TRACK LIST
1. Back for More
2. Worthy of You
3. Ring, Ring, Ring
4. Witchcraft
5. Self-Rescuing Princess
6. Turn Me Off/Turn Me On
7. Ghosts
8. You Don't Know Me
9. Right Where I Wanna Be
10. Regular Girl
11. There Are No Words
12. Once Upon a Rhyme
----------------------------------------
BACK FOR MORE
Lyrics: Ranko Tendo
Composition: Jacob Trimble
Lead Vocals: Ranko Tendo
Background Vocals: Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama, Shinji Yokota, Jacob Trimble, Ken Hirata, Hitomi Uyeno, Emi Kimoto
Guitar: Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama
Bass: Shinji Yokota
Synthesizer: Jacob Trimble
Drums: Ken Hirata
Ranko's Notes
Here we are, Firebirds! Back for another album in less than a year! We hope you love the new tracks as much as we do! It's still way too crazy for a regular girl like me!
----------------------------------------
WORTHY OF YOU
Lyrics: Ranko Tendo, Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama
Composition: Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama
Lead Vocals: Ranko Tendo, Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama
Guitar: Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama, Shinji Yokota
Synthesizer: Jacob Trimble
Drums: Ken Hirata
Ranko's Notes
For AT and Ukyo. We may not be worthy yet, but we promise, we're trying. Crash and I love you both.
----------------------------------------
RING, RING, RING
Lyrics: Ranko Tendo
Composition: Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama
Lead Vocals: Ranko Tendo
Guitar: Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama
Bass: Shinji Yokota
Synthesizer: Jacob Trimble
Drums: Ken Hirata
Ranko's Notes
I'm happy to say I got what I asked for! <3 Special love to the Yusue Fighting Lions cheerleaders, who put on a hell of a show with me when we first dropped this track! Lions Pride! *rawr*
----------------------------------------
WITCHCRAFT
Lyrics: Ranko Tendo
Composition: Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama, Ranko Tendo
Lead Vocals: Ranko Tendo
Guitar: Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama
Saxophone: Shinji Yokota
Synthesizer: Jacob Trimble
Drums: Ken Hirata
Ranko's Notes
We had so much fun writing this one! And hey, it's my first time helping with the music! How cool is that?!
----------------------------------------
SELF-RESCUING PRINCESS
Lyrics: Ranko Tendo
Composition: Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama, Shinji Yokota
Lead Vocals: Ranko Tendo
Guitar: Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama
Bass: Shinji Yokota
Synthesizer: Jacob Trimble
Drums: Ken Hirata
Ranko's Notes
This one's a shout out to all my fellow princesses out there. Don't let anyone else define you. You are brave, you are strong, and you are limitless. I believe in every last one of you. Being a girl is not a weakness. It's your freakin' superpower.
----------------------------------------
TURN ME OFF/TURN ME ON
Lyrics: Ranko Tendo
Composition: Jacob Trimble
Lead Vocals: Ranko Tendo
Background Vocals: Hitomi Uyeno, Emi Kimoto
Guitar: Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama
Bass: Shinji Yokota
Synthesizer: Jacob Trimble
Drums: Ken Hirata
Ranko's Notes
They say a lady's not supposed to talk about what happens in the bedroom. But, I'm far from a lady, aren't I, AT?
Doesn't matter what else I am; I'm yours.
----------------------------------------
GHOSTS
Lyrics: Ranko Tendo
Composition: Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama
Lead Vocals: Ranko Tendo
Guitar: Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama, Ranko Tendo
Synthesizer: Jacob Trimble
Drums: Ken Hirata
Ranko's Notes
I wrote Ghosts when I was going through some pretty rough shit in my life. Not gonna lie, I wasn't really sure I was gonna come out the other side of it. But here we are, and it's proof that no matter how dark things get - no matter how loud the ghosts in your own head scream, the sun always comes up tomorrow. You can put your past behind you, and you can pick the parts of it you choose to keep. It's hard, and it's slow and sometimes it hurts like hell, but you can do it, Firebirds.
----------------------------------------
YOU DON'T KNOW ME
Lyrics: Ranko Tendo
Composition: Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama, Shinji Yokota
Lead Vocals: Ranko Tendo
Guitar: Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama, Ranko Tendo
Synthesizer: Jacob Trimble
Drums: Ken Hirata
Ranko's Notes
I wrote this one for my birth mom. We didn't really know each other much; she wasn't around when I was growing up, for... reasons. Anyway, I kinda resented her for it, and I dealt with it... well, pretty much how people have come to expect from me, and You Don't Know Me was the result. I'm so happy to say that after she heard the song, she reached out, and... we're working on it. It's not perfect, and our relationship doesn't always come natural yet, but I think she's starting to get me. Thanks for giving us a second chance, Mother. I promise, I'm gonna do my best to make you proud you did.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
----------------------------------------
RIGHT WHERE I WANNA BE
Lyrics: Ranko Tendo
Composition: Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama, Jacob Trimble
Lead Vocals: Ranko Tendo
Background Vocals: Hitomi Uyeno, Emi Kimoto, Shinji Yokota
Guitar: Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama
Bass: Shinji Yokota
Synthesizer: Jacob Trimble
Drums: Ken Hirata
Ranko's Notes
What can I say? I'm a happy girl! I've got the person I love, I've got my friends, I've got my music and my Firebirds. What more does a girl need?
----------------------------------------
REGULAR GIRL
Lyrics: Ranko Tendo
Composition: Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama
Lead Vocals: Ranko Tendo
Background Vocals: Hitomi Uyeno, Emi Kimoto
Guitar: Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama
Bass: Shinji Yokota
Synthesizer: Jacob Trimble
Drums: Ken Hirata
Ranko's Notes
For every single Firebird out there. This one's a love letter to you. I know I'm awkward and weird as a celebrity. It's hard to have people fawning over you when you remember what it's like to be homeless and alone. But I promise, you guys, it's never because I don't love and appreciate you and the way you've supported my music, and, well, me. I'm just absolutely blown over by the way you've embraced me, and I hope I continue to meet your expectations. You rock so hard, every last one of you, and I can't wait to see you across the world at the Wildfire Tour next year!
----------------------------------------
THERE ARE NO WORDS
Lyrics: Ranko Tendo
Guitar: Ranko Tendo, Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama
Bass: Shinji Yokota
Synthesizer: Jacob Trimble
Drums: Ken Hirata
Ranko's Notes
For AT, the love of my life and the life of my love. If I write a thousand albums, I will never scratch the surface of telling you what you mean to me. I am a singer, a songwriter. I've won major awards. For most people, that would be the biggest achievement of their life, but for me? Being your wife, being the person you chose out of all the people in the world to be yours - nothing will ever make me prouder, or happier.
I will die with your name on my lips, still trying to tell you the way I feel about you. And it'll never be enough.
----------------------------------------
ONCE UPON A RHYME
Lyrics: Ranko Tendo
Composition: Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama, Jacob Trimble
Lead Vocals: Ranko Tendo
Background Vocals: Hitomi Uyeno, Emi Kimoto
Guitar: Noboyuki "Crash" Matsuyama
Bass: Shinji Yokota
Synthesizer: Jacob Trimble
Drums: Ken Hirata
Winner: Gold Disc Award (1991 Japan Record Awards)
Winner: Lyrics Award (1991 Japan Record Awards)
Ranko's Notes
The fact that I'm even writing this - I'm just awestruck by it. I am the wrong girl to be in this story. Fairy tale endings are supposed to happen to someone else, not to this rough-and-tumble tomboy and street girl that crawled half-dead into a bar looking for a job. But the gods, the fates, luck, magic, whatever you want to call it have blessed me beyond measure, and brought me people in my life who put me on their shoulders and carried me to places I could never have imagined.
----------------------------------------
SPECIAL THANKS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Ranko wishes to thank:
* My moms: Mama Hana for continuing to keep me on the right track, protect me from myself, and show me what unconditional love means, and Mother for giving us a second chance that neither of us really deserved. I am so grateful for you both.
* My dad, Soun, for plucking this broken, fragile girl out of the trash and giving her a place to belong.
* My sisters: Aya, Yui, Izumi, Mei, Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane. Every one of you is special to me in your own way, and I love you more than I'll ever say.
* AT. There's so much I wish I could say, but I want you to know forever and always that everything I do, I do to make you proud and happy. You are the fire in my soul and the joy in my heart, and there is nothing I will ever do that will touch me the way being your wife does.
* Asana Tanaka, for helping me with so many of these lyrics, even after I left her class. You rock, lady!
* Teruko Kanzawa and Nao Inouye, my dance and music instructors at Yusue High. You make me better at this every day.
* Kumiko Ikawa and Shiori Nagata, two of the best friends a girl could ask for. You girls keep me grounded. Never stop pickin' on me, no matter what I say. <3
Crash wishes to thank:
* My parents and my little brother Obu, for everything.
* Ukyo Kuonji, who I fall deeper in love with every day. I'll never be worthy of you, Uk-chan.
Shinji wishes to thank:
* My parents, for not making a total mess out of me.
Jacob wishes to thank:
* Zoe King, my punk princess. I can't wait until we can be together again, love.
* My family for their continued support and guidance.
Ken wishes to thank:
* My father, for all of his support and kindness.
* Ryo Kajiwara, for everything.
Hitomi wishes to thank:
* Ranko. Weird as it is to say that here, you have no idea how lifechanging it was to bump into you that day when we made the video for Rise. I'm so proud to get to go on this ride with you!
* My dads. I love you both so much! Can you believe I'm doing this?!
Emi wishes to thank:
* My mom, Chika. I told you that if you gave me enough time, I'd have my name on a CD somewhere, and not have to get a real job!
Additionally, Ranko and the Dapper Dragons wish to collectively thank:
* Ariel Wright, for making us look and sound good everywhere we go.
* The staff of the Phoenix Bar in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. You keep us real, you keep us fed, and you give us a place to call home.
* Nabiki Tendo, Ranko's sister and our business manager. So much of the upcoming tour was her hard work.
* Amaya Uyehara, Yuji Oe, Sachiko Muta, and the staff at Yokai Records for continuing to be the force that drives this thing. (And, for putting up with our shit! - Ranko <3)
* Every. Single. Firebird. We do this for you guys, and we hope you love it as much as we do.
The Wildfire Tour: Tickets and Tour Merch Available Now!
image [https://i.imgur.com/hsaNeXT.jpeg]