The beloved soundtrack for the original Mother is being re-released on vinyl by Sony Music Direct in time for Christmas, but only in Japan, in order to mark the 30th anniversary of its original release.
Mother was originally released for the Famicom in Japan back in 1989. The game was planned to be localized for the North American market as Earth Bound and the English translation for the game was completed, but it was canceled before release. Mother spawned two sequels that became some of the most beloved JRPGs of all time, the second of which was localized into English as EarthBound. The original Mother was finally released in English on the Nintendo Wii U's Virtual Console in 2015, where it had its name changed to EarthBound Beginnings.
Mother might not be as well-remembered as its sequels, but it is well-known for a soundtrack that contained vocal arrangements of the songs in English. The most famous of these songs is "Pollyanna (I Believe In You)" by Catherine Warwick, which has found a new audience on YouTube. According to Japanese Nintendo, the Mother soundtrack is being released on two different vinyl records in Japan, which is being issued by Sony Music Direct in time for Christmas, as 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of its original release. The official website for the vinyl records can be found here.
EarthBound fans had the chance to legally play Mother for the first time in 2014, but the game hasn't as aged well as its sequels. Mother has earned a reputation for being brutally difficult and requiring a lot of grinding to proceed. Meanwhile, Ness and Lucas continue to live on in the Super Smash Bros. series, ensuring that they stay in the limelight while Ninten and his friends are forgotten.
Mother might not be as beloved as EarthBound or Mother 3, but the soundtrack CD is something truly special and there is a reason why fans still love "Pollyanna (I Believe In You)" and "Bein' Friends" after all of these years. Japanese Mother fans also have a great deal of love for the soundtrack, which is why they're being reissued after all of these years.
Source: Japanese Nintendo