Root of Spirit

Music, words, arrangements, programming and production by Susumu Hirasawa. Titling by Toshiaki Minejima. String arrangement by Jun Miyake. "Childhood Reverie" lyrics by Richard Lam and arrangement by Dominic Chow (周啟生).

Versions
Made to help out the Gunma-based "Human Earth - Awakening Village" (人間大地・めざめの里) psychological counseling healing center that Hirasawa frequented. It is listed on the Water in Time and Space booklet's "Thanks" section as "Mezame no Sato". It's beat is formed from a sample of bird chirping. It's also the ending theme to Showdown, the third and final episode of the Original video animation series Detonator Orgun, whose music was composed by Hirasawa. It was used on a Suntory Old commercial, which aired in 1992. Around the same time, the ESSENCE OF HIRASAWA SOLO WORKS best of album was released. The album was titled after the song, which was released as a single to promote it; the artwork is two stills taken during the commercial's production. The "bird chirping" rhythm is performed on electronic drums. From the first chorus following the solo onwards, a drumming pattern replaces the string rhythm that appears in the album version on this part. A short bit of the opening white noise of "Skeleton Coast Park" marks the end/beginning of a bar. Cover by Hong Kong musician Danny Summer (ダニー・サマー/) for the 1991 album Acid Rain with the title "Childhood Reverie". The cover samples the original's "bird chirping" rhythm while keeping the overall structure and vocal melody, however, the new string parts have a traditional Chinese feel to them. The vocals, sung in Cantonese, and the guitar solo are completely different. Hirasawa has said that he might have not been paid his royalties, but has given Summer proper permission to do the cover.
 * Charity Original Tape, 1988
 * Water in Time and Space, 1989
 * Susumu Hirasawa - vocals, all instruments
 * Asuka Kaneko's Section - violins, cellos, violas and double basses
 * Error, 1990
 * Susumu Hirasawa - vocals, electric guitar
 * Hikaru Kotobuki, Kazuhide Akimoto - keyboards, backing vocals
 * Katsuhiko Akiyama - bass, backing vocals
 * Kazutoki Umezu - wind synthesizer
 * Shingo Tomoda - drums, electronic percussion
 * Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Nurse - strings, horns
 * "Childhood Reverie"

Connections

 * The bird chirping sample is the same used on "Karkador". It later appears on "Grid" and "Snow Blind".