Best Selection! Cinema Soundtracks: Space Battleship Yamato ~ Hawaii
Audio City, 1/21/11, MP3
This two-track album was released exclusively as an MP3 and is available for download from iTunes. It delivers a Yamato theme arranged for ukelele, one track with Japanese lyrics and one instrumental. It may seem silly on the surface, but it is remarkably well-produced and further proves the versatility of Hiroshi Miyagawa’s composition.
Zoku Animentine by “Clementine”
Sony Music Japan International Inc., 3/9/11, SICP 3027
This CD features 13 tracks, all anime themes rendered in an easy-listening style with French lyrics. The album leads with Yamato and includes themes from Evangelion, Dr. Slump, Galaxy Express, City Hunter, and more. They would not be at all out of place in the background of a French cafe.
Queen of the Night by Yucca
Edoya Corporation, 7/20/11, EDCE-1010
Yucca is the vocalist who performed the signature “Infinity of Space” theme for the live-action movie soundtrack. Queen of the Night contains 11 tracks that combine her wide-ranging operatic voice with progressive rock beats. Her rendering of the theme from Yamato is a new one produced specifically for this release and fits beautifully into a lineup that includes Ave Maria and other internationally-recognized tunes. Visit Yucca’s official website here. Her discography page provides access to a sample of each track on Queen of the Night.
See a live performance of the theme by Yucca on YouTube here.
Animetal USA
Sony Music Japan, 10/12/11, SICP 3268
Animetal has been a Japanese heavy-metal institution for years, famous for their ear-splitting mega-marathons of anime themes. They’ve covered Yamato and many others in their time. This album stands apart because of its band members, all of whom are American metal-vets: “Metal Rider” is singer Mike Vescera (formerly of Loudness), “Speed King” is lead guitarist Chris Impellitteri (named by Guitar World magazine as one of the fastest guitarists of all time), “Storm Bringer” is bass guitarist Rudy Sarzo (played with Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake and more), and “Tank” is drummer Scott Travis (of Judas Priest and Racer X).
The disc consists of 11 tracks that start with Yamato and include Gatchaman, Mazinger Z, Fist of the North Star, Saint Seiya, and more. Whereas many anime themes have predominantly Japanese lyrics with a few words in English, these go the other way. For example, here are the Yamato lyrics as re-written by Mike Vescera, which are actually a pretty faithful translation of the original:
Goodbye all, from all aboard
Uchu Senkan Yamato
To a faraway star, Isucandaru-e
It’s departing on our way, on our way with destiny
We will certainly come back, we said with a smile
To those who are waving, and those we’ve left waiting
Leaving the galaxy, Isucandaru-e
A long voyage to the stars
Uchu Senkan Yamato
See a live performance of the theme by Animetal USA here
Goodbye all, we shall return
Uchu Senkan Yamato
On a mission to save Earth, on a mission for you all
Fighting men, standing tall with burning romance
Someone has to do this now, oh it is our destiny
If it is us that everyone, expects us to have the mission won
Leaving the galaxy, Isucandaru-e
A long voyage to the stars
Uchu Senkan Yamato
Yamato Resurrection Fever Special Soundtrack
EMI, November 2011, PCDZ-2224
It has become common practice to release limited-edition CDs with the rollout of high-profile pachinko games based on popular anime titles, and this one came out just ahead of the Yamato Resurrection Fever game in late 2011.
The disc contained the two songs recorded for the film by rock group The Alfee; the main theme and the closing song, Dedicate My Love. Shown above is the insert art for the CD.
Queen of the Night Live 2011 + Moment, Yucca
Space Shower Music, March 2012
Yucca’s voice first graced Yamato in the 2010 live-action movie when she performed the signature vocal for the Infinity of Space theme, originally recorded by Kazuko Kawashima. She released a version on her 2011 album Queen of the Night and followed up with live performances offered here on a CD/DVD combo pack. She would go on to re-record the same vocal for Yamato 2199.
Order it from Amazon.co.jp or CD Japan.
See her Yamato performance on Youtube here.
Yamato Resurrection Director’s Cut soundtrack
Re-arranged Soundtrack Album
Nippon Columbia COCX-37547-8
Released August 29, 2012
The most significant change in the Director’s Cut was the music, and that alone was reason enough to add another jewel to the crown. This 2-disc set covers the entire film in narrative order with most of the re-engineered music in the second half. Only two of the classical tracks heard in the 2009 score are still present; all others have been re-arranged and newly recorded from original Miyagawa film and TV scores. Even if you haven’t seen the Director’s Cut, the album still serves as a fitting love letter to Yamato music. The end theme by The Alfee is still in the film, but an orchestral version subs for it on this release.
Yamato 2199 Soundtracks
Since music has always been as important to Yamato as the ship or any of the characters, it was vital for the score of 2199 to measure up to the original in every way. Hiroshi Miyagawa’s son Akira was the first and only candidate for this, and he performed his task with gusto, recreating every track from scratch and composing a substantial number of new ones.
The entire body of music for 2199 is big enough to require a discography of its own, which can be found here.
Yamato Sound Almanac Series
The Sound Almanac series was an ambitious 2-year project (2012-2014) to reissue the entire Yamato catalog on 30 discs, all remastered to “Blu-spec CD” quality and brimming with bonus tracks. Extensive new liner notes introduced classic Yamato music to new fans brought in by Yamato 2199 and also contained plenty of previously-unknown trivia for the veterans.
Read all about the series and find liner notes here.
Yamato Sound Arrange Project CD series
2010-2014
Off to the side is a special series of discs that has been flying under the radar for a while, but finally emerged in 2015. Y.S.A.P. is the brainchild a fan circle called Brightness. They combine their musical talents to create rich, inventive cover versions of Yamato music from across the entire saga and 2199.
As of this writing, Brightness has released five full-length albums of Yamato music. They typically premiered at the Winter Comiket, culminating with Volume 5 in December 2014. At present, you can only get their works by asking a Japanese friend to order them online. Short of that, you can click on the following links to hear samples from each album:
Vol. 1 Aphelion | Vol. 2 Transition Waves | Vol. 3 Synthesis | Vol. 4 Crossover | Vol. 5 Elements
Find more info on the Brightness blog page here and their Tumblr page here.
Beyond the Sea, Japan Marine Self Defense Force with Kazuhiko Kawabe
Universal Music Japan, November 6 2013
The Japan Marine SDF has a world-class band, and has performed the Yamato theme live on many occasions. This disc collects several ocean-invoking pieces both classical and modern, including the main theme and Infinity of Space.
Order it from Amazon or CD Japan.
Tie-up ~ Collaboration History, The Alfee
EMI Records Japan, December 2013
The Alfee marked their 40th anniversary with this massive box set of 7 discs containing music composed for film and television. This includes Dedicate My Love, their power ballad from the end title of Yamato Resurrection. The box costs close to $100, but that should be no obstacle to a rabid Alfee fan.
Order it from Amazon or CD Japan.
Supernal Liberty, Nana Mizuki
King Records, April 2014
Pop superstar Nana Mizuki performed two songs for Yamato 2199, one for the series and one for A Voyage to Remember. Her series contribution was Star of Love, the end title song for 2199 Chapter 7. The version on this album collection was rerecorded with different instrumentation.
Order it from Amazon or CD Japan.
40th Anniversary Best Track Image Album
HATS Unlimited, HUCD-10172. Released December 3, 2014
Expectations were high when this new CD was announced, and it easily surpassed all of them when it was finally heard. Its 13 tracks reach back across the entire history of Yamato music, sampling liberally from the vintage catalog and rearranging the scores for new interpretations by some of Japan’s top artists. The most prominent among these is violinist Taro Hakase, whose rendition of the main theme provides the opening title for Ark of the Stars.
Stylistically, this collection is very reminiscent of the 1982 “Rhapsody” albums, which took the same approach for violin, guitar, and piano. In this case, however, each track showcases different instruments. Other than the new version of the opening theme, the real standout is a rendition of the White Comet theme with what sounds like a cathedral choir in full voice. Read much more about the project in Yamato 2199 Report 38 here.
Track list
01. Space Battleship Yamato 2199 (Taro Hakase, Akira Miyagawa, Takefumi Haketa)
02. Overture (Takefumi Haketa)
03. Birth (Yuji Toriyama, Takefumi Hakata)
04. Scarlet Scarf (Nori Suzuki, Hirko Kashiwagi, Takefumi Haketa)
05. Iscandar (Hiroki Kashiwagi)
06. Hope to Tomorrow (Chisako Takashima)
07. Sasha (Yuji Toriyama)
08. White Comet (Takefumi Haketa)
09. Hero’s Hill (Weiwei Wu, Hiroki Kashiwagi)
10. Thoughtful people (Memories) (Iwao Furusawa)
11. Dessler the Rival (Takefumi Haketa)
12. Great Love (Yukie Nishimura, Weiwei Wu, Hiroki Kashiwagi)
13. From Yamato with Love (Yukie Nishimura, Yuji Toriyama)
The disc is highly recommend and can be ordered from either CD Japan or Amazon.co.jp.
One more bonus for listeners was a special tie-in episode of the streaming internet program YRA Radio Yamato that could be downloaded to mobile devices with a Japanese OS.
Best of Best, Isao Sasaki
Columbia, April 2015
Columbia is very good at keeping classic anime themes in print through tribute albums like this one, which pulls together all the favorites rendered by vocalist Isao Sasaki (other legendary singers got their own volumes). Best known for the original Yamato theme and The Scarlet Scarf, his other credits run deep into both anime and live-action. This 25-track CD brings them all to life again.
MOMENT ~ Now Beyond Now, Isao Sasaki
Nippon Columbia, September 2016
Isao Sasaki’s 55th anniversary album consists of vintage recordings, a mixture of anime and live action themes, and was released to commemorate Sasaki’s 55th anniversary as a performer. It includes Yamato, Scarlet Scarf, and other titles from Galaxy Express, Gatchaman, Ultraman, and more.
This is all I want to know: 50 Anime Songs, various artists
Columbia, September 2015
50 years, 50 songs. That’s the shortest way to sum up this massive 2-CD compendium of Columbia’s most popular anime theme singles starting with Jungle Emperor [Kimba] in 1965. It’s a lot to get through if you only want the original Yamato theme, but if you’re looking for an instant collection of classics it can’t be beat.
Order it from Amazon or CD Japan.
Yamato Sound Almanac 1974-1983: Yamato Music Addendum
Columbia, October 2015
In terms of the pure Yamato sound, this was the single biggest release of 2015, a triple-disc treasure trove that followed in the wake of the 30-CD Sound Almanac series. It may be hard to imagine that anything had been left out, but the well goes deeper than even the production supervisor thought, as described in his liner notes.
In case you’re wondering if they finally dug up the original source for the Bee People festival in Series 1, that still remains sadly elusive. And truthfully, there’s nothing completely new here, but completists will love diving into alternate takes and remixes that liven up the old favorites.
Highlights include alternate takes from the Yamato radio dramas, tracks from the Anime Piano ~ Yamato/Gundam album, The instrumental-only version of Prelude to Final Yamato, a “refresh collection” of BGM remixes from Yamato 2 through Final Yamato, and a handful of songs that didn’t fit on previous releases.
Read the extensive liner notes and a complete track listing here.
Order it from Amazon or CD Japan.
Singles from WCDA (Will Cinderella Dance Again)
WCDA is a fascinating music group that we’ve mentioned before in these pages, and whenever they add to their catalog it’s definitely a moment for Yamato fans to sit up and take notice. They specialize in covering anime theme songs, but also dig deeper to find grooves and beats hidden in the BGM.
They first delved into Yamato music with singles titled Iskandall (2009) and Bolar (2010), and expanded the library to include Desler Attack (2016), White Comet (2017) and Great Love (2019). The best part is that you can order these and other WCDA singles RIGHT NOW on the American version of iTunes. Just enter WCDA as a search term and their whole catalog will be at your fingertips. It’s one every anime fan should explore.
Mirage, Especia
Bermuda Entertainment Japan, August 2016
Especia is a prog-pop group that ranges across a wide variety of sounds and covers. The Mirage CD consists of only 4 tracks, but the accompanying DVD contains a full concert that opens with the Yamato theme.
Order it from these links:
Regular edition (CD) Amazon | CD Japan
Limited edition (CD + DVD) Amazon | CD Japan
See the opening chunk of the concert on Youtube here.
Heirloom, Akira Miyagawa & Osaka Shion Wind Orchestra
OSWO-0001, October 2016
This rare disc was self-published by the Osaka Shion Wind Orchestra and sold only at concert venues until it was picked up by Music Store JP for online sales (to Japanese addresses only). It collects a mix of pop tunes written by both Hiroshi Miyagawa and his son Akira, including Yamato Jazz, a swingin’ cover of the original theme.
New Sounds in Brass 2017
Universal Music, April 2017
A collection of covers from all over the place, including a Disney villains medley, an Earth Wind & Fire medley, Billy Joel, and the Monkees. A “Yamato Highlight” track combined selections from seven different pieces.
Best Tune Takamiy, Toshihiko Takamizawa
Universal Music, August 2017
This is another solo effort from The Alfee’s “Takamiy.” The 2-disc version includes a live 2016 performance of From Yamato With Love, which is quite different from the 2008 concert performance listed higher up the page.
See the performance on Youtube here.
Order the CD from Amazon or CD Japan.
POWER, various artists
Kanameishi Records, December 2017
This album is a collection of theme songs by Yamato’s original lyricist Yu Aku, from the worlds of anime and tokusatsu (live-action special effects) TV shows. They are all covered by contemporary artists in modern styles, and include such fare as Ultraman and Mach Baron.
It makes our list for the inclusion of two Yamato songs from 1978: The Rival (Dessler’s “image song”) performed by Ryotaro Okiayu (voice of Jiro Shima in Resurrection) and From Yamato With Love performed by Koichi Yamadera (voice of Dessler in 2199 and 2202). As we learned from 2202 press coverage, this was the song that convinced the producers to have Yamadera render the ending theme for 2202 Chapter 6.
Order it from Amazon or CD Japan (The Amazon page includes sound samples).
May J. Cinema Song Covers
Rhythm Zone, July 2018
This 2-disc collection by a fantastic singer features songs from American films on the first disc and Japanese works on the second, including the ending theme from Laputa and the Infinite Universe theme from Yamato.
Listen to it on Youtube here.
Order the album from CD Japan here.
Hiroshi Miyagawa TV Theme World
Columbia, August 2018
A huge collection of 38 themes written by Hiroshi Miyagawa for a wide variety of TV shows from the 60s onward, including the indispensable Yamato theme.
Order it from CD Japan here.
Make the Most of This Earth, Misao Hadozaki
Self-published, 2018
Misao Hadozaki is a consummate flute player with a long discography; this disc is Volume 13 in her “Color Collection” series. She performs an unusual and creative version of the Yamato theme (see it in concert on Youtube here) along with other very recognizable pieces from the Nausicaa theme to the Star Wars march.
Since the CD was self-published, it’s pretty rare but definitely worth hunting down. It’s sold out at this site, but the data is there for search purposes.
Battle Starship, The Alfee
Universal Music, June 2019
This entry is a sort of “honorable mention.” It doesn’t contain any Yamato songs, but The Alfee certainly didn’t hide their influence with their choice of cover art and title.
Order it from Amazon or CD Japan.
Organ Odyssey, Yuka Ishimaru
King Records, September 2019
Yuka Ishimaru is an award-winning pipe organ player who has performed in Europe and Japan. This album contains 14 tracks including her cover of the famed White Comet theme. Also of note for SF fans is her renderings of Holt’s The Planets and the Star Wars march.
Order it from Amazon.co.jp or CD Japan.
Departing Ship: a Baritone’s Collection of Hiroshi Miyagawa Songs
BKM Records, April 2021
Yamato music can be found in unexpected places. This CD features solo performances of no less than 12 classic Yamato songs by Baritone Tetsuro Kitamura (with piano accompaniment). It’s a masterful performance for a very select audience, and is thus not available through mainstream sources. It is independently published by BKM Records and can be ordered here (ships only to Japanese addresses).
Hear Tetsuro Kitamura’s rendition of The Scarlet Scarf here.
Ikuko Kawai CD: Always ~ Masterpiece Story
Sony Music, September 2021
Music completists added another title to their search lists when this disc was released by internationally-known violinist Ikuko Kawai. It features 26 east-meets-west tracks that puts the Yamato Theme in the company of The Sound of Music, Whole New World, Ave Maria, and Dancing Queen (among others).
Get it at Amazon.co.jp here or CD Japan here.
Hear the entire album on Youtube here.
Osaka University of Arts Promenade Concert 2021
A video release of the university’s August 25th performance, which closed big with the third and fourth movements from Kentaro Haneda’s Yamato Grand Symphony.
Keep an eye on this page for future additions!