Takeo Yamashita - Lupin The 3rd (Original BGM Collection)

Year : 1980
Label : Nippon Columbia
Genre : Jazz, Stage & Screen
Style : Jazz Funk,

The original score of the first Lupin The 3rd TV serie broadcast from 1971 to 1972, composed by pianist Takeo Yamashita and revisited by himself. Based on the original master tapes, the album includes new recordings featuring flutist Minoru Muraoka and singer Charlie Kosei, frontman of japanese short-lived psychedelic rock band "The Helpful Soul". Titles include the classic opening and ending themes starring Charlie Kosei, killer grooves "Afro Rock Theme", "Disco Plays Lupin", "Rock Theme No.1", scat songs "Afro 'Lupin '68'", "Nice Guy Lupin-Two Beat", "Scat Theme" and brazilian tunes "Samba Crazy", "Medium/Slow Samba". All tracks composed by Takeo Yamashita.

MUSICIANS : Charlie Kosei - vocal - Takeo Yamashita - keyboards - Minoru Muraoka - shakuhachi - Susumu Hashimoto & Shigeki Ikeno - synthesizer, electric piano - Yuji Karaki & Youichi Tamura - guitar - Ken Sato - bass - Taketoshi Igarashi - drums - Yoshiro Hiroshi - vocal, scat

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The Helpful Soul - First Album

Year : 1969
Label : Victor
Genre : Rock
Style : Blues Rock, Psychedelic rock

"Helpful Soul" is the first album of phenomenal japanese short-lived psychedelic rock band from Kobe, featuring the frontman bassist Charles Che, lead guitarist Gene Shoji, vocalist/guitarist Junio Nakahara & drummer Eiichi Tsukasa. The band started in 1965 as the "Young Beats" and recorded only one album and the Osamu Tezuka's animated movie "A Thousand & One Nights" soundtrack, before split-up during the summer of 1969. Charles Che was the pseudonym of famous Charlie Kosei, best known as original performer of the opening and ending themes from the Lupin III 1st serie (1971-1972). Titles incude original compositions by Helful Soul (Blues For My Baby, Peace For Fools) and blues & standards from Jimi Hendrix (Fire, You Got Me Floatin'), Willie Dixon (Spoonful) & Robert Johnson (Crossroads).

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