The CD Collection--Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Japanese Dub CD Singles

I die a little whenever someone uses the term "Japanese Power Rangers". In this case...they wouldn't be wrong...

Welcome back to the never ending parade of stuff from my too-large CD Collection. This time I'm only doing a mini-post (a scant five CDs) based on all of the CD Singles released for the Japanese Dub of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.

So yeah, the series that was loosely made up of Japanese footage ended up getting a dub back into Japanese (the dub episode titles, for the most part, are exquisite). Now I can't speak too much for the dub itself--I've seen very little of it. I really don't know which episodes these songs were used for, only the order that they appeared. To make matters even weirder, the Japanese dub was aired out of order from the original US broadcast. If you happen to know which ending song belongs to which episodes, let me know and I'll update it.

Starting with the eighth episode of the dub, the series was given three local ending theme songs. These weren't made for the series, rather they were repackaged singles. Think of what Toei did with Dragonball GT. It was done out of convenience and probably a suitcase or two of money from the record labels for cross-promotion. Whatever the case was, I own all of these CDs...so I guess I better talk about them.

Oh yes, I am throwing in a little bonus. I wonder why... It's not like there is a Power Rangers movie coming out this month or anything.....

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modern grey Sekai de ichiban hakanai yoru ni c/w Tenshi ga furu yoru
MVDD-32
1995.11.22

Our trip begins before the official single even came out. In late 1995 a band called modern grey released this single. I can't say a whole lot about modern grey because, well, I only know them for this song. They were pretty short lived anyway. Their entire discography falls within late 1994 until mid 1997. They sure tried to leave an impression it seems--seven singles and four albums in that short amount of time.

The first track on this single, Sekai de ichiban hakanai yoru ni, was used as the first ending song to the Japanese dub of MMPR. More on that song later...

Track two (of two) is a slower rock song called Tenshi ga furu yoru. There isn't too much to say about it. It's pretty decent, but kinda bland. Hmmm...I hope that first track was lively. Let's see how that one was...

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modern grey Sekai de ichiban hakanai yoru ni
MVDD-501
1996.01.24

Two months after it's initial release, Sekai de ichiban hakanai yoru ni was repackaged in a shiny new Power Rangers-themed tanzaku and shot back out into stores. I personally can't think of another instance where an anison CD single had a dual release juuust to change the artwork up a little bit. It's the same song. Yeah. About that song...

I happen to like Sekai de Ichiban hakanai yoru ni quite a bit. 1996 was part of a very...VERY dry period in JPOP. I've talked about songs sounding like "1996" in previous posts. The popular sound of the year was bland rock tracks largely released by bands that were gone by 1998. This song is of the time, but refreshingly upbeat. It features an aggressive synthesizer to keep things lively. On top of that...it's just well done. The singing is good, the music is good, hell...even the title is cool. While there was some obvious cross-promotion here, the label clearly had faith in this song. I dig it.

The second track is the Karaoke version rather than Tenshi ga furu yoru from the previous release. Yeah, only two tracks on this one. There is a sticker included, however.

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ROLL DAYS BREAK YOURSELF c/w LOVE CONFUSE
TKDA-70862
1996.04.05

ROLL DAYS is another band that didn't live past the 90s (barring a brief regroup in 2007). Their song BREAK YOURSELF was used as the second ending song to Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. It's alright. I mean, it's kinda lively but just so...1996. Why did all music that year HAVE to sound like it was meant to be played on a Summer's evening?? You know what? I blame the composer. He clearly didn't do the song justice. Who was the composer anyway? ...... OK, looking in the liner it said that band's bass player composed this. WAIT. His name is JUNYA?

I thought he died! Whew. Well, personally I enjoyed his previous work...



The other song on this single is called LOVE CONFUSE, Again, it isn't a bad song--it's just boring (or boreing). I can't be certain that they didn't get the title of this song from a random word generator...same goes for the band's name.

Tracks three and four are Karaoke versions of the previous two.

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ZYYG GYPSY DOLL c/w BLOOD ON BLOOD c/w Hohoemi dake o kurenai ka
JBCJ-1010
1996.07.22

Much like the previous two bands. ZYYG was gone before the 90s were. Funny thing about this band...I actually have heard of them. Sometimes I'll buy a box of random CD singles from Japan. It's usually full of pretty lousy stuff or singles that sold in the hundreds of thousands. ZYYG has popped up a number of times, but I am under the impression that they haven't sold in the hundreds of thousands. Call it a hunch...

The title track, GYPSY DOLL, is actually pretty solid. The 1996ness is there, but rather faint. I kinda dig this one even if the singing is kinda dull. There is a problem though. This isn't the song I bought this single for. That would be...

BLOOD ON BLOOD is the third and final ending song for the Japanese dub of MMPR. Eh. Yeah, it is a harder track than the previous two ending songs. That really isn't saying much though. 1996 strikes again. This might as well be any of the ending songs to Dragonball GT. They all sound like the exact same damn song with only minor twists.

The final track is called Hohoemi dake o kurenai ka. If it wasn't for Tetsuya Komuro, Japanese music probably wouldn't have survived to see 2000. While he was off completely dominating the charts (i.e. the stuff people actually wanted to hear) bands like modern grey, ROLL DAYS, and ZYYG were releasing the same damn slog in 1996. I think I have found my new arch nemesis. It used to be Forte Music Entertainment...but now it's the year 1996 and it's godforsaken JPOP blandness.

So no, I do not like Hohoemi dake o kurenai ka...

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Power Rangers Orchestra GO GO POWER RANGERS
AMDY-5127
1996.04.25

Naturally "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie" was released in Japan. The soundtrack that was released in 'The States was also released in Japan. If you couldn't bare to hear things like the cover of Higher Ground that Red Hot Chili Peppers* did, then you could just get to the goods and pick up this single instead. Still though...isn't it kinda odd that this warranted a release as a single? Once you dig a little deeper, it alllll makes sense.

OK, so I know I knock Go Go Power Rangers quite a bit. It's a song I genuinely can't stand--just empty calories. The TV version, that is. This version rocks...and for very good reason. When your Power Rangers Orchestra is made up of professional musicians who aren't under an absurd time constraint, you tend to have just a little more depth. The singing in particular is done by one Eric Martin of the band Mr. Big.

Funny story: I was in Wawa during lunchtime not one week before writing this post and Mr. Big's To Be With You was playing. Everyone...EVERYONE started singing along to the chorus. I've never seen anything like it. It was a Number One song back in 1992 (this week, 25 years ago...what a coincidence)...but if you've heard it just once, it hooks into your brain like a parasite. Yeah, good luck not thinking about this song.

As it turns out, Mr. Big is just that...in Japan. Ahh, you see where I'm going? Now this single makes sense! Did anyone from Mr. Big do the theme song to the second Power Rangers movie?? I. Think. NOT!

I'm the one who wants to be with you. Deep inside I hoDAMMIT!

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Recommended Pick: I'm going to have to go with the MMPR version of modern grey's Sekai de Ichiban hakanai yoru ni. It comes with a sticker! Heh. It's a really cool song and the Karaoke version is also pretty great. The artwork also justifies the purchase for the collection too...even though the cover is a strange fuzzy still frame in which the Green Ranger is slowly killing Alpha 5 with his mind.

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That's it for the newest installment of the CD Collection posts. If you're going to see the new Power Rangers movie, enjoy it I guess. I'm going to watch Blade Runner every weekend until the sequel comes out instead.

-CC

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*For the record, I like that cover. It was back when they were a pretty fun band (i.e. wasted).

The CD Collection--Ultraman Tiga, Dyna, and Gaia 8cm CD Singles

Welcome back! This is the still very much alive series of posts where I skim through my expansive CD Collection and report my impressions back to you. This time around I am finally going to be giving Ultraman CD Singles some attention. I really could start at the beginning, but I thought I would change things up a little bit by cutting right into the middle-ish of the list and reviewing the CD singles from Ultraman Tiga, Dyna, and Gaia!

As a quick reminder, this series of posts is designed for research purposes only. I'm doing this to help your physical music collection, not your digital one. So please, please don't ask for anything that I have listed anywhere on my site. Save yourself the disappointment when I never reply to you.

With all that said...let's get into some Ultraman CD Singles!

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V6 TAKE ME HIGHER / Coming Century Suki sa sukkyanen

AVDD-20143

1996.09.16

Oh...my God...

It really is no secret that I despise this song. The very core of my being seethes hatred for every note of this cheesedick diddy. Yet, there is quite a lot for me to say about it...so here goes...

Ultraman Tiga marked the Ultraman franchise's big return to television after only a smattering of activity since the end of Ultraman 80. I like to think of Tiga as Kamen Rider Kuuga before Kamen Rider Kuuga...it's different, but oh so familiar. The biggest departure, however, comes in the form of it's theme song TAKE ME HIGHER by an upcoming pop group called V6. There isn't a single mention of Ultraman in the entire thing and it feels like the backing track was smuggled out of the worst Italian cruise liner disco on the planet. It's just so damn.......avex (See also: Initial D).

I can see the appeal of the song, but I just don't have it in me to like it. It doesn't need six singers shouting through the entirety of the song. It doesn't need the shrillest setting on the synth. The guitar work is pretty sweet at least. As this is the most covered song in Tokusatsu history, there is likely a more suitable version out there for you. I personally prefer the "Dave Rodgers" version, which is actually a self-cover by producer Giancarlo Pasquini (Ha! My Italian cruise liner theory isn't all that whack afterall!). The singing is pretty awful on that one too, but it's less in-your-face and is structured more like a real song. As for the original, I'm going to invoke a little American into this Italian with a hearty "fuhgeddaboudit".

Oh yeah, I have to talk about the other song on this piece of shit I guess.

The coupled song on this single is by Coming Century, who is the younger half of V6 (the elder half recorded as 20th Century). The funny thing about V6 is that in their 22 year run the lowest charting single they've had was #4. 4th! When you break the group down into half, you can see where the weak links are.

If V6 really were a V6 engine, Coming Century would be the dead cylinders.

Nevermind TAKE ME HIGHER--this song is the real shit on this godforsaken CD. Not only is the music pretty much the blandest mid-90s drivel, but the singing is unbelievably bad. Maybe the whole six-singers-shouting-through-the-song spiel was used to mask the under-performance of individual members, but then why does Coming Century even exist at all (outside of tripling record sales by turning one group into three...OK, I just answered my own question)? Also, why is there a (probably illegal) sample of Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock's It Takes Two throughout the duration of the song? You know this song is bad when you no longer consider Action 52 to be the worst thing to happen to It Takes Two...

Karaoke tracks for both of the aforementioned songs are included if you're into doubling the pain.

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Chikyu Boei-dan Brave Love, TIGA

AYDM-120

1996.10.21

I'm not sure what to say about this one. The ending song to Ultraman Tiga is this little song called Brave Love, TIGA. I can honestly say I'm not much of a fan of it, but I kinda dig what they were doing. The group behind it, Chikyu Boei-dan is a bit of a super group consisting of 2/3 of my beloved...OUR beloved TM Network among several others. Proceeds from the single went to fund AIDS research, which is pretty noble. On one hand you have the flashy JPOP group singing the OP, on the other...charity.

Considering how many people worked on this song, it's surprisingly hollow. If Tetsuya Komuro were involved it wouldn't have been, that's for sure. It isn't terrible, but the Ichiro Mizuki and Takayuki Miyachi Columbia Cover is far more enjoyable.

The second track is the Karaoke version of the song. 

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Ultraman Dyna c/w Take Off!! Super GUTS

TYDY-2103

1997.10.08

Things very much pick up here. Making his Ultra series return is Tatsuya Maeda who previously sung the theme songs to Ultraman Powered, the Metal Hero series Blue SWAT as well as several other Ultra series songs and even the random Carranger IN song.

I love the hell out of this theme song. It's hard to speculate why they decided to go JPOP for Tiga, but the return to the traditional anison was very much welcome. This one manages to be upbeat and kinda glum at the same time. Cautiously optimistic, I suppose. It almost feels like it copies TAKE ME HIGHER and corrects ALL of it's sins while keeping the great guitar work.

Take Off!! Super GUTS is the coupled song and it's pretty cool, to be honest. I never cared for many of these "Wandaba" songs from the older shows, nor do I like anthems that have crept into various Tokusatsu series soundtracks since 2000ish, but this one is actually really engaging and quite majestic in parts. I like it.

Tracks 3 & 4 are Karaoke versions of the previous two.

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Kimi dake o mamoritai c/w Love & Peace

AYDM-140

1997.09.20

Kimi dake o mamoritai is the first ending song from Ultraman Dyna. Awesome, awesome song. Man, Ultraman Dyna is really bringing it to make up for Tiga's themes. This song is one of only two Tokusatsu credits by Fumiaki Nakajima (both of which reside on this disc). I really don't know much about the singer, but the music was composed by The Alfee, who released their own self-cover version (that was the thing to do in the 90s, I guess...write a super-popular song for someone else and then record a far less popular self-cover). This song feels like it could've come out in 1981, but manages to compliment the opening theme song perfectly. It even includes a little "SHUWATCH!".

The second track is an IN song called Love & Peace. It's pretty painful...and kinda in the same vein as Tiga's Coming Century abomination, but I wouldn't say it's that bad. Overbearing children...that's all I'm going to say... I mean, the title kinda serves as a warning.

Karaoke of each song rounds out the disc.

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Imakoso Flash

TYDY-2105

1997.12.22

Before I get into the songs, I just want to point out the bullshit of putting out three CD singles on the same day with only one song each on them. What the hell, Toshiba EMI...

Imakoso Flash is an IN song by Tatsuya Maeda. It is pretty similar to the OP song, but isn't quite as grand. Still a pretty solid song. Not enough to warrant an entire CD, but good.

The Karaoke version is also included.

What in the world is going on here?

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Miracle no kaze ni nare

TYDY-2106

1997.12.22

Another Dyna IN song here, and definitely not one worth it's own CD. Here it is, though. It's...alright. The singer is Fumiichi Miyashita...who may not even exist based on how little information I have on him.

Again, it isn't a great song. I would probably skip this one unless you're after a full set.

Oh yes, and there is a Karaoke version on it.

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Dyna no akai kagayaki ni

TYDY-2107

1997.12.22

This time I am willing to give them song slack for releasing a single song on a single. When it's Shinichi Ishihara, it's suddenly alllll OK.

It's actually a really damn good song too. I would say it's very much on par with his GoGo Five work in terms of passion. In fact, I would say that this is probably his earliest song where he just became a belter. The early 90s Ishihara was focused on being sex-ay. Once he broke free from B-Fighter he really went all-out whenever he stepped up to the mic.

Even if the song is great, sadly there is only one of it...unless you count the Karaoke version, which is included.

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LAZY ULTRA HIGH c/w EVERYBODY WANTS LOVE

AYDM-146

1998.03.21

YES!

For the uninitiated, LAZY is the band that Hironobu Kageyama cut his teeth on. LAZY formed in 1977 and lasted only until 1981. Kageyama broke out on his own and became...Kageyama. However, in 1998 they regrouped to release the single for the second ending song from the latest Ultraman series. Yes, THIS is the first single from the legendary band in seventeen years. It took Ultraman to bring this band back together.

First off, ULTRA HIGH is amazing. Like even if it weren't an Ultraman theme song, this song would be a remarkable return of a beloved band. Between the pre-ruined Kageyama vocals and that signature guitar work, this is the return of LAZY.

How do you go from 'amazing' to 'even better'? Boom. The second track on this is called EVERYBODY WANTS LOVE. Man, you can tell these guys genuinely loved getting back together. Their reintroduction to the public sounds as if they never missed a beat, yet they all honed their craft in their years apart.

Karaoke versions of both tracks are included.

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Ultraman Tiga & Dyna Hikari no hoshi no senshitachi Shudaika

CODC-1484

1998.03.21

It has truly been a long time since there was an Ultraman team-up, so why not give the latest two series a go of it. It's GUTS and Super GUTS! The Ultraman Tiga & Dyna film has a brand new theme song called SHININ' ON LOVE by Hironobu Kageyama and Tetsuya Maeda--an excellent combination! It's the catchy and upbeat song that you really want your movie to have, Wooowooo~wooooo!

The image song, Kimi no ai to boku no yuuki~mo kanashimi nankanai is a duet/ballad by the same duo. It's a bit of a generic borefest, but pretty decent when you stand it next to songs of similar weight. I mean, you might as well listen to this if you want a novelty ballad. Granted, I think Kageyama and Maeda might have better chemistry than those two.

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Ultraman Gaia! c/w Gaia no chikara

TYDY-2120

1998.09.23

Another flippin' awesome theme song! Ultraman Gaia's theme song is purely meant to pump you up. It would even say it's on par with Ultraman 80's theme song in cheeriness, while updating it to a late 90s horn-fest. It's actually a duet between Masayuki Tanaka (who you know from Kamen Rider Kuuga's theme song as well as .......THIS) and Kazuya Daimon of the future Project DMM. Without looking, I think I have this one on my Top 7 Ultraman theme songs. If not, it's definitely Top 10 worthy.

Gaia no chikara is the second track on this disc. Despite being an IN song, it is painfully obvious that this was intended to be the ending song. If there was ever a paint by number ending song, it's this one right here. It complements the Opening song perfectly, and is even sung by the same duo. It's a really good song, but maybe a little bit boring. I like it well enough.

If there is one Karaoke track you have to listen to on any of the CDs mentioned here today, it's the Gaia theme song. It's included here, as well as Gaia no chikara.

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B.B.WAVES Lovin' You Lovin' Me

AYDM-158

1998.09.21

Oh boy...

This is TAKE ME HIGHER all over again. OK, maybe not that bad. Clearly there was a decision somewhere that they needed to shoehorn in some more of the sweet JPOP synergy into the Ultra series. Project DMM wasn't ready yet, so they took on B.B.WAVES, who...never really took off.

Lovin' You Lovin' Me managed to sneak solos in, but is like a thousand other songs I've heard from groups of similar annoyance to me. I begrudgingly have to make this relationship work, however, since it is an Ultraman song. Feh.

This CD is rounded out by a lousy remix and a Karaoke version of the original. I suppose it's better than just two tracks like the Dyna IN songs singles...

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Tomohiko Kikuta Beat On Dream On c/w Aoi okami

AYDM-166

1999.03.21

Despite the title that makes me snicker every time I see it, Beat On Dream On is an incredibly decent song. It also happened to be the second and final ending theme song from Ultraman Gaia. I definitely buy this one over the previous ending song. It has that feeling of "well, that was enough adventure for this week...see ya next time". I really dig it. It has a lot of momentum and some pretty solid singing.

The IN song, Aoi okami, is an incredibly smooth track. It kinda peters out at points, but it is a very chill song. It might be a few years late (I'm getting a very 1996 vibe) but very enjoyable.

Naturally there are Karaoke versions of both songs.

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Recommended Pick: LAZY's ULTRA HIGH......easily. It's a multipurpose single that really should have a place in the collection of all Tokusatsu and metal fans. This is really the only time they got the whole crossover appeal thing right, IMO. Sure, TAKE ME HIGHER sold a bajillion copies, but I bought ULTRA HIGH much earlier in my collecting for a reason.

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Thanks for sticking with me during my break from the CD Collection series. There is much more to come. For the second post in March I plan on doing a small CD post based on...let's just say "current events".

See ya!

-CC

Toy Story: 2017 Subaru BRZ

The *other* blue oval...

Warning: This post is going to be entirely self-indulgent...but at least I got a funny story out of the whole thing...

As some of you may know, my brand new car has finally showed up from Japan. I ordered it back in December and detailed the ordering process in a handy post right here. Long story short...I put in order for an unpopular and hopelessly impractical car. It's worth reading, though, if you have a minute.

From what I've read online, Subaru dealers are used to impatient buyers who order a car and need weekly updates. I was absolutely determined to not be that guy. So much so that I think I might have had my dealer worried that I silently moved on from buying the car (something that will play up a little more in a bit). Nope. I requested zero information during the entire wait. I only received one email from my dealer during the wait that basically said "Yeah, it's still going to be awhile". Heh.

On the 2nd of February I follow a bizarre chain of messages entirely in reverse. The first email I read is "Sorry to get your hopes up. Disregard the previous email and voicemail." The previous email said "Hey [CC], I left you a voicemail with some great news! Your car is in! Uhh, a bit early, but it's here! Give me a call back at your earliest convenience.". So then I listened to the voicemail which echoed the same confused/excited tone.

So what happened? Well, Subaru sent them a totally random white BRZ. Another dealer I spoke to said they get maybe four BRZs a year at most and they're always either black or blue. Based on my dealer's confused/excited messages I imagine his dealership was in the same boat. It had to be my car, right?

What was different about it? It was completely decked out with options. Everything I didn't want was there... The big brake kit, leather seats, expensive wheels, push-button start. All that stuff. I have to imagine that he was shitting a brick when he was looking the car over. Sure, the color was right, but it couldn't be further from what I wanted. It easily had $4000 in options tacked on.

After he called me he checked the numbers and noticed that, well, it wasn't my car after all. Mine was still in transit to be delivered on 15th of February. When I got back to him after work (and when I got a cell signal again) he gave me the update and apologized for the confusion.

Fast forward to Wednesday the 8th. I got another voicemail saying "It's here! For real this time! I double-checked everything. Let me know when we can schedule the delivery.". I scheduled it for after work on Friday the 10th. In the entire lead-up to this, I finally allowed myself to get excited. It wasn't just some dream being whipped together in another country. The car was here...in the State of...*State I live in*.

When I got to the dealership, I immediately got a surprise. The car was parked in a primo space, waiting for my inspection before even heading inside. When I turned the corner and saw the car I could only think of one thing. You've probably heard the song "Lido Shuffle" by Boz Scaggs. As corny as it sounds...the first thing that popped in my head was the build-up to the last minute of the song. It was magical...

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I took delivery of my BRZ with only 5 miles on the odometer. I've only put another 170 miles on it, but man have they been glorious. This is absolutely my kind of vehicle. I don't need a fast car, I just need one that feels right. This car feels perfect. The ride is perfect. The gear shift is perfect. Hell, even the seats are massively comfortable in their permanent full-body grip. I recommend trying the Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86 out if you love the sensation of driving over a big engine that propels you down the road faster than you need to be going.

There is still much for me to learn about this car, but my initial thoughts have been nothing but great. This is my everyday car now (though I still have my Lexus) and I look forward to the many miles ahead...

5 miles! Inb4 someone else's grubby mitts could take it on a test drive...

Thanks for reading my latest Toy Story. Hahaa. I need to write another on-topic Toy Story sometime soon...

Bye-Bye

-CC

The Abandoned Kamen Rider Stronger Theme Song...

I suppose I should begin with a bit of a confession. Yeah, I got nothin' for this post. I've been putting off a new CD Collection post for a few reasons. I can't think of what I want to listen to/write about for one. I've been immersed in a lot of non-Tokusatsu music lately. I have, what I think is a stellar article I'd love to write someday. I'm just afraid nobody will like it...

In the meantime, I am definitely going to pull this one from the back burner. OK, it's pretty generous to say that this was even on the back burner. This is deep freezer material. I chiseled away years of ice to bring this little topic to you today, but at least it is something I always found interesting AND it's Tokusatsu related. 

There have only been a few instances in Tokusatsu history where fans have unearthed what could have been... Sure there are things like last minute actor / actress swaps, and the infamous Dynaman V-Leager [sic] suits, but music has always been a much harder topic to broach. I previously wrote about the Ohranger theme song debacle, but none of that has been officially confirmed by Toei or Columbia. Metalder's excellent theme song was also not the first choice [allegedly, of course]. 

So why exactly are your eyeballs reading this sentence right now? I'm going to tell you all about the weirdness behind the Kamen Rider Stronger theme songs. What sets this one apart from the others I mentioned is that this one was actually confirmed by Toei and Columbia. Yep, this is the one time that they owned up to their mistake and admitted the whole thing. I have a theory on why this happened, but I'll save that for the end. For now, let's dig into Kamen Rider Stronger's complete theme song list.

First, the theme songs that were actually used...

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Kamen Rider Stronger no uta [Opening Theme Song, All Episodes]

I don't think I've ever talked about this song. I think it's excellent--especially coming off the love it/hate it Amazon theme song. It didn't quite make my Top 7 list way back when I made it, but it's probably in my Top 10 or 12. Even if it isn't your cup of tea, you have to give it to Ichiro Mizuki for absolutely nailing it. It's definitely one of his best performances on a theme song. 

Kyo mo Tatakau Stronger [Ending Theme Song, 1-2]

It was somewhat unusual to have two singers splitting the theme song duty. Sure, there was Kamen Rider and Kamen Rider V3, but those theme songs weren't sung by a singer, rather by the lead actors. Ichiro Mizuki sang the theme song to Kamen Rider Stronger yet the ending theme song was done by Masato Shimon with Mitsuko Horie. This will make a little more sense later...

The instrumentals are identical to the version used for the majority of the series. Now, I'm not much of a fan of Shimon...but good grief are his vocals bad on this track. They're both incredibly stiff and shakier than usual. There is zero consistency throughout the entire thing. Mitsuko Horie sounds...lethargic. It's just a mess. It's really no wonder this version of the song only lasted two episodes before being yanked for...

Kyo mo Tatakau Stronger [Ending Theme Song, 3-31]

Yeah, it was replaced by the same song. This time around its Ichiro Mizuki on lead vocals with an assist once again by Mitsuko Horie. Everything wrong with the singing in the previous version was fixed. This song has gone on to be a bit of a classic 70s Rider anthem no thanks to the shaky Masato Shimon version. It's a fun song and honestly one of the few worthwhile 70s Rider ending songs.

Stronger Action [Ending Theme Song, 32-39]

The winning duo is back. Ichiro Mizuki and Mitsuko Horie belt out a new ending song to close out the post-Tackle episodes of the series. This is a pretty good ending theme song too. It sounds like they had a bunch of fun recording it. It's fair to say that they took a previous formula and cranked it up a bit. Frankly, I prefer Kyo mo Tatakau Stronger over this one, though.

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The abandoned opening theme song...

Miyo! Kamen Rider Stronger

Remember how the first version of Kyo mo Tatakau Stronger was sung by Masato Shimon? Well guess who sings this "gem"... 

Listening to this song, it's pretty clear that this was intended to be a theme song. It isn't as grand as Kamen Rider Stronger no uta, but it isn't too much different from it either. Once again, the singing is baaaad. It's not hard to see why this one wasn't used. If you have the track, pay particular attention to when he says "Kick!".

It's hard to say at what point in production they scraped this song and changed course. On one hand, this is a bare bones scratch-track. On the other hand, they ended up using the Masato Shimon version of the ending song for two episodes. Both tracks only exist in MONO audio and didn't see a release until 1992 when the first issue of Kamen Rider Complete Song Collection Series Vol.5 was released. Even stranger, Masato Shimon has not done any official work on Tokusatsu since (though...yeah, he totally is the singer of the Gingaman themes...just sayin'). 

The fact that Columbia released the damn thing is a total mystery. They HAD to release the Shimon version of the ending song since that was used, but this was a little out there. Maybe it was revealed in an interview or something and became a bit of fan lore? I'm at a bit of a loss since this series is way before my time. I feel the whole thing has lead to more questions than answers.

You may be thinking that you heard a version of this song with Ichiro Mizuki on vocals. Well, you're correct. The track was later re-recorded as an IN song with a better singer and a little bit better production value. There is a bump in power with the addition of the backing track. 

So how do I know all this to be fact? Columbia printed it in the booklet of the aforementioned Kamen Rider Stronger Song Collection. Yeah. They owned up to it. Maybe it was to shed a little light on to why there was only a brief use of the Masato Shimon version of the ending song. Who knows. I'll take it, though. It's certainly more fun to be able to hear what could have been instead of just being limited to my imagination...

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Thanks for swinging by today. Be sure to check out my CD Collection/Music page for more articles and reviews. I guess one day I need to get around to Kamen Rider songs, eh?

Bye!

-CC