FRIENDS

FRIENDS
Mini album by B'z
Released	December 9, 1992
Genre	Adult rock
Length	26:47
Producer	Tak Matsumoto
B'z chronology

FRIENDS is the fourth mini album by B'z, released on December 9, 1992. The release is their first concept album, with each song contributing to an overall story for the first time in the B'z catalogue. The music was composed to be akin to that of the soundtrack to a movie, with each track being labeled as "scenes". A follow-up album entitled FRIENDS II would be released four years later in 1996 but would not feature a connected narrative.

Upon release, concept album FRIENDS sold 706,950 physical copies in its first week. This would make it their highest-selling mini album effort to that point, with its sequel FRIENDS II succeeding it. As with all other B'z mini albums released to date, FRIENDS has been certified Million by the Recording Industry Association of Japan for sales in excess of 1,355,530 physical copies sold. The lasting legacy of the album has led to significant digital and ringtone sales of lead track "Itsuka no Merry Christmas" in subsequent years.

Track listing

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

PROLOGUE: Friends

File:m04 01.ogg .

SCENE 1: Itsuka no Merry Christmas — A Merry Christmas Once Upon A Time, いつかのメリークリスマス

File:m04 02.ogg .

SCENE 2-1: Boku no Tsumi — My Sin, 僕の罪

File:m04 03.ogg .

SCENE 2-2: Love Is...

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SCENE 3: Koi Jyanakunaru Hi — The Day Love Ceased to Be, 恋じゃなくなる日

File:m04 05.ogg .

SCENE 4: SEASONS

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SCENE 5: Doushite mo Kimi wo Ushinaitakunai — No Matter What, I Don't Want to Lose You, どうしても君を失いたくない

File:m04 07.ogg .

SCENE 6: Itsuka no Merry Christmas (Reprise) — A Merry Christmas Once Upon A Time, いつかのメリークリスマス

File:m04 08.ogg .

Reversion history

Main article: B'z Reversioned Songs

Original Song	Reversion History
Itsuka no Merry Christmas MINI ALBUM SONG (1992)	RE-RECORDING: Itsuka no Merry Christmas (Reprise) (1992) An instrumental reprise of the original song featured as the closing track on the same mini album, FRIENDS. KARAOKE: Itsuka no Merry Christmas [Karaoke Version] (1996) Karaoke version found only on B'z TV STYLE II Songless Version. RE-RECORDING: Itsuka no Merry Christmas [Secret Version] (2002) A hidden dance-tempo version found on The Ballads ~Love & B'z~. RE-RECORDING: Itsuka no Merry Christmas ~"Koisuru Hanikami!" Version~ (2005) An acoustic rendition found only on B'z The Best "Pleasure II".