IT'S SHOWTIME!!
| IT'S SHOWTIME!! | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by B'z | ||||
| from the album BIG MACHINE | ||||
| Released | March 26, 2003 | |||
| Length | 07:59 | |||
| Label | Vermillion Records | |||
| Producer | Tak Matsumoto | |||
| B'z singles chronology | ||||
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IT'S SHOWTIME!! is the thirty-fourth single by B'z, released on March 26, 2003. The lead single from the band's thirteenth studio album BIG MACHINE, the title song quickly resonated with fans and earned a slot in numerous LIVE-GYM setlists to follow. In addition, the song shortly thereafter become the namesake for the band's fifteenth anniversary tour, B'z LIVE-GYM 2003 The Final Pleasure "IT'S SHOWTIME!!". Praise was also noted for the single's cover, whose artful text was provided by famed calligraphy artist Koji Kakinuma.
The single was the first release of the band's fifteenth anniversary year and was released in conjunction with remastered reissues of ten of the band's earlier singles. On the daily chart at launch, the band held a monopoly over the chart's top eleven slots, with the new single ranking at the top and the re-issues covering the remaining ten. Ultimately, B'z would set a record that week for holding nine of the Top 10 slots for the week of release.
A slightly altered version of "IT'S SHOWTIME!!" would be found on BIG MACHINE, with live drums provided by Shane Gaalaas as opposed to the programmed drums used on the single. The original version would later be collected on both B'z The Best "Pleasure II" in 2005 and B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" in 2008. The B-side "New Message" proved especially popular with fans, enough so that it was voted all the way to seventh place in the fan-selected compilation for the band's twentieth anniversary, B'z The Best "ULTRA Treasure".
A promotional video was filmed for the single in Los Angeles, California. Shot primarily outside and inside of the Orpheum Theater, local fans were solicited on message boards and via radio to appear in the video. The extras that arrived for the occasion showed in the video after B'z arrives on the back of a flatbed truck and perform in the streets, surrounded by fans. A tie-in was also secured to promote the release, with "IT'S SHOWTIME!!" being used as the theme to TV Asahi's "Network Sports 2003" program.
The single for "IT'S SHOWTIME!!" debuted at the top of the Weekly Oricon Singles chart for the week of release and remained at number one for the entire month of April despite being released in March. Ultimately, the Double Platinum single spent nineteen weeks on the chart and finished as the twelfth highest-selling single of the year. Later, for the 18th Japan Gold Disc Awards held by the Recording Industry Association of Japan, "IT'S SHOWTIME!!" was named as one of the songs of the year.
Track listing
- IT'S SHOWTIME!!
- New Message
- The song was first heard as the ending music to B'z LIVE-GYM 2002 "GREEN~GO★FIGHT★WIN~". Later, a portion of the song was featured as the opening music to the home video release of the same tour. Although it initially went unperformed in the live arena, five years after its inclusion as a B-side here, it was finally played live during B'z LIVE-GYM 2008 "ACTION" to much acclaim.
Sales ranking
| Rank | Year | Single | Rank | Year | Single |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2003 | IT'S SHOWTIME!! (B'z) | 7 | 1990 | Easy Come, Easy Go! (B'z) |
| 2 | 2003 | Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana (SMAP) | 8 | 1991 | ALONE (B'z) |
| 3 | 1990 | BE THERE (B'z) | 9 | 1992 | BLOWIN' (B'z) |
| 4 | 1992 | ZERO (B'z) | 10 | 1990 | Taiyou no Komachi Angel (B'z) |
| 5 | 1993 | Ai no Mama ni Wagamama ni... (B'z) | 11 | 1993 | Hadashi no Megami (B'z) |
| 6 | 1991 | LADY NAVIGATION (B'z) | 12 | 1990 | "Itoshii Hito yo" Good Night... (B'z) |
Personnel
B'z
- Tak Matsumoto: Guitar, Music Composition, Arrangement
- Koshi Inaba: Vocals, Lyric Composition, Arrangement
Drums
- Hideo Yamaki: Drums (TRACK 2)
Bass
- Akihito Tokunaga: Bass, Arrangement