Diggin' In The Crates "Straight Outta Japan" Edition

It was either enka or some old-school Public Image Ltd. for this week's edition of DITC... I was in the mood for both as my iPod history for today will attest... but since I don't feel like going downstairs to the basement for my old PiL records (it's not like I have Metal Box anyway), enka won out. 

Presenting an early best-of album by one of the queens of enka...

Artist: Sayuri Ishikawa

Title: Dan Ryu - Ishikawa Sayuri Best 14

Label: Nippon Columbia

Vinyl: Standard black vinyl

This is the first greatest-hits collection by someone who is one of THE queens of enka, Sayuri Ishikawa. Sayuri-sama was around 17 when this album dropped, but already had a bunch of hit singles under her belt, including her early signature tunes "Dan Ryu" and "Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyugeshiki" (the latter of which seems to be, along with later signature tune "Amagi Goe", on every Sayuri Ishikawa Zenkyoshu (yearly anthology CD) release that I've gotten so far... and I have the past three years' of Zenkyoshu releases from Ishikawa-sama's current label Teichku as well as one from her 80's-to-mid-90's label Pony Canyon (which also owns or licenses all of her Nippon Columbia master recordings from the 70's). This particular album was bought last fall from a fine Japanese used record merchant's site and looks and plays near mint! Did a vinyl rip of it the day it arrived in the mail, then I put it away in a fresh keeper sleeve, most likely not to be withdrawn from said sleeve until I've setted in with my future wife in our new place, wherever that may be.

Back to Sayuri-sama... she just recently turned 51 this past January 30th (the day before Johnny Rotten's birthday!)... and  she looks even hotter now, as this recent video of her doing "Amagi Goe" attests. Hmm, does that make Sayuri an enka MILF?