Eiichi Ohtaki

A former member of Happy End who became a producer-songwriter obsessed with American pop of the early 1960s, Ohtaki ran his own Niagara label as a personal sound laboratory. His 1981 album "A Long Vacation," arranged with lush Wall-of-Sound nostalgia, became one of the most beloved and best-selling records of the entire era. He bridged the genre's craft ambitions with an affectionate, golden-oldies sensibility.