Music / Bon Voyage Co.

Bon Voyage Co. is the third album released by Japanese artist Haruomi Hosono. It was released in 1976 through Panam Records. Session players on the album are the band Tin Pan Alley and most members of Hosono's former rock band Happy End.

This album is part of three albums where Hosono explores the Exotica genre (the first one being Tropical Dandy and the third one being Paraiso. While the album has a tropical vibe, it also showcases Hosono's interest in blues/swing music akin to the New Orleans' scene from early 20th century. It is also the first album where Hosono sings in English.

Some songs on this album would turn out to become concert staples in Hosono's late career.

Tracklist

Side A

1. "Butterfly-San" (3:15)
2. "Hong Kong Blues" (3:09)
3. "Sayonara (The Japanese Farewell Song)" (4:31)
4. "Roochoo Gumbo" (3:01)
5. "Bon Voyage Co." (2:36)

Side B

6. "Tokyo Shyness Boy" (2:19)
7. "Black Peanuts" (2:28)
8. "Chow Chow Dog" (4:46)
9. "Pom Pom Vapor" (1:56)
10. "Exotica Lullaby" (3:49)

This album provides examples of:

• Alliterative Title: "Chow Chow Dog" and "Pom Pom Vapor".
• Cover Version: "Hong Kong Blues" (originally by Hoagy Carmichael) and "Sayonara" (by Freddy Morgan and Hasegawa Yoshida).
• Eagleland: "Hong Kong Blues" is about an impoverished Hong Kong resident who wants to earn money in order to travel to the US.
  And now he's poppin' the piano just to raise the price
  Of a ticket to the land of the free
  Well, he says his home's in Frisco where they send the rice
  But it's really in Tennessee
• Face on the Cover: Same layout with the tropical setting than Tropical Dandy but different colour scheme and Hosono's portrait isn't painted this time.
• Gratuitous English: On "Butterfly-San" and "Pom Pom Vapor".
• Instrumentals: "Bon Voyage Co.".
• Meaningful Name: The japanese name of the album (Taian Yoko) refers to a convenience store Hosono discovered while touring with Tin Pan Alley in Nagasaki.
• One-Word Title: "Butterfly-San" and "Sayonara".
• Opium Den: "Hong Kong Blues"
  It's the story of a very unfortunate colored man
  Who got arrested down in old Hong Kong
  He got twenty years privilege taken away from him
  When he kicked old Buddha's gong ^note "Kicking the gong" refers to smoking opium and is a term which has been used in jazz music.
• Regional Riff: The oriental riff (often used in music which parodies eastern-asian culture) is featured on "Hong Kong Blues".
• Same Face, Different Name: Hosono is named "Harry "The Crown" Hosono" on the album's cover. He would rarely use that english-sounding first name.
• Shout-Out: "Pom Pom Vapor" references Jerry Lee Lewis's "Great Balls Of Fire" and Frankie Ford's "Sea Cruise".
• Special Guest: Akiko Yano (who would release her debut album during the same year as Bon Voyage Co.) is a backing vocalist on the album.
• Spell My Name With An S: Hosono is credited under the anglicized name Harry Hosono. He would later use this moniker again on the album Paraiso.
• This Is My Name on Foreign: The album is credited to "Harry "The Crown" Hosono". He wouldn't use this anglicized version of his first name until way later in his career (probably as a call-back to this album).
• Title Track: "Bon Voyage Co." is also the only instrumental track of the album.

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