365 DAYS PROJECT

2007   DECEMBER 27   #361

Toru & Kojima - Smiley / Pot Sounds

Ok, so here's my weird story behind this disc. Many years ago I was visting a friend in Japan and searching for rare records. This was during my obsession with the Beach Boy's Smile Sessions. I actually found a version of Smile Outtakes on vinyl, but the store keeper decided not to sell, since he wanted it to prove that he had rare records in his store.

At a completely different shop, I found this oddity on a shelf of completely Japanese CDs that I couldn't read accept for the spine "Smiley/Pot Sounds". I was like, "what the?" The original Smile cartoon cover was redrawn and altered.

Thinking I had found another Japanese bootleg, I put it in the player when I got home. I was so MAD! Lol! At the time, it just sounded like some Japanese guy singing Karaoke! It tossed it in my suitcase, feeling completely gypped.

MP3:
01 Meant For You (0:42)
02 Surfer Girl (2:23)
03 Little Saint Nick (2:04)
04 Don't Worry Baby (2:58)
05 Wonderful (2:09)
06 Surfer Moon (2:24)
07 I DO (2:02)
08 Please Let Me Wonder (2:49)
09 You're So Good To Me (2:22)
10 God Only Knows (2:53)
11 I Wanna Pick You Up (2:49)
12 I Just Wasn't Made For These Times (3:18)
13 Your Summer Dream (2:44)
14 Much Love (5:13)
15 By The Time it Changes to Memory (3:36)
16 Never Come Back Boys' Days (3:50)
17 Let The Wind Blow (2:58)
18 Yesterday's Promise (3:40)
19 Mysterious Night (5:34)
20 Surfing USSR (2:55)
21 For You, 100 Years Ago (2:40)
22 I Want To Eat Whale (3:49)
23 WOMAN (4:45)
24 Spirit Of Rock'n Roll (3:30)

Sometime later I came back to the mystery of this cd. And quickly realized that I had found something even more rare, before I even knew about the labeling of Outsider Music. I would often play tracks for friends during one of those, "Look what I found" occasions. I've grown to love it, though it's headache inducing at times. Looking at the photos on the back cover and the song credits, I think I've figured out that Toru & Kojima are the same person. It's just his first and last name.

Pot Sounds is also included, for the completist. Not as interesting to the English speaker, this album is full of some of Toru's originals and a couple cover songs. The best part about Pot Sounds is that amazing art work! lol

Happy Holidays!

- Contributed by: B.C. Sterrett (The Lost Media Archive)

Images: CD 2-Fold Cover, CD Back Cover, CD Liner Notes

Media: CD
Album: Smiley / Pot Sounds
Label: Sister Records
Catalog: BWTK-2683
Date: 1997

 

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