Be With! Vol. 95 (September 2012)

Be With! » Be With! Vol. 95 (September 2012)

Be With! Volume 95 is the September 2012 issue for the band's official fanclub magazine mailed out to B'z PARTY members. This issue covers a lot of behind the scenes information on the band's debut English album, the involvement of drummer Shane Gaalaas in its production, and the band's latest plans for their then-upcoming tour, B'z LIVE-GYM 2012 -Into Free-. Elsewhere in the issue, B'z reveal their "must travel" items for when they leave home along with a detailed Jenga blocks battle of Tak vs. Koshi, and finally two reports on the PREMIUM LIVES from Osaka and Tokyo that predated the North American tour by just two weeks.

B'z Interview

Interviewer:		This time, we’d like to talk about the digital album you’ve released worldwide on July 25th. First of all, why did you choose “B’z” as title?
Tak:		We’ve been making a name for ourselves in Japan for many years now, but it’s our first time releasing something worldwide, so we thought it’d be easy to recognize if we named it after the band. It’s the same concept from when we started this band.
Koshi:		That’s right. It’s more like a theme we’ve been following, less of an actual concept.
Interviewer:		How did you experience the world wide release of your first digital album?
Tak:		How many times was it downloaded? Well, what we do from here on out is what counts.
Interviewer:		You’re going to tour North America soon, after all. What is the reason you chose to release it digitally?
Koshi:		It wasn’t enough material to release it in a full package, and they’re just English versions of already existing songs, after all. And considering that, we thought it’d be best to offer a digital download of what we’ve produced. It’s comfortable for everybody to get it and we were able to release it quickly. It’s also a good way to see how we do on a global scale.
Tak:		There seem to be a lot of people in Japan demanding a CD release. But there aren’t that many CD shops overseas anymore. Especially in the U.S.
Koshi:		That’s because nobody is buying CDs these days.
Interviewer:		Do you think it’s good for artists to be able to choose between a digital release and a CD release?
Koshi:		It’s an advantage for their listeners, I think. The ratio of digital vs. CD releases is going to change, I think. The state of that change depends on the country. There might be countries where a lot of people solely purchase digital releases. The way we produce music and such as well as how we do music change in the same way for new generations and musicians.
Interviewer:		And with digital releases, you’re able to release the songs shortly after you’ve produced them.
Tak:		It does shorten the time to distribution.
Interviewer:		Do you also use digital downloads when you purchase music?
Tak:		I don’t really purchase digital downloads.
Koshi:		I do it regularly. It’s very easy to search for music using software.
Tak:		I make use of digital downloads to gather material for work. That’s because it’s so easy to use. And as I said, places where you can buy CDs are disappearing. Instead, I’ve gone back to LPs, due to Barry’s influence. Some time ago, I was talking to Barry and he had brought a lot of LPs with him. We talked about how he frequently listens to them in his house.
Koshi:		There are LP stores, right? Because there are still so many fans collecting LPs. You’ll find them if you look for them.
Tak:		It’s been 20 years since the LP was replaced by the CD, yet it still continues to exist. There aren’t a lot of LP stores, but they have a huge sortiment of LPs. It would take you about 2 hours to browse the whole store.
Koshi:		There are a lot of good places in Japan, right?
Tak:		Yeah. Japan is a better place to buy them than in the U.S. Barry also told me he buys LPs in Japan and takes them home with him. Actually, there are some places near our studio in L.A. and Hawaii, but they’re all so scattered. In Japan, there are stores which have been selling LPs for countless years! And you can also buy some mint condition LPs there.
Koshi:		You’re proud of yourself when you find what you were looking for, right? And the rare ones are really expensive!
Tak:		But actually, normal LPs that don’t come with a bonus are even cheaper now compared to back then! During our times, an LP cost you 2500 Yen, but now it’s no more than 2000 Yen for a record. If you’re looking for an original European version record, it’ll cost you 5000 or 6000 Yen, though. The Beatles’ “White Album” at 250,000 Yen was the most expensive record I’ve ever seen among the ones I looked at!
Interviewer:		250,000 Yen!!
Tak:		I’m not that much of a collector, so I’m not going to spend that much on a record.
Koshi:		Even though CDs might be gone at some point, LPs might always be around.
Tak:		Maybe. Because there have been fans for so long.
Interviewer:		When did you think about producing an English album?
Koshi:		Around the time the North American tour was coming around last year. At the time, we had already started working on it.
Interviewer:		I always thought that Tak winning the Grammy gave you the motivation to work on an English album. What do you think?
Koshi:		We started talking about it at a party over drinks, after the ceremony. So yeah, that’s somewhat true. In the past we’ve worked with a lot of producers on our English songs and we haven’t produced any for quite a while, so while we were having a great time, enjoying our delicious drinks, we decided it was finally time to do so. We’re in a different situation now compared to back then, and now we have different people we consult with. At that point, we realized we wanted to do it. And that’s when we started working on it.
Interviewer:		How did you go about the production of the songs?
Tak:		Basically we’d start with Koshi’s part of the work. We’d change the lyrics while listening to them and I’d fix the melody here and there, but this time it was mostly about the lyrics.
Koshi:		Concerning the lyrics, I finally discovered that I could have the same degree of freedom compared to when I write lyrics in Japanese. That’s when I returned to the same concept and started really working on the lyrics. Then Shane helped me with picking songs and gave me pronunciation advice. I spent most of my time working with him.
Interviewer:		Were Shane and Cory Churko doing the mixing for all the songs?
Koshi:		There’s a balance to who did what. It depended on who was working how much on each song.
Interviewer:		When did you decide to entrust Shane and Cory with the mixing process?
Tak:		The first time we did it was with “Splash” and what he produced was really good, so instead of hiring a famous producer, we went with Shane since we’ve been working and touring with him for a long time and he knows B’z music very well. Shane brought Cory along with him.
Interviewer:		What kind of impression did Cory make on you?
Tak:		I met him in the studio in L.A.... He’s very handsome, I guess? He’s Canadian like Shane.
Koshi:		He’s handsome and gentle. A wonderful person! We also had dinner with him.
Interviewer:		When you were meeting, did you voice any requests regarding the album?
Koshi:		As Shane has been listening to our songs for quite some time now, I don’t think there was anything left to discuss. I think he was quite excited to be able to put to use the skills he has learned during his own recording work. Regarding his ideas, we’d just say we wanted something changed if there was something to be altered and if he agreed to it. That’s the stance we maintained.
Interviewer:		How did you decide on the 5 songs to be included on the album?
Tak:		We were going to pick songs that are easy to turn into an English version and that sound good in English.
Koshi:		Shane also gave us advice on songs that might turn out to be interesting in English. We also wanted to perform the songs live, so they had to be songs that worked well in a live setting.
Interviewer:		Did you have a song you really wanted to produce an English version of?
Koshi:		I didn’t know which songs we should do.
Tak:		When I listened to “Splash” (English Version) for the first time, I was surprised.
Koshi:		That’s true. That song changed the most.
Tak:		I was really glad we'd done an English version of the song because it sounded really good!
Koshi:		We saw that Shane really wanted to do “Splash” as he put a lot of energy and enthusiasm into it. He was working toward that from the beginning. Doing an English version of it was really a success.
Interviewer:		Why is “hara sae kukureba kowakunai” the only Japanese line left in the lyrics?
Koshi:		He was probably trying to spice that certain part up a bit and that’s why he inserted a line of Japanese at that point. It’s alright since it’s not part of the main vocals.
Interviewer:		”ultra soul” is very popular in Japan. Didn’t you have any doubts about doing an English version of it?
Koshi:		We did most of the lyrics during last year’s tour, but we came to think that a lot of people would rather listen to the Japanese version [for that tour], so we performed it in Japanese last year. Nonetheless, we went through with it and finished the lyrics for an English version. We're going to perform it during the 2012 North American tour, but I don’t think we will perform it a lot after that, so consider it a 2012 special.
Interviewer:		Then, many people won't get to hear the song! Which song took the most time to produce?
Koshi:		They all took a long time!
Interviewer:		Do you mean due to the English pronunciation?
Koshi:		It’s different from working with Japanese lyrics, so we ran into a couple of unforeseen problems. Working with the melody was somebody else’s job, and I'd given it to Shane and he worked on it in his studio.
Interviewer:		While your first worldwide digital album “B’z” was on sale, Tak, you released a solo album called “Strings Of My Soul” in America and Europe. How do you feel about its release overseas?
Tak:		I can’t really make heads or tails of it. I heard about the release being on August 7th, but I didn’t imagine it being released outside of Japan. For some reason, it looks like CD releases are still common when it comes to that genre. I thought we only released a digital version of it, but there are a lot of genre fans who prefer CDs, so a CD version was released along with the digital one.
Koshi:		It really differs from genre to genre, right?
Tak:		Fans of rock music are of a different type, after all. It looks like radio promotion is the most important thing over there, so people get to listen to it while driving, but I didn’t have such a chance.
Interviewer:		This year, you’re really attracting attention with your international efforts! In July, your collaboration single with Kim Hyun Joong, “HEAT”, was released. Did you hear about its reception after the release?
Tak:		Fans of Kim Hyun Joong really appreciated it! They said, “Thanks for making it such a good song!” (laughs)
Koshi:		People saying “Thanks for making it such a good song” must be pure Hyun Joong fans (laughs)
Tak:		They liked it so much that a certain two people were following me everywhere (laughs)
Koshi:		I see! (laughs)
Tak:		They really liked the song. They were really happy with it.
Koshi:		“HEAT” is a really good song! It’s so good, I’m even listening to it these days.
Tak:		I also think it’s a good song. I’m glad I was able work with him.
Interviewer:		And Tak, you were also featured on Takashi Utsunomiya’s 20th solo anniversary album “TRILOGY”.
Koshi:		20 year solo career! How many years has it been for TM Network?
Tak:		TM Network was founded around 1983, so it’ll be their 30th anniversary next year. There have been breaks in-between, though.
Koshi:		I still remember the big newspaper page saying: “It’s over”.
Tak:		I was playing at Tokyo Dome at the time.
Koshi:		I saw that!
Tak:		I was already pursuing my career as B’z, but I was asked to guest perform. I haven’t talked to Utsunomiya-san in over ten years. I have been keeping in touch with Kine-san, though. I’m just the type of guy who can’t say “no”. (laughs) This time he was talking about an album, and I said “yes”, so I got to play the guitar on “Indigo no Kanata”. He came by the studio when we were recording it and I enjoyed working with him again after all that while.
Interviewer:		And also, Gibson has released the TAK MATSUMOTO DC STANDARD AQUA BLUE!
Tak:		My models have been released in a lot of different colors and flavors, but Gibson keeps suggesting new ones. I received and used a prototype of the AQUA BLUE model during last year’s tour. I really like its color! It’s beautiful. Fans also really liked the new model. However, it's always up to Gibson whether they want to release them or not. They also listen to what I have to say, of course, but I don’t see why not.
Interviewer:		Its color really is a beauty!
Tak:		That’s because it’s natural. There’s no way of knowing how well it will look unless you paint it on the wood. This model is a good example.
Interviewer:		I got the impression that you’re wearing a lot of blue. Is it your “lucky color”?
Tak:		My favorite color tends to change from time to time, and while I wouldn’t call it my “lucky color”, blue has been one of my favorites for a long time. I like blue and also darker kinds of blue.
Interviewer:		Inaba-san, what’s your favorite color?
Koshi:		I wonder. There are a lot of colors. I would say I prefer black, though. Gray and such.
Interviewer:		Both of you were going on summer vacation in July. How did you spend it?
Tak:		I was hanging out in LA and Hawaii.
Koshi:		I was in Hawaii, too. We really meet in Hawaii a lot, right? We always meet at the same spot.
Interviewer:		Is it a coincidence?
Tak:		It’s just the place I go to and it’s very unique.
Koshi:		You can actually see the inside from outside the entrance. As I’m always there after him, I’m always wondering if he’s there and then I suddenly spot him! He’s always at the same table!
Tak:		I reserved that spot. I like it because it’s a bit more private.
Koshi:		It’s almost like a single, private room. We really always meet there. (laughs) When I wonder “Is he there?”, it turns out that he really is! (laughs)
Interviewer:		Is there a country you’d like to explore?
Koshi:		A country I would like to explore? (laughs)
Tak:		Not really. If it’s not a business trip, then I don’t want to visit any uncomfortable places anymore. It’s interesting once it’s a business trip, though. First of all, you’re there for work and in your free time you can explore the local delicacies and beautiful sights.
Koshi:		If it’s for work, then there’s diversity, right? You’re conveniently being told, “Check this place out”. It’s fun working in new places.
Interviewer:		Didn’t you want to go to Sweden, Inaba-san?
Tak:		Sweden!?
Koshi:		I read a novel. There’s that movie called “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”, right?
Tak:		I haven’t seen it.
Koshi:		Well, I was reading “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” and places in Sweden were described in the novel. I’ve read so much of it that I started to wonder what kind of place it is.
Interviewer:		Feel free to go there. (laughs)
Koshi:		Right. (laughs)
Interviewer:		Right during your summer break, the Olympic Games were held in London. Did you get to see them?
Tak:		I was watching it on Japanese TV over there all the time. In Japan, it’s in the middle of the night, right? But they were showing it at a good time over there. Once you wake up, there’s a soccer match on TV and such. So I didn’t have to stay up all night just to be able to watch it. I was watching women’s soccer, men’s soccer, gymnastics, judo and swimming.
Interviewer:		Looks like you’ve been watching a lot.
Tak:		That’s because they aired it at a convenient time. I was also able to see how our judoka Kaori Matsumoto win her first gold medal.
Koshi:		Among the Olympic Games I watched, those were probably the ones I watched the least.
Tak:		Because everything was focused on the U.S.A., right?
Koshi:		Yeah. I really enjoyed the relay race, though. But, for some reason, they were showing the women’s and men’s soccer matches, so I watched them.
Tak:		That’s because we played against the USA, right?
Koshi:		Ah, right, that’s why I was watching it. But they were also showing Japan vs. Korea. Well, they were showing it because it was the match for 3rd place. I was watching that, too.
Interviewer:		Which players have left an impression on you?
Koshi:		USA’s entire women’s soccer team. I thought they looked pretty good. (laughs)
Interviewer:		Ah, so that’s the reason... (laughs)
Koshi:		They were all wearing ponytails (laughs)
Tak:		But once you really meet them, it’ll be tough (laughs)
Koshi:		They’re probably much taller than me, right? (laughs) But that’s a sport where body height matters, so it’s amazing, right?
Tak:		For Japanese people, who are mostly small.
Koshi:		That’s why I think it’s amazing! Soccer is a hard and rough sport, so it’s amazing how well Japan is doing. I think they’ve changed their mentality compared to back then. They’re not gonna lose so easily.
Tak:		I would even go so far as to say they’re a strong team. The young women’s team is great at the moment!
Koshi:		We weren’t able to win at Judo, though. It’s not really Judo anymore, it’s different. It’s more about bringing your opponent to the ground.
Tak:		France is making most of the rules these days. But Kosuke Kitajima was really good during the relay swimming race! I was moved by that!
Interviewer:		Have you seen the opening and closing ceremonies in which representatives of the United Kingdom made an appearance?
Tak:		I didn’t get to watch them.
Koshi:		I didn’t know when they’d start or when they’d end... (laughs)
Interviewer:		It seems that a lot of great musicians from the UK have made an appearance. Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor and also George Michael, Fatboy Slim and many more...
Koshi:		Ah... about that... It's just what I think, but aren’t there a lot of artists from the UK?
Tak:		Paul McCartney was performing “Hey Jude” during the opening ceremony.
Koshi:		But if you think about it... from a music fan’s perspective... The Rolling Stones and such... there are a lot of artists from the UK, right?
Tak:		I was thinking the same thing and when I think about our musical roots, they’re mostly from the UK!
Koshi:		Yeah, they mostly come from the UK.
Tak:		Queen, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Elton John… Did anyone among them make an appearance?
Koshi:		...The Spice Girls! (laughs)
Interviewer:		(laughs) The Who also made an appearance.
Tak:		The Who! They’re from the UK, too.
Koshi:		That’s right. Most of the songs I was listening to in the past originated from the UK!
Interviewer:		After having finished your break, you went back to prepare for “Pepsi NEX presents B’z PREMIUM LIVE” and the North American tour. Did rehearsal go smoothly as usual with last year’s tour members?
Tak:		That’s right. I invited Ohga Yoshinobu to my house to tutor him for two days. It’s much easier to work in the studio when we do that. We can also save some time for things we really want to do.
Interviewer:		This year’s PREMIUM LIVE is taking place in Osaka’s Namba Hatch as well as Tokyo’s Studio Coast. Looks like a lot of people participated in the campaign this year.
Koshi:		There were people who bought Pepsi and drank it, right?
Tak:		I heard that there were some who bought a hundred cans! Isn’t that almost more than some people would do for AKB performances? (laughs)
Koshi:		It’s a premium live, all right!
Interviewer:		Looks like there were also some who won a ticket right away.
Tak:		That’s amazing.
Koshi:		There were also some who would randomly participate and win, right?
Interviewer:		I think so. During the live performance, Inaba-san, you asked the audience where they were from. They really came from all over Japan, right?
Koshi:		That’s because the promotion was run all over Japan, after all. It’s a rare occasion where such diverse people come together for a live performance.
Interviewer:		Did any of you two collect anything in order to participate in a prize draw?
Koshi:		A Kamen Rider snack! At the time Kamen Rider 1 and 2 came out, you could buy Kamen Rider snacks. If you bought them, you would get a collectible card.
Interviewer:		Were you collecting all the character cards?
Koshi:		There were different pictures and numbers on the cards, and on the back side, there was always some information. So if you collected those numbers, you could get a card holder. I really wanted one of those. One day, I went to the store and saw how they received a new shipment of Kamen Rider snacks. And above those, there were a lot of cards tied together with a rubber band. I was looking at it all the time. “Whoaaa”, I thought. (laughs)
Interviewer:		(laughs) Were you a heavy collector?
Koshi:		I wonder. Everyone was doing it at the time.
Tak:		I was also collecting them! Just when the first Kamen Rider came out.
Interviewer:		You too, Matsumoto-san!? (laughs)
Tak:		I also collected them and sent them in. I had a card holder, after all!
Interviewer:		During last year’s B’z 1DAY LIVE, you were wearing the clothes you were wearing in the CM. Were you planning on giving this year’s performance a certain Pepsi touch, too?
Tak:		We were drinking Pepsi in the end.
Koshi:		I drank it for the first time!
Tak:		Don’t say that!
Koshi:		(startled) No, I meant, I drank it for the first time “on stage”!
Tak:		That’s true. I also drank Pepsi for the first time on stage. You can’t drink that much in one go. What will happen when I drink it hastily while the audience is watching me... (laughs)
Interviewer:		You’re mostly jumping and moving about on the stage, so it’s difficult, right? During the encore, everyone was wearing the PREMIUM LIVE T-Shirts. All of the band members dressed the same way is not something you’ll likely see at a LIVE-GYM performance, right? (laughs)
Tak:		I see. Now that you mention it, we were all wearing the same shirt.
Koshi:		That’s because there was a certain theme to it, right!
Interviewer:		It’s been a while since you’ve been to Studio Coast and Namba Hatch, right?
Tak:		It was great to play in those venues again.
Interviewer:		The Studio Coast venue was also used for the filming of the “BANZAI” music video, right?
Tak:		Ah, I remember! Cameras were attached to our hips. We've also performed live there.
Interviewer:		SHOWCASE 2003, right? Studio Coast is a very special venue, right?
Koshi:		The room we used as our dressing room had a special staircase. It looked just like an American dressing room.
Tak:		It looked just like the VIP section of a club. There are a lot of dressing rooms like that in the US.
Interviewer:		We were watching the performance from the second floor and could see that the venue was really packed, with people pushing all over the place.
Koshi:		You can really tell when you look from above. The closer I move to the audience on stage, the more the atmosphere changes. Even if I stick my head out just a bit, it’s amazing! Completely different! It was clearly a different atmosphere.
Tak:		Yeah, it was really like that.
Interviewer:		What about the set list? Anything special for the PREMIUM LIVE?
Tak:		As we are going to tour North America next, we also thought of that when we assembled the set list. We also added some English language songs. Overall, it was a “best-of” set list, though.
Interviewer:		”Brighter Day” was a very surprising addition.
Koshi:		We haven’t performed it live except for 2006’s NETWORK LIVE, I think.
Interviewer:		So you’re also looking to perform previous English songs?
Koshi:		Next year, it’s going to be completely different and we probably won’t be playing any English songs, so we wanted to make it a rare occasion for our fans this time.
Interviewer:		This is the first time you've added so many English language songs to a set list for a performance in Japan. Were you concerned with the reactions in the audience?
Koshi:		I wasn’t concerned at all during the performance. They’re all songs everyone should know, after all. I think their reaction was the usual one.
Interviewer:		Did you get used to singing songs in English you used to sing in Japanese?
Koshi:		That depends on the song, but there are times I make mistakes. I marginally change some sections, and I also do that when I sing in Japanese, and that’s because these parts sound so similar, that I make mistakes. (laughs)
Interviewer:		Won’t you sometimes just start singing in Japanese since you’re used to it?
Koshi:		I’m practicing my English regularly, so that won’t happen, but in the beginning there were times when that would happen.
Interviewer:		During the encore, you played “HEAT” as a surprise. What made you do that?
Koshi:		We added it to our rehearsal plan and thought that our version of it sounded pretty good, too. We were also sure that our fans will appreciate it.
Interviewer:		So, did the fans like it?
Koshi:		During the performance in Osaka, I couldn’t tell when the intro to the song was rolling.
Interviewer:		Nobody would’ve thought you were going to play that song, right? A lot of people were demanding for a B’z version of “HEAT”, so you finally gave in?
Koshi:		We were thinking about it when we were creating the song.
Tak:		Yeah. We wanted to do our own version of it when we produced the song.
Interviewer:		In September, you’re going to tour North America, so do you think it was great to play in Japan again before the tour?
Tak:		We finished rehearsal and were able to perform it two times. I think we collected some great energy there.
Interviewer:		You’re going to perform in a lot of new venues. Which of the previous venues has left an impression on you?
Tak:		Hmm... I wonder.
Interviewer:		The stage at the San Diego Bar&Grill you performed at in 2002 had a strange design, right?
Tak:		Oh, that was a great place.
Koshi:		It was close to the sea, right?
Tak:		It was close to the sea and there was a marina nearby. I actually saw my first G3 concert near the marina.
Koshi:		Really!? An open-air concert?
Tak:		Yeah. I think it was near that place. It was really cool. The dressing room was really small, so everyone was preparing in the hotel and then went right on stage.
Koshi:		I remember that very well. Concert venues over there have a certain vibe to it, don’t they? Some even look like opera houses.
Interviewer:		The Orpheum Theatre is actually mostly an opera house. You were filming the music video to “IT’S SHOWTIME!!” in the one in L.A., right?
Koshi:		Ah... so that’s what it's like!
Interviewer:		The Orpheum Theatre and The Warfield are venues with fixed seats. Don’t you think they’ll have a different atmosphere?
Koshi:		It’s not a problem if it’s too formal. It’s also our first time at the Showboxo SODO, right?
Tak:		Wow, it’s really big! The venue in Seattle where we were playing before is a little smaller than that.
Interviewer:		And on September 21st, you’ll be entering your 25th year as a band! How do you feel about it?
Koshi:		I feel like “Oh, it finally begins!” (laughs)
Interviewer:		(laughs) Have you got any special plans for the 25th anniversary?
Tak:		It’s our 25th anniversary, so we’re going to tour a lot, I think.
Interviewer:		The fanclub magazine issues are also getting close to 100 with this 95th issue. We’re starting the countdown!
Koshi:		Amazing! That’s going to give us motivation!
Tak:		It started out as a small brochure and now it’s more like a magazine, right?
Koshi:		Isn’t it one of the top-class fanclub magazines? The contents are really well laid out.
Interviewer:		Thank you very much! Lastly, I’m sure you’ve got a lot of plans for the 25th anniversary, but please direct a few words at our fanclub members.
Tak:		This year is going to be about the Pepsi live event and the North American tour, so not everyone will be able to come see us this year, but as we make preparations for our 25th anniversary, we’ll be sure that we visit a lot of places next year and can make up for this year. Look forward to it!
Koshi:		Our 25th anniversary year has begun, and I’m already looking forward to a year full of celebration with you!
Interviewer:		Thank you for your time today.
Tak & Koshi:		Thank you very much.

[Interview conducted after the B’z PREMIUM LIVE]