Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja

Last updated

"Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja"
Lostprophets shinobi vs dragon ninja.jpg
Single by Lostprophets
from the album The Fake Sound of Progress
Released26 November 2001
Genre Nu metal [1]
Length2:47
Label Visible Noise, Columbia
Songwriter(s) Mike Chiplin, Lee Gaze, Mike Lewis, Jamie Oliver, Stuart Richardson, Ian Watkins
Producer(s) Dan Sprigg
Lostprophets singles chronology
"Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja"
(2001)
"The Fake Sound of Progress"
(2002)

"Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja" is a song by Welsh rock band Lostprophets. The song was released in 2001 as the first single from the band's debut studio album, The Fake Sound of Progress . It was the only charting single on the Billboard charts from the album, and was still on the band's tour setlist until they broke up in 2013. [2]

Contents

Writing and production

The band wrote the song in under an hour. According to frontman Ian Watkins, it is a song about nostalgia for when the band were growing up together in their home town of Pontypridd, South Wales, and was originally inspired by the Shinobi arcade game they used to play at the Park View Café in Pontypridd. The song's name is derived from the video games Shinobi and Bad Dudes vs. DragonNinja .

Release and reception

"Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja" was released in the summer of 2001 and became the most successful song from The Fake Sound of Progress on the American rock charts. It appeared on Billboard magazine's Modern Rock Tracks chart at 33. In the United Kingdom the single peaked at 41 on the UK Singles Chart in 2001 and stayed on the charts for two weeks. After the release of the follow-up single "The Fake Sound of Progress" in 2002 "Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja" re-charted and peaked at 161. [3] [4]

Music video

The video for this single is one of few Lostprophets videos actually filmed in the UK. It features the band performing to a crowd of people on the roof of a disused multi-storey car park in Edmonton, North London. The video received significant airplay on MTV2. The music video was directed by Mike Piscitelli, who would direct the music video for "The Fake Sound of Progress," the follow-up single to "Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja." [5] The shooting for the music video started on 5 October on a Friday at an undisclosed location. [6] Any fan that wanted to participate in the music video could simply email their name, age, gender and contact number to the band. [6] Once the email was received, the band chose who they wanted to include in the music video. [6] An alternate version of the music video exists in a completely different setting, showing the band performing live. This version was also shot in black and white. [7]

Track listing

CD1
No.TitleLength
1."Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja"2:47
2."Directions"4:59
3."The Lesson Part 1"3:12
CD2
No.TitleLength
1."Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja"2:47
2."Still Laughing" (live)4:19
3."Miles Away from Nowhere"4:33
Vinyl
No.TitleLength
1."Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja"2:47
2."Miles Away from Nowhere"4:33

Personnel

The song was featured on the soundtrack of ATV Offroad Fury 2.

Chart positions

YearChartPosition
2001US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [8] 33
UK Singles Chart [3] 41
UK Rock & Metal (OCC) [9] 1
2002UK Singles Chart [3] 161

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lostprophets</span> Welsh rock band

Lostprophets were a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997 by singer Ian Watkins and guitarist Lee Gaze. The group was founded after their former band Fleshbind broke up. They later recruited Mike Lewis on guitars, Stuart Richardson on bass and Mike Chiplin on drums.

<i>Start Something</i> 2004 studio album by Lostprophets

Start Something is the second studio album by the Welsh rock band Lostprophets, released on 2 February 2004 through Visible Noise in the United Kingdom and South Korea. The album was released internationally on 5 February 2004 through Columbia. The band began work on the album in 2003 after touring for support of their previous album, The Fake Sound of Progress. This is the second and last album featuring the original drummer Mike Chiplin.

<i>The Fake Sound of Progress</i> 2000 studio album by Lostprophets

The Fake Sound of Progress is the debut studio album by the Welsh rock band Lostprophets, originally released on 27 November 2000 through Visible Noise. The album would be released in 2001 by Columbia Records and was met with stronger sales numbers around the world. This is the only album to feature DJ Stepzak although he was only in the original version, and the first album to have Jamie Oliver although he was only in the remastered version.

Richard James Oliver, formerly known as Jamie Oliver, is a Welsh artist and former musician. He is known as the former keyboardist of No Devotion and former keyboardist, turntablist and supporting vocalist for the Welsh rock band Lostprophets. Oliver quit the music industry in 2017 in order to focus on his art career.

<i>Liberation Transmission</i> 2006 studio album by Lostprophets

Liberation Transmission is the third studio album by Welsh rock band Lostprophets, released on 26 June 2006 by Visible Noise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Last Train Home (Lostprophets song)</span> 2003 single by Lostprophets

"Last Train Home" is the second single from Start Something, the second album by the Welsh rock band Lostprophets. This single was the band's highest charting single in the UK up to that point, later tied with "Rooftops " off of their follow-up. It quickly became their most successful single in the United States, reaching number one on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart. "Last Train Home" was released to radio on 27 December 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)</span> 2006 single by Lostprophets

"Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)" is a power ballad by Welsh rock band Lostprophets. "Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)" was released to American radio on 16 May 2006. The song was released on 19 June 2006 as the first single from their third studio album Liberation Transmission (2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burn Burn (song)</span> 2003 single by Lostprophets

"Burn Burn" is the first single from Start Something, the second album from the Welsh rock band Lostprophets. The video for the single was filmed in The Roundhouse, Camden, London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wake Up (Make a Move)</span> 2004 single by Lostprophets

"Wake Up (Make a Move)" is the third single from Start Something, the second album by the Welsh rock band Lostprophets. "Wake Up (Make a Move)" was released to radio on 1 June 2004. This single was under much debate up to its release; both Lostprophets and their management wanted the dark, brooding "Make a Move" as a single, whereas the label wanted the poppier, catchier "I Don't Know". The band and their management walked away victorious and the song was released as a single with the modified title "Wake Up (Make a Move)". However, "I Don't Know" was later released for radio airplay in the U.S. and made it to #11 on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Where We Belong (Lostprophets song)</span> 2010 single by Lostprophets

"Where We Belong" is the second single from the album The Betrayed, the fourth studio album by Welsh rock band Lostprophets. It was released on 4 January 2010. Vocalist Ian Watkins commented to Kerrang!: "Where We Belong might sound really happy and catchy, but if you really listen to the lyrics I could be saying that we belong in hell." The single reached No. 32 on the Official UK top 40 on 10 January 2010. The track was described by the band as their "love letter to being home," having written the song after returning to their native Wales after recording in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lostprophets discography</span>

The discography of Lostprophets, a Welsh alternative rock band formed in Pontypridd in 1997 and active until 2012, contains five studio albums, three EPs, and seventeen singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Fake Sound of Progress (song)</span> 2002 single by Lostprophets

"The Fake Sound of Progress" is the second single from Welsh rock band Lostprophets' debut album The Fake Sound of Progress and received less attention than the band's debut single, "Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">For He's a Jolly Good Felon</span> 2010 single by Lostprophets

"For He's a Jolly Good Felon" is the third single from the album The Betrayed, the fourth album by Welsh rock band Lostprophets. According to the band's mailing list, the single was set to be released on 11 April 2010. The single's formats included 7" vinyl, a digital download, an iTunes single, and a remix version by L'Amour La Morgue. The cover for the single was posted to Dragonninja.com on 1 March 2010.

<i>The Betrayed</i> (Lostprophets album) 2010 studio album by Lostprophets

The Betrayed is the fourth studio album by Welsh rock band Lostprophets, released through Visible Noise and Sony Music on 13 January 2010. Although the band initially wished to record a quick follow-up to 2006's Liberation Transmission, problems with labels and producers led to numerous delays. Consequently, tracks from the album were performed live as early as 2007, but recording was not completed until July 2009, following an entire album's worth of material being scrapped by the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Not the End of the World, But I Can See It from Here</span> 2009 single by Lostprophets

"It's Not the End of the World, But I Can See It from Here" is the twelfth single by Welsh rock band Lostprophets, and the first from their fourth studio album The Betrayed. It was released on 11 October 2009 in the UK, the first time they had released anything since April 2007. The release also features the song "AC Ricochet". Drummer Ilan Rubin wrote the song when he was 16.

The Betrayed Tour was a concert tour by alternative rock band Lostprophets, taking place in 2010, in support of their fourth studio album The Betrayed.

<i>Weapons</i> (album) 2012 studio album by Lostprophets

Weapons is the fifth and final studio album by the Welsh rock band Lostprophets. It was released through Epic Records on 2 April 2012. It was the first and only record featuring Luke Johnson on drums, after being with two other drummers previously, Mike Chiplin and Ilan Rubin. This was the last album to ever be released by the band before lead vocalist Ian Watkins was convicted of numerous sex offences, which led to their disbandment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bring 'Em Down</span> 2012 single by Lostprophets

"Bring 'Em Down" is the first single from Weapons, the fifth studio album by Welsh rock band Lostprophets released on 23 March 2012. It was first played live on 11 August 2011 at O2 Academy Oxford, England. It made its first radio airplay on 6 February 2012. The song impacted US radio on 5 June 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Bring an Arsenal</span> 2012 single by Lostprophets

"We Bring an Arsenal" is the second single from Weapons, the fifth studio album by Welsh rock band Lostprophets, released 4 June 2012. It was first played live on 25 February 2012 at Brisbane, Australia.

No Devotion are a Welsh rock band formed in Pontypridd and Cardiff in 2014. The group is currently composed of American vocalist Geoff Rickly of the band Thursday, along with Stu Richardson and Lee Gaze, former members of the Welsh band Lostprophets.

References

  1. McClean, Paul. "BBC - Across the Line: What's Occurrin'? Welsh Tunes..." www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  2. "Feel My Pain!". NME. 10 February 2004. Retrieved 19 February 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 "Chart Log UK 1994–2006 DJ Steve L. – LZ Love". Zobbel. Retrieved 18 February 2009.
  4. "Hot Modern Rock Tracks Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja". Billboard. Archived from the original on 31 December 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2009.
  5. Dan Hammer (3 January 2002). "Lostprophets: Making More Fucking Videos!". Metal Hammer. Retrieved 18 February 2009.
  6. 1 2 3 "Prophet From Your Favourite Band's Needs!". NME. 1 October 2001. Retrieved 18 February 2009.
  7. "Lostprophets - Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja".[ dead YouTube link ]
  8. "Lostprophets Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
  9. "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart". Official Charts Company. 10 February 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.