Before Gotta Catch ‘Em All: The Complete History of the Pokemon English Theme

Before “Gotta Catch ’Em All” became one of the most recognizable hooks of the ’90s, the English Pokémon theme had another slogan, another recorded version, and a production story that was still evolving while Pokémon itself was being introduced to America. In this episode of The Making Of, I trace the complete history of the Pokémon English anime theme, from the early “Catch ’Em If You Can” version and Nintendo’s 1998 U.S. rollout. Video Sources & Clips: Original Pokemon Theme Singer Jason Paige In Studio Full Pokemon Theme Song — Jason Paige    • Original Pokemon Theme Singer Jason Paige ...   Pokémon Promo VHS Edited — Internet Video Dump    • Pokémon Promo VHS *Edited*   Nintendo shows off Pokémon at E3 1998 — GBDialga    • Nintendo shows off Pokémon at E3 1998   Revisit E3 Like You’ve Never Seen it Before — The Video Game History Foundation    • Revisit E3 Like You've Never Seen it Before   Research Sources: Gail Tilden / Pokémon localization history — Johto Times https://johtotimes.com/issues/2025-12... Jason Paige recording-session interview — Forthright Records https://www.forthrightrecords.com/new... Jason Paige interview — Nintendo World Report https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/i... John Loeffler interview — CelebrityAccess https://celebrityaccess.com/2020/03/2... Pokémon Theme history — Bulbapedia https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wi... If you enjoyed this breakdown, subscribe for more music history, video-game music stories, anime themes, and the stories behind the songs we already know by heart.