A-Musik LP “e kú ìrójú” – Balcony 1983
One of the greatest album coming from the 80’s with a lot of japanese underground musicians that became more familiar to our ears later. What a casting !
EX+ /EX to EX+ but no booklet
$65
Ritsuko Abe LP gatefold +attached pin up poster “Oh ! Biutifuru sacchi !! ” – King 1971
Rare album by sexy Ritsuko Abe singer who was famous for her legs and her mini skirt when she appeared on TV, born in the late 40’s , she became one of the post GS legend with Yumi Kaoru and had a few hunted down kayo albums during the 70’s. Ritsuko Abe became quite an archetyp of pop singers who made nude pictures sessions organised by the music industry, but more than her sexy covers she had also a true kayo singer talent and I must say a certain charm. Her repertoire is quite well known with songs such as “Keiken” , “X+Y = Love” but I’d say she’s far better than most of Mari Henmi stuff, music is nicely balanced between kayo ballads, pop lushed orchestration with a few psych guitars, sometimes not so far from Yukiji Asaoka early 70’s. Just charming, pop as its cover, hard to find because of crazy fetichists in Japan. Downpriced because of its condition .
EX (some wears, time aged, some stains inside and on the pin-up attached poster ) to EX+ – Obi has one discreet tear
graded EX because of 2 inaudiblevisible scuffs but vinyl plays EX to EX+
$80
Ark Percussion Staff LP 45rpm “Pulse ! Vol.1 Zyklus Nr.9” – CBS 1977
Ark Percussion staff leaded by percussionist Yasunori Yamaguchi, one of the most active musician on the avant garde scene, has collaborated a few times on LPs with Michael Ranta who’s one of the most stunning musician since the 70’s. I’m sad to say they are both together better than most of the composers they have covered. Stockhausen is not my cup of tea, I’m sorry, but I know I really appreciate Yamaguchi and Ranta for years because they have the feeling/ The “thing” that lacks with many improvisors or players.
EX (Some stains on the front cover) / EX+
$50
Ruriko Asaoka LP gatefold cover with obi & fold out booklet “Ai o utau” – Teichiku 1970
This is the perfect RECORD ! Super rare album by the actress and singer Ruriko Asaoka who’s better known for her album with Yokoo’s cover “Ruriko Asaoka no Subete” that was released earlier. This one sounds more mature, almost like a concept album, in a way it reminds me “Sareyo, Sareyo….” by Meiko Kaji but goes further between melancolic ballads/kayo tunes and some up beat songs with a slight psych touch. But the whole affair stays in a melancolic mood augmented with some more french string arrangements. Also, this a very emotional album because Ruriko emphazises her sadness and we can hear something like urgency in her voice even in the more rythmic tunes.Absolutely fabulous (I’m rarely into superlatives), this album is mostly unknown on western shores, Ruriko Asaoka is one of my favorite singer, she’s lovely, sexy but don’t get me wrong, she has more like Itoh Kiyoko’s sensuality than Ike Reiko’s attributes.
EX to EX+ (some minor shelfwears) / EX+
SOLD
Yukiji Asaoka LP “Yukiji Asaoka Aishu Kashu” – Toshiba -Red wax – 1962
One of my favorite singer (she was also an actress), strangely she was most known in the early 70′s with some soft erotic kayo albums, but this album belongs to enka/kayo with some minyo influences and makes Yukiji Asaoka one of best accomplished singer for her whole carreer. Here you’ll hear Japan’s heart, you can believe me all her albums and 10 inch are beautiful..Some ballads and some more rythmic / folkloric tunes, if you are also in Eri Chiemi you’ll recognize some of these songs with a different vibe. One of my favorite album since I’m in enka stuff, hard to get in a such condition with its illustrated inner sleeve and RED WAX
EX to EX+ (a minor crease and a tiny tear on obi) / EX to mostly EX+
SOLD
Mari Atsumi LP “Yoru No Tameiki” gatefold cover – Daei 1970
One great kayo album from the early 70s, a great mix of bossanova and a warm lounge style of music, Mari Atsumi became famous as an actress and for her anatomy. Hopefully, her sensuality was not only on the pictures, her decontracted style of singing and her sweet & sexy voice remains as one of best charming document for our ears too.
EX (Cover is EX+ but has a small crease on one of a superior spine) / EX (Plays EX , a few superficial marks and a few surface noice on some tracks, specifically on the last track)
SOLD
The Beatnicks LP gatefold “Hit Stadio best = 14 Ai No Kaseki” – Teichiku
Amazing mondo album featuring Ruriko Asaoka for its ouverture, music sounds like a shaked kayokyoku cocktail with exotica and easy listening. Tanabe Yuichi lounged piano lines are flying all along these intrumentals among twangy and funky breaks. Perfect drink if you want to swim from the pool to the bar
EX+ (a few stains inside) / EX+ to NM
SOLD
Izumi Chidori LP gatefold “Yoroshu o yuri yuki…” Teichiku
One of the most astonishing album I’ve heard from the early 70’s. Izumi Chidori actress and singer in her early years was the antithesis of Meiko Kaji despite they were both on Teichiku. Chirori has the yakuza vibe and sings with a sword in her hand…I’d say swords are above our heads on this album, music finds its place between enka ballads and some more up beat songs with a local Ennio Morricone behind the console. Take a ride to the horizon and you’ll hear mexican cowboys. Heavy bass lines with a lot of traditionnal instruments insertions, Izumi Chidori will warn you before singing and cut your tongue for more than 40 minutes. I’ll be honest and I’ll tell you that maybe 2 tracks are weaker but this whole album is really one of my favorite wild cinematographic enka/ Kayo album. Sadler her later work lack of her original originality. VITAL !
EX+ (some stains inside) /EX+
SOLD
Shima Chinami LP “Shima Chinami no Akai glass” – Teichiku
Extremely rare and quite unknow enka / showa kayo album on the western sides, Chima Shinami is best known as an actress, only a few singles are mostly on the markets and this album which has its eponymous hit is really hunted dow by japanese collectors.This is quite a typical urban album from the early 60’s, with Shima Chinami rooted in ballads such as Yukiji Asaoka, early Ruriko Asaoka. matsuo Kazuko comes also in minds but here the music and atmosphere is more like street lights neons, balancing between blue, red, purple and traffic.
EX+ / EX ( some surface noise but not so much – very nice copy overall)
$70
Misae Enomoto LP “Meikyoku shu” ” – Victor 1973
Lovely album by Misae Enomoto singer who was popular 2 decades before, this album could be almost an anachronism even if the bass lines betray the actual year of this release. This is the heart of the popular japanese songs, Misae Enomoto’s voice is like coming from the last century and the greatest japanese film makers. She had a lot of singles but today they don’t float too much and albums are awfully hard to find. Just epic in its simplicity, that’s just music for weaked hearts like mine.
EX+/EX+
SOLD
Koshiji Fubuki LP gatefold “Rasuto Dansu Ha Watashi hi” Red Wax – Toshiba
Koshiji Fubuki (1924-1980) is a popular artist, actress and singer coming from the Takarazuka world, the japanese music hall in a western /Broadway style of production, and built a serious and long career all along a few decades. Also know for a love story she had with Yukio Mishima, she was one of the shining star with Hibari Misora and Sayuri Yoshinaga but she stays here less well-known. This rare album recorded in the early 60 covers a lot of french songs with a particular swing which stays sober. Koshiji Fubuki’s voice is very expressive and doesn’t emphasize too much as many singers did, so the result here is a nice collection of soft and melancholic songs. bargain price for its condition but red wax, 50 years old !
EX- (thin gatefold cover has some wears and stains inside) / VG+ (some scuffs but plays VG+ to EX)
$30
Teruko Fuji LP gatefold with obi “Fuji Teruko no miryoku” – King 1971
Mostly known for a couple of erotic singles, this album with Teruko Fuji is one of the most intriguing album I’ve heard. Arranged by Takehiko Akahoshi this full coherent album belongs to any real genre because music is mostly some heavy environmental and concrete sounds mixed with Teruko Fuji voice ” a capella”, sometimes augmented by some music elements in the background. Sometimes Teruko Fuji’s voice sounds like a lonely cantata / opera singer lost in a heavy blizzard or under a heavy storm. Very strange album with a lot of details, far from the common used of “field recordings” which rarely finds another justification than the only ornemental use , this album still remains as one great exemple of pure oddity with a simple expression, it ‘s just an “out of time” record which finds its end with a perfect “Adagio Cardinal”. A lot of natural elements( storm, wind, rivers, wood…) are heard and I’d say it sounds more like an autumnal or early wintertime album than a buccolic collection of classical songs. With a few nursery like songs, a rare but accurate use of echo on voice it adds a little more to a feeling of a last and final opera lost in the tundra. Highly recommended if you are in Tenjo sajiki and hard to classified releases, this album has gained a cult status in japanese collections but it’s rarely offers to western ears.
EX+ / EX+ (slightly warped)
SOLD
Akira Fuse LP gatefold + attached booklet “Derrakusu Sotto Ayusumi” – King 1970
Akira Fuse is one of the most worldwide japanese popular singer since the late 60’s, and became the voice of a true legendary album with Love Live Life. This album from 1970 is probably one of the best male kayokyoku album I’ve heard, I bought one copy from Tiliqua many moons ago and I have to thank him for this discovery. A nice collection of kayo ballads and great escapades à la Morricone with a lushed orchestration, Akira Fuse is just at his top, fever was high when it was released. Sadly I can’t say the same with most of his albums, this one blowns windows, sometimes we can hear it must have been hard to calm him down because of his temperament. Far from Love Life Life hybrid psyched album, you can hear here he was just the right singer for a such project, he was then a such devoted and crazy singer .
NM/NM
SOLD
Ogi Hiroko LP gatefold “Shinjuku Burusu” – Columbia 1967
Mostly know as an actress, Ogi Hiroko was Sasori / Meiko Kaji’s friend on the screen (female prisonner), this is in my opinion one great and underrated voice to discover. She has one of the most complete voice, from a deep and a spicely deep voice à la Keiko Fuji but without any monolithism. Within a few seconds she can finds a high pitch and she will bring you tears. This early album is one of the most varied with enka / showa kayo songs, most of time Ogi Hiroko has one rare solemnity. Sometimes and more rarely she can charm too like Sachiko Nishida, there’s just no weakness with the whole album.
EX+/EX+
SOLD
Ogi Hiroko LP Gatefold “Onnagokoro o Utau” – Columbia 1968
white promo labels
Same and excellent album too as the one below, this one is a bit less varied and a step further with her specific solemnity. Ogi Hiroko is really one name to discover.
EX+ / EX +
$70
Ono Hanako LP “Akita Funa Gata bushi…” – King 1979
Rural minyo album from Akita, Ono hanako is a brilliant singer whose style is very energetic and powerful with flutes following her melodic lines, you can hear her voice beyond hills. Beaten percussions and shamisen strummings…Remarkable
EX+ (some stains on the back) / NM
$30
Maki Ishii / Joji Yuasa / Shuko Mizuno LP gatefold cover with attached booklet
” the contemporary Music of Japan = 14″ – Columbia 1971
Rare and excellent collection with 3 nice composers with pieces focused on piano and shakuhachi. 1st edition
EX- (some wears and stains but no tears) / EX+
$100
Itoh Kiyoko LP gatefold cover “Woman at 23 hour – love in” – Sony 1971
I guess you’ve probaly heard this mythic album she got backed up by again a bunch of Tokyo underground heavy weights such as J.A. Seazer and Kuni Kawauchi of the Happenings Four. Itoh kiyoko was one of the loveliest cutie girl and this album (not her final as I’ve read a few times) is probably the most acomplished with its slightly psychedelic touch. A masterpiece hard to find in any condition, this copy is not the perfect one but sound really nice with its sweet price. If you are interested with her only single taken from this album, just ask me…
EX to EX + (One dinged corner, a very few stains, insert has stains)
Side A has some scuffs, plays VG+ to EX, some crackling noise but no skips and doesn’t cover the music / Side B has a very few tiny suffs, plays EX to EX+
SOLD
Junko Makimura LP gatefold “Yoru To Onna to Tameiki” – Polydor 1970
After a few singles Junko Makimura embarked with 3 erotic albums, this one is just one of the greatest erotic and sexy album I’ve heard.I’d say it’s just the (pink) bridge between the enka / kayo from the superb Polydor years with such singers as Sono Mari, Sachiko Nishida. One of the great characteristic of this album is the Polydor sound, whereas many erotic releases have a foot deeply rooted in the early 70’s, this album stays in the late 60’s sound, the one we call as showa kayo sound. Junko Makimura voice sounds almost a naked and adult Sono Mari or even Matsuo Kazuko with switched off lights. Music is sparse, brilliant in the night and songs are among the best ones. A side is just the perfect tracklisting with an unexpected and beatifully sexy Carmen Maki’s cover taken from “Poems in the midnight…” – If you are in Takako Uchida, , it can give you some more ideas where this album could ind its place, far better than Yukiko Kuwabara, Sandra Julien…
EX (some peelings, a few white dots) / EX+
SOLD
Sono Mari LP gatefold cover “Ai taku te ai taku te” – Polydor 1966
Another lovely album from the 60’s, one of my favorite for its cover. There’s no bad album with Sono Mari, she’s one of the most gifted voice and finding her albums in a such condition is not so easy. So if you haven’t enough money, I’ll suggest you with selling one or 2 Meiko Kaji and I’m sure you won’t regret it. Can I tell more ? Sono Mari is coming from the sky…
EX+/EX+
$80
Kaga Mariko LP gatefold cover + attached booklet “Aishiau Futari No Tame Ni Ai No Resson” – Warner 1971
Obscure and mega rare erotic album by actress Kaga Mariko , these “lessons in love” are rooted in the 70’s sound with a heavy french influence, soft pop with talkings, singings, I’d say as Sandra Julien album if this last one had been better than it’s actually. Don’t let you blinded by only the”famous” albums and hear by yourself. Make a cocktail with Gainsbourg, Sandra Julien and Yukiko Kuwabara and you’ll find the best drink to sink..vamp, one of the best queen coming from the 70’s.
EX+/EX+
SOLD
Kondo Masaomi with Freedom Unity LP gatefold “Hitoribochi no Heya” – Canyon 1971
Kondo Masaomi is quite a well known actor in Japan, not a real singer but here on this album he recites some anarchist texts on a nicely over produced psych jazz fusion with a funky, groovy, acid vibe. and you won’t be surprised because team is like a true who’s who of 70’s musicians : The Freedom Unity on this occasion consisted out some of the finest musicians to be on the scene and included heavyweight players such as Sato Masahiko (piano); Ishikawa Akira (drums – Uganda etc); Sugimoto Kiyoshi (guitar – Count Buffaloos, Hino Hideshi Group, Rock Communication, etc), Terakawa Masaoki (bass – Love Live Life + 1, Ishikawa Akira & Count Buffaloos, Dema), Muraoka Takeru (Sax – Uganda, Count Buffalos, Love Live Life +1, Dema) and Suzuki Hiroshi (Trumpet – various line-ups of Freedom Unity). Crazy raps on psych and free crescendos with fuzz and wah wah , sax…Nice price, a great steal…
EX/EX+ (very slightly yellowed) / EX+
SOLD
Akihiro Miwa LP gatefold ” Karei Na sekai” King 1973
One great album released after Murayama Akihira transformation, another piece in her enka/kayo repertoire with some french “chansons” in a post cabaret style. Linked to Shuji Terayama / Tenjo Sajiki, Akihiro Miwa is a true singer who knows these days a wide celebrity.
NM/NM
SOLD
Ootsuka Miharu LP “Minyo Ohakushu” – Victor
Excellent Minyo album (late 60’s)his wailing voice and backed choirs against the percussions, flutes, shamisen. Very accessible and charming kind of music that doesn’t fall in the world music soup. Original and true, maybe you’ll hear some songs you’ve heard before with your favorite kayo singers because this genre of music has been covered, & adapted for decades and maybe it’s time to hear the traditionnal side.
EX+/EX+
$40
Kaori Momoi / Terayama (and arranged by J.A. Caesar) LP ” Mo Hozue wa tsukanai” OST – Victor 1979
NM/EX (has 2 scuffs but LP plays EX+)
SOLD
Akiyuki Nosaka LP gatefold + attached booklet “Fujouri no uta” – Elec Records 1973
Akiyuki Nosaka is a famous writer, famous for its semi auto-biographic novel called “Hotaru no haka ” (1967) [Grave of the fireflies] adapted later by Ghibli studios and also “Jinruigaku nyumon : Erogotshi yori” [the pornograph] adapted by Shohei Imamura. Nosaka is also a lyricist and a great singer and this album is a live recording of an “obscene” recital that hold in Hibiyakokaido in 1973 with Akihiro Miwa, another “enfant terrible” coming from the subculture. Some quite dark songs, folk oriented with an enka vibe and opener Akihiro Miwa participated on a few other tracks with a ballad and her usual adpated post-cabaret style. Somes songs included here became famous such as “Marylin Monroe no return”, “Virgin Blues”, this album is a great classic if you’re curious with catching some “provocation” dated from 1973 crossing with some more great elegiac songs.
EX+ with horizontal obi /EX to EX+
$ 60
Miyoko Otsuki 2LP gatefold ” Daburu derakkusu” – King 1971
Wonderful enka / Minyo release by the unknown Osaka Born Miyoko Otsuki singer, if you are in the traditionnal ballads à la Hibari Misora.
Music is just well balanced, no hype, just pure beauty.
EX+ (some stains inside) / EX+ to NM
$50
Samurai LP Gatefold cover / Picture disc “Ai No Tenorsax” – 1967
Miki Curtis and Samurai : one of his first release with saxophone player Fuyuume Kunimitsu, guitarist Izumi Hiro, bassist Yamamoto Gorô, drummer Toyozumi Yoshisaburô and pianist Kikuchi Kiba. Far from a psych album, this lovely album is more like a collection of cocktail lounge / exotica tracks with up beat, twisted tempos. Very rare, this sexy copy is not the best but a good oportunity to get a collector at a downpriced offer.
Outer cover is EX+ / Picture disc shows some scuffs and plays VG+, some surface and a few crackling but it doesn’t skip and doesn’t cover the music
SOLD
Yuki Saori LP gatefold “23 years after / Yuki Saori sings love life” – Express
Rare Yuki Saori lolita and idol singer, this album from the early 70’s is a door opened on the J-pop music with some soft pop tracks and some more funky tempos with a rich and varied production. Yuki Saori has a soft & sexy voice and it’s easy to understand why they are some fetichist collectors of her ealy stuff. Just a soft erotic touch combined with an innocent and cristal like voice, maybe it’s one of the corner piece of a genre that became popular and less good I’d say a decade later. Top rarity, bargain price because of the missing obi and gradation
EX (outside is EX +, inside has some stains) / EX to EX+
SOLD
Yuki Saori LP gatefold and attached pin-up poster ” Meiji Ichidai Onna” – Express
For lolita’s lovers, this Yuki Saori album released in the 70’s talks for its title. Albums starts with a true masterpiece like it’s said with the title, it seems some producers have the nice idea to investigate the enka / minyo repertoire with this lolita singer. Yuki Saori stays herself with her breezy and sensual voice and production serves her pop accents with some updated and slightly lounged versions of these old standards. Hard to resist…I’m just like a dog after its bone with these songs.
EX+ (some stains inside and on the poster) / EX+
$50
Joji Yuasa LP “Triplicity for contrabass – Masahiko Tanaka electronic studo for NHK” – RCA 1974
I think I don’t need to write more…Historic and one of the best and rarest electronic album coming from Japan at a very reasonable price.
NM/NM
SOLD
Aki Yujiro & Ruriko Asaoka LP ” Ruriko Asaoka no rareshon de tsuduru” – Teichiku
Rare and probably a recent release from the 80/90’s, Aki Yujiro is a well know and popular voice for decades and has a lot of lovely partners for years…This one is with one of the most beautiful actress , singer and top model : Ruriko Asaoka who makes some narrations and sings on a couple of tracks. Pretty rare because of Asaoka’s fetichists…And I’m one of them
NM/NM
$25
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