At the End of the 20th Century (1979)

"20 seiki no owari ni" (At the End of the 20th Century) is the first single of Hikashu, released on October 1979. The record company, Toshiba EMI, promoted the single well and the song was frequently played on radio. The band also appeared some TV programs. The publicity boosted the name recognition of the band which they still enjoy.

The video quoted below is from TV program broadcasted live on December 1979. The location is La Forêt Harajuku, a department store, which is still in operation.



The emcee of the program was Chikada Haruo, who is also the producer of early Hikashu recordings. And he helped a lot for the band getting media attention. The following is a translation of the opening dialog with Chikada and Makigami.

Chikada: Next is a band with strange name ... Hikashu. [To Makigami; pretends not to know the band] You are now in recording, right?

Makigami: Yes. We are now recording a LP.

Chikada: Is there anything you could tell that your music is absolutely different from others?

Makigami: Well, probably there are music like ours ... but I could tell you, there is something in music which has been regarded as useless garbage. We took it and reconstructed it in our own way. That's our music, I think.

Chikada: So, is there any commercial potential for such kind of thing?

Makigami: Probably, yes.

Chikada: Okay. You play that song, "At the End of the 20th Century"?

Makigami: Yes.

Chikada: Now, Hikashu!

At The End Of The 20th Century
words & music by Makigami Koichi

If you are to find love at the end of the 20th century, it needs the power of the planets and the magic of death.
Try to look through the cutaway of love, then you will find hell or darkness there.

Raise your voice (hi hi hi)
Use your brain (hi hi hi)
Raise your voice (hi hi hi)
Use your brain (hi hi hi)
What is the thing you are looking for?

If you are to lose ideology and try to find love, it needs the light of the moon's surface and the preconceivance of death.
Try to look through the atmosphere of love, then you will find ruin or darkness there.

Raise your voice (hi hi hi)
Use your brain (hi hi hi)
Raise your voice (hi hi hi)
Use your brain (hi hi hi)
What is the thing you are looking for?

If you are to find love at the end of the 20th century
If you are to find love at the end of the 20th century
What is the thing you are looking for?

Chikada Haruo & Beef - Lady Hurricane

Chikada also performed on the same program with his band, Beef. In intro, there is a man talking from audience. He is Kato Kazuhiko, the producer of "Alternative Sun".