Warner-Pioneer Japan (incl. some Elektra/Atlantic) info/history

[steelydave]

The majority of this stuff is a massive series of what looks to be Japanese market easy listening comps - if you're interested in the Western imports, there's a small batch near the end of this post.

Below is some information from a site that I found a lot of these on, explaining what they are - I translated it to English and edited it for clarity as I think it gives a good bit of context:

In the early 1970's, record companies began actively releasing not only hit songs from their own artists but also instrumental arrangements including hits from other companies. Too many countless LPs are on sale, and here we will focus on Warner / Pioneer who had Eiko Shuri.

By the way, these are not karaoke, but works where the guitar, saxophone, trumpet etc are playing the main melody which is the part of the song. Also, from a serene arrangement to a bold arrangement like a completely different song, it is characterized by being able to enjoy different ways from the original.

Release date is from 1972 to around 1973, all are released from Atlantic Label. Originally it was mainly featuring Ichihara Akihiko's drum and Mika Teruhiko's tenor sax. Increasing the variation gradually, those with the guitar, bass and Hammond organ as the main instrument were also released.

Many jackets are double jacketed with a square or oval surface die-cut. Usually a picture of a woman printed on the inside of a jacket looks through this small window. Embossed fancy paper, such as Lesac 66, which reproduces texture of leather is used, this is also an unusual point.

【About 4 channel sound】

The titles with "Q" at the beginning of the catalog number were recorded in 4 channel stereo.

Four-channel stereo software of various standards were released around the beginning of the 1970's. In Japan, the Recording Industry Association of Japan has adopted SQ method, RM method, CD-4 method, Electronic Mechanical Manufacturers Association (EIAJ, present · JEITA) is RM method, CD -4 method as a standard.

In 1972, this series, which had been on sale with the SQ method, was changed to RM type from 1973 with the standardization unification.

As with my other label posts, the catalog numbers are linked to either discogs entries for the item, or some other (hopefully permanent) webpage if there is no discogs entry.

Atlantic Japan:
QL-5030A/QL-5031A - ひとりじゃないの／純潔 北国行きで, 華麗なるヒット･バラエティー･ベスト 40 ('The Brilliant Variety Best Hit 40') [SQ]
QL-5032A/QL-5033A - あなたに賭ける／死んでもいい 華麗なるヒットバラエティー･ベスト 40 ('The Brilliant Variety Best Hit 40') [SQ]
QL-5034A/QL-5035A - 漁火恋唄／悲しみよこんにちわ 華麗なるドラム･ベスト･ヒット 40 ('The Brilliant Drum Best Hit 40') [SQ]
QL-5036A/QL-5037A - 漁火恋唄 華麗なるテナー･ベスト･ヒット 40 ('The Brilliant Tenor Best Hit 40') [SQ]
QL-5038A/QL-5039A - 漁火恋唄／じんじんさせて 華麗なるドラム･テナー･ベスト･ヒット 40 ('The Big Drum And Tenor Saxophone Best Hit 40') [SQ]
QL-5040A/QL-5041A - 春のおとずれ／劇場 (見捨てられた子のように) 華麗なるヒット･バラエティー･ベスト 40 ('The Brilliant Variety Best Hit 40') [RM]

QL-6055A - Twin Guitars, Warner Beatniks ‎– ひとリじゃないの /幸福泥棒, The Miracle Guitar Best Hit 20 [SQ]
QL-6056A - ひとりじゃないの／待っている女 - 華麗なるミラクル･ハーモニカ･ベストヒット 20 ('The Miracle Harmonica Best Hit 20') [SQ]
QL-6057A - (Unknown title)
QL-6058A - あなただけでいい／ベイビー - 華麗なるドラム･ベスト･ヒット 20 ('Big Drum Best Hit 20') [SQ]
QL-6059A - Teruhiko Mikasa, Brilliant Pop 77 ‎– あなただけでいい / 旅の宿, Big Tenor Saxophone Best Hit 20 [SQ]
QL-6060A - あなただけでいい／旅の宿 - 華麗なるギター･口笛ベスト･ヒット 20 ('Guitar & Whistling Best Hit 20') [SQ]
QL-6061A - 京のにわか雨／芽ばえ - 華麗なるビートオルガン･ベストヒット20 [SQ] ('Brilliant Beat Organ Best Hit 20') [SQ]
QL-6062A - 市原明彦, Warner Beatniks, 三笠輝彦 ‎– 京のにわか雨/夜汽車 The Big Drum And Tenor Saxophone Best Hit 20 [SQ]
QL-6063A - (Unknown title)
QL-6064A - ツゥイン・ギターズ／ワーナー・ビートニックス - 虹をわたって/夜汽車の女 ('The Miracle Guitar Best Hit 20') [SQ]
QL-6065A - 京のにわか雨／虹をわたって - 華麗なるヒットバラエティー･ベストヒット 20 ('The Brilliant Variety Best Hit 20') [SQ]
QL-6066A - (Unknown title)
QL-6067A - 市原明彦, ワーナー・ビートニックス* ‎– 虹をわたって / 死んでもいい 華麗なるドラム・ベスト・ヒット20 = Big Drum Best Hit 20 [SQ]
QL-6068A - 三笠輝彦 ‎– あなたに賭ける / 死んでもいい 華麗なるテナー・ベスト・ヒット20 = Big Tenor Saxophone Best Hit 20 [SQ]
QL-6069A - (Unknown title)
QL-6070A - ツゥイン・ギターズ, スリー・トランペッターズ, ブリリアント・ポップス77 - 漁火恋唄,The Brilliant Variety Best Hit 20 ‎[SQ]
QL-6071A - ツゥイン・ギターズ, Warner Beatniks - 漁火恋唄•あなたの灯, The Miracle Guitar Best Hit 20 [SQ]
QL-6072A - 三笠輝彦, ブリリアント・ポップス77 ‎– ふたりの日曜日 / おきざりにした悲しみは 華麗なるヒット・バラエティー・ベスト・ヒット 20 = The Brilliant Variety Best Hit 20 [RM]
QL-6073A - 竹部秀明　雨のヨコハマ・ふたりの日曜日　美女／ほぼ美盤 - ('The Beat Bass Best Hit 20') [RM]
QL-6074A - (Unknown title)
QL 6075A - (Unknown title)
QL-6076A - 市原明彦, ワーナー・ビートニックス - The Big Drum Best Hit 20 [RM]
QL-6077A - 春のおとずれ (見捨てられた子のように) 華麗なるテナー･ベスト･ヒット 20 ('The Big Tenor Saxophone Best Hit 20')
QL-6078A - ツゥイン・ギターズ, Warner Beatniks - 春のおとずれ・狙いうち-華麗なるミラクル・ギター・ベスト・ヒッ ト 20-Miracle 20 Guitar [RM]


Warner Japan
QL-8004W - ジョージ川口、猪股猛、原田イサム、日野元彦 / 四つのジャズドラム ('Takeshi Inomata/George Kawaguchi/Motothiko Hino/Isamu Harada w/Warner Beatniks - 'Four Jazz Drums / Drummer Man Drums')
QL-8008W - 前田憲男* ・ 中村八大* ・ 宮川泰* ・ 鈴木邦彦* ‎– 四つのジャズピアノ ('Big 4 Competitive Performance') [SQ]
QL-8009W - 沢田駿吾,杉本喜代志,中牟礼貞則,水谷公生 - 競演四つのジャズ・ギター ('A Summit Of Guitar Quartet 'Big 4 / A Competitive Performance') [SQ]

(The Warner Japan titles all seem to be jazz albums that are like 'live in the studio' battle type affairs. I couldn't find any info but I suspect there are more of these, ie the missing numbers 8001W to 8003W and 8005W to 8007W at the very least.)


Japanese Market CD-4
QL-10001? - Hannyashinkyo (need more info)
QL-10002W - Warner Beatniks, New Jazz Sextet ‎– 四つの音源によるジャズコンポジション ('Jazz In Quadraphonic')
QL-10003W - Agnes Chan / Wish / Masao Kusakari / Hiromi Kurita (アグネス・チャン / ウイッシュ / 草刈正雄 / 栗田ひろみ)
QL-10004E - Grape / Akiko Kosaka 'New Music Collections In CD-4' (グレープ・小坂明子 'ニュー・ミュージック・コレクション')
QL-10005A - Pedro & Capricious / Eiko Shuri 'CD-4 Pop Music Collection' / ペドロ&カプリシャス／朱里エイコCD-4によるポップ･ミュージック･コレクション


International Pop QS
QP-8177W - Beaver & Krause 'Gandharva'
QP-8178A - Gary Burton Quartet 'Live in Tokyo'

(These were done before Warner US committed to CD-4 in 1973 - I was hoping there might be more, but the next in the series (P-8179W) is Van Morrison's Tupelo Honey, so it appears they were just in the middle of a stereo catalog sequence.)


International Pop CD-4
QP-11001W - The Mystic Moods 'Awakening'
QP-11002R - Frank Sinatra 'My Way'
QP-11003E - Bread 'Baby I'm-A Want You'
QP-11004E - Carly Simon 'No Secrets'
QP-11005A - Passport 'Hand Made'
QP-11006A - Herbie Mann 'Hold On, I'm Comin''

(Nothing particularly revelatory, aside from Passport's 'Hand Made' - this is the only CD-4 issue of the album outside of the German press, as far as I know.)


Samplers, Test Records and Compilations
PQX-1001 - Pioneer Four Channel Record (Purple/Black)
PQX-1002 - Pioneer Four Channel Record (Purple/Black)
PQX-1004 - Pioneer Four Channel Record (Blue/Black)
PQX-1005 - Pioneer CD-4 Discrete 4 Channel Demonstration Record (Green/Black)
PQX-1006 - Pioneer 4 Channel Stereo [SQ] (Silver/Blue)
PQX-1010 - Pioneer CD-4 Test Record (7")
PQX-1011 - Pioneer CD-4 Test Record (7")
PQX-1012 - Pioneer CD-4 Test Record (7")
PQX-1013 - Pioneer 4-Channel Demonstration Record [CD-4]
PQX-1014 - Pioneer CD-4 Test Record (7")
PTX-6003Q - Pioneer 4CH Stereo Tape (QR)

(PTX-6003Q - Pioneer 4CH Stereo Tape - the catalog number makes you wonder if there are at least two more in the series)

 

[quicksrt]

It's too bad that no exclusives were found in the WEA Japan quad lineup. Like a "Court and Spark" Q4, or something earth shaking like "Imagine" on Q4 certainly is.

 

[fizzywiggs41]

No real biggie as far as quad matrice indicators go , as both RM and QS are very similar ........but from what I've observed from pictures of the Atlantic/Pioneer and Warner/Pioneer albums that BBQ has amassed recently.... none were indicated as RM matrix.

All those pictured so far are either QS ., and SQ . Have yet to see any indicated as RM.

Anyway....just saying.

 

[steelydave]

If you click on the links to some of the [RM] marked titles like QL-6072A and QL-6076A in the first post, it'll take you to discogs listings for those albums - the photos of the labels have the RM logo on them.

The translation of the japanese text I included at the top seems to suggest that the two major standards organisations in japan (EIAJ/JEITA and JEMA) adopted RM as some kind of unfied open standard rather than QS which was basically a Sansui brand.

 

[4-earredwonder]

There's only 5 titles I would ever be remotely interested in: Beaver & Krause's superb Gandharva , Herbie Mann's Hold On, I'm Comin', Frank Sinatra My Way, Passport Hand made and Gary Burton Quartet Live in Tokyo.

I agree with quicksrt......hardly an auspicious launch with nary a surprise.....although I'd like to see the five I mentioned released on a hi res multichannel format!

 

[fizzywiggs41]

If you click on the links to some of the [RM] marked titles like QL-6072A and QL-6076A in the first post, it'll take you to discogs listings for those albums - the photos of the labels have the RM logo on them.

The translation of the japanese text I included at the top seems to suggest that the two major standards organisations in japan (EIAJ/JEITA and JEMA) adopted RM as some kind of unfied open standard rather than QS which was basically a Sansui brand.

Yes thanks Dave.

I may have been a bit hasty with my remarks as I can not seem to find any.
Sorry for putting you on the spot....could be I was mentally picturing a QS indication . I did have a Warner disc from Europe many years ago (sold it off) and it had the QS logo on it , but it was a "stamped ink indication "..put there by someone after the fact.
It was possibly encoded but with any good vario-matrix decoder you will acheive quad like effects.

Anyways thanks for the clarification.....and keep up the good work.

 

[fizzywiggs41]

There's only 5 titles I would ever be remotely interested in: Beaver & Krause's superb Gandharva , Herbie Mann's Hold On, I'm Comin', Frank Sinatra My Way, Passport Hand made and Gary Burton Quartet Live in Tokyo.

I agree with quicksrt......hardly an auspicious launch with nary a surprise.....although I'd like to see the five I mentioned released on a hi res multichannel format!

I highly recommend the PASSPORT - HANDMADE disc , if you haven't already heard it. I have the German WEA CD-4 and it's incredible musically with an excellent quad mix . The music is a blend of electronic jazz rock and quite enjoyable and also contains no vocals.

Now if only we could get a re-issue of that particular disc.

 

[Philip Spinner]

I highly recommend the PASSPORT - HANDMADE disc , if you haven't already heard it. I have the German WEA CD-4 and it's incredible musically with an excellent quad mix . The music is a blend of electronic jazz rock and quite enjoyable and also contains no vocals.

Now if only we could get a re-issue of that particular disc.

There was one on e bay the other day that did not sell for 49.99. I thought it would go for sure.

 

[fredblue]

There was one on e bay the other day that did not sell for 49.99. I thought it would go for sure.

toyed with getting that copy off eBay but i couldn't do anything with it at the moment as all the equipment is under wraps while the building works rumble on, plus i'm only getting real unmissable/unmissable bargain stuff at the moment if its over the price of a CD