sighs, whispers and anguish (record store day 2022 exclusive, limited)

• Format: Vinyl LP, limited-edition stereo reissue
• Edition: Record Store Day 2022 exclusive
• Packaging: Includes OBI and insert

Sighs, Whispers and Anguish is the wonderfully distinctive 1971 album by Japanese singer and actress Flower Meg. A highly sought-after example of sensual early-seventies kayōkyoku, it combines sophisticated orchestral pop arrangements with Meg’s intimate, breathy and deliberately theatrical vocal style.

Backed by the Dan Pop’s Orchestra, Flower Meg interprets a selection of international pop, chanson and film themes that were popular in Japan at the time. Familiar melodies such as “Je T’aime... Moi Non Plus,” “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,” “Tombe la Neige,” “Aux Champs-Élysées” and “Save the Last Dance for Me” are transformed into stylish Japanese lounge-pop performances.

The album moves easily between French chanson, Italian popular song, dramatic ballads, bossa nova touches and richly arranged easy listening. Rather than approaching the material as straightforward cover versions, Flower Meg gives each song an unmistakably personal atmosphere, balancing playful sophistication with a darker, more cinematic undercurrent.

Long prized by collectors of rare Japanese pop and lounge music, the record offers a fascinating snapshot of the period when European melodies, American pop and Japanese studio craftsmanship met in imaginative new combinations. Its elegant arrangements and unusual vocal performances make it especially appealing to admirers of cult kayōkyoku, soundtrack music and exotic orchestral pop.

This limited Record Store Day 2022 edition was released through Cinedelic Records and On Records Japan as part of the Orient Series. The black-vinyl pressing includes an OBI and illustrated insert.

Track listing:

Side A

1. ジュテーム | Je T’aime Moi Non Plus – 3:16
2. さすらいのギター | Manchurian Beat – 3:09
3. 恋心 | L’Amour C’est Pour Rien – 3:25
4. サン・トワ・マミー | Sans Toi T’Amie – 2:51
5. この胸のときめきを | You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me – 2:21
6. 死ぬほど愛して | Sinnò Me Moro – 2:57

Side B

1. ナオミの夢 | I Dream of Naomi – 2:57
2. 別離 | Un Anno d’Amore – 3:28
3. 雪が降る | Tombe la Neige – 4:02
4. オー・シャンゼリゼ | Aux Champs-Élysées – 2:47
5. ラスト・ダンスは私に | Save the Last Dance for Me – 3:29
6. けものの眠り | The Sleep of the Beast – 3:40