This rare recording of the song 'Yellow Lemon' features Little Pattie performing in Japanese, making it one of the earliest examples of a major Australian artist singing in the language. Written by leading Japanese composers, including Dan Kousaku (Ikehata Naoaki), the Japanese-only release highlights a link between Australian surf culture and Japanese popular music in the 1960s.

After the Second World War, radio had a notable influence on the sonic tastes of Japanese youth. Pop, jazz and garage rock surged in popularity, and Japanese musicians blended American sounds with their own cultural influences. ‘Yellow Lemon’ reflects this cross-cultural flow with its fusion of Japanese singing styles, traditional instrumentation and surf-music guitar hooks.

Around the mid-1960s, Little Pattie toured Japan alongside Col Joye, the Joy Boys and Julie Stone, all of whom released records in Japan and were among the first Australian pop artists to perform there. ‘Yellow Lemon’ was the B-side of the single ‘Chiisana Koibito’ ('Little Lover'), and the record sleeve featured striking images of Little Pattie in a kimono and in a bamboo forest setting.