RK 50: Yen Records Samplers

9-15-08 RK50: Yen Records Samplers

Yellow Magic Orchestra’s Yen Records – well, specifically Takahashi & Hosono – a supreme Japanese 80’s technopop label. I have all of the Yen Label initial releases – but of considerable interest are Yen’s sampler titles:

LP YEN - WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS YEN/ALFA JPN YLR-28012

1983 10 TRKS Hajime Tachibana etc.

CD YEN - WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS ALFA JPN ALCA-5125

1983 10 TRKS / YEN BOX 2

CD3 YEN BOX CD3 BONUS DISC promo ALFA JPN ALZZ-20

1997 3 TRK CD Single CD3, promo-only

CD YEN BOX Vol. 1 - BONUS DISC ALFA JPN ALZZ-10

1996 18 TRKS / YEN BOX 1

CD YEN BOX Vol. 2 - BONUS DISC - FEMALE ALFA JPN ALZZ-14

1996 16 TRKS / YEN BOX 2

CD YEN BOX Vol. 2 - BONUS DISC - MALE ALFA JPN ALZZ-13

1996 16 TRKS / YEN BOX 2

LP YEN MANIFOLD Vol. 1 YEN/ALFA JPN YLR-22004

1983 9 TRKS

CD YEN MANIFOLD Vol. 1 ALFA JPN ALCA-5088

1983 9 TRKS / YEN BOX 1

CDx2 YEN RECORDS HISTORY - SINGLES YEN/ALFA JPN 50XA-249/50

1988 30 TRK Collection

CD YEN SAMPLER YEN/ALFA JPN ALCA-510

1985 17 TRKS Y.M.O. ETC

LP YEN SAMPLER YEN/ALFA JPN YLR-35001/2

1985 17 TRKS LP + 12", insert

Of particular note in this discography is the ALZZ-20 Yen Box CD3 Bonus Disc; this disc was only obtainable if you sent in coupons found in the Yen label 17 and 18 CD boxed sets, released in 1997. I didn’t know about it when I bought both boxes on one of my early visits to Japan, but a friend told me to make sure I had my coupons. I checked my boxes, and, sure enough, there the coupons were. I sent the coupons to my friend in Tokyo, and she submitted them to Alfa Records and they sent her this bonus CD3, which she sent to me.

“Yen Manifold” is a sampler LP, but it’s entirely unique material – best thing here is the cuts by Koji Ueno. There’s great material by Miharu Koshi, Jun Togawa etc. on most of these samplers.

At the time of the “Yen Sampler”, there was a Beta/VHS/LD release that is also very nice – but they only had videos for 6 or 7 artists.

Where the DVD?