Meiko Kaji – Yadokari + Shura No Hana (Vinyl LP + 7″)

Wewantsounds continues its extensive Meiko Kaji reissue program — in partnership with Teichiku Records and Kaji herself — with the release of Yadokari, her third album from 1973. This marks the first time the album has been reissued on vinyl, featuring its original artwork and newly remastered audio. Renowned for her iconic 1970s films (Lady Snowblood, the Stray Cat Rock series) and admired by Quentin Tarantino, Meiko Kaji also released a string of outstanding albums on Teichiku, blending Japanese pop with cinematic grooves. Yadokari is reissued here with its original deluxe gatefold sleeve and OBI plus a two-page insert featuring new liner notes by Hashim Kotaro Bharoocha. As a special bonus, this edition includes an EP single featuring “Shura No Hana,” famously featured on the Kill Bill soundtrack. Kaji was one of Japan’s most iconic exploitation film actresses of the early 1970s. Beyond acting, she was invited by film studios to perform theme songs for many of her films leading to revered music career. Between 1972 and 1974, she recorded five albums for Teichiku, which have since become highly sought after. Yadokari (“hermit crab”), released in 1973, was Kaji’s third album for the label. Like its predecessors Gincho Wataridori and Hajiki Uta, it offers a rich mix of kayōkyoku (Japanese pop), traditional enka, psychedelic rock, and cinematic ’70s funk. The album includes two tracks, “Hagure Bushi” and “Kiba no Ballad,” from the cult 1973 TV series Sengoku Rock Hagure Kiba, in which Kaji starred. “Hagure Bushi” stands out as one of the album’s funkiest tracks. Like “Kiba no Ballad,” it was composed and arranged by the legendary producer Yuji Ohno (best known for his work on Lupin the III). The album as a whole is a superb blend of atmospheric songs, from the haunting, slow-burning title track “Yadokari” to “Ah,” which features groovy guitar licks, harmonica, and sleek string arrangements, evoking a subtle Morricone influence. To complete this reissue, Wewantsounds has included the rare 1973 7″ EP “Shura No Hana/Hō Yare Ho” as a bonus. Only released as a single, “Shura No Hana” (Flower of Carnage”) is a cult classic, famously featured on Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol. 2 soundtrack. A key release in Meiko Kaji’s 1972 – 1974 Teichiku Records catalog, Yadokari is a testament to her singular talent as a singer.

Tracklist
01. Meiko Kaji – Yadokari
02. Meiko Kaji – Sunset
03. Meiko Kaji – Watashi Umarete Fushiawase
04. Meiko Kaji – Yamaneko
05. Meiko Kaji – Arijigoku
06. Meiko Kaji – Kakioki
07. Meiko Kaji – Hagure Bushi
08. Meiko Kaji – Ayatori
09. Meiko Kaji – Ah…
10. Meiko Kaji – Aru Deai
11. Meiko Kaji – Onna Negai Uta
12. Meiko Kaji – Kiba No Ballad
13. Meiko Kaji – Shura No Hana (Flower Of Carnage)
14. Meiko Kaji – Hō Yare Ho