Release Date: 2004-11-17
Romanized: gion shouja no kane ga naru
English: The Bell of Gion’s Prosperous Tolls
Format: Mini-Album
Editions: Limited / Regular / VHS
Released As: アリス九號.
Physical: Out of Print
Streaming: Spotify
Associated Tour: 晩秋巡礼。(2-man with カレン)
★ The only differences between the limited and regular edition of this mini-album is that the limited edition had a booklet with colour photos of all the band members in it alongside the lyrics and was packaged in a glossy cardboard case; the regular edition was packaged in a plain jewel case.
★ A music video was shot for the song GRADATION, but was released separately on VHS sometime later. If someone bought a copy of subsequently-released singles gin no tsuki kuroi hoshi, yami ni chiru sakura, and yuri wa aoku saite, they were able to apply for a copy of the VHS as a bonus gift.
EDITIONS
Limited & Regular (2004/11/17)
CD
o1. グラデーション
GRADATION
o2. 極彩極色極道歌<G3>
gokusai gokushiki gokudouka <G3>
o3. 朱い風車
akai kazaguruma
o4. 本日ハ晴天ナリ
honjitsu wa seiten nari
o5. H.A.N.A.B.I.
VHS
o1. グラデーション
GRADATION
BOOKLET
Limited Edition
Regular Edition
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STREAMING
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MUSIC VIDEO
This was the first music video they ever filmed together, and it features their second set of gion shouja no kane ga naru stage outfits. This was the only completed MV put on VHS (a making-of version of shunkashuutou was released on VHS as well, a year later). While watching, take note of the way that the shimote (stage-left) members are configured: they’re playing in their original formation, with Tora playing at the back next to Nao, and Saga playing in the front with Show and Hiroto! The shots of individual members in the red room were later used for the stage entrance (set to an instrumental version of Corona) for their HELLO,DEAR NUMBERS tour finale at shibuya koukaidou in 2006.
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LINER NOTES
★ グラデーション
GRADATION
Composed by Saga (SHOXX 2004.12 vol 142).
The lyrics were written by Show.
Click [ here ] for a full deep-dive into the song, including lyric translations and more facts.
★ 極彩極色極道歌<G3>
gokusai gokushiki gokudouka <G3>
Composed by Tora (SHOXX 2004.12 vol 142).
The lyrics were written by Show (English translation).
★ 朱い風車
akai kazaguruma
Composed by Tora (SHOXX 2004.12 vol 142).
The lyrics were written by Show (English translation).
★ 本日ハ晴天ナリ
honjitsu wa seiten nari
Composed by Saga (SHOXX 2004.12 vol 142).
The lyrics were written by Show (English translation).
★ H.A.N.A.B.I.
Composed by Tora (SHOXX 2004.12 vol 142).
The lyrics were written by Show (English translation).
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RELATED RECORDINGS
CD Releases
15TH ANNIVERSARY BEST [kachou no shirabe]
– GRADATION, H.A.N.A.B.I.
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PUBLICATIONS
Print
Click on the image previews for full-size versions.
★ Cure 2004.12 vol 15 (CU-0412.15)
★ Cure 2005.02 vol 17 (CU-0502.17)
details unknown
★ Fool’s Mate 2004.12 vol 278 (FM-0412.278)
details unknown
★ Fool’s Mate 2005.02 vol 280 (FM-0502.280)
★ hévn 2004.12 vol 15 (HE-0412.15)
★ hévn 2005.01 保存盤。 (HE-0502.HZB Special Edition)
Includes Band Audio Comment CD, and you can listen to ALICE NINE.’s 3 minute comment below, wishing fans a happy new year:
★ SHOXX 2004.11 vol 141 (SX-0411.141)
★ SHOXX 2004.12 vol 142 (SX-0412.142)
★ SHOXX 2005.01 vol 143 (SX-0501.143)
details unknown
★ SHOXX 2005.02 vol 144 (SX-0502.144)
Digital
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PROMOTION
Click on the image previews for full-size versions.
A set of flyers promoting the release of their mini-album, set to come out just before the end of their associated 2-man tour with fellow band KAREN. The joint tour was called 晩秋巡礼。 (Late-Autumn Pilgrimage), and they played a final “battle” live together on the 25th of November 2004. The second flyer updated their visuals to those of their GRADATION MV and added a new live announcement for LIQUID ROOM ebisu on the 21st of January 2005 entitled 文明開化 奇天烈ミュージックショー (Civilization and Enlightenment – A Very Strange Music Show –), which was to be their first true one-man performance.
This advertisement placed in vol 141 of SHOXX specifically promotes the Late-Autumn Pilgrimage tour with KAREN and includes photos of all members of both bands.
A comment video, likely from September or October 2004, in which the members speak excitedly about the upcoming release of the mini-album. At one point, Show turns to Nao to give a final remark and end the video comment, but Nao immediately foists the responsibility off to Saga instead, to everyone’s amusement (and normally-shy Saga does a great job of it).
For those who purchased the mini-album from the Jishuban Club store, a special comment video was given to them as a gift. I’m not certain whether the video was on DVD or VHS, and the image quality is quite dicey, but the audio is nice and clear. This is some of the oldest (officially released) live video footage that we have! The live audio has been replaced by the studio audio of GRADATION, but it’s very cool to see a clip of them onstage from back in 2004.
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ASSOCIATED LIVES & TOURS
They released gion shouja no kane ga naru towards the end of their Late-Autumn Pilgrimage tour, and then at the beginning of the new year played their first real one-man live in the heart of Tokyo.
Late-Autumn Pilgrimage
November 2, 2004 – November 25, 2004
This 2-man nationwide tour with fellow band KAREN featured 11 stops, including a battle of the bands style finale.
11.02 Kumagaya VOGUE
11.04 Yokohama ARENA SOUND HALL
11.07 Nagano CLUB JUNK BOX
11.08 Sendai HooK
11.10 Shizuoka SUNASH
11.12 Nagoya ell.FITSALL
11.15 Fukuoka DRUM Be-1
11.16 Okayama PEPPER LAND
11.18 Osaka MUSE
11.23 Mito LIGHTHOUSE
11.25 CLUB HOLIDAY SHIBAURA
Civilization and Enlightenment -A Very Strange Music Show-
@ LIQUID ROOM ebisu
January 21, 2005
The following video is from a VHS distributed for free featuring a live recording of GRADATION with a comment from the band superimposed. Following this, there is live footage and audio of them performing アゲハ (AGEHA), a song that they recorded and released roughly 10 years later, on their kakumei kaika-Revolutionary Blooming- single! Listen closely, and you will hear that the arrangement of the song in this live is very different. Interspersed with the footage are some comments from each member backstage.
Goods
Keyring | Fingerless Gloves
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OHP
After switching to the new homepage under PS Company, they began posting blog entries on that site, almost all entries of which were archived in various places by fans. The old screenshot below of the homepage’s header at the time shows them in their pre-GRADATION stage outfits. I’m not certain whether the header was updated again with a new artist photo between this time and the release of gin no tsuki kuroi hoshi.
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Anything Missing?
If you know of anything relating to this release that hasn’t been covered here, please feel free to leave a comment.
Discussion and fannish enthusiasm is more than welcome too!