Makoto Kubota & The Sunset Gang Folk 3 Items

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce an ambitious Makoto Kubota reissue program with his three albums recorded with The Sunset Gang between 1973 and 1977. The albums feature Haruomi Hosono (who also co-produced ‘Hawaii Champroo’ and ‘Dixie Fever’) and also include Minako Yoshida, Taeko Ohnuki and Tatsuo Hayachi to name a few. Makoto Kubota has been one of Japan’s true musical innovators and following his involvement with Les Rallizes Dénudés in the early 70s, he developed a unique sound bringing American, Hawaiian and Okinawan music influences to his own Japanese folk music mix. Starting with the reissue of 'Hawaii Champroo' recorded in Honolulu in 1975 and co-produced by Haruomi Hosono, Wewantsounds will then release 'Sunset Gang' from 1973 followed by Dixie Fever from 1977. All albums have been newly remastered by Makoto Kubota and they each come with original artwork, OBI and the original japanese inserts. This is the first time the albums are released outside of Japan.

Recorded in 1975 at the famed Sounds of Hawaii studio in Honolulu, Hawaii Champroo was co-produced by Haruomi Hosono and marks the start of Kubota's keen interest in Hawaiian and Okinawan music (Champroo is derived from Chanpuru, the traditional Okinawan stir-fry dish). A companion album to Hosono's own 'Tropical Dandy' and 'Bon Voyage Co.' albums(on which Kubota plays), the album was at the forefront of a tropical musical movement started in Japan in the mid-70s. The core Sunset Gang consists of Kubota on Guitar, Takashi Onzo on bass, Yosuke Fujita on guitars and mandolin, Keni Inoue on lead guitar and Hiroki Komazawa on pedal steel guitar. They are joined on the album by Hosono on drums and Teriyuki Kokubu on piano. Having travelled to the United States in the early 70s, Makoto Kubota had fallen in love with American music and had brought back many influences from his sojourn on the East and West coast. these are evident from the tracks covered by the band on 'Hawaii Champroo', including Jesse Fuller's 'San Francisco Blues', The Rooftop Singers' 'Walk Right In' (an old Gus Cannon ragtime) or The Texas Playboys' classic 'Steel Guitar Rag.' 'Hawaii Champroo' also features originals such as the funky 'Shanghai Gaeri' and a nod to the Hula Hawaiian dance 'Moonlight Hula'. One of the highlights of the album is the classic 'Haisai Ozisan', the Okinawan 1972 cult classic by Shoukichi Kina which has become a standard in Japan. All in all, 'Hawaii Champroo' is a timeless classic and one of the key Japanese albums from the 70s which Wewantsounds is happy to introduce outside of Japan for the first time.

Wewantsounds is closing its Makoto Kubota reissue series with the release of "Dixie Fever" recorded in Hawaii in 1976 and co-produced by Haruomi Hosono. Like its predecessors, 'Sunset Gang' and 'Hawaii Champroo', 'Dixie Fever' continues to explore American and Island music through a Japanese prism with a skilful mix of blues, swamp funk and America adding an exotic edge to the whole. It is the first time the album is released outside of Japan and the LP features original artwork with OBI and insert plus remastered audio by Makoto Kubota himself.

A year after the release of their highly-acclaimed album 'Hawaii Champroo' in 1975, Makoto Kubota and The Sunset Gang reunited at Sounds of Hawaii studios with co-producer Haruomi Hosono to record a new album, 'Dixie Fever'. They used pretty much the same ingredients that had made the success of Champroo - an effortless mix of Japanese folk and american roots music with some tropical influences. The same mix that Haruomi Hosono was applying to his own albums, especially ''Tropical Dandy which was experimenting with the same ideas - In fact the front cover of both 'Tropical Dandy' and 'Dixie Fever' are illustrated by Yasuo Yagi. ?As per 'Hawaii Champroo' and 'Sunset Gang', 'Dixie Fever' includes a mix of original compositions and covers. On the album, you spot The Lovin' Spoonful's 'Wild About My Lovin' and a funked up version of UK singer songwriter Ralph McTell's song 'When i Was a Cowboy'. They feature the Gang's usual musicians (Keni Inoue on guitar, Yosuke Fujita on slide guitar and Takashi Onzo on bass and keyboards) complemented by a handful of guests including Tin Pan Alley drummer Tatsuo Hayashi, Motoya Hamaguchi on percussion and New Orleans pianist and Dr. John friend, Ronnie Barron. Together they play a superb brew made of blues, soul, Hawaiian music and southern swamp rhythms. One of the highlights of the album is undoubtedly 'Hoshikuzu' (Stardust) which has become a cult classic over the years on the international City Pop scene and whose sunshine mid-tempo vibe is the perfect reflection of the group's musicianship. The track perfectly adds to the album's charm which Wewantsounds is happy to release for the first time internationally.

Wewantsounds is closing its Makoto Kubota reissue series with the release of "Dixie Fever" recorded in Hawaii in 1976 and co-produced by Haruomi Hosono. Like its predecessors, 'Sunset Gang' and 'Hawaii Champroo', 'Dixie Fever' continues to explore American and Island music through a Japanese prism with a skilful mix of blues, swamp funk and America adding an exotic edge to the whole. It is the first time the album is released outside of Japan and the LP features original artwork with OBI and insert plus remastered audio by Makoto Kubota himself.

A year after the release of their highly-acclaimed album 'Hawaii Champroo' in 1975, Makoto Kubota and The Sunset Gang reunited at Sounds of Hawaii studios with co-producer Haruomi Hosono to record a new album, 'Dixie Fever'. They used pretty much the same ingredients that had made the success of Champroo - an effortless mix of Japanese folk and american roots music with some tropical influences. The same mix that Haruomi Hosono was applying to his own albums, especially ''Tropical Dandy which was experimenting with the same ideas - In fact the front cover of both 'Tropical Dandy' and 'Dixie Fever' are illustrated by Yasuo Yagi. ?As per 'Hawaii Champroo' and 'Sunset Gang', 'Dixie Fever' includes a mix of original compositions and covers. On the album, you spot The Lovin' Spoonful's 'Wild About My Lovin' and a funked up version of UK singer songwriter Ralph McTell's song 'When i Was a Cowboy'. They feature the Gang's usual musicians (Keni Inoue on guitar, Yosuke Fujita on slide guitar and Takashi Onzo on bass and keyboards) complemented by a handful of guests including Tin Pan Alley drummer Tatsuo Hayashi, Motoya Hamaguchi on percussion and New Orleans pianist and Dr. John friend, Ronnie Barron. Together they play a superb brew made of blues, soul, Hawaiian music and southern swamp rhythms. One of the highlights of the album is undoubtedly 'Hoshikuzu' (Stardust) which has become a cult classic over the years on the international City Pop scene and whose sunshine mid-tempo vibe is the perfect reflection of the group's musicianship. The track perfectly adds to the album's charm which Wewantsounds is happy to release for the first time internationally.