Various
Nippon Girls
February 2013 marks the launch of Ace's new HIQLP series of high quality 12-inch albums pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged in heavy duty sleeves. By popular demand, the series kicks off with 'Nippon Girls', a fascinating celebration of the female side of Japan's 1960s pop scene. The LP features a dozen highlights from the CD of the same title issued on the Big Beat imprint a few years back - one of their best sellers. Compiled and annotated by DJ Sheila Burgel, a former Tokyo resident, the 'Nippon Girls' CD raised a few eyebrows, but girl pop maven Sheila knew what she was doing. The collection drew rave reviews across the board, becoming something of a left-field hit among the club crowd and young mod hipster types. Highly recommended to girl group fanciers, J Pop groovers and anyone else with a keen ear for eclectic sounds, the LP sports a fresh new cover (+ gatefold sleeve) featuring a bikini-clad Jun Mayuzumi designed by graphic artist Niall McCormack, who also created the 23-inch square poster found tucked inside. Tracklisting: SIDE ONE: 1. BLACK ROOM - Jun Mayuzumi 2. SHAROCK No. 1 - Mie Nakao 3. TSUKIKAGE NO RENDEZVOUS - Keiko Mari 4. KIIRO NO SEKAI - J Girls 5. PEACOCK BABY - Reiko Ohara 6. NAGISA NO TENSHI - Mieko Hirota. SIDE TWO: 1. WATASHI NO INORI - Rumi Koyama 2. SUKI SA SUKI SA SUKI SA - Nana Kinomi & Leo Beats 3. HATSU KOI NO LETTER - Miki Obata 4. AME AGARI NO SAMBA - Ryoko Moriyama 5. TAIYOU WA NAITE IRU - Ayumi Ishida 6. KOI NO YOROKOBI - Sayuri Yoshinaga With Schoolmates.