The Ron Wasserman Interview 2:Still A Bit Raw

originally posted October 10, 2006

GKA Times:Well folks here it is, the Ron Wasserman "Mighty Raw" interview sequel: Still a bit Raw And be sure to visit Ron's spankin new site(RonW) when you're finished

GKA Times:So hows the family been Ron?
Hows the wife and kids? I've heard of many famous singers like Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra sang to their children, are you and your wife any different?



Ron Wasserman:The family is great. Thanks for asking. Since my wife is a real singer she mainly teaches our 2 1Ž2 year old boy to sing. I work on his rhythm. He's going to be a musician for sure. (if he wants to)

Current musical favorites
GKA:The iPod has really changed the way we listen and share music. Sharing one's personal MP3 list is a goodway to learn a lot about someone's tastes. So what's in your iPod right now?

Ron: My iPods are actually sitting on the shelf for the moment. I got this Pioneer inno, a little XM satellite receiver so I've been cruising most of the stations on there. My moods and taste change constantly so one day it'll be extreme death metal, and the next world music.


Upcoming projects

GKA:I was quite excited to read up on the projects you've done over the years like Dragonball Z and X-Men(Fox Kids). But what are you working on these days?

Ron:Just finished up shows for CBS, Saturday morning named Horseland, Cake TV,Dance Revolution, Trolls and the in between stuff for the Slumber PartyGirls. All in all about 7 hours of score and songs total written from March 15th to Sept 20th of this year. 7 days a week, 10-13 hours a day, every day. Brutal.

Thoughts on YouTube

GKA:Whats you take on YouTube? While iPod has changed the way we listen, YouTube has changed the way we watch. In less than two years it's provided very popular, very free and easy entertainment for some, new venues to get famous for others. I've heard of musicians crediting YouTube for getting their faces and sound heard where as otherwise no one would have given them the chance.

Ron: YouTube is the new "MP3.com" where we (Fisher) kind of exploded online and ended up with a deal at Interscope/UMG. I think it's a great site and it'llprobably be great for the next year or so until it becomes all commercials and trailers. BTW ­ I did hear that GE owns it, which owns NBC so perhaps it's already headed there.

GKA:Where is the TV theme song heading? Since you've taken part in the BGM and themes of so many shows, I must ask whether or not you liked Teen Titans and all their Japanese music? When you first heard Smallville's song, did you say to yourself "Save Me!"

Ron:First off, themes are getting shorter. They used to all be 60 seconds and are mostly 30 seconds now. Why? Because you can cram in another commercial. Stylistically each show has always been and continues to be different so I'm not sure where things are headed. However some shows, like Power Rangers do lose their direction and focus and start going with stuff like the Mystic Force theme which, will sound terribly outdated in 4-5 years.

GKA:Personally, I think theme music is the crown jewelry of a good show. Growing up in the 80s(Miami Vice,Magnum P.I. Knightrider, Greatest American Hero) I would say they are what keep the show fresh in your head What does someone have to do to get into making themes for television.

Ron:First off, every composer has to pay his dues. This usually means starting as a studio assistant and then using any down time to start learning how to engineer and write.
Then, you just need to slowly but consistently inch your way into the right circles and present some ideas. Once you do that, you'll move to a new level of abuse, pay more dues, and then, if you're lucky,(which will happen if you just keep working) you'll get a show that does well and BOOM! Then the phone starts ringing for a month or two. LOL!

GKA:How many songs have your written for PR

Ron:I think it was around 30.

GKA:You`ve belted out plenty of lyrics during your time on Power Rangers. But were there any number of songs that were cut and never released?

Ron:Good question,.hmmmmm...I do think everything was used cause there was no time to waste. Remember I was scoring to picture about 30 minutes a week and writing a song. It was rough. I.m sure there were lots of basic ideas that got trashed, but nothing ever fully recorded and mixed was.



GKA:What do you think of Ranger songs and artists outside your body work on PR?

Ron:Obviously it's mostly been derivative of the original theme which is very flattering and most of it has been really great. Especially the stuff my friend Jim Cushinery sang on.

GKA: Tell everyone what happened this year, and what your plans were for theOperation Overdrive theme.

Ron:I was so busy that I really did not plan anything in advance. I simply shot a email off to Disney to see when they wanted a theme submission and they politely wrote me back saying they already had the theme for 2007.

GKA:I know everyone reading this probably has this question running around somewhere in their head,"What exactly happened with next year's theme" In other words, why does it seem like Disney is more orless trying to keep you in the dark so to speak and pull an "early" due date for the theme?

Ron:No, I don't think they're keeping me in the dark, I think that when I posted my rejected themes for Mystic Force on the web, it pissed off some wimp-ass executive. That is what I think really happened. Their email would have been a lot nicer with perhaps some sort of explanation of what had happened or something. I've been in the business long enough to know whenI'm being blown off.

Will you be making a theme for the fans
GKA:Theres been talk that you might pull off a theme solely for the sake of the fans. Any truth to that? And would you be open to making a anniversary song?

Ron:No and no. Also, because the phrase "Power Rangers" is copywritten, you can't release a song that uses the title or speaks about the show without the copyright holders permission.
And they ain't going to give me that.

GKA:Before we get to the fan questions I have one burning question, did you REALLY like the Mystic Force song?

Ron:Yes and I especially loved the original version by the Black Eyed Peas called "Pump It".

GKA:As always we at the GKA Times like to hear what burning questions fans want to ask our guests. So here are some hot picks right now.


Hi Ron, Did Kathy Fisher work on any of the first set of original Power Ranger songs? I seem to remember hearing a female voice in a few of the songs. Thanks for your time,-Brian


Ron:Hi Brian, You know there was something she did sing on for the show but I just can't remember what it was and I don't seem to have a copy of it anywhere. Also,since she and I did a bunch of stuff for Sweet Valley High at the same time,my memory is a little clouded. Sorry.

Whats it like being the music maker of the a favourite boys TV show?-Solar Max Ranger

Ron:IMHO there has been no greater honor OR responsibility I've had professionally. Since all I've ever done since the age of 3 was play piano and starting writing at 5 1/2, I would have been so bummed had I never had such a huge success as MMPR.

Can you tell us who is "Super Power² is that anickname for you friend Jim Cushinery?-Omegaranger468

Ron:I think so. Remember that by this time I was long gone from Saban and I believe Jeremy Sweet was writing for the show. So I think they came up with that name.

Do you ever wonder would be like if you released a full Power Rangers album with TV version, reprises and extended versions? Speaking of which, what would SPD's theme sound likeif it was extended or any themes for that matter? -BlueBrotherX7 Boy.


Ron:I sure would love to do that, and I believe it would have probably of sold pretty well but sadly whenever corporations are involved there are so many hoops to jump through to get permission, and then YOU do all the work and THEY take 90% of the cash. This is why it's never been done by me or any other artists that worked on all sorts of other shows. Sucks..huh?

A longer SPD theme would be so hard because there is already SO much packed into that one minute version. Might sound a little long if it were 3 minutes or so.

Did you record a full-length version of Space's "Go,Go, Power Rangers" rendition? The one with a bunch of electric guitar with little accompaniment, ending with the lyrics, "Go, go, power"?-Primo Piccolo

Ron:I think there may have been a long version. Unfortunately I don't have a copy of the song but it does seem we did a full length version for something.

Does Ron own the rights to ANY of the songs he's done for PR, or are they all part of the Saban Music Library now?-SnoopsWarner

Ron:No. And just so you don't think I got taken advantage of too badly, neither does any other composer that writes for any movie or TV show or game that you've ever seen. This doesn't mean that we don't get performance royalties or have token ownership of the composition, but the copyright and all the legal stuff associated with it are always owned by the corporation. For example I just finished up 3 Scooby-Doo PodCasts. Took me 3 days to do them, had a great time. The contract, 17 pages long. LOL!

On your time producing songs for Saban, was there anysong you wish you could do differently, any song youwish you could take back, or any song you wish youcould add?-Phantom Ranger

Ron:I'd erase "Fight" only because there was a instance in Norway or somewhere where a girls two brothers accidentally killed her. Although I know it's not my fault in any way, perhaps if I'd not written that particular song, this incident would not of happened. I would do "We Need A Hero" differently. Always though it would have been cool to have the first verse in more of the "Cold September Rain" G&R style and then break out into the version that exists. Nothing to add that I can think of.

Ron, a question Do you think Disney missed the boat on commisioningyou to write SPD specific song tracks for the series,or do you think that was a budget issue depending onwhat salary you would command?-Cameron Samurai

Ron:I have no idea and will probably never know why they were not interested inhaving me write songs. Had nothing to do with the money because Disney paysthe same fee to everyone on their TV stuff period, regardless of who youare. There is simply no logic to their decisions. It's baffling.