About this Record
NOVO was a legendary Japanese jazz-pop, soft-rock, and bossa nova ensemble fronted by vocalist Eri Hirose and masterminded by keyboardist, composer, and arranger Yutaka Yokokura (who later earned international acclaim for his iconic 1980 AOR/City Pop LP Love Light on Alfa Records). Formed in the early 1970s, the group recorded a handful of extraordinarily sophisticated, sunshine-kissed vocal jazz and soft-bossa grooves that remained ultra-rare holy grails for Japanese crate diggers for decades.
This release, catalog number SOLID-8, is an official reissue EP presented by Solid Records / Ultra-Vybe in collaboration with King Records. Housing four timeless recordings from 1973 across both sides—including the delicate Brazilian-influenced harmony pop of ‘Shiroi Mori’ (White Forest) and the breezy groove of ‘You Are The Sea’—this 7″ EP showcases the golden dawn of what would evolve into Tokyo’s sophisticated City Pop and fusion sounds. The jacket reproduces the sleek minimalist black artwork complete with vintage portrait insets of the quintet, accompanied by a modern barcode (4526180100331) on the rear sleeve.
Tracklist & Notes
- Side A:
- 白い森 (Shiroi Mori)
- この星の上で (Kono Hoshi no Ue de)
- Side B:
- 愛を育てる (Ai o Sodateru)
- YOU ARE THE SEA
Arranged and Produced by Yutaka Yokokura. Personnel: Eri Hirose (Vocals), Yutaka Yokokura (Electric Piano), Hideyasu O’ki (Fender Bass), Katsumi Yasui (Drums), Masami Yasui (Percussion). Manufactured by King Record Co., Ltd. / Distributed by Ultra-Vybe, Inc.
「YouTubeで見たことあるどころか、この曲、昔聴いたことがある……。たぶん付き合い始めのころ、夫が得意げに部屋でかけていた曲です。 」
(Wife’s thought: Wait, not only have I seen it on YouTube, I definitely remember hearing this before… Pretty sure it’s a song my husband proudly put on in his room back when we first started dating. )
