Finger Dancin'

Finger Dancin'
Finger Dancin'
Studio album by Masayoshi Takanaka
Released	September 1, 1980
Recorded	1980
Studio	Kitty Izu Studio, Izu; Polydor Studio, Tokyo; KRS Studio;
Genre	Jazz fusion; funk; pop;
Length	21:22
Label	Kitty
Producer	Masayoshi Takanaka
Masayoshi Takanaka chronology

Finger Dancin' is the eighth studio album by Japanese musician, producer, and composer Masayoshi Takanaka, released by Kitty Records on September 1, 1980. Often categorized as a mini-album, it features only four original tracks, making it one of the shortest standalone releases in Takanaka's discography.

Despite its brevity, Finger Dancin' offers a mix of jazz fusion infused with elements of city pop, smooth jazz, funk, and rock, highlighting Takanaka's signature melodic guitar work, colorful production, and rhythmic variety. The title track "Finger Dancin'" features intricate guitar lines and an upbeat feel that epitomizes the vibrant sound of Takanaka's early 1980s output.

Background

The album was initially issued on 12-inch 45rpm vinyl and cassette, with the cassette edition including bonus tracks sourced from previous albums.^[1] Finger Dancin' carries a space-themed concept, reflected in both the music and the album's visual design.

It was likely recorded during the T-Wave sessions or shortly afterward, which places the recording period around mid-1980 in Kitty Izu Studio (Shizuoka) and KRS Studio in Tokyo.^[2]

Production details are hard to come by, which has made Finger Dancin' something of a cult favorite among fans of Takanaka’s more obscure work.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Masayoshi Takanaka.

*Finger Dancin'* track listing
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Space Wagon"	8:25
2.	"Plastic Tears"	3:32
3.	"Finger Dancin'"	3:45
4.	"Heart Ache"	5:38
Total length:		21:22

Personnel

Credits and personnel adapted from liner notes^[3]

*Masayoshi Takanaka — producer, music, arrangements, guitar

Yuki Sugawara — percussion
Susumu Ohno — engineer
Teruaki Igarashi — engineer
Tadao Tomita — cutting engineer
Hidenori Taga — executive producer
Mimi — music
Satoshi Nakamura — horn arrangements, horn, tenor saxophone
Shigeru Inoue — drums, percussion
Yukari Uehara — drums
Masahiro Miyazaki — drums
Akihiro Tanaka — bass
Getao Takahashi — bass
Kiyosumi Ishikawa — keyboard, Hammond
Izumi "Mimi" Kobayashi — keyboard
Emiko Arai — chorus
Kazumi Takeda — horn
Toshio Araki — horn
Shigeharu Mukai — horn
Genji Sawai — horn
Shunzo Sunahara — horn
Kato Group — strings
Choux Suzuki — lyrics

*Arranged by [Horns] — Satoshi Nakamura (tracks: A1, B1)

Bass — Akihiro Tanaka
Conductor — Naochika Yamamoto
Cover — K. Chigi
Creative Director, A&R — Choux Suzuki
Drums — Masahiro Miyazaki
Engineer — Susumu Ohno
Assistant Engineer — Izumi Marumo
Executive Producer — Hidenori Taga
Guitar, Producer, Composed by, Arranged by — Masayoshi Takanaka
Horns — Genji Sawai, Hitoshi Okano, Kenji Nakazawa, Satoshi Nakamura, Shunzo Sunahara
Image Editor — Moonie Ishiyama
Keyboards, Chorus — Izumi Kobayashi
Latin Percussion — Yuki Sugawara
Photography — George Ide, Nov Kondow
Strings — Kato Group, Ohno Group

Release history

Release history for Jolly Jive
Region	Date	Formats	Label
Japan	Jun 1, 1980	Vinyl cassette	Kitty Records
	1987	CD	Kitty Records
	Jul 25, 1990	CD (reissue)	Universal Music Japan

References

^ Masayoshi Takanaka - Finger Dancin', 1980, retrieved June 28, 2025
^ "Seki EP Review: Masayoshi Takanaka - Finger Dancin'". melodicroadblock.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
^ Masayoshi Takanaka - Finger Dancin', September 1, 1980, retrieved June 28, 2025

External links

Finger Dancin' at Discogs (list of releases)

[1] Masayoshi Takanaka - Finger Dancin', 1980, retrieved June 28, 2025

[2] "Seki EP Review: Masayoshi Takanaka - Finger Dancin'". melodicroadblock.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2025.

[3] Masayoshi Takanaka - Finger Dancin', September 1, 1980, retrieved June 28, 2025

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