April 18th, 2021 – Japanese Record Box

Japanese Random Album Box – 1957 / 85

I bought a box of random Japanese release/press records from eBay. 80 albums and I had no idea what I was in store for…

The fun is pulling them from the box blind picking, and listening to them through whether they are good or very bad, there is always a chance for a winning track hidden away at the end of side two. Can you tell by the cover art what the music will be? Well, this collection sure threw some curve balls. Either way, it was all music I’d never or most likely ever hear. So why not, play this album through and see if it surprises us?

Lyric sheet.

Sometimes it was just a win purely off the album art, typography, and photographs. A high number of the albums contained very nicely printed lyric sheets and these nearly always had the sheet music for the songs. Embossed sleeves with booklets of photographs and art, there were even a few posters and merch.

There were so many good albums, in the end, I wanted to make a radio-type show with some of my favourite picks. I have since bought another two Japan boxes so expect volumes 2 and 3 of this as soon as I can! I wanted to pick a selection that covered the genres I was presented with from the random box.

The Music.

I emailed a local station Clyde Built Radio to see if I could do a show and they were into me sending one in so I picked my albums and tracks and put this together. I had 60min, and I get through a fair few songs, it would have been nice to talk about each one a bit more and the overall experience of the 80 albums. But I chose to give as much time as possible to the music.

Peter Gillies / Japanese Album Radio Show

This took me right back to being a kid making tapes off the radio, it was all the fun of being 10. Except now I’ve got computing and HiFi equipment and wires going everywhere it’s all the same fun.

Shungo Sawada / Koi No Hallelujah – 1969
Album – Best Hits Of Japan
Victor Records 14S-11

Tokiko Kato
I want to go home, I can’t go home.
1970
Polydor MR3097

Akira Terao
Dial M
Reflections – 1981
Toshiba EMI express ETP-90058

Hiroko Yakushimaru
All Of Me
Main Theme Soundtrack 1984
Eastworld WTP-90290

Ryoko Moriyama
Small Shell
Golden Album (late 60’s)
Philips FX-8007

Masato Hoshihara
Red Tonpo
Japanese Songbook Vol. 1
1976 Yamagughi Disc LM-2127

Tokiko Katoh
Shirara No Uta
Rising 1982 / Polydor 28MX 2040

Yuko Hara / Cold Monday
1983 Miss Yokohamadult Yuko Hara 2nd / Taishita VIH-28149

Southern All Stars
Night On The Beach
1981
Stero Taiyo-zoku
Invitation VIH-28045

Yujiro Ishihara
The Man Who Calls The Sorm
1957

Kei Ogura
Let’s Hurry On The Way Home
1974 Polydor MR-5028

Takashi Sato
Kureta No Meiro Ecore o kreeto
1985
Eastworld WTP-90321

Seiko Matsu
Misty
Canary – 1983 CBS SONY 28AH1666

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