Hiromi Iwasaki has “boarded” Space Battleship Yamato
Who will survive?
TEXT A
A three-way theme song war
The third installment of the Space Battleship Yamato series, Be Forever Yamato (distributed by Toei), will finally be released nationwide on August 3rd. The first run will be in 152 theaters in 131 cities nationwide, and it is expected that the box office will surpass the previous work, including advance sales.
The theme songs will be performed by Isao Sasaki, Akira Fuse, and Hiromi Iwasaki, which is also a hot topic. Just like Yamato, it is inevitable that there will be a fierce battle for the hit charts.
(Miura)
TEXT B
Akira Fuse performs with Sasaki
First female singer to be appointed
Hiromi is putting in a lot of effort with the “bonus”
The first to take the lead is Columbia singer Isao Sasaki, who has become well known for the Yamato series. Pendant of Stars (lyrics by Yu Aku, music by Hiroshi Miyagawa) was released on July 1st.
Next is Akira Fuse, who achieved an international romance with Olivia Hussey. His song Until the Day of Love (lyrics by Yu Aku, music by Akira Fuse), released by King, will be used as the ending theme that plays in the background when Yamato returns to Earth after the battle.
“We believe that no one can beat Fuse when it comes to singing love songs, and this song is perfect for him,” said King, the publisher, and they are full of enthusiasm. “The fact that Fuse himself wrote the music has also been a hot topic.”
What’s interesting is the situation of Galaxy Legend (lyrics by Yu Aku, music by Hiroshi Miyagawa) on the B-side. Initially, this song was to be sung by Isao Sasaki and Akira Fuse. This is the same pattern that was successful in the previous work Farewell to Yamato, which used both Sasaki and Kenji Sawada.
Galaxy Legend was to be played in the background of a fierce battle scene, which is the highlight of Yamato. Yoshinobu Nishizaki, who produced the work, said, “For the film, I really want to use a female voice to give it a fresh feeling…”
Hiromi Iwasaki was ultimately chosen, and it was quickly made into a record for release on August 1st. It was the first time a female singer performed a song in the three works of the series, and was released as a single with Life of Love (lyrics by Yoko Yamaguchi, music by Kingo Hamada) as the B-side.
“It’s a hot topic, a great piece, and a big merit,” said Hiromi’s company, Geiei Productions, with a flex of their muscles.
With this, Hiromi Iwasaki has released a record in collaboration with a coupling of two of the music world’s leading hit makers, Yoko Yamaguchi and Yu Aku. Her eyes sparkle as she says, “Both songs are great, and I like them both. I can’t wait to see my songs being played in the theater. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Space Battleship Yamato, which has attracted about eight million people to its previous two films, will begin its voyage again on August 2nd in response to the passionate requests of its fans. The singers will express their various feelings in the theme songs. Will there be a “hit” victory at the end of the voyage?
Translator’s note: the original text erroneously switched titles for some of the songs described herein, but all errors were corrected. The “first time a female singer” performed in Yamato occurred in The New Voyage, which was overlooked here since it did not screen in theaters.
TEXT C
A prelude to Akira Fuse’s “big turnaround”?
Akira Fuse’s Until the Day of Love is more of a love message to Olivia than a theme song for Yamato, but since Fuse will be leaving for the US in September, it is attracting attention among music industry people who say, “Even this composition can be seen as a prelude to Fuse’s long-held intention to become a music producer, and depending on the success of the song, that possibility is quite conceivable.”
Whether Fuse will choose the path of a “warrior of love” in the same vein as Susumu Kodai, the protagonist of Yamato, “seeking romance and love,” or not, his future actions will be worth keeping an eye on.
TEXT D
Photo caption: The film music surrounding Be Forever Yamato has had its share of happy and sad moments. Hiromi Iwasaki was suddenly asked to sing the theme song.
Tears for a “lost song” in the shadow of glory
Isao Sasaki’s Pendant of Stars is used as a theme that plays in the background as Yamato marches forward, but on the same day as Sasaki, Mitsuko Horie’s Face in the Stars (lyrics by Yoko Yamaguchi, music by Hiroshi Miyagawa) was also released by Columbia. This song was prepared for Be Forever Yamato, but in the end, it was not used in the movie, as the “Sasaki, Fuse, Iwasaki” topic was aroused. As if to prove contrast, Iwasaki’s Galaxy Legend will be played in the theater after the screening, so Horie could not cry even if she wanted to.