About this Record
Released in November 1973 on Toshiba EMI’s Express imprint, this rare promotional 7-inch single introduces ROW (ロウ), a four-woman harmony vocal group comprising Yasuko Kojima, Junko Soma, Yoshiko Sakuraba, and Kumiko Sugita. Backed by top-tier Japanese songwriting talent, the A-side features composition by legendary composer Kunihiko Murai (Alfa Records founder, famed for composing hits for Hi-Fi Set and The Tigers) paired with poetic lyrics by Michio Yamagami and lush string-laden orchestrations by Nozomi Aoki. The B-side, written and composed by group member Junko Soma, delivers an evocative, breezy early-70s soft rock and folk-pop ballad that foreshadows the emerging New Music and feminine City Pop sound.
Tracklist & Notes
Side A:
- 失われたもの達 (Ushinawareta Mono-tachi) [3:14]
Lyrics: Michio Yamagami / Music: Kunihiko Murai / Arrangement: Nozomi Aoki
Side B:
- 空が青いよ (Sora ga Aoi yo) [3:28]
Lyrics & Music: Junko Soma / Arrangement: Nozomi Aoki
Notes: Vintage Japanese original white label promo pressing (見本盤 / 非売品) indicating a November 5, 1973 release date stamped on the center label.
「当時売れていなかった匂いがプンプンしますね。とりあえず見本品だし買っとけと、見つけて買ったんじゃ..？」
(Wife’s thought: Everything about this screams that it didn’t sell back then. I bet he just found it and bought it on impulse thinking, “Well, it’s a promo copy, might as well grab it.”)
