Takao Kisugi

Takao Kisugi (来生たかお, Kisugi Takao), born November 16, 1950 in Tokyo, Japan, is a Japanese singer and composer.

After the working with Yosui Inoue's band, Kisugi debuted as a singer-songwriter with single "Asai Yume", released in 1976. He became after a domestic hit in Japan, "My Luxury Night" performed by Hatsumi Shibata, Mainly in the 1980s, he produced many hit tunes with Etsuko Kisugi, his sister and a lyricist. His best known song as a performer "Yume no Tochu (夢の途中, ')" became huge hit by cover version entitled "Sailor Fuku to Kikanju (セーラー服と機関銃, ')", sung by teen-age idol Hiroko Yakushimaru. As a singer, he recorded the first ending song of Maison Ikkoku, "Ashita Hareru ka".

He said that his own songwriting had been deeply influenced by The Beatles and Gilbert O'Sullivan. In 1991, he wrote and recorded the song "What a Way (To Show I Love You)" with O'Sullivan. Another song on which they collaborated, "Can't Think Straight", was featured on the Japanese edition of O'Sullivan's studio album Sound of the Loop.^[1] (For the worldwide issue, its guest vocal was replaced by Peggy Lee).