Y.M.O. (Japanese page)

I'm a great Yukihiro fan. Please visit my Yukihiro page(actually, in Japanese). I think Sakamoto's recent music is dull. So, I can't listen to his recent music. But I like his vocal. I think his only good albums are "Thousand Knives" and "B-2 Unit". Harry was gone to another world he made, I can't follow him any more. (/_;) By the way, I named my PCs "cue" and "mass". Next, I will name my new PC "ut" or "camouflage".

Don't write YMO!

Why? Okay, Sakamoto had said "I don't like to abbreviate YMO" in his FM broadcast before BGM was released. I don't know what he thinks about the YMO expression after that time. I'm particular about Y.M.O. notation. It's important.

Victor's Y.M.O. video

The video "Yellow Magic Orchestra" was released as a VHS cassette, I want a Laser Disk version of it. But, I think it is impossible that it will be released as LD, because the distributor is Victor who were a VHD company. It was a competitor of LD.
The originals were Victor's '82 and '83 VHS videos. It includes Greek Theatre live and some video clips. The sources are the same as Greek Theatre CD. It is hi-fi stereo.

Yellow Magic Orchestra CSMV-43(VT) 1/21/85
  1. Castalia
  2. Tong Poo
  3. Cosmic Surfin'
  4. Thousand knives
  5. Radio Junk
  6. Computer Game
  7. Technopolis
  8. Rydeen
  9. Solid State Survivor
  10. Behind the Mask

Unreleased song?

The song "India" got into "Period" which is Y.M.O. research book in Japanese. I've heard that Harry planed to use "India" instead of "Firecracker" in the first album at first. But, I think if "India" was used instead of "Firecracker", the first album would not have sold as much and A&M might not have made a contract with ALFA. (^.^;;) Harry changed his mind. He wanted to release it in his own album (Harry Hosono and Yellow Magic Band). It never put any albums or singles.

Vocals in live albums

Were all of Yukihiro's vocals replaced in live albums? This is a victory of advanced technology. The technology can correct their mistakes. I don't want to correct their mistakes when live albums are released. If you have both a live album and the FM broadcasting, you can see the difference.

Technopolis color vinyl

I want Technopolis in pink vinyl. I saw it in auctions, but the minimum bid was 10,000 yen. That is a promotional copy.

TONG POO ALFA-1001 (12") promotional copy

I want this too. Why would the price be from 10,000 yen to 100,000 yen in the auction? I saw it in another shop, It was 50,000 yen. (@_@) I can never buy it!

Why was "Jiseiki" mono(monaural)?

"Jiseiki" used for Fuji commercial. Simply, the budget was inconvenient. Unbelievable!

The title of Solid State Survivor

That name would have been "Metamer" but it was changed "Solid State Survivor". "Metamer" came from Harry's "Metapop".

"Kageki na Shukujo" karaoke YMO-2

This flexible record has "karaoke" notation on the label. However, it is not karaoke.

Tighten up long version

"TIGHTEN UP" MS AMSP 8104 A&M UK is the same as the Japanese version. But, MS AMS 12.9117 A&M Holland picture sleeve looks very much like the UK one. So, if you are negligent, it is the long version, the same as MS SP-17136 A&M LongVersion USA. These are the differences. So, if you find something, you should carefully check play time, country, etc.

Japanese records' labels and obis(paper straps)

In Japanese records, there are two kinds of Victor labels and one kind of Warner label. The first Victor label is a red painted circle, then it was changed a purple ALFA triangle mark. The Warner label is white. Some records have picture labels. So, there are many combinations according to the album. Also, there are a few different kinds of obis. Especially, "Solid State Survivor," which has many kinds of labels and obis. It began as colored vinyl notation obi, yellow obi, red obi and so on. I recommend you should check which ones you have. If you have Warner's records before "Naughty Boys", they were reissues. You can know whether it is the original or a reissue by the label whether your records are from Victor. The first album was reissued from Warner too. So, if you buy it from a used record shop, you should check the label and the distributor.
Also, there are a few kinds of ALFA sleeves according to the single EP.

The first USA album

LP SP 736 Horizon USA is interesting. The Yellow Vinyl Promotion has Double Side Labels. It's normal. But another Yellow Vinyl version, which is not promotional, has Single Side Label. All of the song titles on are one side. However, the Black Vinyl version has Double Side Labels too. And Firecracker's play time is printed as ":02". Is it only "Dodoooooooon!"? The UK version has correct "4:37" notaion.

Promotional and official copies in the USA

I frequently saw "This is the US promotional rare copy!" in Tokyo area used record shops. I can't believe it. I thought Y.M.O. were not popular in the USA. I can find BGM or Multiplies LP in the US used record shops. Almost all those LPs have "Promotional Copy, Not For Sale" stamped on them. For example, I found about ten BGM LPs in the USA, Only one was an official copy and the others were promotional copies.

Overseas "Rydeen" circumstances

I wonder why Rydeen's intro "Chichiki..." was lacking in overseas records. Is the master tape missing the intro?

Technodelic Japanese original issue

There is a rumor going around that there are 5,000 Technodelic first copies which had a lady picture sleeve (not Y.M.O. members). Does anyone have it? The check points are two: the distributor is Victor and there is "Gentei (limited)" notation on the obi.
[Derek: I saw a copy of this cover when "Technodelic" first was released first on vinyl. The CD version in the USA as the same woman on its cover].

long version

In overseas records, some songs are mentioned as "long version". But, Yellow Magic (Tong Poo) MS AMSP 7447 Horizon Yellow Vinyl UK is normal length. Other song versions released overseas were shorter than the original Japanses versions. Also, Riot in Lagos MS 12.IS.139 Island UK is normal length. On the other hand, there are many short versions. I like Everytime I Look Around EP SPU 0004 Pickup Germany short version. (*^_^*)

How many copies of MASS were sold?

The Japanese MASS EP is very rare. How many copies were sold? By chance, I have a promotional copy. MASS EP ALR-742 had a poor sale. It was released 1981 when I was a high school student. I saw it but I didn't buy it. After that time, I had seen it only twice. Of course, I bought both of them (official and promotional).
There is another promotional copy of MASS. It has a fold triangle special package. The package was designed by Pierre Cardin. I had seen it twice in auctions, but I couldn't buy it.
By the way, Y.M.O.'s analogue single box was pressed in Australia. Isn't there a record press company in Japan?

BUN's jam toast

There is a cafe which is named "BUN" in the ALFA record building (currently ALFA music). You just get off at "Tamachi JR station". It is very famous. "Pure Jam" came from BUN's jam toast. I wanted to know if it was really ugly or not. So, I tried it with Mr.Yamada. We ordered jam toast. But the jam toast had nothing wrong with it. It was not wrapped aluminum foil. And it was delicious. (?.?) 
Yamada   : Excuse me?  Has the taste of this Jam Toast been changed?
Waitress : I don't think so. 
Yamada   : It is delicious!
Waitress : Eh?
We concluded that BUN's jam toast is delicious if it is not a delivered dish. If you can order BUN's jam toast, could you try it and report the result? Oops, there is no BUN any more and ALFA music moved out that building.

NHK antenna

When you go to NHK in Shibuya, you can see the antenna which appears in the Technopolis video clip. Alphabet letters (T,E,C,H,N,..) come out of that antenna in the video.

Are Tokyo record prices correct?

In Shinjuku, Shibuya and Nakano area, the used record shops make high offers for Y.M.O.'s overseas or promotional copies. By the way, I went to more than 300 used record shops in Tokyo area.
But Y.M.O. records are cheap in the US. I asked more than 100 used record shops in the US. For example, the price of a 45 RPM EP promotional copy is $2 to $5. If you are inclined to find them, you can see them in the 99c. box. The US used record shops rarely have a Y.M.O. section. Y.M.O. is junk for those normal shops. The prices of LPs are $5 to $10. I found sealed Multiplies for only $4. Also, I found the same one in another shop that was $7. You can see that Y.M.O. records are not expensive in the US. Multiplies cassette were only $2. This is different from Japanese cassettes. It has directly printed strings on cassette half. The sleeve is in the cassette case.
However, some used record shops that deal with Japan in the US make high offers ($20 or more) for these recordings. For example, if you find The YMO Micro Sampler 5" YMO-5 A&M YellowVinyl USA Promotion, you can buy it for $5 in the US normal used record shops. In a certain shop, a clerk said it is $35. I asked him "Isn't this too expensive? Isn't the usual price $5 to $10?". He answered "Japanese dealers always accept this price". For your information, I saw it for 18,000 yen and 25,000 yen in Tokyo. Recently, it has been more expensive. Furthermore, he told me how many he had sold. In fact, I've seen them in a certain Tokyo shop he sold them to. The prices are ridiculous. (>_<) Recently, Japanese dealers have been coming to the US and breaking into record shows. He told me Y.M.O. records are hard to obtain in the US. Maybe this is the same situation in the UK.
If you are rich man, you bring 1,000,000 yen to Tokyo and can get almost any overseas Y.M.O. records.
If you want to know anything about Y.M.O., please let me know. I will answer your question as far as I know.
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Special Thanks: Jonas Warstad, Derek Currie, Paul Rymer's Y.M.O. page
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