The Japanese soul/groove song compilation “Akasaka Soul” released in 2014 has been reissued as a 2-CD set. Furthermore, the new edition will be released on analog from a French label!

Detroit Memphis and Akasaka

During the economic growth period of the Showa era, Akasaka, Minato Ward, was the center of popular music in Japan.

Coincidentally, the Tamla-Motown Festival was held in Japan and Akasaka MUGEN opened in 1968, and for about 10 years, Nippon Columbia, which was headquartered in Akasaka at the time, released a compilation of Japanese soul and groove songs called “Akasaka”.・Soul”. Released in 2014, the original version and the cover version, which are currently sold at high prices on the used market, have been re-released in one package.

In addition, a new edition with 8 carefully selected songs from the original version and 2 new songs will be released as LP under the name “Akasaka Soul Funk” from the French label “180g”, which focuses on releasing Japanese music. . At the same time, it will be digitally distributed from Nippon Columbia to the world.

[Commentary: Kazunori Harada]

*Click here to listen to the digest

Disc1 https://youtu.be/iKuKrxURUmE?si=cX7xzM140CUbzJ0l

Disc2 https://youtu.be/TeDWVmpnsZI?si=ii2Nl8NdcJq-q5kZ

(CD)

Akasaka Soul Deluxe

Akasaka Soul Deluxe

40 Masterpieces of Japanese Soul 1968-1978

Released on January 29, 2025

(2CD) COCP-42389-90 List price: ¥3,080 (tax excluded price ¥2,800)

■Product HP: https://columbia.jp/prod-info/COCP-42389-90/

[Contents included]

Disc1 Original Edition Originals

1. Singer Lady/Hatsumi Shibata

2. Even without you/Mieko Hirota

3. Someday, somewhere/Miki Hirayama

4. Baby, be brave / Masaaki Sakai

5. Happy Day/TAN TAN

6. Stomp and Shooter/Sammy

7. Let me hear it again/Hatsumi Shibata

8. No/Strawberry Jam

9. Old clothes/Hatsumi Shibata

10. Soul Lady/Mieko Hirota

11. Nabeyoko Soul/Shinji Maki and Black Jack

12. Let’s go home, let’s go home (Single Version) / Akira Yasuda and Beat Folk

13. People who rush into the night (Album Version) / Naomi Chiaki

14. Theme of “Detective Doberman” / Mieko Hirota

15. Sailor’s Scream/Tzu Ni Vu

16. Sprout and then / Keiko Saijo

17. I don’t understand / Mieko Kaneda

18. If it’s a firebird/Hatsumi Shibata

19. At a country church/Masaaki Sakai

20. Alone Sorrow/Thu Ni Vu

Disc 2 Covers

1. Superstition/Mieko Hirota

2. Rock Steady/Sammy

3. Get Ready/De Sooners

4. What’s Going On / Akira Okazawa

5. Nightmare You Haven’t Done Nothin’/Mieko Hirota

6. Day Dreaming/Sammy

7. I Got The Feelin’/Zu Nie Vu

8. Licking Stick-Licking Stick/Walking in Space

9. Loving You Was Like A Party/Mieko Hirota

10. Feel Like Makin’ Love/Hatsumi Shibata

11. Try A Little Tenderness/Jackie Yoshikawa and Blue Comets

12. Shotgun/L & Gimgin

13. Soul Sister, Brown Sugar/Zu Nie Vu

14. Sunny/Miki Hirayama

15. I Who Have Nothing/TAN TAN

16. Day Tripper/Walking in Space

17. Land Of Thousand Dances/Isao Eto & The Black Panthers

18. Boogie Joe, The Grinder

/ Jiro Inagaki & His Friends (Featuring Akira Yasuda)

19. Imagination (I’ve Got To Use My) Imagination/Mieko Hirota

20. Another Star/Hatsumi Shibata

(digital distribution)

Akasaka Soul Funk

Akasaka Soul Funk

10 Masterpieces of Japanese Soul Funk 1969-1977

Distribution starts on February 28, 2025

COKM-45315

■Product HP: https://columbia.jp/prod-info/COKM-45315/

1. Soul Lady/Mieko Hirota

2. Nabeyoko Soul/Shinji Maki and Black Jack

3. Happy Day/TAN TAN

4. Sad love story/Kenji Niinuma

5. Old clothes/Hatsumi Shibata

6. No/Strawberry Jam

7. Even without you/Mieko Hirota

8. Let’s go home, let’s go home (Single Version) / Akira Yasuda and Beat Folk

9. 20 year old love/Miki Hirayama

10. Baby, be brave / Masaaki Sakai

*LP released by French label (180g)

https://wamono.bandcamp.com/album/akasaka-soul-funk-1969-1977