Songs is the only studio album by the Tokyo band Sugar Babe, released on 25 April 1975 as the first record on Eiichi Ohtaki’s Niagara label. Little noticed at the time, it is now widely cited as the starting point of city pop.[1]
Recording
After rehearsals, the band began recording in late October 1974 across several Tokyo studios, with Ohtaki producing and Doji Fuefuki and Tamotsu Yoshida engineering.[1] The album was issued on Niagara through the independent label Elec, the same day as the single “Down Town”.[1]
Reception
Tatsuro Yamashita later recalled poor reviews and friction with major-label conventions, describing the record’s sound as “garage” — a roughness he credited for its staying power.[1] A sold-out show at Shibuya Jean-Jean after release brought the band its first encore.[1]
Reissues
A 1986 CD used a new, more reverberant Yoshida remix; the 1994 East West CD returned to the original master and added 1974 demos and live tracks from the 1976 farewell shows. A 30th-anniversary edition followed in 2005 and a 2-CD 40th-anniversary set in 2015.[1] In 2022 a signed original LP was valued at ¥500,000 on the TV programme Kantei Dan.[1]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Side A | |||
| 1. | “Show” | Tatsuro Yamashita | 3:28 |
| 2. | “Down Town” | Ginji Ito / Tatsuro Yamashita | 4:21 |
| 3. | “Shinkirō no Machi”蜃気楼の街 | Taeko Onuki | 2:58 |
| 4. | “Kaze no Sekai”風の世界 | Taeko Onuki | 3:26 |
| 5. | “Tameiki Bakari”ためいきばかり | 4:18 | |
| Side B | |||
| 6. | “Itsumo Dōri”いつも通り | Taeko Onuki | 3:34 |
| 7. | “Suteki na Melody”すてきなメロディー | Ito, Onuki, Yamashita / Onuki, Yamashita | 2:36 |
| 8. | “Kyō wa Nandaka”今日はなんだか | 4:28 | |
| 9. | “Ame wa Te no Hira ni Ippai”雨は手のひらにいっぱい | Tatsuro Yamashita | 3:37 |
| 10. | “Sugisarishi Hibi “60’s Dream””過ぎ去りし日々 | Ginji Ito / Tatsuro Yamashita | 3:31 |
| 11. | “Sugar”listed as a bonus | Tatsuro Yamashita | 5:52 |
Side breaks follow the original LP sequence; credits are given where documented.
Personnel
- Tatsuro Yamashita – vocals, guitar, keyboards
- Taeko Onuki – vocals, keyboards
- Kunio Muramatsu – vocals, guitar
- Jiro Terao – bass
- Hiroshi Uehara – drums
- Eiichi Ohtaki – producer
References
- “SONGS (シュガー・ベイブのアルバム)”. Wikipedia (Japanese). Retrieved 11 October 2026.
- “シュガー・ベイブ”. Wikipedia (Japanese). Retrieved 11 October 2026.
From the community
Nothing here yet — be the first to add a photo, a link or a pressing note.
Contribute to this page
Loading…