About this item

Wewantsounds continues its Japanese reissue program with the first official international release of one of the most sought-after City Pop albums out of Japan, the 1979 classic 'Summer-Time Love Song' by The Milky Way. Originally released on the Seven Seas label, the album was produced by Makoto Matsushita with Kazuo Nobuta, representing a peak of the sophisticated studio craft that defined the late-70s Japanese transition into high-fidelity AOR and Jazz-Fusion.

The album serves as a vital precursor to Matsushita’s own 1981 cult masterpiece 'First Light'. Here, he and Nobuta lead the cream of Japanese session musicians—including the renowned Yasuaki Shimizu—through a superb mix of AOR, funk, and Brazilian music. From the sun-drenched bossa nova rhythms of the Jobim classic 'Wave' to a sophisticated rendition of Boz Scaggs’ classic 'Harbor Lights', finishing with the dreamy rhythms of 'Endless Summer', the record is a masterclass in elegant funky arrangements and relaxed harmonies.

As music journalist Paul Bowler writes in the liner notes for this release: "'Summer-Time Love Song' represents a fascinating bridge in Japanese pop history; a moment where the breezy aspirations of the 70s met the meticulous studio perfectionism that would soon take over the world."

This deluxe edition features the original artwork, showcasing classic photography by the cult photographer Shinpei Asai—famed for his iconic work on the Pacific album by Haruomi Hosono, Shigeru Suzuki, and Tatsuro Yamashita. Newly remastered and including its OBI strip, this reissue finally makes one of the most coveted albums of the 70s Japanese scene accessible to Japanese music fans worldwide.

TRACK LISTING

1. Theme From "A Summer Place" 
2. Wave 
3. Surfin' Summer "La Costa" 
4. Harbor Lights 
5. White Wave 
6. Under The Jamaica Moon 
7. Memories In The Sand 
8. Summer-Time Love Song
9. Endless Summer