スキャット・ウルトラマン

Do you know 「ウルトラマン」 (Ultraman), probably Japan’s most famous super-hero?

I wrote a post about him last March. Click here to read it.

How about “Scatman John“? Do you know who he was?
He was an American musician who became internationally famous for his hit song “Scatman” in 1994.
He died, though, only five years later.

Like numerous other musicians, including The Stray Cats, The Ventures, and Deep Purple…Scatman John was more popular in Japan than anywhere else in the world.

When Japanese people are fans of something, they are extremely loyal.

At the height of his popularity here (in Japan), there were Scatman John toys and he even recorded a couple of songs for the Japanese TV commercials titled 「プリプリ・スキャット」 (“Puri Puri Scat“) and 「Su-Su-Su-Super キ・レ・イ」 (“Su-Su-Su-Super Ki-re-i“).

I remember when his songs 「Su-Su-Su-Super キ・レ・イ」 (“Su-Su-Su-Super Ki-re-i“) and 「プリプリ・スキャット」 (“Puri Puri Scat“) were on TV many times about 13 years ago.

「プリプリ・スキャット」 (“Puri Puri Scat“) was for a pudding TV commercial, and 「Su-Su-Su-Super キ・レ・イ」 (“Su-Su-Su-Super Ki-re-i“) was for a make-up commercial (the name means “Su-su-su-super pretty”).

Here’s his video for 「Su-Su-Su-Super キ・レ・イ」 (“Su-Su-Su-Super Ki-re-i“):

The reason I mentioned 「ウルトラマン」 (Ultraman) at the top of this post…and this post is titled 「スキャット・ウルトラマン」 (Scat-Ultraman) is because at the height of Scatman John‘s popularity in Japan, a song and video titled 「スキャット・ウルトラマン」 (Scat-Ultraman) was recorded which featured Ultraman and monsters from the show.

Here it is:

New KISS album

I have been a fan of the band KISS since I was about eight years old in the late 1970s (at the height of KISS‘s popularity in America).

I have a number of KISS-related posts on this site. For example, click here to see one that gets many visitors (I wrote it in 2008 August, and it still gets alot of hits.)

KISS has recently announced that their first studio album since their 1998 “Psycho Circus” album will be released this Autumn (2009).

KISS is getting old. Founding members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were in their late-forties when they released their last album eleven years ago, already a bit old for a rock ‘n roll band…but now they’re both almost 60!

Although KISS is notorious for over-commercializing their brand by putting the KISS logo on anything and everything (they sell KISS notebooks, KISS golf equipment, KISS dolls, KISS comics, KISS condoms, even a KISS funeral casket and much, much more!), and KISS bassist Gene Simmons is infamous for behaving like a “dirty old man” (when he was young and single, it was acceptable for him to flirt with young women. But now that he’s old and has a family…he just embarrasses himself).

But, regardless, I’m still a KISS fan. And I’ll be buying the new KISS album when it’s released in Japan (there are about 40 albums in the KISS catalog so far, and I have them all (I have some of them on LP record, cassette tape and CD!)).

I will also see them in concert again if they include dates in Japan on the tour to promote this new album.

KISS has also announced the titles of three songs that will be included on their new album (the album has yet to be titled).
The song titles are:
“Russian Roulette“, “Modern Day Delilah“, and “Stand“.

It was also announced by KISS that on the new album, lead guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer will sing lead vocals on a song each.

This is interesting to a KISS fan because the current line-up of KISS is: bassist Gene Simmons, rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley, lead guitaris Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer…of which, only Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have ever sung lead vocals.

Current KISS line-up

Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are founding KISS members…but the lead guitarist and drummer position in the band has changed members a number of times (there have five different lead guitarists and three different drummers in KISS). All of the original KISS members have sung lead vocals on various songs…but of the replacement members, only Bruce Kulick and Eric Carr have been allowed to sing lead (one song and two, respectively). Vinnie Vincent and Mark St. John never sang on a KISS album.

Anyways, I’m looking forward to hearing the new KISS album (and seeing the artwork)!

Have you ever owned a KISS album? Which one? Have you ever seen one of their amazing concerts? Which tour?
What’s your favorite KISS song?