Album: Various artists, Nippon Girls (Big Beat International)

Reviewed,Phil Johnson
Saturday 02 January 2010 20:00 EST
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In 1960s Japan, Svengali producers used chirpy girl singers to cover hits by Connie Francis or Helen Shapiro, then started to get creative on original garage stompers, baroque ballads and bossa-nova exotica.

Subtitled "Groovy Girl Pop from the Land of the Rising Sun, 1966-70", this diligent comp offers 25 examples where the trash values (cheesy organ, fuzz-box guitars) are immense. Unless you're David Lynch or Malcolm McClaren, however, only half are worth hearing twice, as lead vocals are often bland.

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