{"id":2434,"date":"2013-07-01T05:20:14","date_gmt":"2013-07-01T05:20:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/?p=2434"},"modified":"2025-09-05T22:32:05","modified_gmt":"2025-09-06T05:32:05","slug":"248","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/248\/","title":{"rendered":"Final Yamato<\/em> Discography"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Yamato<\/em> had always been made with music at its heart. Most other movies and TV shows basically treated music as an afterthought, something to be added at the end of the process. Yamato<\/em> went the other way, making music an integral part of the process from the earliest stage. And no film generated more music than Final Yamato<\/em><\/p>\n

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By the time Yamato<\/em> reached its final year, the unique combination of music and image was fully established and infused the entire project from start to finish. In truth, Yamato<\/em> had always been made with music at its heart. Most other movies and TV shows basically treated music as an afterthought, something to be added at the end of the process. Yamato<\/em> went the other way, making music an integral part of the process from the earliest stage.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Preparing for the soundtrack recording sessions: Hiroshi Miyagawa (in blue), Sound Director Atsumi Tashiro (in red), Kentaro Haneda (first photo, center), and Producer Yoshinobu Nishizaki (last photo, far right)<\/em><\/p>\n

It was a common occurrence, for example, for a story to be changed to accomodate a specific piece of music that could enhance a scene. In other cases, a cue was recorded shortly before a movie opened in a rush of last-minute inspiration. (Final Yamato,<\/em> was famously delivered to theatres on the morning of its release date after an all-night session to fine-tune the finished product.)<\/p>\n

Furthermore, the most vivid and engaging pop music styles of the time were sought out to enliven the viewing experience, a move that had started out as innovation and was now expected. This was first and foremost the responsibility of Producer Yoshinobu Nishizaki, who had to thoroughly understand the emotional power of the complete presentation, and then the music staff who had the creative and technical skills needed to fulfill his vision. The two elements had to be mutually dependent and confident in each other for the system to function.<\/p>\n

When reviewing all the high points of Yamato<\/em> music, Final Yamato<\/em> arguably represents the highest. Hiroshi Miyagawa said it himself in the film’s program book:<\/p>\n

No other producer surpasses Mr. Nishizaki in his sense for music that seizes the audience’s mind. I have devoted all my energy to this film, for the chance to enjoy working with him again. I believe that the music in <\/em>Final Yamato is the best in the series.<\/em><\/p>\n


Conductor Naoto Otomo leads the orchestra<\/em><\/p>\n

The scale of this undertaking can be better understood by the rollout of seven new songs on three different labels and no less than five symphonic LPs with a total of 57 tracks (only a handful of which were duplicates). Such a huge body of work was made possible by the advancement of pianist\/composer Kentaro Haneda up the ranks of the Symphony Orchestra Yamato<\/em> to work alongside Hiroshi Miyagawa. The maestro’s roots in pop music and expertise with lively melodies made him better-equipped to write new themes for the film’s characters, whereas Haneda’s classic training positioned him to write big-scale pieces that expressed the majesty of space and the epic scope of the story.<\/p>\n

This distribution of labor and skill produced a massive, fearless score that was superior to what either man could create on his own. This unique combination turned the experience into pure pageantry, sending Final Yamato<\/em> off to outer space on the best possible closing note.<\/p>\n

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Final Yamato<\/em> discography in release order:<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

Prelude [Overture] to Final Yamato<\/em><\/h3>\n

Symphonic album, 5\/21\/1982
\nNippon Columbia, LP: CX-7055 Cassette: CAY-569<\/em><\/p>\n

This ‘overture’ album was released about 10 months before the premiere of Final Yamato<\/em> and featured a mix of music and spoken-word narration. The voice of Michio Hazama and new compositions by Hiroshi Miyagawa made for a very high-quality album.<\/p>\n

The four tracks on side A were arranged by Hiroshi Miyagawa’s son Akira and open with a traditional Yayoi-period flute performance (an instrument dating back over 2,000 years). Several themes for Final Yamato<\/em> were already written by this time, and three of the tracks on this album were further developed into BGM for the film. The synthesizer player in Symphonic Orchestra Yamato<\/em> was Jun Fukamachi, who also created two Yamato<\/em> ‘Digital Trip’ albums. (Below left: Kentaro Haneda at the piano.)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The first six tracks all featured music being developed for Final Yamato<\/em> along with dramatic narration by Michio Hazama. The final track, a 12-minute tour de force called Space Battleship Yamato Memorial<\/em> was a medley of themes from across the entire saga with uncredited narration by Yoshinobu Nishizaki himself.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> for Nishizaki’s liner notes.<\/p>\n

Prelude to Final Yamato<\/em> was released by Nippon Columbia on CD in 1996 (below left, COCC-13262) and remastered for the Eternal Edition Premium<\/a> box set (below right, COCX-33021). A version without narration was included on the Eternal Edition File No. 9 disc (shown elsewhere on this page).<\/p>\n

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\nPoster given away in stores with purchase<\/em><\/p>\n

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Final Yamato<\/em> Theme Music Collection 1<\/h3>\n

Symphonic album, 1\/21\/1983
\nTokuma\/Animage, LP: ANL-1001 Cassette: 25AN1<\/em><\/p>\n

Final Yamato<\/em>‘s first musical surprise came before the movie opened when the Tokuma Company debuted an album right alongside Nippon Columbia. Tokuma had released Yamato<\/em> music once before, in the equally surprising Theme Song and BGM Collection<\/em> in 1979. (Read about that album here.<\/a>) As the publisher of Animage<\/em> Magazine, Tokuma had built a strong relationship with Yamato<\/em> from its very first issue. When the scope of Final Yamato<\/em> grew beyond anything that had come before it, additional financing was sought out, and Tokuma became a major partner in the production. This album was just one of a string of products that resulted.<\/p>\n


Conductor Naoto Otomo, Miyagawa, and Nishizaki<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Hiroshi Miyagawa’s liner notes:<\/p>\n

Starting from 1974, I have been associated with <\/em>Yamato for about 10 years. Our first music meeting took place in the summer of 1973, and after many heartfelt, all-night discussions, the concept for <\/em>Yamato music took shape. When I think back on it, the main purpose was for me to confirm what kind of composer and music the producer was looking for to support his film.<\/p>\n

The music in this latest production has a new feeling to it thanks to the contribution of Kentaro Haneda. He’s a musician who regards classical music as his base. Therefore, this new <\/em>Yamato score has a much more classical tone than the previous ones, along the lines of Tchiakovsky, Sibelius, or Faure. Producer Nishizaki’s purpose for bringing him into the mix was to open up a new world of music. Because I’ve known him for ten years, I fully understood Nishizaki’s intentions.<\/p>\n

Haneda is an excellent pianist, and I have been struck by this many times during our collaborations. He brought a lot of energy to the compositions produced some outstanding pieces, particularly <\/em>Mobile Fortress and <\/em>The Battle of Pluto.<\/p>\n

I have many memories of <\/em>Yamato, and I’m really glad we met. I have been privileged to work on it as a composer. I’m looking forward to watching this last film as a fan in the audience. I think <\/em>Yamato is the greatest masterpiece in anime film history, and I’m very happy to have created its music. I hope to work with Producer Nishizaki again if the opportunity arises.<\/p>\n

Long live<\/em> Yamato fans!<\/em><\/p>\n

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Final Yamato<\/em> Music Collection 1<\/h3>\n

Symphonic album 1\/21\/1983
\nNippon Columbia, LP: CX-7081 Cassette: CAY-598<\/em><\/p>\n

The naming of the rival albums from Columbia and Tokuma may have indicated little difference between the two, but the content told another story. Each of the five symphonic albums had something unique to offer, from alternate takes with slight variations to exclusive tracks with completely different arrangements. The first of the three Nippon Columbia albums, for example, focused primarily on character themes.<\/p>\n

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Rainbow to Tomorrow<\/em> b\/w Fight! Cosmo Tiger<\/em> [instrumental]<\/h3>\n

45rpm single, 1\/25\/1983
\nTokuma\/Animage, ANS-2001<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Tokuma also laid claim on the first single to be released for Final Yamato,<\/em> which happened to be one of the last songs heard in film. Rainbow to Tomorrow<\/em>, the first of two songs heard in the epilogue sequence, is immediately recognizable to English-speaking fans for the lyric, “Have a nice dream.” Tranzam was the group who performed the song with vocal accompaniment from Tomoko Kuwae (at left), who contributed another single to the movie. One of the few songs that did not involve Hiroshi Miyagawa, its break from the established “Yamato<\/em> sound” underscored the transition of the characters into a new phase of their lives.<\/p>\n

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Rainbow to Tomorrow<\/h3>\n

Lyrics: Yu Aku
\nMusic: Daisuke Inoue
\nArrangement and vocals: Tranzam and Tomoko Kuwae<\/em><\/p>\n

Have a nice dream
\nChild, let’s all sing together again
\nHave a nice dream
\nChild, lets’ all sing together again<\/p>\n

Tomorrow will always be tomorrow
\nIn the distance, not today
\nWe all know this
\nAnd build a rainbow to tomorrow
\nRepeating a mysterious dream
\nDyed in the color of passion
\nWhen we reach the far side
\nWe build a bridge to the future<\/p>\n

Have a nice dream
\nChild, let’s all sing together again
\nHave a nice dream
\nChild, let’s all sing together again
\nHave a nice dream<\/p>\n

When you catch up to tomorrow
\nTime disappears from this world
\nWe all know this
\nTomorrow we’ll begin to run
\nJust look up at the rainbow
\nI can’t find a friend to talk to
\nBut we aim for the same tower
\nWe build a rainbow to tomorrow\n<\/div>\n

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This song can be found on the following albums
\n(see other discographies for data):<\/p>\n

Top: Final Yamato<\/em> Drama, Eternal Edition File No. 10 ‘The Best.’
\nBottom: Music Encyclopedia of Leiji Matsumoto 1999, Animage Singles Collection 1983.\n<\/div>\n

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The Love of Two<\/em> b\/w See You Again<\/em><\/h3>\n

45rpm single, 1\/25\/1983
\nTokuma\/Animage, ANS-2003<\/em><\/p>\n

Released on the same day, The Love of Two<\/em> was told from Yuki’s perspective while flying with Kodai in the Cosmo Zero. Her flashbacks in that scene give a great sense of history and depth, reminding you that you’ve been with these two for a long time. The sequence also stands out as a rare moment when the two are alone and working in tandem. The B-side had nothing to do with Yamato,<\/em> but was another song that resulted from Kuwae’s sessions with Tranzam.<\/p>\n

This song can be found on the same albums as Rainbow to Tomorrow<\/em> (see above)<\/p>\n

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The Love of Two<\/h3>\n

Lyrics: Kuni Kawachi
\nMusic: Daisuke Inoue, Arrangement: Hiroshi Miyagawa
\nVocals: Tomoko Kuwae<\/em><\/p>\n

Your eyes whisper to me
\nYour words break into me
\nThe love of two that stops time
\nTwo hearts that are bared to each other<\/p>\n

The wide, wide realm without tears
\nWe could find happiness now
\nI want to find happiness now
\nMy smiling face eases into you<\/p>\n

My future will be happy with you
\nThe love of two that stops time
\nTwo hearts that are bared to each other<\/p>\n

Looking toward the deep, deep tomorrow
\nWe could find happiness now
\nI want to find happiness now<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Tomoko Kuwae’s next album, titled I Can’t Wait<\/em>, was released later in 1983 from Climax Records (CMC-1006). It contained her recording of The Love of Two<\/em>. A CD release followed in 2015.<\/p>\n

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Kodai (I) and Yamato<\/em> b\/w
Yamato Tribute~Poseidon<\/em><\/h3>\n

45rpm single, 2\/1\/1983
\nNippon Columbia, CH-116<\/em><\/p>\n

Naturally, Isao Sasaki was called upon to reprise his role as the ‘Voice of Yamato’<\/em> on both of these new songs. Kodai and Yamato<\/em> (which was a sort of wordplay, since ‘Kodai’ is also an antiquated Japanese word for ‘self’ or ‘I’) is the first song heard in the film. It is loaded with emotion, symbolic of Kodai and his feelings of guilt as he ponders his relationship to Yamato.<\/em><\/p>\n

The B-side was not heard in the movie. Yamato Tribute<\/em> is a refreshing, optimistic song with Sasaki at his manliest. It carries the soul of Yamato<\/em> outside the scope of the anime and handily demonstrates the standard of excellence reached after years of collaboration between Aku, Miyagawa, and Sasaski. <\/p>\n

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Kodai [I] and Yamato<\/h3>\n

Lyrics: Yu Aku
\nMusic: Hiroshi Miyagawa
\nVocal: Isao Sasaki<\/em><\/p>\n

Yamato are you my brother, Yamato are you my father
\nOr Yamato are you my friend<\/p>\n

My older brother would raise his hand
\nto scold and punish me
\nMy father is strength in my chest
\nCarrying me through a storm
\nMy friend shares the time of my youth
\nAnd we burn together without regret<\/p>\n

Farewell Yamato, we are parting
\nAnd I now descend alone<\/p>\n

Yamato are you my brother, Yamato are you my father
\nOr Yamato are you my friend<\/p>\n

My older brother would be with me any time
\nShowing me the model of a man
\nMy father shines in the distance
\nThe light by which I find my way
\nMy friend speaks of romance
\nGoing forward into the unknown<\/p>\n

Farewell Yamato, we will meet again
\nAnd I now descend alone<\/p>\n

The friend who shared my youth
\nBurns without regret in the deep blue
\nFarewell Yamato, we are parting
\nAnd I now descend alone\n<\/div>\n

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Yamato Tribute~Poseidon<\/h3>\n

Lyrics: Yu Aku
\nMusic: Hiroshi Miyagawa
\nVocal: Isao Sasaki<\/em><\/p>\n

I do not speak to Father Poseidon
\nSilence is my protection
\nI watch the seasons flow past<\/p>\n

And an eternal dream pours out
\nI rise up to fly
\nThe spray of water sticks to me
\nI rise, I rise to fly<\/p>\n

Toward a distant star
\nOur Earth is formed of green
\nAnd the color of a golden sea
\nThe star of home retreats away<\/p>\n

I leave with my limitless promise
\nThere is a striking sound
\nThe beat of passion
\nIt strikes, and strikes again<\/p>\n

An exploration of love
\nGoing deep in time
\nAcross a sea of darkness
\nThe rosy faces of the young<\/p>\n

The generous thought continues
\nI will return
\nUpon the heart of the lovely maiden
\nI will return, return
\nTo the rhythm of the waves\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

These songs can be found on the following albums (see other discographies for data):
\nFinal Yamato<\/em> Drama, Eternal Edition File No. 10 ‘The Best” and ‘The Best II,’ The World of Leiji Matsumoto (two editions), SF & Space Animation Vol. 3.<\/p>\n

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Love Supreme<\/em> b\/w Love of Yuki<\/em> [instrumental]<\/h3>\n

45rpm single, 3\/1\/1983
\nDiscomate, DSF-239<\/em><\/p>\n

Another of the very few Yamato<\/em> songs by women, this was written for the love scene in the Final Yamato<\/em> epilogue.<\/a> It beautifully expresses Yuki’s comfort and happiness at completing her growth to womanhood.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Love Supreme<\/h3>\n

Lyrics and vocal: Junko Yagami
\nMusic: Hiroshi Miyagawa<\/em><\/p>\n

Love supreme
\nIn the mirror of your eyes
\nLove supreme
\nThe truth is reflected<\/p>\n

It surrounds and finds me
\nIt directs all your love to me
\nOnly now
\nThe starry sky shines on two people
\nWaiting through the lonely night
\nYou…<\/p>\n

Love supreme
\nIn the ocean of your heart
\nLove supreme
\nLet me see your dream<\/p>\n

Even when it is far in the distance
\nThis love surely strengthens me
\nForever<\/p>\n

Love supreme
\nTo believe in each other
\nLove supreme
\nTwo people turn to each other
\nLove supreme
\nTo love each other<\/p>\n

See a performance by vocalist Junko Yagami here.<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

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This song can also be found on these albums (see other discographies for data):<\/p>\n

Final Yamato<\/em> drama, Eternal Edition File Nol. 10, MusicEncyclopedia of Leiji Matsumoto, Lonely Girl<\/em> by Junko Yagami (Victor, 1983).\n<\/div>\n

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Space Battleship Yamato ’83<\/em> b\/w
Yamato ’83<\/em> Karaoke Version<\/h3>\n

45rpm single, 3\/1\/1983
\nNippon Columbia, CH-118<\/em><\/p>\n

Recorded to commemorate Yamato’s<\/em> 10th anniversary (of production commencement in 1973), this updated version of the classic opening theme starts with bridge sound effects leading into a slow-tempo first verse, then both verses at full speed. It perfectly recaptures the spirit of the original with gusto and determination from Sasaki. The background scat was provided by Kazuko Kawashima, who had also participated from the beginning. Both would be reunited again for Leiji Matsumoto’s Rail of Fantasy concerts in the late 90s.<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

This song can be found on the following albums (see other discographies for data):<\/p>\n

Top row: Final Yamato<\/em> Drama, Eternal Edition File No. 10 ‘The Best’ & ‘The Best II,’ SF & Space Animation Vol. 3.
\nBottom row: World of Leiji Matsumoto (two editions), Music Encyclopedia of Leiji Matsumoto 1999, Isao Sasaki\/Poetry of Man.<\/p>\n

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Yamato 10 Year Tribute<\/em> b\/w Instrumental themes<\/h3>\n

33-1\/3 EP, 3\/21\/1983
\nNippon Columbia, CE-3058<\/em><\/p>\n

More a long-form poem than a song, 10 Year Tribute<\/em> uses three movements to look back at the first voyage and trace the axis of friendships that emerged, especially the love between Kodai and Yuki.<\/p>\n

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This departs from the structure of a theme song and brings a sense of closure to the saga, ending as it does with reference to a wedding. As the last Final Yamato<\/em> single to be released, it was appropriately timed to go on sale three days after the film’s premiere. It has only been re-released once, on the Eternal Edition CD, ‘The Best II.’<\/p>\n

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Yamato 10 Year Tribute<\/h3>\n

Lyrics: Yu Aku
\nMusic: Hiroshi Miyagawa
\nVocal: Isao Sasaki<\/em><\/p>\n

Wake up, Yamato, a tragedy to repay
\nThe raw, forgotten fight
\nLeave the waters for outer space
\nYou become a messenger of peace<\/p>\n

A fleeting dream slipping away?
\nA peaceful song enwraps Yamato
\nA wave scatters space and time
\nGoing toward an infinite sea<\/p>\n

(narration)
\nThe year 2000, the 21st century
\nThe Earth loses its green light
\nThe Earth, the wind, the flow of time
\nReaching the end of its days<\/p>\n

(narration)
\nEarth’s remaining days are numbered
\nOne year, 365 days
\nOur survival depends on you
\nHurry, Yamato, to Iscandar<\/em><\/p>\n

The journey is filled with trial and strife
\nBut always a person’s heart shines
\nIt can believe in love
\nIt can also dream of the future<\/p>\n

It met an enemy in that time
\nAnd also the woman fated to meet
\nKnowing sorrow, knowing anger
\nAnd the joy of living for togetherness\n<\/div>\n

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One day remains to save the Earth
\nTo return the everlasting peace
\nThe dream of Yamato’s return
\nBrings happiness to those we love<\/p>\n

They look up into distant space
\nRomance and dreams and fairy tales
\nFlowing up into the sky
\nCan you also sleep, Yamato?<\/p>\n

With all the people depending on you
\nI wish to live in a small house
\nA place to meet and talk and live
\nThere will be two of us one day<\/p>\n

Two together, as one living spirit
\nAs for the one who fights, who scatters flames
\nKodai calls to Dessler, it is good
\nA black hole and a friend<\/p>\n

Then time passes, and burns away
\nBut love stood firm and still
\nAll the stars turn to green
\nI engrave them with my wish<\/p>\n

That Yamato never bear a scar
\nA song and a flower, made for you
\nThe excited voice of my friends raised high
\nYou can hear it on the wedding bell
\nThat Yamato never bear a scar
\nYou can hear it on the wedding bell\n<\/div>\n

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Final Yamato<\/em> Theme Music Collection 2<\/h3>\n

Symphonic album, 4\/1\/1983
\nTokuma\/Animage, LP: ANL-1004 Cassette: 25AN3<\/em><\/p>\n

The second of Tokuma’s symphonic albums held up the high standards of its predecessor and had an interesting feature on its outer banner (called an ‘obi’): a photo of Yoshinori Kaneda, a very popular anime artist of the early 1980s. His dynamic visual style had enlivened Be Forever<\/em> and Yamato III<\/em> to such a degree that he was made a production designer on Final Yamato.<\/em> He also had a relationship with Animage<\/em> as the illustrator of their Final Yamato<\/em> novelizations.<\/a> One of his pieces became a promotional poster for this album (shown below center with the April 1983 issue of Animage<\/em> magazine).<\/p>\n

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Kentaro Haneda’s liner notes:<\/p>\n

I kept company with <\/em>Yamato for many years as a pianist, but now under the auspices of Producer Nishizaki and the blessing of master Hiroshi Miyagawa, I have joined the production staff. Our first meeting took place during the severe heat of summer at the office of Westcape Corporation. We had 7 or 8 meetings over 2 or 3 weeks, during which time I came to know Mr. Nishizaki’s passion and seriousness.<\/p>\n

There were times late at night when I would remember an image from those meetings and hot tears would come to my eyes. It appeared that Maestro Miyagawa loved <\/em>Yamato as much as Mr. Nishizaki, which came out during their heated discussions.<\/p>\n

My long-held beliefs are that the music must be beautiful and we must be happy with it. This is the policy I kept as I created my own world of sound.<\/p>\n

I start writing a theme by thinking about the melody line. It evolves during a staff meeting, we have discussions and then the arrangement begins. This is when we decide who should be in the orchestra, and we choose the best performers in the nation.<\/p>\n

This included Japan’s best violinist, Tsugio Tokunaga (who was a member of my alma mater) and especially the young conductor of our last recording, Naoto Otomo. Though an orchestra can sometimes sound like an enormous monster stamping on the ground, the waves can quickly vanish only to live on as a tremor in the heart. Music is love and love is music. The heart knows the weight of love and the body knows the flow of time. And both know the beauty of music.<\/p>\n

I’ve gone on too long. Drop the needle onto the record and let’s enjoy it together.<\/em><\/p>\n

Both of the Tokuma\/Animage symphonic LPs were reissued in a two-CD set titled Final Yamato Best Collection<\/em> (Animage records, 27ATC-124~5) in 1986, making it only the fourth Yamato<\/em> CD behind the first two symphonic suites and the Grand Symphony<\/a> (1985).<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n


\n“Best Collection” cassettes, probably foreign editions of the two Best Collection<\/em> albums.<\/p>\n

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Posters given away in stores with purchase of the Animage albums. Left: Theme Music Collection 1. Right: Theme Music Collection 2.<\/p>\n

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Final Yamato<\/em> Music Collection II<\/h3>\n

Symphonic album 4\/21\/1983
\nNippon Columbia, LP: CX-7095 Cassette: CAY-613<\/em><\/p>\n

The second of Columbia’s symphonic albums was ordered to follow the flow of the story and concluded with Kentaro Haneda’s personal masterpiece, the Symphony of the Aquarius:<\/em> a huge, sprawling concerto written for the movie’s climax. Haneda himself was the pianist on this 10-minute track, turning in a virtuoso performance that became a masterpiece in the history of anime music.<\/p>\n

Haneda: I was able to compose music for <\/em>Final Yamato as a co-production with Miyagawa because I thoroughly understood the atmosphere of <\/em>Yamato after many earlier recordings. We lived in the same apartment building for a while, and I begged him to let me join up. I first saw <\/em>Yamato on TV back in my school days and thought the music was really cool. It had great scale and set ‘anime sound’ on a healthy path. We recorded this piece with the scene projected on a monitor next to the conductor. Including the mike check, it took about an hour and half.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Posters given away in stores with purchase of the Columbia albums. Left: Music Collection 1. Right: Music Collection 2.<\/p>\n

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Final Yamato<\/em> Music Collection III<\/h3>\n

Symphonic album 8\/21\/1983
\nNippon Columbia, LP: CX-7095 Cassette: CAY-613<\/em><\/p>\n

The third and last symphonic album from Columbia was organized more loosely than the others, providing a sort of ‘easy listening’ collection of varying styles. All three of the Columbia albums were released a number of times, including in cassette form (shown at right) and twice on CD. The first of these was a triple-disc set that was part of Columbia’s reissue of the entire Yamato<\/em> catalog in 1995 (below left, COCC-12233~35). They appeared again in the 2004 Eternal Edition Premium set,<\/a> which made all of Columbia’s symphonic albums available in a single collection (below right, COCX-33021).<\/p>\n

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Final Yamato<\/em><\/h3>\n

Drama album, 5\/21\/1983
\nNippon Columbia, LP: CS-7256~8 Cassette: CBY-565~6<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Like Be Forever,<\/em> the drama album for Final Yamato<\/em> was a three-record extravaganza that included soundtrack scores not heard on the symphonic LPs. It came with a 14-page color storybook and the photo of Yoshinobu Nishizaki on the front cover was yet another reminder that the Executive Producer of Yamato<\/em> was nearly as famous as his creation. (Below: the Final Yamato<\/em> drama cassettes.)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Along with all of the other drama albums, this one was released on CD in 1995 (COCC-12487~89) when Nippon Columbia reissued its entire Yamato<\/em> catalog.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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Final Yamato<\/em> Digital Trip Synthesizer Fantasy<\/h3>\n

Synthesizer Fantasy, 6\/21\/1983
\nNippon Columbia, LP: CX-7102 Cassette:CAY-617<\/em><\/p>\n

This was the most unusual of Final Yamato<\/em>‘s many albums, an all-synthesizer concept recording by artist Jun Fukamachi. It was actually his second effort, his first being the Space Battleship Yamato Digital Trip<\/em><\/a> from a year earlier. He had also performed on synthesizer with the Symphony Orchestra Yamato<\/em> on the Prelude to Final<\/em> album.<\/p>\n

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This album went out of print after its first LP release, and a reissue would not appear until early 2014 as part of the Yamato<\/em> Sound Almanac series. Read all about it here<\/a><\/p>\n

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Space Battleship Yamato Complete Music Works Model Performance<\/em><\/h3>\n

Yamato Fan Club special product, T-891445<\/em><\/p>\n

This limited-edition cassette tape accompanied a collection of sheet music titled Space Battleship Yamato Complete Music Works<\/em>, published by Tokyo Music Academy on August 20, 1983. It was a limited-edition cassette tape that could only be purchased by direct mail order from the Yamato<\/em> Fan Club headquarters for 5400 yen (4500Y for the score and 900Y for the tape). In all, 29 songs were carefully selected from the score and performed on piano by Hiroshi Miyagawa and Kentaro Haneda. For the next 30 years, it was an exceedingly rare collector’s item that only occasionally appeared in online auctions. (A copy sold for 100 times its original price in late 2011.)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Fortunately, that long dark age finally came to an end in 2013 when this material was reissued as bonus tracks split across the three “Rhapsody” albums in the Yamato<\/em> Sound Almanac CD series. Read all about it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Final Yamato<\/em> Original BGM Collection<\/h3>\n

CD, Nippon Columbia
\nCOCC-12874 (1995 edition\/above left), COCX-33205 (2005 edition\/above right)<\/em><\/p>\n

Because of the vast differences in fidelity between an LP and Japanese cinemas at the time, the soundtrack heard in the film itself was often recorded monophonically, separate from the symphonic album tracks. This was true throughout the entire history of the saga, and was still the case in 1983. Because of this same fidelity issue, it took many more years for the original BGM (Back Ground Music) soundtracks to earn themselves a commercial release, but it finally happened when Nippon Columbia issued the entire Yamato<\/em> catalog on CD in 1995.<\/p>\n

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Final Yamato<\/em> Eternal Edition File No. 8 and 9<\/h3>\n

2-CD set, 11\/1\/2000
\nColumbia Records, COCX-31160~61<\/em><\/p>\n

Very similar (but not identical) to the BGM collection, the Eternal Edition filled in the few remaining holes and finally put the complete original soundtrack into the hands of a grateful public. The first of these two discs was pure soundtrack, while the second was a bonus disc containing the Prelude to Final Yamato<\/em> album and the Yamato<\/em> half of Anime Piano: Yamato & Gundam.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to read about the entire Eternal Edition series.<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

The entire suite of Final Yamato<\/em> albums (sans the Theme Music LPs) was revived in 2013\/2014 as part of the Yamato<\/em> Sound Almanac series.<\/p>\n

This was an ambitious 2-year project (2012-2014) to reissue the entire Yamato<\/em> catalog on 30 discs, all remastered to “Blu-spec CD” quality and brimming with bonus tracks. Extensive new liner notes introduced classic Yamato<\/em> music to new fans brought in by Yamato 2199<\/em> and also contained plenty of previously-unknown trivia for the veterans.<\/p>\n

Read all about the series and find liner notes here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Continue to the Legacy Years Discography<\/a><\/p>\n

Below:<\/em> Advertising from Tokuma\/Animage and Nippon Columbia, circa 1983.<\/p>\n

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Promotional posters from Nippon Columbia (left & center) and Tokuma\/Animage (right)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Special thanks to superfan Steve Harrison for research assistance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2434","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-music-video-final-yamato"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2434","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2434"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2434\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41746,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2434\/revisions\/41746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}