Crimson (Akina Nakamori album)

Crimson is the tenth studio album by Japanese singer Akina Nakamori. It was released on 24 December 1986 under the Warner Pioneer label. The album includes the original version of Eki.

Background
Crimson is Nakamori's second studio album released in 1986, just four months after the release of her previous studio album Fushigi. The music production team consists of two writers: Mariya Takeuchi, Akiko Kobayashi and two arrangers, Shiro Sagisu and Kazuo Shiina.

The album consist of any previously released single and includes recordings of 10 new songs. Nakamori sings with whisper or silent voice, which is not usual for the people who know her as a singer with a powerful vibrato. Each of the songs has balladic melody line, in the comparison with her previous studio album Fushigi.

Eki is one of her the most famous album tracks, however the song became more famous after Mariya Takeuchi's cover, which was released in 1987 as a B-side track for the single After Years. Takeuchi's version was used as a theme song in the movie Good-bye, Mama. In this album, arrange is provided by Shiina, while Takeuchi's version arrangement is provided by Tatsuro Yamashita. In 2002, Nakamori self-cover this song in her first self-cover album Utahime Double Decade with arrangement by Akira Senju.

Mick Jagger ni Hohoemi wo's sound effect idea was made by Nakamori herself, imagining herself in room, preparing breakfast and play from cassette tape player her own songs. The original version of Mick Jagger ni Hohoemi wo is included in the CD-Box Akina released in 1993 and in the remastered version of the album released in 2023.

Stage performances
During Fuji TV's music television program Yoru no Hit Studio, Nakamori performed Mick Jagger ni Hohoemi wo, Yakusoku and Oh No, Oh Yes in 1987 and Eki in 1993 as part of the Request songs by viewers segment.

Mind Game, Mosaic no Shiro, Akai no Enamel, Pink Champagne and Jealous Candle were performed on Nakamori's live tour called A Hundred Days.

Charting performance
The album reached number 1 on the Oricon Album Weekly Charts. LP Record version charted 23 weeks, Cassette tape charted 22 weeks and CD version charted 21 weeks. The album remained at number 3 on the Oricon Album Yearly Charts in 1987. As result, in the December 1987 it was nominated in 29th Japan Record Awards and won title The Album of the Year.

Track listing
Notes:
 * "Mind Game," "Oh No, Oh Yes!" and "Jealous Candle" are stylised in all uppercase.
 * "Mick Jagger ni Hohoemi wo" begins with an excerpt of "Aka no Enamel."

Mariya Takeuchi covers version
Mariya Takeuchi covered all five songs she wrote for Nakamori.


 * Eki was released at first in the single After years as a b-side track, later in her compilation albums Impression and Expression.
 * Oh No, Oh Yes! was released at first in the single Genki o Dashite as a B-side track and later in the studio album Request.
 * Yakusoku was released as a b-side track of single Junai Rhapsody and later in first limited edition of studio album Denim.
 * Aka no Enamel was included in the reprinted version of studio album Variety in 2014 as a demo-tape
 * Mick Jagger ni Hohoemi wo was included in the compilation album Mariya's Songsbook as a demo-tape as well.

Oh No Oh Yes

 * Anita Mui: Lit Yim Hong Sun, 1987

Eki

 * Anita Mui: Lit Yim Hong Sun, 1987
 * Kenichi Mikawa: Golden Paradise, 1991
 * Yuko Nakazawa: Nakazawa Yuuko Dai 1 Shou, 1998
 * Hideaki Tokunaga: Vocalist, 2005
 * Ryoko Moriyama: Haru Natsu Aki Fuyu, 2008
 * Marty Friedman: Tokyo Jukebox, 2009
 * Akira Fuse: Ballade II, 2010
 * Juju: Snack JUJU: Yoru no Request, 2016

Release history
Notes:
 * 2006 re-release includes 24-bit digitally remastered sound source
 * 2012 and 2014 re-release includes subtitles in the tracks "2012 remaster"
 * 2023 re-release includes lacquer remaster which includes subtitles in the tracks "2023 lacquer remaster" along with original karaoke version of the tracks