°C-ute’s ‘Jump!,’ Part 3: The start

私が決めるから

 

Watashi ga kimeru kara

 

I decide who wins

 

– Kanna, “Jump” (translation courtesy Projecthello.com).

 

The classic song “Jump!” started modestly 18 months ago as the flip side to °C-ute’s first official Hello! Project single, “Sakura Chirari.” °C-ute already had a few indie songs out, making waves.

 

They included “Bokura no Kagayaki,” “Disco Queen,” “That’s the POWER!” and others, all great songs in their own right and all part of the °C-ute concert lineup in 2007, one of the most amazing, meteoric rises ever for a group of this type (members’ average age 14 at the time).

 

“Jump!” was picked to lead off the February 2007 concert tour and was a stunner. °C-ute’s super seven used closed set doors to start that party and put together an electrifying display.

 

In April, “Jump!” was one of the end-songs of that tour and was amazing despite the awkward – if not outright ugly – blue dresses with white polka-dots and red rose attached.

 

Saitama Super Arena’s Hello! Project Summer 2008 spectacle saw °C-ute’s “Jump!” get thrown into the finale, which was nothing short of spectacular.

 

Then came the summer sequences, and the “Cutie Circuit” tour in August and early September in which °C-ute used the silvery, vaudeville-style outfits they used quite successfully in the July 29, 2008 Saitama Super Arena rendition of “Massara Blue Jeans.” (they later switched to the unique heart-chest costumes for “Jump!”).

 

Finally, the rainbow craziness of Sept. 30, 2007, at the Yokohama Blitz (see image at the top of this post), when the team didn’t even bother to set up the start formation before exploding on to “Jump!” that ended yet another unforgettable performance.

 

No matter what happens in °C-ute’s future, there is no doubt the frenzied run-up of 2007 – preserved forever by Hello! Project’s technically flawless videographers and editors – will never be equaled in pop music history.

 

*** Part 4: Next, the diverse choregraphy of “Jump!” will get a closer look. In the meantime, this series deals with the following DVD-preserved °C-ute performances of “Jump!” last year, and has a voting component for those readers wishing to participate:

 

*** 1. Feb. 25, 2007, Nenkin Kaikan, Tokyo: “Hatimata yo! Cutie Show,” °C-ute’s inaugural tour. “Jump!” was the lede number.

 

*** 2. April 22, 2007, Nenkin Kaikan, Tokyo: “Golden Hatsu Date,” another °C-ute tour. “Jump!” ended it – with a bang.

 

*** 3.  July 29, 2007, Saitama Super Arena, Saitama: “Hello! Project 2007 Summer” concert, in which “Jump” was convert into a massive, 70-singer extravaganza at the.

 

*** 4. Sept. 10, 2007, Final stop on °C-ute’s “Cutie Circuit” tour, possibly at the Yokohama Blitz. This is the best “Jump!” performance, in my view.

 

*** 5. Sept. 30, 2007, Yokohama Blitz, part of “Houkago no Essence” tour. “Jump!” was a big part.

 

Voting options: Anyone wanting to cast a vote can best do it by sending an e-mail to radicalpatriot@yahoo.com. In the “subject” line, just write “Jump! Vote” followed by the order of preference. Or you can simply write comments on these “Jump!” posts, any time during the series.

 

This is Rad signing off – for now.