Jun & Syuku (Pearl Sisters) - Nima · Wakareta Ano Hito / Ai No Tabibito (Promo; 1973)

Kind of remembering the Korean War (6.25), this album will be one of peculiar albums I post here.

there are many Korean folk albums only released in Japan because of the censorship of the Park Jung Hee regime, and many heavily political themed albums like 그날이 온다 (The Day Is Coming; manufactured by Kojima Recordings Inc.) and apart from political reasons, there are many Korean songs in Japanese and vice versa in 70 ~ 80s because popularity of Korean 70s Psychedelic musics and 80s Japanese Electronic Disco musics. (Amusingly, A-Musik covered Nilririya and Come Back To Port Busan)

Anyway, this single by Jun & Syuku (준과 숙; Pearl Sisters in Korea) is including one of the Shin Joong Hyun's popular track Nima (님아; Oh Dear) sung in Japanese despite Jun & Syuku's most tracks in Japanese albums are popular Japanese songs. I don't know very much about the background of this album, but this version of Nima track is very different than Korean ones (Yeah, there are lots of different version), quite fast paced than original version and arrangement of guitar and wind instruments are shine brilliantly.

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Me showing off some albums in Documentary "Retro : Dusting Off The Old Times".

Plus : I got a time off from work for 3 months, and for celebrating the "try to save money for changing my stereo", the big one is coming... some of you guys might hate spoilers, but it's original copy of John Duncan's Pleasure Escape, I'll try to post more frequently from now.

Toshiaki Tsushima - Battles Without Honor and Humanity Collection Soundtrack (1975)

Before listening this album, there's something I need to say. The official Japanese title is Jinginakitatakai sōshūhen (Saundo Torakku-ban) which means it's soundtrack collection from famous Yakuza movie pentalogy : Battles Without Honor and Humanity. But the tracks and album is more like summary of the story, most part is dialogue from the movie scenes and original score or musical tracks are quite mostly repeated.

And of course, there's soundtrack of this album released by Vap in 1995, and I'm totally into this series' soundtracks but, since the album contains 43 tracks... I think posting that is bit overkill for theme of this blog.

So back to the topic, this album is "soundtrack" collection of Battles Without Honor and Humanity pentalogy, and I liked this movie quite a lot. Since watching glamorized Korean gangster movies (I live in Korea and because of mainstream hype, I can't escape from it) so, the movie starts from 1946 in Hiroshima and showing of the starting of Yakuza family and desperation of the characters was quite fresh to me to watch.

I'm really glad I bought this album after watching the pentalogy, this album was in my wantlist since I was just collecting Japanese albums.

So, I can't explain more about this album, but sure thing is: watching a movie before listening this album will help a lot. Unless you can speak Japanese.

Opening Track (not from this album) · D/L · Discogs

P.S. Sally May album is coming soon :)

Random photo

One of insert in SQ Quadraphonic Album.