| "Cha-La Head-Cha-La" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single byHironobu Kageyama | ||||
| from the albumDragon Ball Z Hit Song Collection | ||||
| A-side | "Cha-La Head-Cha-La" | |||
| B-side | "Detekoi Tobikiri Zenkai Power!" | |||
| Released | May 1, 1989 (1989-05-01) | |||
| Genre | Electronic rock | |||
| Length | 3:17 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Composer(s) | Chiho Kiyooka | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Yukinojo Mori | |||
| Hironobu Kageyama singles chronology | ||||
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"Cha-La Head-Cha-La" (Japanese:チャラ・ヘッチャラ,Hepburn:Chara Hetchara) is a song by Japanese musician and composerHironobu Kageyama, released as his sixteenthsingle. It is best known as the first opening theme song of theDragon Ball Zanime television series.Columbia released the single onvinyl,cassette andmini CD on May 1, 1989. It is coupled with the firstDragon Ball Z closing theme, "Detekoi Tobikiri Zenkai Power!" (でてこいとびきりZENKAIパワー!,Detekoi Tobikiri Zenkai Pawā!) performed by Manna.
"Cha-La Head-Cha-La" opened the first 199 episodes of the television series and the first nine films of the film adaptations. The single has sold 1.7 million copies. It has been re-recorded in many other languages, with an English version performed by Kageyama himself that was released on his third greatest hits album entitledHironobu Kageyama Best Album 3: Mixture in 1996.[1]
Hironobu Kageyama received the offer to record the opening theme song toDragon Ball Z from the director ofColumbia Records.[2] With his background in arock band, Kageyama said this director had previously revitalized his career by choosing him to sing the theme toDengeki Sentai Changeman when he wanted a rock singer who could sing the upbeat theme songs that were being written foranime in increasing number in the 1980s. This director told Kageyama he would be singing the theme toDragon Ball Z and wanted him involved from the earliest stage.[2] Kageyama had been reading theDragon Ball manga inWeekly Shōnen Jump for quite some time and was shocked when he was offered the job.[3]
Kageyama and his band made a demo of the song that the singer described asAmerican rock in the vein ofBon Jovi.[2] But he was astonished when he heardKenji Yamamoto's final arrangement, which was very different, and was initially unsure if it was even good.[2] According to Kageyama, Yamamoto lovedclub music and incorporated elements of it in the song.[2] He described the bass as bouncy and funky, and the guitar as being played more like a keyboard.[4] Kageyama said, "At the time, mainstream rock music did not have that kind of sound, and there were no arrangers who could have made arrangements like that. I think the sound as well as the lyrics were quite innovative."[4] However, he also said that there are elements familiar to theBritish rock he grew up listening to everywhere in the song.[2]
Yukinojo Mori received the request to write the lyrics to the theme song from Columbia. He later speculated that they had probably heard the themes he had written for theKinnikuman anime and knew his methods and approach to writing anime themes.[5] Because of the music's complex chords and structures that can not be played with a single guitar, Mori sensed an atmosphere ofprogressive rock, which he is a fan of.[5] The lyrics that gave the song its title of "Cha-La Head-Cha-La" are a combination of different Japanese phrases. The first "Cha-La" comes from "chara ni suru" (チャラにする) and means "to pretend nothing happened", while "Head-Cha-La" comes from "hetchara" (ヘッチャラ), which means "It's OK."[5] Mori explained, "A lot of things might have happened in my life up until this point, but once I reset myself it all becomes OK and I'm ready to give things another shot. I tried to write lyrics that expressed that feeling while still rhyming. A lot of people say that emptying yourhead of thoughts makes you empty inside, but actually it's the opposite. It's a sort of punk attitude that means you can shake it off and empty your mind. It also means that no matter what happens, you're undefeatable.", "That's why we decided to write it as 'HEAD-CHA-LA'".[5] When he first saw the lyrics, Kageyama initially thought it was a joke. But having known Mori since he was a teenager, the singer realized it was just the type of "crazy" thing he would do.[2] He also said that, while most lyricists of the time prioritized showing off their own style through the lyrics, Mori prioritized the singer's enjoyment, "so his way of thinking was undoubtedly rock 'n roll. The thought that doing things that other people are already doing is dull and boring is pretty central to his character as a creator."[2]
The single'sB-side is "Detekoi Tobikiri Zenkai Power!", which is the first ending theme ofDragon Ball Z. Its composer Takeshi Ike had worked on the theme songs of the originalDragon Ball anime. Ike said he wanted to captureDragon Ball's sense of mystery in the song and exude a "mystical kind of atmosphere".[6] He also explained, "The opening [theme song] is usually flashy and dramatic, but you have more freedom in what the ending sounds like, so I thought it'd be fun if we made the song like something out of an amusement park."[6] The track features an oriental feel and combines elements frompop,reggae, and several other styles.[6] The lyrics were written byNaruhisa Arakawa, who was a screenwriter on theDragon Ball anime, based onscat vocals that were added during the music's composition period.[6] They worked with female singer Manna on how to best time the lyrics to draw out their uniqueness, added choir parts to give the words more impact, and used shouts and other elements to add more variety and color.[6]
After Manna finished recording her vocals, Ike continued to add elements to "turn up the sense of wonder". Wanting a kind of chant that sounded like a magic spell at the beginning of the song, he addedbackmasked vocals inspired by the technique used to voice the aliens in the 1977 filmStar Wars.[6] "First I needed some words to start with, so I decided to record the names of the producers and staff who worked on the song. I recorded it on a 6mm tape and then just flipped it upside down and played it backwards through a 48-channel digital mixer, then pitched it up and added some effects. What I ended up with sounded like some kind of hypnotic, trance-like incantation."[6]
The single sold 1.7 million copies in Japan.[7] After "Cha-La Head-Cha-La", Kageyama estimated that he went on to sing around 70 songs for theDragon Ball franchise as of 2021.[2] But he considers the first to be his best work as people are always happy when he sings it.[3] "You could say that I'm not even an anime song singer, I'm literally the "CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA" singer! *laughs*"[2] Arukara's 2016 song "Chaohan Music", which is an ending theme ofDragon Ball Super, pays tribute to "Detekoi Tobikiri Zenkai Power!" by including its own backmasked message.[8]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cha-La Head-Cha-La" | Yukinojo Mori | Chiho Kiyooka | Kenji Yamamoto | 3:16 |
| 2. | "Detekoi Tobikiri Zenkai Power!" (でてこいとびきりZENKAIパワー!Detekoi Tobikiri Zenkai Pawā!, "Come Out, Incredible Zenkai Power!") | Naruhisa Arakawa | Takeshi Ike | Kenji Yamamoto | 3:29 |
| "Cha-La Head-Cha-La (2005 Ver.)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single byHironobu Kageyama | ||||
| Released | August 3, 2005 (2005-08-03) | |||
| Genre | Electronic rock | |||
| Length | 30:15 | |||
| Label | Team Entertainment/Sony | |||
| Composer(s) | Chiho Kiyooka | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Yukinojo Mori | |||
| Hironobu Kageyama singles chronology | ||||
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Kageyama recorded a new version of "Cha-La Head-Cha-La" that was released as a single on August 3, 2005, under the title "Cha-La Head-Cha-La (2005 Ver.)". This version features a completely different composition and is coupled with a new recording of "We Gotta Power", a differentDragon Ball Z theme that Kageyama performed. Various remixes of the two songs are also included. The single's cover art features characters from the anime. A "Self Cover" version of the single, featuring Kageyama as the cover art, was released as aniTunes exclusive; however, it omits one track, "Cha-La Head-Cha-La (Mobi[le-re]make Version)".[9]
The 2005 version of the song peaked at number 118 on theOricon Singles Chart and charted for two weeks.[10] It served as the theme song of the video gameSuper Dragon Ball Z, which was released four months later.[11]
All lyrics are written byYukinojo Mori.
| No. | Title | Music | Arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cha-La Head-Cha-La (2005 Ver.)" | Chiho Kiyooka | Kenji Yamamoto | 4:12 |
| 2. | "We Gotta Power (2005 Ver.)" | Keiki Ishikawa | Kenji Yamamoto | 3:50 |
| 3. | "Cha-La Head-Cha-La (DJ Dr. Knob Remix)" | Chiho Kiyooka | DJ Dr. Knob | 5:06 |
| 4. | "We Gotta Power (Yuki Nakano Remix)" | Keiki Ishikawa | Yuki Nakano | 4:40 |
| 5. | "Cha-La Head-Cha-La (Mobi[le-re]make Version)" | Chiho Kiyooka | Kenji Yamamoto | 4:16 |
| 6. | "Cha-La Head-Cha-La (2005 Ver. Instrumental)" | Chiho Kiyooka | Kenji Yamamoto | 4:12 |
| 7. | "We Gotta Power (2005 Ver. Instrumental)" | Keiki Ishikawa | Kenji Yamamoto | 3:50 |
Since its release, the song has been covered by many artists. In 2001, the Anipara Kids recorded a version for the albumClub Ani para presents: Ani para Best & More.[12] In 2004 the compilation albumAnime Trance 2 features a version by Tora + R-SEQ.[13] The 2005Anime Speed compilation and the 2006Speed Buyuden compilation feature a version by Lee Tairon.[14][15]
The Italian band Highlord recorded a version that appears as a bonus track on the Japanese release of their albumInstant Madness.[16] The anime cover bandAnimetal recorded their take on "Cha-la Head-Cha-la". It first appeared onAnimetal Marathon VII as part of the "Jump Into The Fire mini-Marathon" at the end of the disc.[17] The Animetal version also appears on Animetal's 2006 "Decade of Bravehearts" Concert CD/DVD.[18] In 2007 the compilation albumZakkuri! Paratech feature the song as part of a megamix performed by the 777BOYS.[19] They would later team up with Pinpon and produce another version forJ-Anime! Hyper Techno & Trance.[20]
The anime adaptation of theyonkoma mangaLucky Star substitutes conventional ending theme-songs with parodies of famous anime songs, episode five of which was "Cha-La Head-Cha-La" sung by the lead character, Konata. This was done at the request ofAya Hirano, Konata's voice actress, who is said to be a great fan of Kageyama.[citation needed] The song was later released as a part of ending-song compilations CD for the show.[21] In 2008 another version would be recorded by Black Steel on the compilationHi-Speed Kirakira Jk.[22]Visual kei rock bandScrew covered the song for the cover albumV-Rock Anime in 2012.[23] Idol groupMomoiro Clover Z included a cover of the song on their single "Z no Chikai", which is the theme song for the 2015 movieDragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F'.[24]
| "Hero ~Kibō no Uta~ / Cha-La Head-Cha-La" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single byFlow | ||||
| from the albumFlow the Max!!! | ||||
| Released | March 20, 2013 | |||
| Genre | Rock,electronic rock | |||
| Label | Ki/oon | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Hero (Kibō no Uta): Flow, Takeshi Asakawa Cha-La Head-Cha-La:Yukinojo Mori, Chiho Kiyooka | |||
| Flow singles chronology | ||||
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"Hero ~Kibō no Uta~ / Cha-La Head-Cha-La" (HERO ~希望の歌~ / CHA-LA-HEAD-CHA-LA, "Hero -Song of Hope- / Cha-La Head-Cha-La") is the twentieth single by Japanese rock bandFlow, released on March 20, 2013, as adouble A-side.[25] Both songs were created for use in the 2013 theatrical filmDragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods and included on Flow's eighth albumFlow the Max!!!. "Hero ~Kibō no Uta~" is used as aninsert song in the film, while the cover of "Cha-La Head-Cha-La" is used as its theme song.[25] English-language versions of both songs were used in international releases of the film, with the English version of "Cha-La Head-Cha-La" included on the single as one of four B-sides. The other three are "Rising Dragon -DJ Dragon Remix-", a remix of a song from Flow's 2004 single "Go", and instrumental versions of the two A-sides.
Two versions of the single were released, each with different cover art; the standard edition features the members of the band drawn in aDragon Ball-style, while the first press edition features characters from the film. When the two versions are lined up alongside the film's original soundtrack, the artwork from all three connect to form a single large image.[26] The first press edition includes a special card for the card video gameDragon Ball Heroes.[26]
"Hero ~Kibō no Uta~ / Cha-La Head-Cha-La" reached #24 on the Oricon Singles Chart and charted for five weeks.[27] Flow's version of "Cha-La Head-Cha-La" went on to be used in the video gamesDragon Ball Z: Battle of Z andDragon Ball Xenoverse, as well as part of the Anisong & BGM Music Pack inDragon Ball FighterZ,Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, andSuper Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hero ~Kibō no Uta~" (HERO ~希望の歌~) | Flow | Takeshi Asakawa | 3:37 |
| 2. | "Cha-La Head-Cha-La" | Yukinojo Mori | Chiho Kiyooka | 3:20 |
| 3. | "Rising Dragon -DJ Dragon Remix-" | Kohshi, Keigo | Take | 3:29 |
| 4. | "Cha-La Head-Cha-La -Official English Ver.-" | Yukinojo Mori,Joe Inoue, Chie Oishi | Chiho Kiyooka | 3:22 |
| 5. | "Hero ~Kibō no Uta~ -Instrumental-" (HERO ～希望の歌～ -Instrumental-) | Takeshi Asakawa | 3:36 | |
| 6. | "Cha-La Head-Cha-La -Instrumental-" | Chiho Kiyooka | 3:18 |
Even after I became an adult, before I sang for the "Dragon Ball Z" anime, I was reading the manga in "Shonen Jump." I was so shocked when that job came to me!
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