura3:37
7."Standing in Blue"ShowMeloNakamura5:32
8."Kaze wa Sora no Kanata" (風は空の彼方)Qumico FucciNick WoodNishihira4:37
9."Singer"ShowMeloNakamura4:30
10."Ame ga Futteta..." (雨が降ってた…)Yuuho IwasatoChika UedaKei Wakakusa5:05

2024 remaster reissue

No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
11.""Liar" (single version)"ShiramineIzumiNishihira4:35
12."Blue On Pink"Yoshiko MiuraWataru KuniyasuWakakusa3:42
13."Uragiri" (Collection 1982-1991 Version)MatsumotoInoueTakebe 
14."Akai Mystery" (Collection 1982-1991 Version)KosakaKosakaShiina 
15."Standing in Blue" (Collection 1982-1991 Version)ShowMeloNakamura 
16."Kaze wa Sora no Kanata" (Collection 1982-1991 Version)Qumico FucciNick WoodNishihira 
17."Singer" (Collection 1982-1991 Version)ShowMeloNakamura 

Notes:

  • "Uragiri," "Liar," and "Singer" are stylised in all uppercase, whereas "Standing in Blue" is stylized in proper case.

Covers

Liar

  • Japanese singer Rina Ito covered in her 2010 album Hey-Say.

Uragiri

  • Singer-songwriter and original composer of the song, Daisuke Inoue self-covered the track in the studio album "Blue Diamond" released in 1990.

Close your eyes

  • Hong Kong singer Cherrie Choi covered "Close your eyes" in Chinese and released it as a single in the 1990. The single reached number one on the Ultimate Song Chart and remained number one for two weeks.

Release history

Year Format(s) Serial number Label(s) Ref.
1989 LP, CT, CD 25L1-80, 25L4-80, 29L2-80 Warner Pioneer [5]
1991 CD WPCL-428 Warner Pioneer [6]
2006 CD, digital download WPCL-10292 Warner Pioneer [7]
2012 Super Audio CD, CD hybrid WPCL-11150 Warner Pioneer [8]
2014 CD WPCL-11735 Warner Pioneer [9]
2018 LP WPJL-10099 Warner Pioneer [10]
2024 CD, LP WPCL-13535/6
WPJL-10210		 Warner Pioneer [11][12]

Note:

  • 2006 re-release includes 24-bit digitally remastered sound source
  • 2012 and 2014 re-release includes subtitles in the tracks "2012 remaster"
  • 2024 re-release includes lacquer remaster which includes subtitles in the tracks "2024 lacquer remaster" along with original karaoke version of the tracks

References

  1. ↑ "CRUISE (中森明菜 ) ワーナーミュージック・ジャパン - Warner Music Japan". wmg.jp. Archived from the original on 2009-04-30.
  2. ↑ "中森明菜 クルーズ". cdjournal.com.
  3. ↑ "中森明菜「CRUISE」「BEST III」が復刻、ボーナストラック収録も". natalie.mu.
  4. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book Complete Edition 1970-2005. オリコン・マーケティング・プロモーション. 25 April 2006. pp. 3, 455–457, 883. ISBN 4871310779.
  5. ↑ "CRUISE (中森明菜)" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  6. ↑ "中森明菜 / CRUISE [再発] (1991)" (in Japanese). CD Journal. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  7. ↑ "中森明菜 / CRUISE (2006)" (in Japanese). WMG.JP. Archived from the original on August 19, 2012.
  8. ↑ "中森明菜 / CRUISE [SA-CDハイブリッド] [紙ジャケット仕様] [限定]" (in Japanese). CD Journal. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  9. ↑ "CRUISE" (in Japanese). WMG.JP. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  10. ↑ "CRUISE＜LP（180g重量盤）＞【初回生産限定】" (in Japanese). WMG.JP. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  11. ↑ "CRUISE【LP（Color Vinyl）】" (in Japanese). WMG.JP. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  12. ↑ "CRUISE（＋7）【オリジナル・カラオケ付】＜2024ラッカーマスターサウンド＞【2CD】" (in Japanese). WMG.JP. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
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