Tokyo's Coolest Sound

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Columbia, Konishi Yasuharu offers us some rare 70's Japanese jazz-rock (as the genre is called) albums from Columbia Japan re-issued on CD (actually 9 out of 10 8 out of 9 are for the first time ever on CD) with mini-LP sleeves.

Despite some foreign-sounding names, all of the artists are Japanese, except for Sandra Alexandra who is an American singer. You may in fact be familiar with the first three artists, as they were included on the 2000-released Readymade compilation "Midnight Tokyo", selected by Comoesta Yaegashi and supervised by Konishi-san.

The re-issue series seems set to continue later, so stay tuned for more!

Audio samples of all tracks at columbia*readymade

Count Buffalo & The Jazz Rock Band "Soul & Rock"
カウント・バッファローズとジャズロックバンド 「ソウル・アンド・ロック」
(Artist also known as Ishikawa & Count Buffalos / 石川晶とカウント バッファローズ)
Original release: 1969/7/25 / CD-5010

1. The Cougar
2. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me
3. Michelle
4. Green Sleaves
5. The Sandpiper
6. No More Than A Drop
7. Hey Jude
8. Deep River
9. Mago-Uta

("No More Than a Drop" can be heard on "Midnight Tokyo".)

columbia*readymade COCP-34681
Out 3/5 4/16, ¥2100
Order: Amazon, HMV, Tower

Maeda Norio / Inagaki Jirō All Stars "This Is Jazz-Rock"
前田憲男/稲垣次郎オールスターズ 「決定版！これぞジャズ・ロック」
(Japanese title reads "ketteiban! kore zo Jazz Rock".)
Original release: 1968/9/10 / YS-10036

1. Pata Pata
2. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
3. Day Tripper
4. Snap-Shot
5. My Girl
6. Boom Boom
7. Watermelon Man
8. Barock
9. House Of The Rising Sun
10. Go Go A Go Go
11. Soul Finger
12. Here, There And Everywhere

("Snap-Shot" and "Go Go A Go Go" can be heard on "Midnight Tokyo".)

columbia*readymade COCP-34682
Out 3/5 4/16, ¥2100
Order: Amazon, HMV, Tower

The WIP "Soul Tripper"
飯吉馨とザ・ウィップ 「ソウル・トリッパー」
(Japanese artist name: Iiyoshi Kaoru & the Wip)
Original release: 1968/9/10 / CD-5028

1. Soul Tripper
2. Eleanor Rigby
3. Where Have All The Flowers Gone
4. A Treasure Island
5. Secret Love
6. I Love Jobim
7. By The Time I Get To Phoenix
8. We've Only Just Begun
9. Ticket To Ride
10. Who Can I Turn To
11. Love Story
12. Catolea

("Soul Tripper" can be heard on "Midnight Tokyo".)

columbia*readymade COCP-34683
Out 3/5 4/16, ¥2100
Order: Amazon, HMV, Tower

Sawada Shungo / Muraoka Takeru All Stars "Hit & Hit In Bossanova"
沢田駿吾・村岡健オールスターズ 「ヒット・アンド・ヒット・イン・ボサノバ」
Original release: 1968/9/10 / YS-10041-J

1. The Legend Of Emerald
2. Angel Love
3. hoshi o minaide
4. Summer Grass
5. omoide no yubiwa
6. yume de iikara
7. koi no tokimeki
8. C, C, C
9. Flower Necklace
10. kanashikutte tarikirenai
11. ai no sono
12. hana no Madonna

columbia*readymade COCP-34684
Out 3/5 4/16, ¥2100
Order: Amazon, HMV, Tower

Miho Keitarō & His Group "Sound Poesy 'Sachio'"
三俣敬太郎と彼のグループ 「サウンドポエジー・サチオ」
Original release: 1969/11/10 / YS-10071-J

1. Start Your Engine
2. Never My Love
3. Listen People
4. Time After Time
5. Slip Stream
6. Race Is Over
7. One Note Samba
8. Meditation
9. Remember Of Paris
10. Mas Que Nada
11. Goin Out Of My Head
12. I Wanna Be Around

columbia*readymade COCP-34685
Out 3/5 4/16, ¥2100
Order: Amazon, HMV, Tower

Sandra Alexandra "Sandra & Her 12 Samurai"
サンドラ・アレキサンドラ 「サンドラと１２人の侍たち」
(Japanese title reads "Sandra to 12nin no samurai tachi")
Original release: 1970/11/25 / JDX-45

1. Ballade Of Doll's House
2. Yogiri Yo Konya Mo Arigato
3. hana to chō
4. L'amore E Un Miracolo
5. Una Sera Di Tokio
6. Blue Light Yokohama
7. ai no kaseki
8. namida no minato
9. tōku e ikitai
10. otokogari no Blues
11. koi
12. iijanaino shiawase naraba

columbia*readymade COCP-34687
Out 3/5 4/16, ¥2100
Order: Amazon, HMV, Tower

Milt Rogers "nanairo no shiawase"
ミルト・ロジャース 「七色のしあわせ」
Original release: 1969/8/10 / CD-5011

1. nanairo no shiawase
2. Scat In The Dark
3. hatsukoi no hito
4. kimi wa kokoro no tsuma dakara
5. L'amour E Un Miracolo
6. shiranakatta no
7. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
8. Bluelight Yokohama
9. namida-machi minato-machi wakare-machi
10. Good Night Baby
11. kaerimichi wa tōkata
12. koi no kisetsu

columbia*readymade COCP-34688
Out 3/5 4/16, ¥2100
Order: Amazon, HMV, Tower

Fontaine Singers "New Sound '70"
フォンテーヌ・シンガーズ 「70のニューサウンド～いずみたく作品集～」
(Japanese title "70 no New Sound ~Izumi Taku sakuhinshū~")
Original release: 1970/3/25 / YS-10079-J

1. iijanaino shiawase naraba
2. miagete goran yoru no hoshi o
3. onna hitori
4. kimi no kuni o
5. Scat In The Dark
6. Ii Yu Dana
7. Hoshizora No Romance
8. sekai wa futari no tame ni
9. tomodachi
10. wakareta hito to
11. koi no kisetsu
12. yoake no uta

columbia*readymade COCP-34689
Out 3/5 4/16, ¥2100
Order: Amazon, HMV, Tower

Les Jeunes Étoiles "New Young Chorus"
ジュヌ・エトワール 「ニューヤング・コーラス」
Original release: 1968/12/10 / CD-5002

1. Music To Watch Girls By
2. I Really Don't Want To Know
3. Et pourtant
4. Live For Life - A Man And A Woman
5. La Mer
6. En blue jeans et blouson de cuir
7. L'amour est Blue
8. Masachusetts
9. Georgy Girl
10. Somewhere, My Love
11. Beyer No. 91
12. Sakura Sakura

columbia*readymade COCP-34690
Out 3/5 4/16, ¥2100
Order: Amazon, HMV, Tower

Trivia!
Canceled (/postponed?) title:
Full Throttle Jazz Rock Band "zenkai de tobase ~ Ōyabu Haruhiko Sound Action"
フルスロットル・ジャズ・ロックバンド 「全開で飛ばせ　大藪春彦サウンドアクション」
COCP-34686