Haruomi Hosono has released a cover of the Moonglows’ “Sincerely.” The latest track from its near-namesake album, Yours Sincerely, sets the Yellow Magic Orchestra co-founder’s translation to a minimally adorned acoustic-guitar arrangement. Take a listen below; the album arrives September 11 via Ghostly.
Hosono said in a press release, “The original is a doo-wop hit from 1954 by the Moonglows, the group in which the song’s writer Harvey Fuqua was a member… Since the theme of this album itself is the spirit of sincerely—a closing salutation—I could hardly leave this song uncovered. The original lyrics, written by Alan Freed, are a love song expressing intense yearning. But for this Sincerely, I wanted to return to the word’s original meaning—‘from the heart’—so while paying my respects to the generous spirit of the 1950s and to this beloved song, I chose to write the lyrics in Japanese.”
Next month, Hosono will play a pair of shows with Toro y Moi: on September 16, at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, and on September 20, at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles.