Season 594 - Berries, fruits & Japan

[kolibri]

Hello all, welcome to Season 594!

Let's take a brave step from Bongo to mango! This week's themes are:

1) Songs that mention berries or fruits in their lyrics or title OR any song from songwriters / performers whose name has berries or fruits in it. So, songs about apple pies, strawberry fields, lemon trees and songs by Chuck Berry, Bananarama, The Cranberries, Red Hot Chili Peppers...

All botanically classified fruits and berries qualify: tomato, beans, corn, peas and so on. (Btw, I just learned that cucumber and pumpkin are fruits, too.)

2) Songs about Japan and all things Japanese, as well as songs by Japanese songwriters.

Of course, you can combine the two themes and play a song about boysenberries in Kyoto or about hanami (flower watching) in Hannover.

Song limit: 1 song per day or 8 songs per Season.

• Original songs, collaborations and instrumentals are all very welcome.
• Other instruments and multi-tracking are fine, as long as there is ukulele in the mix.
• Season 594 starts on Sunday, July 2nd at 00:01 Hawaii time, and ends on Sunday, July 9th at 12 PM Hawaii time.
• Please mention in the video that it's for Season 594.
• Added on 3rd July 2023: If you would like to link your video more clearly with UU Forum, post at the start of your description at YouTube: ‘Posted for the weekly Seasons of the Ukulele Challenge at the Ukulele Underground Forums, Season 594 - Berries, fruits & Japan.’

Prize is related to this Season's theme:
A soprano ukulele, made in Japan and made of a certain fruit tree wood. (Cucumber tree or gooseberry tree? More about it later!)

I'll put my comments on YouTube and don't duplicate them here.

Invitation for new Seasonistas
It would be great to see new Seasonistas joining in. If you have ever thought about participating, it's the perfect time to play a song and post a video. The Seasons are a good place for making your own kind of music, or just for experimenting and figuring out what kind of music is "your music". Whatever happens in the world or in your own life, the Seasons are here, if you feel like listening to some uke music or submitting your own song.

Happy strumming!

Playlist

 

[LimousinLil]

That's a wonderfully generous prize, Ylle, and an intriguing combination of subjects for this week's theme. Er ... I don't know any Japanese songwriters!

 

[Yukio]

Thanks for hosting, Ylle. Everyone should have a berry good time jumping in Japan. Arigato!

 

[Flatbaroque]

As a previous winner of a ukulele from Ylle one season by random draw I can say she delivers BIGTIME!
I was in Tokyo on holidays about 15 years ago. I decided to go acoustic guitar browsing. Tokyo being one of the great guitar shopping destinations. One street alone has about 30 instrument shops in a row.
I played this wonderful Gibson J-45. Much cheaper than Australian prices but still an expensive purchase. Being a procrastinator on big money items I couldn't bring myself to buy it,
I only had one more day in Tokyo so i made a deal with myself...to buy the guitar the universe has to send me a sign.
The next morning I turned on breakfast TV in my hotel room and there was this fellow..who judging by some of the graphics and photos (of Bob Dylan)this bloke .was considered Japan's Bob Dylan.
Then he played a Dylanesque folky tune in Japanese accompanied on his Gibson J-45. So I went back and bought the guitar.
Pity I had no interest in ukes at the time...there was a huge selection of them too.
Just googled the bloke ...Nobuyasu Okabayashi.

 

[Canada Jim]

As a previous winner of a ukulele from Ylle one season by random draw I can say she delivers BIGTIME!
I was in Tokyo on holidays about 15 years ago. I decided to go acoustic guitar browsing. Tokyo being one of the great guitar shopping destinations. One street alone has about 30 instrument shops in a row.
I played this wonderful Gibson J-45. Much cheaper than Australian prices but still an expensive purchase. Being a procrastinator on big money items I couldn't bring myself to buy it,
I only had one more day in Tokyo so i made a deal with myself...to buy the guitar the universe has to send me a sign.
The next morning I turned on breakfast TV in my hotel room and there was this fellow..who judging by some of the graphics and photos (of Bob Dylan)this bloke .was considered Japan's Bob Dylan.
Then he played a Dylanesque folky tune in Japanese accompanied on his Gibson J-45. So I went back and bought the guitar.
Pity I had no interest in ukes at the time...there was a huge selection of them too.
Just googled the bloke ...Nobuyasu Okabayashi.

On his first two LPs, Dylan played an old J-50, which is the same guitar as a J-45 except it doesn't have the sunburst finish. I believe it was lost or stolen right after the Freewheelin' Bob Dyan LP.
My second guitar was a 1958 J-50 that I bought for $125 in the early sixties. My brother now owns it.

 

[Flatbaroque]

This week it is acceptable to pick songs that are considered low hanging fruit.

 

[One Man And His Uke]

This week it is acceptable to pick songs that are considered low hanging fruit.

I was thinking of doing a cover of Vicky Leandros “Kumquat may” or anything by Quince E Jones ……

 

[Flatbaroque]

I was thinking of doing a cover of Vicky Leandros “Kumquat may” or anything by Quince E Jones ……

Good choices John. I may do Dylan’s “ Like a Rolling Stone Fruit”.

 

[wee_ginga_yin]

Know your PLU codes.

 

[UkeCan1]

You say tomayto, I say tomahto. I don't actually sing those words in my parody version, but you can't help but hear them there, right?

When I first started uke a decade ago, I acquired a ukulele duo, with a name and a logo and a Facebook page, on day 19. I could barely play anything, and we hadn't chosen a single song yet, but already I was in a band!

Almost immediately, we began to discover that we were very different people, with very different musical tastes.

This song tells the tale of that mismatched but fun partnership.

Verandah Jam day 31, part 2. This song counts for 593 too, because "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" is by the Gershwins, one of whom is a George.

 

[Flatbaroque]

Thanks Ylle. I find the lyrics of this one a mixed bag. The verses are a bit syrupy but the chorus's are rather special. Roger Miller could sell any song though.. syrupy or not.

 

[wee_ginga_yin]

A joke on the song

 

[LimousinLil]

Hello Ylle, and thanks for hosting! Dedicated as I am to lowering the tone here at every possible opportunity, I bring you this delightful little ditty that I only discovered this morning. If I look slightly perplexed, it's because my printer has broken down and I spent half the morning on my hands and knees trying to mend it (it lives under the stairs.) Anyway, I couldn't, so I have had to order another - the last thing I wanted to do! Being printer-less I had to write the lyrics and chords out by hand - I never learn anything by heart - and the sad truth is that I can't read my own writing, hence the consternation. Anyway, herewith ...

 

[Canada Jim]

Strawberry Season Again - David Newland

Here's a tune written by my friend David who was one of the people who first kindled my interest in the ukulele. We were at a party and David had a reso-uke which he let me try and I was hooked. When he was gifted a genuine National, he sold me his Johnson reso-uke. Here's the day he delivered it and showed me his new reso-uke. A reso-duet.


Great idea for a Seasons topic Ylle!

 

[Bystander]

Thanks for hosting Ylle, pretty sure I've done this before but it must be at least 3 years ago. I did have a go at Strawberry Fields when I saw your theme but found it almost impossible to sing in the key I was comfortable playing in, maybe another time.

 

[cua94]

Here is one from me:

 

[joo]

Thanks for hosting Ylle!
Here is a cover of a song called Poem by the band Ed's Redeeming Qualities.
The word "cherries" appear in verse 1.
I include the lyrics in my video.

Edit: there is the S word in verse 1. Not Strawberry. The 4 letter one.

 

[AlanDP]

"Strawberries," from 1919.

 

[kolibri]

Dear Seasonistas, thank you for a great start to the Season 594! I have added the first songs to the playlist. Currently strawberries are the most popular subject, so I had some ice cream with strawberries while listening to you songs. Delicious playlist!

 

[Canada Jim]

YES! WE HAVE NO BANANAS - Frank Silver and Irving Cohn 1923

I recall a funeral scene in the movie "THE COMIC" where this song was played.