Pink Pussycat by Ann Lewis (1979)

Ann Lewis is a former Japanese singer, model, and actress. While today she's semi-retired from show business, her popularity in the 70s and 80s earned her the title of the "Goddess of Japanese Rock", well known for hit songs like "Good Bye My Love", "Koi no Boogie Woogie Train", and "Roppongi Shinjuu". Lewis was born June 5, 1956, in Takarazuka, Hyōgo, Japan, to an American father and a Japanese mother. Throughout the early 70s, she was active as a gravure idol, that is an idol who banked on their sex appeal as much as (or sometimes more than) her singing. One look at some of her album covers tells you she's much more provocative than the average idol. That being said, she sings as great as she looks. Most of her early career was your typical idol kayo of the time, up until she made the transition into New Music in 1978 with the release of her 7th album, Think Pink! produced by group sounds guitarist Kunihiko Kase (加瀬邦彦), and then full-on city pop with the 1979 release of Pink Pussycat.

Pink Pussycat had one hell of a lineup of musicians. First and foremost, the album was produced & arranged by city pop legend, Tatsuro Yamashita (山下達郎). It also featured legendary guitarists like Masaki Matsubara (松原正樹), Kazuo Shiina (椎名和夫), and even Ann's late ex-husband and J-Rock star, Masahiro Kuwana (桑名正博). The Yellow Magic Orchestra appears on this album with Ryuichi Sakamoto (坂本龍一) on keyboards, Haruomi Hosono (細野晴臣) on bass, and Yukihiro Takahashi (高橋ユキヒロ) on drums. Other talents include bassist and singer, Akira Okazawa (岡沢章), percussionist Nobu Saito (斉藤ノブ), session drummer Yukata Uehara (上原裕) most famous for his work with Sugar Babe, and Minako Yoshida (吉田美奈子), helping with backing vocals. American songwriter, Diane Warren, also lends her talent to the English vocal song, "Just Another Night". Warren has also written songs for DeBarge, Cher, and Aerosmith. Apparently, Yamashita’s own “Rainy Walk” (later included on his album Moonglow) was originally recorded for this album but ultimately left off, later becoming part of his solo discography. Another song that would later become a Tat's staple is “Shampoo” written by Chinfa Kan in his debut as a lyricist.

THE MUSIC

1. Dream Boat Annie ⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. Love Magic ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. Just Another Night ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. Vodka or Rum ⭐⭐⭐⭐
5. Sun God/Goddess of Love (太陽神 ～恋の女神～) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
6. Alone In The Dark ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7. Bathroom ⭐⭐⭐
8. Shampoo ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
9. Lost In Hollywood ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
10. I'm A Lonely Lady ⭐⭐⭐⭐
11. Dream Boat Annie (Reprise) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

THE VERDICT 

Pink Pussycat makes a striking first impression with its bold fusion of disco & R&B, with a glam rock aesthetic. Produced by Tatsuro Yamashita, the album shares much of the same sonic DNA as his own Moonglow, which was released the very same year. The similarities are hard to miss — just listen to “Love Magic,” an effervescent disco cut that could sit comfortably alongside Moonglow highlights like “Funky Flushin’” or “Let’s Kiss the Sun.” Both records lean heavily into American pop influences, not just as stylistic nods but as foundational building blocks for their sound.

The album announces this global outlook right from the start with “Dream Boat Annie,” a shimmering, near-ethereal cover of the Heart classic. By using it as both the prologue and epilogue of the record, Lewis and Yamashita frame the album as a journey — one that begins and ends with a song rooted in American rock, but refracted through the sleek, cosmopolitan lens of late-70s Japan.

 Ann Lewis’ Pink Pussycat is as bold and seductive as its title suggests. Her lush, sultry vocals are a force to be reckoned with — the kind of voice that grabs you by the collar(or loins) and refuses to let go. Being Japanese-American gave Lewis a distinctive edge over her idol contemporaries: she sounded equally at home in both Japanese and English, to the point where, on her English-language tracks, you’d be hard-pressed to guess she wasn’t a native-born American singer.

The highlights come fast and strong. “Just Another Night” is a sensual soul ballad that shows off the full range of Lewis’s tantalizing voice, while “Alone in the Dark” delivers a sinister, boogie-infused groove, driven by brass flourishes and a strutting piano line clearly inspired by Lamont Dozier’s “Going to My Roots.” But truthfully, there isn’t a weak track here. “Lost in Hollywood” feels like the perfect soundtrack for a strut down Sunset Boulevard, all bluesy swagger and funky horn lines. “Vodka or Rum” rides smooth guitar riffs and just the right dose of cowbell to create a breezy yacht-rock anthem. Lewis’s version of "Shampoo" remains unmatched — playful yet commanding, with a vocal delivery that perfectly toes the line between idol-era sweetness and her emerging rock edge.

Taken as a whole, Pink Pussycat is a criminally underrated album by a singer who never quite got her due in the City Pop conversation. If you’re looking for a place to start with Ann Lewis, this record is it — a confident, cosmopolitan statement that still sparkles with style and attitude more than four decades later.