Emy Jackson

Emy Jackson CBS PS Crying in a Storm, Suddenly I'm Alone

Emy Jackson CBS 45 Crying in a StormEmy Jackson (エミー・ジャクソン) was born in Essex, England as Emy Eaton. As a teenager in Yokohama she still couldn’t read Japanese well, but her ability to speak both English and Japanese fluently landed her a job as a youth DJ for the Good Hit Parade on Radio Kanto.

Emy Jackson lyrics with inscriptionThe notes to the compilation Nippon Girls: Japanese Pop, Beat & Bossa Nova 1966-1970 say:

Her DJ career was cut short when her colleague Reiko Yukawa found Jackson singing “You Are My Sunshine” whilst strumming the guitar and sent word to A&R man Akira Izumi at Columbia Records. Akira insisted that Jackson break with the cover-pops tradition and tackle original songs written by Japanese songwriters in her native language of English.

Emy gives a strong vocal on “Crying in a Storm” (涙の太陽) backed by the aptly-named Smashmen. The heavy drumming and surf-styled guitar really help elevate this song.

This was her first 45, released in April 1965. Because she was singing in English, Columbia released Emy’s records on the CBS imprint, a label for foreign artists. As ‘imported’ music these cost more than 45s of Japanese-language pop, but the allure of a Japanese teen singing in English may have helped break her first single. “Crying in a Storm” reached #4 on the chart of foreign releases in Music Life in July ’65 (ミュージック・ライフ外国盤ランキング), and #6 on the Turn Table Top 50 on October 18.

Michi Aoyama (青山ミチ) covered the song with Japanese lyrics in May of ’65, leading to competition for sales. “Crying in a Storm” was also recorded by Singapore’s Rita Chao.

Most of her songs were composed by her vocal coach Yasutoshi Nakajima. “Crying in a Storm” was composed by Nakajima in collaboration with singer Reiko Yukawa. Sheila Burgel again: “Jackson claims to have helped Reiko write the English lyrics”.

Her initial recording career was very brief, consisting of eight singles released in 1965 and 1966, always with a ballad on one side and an uptempo pop song on the other.

“Don’t Break My Heart”, the B-side to her second single, has a similar surf guitar sound to “Crying in a Storm”, and was released in May of ’65, just a month after her first. Her third single had two Chirstmas songs including the awkwardly put “I Saw Mammy Kissing Santa Claus” (sic).

Emy Jackson CBS PS You Don't Know Baby, Heart Full of TearsHer next was a good return to form, with the uptempo “You Don’t Know Baby” from February of ’66 (and in mono for some reason instead of the more typical stereo). Because these songs were written and sung in English, CBS had to make up Japanese titles for the sleeves. They made some bizarre choices. One example is giving “You Don’t Know Baby” the Japanese title 涙のゴーゴー (Namida no Go Go) which translates to “Tears a Go Go” – which happens to be the name of the A-side of her fifth single.

Other highlights of her early releases include the excellent and odd pop number, “Angel Fish” and her only vocal in Japanese, “Love Is Crazy Sports Car” (天使のいたずら) from November of ’66, which was also her last release of the 60’s. This song is now one of the highlights of Big Beat’s Nippon Girls CD.

Emy retired from the music business by 1973. She sang on another 45 in 1984, “CRYヨコハマ” (Cry Yokohama) but didn’t return fully to music until the early 1990s. In 1994 her ’60s work was collected in an expanded 20 track version of her 1967 LP,The Emy Jackson Album. Emy is still performing in Japan, and released a new CD in 2009, Timeless.

I had the opportunity to interview Ms. Jackson in January 2010:

Q. Can you tell me about how you started in music?

Emy: The director of a radio program asked me if I could sing. I picked up my guitar and sang – that’s it. I had no intention of becoming a singer.

 "Crying in a Storm" at #6 in Turn Table's Top 50
“Crying in a Storm” at #6 in Turn Table’s Top 50

Q. Who were the Smashmen (the band on “Crying in a Storm”)? In particular, do you remember the guitarist’s name?

Emy: There was no band called “Smashmen” – it was a ghost band to make my songs. The players were pick up musicians chosen by Columbia records through testing procedures. The back end chorus were the MGM boys from the Philippines. Regarding the guitarist – there were so many musicians involved, I couldn’t tell you.

Q. Did singing in English limit your career at all? Why were your records were released as imports in Japan?

Emy: Singing in English did not limit my career. To get my start, English was a requirement to satisfy the foreign element of my contract. At the time there were no more openings for local contracts. Therefore, it was the idea of Columbia Records to introduce me as a foreign singer. In actuality my records were made in Japan but marketed as foreign records.

Q. Any memorable live shows or stories?

Emy: I had a performance with the Ventures in Kyoto before they became famous. I had a live performance in Kyoto Budokan that was very memorable for me.

Q. I believe you retired from music for 20 years, is that correct? How did you decide to return, and how has it been since then?

Emy: I owned a restaurant and live coffee shop, Lugano, over 35 years in the Yokohama area. I got started again, singing at Lugano after raising my children. There were many offers, because of my background – I am the first pop star in Japan that sang in English that sold a million records. It had been very tough to make a comeback due to the changes in the entertainment industry. Now I have a band, the Cadillacs – we have been performing for over 20 years now. My priority to sing was country music, but could not make a living in Japan with only country. You need to sing a variety of music to make it in Japan. I am still enjoying my singing career.

Emy’s website is www.emyjackson.com (in Japanese but there’s a recent video clip on there).

Thanks to Hiroshi for providing the good scan of the sleeve for “You Don’t Know Baby”.

Emy Jackson Article

15 thoughts on “Emy Jackson”

  1. My friend from Tokyo turned me on to Emy Jackson. Apparently she was born in Japan but raised in England, hence the very non-Japanese sounding voice. I have this 45 and one other that has the song “You Don’t Know”. I don’t know if its available in the U.S. but I got a copy of a best of CD thats got a lot of other great songs by her. Its interesting how many surfy things are going on in her music, but its totally American sounding surf guitar; nothing like the Japanese eleki style or british style surf. If anyone is interested, send me an email and I can post the cd online for download.

    Thanks!

  2. Hey,

    I would love to be able to download “You Don’t Know”. The cool factor of “Crying in a Storm” is off the scale..

    Thanks

  3. Wow! Don’t know how I’ve been collecting 60’s Asian pop for so long and I’d never even heard of Emy Jackson! However, I am familiar with the version recorded by Rita Chao w/The Quests (Singapore). This song is one of my all-time favorites. I love the obvious Ventures influence in this version…

  4. Ev’ry nowandthen I listen to her ‘Angelfish’. It’s so FINNISH. If you got a hole album of her, I’d really like to get it touch with ev’ry song she sings. She’s #1.
    (You’re #2;)

  5. Greetings Scott! I stumbled across Emy’s music while hunting down another Japanese female artist while on YouTube. I’ve encountered many videos but many are with comments by Japanese viewers in Japanese. Some response with information from Japan was sent to me in English about my inquiry to who she was during my search. Much to my surprise I found this site with Emy on it! I was hooked when I heard her sing and agree on your comment that the surf style is “American” sounding than say “British” sounding surf style i.e. “The Shadows”. I would really like to purchase a CD with her music so that I can add it to my i-tunes library. If that is not possible because it is a hard to find item and the fact that it is not available on i-tunes music, I would greatly appreciate it if you could send me a copy. If you could also direct me to where I might be able to purchase a CD,I would be very grateful for that bit of information! I hope to hear from you and thank you for your time and response to my inquiry. Wishing you and yours the very best this Holiday season. Ciao!-Carlos.

    1. Emy’s background is English and Japanese. Her great grandfather was British and one of the first to settle in Japan after it opened to the west.

  6. I’m mad for all things surf… don’t quite get why a young Brit growing up in Yokohama sounds like authentic American Surf… but I’m intrigued.

  7. I am a collector of Michi Aoyama’s songs I would very much like to
    purchase the song “Crying in a Storm” by Michi Aoyama. It would
    also be great if you could get hold of her other 45 recordings
    I would love to purchase them. Michi was a very popular singer
    in the 60’s and 70’s. I would apperciate any help you could
    give in collecting her music. I thank you for your time and
    I await your reply. Thank you, Brenda

  8. I knew Emy in grade and high school. She was in my class. She was always mature for her age. Her cute curly eyelashes and smiling face were her trademarks.

      1. So awesome to hear how well you are doing. Alice sent me some gorgeous photos of you. You will always be young and beautiful in my mind. Stay healthy, young, keep singing and be happy!
        I hear about you from Maria when we zoom.
        Sorry My reply is belated…I didn’t see your response till now.
        Kaethe

      2. I think of you and me quite often when we were in grade school at St. Maur’s, Yokohama. Somehow we lost touch. I remembered that you were going into professional singing, just around the time I left Japan to pursue college in US. Anyhow, I found you on u-tube and was so amazed with your talent! You’re still the same lovely Amy I remembered! I’d love to keep in touch by e-mail with you. Perhaps visit each other, even like old times! I live in Portland, Oregon. Please e-mail at elizabethnaomi66@gmail.com.

        Fondly,
        Lisa de Figueredo Tomco

  9. Hello,

    nice article and interview, it made things clearer for me as I was looking for informations about Emy Jackson, I’m really thankul.

    Greetings from France, take care,

    Eric

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