Interview: Pokémon Theme’ Singer Jason Paige

Jason Paige

Pokémon has become nothing short of a cultural phenomenon—and this year is the 25th anniversary of the franchise. Much of its popularity is due to the wild success of the cartoon TV series that first debuted in 1997.

Earlier this week, we had the opportunity to sit down with Jason Paige, the prolific vocalist who sang the memorable theme song for the show, and we asked him about that experience as well as other areas of his career in music. Dive in below:

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Q: What was your life & career like before the Pokemon theme song? Did you always aspire to be a singer and / or were you active in the music industry at that time?

When I was born I came out crying a solid strong high note. I think it was a C sharp. We are musical beings by nature. Whether we're learning to spell through the ABC song or socially taught by other childhood favs like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, we sing. It is when we are told to stop singing, stop crying, stop expressing that defines our singing or non-singing lives.

I however was encouraged by my musically creative family and was writing songs by the age of 10. I attended NYC's "Fame" - High School of Music & Art as a voice major and trained formally. While outside of school, I started playing bass and singing in my first bands with my friends. We had some financial help from the drummer's father and different incarnations of the bands were produced by Steve Katz from Blood Sweat & Tears, Paul Stanley from Kiss and Bernard Edwards from Chic.

In my high school summers, I worked as a magician / street performer and landed an agent who got me auditions for film, TV, theater, and musicals. In the next 10 years, my band "What’s Up" had recorded and publishing deals (Imago records), I starred in a number of musicals (Hair, Tommy, Godspell), TV and film projects (Election, As The World Turns, Jr. Star Search), and enjoyed local celebrity status when I turned my band into a weekly musical sketch comedy show on Manhattan Public Access TV.  As I entered the jingle /session singing world music producers started recognizing me as that guy from that crazy TV show "The What’s Up Show". These gigs led to multiple successes with brands like Lego, Coke, Barbie, Gatorade, and more.

Q: What’s the story behind how you came into the spot to sing the theme song? How did that opportunity come to you?

The workflow for the jingle world is the client / advertising agency hires music production houses who hire producers who hire singers. I was one of the singers hired by Rave / Paradise Music run by John Leoffler and John Sigler the composers of the Pokemon Theme Song. I had done many other sessions for them including a popular Domino's Pizza jingle. When they got their assignment from 4Kids, the company that was producing the English version of the Japanese anime, they called the best guy they could think of.

Q: How was the studio session for that song? Did it go pretty smooth or was it long and grueling etc? What kind of work went into the preparation for those sessions?

The 1st session was for just the TV theme song. When I walked into the studio the track was mostly completed musically. We watched a bit of the Japanese anime to catch a vibe, discussed what was needed musically, which vocal character I should use, (a young rock kid sound) and then we banged it out in the usual amount of time, about an hour. At the time the tagline was "Catch em if you can" pre "Gotta catch em all". We returned for an additional session to add the new lyrics and recorded background group harmony that I was also a part of. At the end of the sessions as usual I provide many improvised alternate versions of the tagline, riffing out on the melody, intensity, rhythm etc. so that the client can have multiple choices.

Once the show's success was evident many other music houses were enlisted to produce music for the  "2 B A Master" CD. I went back in the studio and sang "Viridian City" for producers Neil Jason and John McCurry. More sessions were needed for the extended Pokemon Theme which included a second verse, guitar solo, and final chorus.

Q: At the time, obviously, no one knew just how big Pokemon would become. Did you have any idea of how popular the show (and the song) would be? Did it feel like the beginning of something special or was it just another day at work for you?

Every day at work or play I step up to the plate to hit it out of the park. "To be the very best”. Every day is something special. This interview is no different. I hope it satisfies readers "like no one ever was." Lol. I had many successes to pave the way. At the time the Lego-Mania theme song, which I co-wrote had enjoyed great success for years. To this day Lego is a strong rival to Pokemon with its multiple theme parks, stores in malls, movies, and more. And you can look forward to a brand new release of our popular Lego-Mania theme song redone to ignite the nostalgia held in multiple generations of people. No one can know the future, all we can really know is this moment and commit to it with as much passion, imagination, integrity, and intention as we can.

Q: As we know now, the Pokemon show and franchise has become one of the most popular enterprises in entertainment. How did that success impact you personally?

For 16 years since recording the song I never sang the song once. That credit was on my resume underneath the long list of others but absent from much of Pokemon's media. Then Pokemon Go created a massive resurgence in the Pokemon interest. Billions of people who had the song embedded in their childhood memories are now adults with their own children and proudly singing it everywhere and playing it again on streaming platforms. Media organizations wanted to know the story behind the song and reached out to me and freed me from the Pokeball I was trapped in. LOL. Since then I've been creating content like my Pokemon Go Theme my Detective Pikachu theme and more for the Pokemon fans. I've been making appearances, signing autographs at Pokemon, Comic-Con, TCG and private events selling signed cards at Jasonpaige.com/shop and learning so much about the Pokemon ecosystem the games, the cards, the fans, and the love.

What started as a game/anime seeking market share, created billions whose childhoods were inspired by their love of Pokemon and whose play and lives were underscored by my voice and the words I sang. People who now, in their adulthood, are turning that love into a world of creativity and commerce that I gratefully participate in. I have profound gratitude for what I have learned about that love and I feel a great responsibility for the gift of being able to unlock, with my current performances, important feelings of nostalgia in so many people. The song is the real star. I’m just the trigger to light it up.

Q: Since then, have you done any other theme songs or jingle work in the studio?

100’s. I have a song in a recent episode of Rick and Morty "Turnin Turkey" but the full list is too long to put here please refer to my greatest brands picture attached for a short list. Some highlights of my favorite live events are singing backgrounds and rapping with Michael Jackson live at Madison Square Garden and touring as the lead singer of Blood Sweat & Tears.

Q: You recently released a Bitcoin parody of the Pokemon theme, which the internet seemed to love! Did you do that merely for the entertainment value, or are you a Cryptocurrency advocate? What are your thoughts on that market?

I am an advocate of freedom and “the power that's inside” - the imagination. Bitcoin and cryptocurrency are built on emerging technology that if used correctly will help people become empowered to be more self-governed and self-reliant and be less dependent on failing structures and therefore be more valuable to their families, their communities and the world at large.

Q: Are you personally invested in Cryptocurrency? And if so, do you have any favorite altcoins we should know about?

I am invested in Bitcoin and also about 40 other coins. I wrote and produced the theme song for the TCG.World metaverse. It's bringing together the TCG world to buy sell trade and interact with increased accountability, safety and security and using their own TCGCOIN 2.0. I will be one of the first performers giving a full-out concert in this metaverse featuring my catchy theme song "Get in. Get on!" I have plans to create the ultimate JP experience that features performances, art, music, seminars, workshops, games, rides and more inside of my virtual properties in the TCG World metaverse.

Q: Just to wrap up, are there any projects you’re working on currently we should know about?

Look for two incredible Pokemon Theme remakes coming out by the end of the year. One is an EDM dance version and the other a Bohemian Rhapsody style musical journey. I will be following up those releases with brand new original JP music as well. These and more JP products will be available at my brand new web store soon.

Q: Oh, and one last question, because we legally have to ask—who’s your favorite Pokemon?

I don't have favorites, I have experiences. In life we are constantly encouraged to be some one thing, to choose, pick a path, to specialize and spend the rest of our lives mechanically fulfilling that narrow choice. I have learned that there is more value in the diversity of knowledge, and experience I get from many different people, places, music, art, foods and yes Pokemon. Gotta catch 'em ALL not just your favorite. LOL!  But Pikachu is so cute. Come on now!

Thanks for speaking with us, Jason!

Stay up to speed with Jason Paige’s projects below:

Jasonpaige.com

Instagram - Jasonpaige

YouTube - Jasonpaige

Facebook - Jason Paige Show