History Of Impulse Reissues In Japan Revealed
Now, The history of Impulse reissues in Japan!
It goes back to the early 60's.
Impulse itself was founded in 1960, and King Record Japan started importing the Impulse records in the early 60's with OBI and Japanese inserts.
At the same time, they had a license to reissue the titles and started manufacturing the series called, SH series.
They used the original orange labels and Deep Groove on the labels.
The sleeves are flipback sleeves with OBI and no inserts. They put the liner notes at the back of the flipback sleeve.
It is really difficult to find these SH series on the market now. But, whenever you find a title like John Coltrane Love Supreme with OBI, it is dumb expensive!
In the early 70's, King Record started manufacturing the serials with SR and they used the usual gatefold sleeve with OBI. The label design is not the orange one or rainbow one, maybe it is the King Record original design? haha...but it is good.
The sound quality of SH or SR series by King Record is really good.
In the mid 70's, the license was transferred to Toshiba EMI and they started manufacturing the reissues with IMP serial. They used the gatefold sleeve and Impulse rainbow label design. Since these series were made at the same time with Blue Note LNJ series, the sound making is good, identical to LNJ series you know.
Thereafter, the license was transferred to Nippon Columbia Japan in the late 70's. The label design they used is the ABC lime green one which I don't like personally...But the sound quality is good. The sleeve quality is also very good that they used the coating jacket same as the original US pressing!
In the 80's the license again was transferred to Victor Music Japan, and they used the serial of VIM. They used the MCA rainbow label design.
In the late 90's and 2000's, there are some premium reissues of Impulse.
Anyway, Impulse reissues in Japan have many versions!
I hope you enjoy it!
