Charlotte

“Charlotte” shows The Eastern Gang easing their disco precision into a smoother, more melodic setting. Tetsuji Hayashi's writing gives the track a graceful lift while the rhythm section keeps a firm late-seventies pulse underneath.

The harder-edged “Dry Cat” occupies the A-side, but “Charlotte” supplies the record's softer after-dark glow. It is an elegant B-side whose restraint has helped it endure among Japanese disco and city-pop listeners.