Iwahashi Shinichi's idea was clear. He wanted to rely on stringing beads to make the project bigger. Naturally, there would be room to accommodate Nakamori Akina.
According to the current progress, I am getting more and more confident, and I am just waiting for an opportunity to send the project to sound research. And this time Akina Nakamori and PRINCESS PRINCESS collide, it is a great opportunity that comes to my door.
Akina Nakamori's single has not yet gone on sale. What Shinichi Iwahashi can use for reference and analysis is the sales of her previous singles, as well as the trend and stamina of her rival PRINCESS PRINCESS.
With the strength shown by PRINCESS PRINCESS, it will not be easy for Akina Nakamori to win this week, or it should be said that it requires her extraordinary performance now.
If she can really retain the championship, the general public will naturally think that "the top idol is the top idol."
However, after facing the band head-on and fighting hard, she and the company behind her will never be so arrogant as to think that "the band is nothing more than that".
As long as you have experienced the embarrassment of being attacked from both sides by the band and felt the strength of the band, Yanyin and Warner must realize the reality that "maybe it won't be so easy next time."
If we face the coming of the band era, we will take our cooperation with the band seriously.
But on the other hand, if Nakamori Akina is suppressed by the second single released by PRINCESS PRINCESS this week and loses the championship, her career will begin to decline. This matter that was only vaguely felt at first will become placed on the table.
Facts on the table.
For the general public, it is not easy to feel immediately when a star's momentum begins to decline. It often needs to experience a decline on the table.
Rising actors need a high-rating TV series to confirm their status in the world, and singers need to have a number one single to increase their momentum. On the other hand, if a high-rating actor fails in a TV series, the singer loses the championship, and sales drop, the momentum is inevitable.
damaged.
By then, she and the company behind her will have to take countermeasures.
For singers, once they are at a disadvantage, the record company's various countermeasures can be summed up in two ways.
Either stay put, maintain the current style, act cautiously, and slow down the pace of falling behind and then becoming obsolete. Or seek transformation and broaden your career path. When you have a record, you must keep the record, but without the record, you can do whatever you want.
But if a singer like Akina Nakamori, whose style has changed a lot since her debut, really stood still, she would become obsolete even faster.
The collaboration between INAL LOVE and Akina Nakamori seems to be an attempt to use the collaboration to gain Nakamori Akina's fame. But if even Nakamori Akina herself reaches the point where she needs to find new blood, things will be different.
Therefore, no matter what the final result is, after this week, Iwahashi Shin repeatedly goes to Yanyin and Warner to discuss cooperation with songs and plans, and the situation will change.
Her single hasn't even gone on sale yet, and Iwahashi Shinichi is already thinking about how to contact Kenyin in the future.
We are actually acquaintances with Kenyin and even Warner, and we also have a friendship with Watanabe Wanyumi and Nozaki-san as juniors at the same university.
But business is business, and friendship is friendship. Without win-win cooperation, just talking about friendship will only annoy people.
…
In the afternoon, Shinichi Iwahashi went to U-MIZ to meet Wanyumi Watanabe and discussed with her. Afterwards, he sent the collaborative project and the INAL LOVE song demo to be listened to.
After hearing him say what he was thinking, Watanabe Wanyumi looked at him with a subtle expression.
"What?" Shinichi Iwahashi was curious.
Watanabe Manyumi said of him, "It's a bit like waiting for someone to stumble so that he can go over and help him."
this……
Shin Iwahashi was half speechless, "What the hell. If you say that, I've become a villain who hides in the dark and watches other people's jokes."
"I'm kidding." Watanabe Mayumi smiled.
This is of course not the same as waiting to see someone fall and then pretending to be a good person.
Iwahashi Shinichi did not continue to talk to her about this matter, and promptly changed the subject, "I'll leave it to you, Wan Yumi-san."
Although Beads uses the name of the record company, INAL LOVE's management agreement and recording agreement have nothing to do with Shinichi Iwahashi. This matter requires Watanabe Manyumi to come forward to make it right.
Watanabe Manyumi agreed, and then said to him casually, "Kenyin suddenly received such a plan, and you are going to be confused again. I would think of inviting Akina-san, you are really there."
"I want to be in harmony with INAL LOVE, and I want to be famous. After thinking about it, she is the only one." Iwahashi Shinichi said sincerely.
"That's true." Watanabe Wan Yumi nodded and said no more.
…
The sales figures for the new week are out, and there are both strong bands that dominate the top, and bands like ZARD that continue to stay in the top ten, taking their time but slowly accumulating on the rise.
In addition, there are still some who are still outside the dozens of places, and some who can't even make the list.
The arrival of the trend, in addition to the replacement of people at the front, is also reflected in the influx of new blood. Since the launch of Band Heaven, more and more bands have debuted, much like the situation when idols gathered together to debut.
.
The popular ones can be seen at a glance in the front row, but naturally there are more of them that don't make any splash.
Minato, a production company called BEING.
The staff sent over the sales data for the new week. Nagato Daiyuki did not look at the detailed data and trends and asked directly, "How was B'z's situation last week?"
"There is no detailed sales data." The staff member replied, "BMG has also received return applications from two record stores."
"It was just released not long ago..." Nagato Daiyuki frowned, blaming the two record stores for being impatient.
However, what made him even more unhappy was that B’z’s new single failed again.
Last year's Band Paradise program became very popular. In addition to the influx of bands that debuted from the talent show into the market, record companies also took active actions.
In terms of band production, Nagato Daiyuki's BEING is a veteran. In the early years, he also participated in the record production of first-class bands such as LOUDNESS and BOOWY——
Although when participating in the production of these first-class bands' records, it was Nagato Daiyuki's former partner and BEING's former vice president Tsukiko Megumi who did more.
Rather than serving hard-core orthodox bands, Nagato Daiko hopes to make a fortune by producing music.
In 1985, Nagato Daiko reached a cooperation with CBS Sony and took over a new band called tube. From debut planning to song selection and production, he entrusted BEING with full authority.
Tube did not go well when it first debuted. Two singles in succession failed. Nagato Daiyuki even planned to go to CBS and Sony to say hello to CBS and Sony, saying that he had decided to give up on the band.
BEING was entrusted with full power since their debut. If Nagato Daiyuki gave up, CBS and Sony would not keep the band.
At the time of the decision, Yuko Hara, the keyboardist of the Southern Stars, went home for maternity leave. The soul of the band, Yuko Hara's husband, Kaysuke Kuwata, took the opportunity to play trumpet solo, and the band announced a temporary suspension of activities.
The Southern Stars are famous for their summer hits. There is a saying in Japan that "when it comes to summer, it is the Southern Stars." Nagato Daiko himself is also a loyal fan of this band and is well aware of the charm of this band.
A true fan should learn from his idol——
Therefore, taking advantage of the lull in activities of Nantian Stars, Nagato Daiyuki relied on fans' understanding of idols and decided to let tube fill the gap in the summer without Nantian Stars, and succeeded in one fell swoop.
The single sold well, tube became popular, CBS and Sony were satisfied, BEING also made a lot of money as a production company, everyone was happy.
Nagato Daiyuki has great ambitions and wants to create another popular band.
Last year, when B’z debuted, the band Heavenly Kingdom was a hit, and the band attracted much attention. Nagato Daiko was very optimistic about the band’s debut, but as a result, for more than a year, there was no splash at all.
The records couldn't be sold, so they only performed in live houses across the country, like a semi-underground band.
If it weren't for the band leader Takahiro Matsumoto's determination and the lead singer Hiroshi Inaba who is a rare handsome man, Nagato Daiyuki would have really wanted to give up this band.
Daiyuki Nagato, a lifelong member of the Appearance Association, prefers handsome men and beautiful women the most.
However, there is a limit to patience. Daiyuki Nagato pondered in his mind whether he should let B’z change his style and re-enter the market.
While he was thinking about it, he contacted Matsumoto Takahiro and asked him to come over.
Matsumoto Takahiro was an unattractive little man. When Nagato Daiyuki saw his slightly shabby face, he subconsciously thought of his handsome teammate Inaba Hiroshi.
Such a team-up of two people makes Inaba Hiroshi shine brightly.
When Nagato Daiyuki received their single, he felt that Matsumoto Takahiro and Inaba Hiroshi next to each other on the cover were like brand new pens placed together with pencils in the pencil case.
Matsumoto Takahiro is extremely pragmatic and does not feel uncomfortable standing with a handsome man. On the contrary, when looking for a partner for himself, the idea is to find a handsome guy to improve the appearance of the band so as to attract the audience.
However, although his appearance is inferior, his talent is on the top level. He arranges all the band's songs, and his partner Hiroshi Inaba is responsible for writing the lyrics. The two have a clear division of labor and can ensure equal income.
Nagato Daiyuki had been working with Matsumoto Takahiro for a long time, so he got straight to the point and suggested that he change his style starting from the next single to get closer to the current trend——
Takahiro Matsumoto has superb guitar skills. The band he formed is unknown, but as a guitarist, he is highly praised in the industry. In the early years, he worked as a support musician for a heavy metal band. In recent years, he has been a regular member of TM WORK's team of musicians.
For this reason, B’z’s music style is a bit close to electronic music and a bit heavy metal.
The wave of band craze brought about by Band Heaven is either orthodox rock or pop rock. B’z’s music style is unpopular and alternative in the current music industry.
"If you want to make the music you want to do, you can do whatever you want after it becomes popular."
Nagato Daiyuki earnestly taught, "If the record is not a hit, there is no guarantee whether the next one will be released. It is better to try to change the style first and open up sales before talking about other things."
As a result, Matsumoto Takahiro flatly refused, "It's too early to talk about changing the style at this stage."
"That's what I said." Nagato Daiyuki was a little unhappy.
B’z does not rely on BEING’s production resources. Matsumoto Takahiro is responsible for all the compositions. He does not nod, and Nagato Daiko does not have too many instructions on the band.
If you push the band too hard, the company will end up hiding them. What’s more, since BEING doesn’t have its own record company, B’z’s records will be placed on BMG. At that point, I don’t know how many things will be involved.
BEING doesn't have many people under his command now. If he really wants to fall out with Matsumoto Takahiro, both sides will suffer.
"Send two more to see what happens."
At this time, Matsumoto Takahiro took a step back in time, although it was a delaying tactic.
The boss of Nagato Daiyuki is very face-conscious and hates others making it difficult for him to step down. Everyone in the company knows this. Therefore, no matter what he thinks in his heart, he must first save the boss's face.
Matsumoto Takahiro is not the kind of artist who knows nothing about things other than music. On the contrary, he is very understanding of people and the world. Before entering the industry, he also worked as a clerk in a musical instrument store.
"Two pieces." Nagato Daixing came down first if there were stairs.
Of course, both he and Matsumoto Takahiro knew that the "two" was an imaginary number. If there was no improvement after another one, Nagato Daiyuki would ask the band to change their style again, but Matsumoto Takahiro would not give in.
After Matsumoto Takahiro retired, Nagato Daiyuki was alone in the office, deep in thought.
As for B'z, whether it can become popular is still a matter of debate. Matsumoto Takahiro will not obey the arrangements. Even if they want to avoid a lose-lose outcome, each of them will take a step back, that is, slowly modify the existing music style and bring it to the public.
Acceptable styles are closer.
In that case, it may take a long time.
Nagato Daiyuki could not put his eggs in this basket and take the risk of missing out on the current band era. He made up his mind to prepare another band to debut.
While he was calculating, he looked through the sales data sent by the staff. The two most popular bands recently, one has a female lead singer as the absolute core, and the other has a team composed entirely of women.
Looking for a female lead singer to form a band?
Nagato Daiyuki had such an idea in his mind.
At least, it is easier to find an obedient woman than a man.
Find an obedient female lead singer, a team of musicians, and arrange all the band's routes. The goal is to produce songs that can be popular and sell well.
The female lead singer must be beautiful, and the core of the band should be a beauty who can attract the public's attention.
However, you can’t really find a vase, at least your singing skills must be excellent. Looking at the male Douhu group who were beaten all over the place in April, Nagato Daiko felt that he should avoid Johnny’s wrong experience.
The production company had no worries about finding musicians. Nagato Daiyuki lit a cigarette and stared at the sales data in deep thought. He had already begun to think about where to start to find such a female lead singer.
…
When Shinichi Iwahashi came home on Wednesday night, he checked his mailbox and got a package from Akina Nakamori.
Now that the new single is released, a "sample" must be sent over.
Thinking about it carefully, Iwahashi Shinichi has never bought one of her records except for the ones he received from Nakamori Akina, so it's no wonder that he misremembered her lyrics.
However, the package that arrived this time was a boxy one, and it didn't look like it only contained a single.
Iwahashi Shinichi went upstairs and opened the package. It contained her new single this time, and in addition, there was a paper package. She opened the paper package, took out the contents, and unfolded it.
It's a ribbon that's not very pretty, but it's not plain either.
He held the belt in his hand and couldn't guess what kind of fabric it was based on the feel. But after looking carefully, he felt that it looked a bit like a belt on a skirt.
I couldn't guess it myself, and I couldn't be sure even if I guessed a little bit, so I just went to page Nakamori Akina.
Today, Akina Nakamori went to Osaka to record a promotional program for her new single. After that, she went to have dinner with the staff from Kansai TV. When she got back to the hotel, it was almost ten o'clock in the evening.
I checked the pager and found it was from Shinichi Iwahashi.
She remembered that today Iwahashi Shinichi would receive her new single and that, she guessed what he would say first, and snickered alone in the room.
A long business trip consumed her energy. After removing her makeup and washing herself, Akina Nakamori lay on the bed before calling Shinichi Iwahashi.
"Good evening~"
As soon as the call was connected, Nakamori Akina thought about what she had given him, and at first she couldn't help laughing.
"Did you receive it?" she asked.
Iwahashi Shinichi told her, "I put it on the record player and listened to it once." The soft and fragrant speaker equipment given by Taopusida's girlfriend was still used.
In addition to the single and the unknown tape, there is also Akina Nakamori’s new work, Origami Dolphin.
Marine animals have officially entered the origami zoo. If we keep folding like this, we might one day be able to welcome the origami Gundam robot.
"There is also a belt." Iwahashi Shinichi said.
I don’t know if it’s an illusion, but I always felt that Akina Nakamori on the other end of the phone was trying to hold back a smile, “Didn’t I tell you before that I would prepare a tie for you to use on the day you go to the concert?”
That's right...
Feeling that she was holding back her laughter, Iwahashi Shinichi felt that the bad premonition in his heart had come true.
"That should be the belt of the skirt, right?" In just one sentence, Shinichi Iwahashi was troubled by what he said.
Before he finished speaking, Nakamori Akina burst out laughing on the other end of the phone.
"..."
She smiled happily, and Iwahashi Shinichi was trembling with confusion.
"It's the belt of the dress."
Nakamori Akina revealed the answer and muttered to him, "You can immediately recognize that it is the belt of the skirt. Shinichi-kun knows a lot."
"..." It would be strange if you can't recognize him.
Iwahashi Shinichi sighed.
She had previously planned to give him a tie to wear on the day she went to the concert, but in the end, she decided to let him wear her skirt to the concert.
Is it because he took a tie from him to use as a belt for a dress he wore in a concert, so he had to take another belt from a dress and give it back to him as a tie?
Even if it is a skirt with a pretty good color, it is still a skirt.
What does it sound like to tie your girlfriend's dress belt around your neck like a tie? If you can wear her dress belt as a tie today, won't you have to wear a skirt tomorrow?
"Do you really want to wear this to go to a concert?" Shinichi Iwahashi bargained with her.
Nakamori Akina said "hmm" and told him, "You tie this one, I will be on the stage and I can find you in just one click..."