- Every Little Thing (band)
-
Every Little Thing
Kaori Mochida and Ichiro Ito of Every Little Thing pose in an Aoyama cafe, Tokyo, 2008.Background information Origin Tokyo, Japan Genres Pop, soft rock Years active 1996 –presentLabels Avex Trax Website www.avexnet.or.jp/elt/ Members Kaori Mochida
Born March 24, 1978
Ichiro Ito
Born November 10, 1967Past members Mitsuru Igarashi
Born May 17, 1969Every Little Thing (also known as ELT) is a pop and soft rock duo from Japan who debuted in August 1996 with the release of their first single called "Feel My Heart". Their name is usually written in English, and only rarely in katakana or rōmaji.
Also known as ELT by their fans, Every Little Thing was originally a trio but became a duo in 2000 with Kaori Mochida as the singer and Ichiro Ito as the guitarist.[1] Mitsuru Igarashi left ELT following the release of their 3rd original album Eternity to produce for other artists like Dream and the now disbanded Day After Tomorrow, which was criticized for sounding too much like the early Every Little Thing.
Contents
Members
- Current members
- Kaori Mochida (Born March 24, 1978) - vocalist, songwriter
- Ichiro Ito (Born November 10, 1967) - guitarist, composer, arranger
- Former members
- Mitsuru Igarashi (Born May 17, 1969) - keyboardist, producer, songwriter (Left the band in 2000)
Early Careers
Ito began playing guitar in local bands around the US Yokota Air Base in Fussa, Tokyo, performing cover versions of songs by rock acts like Van Halen to local sailors. He initially intended to play drums.[1]
Mochida made her debut as a baby in an advertisement for diapers as her mom hoped she would enter the entertainment business. In 1991, at the age of 13, she joined the eight-member girl group The Kuro Buta All-Stars. Though not successful, the experience convinced her to record a two track demo, featuring the two songs, "Mouichido" (The Kuro Buta All-Stars) and a cover song from 1970s/80s singer-songwriter Mariya Takeuchi.[1]
She sent the demo to Avex Trax, where Mitsuru Igarashi was a producer looking for a girl for a new duo with him as the keyboardist. Impressed by her strong yet sweet voice, Igarashi asked her to join as a duo, and then asked his guitarist friend Ichiro Ito, then working as a studio receptionist,[1] to help on the first single "Feel My Heart", created by Igarashi. Ito, over ten years Mochida's senior, has said that when first meeting the young Mochida wearing gyaru style thick platform boots, he didn't even know how to strike up conversation.[1]
Biography
"Feel My Heart" peaked at #24 on the Oricon charts and with the group gaining popularity, Ito decided to stay permanently in the group as a trio.
Their first studio album, called Everlasting was a big success, selling nearly two million copies in Japan, and marking ELT as a popular group with a bright future. The band reached #1 at the Oricon charts for the first time with their fourth single, "For the Moment".
The second studio album entitled Time to Destination, released in 1998, was one of the best-selling albums of that year, and the best-selling album of the band, with over 3,500,000 copies sold. Additionally, the album became the 10th best selling album of all time in Japan. This album also included their best-selling single, "Time Goes By", a ballad tune that reached sales of nearly 1,150,000.
Upon the release of the third studio album, Eternity, released in March 2000, Mitsuru Igarashi suddenly decided to leave the band to produce another pop act, Day After Tomorrow. Ito later said that the decision was dropped on them without warning, right before a tour, and it forced them to change their sound. The remaining duo decided to tour acoustically for the next two years in order to find their feet, but also enjoyed more creative freedom over the songs.[1]
The single "Sure" was the last that Igarashi participated in and with the release of their 16th single, "Ai no Kakera" in October 2000, ELT transitioned their style from Igarashi's signature synthesized pop-rock sound to a more acoustic soft-rock sound. Their single "Fragile" released on New Year's Day 2001 became ELT's second biggest hit ever, vindicating their new direction, selling approximately 829,580 copies; its c/w song "Jirenma" was one of the ending songs for the anime movie Initial D Third Stage.
ELT's popularity has declined over the years since then, but although many similar bands like Day After Tomorrow have disbanded, ELT remains one of the few mid-1990s bands still together, along with globe and Dreams Come True. In November 2004 the duo released their single "Koibumi/Good Night" that was a surprise for many, because it performed comparatively well on the charts, selling more than many of their previous singles. This result may have been because the 2nd song, "Good Night", was the theme song for the game Tales of Rebirth.
Every Little Thing released two singles in 2004, and just one single in 2005, the soft rock "Kimi no Te", and the acoustic compilation album Acoustic : Latte.
During Every Little Thing's 2004-2005 commonplace tour, Mochida suffered from bronchitis which further effected her singing style during the tour as well as on their 7th album, Crispy Park, released on August 9, 2006 (their 10th anniversary day). Mochida’s singing style has changed slightly on every album, going from a clear, soothing voice to a high and cuter voice. A 2006-2007 concert tour followed their tenth anniversary album release. Their 31st single, "Swimmy" (スイミー), theme song for the drama series "Kekkon Dekinai Otoko" (結婚できない男), was released in October 2006.
Two singles surfaced in each of 2007, 2008 and 2009, with "Dream Goes On" peaking at #6 in September 2009. Their 2008 album Door released on March 5, 2008 peaked at #2. Mochida has said of the album, that "I used to sing without thinking. But now I convey thoughts that are hard to explain when I communicate with people in my daily life. It's harder than before; but we reap much more joy."[1]
It was announced on November 20 that lead vocalist Kaori Mochida will begin her solo career in January 2009 but both she and Itoh will continue as Every Little Thing.
Trivia
Mochida’s unique hairstyles have undergone extreme changes throughout each album; it went from long, straight and dyed during the Everlasting – Time to Destination era to short and blonde during the Eternity era. Mochida’s hair then changed to medium-length black during the 4 Force era and further progressed to an extremely long and permed style during the Many Pieces – Commonplace era. When Acoustic : Latte was released, Mochida’s hair has changed to a bowlcut-like style and became even shorter during the era of Crispy Park. She has been letting it grow back ever since.
Discography
Albums
# Information Sales 1st Everlasting - Released: April 9, 1997
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #1
- Weeks on Chart: 59
1,922,160
copies sold1st
Remix
AlbumThe Remixes - Released: September 17, 1997
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #2
- Weeks on Chart: 54
647,020
copies sold2nd Time to Destination - Released: April 15, 1998
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #1
- Weeks on Chart: 49
3,520,330
copies sold2nd
Remix
AlbumThe Remixes II - Released: November 18, 1998
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #5
- Weeks on Chart: 13
299,380
copies sold1st
Best
Of
AlbumEvery Best Single +3 - Released: March 31, 1999
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #1
- Weeks on Chart: 54
2,256,314
copies sold3rd Eternity - Released: March 15, 2000
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #1
- Weeks on Chart: 22
966,710
copies sold4th 4 Force - Released: March 22, 2001
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #2
- Weeks on Chart: 13
847,330
copies sold2nd
Best
Of
AlbumEvery Ballad Songs - Released: December 5, 2001
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #2
- Weeks on Chart: 14
498,795
copies sold3rd
Remix
AlbumSuper Eurobeat Presents Euro Every Little Thing - Released: September 5, 2001
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #3
- Weeks on Chart: 10
202,650
copies sold4th
Remix
AlbumThe Remixes III: Mix Rice Plantation - Released: February 27, 2002
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #19
- Weeks on Chart: 3
35,070
copies sold5th
Remix
AlbumCyber Trance Presents ELT Trance - Released: February 27, 2002
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #16
- Weeks on Chart: 4
61,870
copies sold5th Many Pieces - Released: March 19, 2003
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #1
- Weeks on Chart: 25
526,542
copies sold3rd
Best
Of
AlbumEvery Best Single 2 - Released: September 10, 2003
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #1
- Weeks on Chart: 39
712,460
copies sold6th Commonplace - Released: March 3, 2004
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #1
- Weeks on Chart: 16
313,647
copies sold1st
Acoustic
AlbumAcoustic : Latte - Released: February 16, 2005
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #4
- Weeks on Chart: 12
136,553
copies sold7th Crispy Park - Released: August 9, 2006
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #1
- Weeks on Chart: TBR
209,316
copies sold4th
Best
Of
Album14 Message: Every Ballad Songs 2 - Released: February 14, 2007
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #2
- Weeks on Chart:3
112,745
copies sold8th Door - Released: March 5, 2008
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #2
- Weeks on Chart: +10
89,894
copies sold5th
Best
Of
AlbumEvery Best Singles: Complete - Released: December 23, 2009
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #4
- Weeks on Chart: 1 (still charting)
173,351
copies sold9th Change - Released: March 24, 2010
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #8
- Weeks on Chart: 8
31,406
copies soldSingles
# Information Sales 1st "Feel My Heart" - Released: August 7, 1996
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #24
129,120
copies sold2nd "Future World" - Released: October 23, 1996
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #20
110,050
copies sold3rd "Dear My Friend" - Released: January 22, 1997
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #9
488,890
copies sold4th "For the Moment" - Released: June 4, 1997
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #1
688,270
copies sold5th "Deatta Koro no Yō ni"
出逢った頃のように- Released: August 6, 1997
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #3
602,830
copies sold6th "Shapes of Love/Never Stop!" - Released: October 22, 1997
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #3
526,130
copies sold7th "Face the Change" - Released: January 7, 1998
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #1
633,970
copies sold8th "Time Goes By" - Released: February 11, 1998
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #2
1,149,600
copies sold9th "Forever Yours" - Released: June 17, 1998
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #1
475,470
copies sold10th "Necessary" - Released: September 30, 1998
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #2
233,910
copies sold11th "Over and Over" - Released: January 27, 1999
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #4
314,600
copies sold12th "Someday,Someplace" - Released: March 3, 1999
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #4
183,840
copies sold13th "Over and Over / ELT Songs from L.A." - Released: October 20, 1999
14th "Pray / Get into a Groove" - Released: January 1, 2000
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #2
407,030
copies sold15th "Sure" - Released: February 16, 2000
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #3
250,660
copies sold16th "Rescue Me/Smile Again" - Released: June 14, 2000
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #2
99,280
copies sold17th "Ai no Kakera"
愛のカケラ- Released: October 18, 2000
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #2
206,360
copies sold18th "Fragile/Jirenma" - Released: January 1, 2001
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #1
834,020
copies sold19th "Graceful World" - Released: February 21, 2001
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #5
194,400
copies sold20th "Jump" - Released: October 17, 2001
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #7
107,240
copies sold21st "Kioku"
キヲク- Released: May 15, 2002
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #4
136,970
copies sold22nd "Sasayaka na Inori"
ささやかな祈り- Released: August 16, 2002
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #5
77,130
copies sold23rd "Untitled 4 Ballads" - Released: December 18, 2002
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #1
369,674
copies sold24th "Grip!" - Released: March 12, 2003
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #7
65,037
copies sold25th "Fundamental Love"
ファンダメンタル・ラブ- Released: July 30, 2003
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #9
55,914
copies sold26th "Mata Ashita"
また あした- Released: November 12, 2003
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #3
181,426
copies sold27th "Soraai"
ソラアイ- Released: February 25, 2004
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #8
48,019
copies sold28th "Koibumi/Good Night"
恋文 / Good Night- Released: December 15, 2004
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #1
156,512
copies sold29th "Kimi no te"
きみの て- Released: October 26, 2005
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #2
74,857
copies sold30th "Azure Moon" - Released: March 15, 2006
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #12
24,574
copies sold31st "Hi-Fi Message"
ハイファイ メッセージ- Released: June 14, 2006
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #9
23,541
copies sold32nd "Swimmy"
スイミー- Released: August 30, 2006
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #16
21,119
copies sold33rd "Kirameki Hour"
キラメキアワー- Released: August 8, 2007
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #14
20,204
copies sold34th "Koi wo shiteiru/fuyu ga hajimaru yo feat. Makihara Noriyuki"
恋をしている / 冬がはじまるよ feat. 槇原敬之- Released: October 31, 2007
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #7
39,402
copies sold35th "Sakurabito"
サクラビト- Released: February 13, 2008
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #9
24,623
copies sold36th "Atarashi Hibi/Ogon no Tsuki"
あたらしい日々 / 黄金の月- Released: August 27, 2008
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #10
31,215
copies sold37th "Dream Goes On" - Released: September 23, 2009
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #6
14,162
copies sold38th "Tsumetai Ame"
冷たい雨- Released: November 18, 2009
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #15
7,304
copies sold39th "Change" - Released: February 24, 2010
- Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #16
7,595
copies sold40th "Star" - Released: February 23, 2011
41st "Moon" - Released: February 23, 2011
42nd "Sora/Koe"
宙 -そら-/響 -こえ-- Released: July 13, 2011
43rd "Ai ga Aru"
アイガアル- Released: August 24, 2011
- SACD
- Koibumi/Good Night (恋文 / good night ), December 15, 2004
Vinyls sets
- The Remixes Analog Box Set, December 19, 1997
- The Remixes II Analog Set, June 16, 1999
DVD
- DVD Video
- The Video Compilation, March 29, 2000
- concert tour '98, March 29, 2000
- Concert Tour Spirit 2000, August 30, 2000
- Ai no Kakera (愛のカケラ ), January 31, 2001
- The Video Compilation II, March 7, 2001
- Fragile: Graceful World, March 28, 2001
- Concert Tour Spirit 2001 4 Force, September 27, 2001
- The Video Compilation I & II, March 13, 2002
- Best Clips, December 11, 2002
- Nostalgia, January 29, 2003
- The Video Compilation III, April 16, 2003
- 2003 Tour Many Pieces, December 3, 2003
- Commonplace Tour 2004-2005, March 24, 2005
- The Video Compilation IV, September 27, 2006
- concert tour 2006-2007 Crispy Park, March 7, 2007
- 10th Anniversary Special Live at Nippon Budokan, August 8, 2007
- Concert Tour 2008 Door, September 17, 2008
- X'mas Concert 2008, March 11, 2009
- DVD-Audio
- Every Best Single +3, January 28, 2004
- Koibumi/Good Night (恋文 / Good Night ), December 15, 2004
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Robert Michael Poole (2008-08-22). "Seasoned J-pop duo ELT keep it positive". The Japan Times. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fm20080822a1.html. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
External links
- Every Little Thing Official Website
- Every Little Thing discography at MusicBrainz
Categories:- Japanese rock music groups
- Japanese pop music groups
- Avex Trax artists
- Musical groups established in 1996
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