Ichibu to Zenbu/DIVE

Ichibu to Zenbu/DIVE
Single by B'z
from the album MAGIC
Released	August 5, 2009
Promotions	#1 (Buzzer Beat) #2 (Suzuki Swift CM)
Length	10:43
Label	Vermillion Records
Producer	Tak Matsumoto
B'z singles chronology
"BURN -Fumetsu no Face-" (2008) "Ichibu to Zenbu/Dive" (2009) "MY LONELY TOWN" (2009)

Ichibu to Zenbu/DIVE (イチブトゼンブ, A Part & All) is the forty-sixth single by B'z and their second double A-side, released on August 5, 2009. It was the band's first double A-side single since 1996's "Mienai Chikara ~INVISIBLE ONE~/MOVE". Both of the title songs went on to become successes for the band, with each being performed at numerous occasions since their release, including being included for all shows on the Ain't no Magic and C'mon tours in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

Drums on the two title tracks were provided by Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, while bass was added by Juan Alderete of the Mars Volta. The pair's collaboration with the band was captured in the 2009 documentary Magical Backstage Tour 2009, available only as a bonus DVD to purchasers of the limited edition of their seventeenth album, MAGIC. While both songs were included on the album, the version of "DIVE" found on it is shortened with the intro having been omitted. Later, in 2013, when both songs were collected on B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012, the single version was compiled in album form for the first time.

In the course of the TV drama "Buzzer Beat", for which "Ichibu to Zenbu" served as the theme, an alternate version of the song could be heard during romantic scenes. This slower and more mellowed rendition was requested by the drama staff and was given a full release months later as a second B-side to their single "MY LONELY TOWN" as "Ichibu to Zenbu -Ballad Version-". In 2010, in the course of B'z LIVE-GYM 2010 "Ain't No Magic", a special version of the song was performed that mixed both the ballad and rock versions to much praise. B'z later produced an additional ballad reversion for another single two years later, with 2011's "Don't Wanna Lie" receiving similar treatment as a mail-in bonus.

While both songs have proven popular, "Ichibu to Zenbu" has proven even more so, becoming one of the band's most prominent songs from the past decade. Of comparable popularity to other standouts such as "Ai no Bakudan" and "OCEAN", the song is frequently one of the highest-selling songs on the Japanese iTunes service and most anticipated for live showings. In addition to inclusions on larger tours, it made its North American debut during all three stops for B'z LIVE-GYM 2011 -long time no see- and was performed during the ensuing live stream.

The single for "Ichibu to Zenbu/DIVE" premiered at the top of the Weekly Oricon Singles chart, becoming the band's forty-second consecutive to do so. The single was number-one for the month of August 2009 and finished as the sixth highest-selling single of the entire year in terms of physical copies sold. The single was also the fifth best seller on the Japanese iTunes service for the year as well, despite being released only months before the year ended. Billboard Japan, who rank singles by sales as well as airplay, awarded it the rank of number one for the entire year of 2009.

Outside of its physical success, both songs were immensely popular as ringtones. The ringtone-length version of "Ichibu to Zenbu" sold enough to be given the Million certification after holding on to the top spot for seven full weeks upon release. Similarly, the full-length version went triple Platinum itself. Tracked digital sales, which does not include iTunes but only supported tracking services, were in the hundreds of thousands, garnering a Platinum certification on that end as well. Additionally, the full-length version of "DIVE" was awarded a Gold certification shortly after release.

Two separate videos were filmed for the two A-side singles. The video for "Ichibu to Zenbu" was filmed in a junkyard in Los Angeles with the video using the time of day as its theme, while the video for "DIVE" was an action-packed desert shoot, featuring numerous stunts and action sequences with the band performing in the background. At the time of release, the band did not appear on television to promote the single, and as such neither song was played on television at the time. However, years later in 2012, "Ichibu to Zenbu" was played in a medley with "Ai no Bakudan" on the 2012 Christmas Music Station special and thus made its live debut over the airwaves.

On the June 14, 2013 edition of Music Station, B'z made an appearance in a one-hour B'z-themed special in which they performed "Q&A" to support the release of B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012 as well as taking the stage to perform top fan requests. Weeks earlier, fans had been directed to a special area on the Music Station website where they were to vote for their favorites that they would like to see the band perform on the show. At the end of the program, B'z performed three classics that had made it into the top 5: "LOVE PHANTOM", "Hadashi no Megami", and "ultra soul", which itself was voted to the top spot. "Ichibu to Zenbu" took eighth in the voting, which made it the newest song to be listed by eight years.

Track listing

1. Ichibu to Zenbu — A Part & All, イチブトゼンブ

   An instant hit with its infectious melody and rhythm, "Ichibu to Zenbu" has become one of the most popular singles of the latter B'z era. The song was produced as a rock song with a medium tempo. The song served as the theme to the television series "Buzzer Beat", which was the first time in four years at the time that B'z had provided a drama theme, since the release of "OCEAN" in 2005. The music and lyrics were written only after reading the script to the drama to ensure the product of their work would mesh with its tone. A ballad version was also produced for the series, which would later be released as a second B-side on the follow-up single, "MY LONELY TOWN".

2. DIVE

   Announced on the official website before the former song, "DIVE" is a hard rock song that has played well live, having been used to open B'z LIVE-GYM 2010 "Ain't No Magic". The song was originally produced with a different chorus in mind, but after a new chorus and melody were implemented, it started to shape up like a single, according to the band. At the time of release, it was used as the theme to a commercial campaign for the new Suzuki Swift. The version collected on MAGIC omits the intro in favor of a preceding track appropriately titled as "Introduction", although it was restored for B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012.

3. National Holiday

   Originally composed during the sessions for ACTION in 2007, the band did not release it at the time, feeling it felt "too pop" for the theme of that album. Later, it was used as the ending music to B'z LIVE-GYM 2008 "ACTION" and then made its release debut here. Unlike with "Mienai Chikara ~INVISIBLE ONE~/MOVE" that was released without one, this song gave this double A-side single its own B-side. The song has never been collected elsewhere and has never been performed live by the band.

Personnel

B'z

• Tak Matsumoto: Guitar, Music Composition, Arrangement
• Koshi Inaba: Vocals, Lyric Composition, Arrangement

Drums

• Chad Smith (Tracks 1, 2)
• Jeremy Colson (Track 3)

Bass

• Juan Alderete (Tracks 1, 2)
• Sean Hurley (Track 3)

Organ

• Takanobu Masuda (Track 2)

Production

• Hideyuki Terachi: Arrangement (Tracks 1, 2), Programming (Track 3)
• Daisuke Ikeda: Programming (Track 3)