compiled by Nicholas D. Kent
email: ndkent "at" optonline.net
Last updated 00.1.2
(*) means I don't own this album
(@) means I've listened to it, but don't own a copy
info on several obscure releases: Takeyasu Sasagawa
by Hiroshi Fujiwara, Gota Yashiki, Kudo, Akitsugu Doi
This was the first of the remix albums. A good effort, fun, better than many others, though not exactly necessary. The vinyl version has secret messages on the spine and some sound effects on a secret track on side B. Side one is a medley, like the In the 90s series. Side 2 has stand alone pieces.
This one has a nothing special beat and some added sax for no real reason.
In the early 90s Alfa commissioned a remix ep for just about every artist they once had signed. The format was always the same. A name, international remix artist puts together a medley of samples of old songs with new beats. Then a much shorter edit is presented. They are all out of print. This YMO remix can still be found in it's full length version on the Best of album Kyoretsu na Rhythm, which came out in the U.S.
Fans on the YMO mailing list detested this. I approached it, not as YMO but as a Human League single and was amused by it. While it probably has a couple samples, "cover version" is a much better discription. Out of print. Probably quite collectable.
Hi-Tech/No Crime The YMO Remix Album1992 Alfa ALCA-323
this is the original Japanese release |
hi-tech / no crime / Yellow Magic Orchestra Reconstructed1993 Moonshine Music (U.S.) M50088-2
The Sweet Exorcist Remix is listed on the U.S. front cover but is not on the disc! Firecracker-Tong Poo Remixed by Mark Gamble is on the Japanese issue, but not the U.S. version. Out of print.
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hi-tech/u.s. crime(*)1993 (Japan version)
this is a Japanese release incorporating previously US only tracks, but isn't identical |
YMO VS The OrbThe Tong Poo Remixes1993 ALCA-506
All three are somewhat similar. but not on the album length CDs |
Techno Bible contained the following remixes in this series:
The Something Wonderful remix is more creative than most and only heard here it seems
now another round of remixes:
(@)99.11.3 cd: VICL-60483, 2LP: VIJL-60045/46
(*) and 2? 12" singles
This is the one with the Kraftwerk-ish male toy dolls on the cover. Remixes/Covers by TOWA TEI, Y. KONISHI, H. TOKIWA, Y. SUNAHARA, KEN ISHII, F.P.M., SUGIZO, DRAGON ASH, DJ HASEBE, etc. As usual there are addl tracks on the vinyl for collectors, the vinyl is limited edition as the majority of vinyl (called "analog" in Japan) releases are these days. There are at least two 12" singles. I listened to most of the CD and didn't find it interesting enough to buy. The Sugizo track was memorable as it favorably exceeded my expectations while most other artists I had higer expectations for dissapointed. Its interesting this and the followup are on JVC which hasn't been associated with YMO before.
00.11.22 Victor CD: VICL-606532, LP: VIJL-60073-4
This is the one with the female dolls on top of the pinball machine and even though it has a lower number in the name, it came out a year later.
Got no idea what that reference with the girl dolls on the cover art is supposed to mean other than just to be opposite of the above. The female dolls wear cloths based seemingly on Takahashi's band costume designs and stand on a pinball game (not a video game). This one has Matsutake which certainly adds credibility and except for Denki Groove the artists in general are much less known than the earlier "remix". I'm a friend of Sunao Inami (ENML) and he turned in an excellent cover version using some very modern German synth gear.
1.Opening from the Past - Hideki Matsutake 2.Technopolis (Denki's Techtropolis-RMX) [remixed by Denki Groove] 3.La femme Chinoise (Groove That Soul Mix) [remixed by Satoshi Hidaka (from GTS)] 4.Tong poo (DJ Celory Remix) [remixed by DJ Celory (from Soul Scream)] 5.Insomnia (Dry & Heavy Remix) [remixed by Dry & Heavy] 6.Jiseiki - Hirake Kokoro (Good-Bye Bus Mix) [remixed by Hiroyuki Hayashi (from Polysics)] 7.Rydeen (Yamada Man Remix) [remixed by Yamada Man (from Rappagariya)] 8.Cosmic Surfin' (Merry-Go-Round Mix) [remixed by Eye (from Boredoms)] 9.Behind the Mask (Farewell, Mr. S3000 Remix) [remixed by Taku (from m-flo)] 10.Key (Forest 808 Mix) [remixed by ENML] [swapped with the non-CD 'Hard Coincidental Mix' on the LP(*)] 11.You've Got To Help Yourself (Pop'LasT-c'mix) [remixed by Pop] 12.Closing for the Future - Hideki Matsutake (CD: VICL-60653) |
Bonus LP(*) tracks
13.Absolute Ego Dance (Denki's Eisa-RMX) [remixed by Denki Groove]
14.Rydeen (Instrumental) [remixed by Yamada Man (from Rappagariya)]
15.You've Got To Help Yourself (Pop's banana trap Mix) (2-LP: VIJL-60073-4)
There's a new "the best" album that combines some of both of these releases along with some though not all of the vinyl only material. |
(*)COCD-9221
co-produced by Yukihiro Takahashi.. This is an album of string quartet cover versions by the Balanescu Quartet. They had previously done a popular album with Kraftwerk covers. In this case they had the cooperation and production from an original member of YMO
98.10.21 toys factory CD: TFCK-87963-4
Coldcut is a U.K. electronica act on the Ninja Tune label. Why they are here is this version of their remix album, different from the one sold outside Japan has a very impressive lineup of remixers, most notably Yukihiro Takahashi, Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto each remix a track, something I believe has never happened all on the same album before. While I'm not bowled over by the remixes of music material, it does make pretty good listening and both Hosono and Sakamoto remix the same track so its a good comparison opportunity to compare the 2.
I assume the cassette box is the same as the LP box. 4 cassetes or LPs with a total of 36 tracks. The main non-album singles, nothing rare in terms of tracks. Comes in a box with booklet of notes and drawings by members, lyric sheets and a publicity photo. The 2 CD versionis not a limited edition, has only 31 tracks. This set did help me to decern the composing styles of the individual members because it is arranged so as to listen to a whole album's worth of each member at a time.
Hosono disk
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Takahashi disk
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Sakamoto disk
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YMO disk
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198? cassette: Alfa ALC-32003.
Side A
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Side B
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Paul Rymer: I'm not sure when this came out. I bought it in London in 1987, but it must have come out long before that. Seems to be a special edition. There's a coupon on the lyric sheet with a tear-off token and a list of several products including a "Best One" compilation video (various artists) and some tennis shoes (they are illustrated alongside a picture of Jimmy Connors, bet you never thought his name would appear in connection with Y.M.O.)! The tape has an outer slipcase with all the titles in Japanese only, a still from the "Firecracker" video on the front and a colour group shot (from 1980) on the spine. There is also a Y.M.O. Family "Best One" tape (Alfa ALC-32004), which has a colour photo of Sandii on the front, wearing an "exotic" outfit made from gold lame and tinfoil. It includes a couple of the rarer singles tracks (e.g. Lexington Queen) but very annoyingly omits the best "Family" tracks ("Drip Dry Eyes" etc). All the material is from 1979-80 and there are no solo YT or HH numbers.
(*)1987
Disc 1
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Disc 2
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1991 Restless (US) 7 72574-2, 1992 Alfa
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(U.S. Version)
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Out of Print
Includes a CD size hardcover book with : track info and lyrics, Discography, Biographies, Interview with Hosono, Quotes from other bands, photos. Tachibana design.
Disk 1/The Early
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Disk2/The Middle
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Disk 3/The Later
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Disk 4/The Live
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Disk 5/Remixes and Rare Tracks
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Produced by Haruomi Hosono
The are foreign singles edits. For completists. Out of print.
Disc 1
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Disc 2
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BONUS TRACKS
Originally typed by Takeyasu "Ambie" Sasagawa
Nothing rare. This series is 2 discs for the price of 1.
(@) 1996 2-CD ALCA-5107,5108
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info from Hiroshi MURATA
(*) 99.9.22 TOCT-24231/2
Remastered by H. Hosono. 2 unreleased "unplugged" acoustic version of songs. Won't exactly satisfy anyone looking for new tracks.
This seems to be the last release of Toshiba's (semi)control of YMO's catalogue. In 2003 YMO reissues start from Sony
Here goes One More YMO collection. As the name implies it won't be the last. I think they throw in some acoustic non-album versions. |
See my best of Hosono page. Includes an acoustic cover by YMO, some representative YMO tracks and an interesting unreleased live non-electronic version of Firecrackers with Sakamoto on piano. Out of Print
The UC premium version comes with a Takashi designer shirt that's too small for the average Westerner. | These tracks were apparently re-remastered and there is a separate non-compatible SACD release. |
Alfa Record Sales promotion sampler 1983
the above may be the same as the 1983 promo 7" The Spirit of Techno YMO-2
Toshiba EMI (Pocketful of Rainbows)
Sales promotion sampler Technodon live/1993 Toshiba EMI (Same as the album "Technodon Live")
Tong Poo special D.J. copy/1978 Alfa Record(12")
Alfa Record '80/1980 Alfa Record(12")
Cue/1981 Alfa Record(7")
YMO in the '90s/1991 Alfa Record(12")
Hi-Tech/No Crime/1992 Alfa Record(12")
YMO remixes/1993 Toshiba EMI(12")(be a superman,waterford)
September 90 Mixes 1/1990 DMC(12")(Firecracker House Remix etc)
Space Invaders Chapter one (Same as BBC Transcription Services - bootleg CD made circa 1991)
Tokyo:Tokuma Shoten. This book comes with a mini-CD. It includes Tong Poo (Live at LA in 1980) and M-16 (original in the video Propaganda).
Note: while unconfirmed it's near certain any YMO DVDs manufactured in Taiwan are pirate and or bootleg.
(Toshiba TOVP-1329, VHS only) 3,800 yen released 1999.11.10 47 min. mono & stereo
Toshiba collects all of the 'proper' YMO music video clips together in one place - at last! (probably out of print)
by Ron Kane
(@) (Toshiba TOLF-1320, LD) 4,800 yen, released 1999.09.22 MONO 73 min
Ron Kane writes:
The 'complete' concert from November 1, 1979 @ Hurrah's in NYC. Previously 'unreleased' live cuts are "Castalia", "Radio Junk", "Tong Poo" and "1000 Knives" (which is over 10 minutes long!). Probably out of print.
NDK writes: I recall there is a regular Hurrah that's not so complete. It is kind of lengthy.
(@) Sony DVD SRBL-1033
Ivar de Vries writes:
Simple but effective is how one can describe this 1981 concert plus
movie directed by Tsuneo Matsuzaki. The concert took place in a hall in Tokyo,
although the 'Prologue' clip suggests it did inside some enormous chemical factory.
This intro nicely sets up the feel for the whole thing: the clips and drawings
that intersect images from the concert mix retro space-age modernism with 1920s
megalomania, all slightly Soviet Union in character. The concert-stage has the
three YMO members standing behind large blocks of furniture in front of a three-coloured
wall with some large neon lights on it. Green is associated with Sakamoto, blue
goes with Takahashi, red with Hosono and somewhere to the side Hideki Matsutake
can occasionally be glimpsed. The cameramen and audience had to do a lot of
glimpsing, because for most of the show the three remain hidden in the shadows,
wearing big headphones. Only during the first live track 'Pure Jam' do we see
some clear shots of the musicians and their instruments. Most other tracks from
then-current Technodelic album are also played plus 5 earlier tracks. Live they
have a bit more "bite" than they do on the albums. The Technodelic
music is quite sparse and industrial sounding, images like from ocean liner
shipyards and skyscrapers in progress enforce this idea. Only very occasionally
this mood is broken: the little romantic piano solo in 'Stairs', the encore
'Cosmic Surfin'. Deviations from the studio-material are small, Sakamoto plays
some frankly awful electric guitar during 'Neue Tanz' and 'Happy End' is a cross
between his solo 'Frontline' single flipside and its abstract distillation on
YMO's BGM. After Takahashi's showpiece 'Cue' (with Sakamoto taking over the
drums) the lights come on for the grand and hilarious finale that is 'Taiso'.
A bunch of gymnasts plus instructor with megaphone do their act, the lyrics
seem to come straight from some Soviet factory worker's manual on how to keep
fit. This great 1-hour movie predictably closes out with the nostalgic 'Epilogue'
over the end-titles.
NDK adds-
Between songs illustration by early 1930s Soviet architect Iakov Chernikov appear. They were reprinted around the time of the show in a Japanese architecture magazine. Because of the Stalin Era becoming more and more repressive he created architectural fantasies that were never built and were published in rare books and for the most part forgotten until scholars about 2 decades ago began reprinting them. YMO used a no longer published special issue of Process Architecture magazine.
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