Music of Kids on the Slope

Kids on the Slope discography
Soundtrack albums3
Compilation albums1
Singles2

The manga series Kids on the Slope (Japanese: 坂道のアポロン, Hepburn: Sakamichi no Aporon, lit. "Apollo on the Slope") and its anime and live-action film adaptations have had various soundtracks and compilations released around them. The music for the series draws from jazz music of the early- to mid-20th century, and prominently features American jazz artists such as Art Blakey and Bill Evans.[1]

The soundtrack for the anime series is composed primarily by Yoko Kanno, who won Best Music at the Tokyo Anime Awards for her work on Kids on the Slope in 2013.[2] The anime series uses two pieces of theme music: its opening theme "Sakamichi no Melody [ja]" is performed by Yuki,[3] while its closing theme "Altair [ja]" is written and performed by Motohiro Hata.[4]

Compilation albums

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Kids on the Slope Original Soundtrack (2009)

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In 2009, EMI Music Japan published Kids on the Slope Original Soundtrack, a compilation album collecting songs referenced in the manga series. The album is composed of a combination of licensed original recordings, and cover versions by the Japanese jazz quartet Quasimode.[5] The album peaked at 261 on the Oricon sales charts.[6]

Singles

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"Sakamichi no Melody"

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"Sakamichi no Melody [ja]" by Yuki is the theme song used in the anime adaptation of the series. The song is composed and arranged by Yoko Kanno, and written by Yuki. The song was released as the B-side to her single "Playball" on May 2, 2012, and peaked at 4 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100[7] and 3 on the Oricon sales charts, where it remained for 11 weeks.[8][9]

"Altair"

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"Altair [ja]" by Motohiro Hata is the closing theme for the anime adaptation of the series. The song peaked at 17 on the Oricon sales charts, and remained on the chart for 5 weeks.[10]

Soundtrack albums

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Kids on the Slope Original Soundtrack (2012)

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In 2012, Epic Records Japan published Kids on the Slope Original Soundtrack, which collects songs used in the anime adaption of the series and Yoko Kanno's original score.[11] The album peaked at 39 on the Oricon sales charts, and remained on the chart for 16 weeks.[12]

Track list
No.TitleMusicOriginal artistLength
1."Kids on the Slope"Yoko Kanno2:28
2."Chick's Dinner"Yoko Kanno2:01
3."Moanin'"Takashi MatsunagaBobby Timmons & Art Blakey4:42
4."Bags' Groove"Yoko KannoMilt Jackson2:29
5."Blowin' the Blues Away"Yoko KannoHorace Silver1:26
6."Satin Doll"Yoko KannoDuke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn & Johnny Mercer1:08
7."Yurika"Yoko Kanno2:35
8."Rosario"Yoko Kanno2:17
9."Curandelo"Yoko Kanno1:40
10."Transparent"Yoko Kanno1:37
11."run"Mabanua1:33
12."But Not for Me"Yoko KannoIra Gershwin & George Gershwin4:30
13."My Favorite Things"Yoko KannoRichard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II3:20
14."Equinox"Yoko Kanno2:40
15."A Piece of Blue"Yoko Kanno1:27
16."Lullaby of Birdland"Yoko KannoGeorge Shearing & George David Weiss3:05
17."Jazz for Button"Yoko Kanno1:19
18."Four"Yoko KannoMiles Davis1:38
19."Easy Waltz"Takashi Matsunaga2:04
20."float"Mabanua1:25
21."Milestones"Yoko KannoMiles Davis2:43
22."Apollon Blue"Yoko Kanno2:43
23."Kaoru & Sentaro Duo in Bunkasai"Yoko KannoVarious[a]3:38
24."Someday My Prince Will Come"Takashi MatsunagaFrank Churchill1:42
Total length:56:10
  1. ^ Medley of "My Favorite Things", "Someday My Prince Will Come", and "Moanin".

Kids on the Slope Original Soundtrack: Plus More & Rare

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Kids on the Slope Original Soundtrack: Plus More & Rare, a supplement to Kids on the Slope Original Soundtrack (2012) featuring additional and rearranged music from the anime series, was also published by Epic Records Japan in 2012.[11] The album peaked at 49 on the Oricon sales charts.[13]

Track list
No.TitleMusicOriginal artistLength
1."Angel and Rosary"Yoko Kanno0:26
2."Sentaro Drum Solo"Shun Ishiwaka0:37
3."Moanin' Copy (Mono Mix)"Youichi TakedaBobby Timmons1:33
4."But Not for Me (festival jazz version)"Takashi Matsunaga, Shun Ishiwaka, Yoko KannoIra Gershwin & George Gershwin0:26
5."Slasher than Bop"Yoko Kanno1:02
6."Raindrops Keep Swingin' on My Head"Yoko Kanno1:13
7."Skip"Yoko Kanno1:38
8."Button2"Yoko Kanno0:09
9."Memory"Takashi Matsunaga1:23
10."Hey Boy"Hiroto Sasaki, Hiroshi Kamayatsu, Yoko Kanno1:34
11."Bang Bang Bang"Hiroshi Kamayatsu, Yoko Kanno2:38
12."Grande valse brillante"Takashi MatsunagaFrederic Francois Chopin0:52
13."Slope"Yoko Kanno1:24
14."Piano2"Mabanua0:14
15."nichijo3"Mabanua1:04
16."Moanin' Organ Version (Kaoru & Sentaro Duo)"Takashi Matsunaga, Shun IshiwakaBobby Timmons1:19
17."kumori"Yoko Kanno2:18
18."Days of Egg"Yoko Kanno0:53
19."nichijo0"Mabanua1:40
20."Smokey4"Yoko Kanno1:26
21."Button5"Yoko Kanno0:08
22."Blue Egg"Yoko Kanno0:42
23."Yurika (DJ Mitsu the Beats re-arrange version)"Yoko Kanno, DJ Mitsu The Beats [ja], Takumi Kaneko3:26
24."Without a Word"Yoko Kanno0:53
25."Ritsuko's rit."Yoko Kanno0:52
26."Kira Kira Road"Takashi Matsunaga, Youichi Takeda2:03
27."Honey Mustard Waltz"Yoko Kanno2:39
28."Piano1"Mabanua0:11
29."Lullaby of Birdland (sax intro version)"Yoko KannoGeorge Shearing & George David Weiss3:04
30."Flutter Jam"Yoko Kanno1:21
31."Conflict"Yoko Kanno0:58
32."Baka Session"Takashi Matsunaga, Shun Ishiwaka0:32
33."hope"Mabanua2:39
34."dew"DJ Mitsu The Beats, Takumi Kaneko1:17
35."Someday My Prince Will Come (full version)"Takashi Matsunaga, Yoko Kanno3:13
36."Moanin' Ending version (Kaoru & Sentaro Duo)"Takashi Matsunaga, Yasuo Sano, Yoko KannoBobby Timmons3:04
Total length:52:18

Kids on the Slope Soundtrack & Jazz Music Collection

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In 2018, Ariola Japan published Kids on the Slope Soundtrack & Jazz Music Collection, which collects the soundtrack of the live-action film adaptation of the series.[14] The album peaked at 161 on the Oricon sales charts.[15]

All songs are composed by Masato Suzuki of the band Little Creatures [ja].

Track list
No.TitleOriginal artistLength
1."Beginning"2:28
2."Moanin'"Bobby Timmons & Art Blakey1:23
3."Rampage Rain"0:58
4."Wild and Bright"0:45
5."Pavane pour une infante défunte"Maurice Ravel0:40
6."Day-to-Day"1:14
7."Sentaro's Drum"0:32
8."Get You Back"0:52
9."Fat Girl"Fats Navarro2:01
10."Day-to-Day 'Summer'"0:51
11."Our Youthful Days"1:38
12."Beautiful Woman"0:43
13."Lovesickness"1:03
14."Envious"0:23
15."Follow Your Heart"1:01
16."Love Cry"0:58
17."Sadness"2:08
18."About Him"1:44
19."I'm Sorry"1:48
20."Emptiness"0:49
21."Chasm"1:42
22."Grow Apart"0:42
23."The Pain"1:16
24."Apollon Special Medley"4:33
25."Theme of Apollon"1:27
26."Someday My Prince Will Come"Frank Churchill0:46
27."Someday My Prince Will Come (With Hope)"Frank Churchill0:48
28."Unconscious"0:48
29."About Him "tears""2:46
30."Sadness "Rosary""1:22
31."Good Old Days"1:39
32."My Favorite Things"Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II1:43
Total length:41:24

References

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  1. ^ Hamilton, Kirk (5 July 2012). "A Listener's Guide to the Music of Kids on the Slope". Kotaku. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  2. ^ Loo, Egan (24 March 2013). "Wolf Children, SAO, Kuroko's Basketball Win Tokyo Anime Awards". Anime News Network. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Yoko Kanno Interview with Amazon". Amazon Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  4. ^ Kanno, Yoko (2012). "Making of Kids on the Slope, Session 2: Interview with Yoko Kanno" on Kids on the Slope, Complete Collection (DVD). Sentai Filmworks.
  5. ^ "『坂道のアポロン オリジナル・サウンドトラック』に再度注目が!~登場人物が演奏し、また聴いているオリジナル楽曲を収録" (Press release) (in Japanese). PR Times. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  6. ^ "坂道のアポロン オリジナル・サウンドトラック". Oricon News. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  7. ^ "Hot 100|JAPAN Charts|Billboard JAPAN". Billboard (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 4, 2011.
  8. ^ "プレイボール/坂道のメロディ". Oricon News. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  9. ^ "YUKI×菅野よう子「坂道のアポロン」OPで初コラボ実現". Comic Natalie (in Japanese). 3 March 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  10. ^ "Altair". Oricon News. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  11. ^ a b "Information". Kids on the Slope Original Soundtrack (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  12. ^ "アニメ「坂道のアポロン」オリジナル・サウンドトラック". Oricon News. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  13. ^ "アニメ「坂道のアポロン」オリジナル・サウンドトラック プラス more & rare". Oricon. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  14. ^ "映画『坂道のアポロン』サウンドトラック配信開始! 作中登場のジャズ・スタンダード楽曲もご紹介". Mora (in Japanese). 7 March 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  15. ^ "映画「坂道のアポロン」サウンドトラック&ジャズ演奏曲集". Oricon News. Retrieved 2 June 2020.

Further reading

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