AOTW: Yellow Magic Orchestra (SP-736)

[Captain Bacardi]

Yellow Magic Orchestra
YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA
A&M/Horizon SP-736

Released 1979

Format: Vinyl/Cassette

Produced by Harry Hosono
Executive Producer: Kunihiko Murai
Supervised by Tommy LiPuma

Songs:

• 1. Computer Game (Theme from "The Circus") (Yellow Magic Orchestra) 6:38
  2. Firecracker (M. Denny) :02
  3. Simoon (C. Mosdell - H. Hosono) 6:28
  4. Cosmic Surfin' (H. Hosono) 4:27
  5. Computer Game (Theme from "The Invader") 1:00
  6. Yellow Magic (Tong Poo) (R. Sakamoto) 6:20
  7. La Femme Chinoise (C. Mosdell - Y. Takahashi) 6:05
  8. Bridge Over Troubled Music (Yellow Magic) 1:00
  9. Mad Pierrot (H. Hosono) 4:22

Musicians:
Ryuichi Sakamoto - Keyboards, Electronics, Percussion, Orchestration
Yukihiro Takahashi - Drums, Percussion, Electronics, Vocals
Haruomi Hosono - Bass, Electronics, Keyboards, Arrangements
Hideki Matsutake - Micro Composer Programming
Shunichi Hashimoto - Vocal on "Simoon"
Masayoshi Takanaka - Electric Guitar on "La Femme Chinoise" & "Cosmic Surfin'"
Tomoko Nunoi - Sexy Voice on "La Femme Chinoise"

Recorded at Studio 'A', Shibaura, Tokyo from July 10 to September 5, 1978
Engineered by Norio Yoshizawa & Atsushi Saito
Mixed at Capitol Records Studios, Hollywood from February 12 to February 16, 1979 by Al Schmitt
Mastered at The Mastering Lab, Hollywood by Mike Reese
Recording Coordinator: Shunsuke Miyazumi

Art Direction: Roland Young
Design: Amy Nagasawa and Chuck Beeson
Front Cover Art: Lou Beach
Back Cover Art: Masayoshi Sukita


Capt. Bacardi

 

[Dave]

Think I've heard about this Japanese Electronics group... Didn't think they were "Jazz" from the way X-100 Multiplies would be found in the "Rock" section at nearly ever used record store I've been to... Hardly see any of their albums here; this one must be a "rarity"...!


Dave

 

[jimac51]

Actually this album was included in a promo package that went to tons of record stores in its time-a leased record department in a store I managed must have had at least a dozen copies in the understock. I've seen lots of copies at record shows-all of them promos. I did keep one of the store copies for my kids who loved the video games sounds,which is most of what I remember from this album and the fact that it was pressed on-can you quess-YELLOW VINYL! I thought that this had a limited US CD release on a decent priced indi label a few years back but evidiently not-it is available as a pricy import. Notice the Martin Denny cover. I believe this was the first US release of music by Ryuichi Sakamoto who has done lots of film work like "The Last Emporer" and Merry Christmas,Mr. Lawrence". Though hardly qualifying as a jazz album,A&M was ahead of the times once again. Mac

 

[Rudy]

The track "Firecracker" was actually a big dance hit in 1979, which is the one I'm familiar with. The only LP I own of YMOs is "X ∞ Multiplies". They're in a similar technopop style as Kraftwerk.

Quite a career--he records for Sony Classical now, but has collaborated with artists as diverse as Thomas Dolby, David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Ceatano Veloso.

 

[jfiedler17]

I'm a little surprised to hear that the album's so obscure and hard to come by on CD these days, if just because Yellow Magic Orchestra (thanks to the minor success of "Computer Game") has the distinction in the U.S. of being one of only three Japanese acts to ever crack the Hot 100 singles chart. (The other two being Kyu Sakamoto and Pink Lady. (Incidentally, I'm too young to have ever seen the show, but I've heard stories! ))

Jeff F.

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Though hardly qualifying as a jazz album,A&M was ahead of the times once again. Mac

Yeah, by this time the Horizon label had little to do with jazz artists (although there are still a couple of jazz albums left in the series) and Horizon was just about to be a thing in the past.


Capt. Bacardi

 

[W.B.]

Wasn't amongst the last on Horizon, Brenda Russell's "So Good, So Right" (which I remember from late 1979)?

As for "Computer Game" . . . I vividly remember that number, too, from 1980.

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Wasn't amongst the last on Horizon, Brenda Russell's "So Good, So Right" (which I remember from late 1979)?

"So Good, So Right" was a song from Brenda's self-titled album. That was the third from last album on Horizon, as far as I know. The two afterwards that I have are Dr. John's Tango Palace and Ben Sidran's The Cat In The Hat. The Book of Flaws list more titles, but I'm not sure they were actual releases.


Capt. Bacardi

 

[jfiedler17]

Brenda Russell's "So Good, So Right" (good record!) was actually the most successful 45 release on Horizon, I believe. (Did any other 45 on Horizon chart Top 40, does anyone know? I can't think of one off-hand, but I could be wrong.)

Jeff F.

 

[Rudy]

...and in a strange bit of irony, YMO covered that Martin Denny song "Firecracker" on this album...and Denny just passed away yesterday. Posted an R.I.P. in our Small Circle forum.

 

[Mr Bill]

One of my favorite Horizon releases! I really got into Japanese pop with this one and A&M even started releasing selected recordings from Japan's Alfa Records (including this YMO LP) at the same time. Sheena & the Rokkets was another good one. BTW: you can find tons of YMO, Riyuichi Sakamoto (one of the three men in YMO) and Wendy Cds in Japan (of course)

I could go on for paragraphs about how much I love Japan's culture (both the native and the "Pop"), but I'll spare you. Mike in Yokosuka knows what I'm talking about. I just wish CDs were cheaper whjile I was there!

--Mr Bill

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Well, this was one of the more painful listening experiences I've had in quite a while. Admittedly, I'm not a fan of techno-pop, which is basically what this album is. "La Femme Chinoise" was about the only tune that was halfway worth listening to, but this is a forgettable album for my part. I can't believe this was released on Horizon, either.

Anybody wanna buy an album?


Capt. Bacardi
NP: Urbie Green - Green Power

 

[Rudy]

I'd give ya a couple of bucks for it, but that's it. The one track I'm familiar with I'd 'like to hear again, but beyond that, it's not my cup of tea either. I'm more of a Kraftwerk type myself.

 

[Mr Bill]

I'm more of a Kraftwerk type myself.

That's a strange statement! They are so similar! Kinda like WWII again only this time Germany and Japan attack with electronica!

--Mr Bill'
who loves all this sort of music, but prefers his electronica with a beat...

 

[Rudy]

I think YMO and Kraftwerk *are* similar, but the Kraftwerk has a different type of vibe to it--darker, more "techno" perhaps, where YMO is more "poppish". That's about all I can use to describe it, I guess! You have to figure that these bands were the roots of the "techno" and "trance" that is popular today.

Actually, if you like this kind of thing, the band Erasure from the mid 90s is also in a similar style, but more melodic. Remember Yazoo (known as Yaz in the U.S.)? That was basically a duo with Alison Moyet on vocals; the instrumentalist is half of the duo that makes up Erasure (which I didn't find out until a year or two after I bought their CD "Say, Say, Say").