B'z The "Mixture"

B'z The The "Mixture"
Compilation album by B'z
Released	February 23, 2000
Genre	Hard rock
Length	1:06:13
Label	BERG Label (BMG Japan & Being)
Producer	Tak Matsumoto
B'z chronology
2nd Best-of B'z The Best "Treasure" (1998) 3rd Best-of B'z The "Mixture" (2000) 4th Best-of The Ballads ~Love & B'z~ (2002)

B'z The "Mixture" is the third compilation album by B'z, released on February 23, 2000. The release brings together some of the band's most beloved early tracks for the first time in an official compilation, with eleven of its sixteen tracks being complete re-recordings or remixes. The re-recordings carry the moniker "Mixture style" that indicates the entire song has been overhauled to more adequately match the band in their more recent incarnation as a hard rock outfit. Those labeled "Mixture mix" were remixes carried out by the band in order to provide revisions to songs they wanted to revisit. The album also collects for the first time one half of their 1996 double A-side with "MOVE" and previously uncollected B-sides "FUSHIDARA 100%", "Hi" and "The Wild Wind".

At the time of its release, the album was considered not a "best album" as previous compilations had been known but a "must album". This was due to its precarious position in the band's catalogue as a result of being released by BERG Label—a joint effort by BMG Japan and Being formed in 1998. BMG had been the original home for B'z in their earliest recording efforts prior to migrating to Being to have more control over their output and retain rights to their recordings. Because their original contract with BMG resulted in the entity retaining the master rights to the band's self-titled debut album, second album OFF THE LOCK, third album BREAK THROUGH, and mini album BAD COMMUNICATION, B'z were unable to source tracks from those releases for future compilations.

The situation came to a head when BMG Japan decided to preempt the release of the band's first proper compilations in their tenth anniversary year by releasing an unofficial compilation entitled Flash Back -B'z Early Special Titles- that compiled many of the recordings still under their control. After the band's two official compilations sold nearly ten million copies, and ranked as two of the type five highest selling albums in Japanese history, two additional years would pass before the two sides decided to use the project that became B'z The "Mixture" to help reconcile the relationship between the various parties. In more recent years, the album has been recast as a "best" compilation alongside the likes of B'z The Best "Pleasure" and B'z The Best "Treasure". Additionally, the original recordings of the band's first three singles that were once fully under BMG control were at last recorded in a B'z compilation with the 2013 release of B'z The Best XXV 1988-1998.

The album featured enhanced CD functions when inserted into a PC that directed to bz-mixture.com. Most notably, this provided access to an English demo of "Raing River". The English version was never released elsewhere, but an extended Japanese version was released on the year-end studio album ELEVEN some months later.

Tak Matsumoto commented at the time that the recording had been a surreal experience, comparing it to B'z doing a cover album of B'z songs. Promotion for the album was light as the band were already in the midst of recording their remaining singles for the year as well as what would become their next studio album, ELEVEN. The band did appear on television to perform their then-most recent single "Konya Tsuki no Mieru Oka ni", and twice played "Dakara Sono Te wo Hanashite -Mixture Style-" during the round of promotions. In addition, the band appeared on a streamed broadcast for @llnightnippon.com in promotion of a B'z ~Media Mixture Special~. It was revealed on the program that a remix of earlier single "LADY NAVIGATION" had been prepared for the release as well but was eventually cut. Notably, the band also performed an acoustic rendition of "Konya Tsuki no Mieru Oka ni" during the occasion.

Upon release, B'z The "Mixture" debuted at the top of the Weekly Oricon Album chart with 1,101,440 physical copies sold in the first week alone. This places it as the third best-selling of their compilation releases. Additionally, B'z The Mixture finished as the eighth best-selling album of 2000. In total, the album would sell 1,500,000 copies and be certified a Million seller by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.

Track listing

All music and guitar by Tak Matsumoto. All lyrics and lead vocals by Koshi Inaba.

1. Dakara Sono Te wo Hanashite -Mixture style- — So Let Go of That Hand, だからその手を離して

   File:b03 01.ogg [RE-RECORDING] To open the album, B'z decided to re-record their very first song that also served as their first single. To showcase the band's progression, the song was completely overhauled with their most recent, hard rock style taking precedent over the dance-centric focus of the original. As with all of the "Mixture style" tracks, the song's vocals, guitar, drums, and bass were all completely re-recorded. Additionally, the hard rock rendition of the song had been well-received when performed as part of B'z LIVE-GYM '99 "Brotherhood" some months earlier. This version would also be used as a B-side to the single "Konya Tsuki no Mieru Oka ni" weeks prior to the release of this compilation.

2. YOU & I -Mixture mix-

   File:b03 02.ogg [REMIX]

3. OH! GIRL -Mixture style-

   File:b03 03.ogg [RE-RECORDING]

4. NEVER LET YOU GO -Mixture style-

   File:b03 04.ogg [RE-RECORDING]

5. JOY -Mixture mix-

   File:b03 05.ogg [REMIX]

6. Ima de wa... Ima Nara... Ima mo... -Mixture style- — Right Now... If Now... And Now..., 今では・・・今なら・・・今も・・・

   File:b03 06.ogg [RE-RECORDING]

7. Kodoku no Runaway -Mixture style- — Lonely Runaway, 孤独のRunaway

   File:b03 07.ogg [RE-RECORDING]

8. MOVE

   File:b03 08.ogg [FIRST COLLECTION] Originally released as the other half of double A-side single "Mienai Chikara ~INVISIBLE ONE~/MOVE". The other half of the single had been included on B'z The Best "Treasure" two years prior. "MOVE" would later be re-collected on B'z The Best XXV 1988-1998 in 2013 and reprinted for B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX in 2017. Tak and Koshi commented that the song was meant to represent that "80s rock style in L.A., with a metal riff". The song was a reflection of the type of music the band was listening to at the time. The song had been serving as the theme to a commercial for Benesse Corporation's "Shinkenzemi" junior high study course for three months prior to release, beginning in December 1995. NBA star of the New York Knicks, Patrick Ewing, appeared in the basketball-themed promotion playing against a young Yuta Tabuse, who would become a professional basketball player in Japan years later. Although it was described as a "song for live shows", it has only been performed at a handful of shows, including 2003's BIG MACHINE tour, the 2000 "juice" Pleasure tour, the 1997 "FIREBALL" Pleasure tour, and LIVE-GYM 2008 "ACTION".

9. Tokyo -Mixture mix- — 東京

   File:b03 09.ogg [REMIX]

10. hole in my heart -Mixture mix-

    File:b03 10.ogg [REMIX]

11. KARA·KARA -Mixture mix- — DROUGHT

    File:b03 11.ogg [REMIX]

12. FUSHIDARA 100% — SLUTTY 100%

    File:b03 12.ogg [FIRST COLLECTION] Collected for the first time here and on no other compilation other than B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX in 2017. A relentlessly hard rock song, "FUSHIDARA 100%" is one of two B'z songs to be written from a female's perspective. Another example is "GO-GO-GIRLS" which was written for female artist Yuiko Tsubokura at first. "FUSHIDARA 100%" was performed alongside the single's title song on an edition of Music Station in one of its relatively few live appearances. Interestingly, an English version was also produced during the recording sessions for "Real Thing Shakes" with producer Andy Johns. While this would go unreleased, during its performances for B'z LIVE-GYM '96 "Spirit LOOSE", a new version was premiered that fused the provisional English version and Japanese version together.

13. Biribiri -Mixture mix- — Shiver, ビリビリ

    File:b03 13.ogg [REMIX]

14. Hi

    File:b03 14.ogg [FIRST COLLECTION] Originally released as the B-side to "Samayoeru Aoi Dangan" and only collected in album form here, though in 2017 it would be compiled for B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX as well. Produced during the same impromptu sessions that resulted in the title song, there was some discussion amongst the staff as to which of the two songs would make the better A-side. The recording of the song also marked the first involvement of Shinichiro Ohta, who served as secondary chorus during the recording. Later, he would serve as rhythm guitarist and backup vocalist on a number of LIVE-GYM tours from 2003 to 2008.

15. The Wild Wind

    File:b03 15.ogg [FIRST COLLECTION] Originally released as the B-side to "HOME" and not collected elsewhere until 2017's B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX. two years earlier A bluesy song that fuses acoustic and electric guitars, "The Wild Wind" has become a fan favorite due to its perceived sentimentality and emotional vocal delivery. The melancholy lyrics are intended to evoke a sense of loss and reflection, making it a marginally unique entry in Koshi's professional songwriting history. The song was prepared to be included in the Japan-Hong Kong film Fuyajo, which became known as Sleepless Town internationally. Prior to this, however, Tak originally composed the tune on which it is based with the intention of playing it as part of his solo corner during LIVE-GYM concerts. However, he changed his mind once deciding the song was too good for that purpose and also a "perfect" fit for Koshi.

16. Anata Nara Kamawanai — I Don't Mind if It's You, あなたならかまわない

    File:b03 16.ogg [NEW RECORDING] A song that was recorded during the same sessions that resulted in ninth studio album SURVIVE but not included for unspecified reasons, "Anata Nara Kamawanai" was once considered for the eighth slot in its source album's track listing. The song has never been performed live or collected on any other B'z work in their catalogue.

Sales data

Main article: B'z Sales Records

No.	Cover	Compilation	Physical Copies Sold		Chart Positions			Certification
			FIRST WEEK	LIFETIME	WEEK	MONTH	YEAR
3		B'z The "Mixture" 2000.02.23	1,101,440+	1,499,810+	1	—	8	Million

Personnel

B'z

• Tak Matsumoto: Guitar, Music Composition, Arrangement
• Koshi Inaba: Vocals, Lyric Composition, Arrangement (Tracks 1, 2, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)

Support Members

• Kaichi Kurose: Drums (Tracks 1, 3, 7)
• Hideo Yamaki: Drums (Tracks 2, 4, 6, 13, 14, 15, 16)
• Jun Aoyama: Drums (Tracks 9, 10, 11)
• Soul Tool: Drums (Track 8)
• Ikkoh Tanaka: Drums (Track 5)
• Denny Fongheiser: Drums (Track 12)
• Masao Akashi: Bass (Tracks 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15), Manipulator (Tracks 5, 10, 11), Synthesizer (Track 3, 4, 6, 7), Arrangement (Tracks 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11)
• Akihito Tokunaga: Bass, Synthesizer (Track 16), Arrangement (Tracks 13 & 16)
• Showtaro Mitsuzono: Bass (Track 1, 3, 7)
• Koji "Kitaroh" Nakamura: Bass (Tracks 2, 4, 6)
• Daisuke Ikeda: Manipulator (Tracks 2 & 12), Synthesizer (Track 15), Arrangement (Tracks 9 & 12)
• Akira Onozuka: Piano (Tracks 2 & 9), Synthesizer (Track 2), Organ (Tracks 14 & 16)
• Takanobu Masuda: Organ (Tracks 8, 10, 12), Moog (Track 12)
• Shiro Sasaki: Trumpet (Track 2)
• Fussy Kobayashi: Trumpet (Track 2)
• Hideaki Nakaji: Trombone (Track 2)
• Kazuki Katsuta: Sax (Track 2)
• Shin Kazuhara: Trumpet (Track 10)
• Toshihiko Furumura: Sax (Track 11)
• Maki Ohguro: Chorus (Track 5)
• Shinichi Furukawa: Chorus (Track 9)
• Naoko Iijima: Female Voice (Track 12)
• Shinichiro Ohta: Chorus (Track 14)
• HIIRO Strings: Strings (Tracks 2,5,9)
• Shinozaki Strings: Strings (Track 15)