Mister Donuts Japan’s 40th

This post is about Mister Donuts Japan, but first I wanted to mention an email I just received from Michael Doret.

He’s the artist who painted the 1976 KISS album cover “Rock And Roll Over” and he also painted their album cover for last year’s “Sonic Boom“.

He did two interviews with me.
In my post about the second interview, I wrote a comment about an email he sent me last month about prints of the albums covers that are signed by both him and the band (KISS).

Click here to read that comment I wrote.

In the email that I received from Michael Doret yesterday he sent me a photo of KISS holding the prints and he wrote to me:

Just in case you were interested, I thought I’d share with you a photo that was just taken of KISS helping to promote my limited edition prints.

I hope you had a great New Years!

Best,
Michael

+++

Anyways, 2010 January 27 will be the 40th anniversary of the day the first “Mister Donuts” store opened in Japan.

「ミスタードーナツ」 (“Mister Donuts“) is an American chain that is very popular in Japan.
It seems that this chain wasn’t so popular in America, though…and the U.S. stores were bought out by rival chain “Dunkin’ Donuts”, which has more success in America.

Ironically, it’s the other way around in Japan.
“Dunkin’ Donuts” failed in Japan because Japanese people found their donuts too sweet so they closed up all their stores here years ago.
「ミスタードーナツ」 (“Mister Donuts“), being less sweet and more simpler, appeal to Japanese.
「ミスタードーナツ」 (“Mister Donuts“) in Japan is owned by a Japanese company so the menu is tailored to Japanese taste. They even sell Chinese food in their Japanese stores.

One of their best-selling donuts in Japan is the simple “Old Fashioned” donuts.
There are a few varieties of this one. I like the 「オールドファッションハニー」 (“Honey Old Fashioned“).

So, to celebrate 「ミスタードーナツ」 (“Mister Donuts“)’s forty years in Japan, this month they’re giving away “Lucky Cards” to customers who spend ¥600 or more.

These are scratch cards. When you scratch them, it tells how many “points” you won (either 3, 5, 40 or 150 points).

The points can be collected and redeemed for prizes such as a dish set, coffee cup, stuffed toy, cell-phone strap, donuts, etc.

Click here to see the prizes they offer.

I got Sonic Boom

As I mentioned in an earlier post (click here to read it), the band KISS has recorded a new album titled “Sonic Boom“.

"Sonic Boom", 2009

It’s due to be released on 2009 October 6.

Well, thanks to my friend Masa, I was able to get the CD early.
I got it today and listened to it already.

It’s very good!
It’s not their best work…but it’s still a great KISS album.

Gene Simmons, bass player of KISS, said that their new “Sonic Boom” album is similar to classic ’70s albums…in particular, their 1976 album “Rock And Roll Over“…

"Rock And Roll Over", 1976

…and their 1977 album “Love Gun“.

"Love Gun", 1977

Personally, I don’t think it’s like either of those or any of their other albums from the 1970s.
I think it sounds more similar to their under-rated 1989 album “Hot In The Shade“…

"Hot In The Shade", 1989

I think “Hot In The Shade” is a very good album, and “Sonic Boom” reminds me a bit of it.

Those two albums have another similarity…”Hot In The Shade” is the only album to feature former drummer, the late Eric Carr, singing a new song (he sang vocals on the song “Beth” on the Smashes, Thrashes & Hits album…a song which the original KISS drummer, Peter Criss wrote and sang on).

On “Hot In The Shade“, Eric Carr sang lead vocals for the song “Little Caesar“.

And “Sonic Boom” is the first KISS album to feature current drummer Eric Singer and current lead guitarist Tommy Thayer each singing lead vocals on a new KISS song.
Eric Singer sings on “All For The Glory” and Tommy Thayer sings on the song “When Lightning Strikes“.

The track listing for “Sonic Boom“:

1. Modern Day Delilah
2. Russian Roulette
3. Never Enough
4. Yes I Know (Nobody’s Perfect)
5. Stand
6. Hot & Cold
7. All For The Glory
8. Danger Us
9. I’m An Animal
10. When Lightning Strikes
11. Say Yeah

I’d say “Modern Day Delilah” and “All For The Glory” are the best songs on the album. But the whole album’s good!

Also, KISS have new costumes for the Sonic Boom Tour:

KISS 2009

100,000 hits

I started this blog eighteen months ago, and last night my blog reached 100,000 hits!

The first month I started this blog (2008 March), it got only about 20 hits a day…but the number steadily climbed.

These days my blog gets between 700 – 850 hits a day. At that rate, it’ll get another 100,000 by next January.

My blog's monthly stats for 2008 March - 2009 August

Sometimes I’m surprised by the search engine terms that people have used to find my blog.

Such as:

• IKEA logo (I have a post about IKEA in Japan. And their logo is on the page. Click here).
• McDonalds logo (It’s on this post).
• Gene Simmons (He’s the bassist in the rock band KISS. I have a number of KISS-related posts. This post shows his photo and a video of him performing a song written exclusively for a Japanese movie).
• Detroit Metal City (This is the Japanese movie that Gene Simmons cameos in).
• Death Note (I have this post).
• Rock And Roll Over (I did two interviews with the artist of that KISS album cover. Here and here).
• Godzilla (Maybe this post will interest you).
• Octopus (I have a post about octopi with too many legs. It’s here).
• John Lennon shot (I wrote a post about it on the 28th anniversary of that tragedy).

How did you find my blog? With a search engine? What were you searching when you found it? Did you find, on my blog, what you were looking for?

And, if you have a blog, what search engine terms do people use to commonly find your blog?

Another Michael Doret interview

In my previous post, I wrote about the new KISS album that will be released in the U.S. on October 6.

According to KISS Online, their upcoming album (titled “Sonic Boom) will be released in the U.S. on October 6…and available exclusively at Wal-Mart.
What does that mean? Regular record stores in the U.S. aren’t going to sell it? It’ll only be sold at one chain of stores?
I’ve never heard of something like that before. Has that become common in America? Why?

In Japan, record stores are still common. I’m sure the new KISS album will be available in every record (CD) store across Japan once it’s released here.
Speaking of which, I wonder when the album will be released in Japan? And when KISS will bring the Sonic Boom Tour to Japan.

Anyways, the album cover artwork for “Sonic Boom” was designed by Michael Doret.

KISS "Sonic Boom" album cover

Michael Doret designed the iconic cover for the KISS album “Rock And Roll Over” back in 1976 and he was asked by Paul Stanley to design their new album cover, too.

KISS "Rock And Roll Over" album cover (1976)

Last April, Michael Doret did an interview with me (Click here)…

and today he did another interview with me!

Click here to read it.

I would describe my design for “Sonic Boom” as “Rock and Roll Over” turned inside out.

— Michael Doret

Michael Doret interview

Michael Doret is the amazing artist who vast work includes the logo for the New York Knicks basketball team.

He also designed one of the most popular album covers for the band KISS…their 1976 “Rock And Roll Over” album.

And he’s even designed a cover for an issue of the Japanese magazine 「アイデア」 (Idea)!

Michael Doret did an interesting interview with me today.
It’s on the Interviews page of my website…Click here to read it.

…any fans out there who want to come by the studio to get their (Rock And Roll Over album) covers signed, they’re more than welcome!

Michael Doret