Together When...

"Together When..."
An image of recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki laying on a white bedding sheet, with the song and artists name superimposed on her.
Single by Ayumi Hamasaki
from the album Guilty
ReleasedDecember 5, 2007 (2007-12-05)
Recorded2007
Length5:13
Label
Songwriter(s)Ayumi Hamasaki
Producer(s)Max Matsuura
Ayumi Hamasaki singles chronology
"Talkin' 2 Myself"
(2007) 		"Together When..."
(2007) 		"Mirrorcle World"
(2008)
Music video
"Together When..." on YouTube

"Together When..." is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released by Avex Trax on December 5, 2007, and Rhythm Republic on April 9, 2008 as a double A-side with one of Hamasaki's tracks "Game" as the third and final single from her ninth studio album, Guilty (2008). It was released as Hamasaki's first digital single in Japan, and was Avex Trax's first single to be distributed as a digital download only. The track was written by Hamasaki herself, while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Musically, "Together When..." is a power ballad. The lyrical content is about the finishing and separation of a relationship between lovers.

Upon its release, "Together When..." received positive reviews from most music critics. Some of them selected the track as the best song from the album, while complimenting the composition and Hamasaki's vocals/songwriting. Although it did not enter in Japan's Oricon Singles Chart, it did peak at number one on the Reco-kyō Singles Chart. It was certified in two categories by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ); as of June 2016, it has been downloaded over three million times, making this Hamasaki's highest selling single. An accompanying music video was directed by Takahide Ishii, which displays Hamasaki waiting at a taxi stand, and another scene with her as a marionette. To promote the single, it was included on some of Hamasaki's concert tours including her 2007 and 2010 New Years countdown shows.

Background and release

"Together When..." was written by Hamasaki herself, while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. The song's instrumentation consists of piano and guitar by musician CMJK, drums by Makoto Izumitani, bass by Chris Chaney, conducting by David Campbell, and string arrangements by the David Campbell Strings Ensemble. It was then composed together and arranged by Kunio Tago and CMJK.[1] "Together When..." was one of the only tracks on Hamasaki's ninth studio album, Guilty (2008), that included instrumentation by Caucasian composers, instead of musicians in Japan.[1] Musically, "Together When..." is a power ballad.[2] Bradley Stern from MuuMuse compared the composition and musical elements to the material from Hamasaki's 2002 album I Am..., and her 2003 EP Memorial Address.[3] According to a staff reviewer at Japanese music magazine CD Journal, the song includes "quiet piano" riffs and "elegant string" arrangements.[4] The lyrical content is about the finishing and separation of a relationship between lovers.[2]

It was released by Avex Trax on December 5, 2007 as the third and final single from Guilty.[5] It was released as Hamasaki's first digital single in Japan, and was Avex Trax's first single to be distributed only on a digital download format.[6][7] The digital single included the recording and its instrumental version.[7] Then on April 9, 2008, "Together When..." was re-released by Rhythm Republic as a double A-side single, issued on a 12" inch vinyl, with one of Hamasaki's previous songs "Game" (which appeared on her sixth studio album My Story (2004)). The vinyl included two remixes of "Game" by Japanese DJ Yoji, whilst the second side featured two remixes of "Together When..." by Co-Fusion.[8]

Reception

Upon its release, "Together When..." received positive reviews from most music critics. Bradley Stern, head writer from MuuMuse, awarded the song a maximum of ten points and labelled it one of the best tracks on Guilty. He commented, "Finally, a ballad with feeling!... Call me sadistic, but the best moments in an Ayumi song are the parts where it sounds like she’s about to break ("Memorial Address"). This song is full of those moments."[3] In a similar review, a staff member at Channel-Ai awarded it five stars out of five, and believed that the song is one "of her strongest ballads". The reviewer further explained, "The emotion within the ballad is so infectious that the audience cannot help but feel empathy towards Ayumi."[2] A staff member at CD Journal enjoyed the song, labeling it a "beautiful performance" by Hamasaki; the reviewer also complimented the instrumentation and production, and how it "melted together comfortably".[4]

"Together When..." was unable to chart on Japan's Oricon Singles Chart because of their restriction of digital sales and position.[9][10] Despite this, it did peak at number one on the Reco-kyō Singles Chart.[11] The single was later certified in two categories by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ); a triple platinum award certifying 750,000 ringtone downloads, and a platinum award certifying 250,000 cellphone downloads.[12][13] This made it Hamasaki's first and final million selling single since "Blue Bird" in 2006, and her third and final single to sell over one million digital shipments (behind "Carols" and "Heaven").[14][15] As of June 2016, it has been downloaded over 3.3 million times, making this Hamasaki's highest selling single.[16][A]

Music video

The accompanying music video was directed by Takahide Ishii.[19] It opens with a couple arguing in a taxi, which later has them leaving the car and walk down the street. Behind them has Hamasaki sitting on a bench observing a puppet show, smiling in the distance. The taxi driver questions her smiling, and looks at the show. It then shows several camera angles with Hamasaki singing the song, and then has the second verse with Hamasaki and a male companion as the marionette dolls. As marionette dolls, they both walk past each other in a dark atmosphere, whilst the chorus has Hamasaki singing the song again at the bench. As the second chorus is about to begin, several children start to play with the dolls, to Hamasaki's delight. However, the children decide to purchase the male doll, and leaves the female doll (portrayed by Hamasaki) on the small puppet show's stage.[19]

As the town, where Hamasaki is sitting on the bench, starts to rain, the atmosphere where Hamasaki is the doll starts to rain as well. Just after Hamasaki finishes singing the second chorus, an instrumental break happens and has Hamasaki looking at the now abandoned puppet show. A truck then drives past, which vibrates the puppet show's stage, causing the doll to fall on the ground and its strings become tangled. This happens to Hamasaki as the doll; she faints in the dark atmosphere land, with strings attached to her. Hamasaki, sitting on the bench, starts to cry and sings the remaining of the song. It ends with the taxi driver, who finishes day dreaming about the marionettes dolls, opening the door for Hamasaki to enter.[19]

Promotion and live performances

To promote the single, Hamasaki performed the song on several concert tours and was used as commercials in Japan. It was used as the commercial track for Gemcerey jewellery, which Hamasaki appeared as the spokeswoman for the company. It was then used for Music.jp in Japan.[20] The song was included on some of Hamasaki's concert tours, including her: 2007-2008 Anniversary Tour, the 2010-2011: Do It Again Tour, and the 2012-2013: Wake Me Up Tour.[21]

Track listing

Digital download[7]
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Together When..."Ayumi HamasakiKunio TagoCMJK5:13
2."Together When..." (Instrumental)HamasakiKunio TagoCMJK5:13
Total length:10:26
Game / Together When... 12" inch vinyl[8]
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Game" ((Yoji Vocal Mix))Ayumi HamasakiYoji9:07
2."Game" (Yoji's 140Bpm Tech-dance Re-rub)HamasakiYoji5:56
3."Together When..." (Co-Fusion Remix)Ayumi HamasakiCo-Fusion6:20
4."Together When..." ((CoFuDub))HamasakiCo-Fusion 

Personnel

Credits adapted from the CD liner notes of Guilty;[1]

Recording
Credits

Charts and certifications

Release history

Region Date Format Label
Japan[7] December 5, 2007 Digital download
Australia[22] Avex Entertainment Inc.
New Zealand[23]
United Kingdom[24]
Ireland[25]
Germany[26]
Spain[27]
France[28]
Italy[29]
Taiwan[30]
Japan[8] April 9, 2008 12" inch vinyl Rhythm Republic

Notes

  1. ^ The songs verification for 3.3 million downloads is referenced by AllMusic, a highly reliable source through the Western world. Despite the song being her highest selling single overall, it is not recognised through Oricon database as her highest selling single in Japan alone.[17] Based on their ranking, Hamasaki's 1999 EP A is her highest selling single in the category (despite it being recognised as an EP), and "Seasons" is her highest selling single without any other additional recordings.[18]

References

  1. ^ a b c Hamasaki, Ayumi (2008). Guilty (CD Album; Liner notes). Ayumi Hamasaki. Japan: Avex Trax, Avex Entertainment Inc. AVCD-23504.
  2. ^ a b c Channel Ai Staff (February 27, 2008). "Ayumi Hamasaki – Guilty (album review)". Channel Ai. Archived from the original on March 29, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  3. ^ a b Stern, Bradley (January 6, 2008). "Ayumi Hamasaki – Guilty (album review)". MuuMuse. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  4. ^ a b CD Journal Staff (January 1, 2008). "Ayumi Hamasaki / Guilty (album review)". CD Journal (in Japanese). Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  5. ^ "Together When... ayumi hamasaki" (in Japanese). Avex Group. 2007. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  6. ^ "Ayu's New Song Is a Digital-Limited Release". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports Newspaper. November 20, 2007. Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved December 1, 2008.
  7. ^ a b c d "Together When... – Single – by Ayumi Hamasaki". iTunes Store (Japan). December 5, 2007. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  8. ^ a b c Hamasaki, Ayumi (2008). Game / Together When... (12" inch vinyl; Liner notes). Ayumi Hamasaki. Japan: Rhythm Republic. RR12-88522.
  9. ^ Mittal, Sushubh (November 1, 2006). "Oricon exits from Japanese PC music download market". Techwhack. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  10. ^ Oricon Style Staff (2015). "Oricon to cease counting Music Download Card as part of Sales Totals". Arama Japan. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  11. ^ a b "レコード協会調べ 12月度有料音楽配信チャート（「着うた（R）」）＜略称：12月度レコ協チャート（「着うた（R）」）＞" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. January 20, 2008. Retrieved April 25, 2008.
  12. ^ a b "Japanese ringtone certifications" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved September 15, 2021. Select 2011年2月 on the drop-down menu
  13. ^ a b "Japanese ringtone certifications" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved September 15, 2021. Select 2007年12月 on the drop-down menu
  14. ^ Below are the certification formats for Hamasaki's single "Blue Bird";
  15. ^ Below are the certification formats for Hamasaki's singles "Carols" and "Heaven";
  16. ^ a b Eremenko, Alexey (2016). "Ayumi Hamasaki – Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  17. ^ "Ayumi Hamasaki CD Ranking Oricon Music Style" (Bulletin) (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  18. ^ "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Big Tree']. Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  19. ^ a b c Hamasaki, Ayumi (2008). Guilty (CD and DVD Album; Liner notes). Ayumi Hamasaki. Japan: Avex Trax, Avex Entertainment Inc. AVCD-23503/B.
  20. ^ Channel Ai Staff (December 26, 2007). "Ayumi Hamasaki – Together When..." Channel Ai. Archived from the original on August 28, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  21. ^ Below is the formatted list of the concert releases that included "Together When...";
    • Hamasaki, Ayumi (2008). Countdown Live 2007-2008 Anniversary (Live DVD; Liner notes). Ayumi Hamasaki. Japan: Avex Trax, Avex Entertainment Inc. AVBD-91558.
    • Hamasaki, Ayumi (2011). Countdown Live 2010-2011 A: Do It Again (Live DVD; Liner notes). Ayumi Hamasaki. Japan: Avex Trax, Avex Entertainment Inc. AVBD-91871~2.
    • Hamasaki, Ayumi (2013). Countdown Live 2012-2013 A: Wake Up (Live DVD; Liner notes). Ayumi Hamasaki. Japan: Avex Trax, Avex Entertainment Inc. AVBD-92034.
  22. ^ "Together When... – Single – by Ayumi Hamasaki". iTunes Store (Australia). December 5, 2007. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  23. ^ "Together When... – Single – by Ayumi Hamasaki". iTunes Store (New Zealand). December 5, 2007. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  24. ^ "Together When... – Single – by Ayumi Hamasaki". iTunes Store (United Kingdom). December 5, 2007. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  25. ^ "Together When... – Single – by Ayumi Hamasaki". iTunes Store (Ireland). December 5, 2007. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  26. ^ "Together When... – Single – by Ayumi Hamasaki". iTunes Store (Germany). December 5, 2007. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  27. ^ "Together When... – Single – by Ayumi Hamasaki". iTunes Store (Spain). December 5, 2007. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  28. ^ "Together When... – Single – by Ayumi Hamasaki". iTunes Store (France). December 5, 2007. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  29. ^ "Together When... – Single – by Ayumi Hamasaki". iTunes Store (New Zealand). December 5, 2007. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  30. ^ "Together When... – Single – by Ayumi Hamasaki". iTunes Store (Taiwan). December 5, 2007. Retrieved June 27, 2016.

Read other articles:

Aeroporto di Manchester

Disambiguazione – Se stai cercando altri aeroporti di Manchester o con nomi simili, vedi Aeroporto di Manchester (disambigua). Aeroporto di ManchesteraeroportoL'aeroporto. Codice IATAMAN Codice ICAOEGCC Nome commercialeManchester International Airport DescrizioneTipoCivile GestoreManchester Airport Group Stato Regno Unito Regione/area/distrettoManchester PosizioneGreater Manchester Base Aer Lingus UK easyJet Jet2 Ryanair Virgin Atlantic TUI Altitudine78 m s.l.m. Coordinate53...

 

Codigoro

Codigoro commune di Italia Tempat categoria:Articles mancats de coordenades Negara berdaulatItaliaRegion di ItaliaEmilia-RomagnaProvinsi di ItaliaProvinsi Ferrara NegaraItalia Ibu kotaCodigoro PendudukTotal11.072  (2023 )GeografiLuas wilayah170,01 km² [convert: unit tak dikenal]Ketinggian4 m Berbatasan denganRiva del Po (en) Comacchio Goro, Italia Jolanda di Savoia Lagosanto Fiscaglia (en) Mesola SejarahSanto pelindungMartinus dari Tours Informasi tambahanKode pos44021 Zona waktuUT...

 

Enigma (seri televisi)

EnigmaGenreCerita seru kriminalDitulis olehHaqi AchmadSutradaraNayato Fio NualaPemeran Ferry Salim Vicky Monica Fauzan Nasrul Volland Humonggio Tatiana Sivek Aswin Fabanyo Aditya Rino Brandon Nicholas Salim Yova Gracia Negara asalIndonesiaBahasa asliBahasa IndonesiaJmlh. musim1Jmlh. episode5ProduksiProduserShanker RSLokasi produksiIndonesiaPengaturan kameraMultikameraDurasi60 menit (dengan iklan)Rumah produksiDigital Film MediaDistributorIndika GroupRilis asliJaringanFormat gambar16:9 (HDTV)...

Language

Structured system of communication This article is about human language in general. For other uses, see Language (disambiguation). A mural in Teotihuacan, Mexico (c. 2nd century) depicting a person emitting a speech scroll from his mouth, symbolizing speechCuneiform is the first known form of written language, but spoken language predates writing by at least many tens of thousands of years.Children of deaf adults using American Sign LanguageBraille, a tactile writing system Language is ...

 

Milt

Fish seminal fluid and sacs For people named Milt, see Milt (name). For the orchid genus abbreviated Milt., see Miltonia. Collecting Chinook salmon milt at a USFWS hatchery Milt is the seminal fluid of fish, mollusks, and certain other water-dwelling animals which reproduce by spraying this fluid, which contains the sperm, onto roe (fish eggs). It can also refer to the sperm sacs or testes that contain the semen. Milt as food Milt (sometimes spelled melt[1][2]) or soft roe als...

 

Bendera Meksiko

Meksiko Pemakaian 111111 Perbandingan 4:7 Dipakai 16 September 1968 Rancangan Triwarna dengan lambang negara Meksiko di tengahnya Bendera Meksiko Serikat atau Meksiko diadopsi tanggal 16 September 1968, tetapi desainnya telah ada sejak 1821. Bendera ini merupakan bendera triwarna vertikal hijau, putih, dan merah dengan lambang negara Meksiko di tengah-tengahnya. Bendera ini mirip dengan bendera Italia, tetapi lebih dulu ada, dan mirip dengan bendera Hungaria dalam posisi horisontal. Lihat pu...

Шалфей обыкновенный

Шалфей обыкновенный Научная классификация Домен:ЭукариотыЦарство:РастенияКлада:Цветковые растенияКлада:ЭвдикотыКлада:СуперастеридыКлада:АстеридыКлада:ЛамиидыПорядок:ЯсноткоцветныеСемейство:ЯснотковыеРод:ШалфейВид:Шалфей обыкновенный Международное научное наз...

 

National Bureau of Asian Research

American nonprofit, research institution This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. Please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links, and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view. (October 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article...

 

Jean Marais

Pour les articles homonymes, voir Marais (homonymie) et Villain. Cet article possède un paronyme, voir Jean Marras. Jean Marais Jean Marais en 1948, studio Harcourt. Données clés Nom de naissance Jean Alfred Villain-Marais Naissance 11 décembre 1913Cherbourg[1] (Manche, France) Nationalité Française Décès 8 novembre 1998 (à 84 ans)Cannes (Alpes-Maritimes, France) Profession Acteur Films notables L'Éternel Retour La Belle et la Bête Le BossuLe CapitanLe Capitaine Fracasse Fant...

周處除三害 (電影)

周處除三害The Pig, The Snake and The Pigeon正式版海報基本资料导演黃精甫监制李烈黃江豐動作指導洪昰顥编剧黃精甫主演阮經天袁富華陳以文王淨李李仁謝瓊煖配乐盧律銘林孝親林思妤保卜摄影王金城剪辑黃精甫林雍益制片商一種態度電影股份有限公司片长134分鐘产地 臺灣语言國語粵語台語上映及发行上映日期 2023年10月6日 (2023-10-06)（台灣） 2023年11月2日 (2023-11-02)（香�...

 

Basketball at the 2014 Asian Games – Men

Men at the 2014 Asian GamesVenueSamsan World GymnasiumHwaseong Indoor ArenaDate20 September – 3 October 2014Competitors188 from 16 nationsMedalists   South Korea  Iran  Japan← 20102018 → Basketball at the2014 Asian Gamesmenwomenvte Main article: Basketball at the 2014 Asian Games The men's tournament of the 2014 Asian Games Basketball Competition was held from 20 September to 3 October 2014 in Incheon, South Korea. Chi...

 

Montroc

Hamlet in Chamonix, France View of Montroc, Chamonix District Montroc is a hamlet in eastern France, located in the territory of the commune of Chamonix. Several houses at Poses 150 m north-east of Montroc were destroyed on 9 February 1999 by a slab avalanche from Bec du Lachat and Mont Peclerey on the Mont Blanc massif, killing 12 people. In July, 2003, the mayor of Chamonix, Michel Charlet, received a three-month suspended prison sentence for his part in the handling of events immediat...

Herman Frederik Carel ten Kate (artist)

Dutch painter (1822–1891) Herman Frederik Carel ten Kate, the ElderBorn16 February 1822The HagueDied26 March 1891(1891-03-26) (aged 69)The HagueSpouseMarriedChildrenHerman Frederik Carel ten Kate, the younger Herman Frederik Carel, or Herman ten Kate, the Elder (16 February 1822 – 26 March 1891), was a Dutch artist known for his paintings, drawings, and prints. He was notable as a teacher and renowned for his watercolours and paintings of historical genre with emphasis on military fi...

 

鲍克·莫莱马

鲍克·莫莱马出生1986年11月26日  （37歲）格罗宁根 職業自行車運動員 網站http://baukemollema.nl/  鲍克·莫莱马（荷蘭語：Bauke Mollema，1986年11月26日—），荷兰男子自行车运动员，2019年世界公路自行车锦标赛混合团体接力金牌得主、2021年世界公路自行车锦标赛混合团体接力银牌得主。[1] 参考资料 ^ Bauke MOLLEMA | UCI. [2023-08-13]. （原始内容存档于2023-01-01）....

 

Healthcare industry

Economic sector focused on health An insurance form with pills The healthcare industry (also called the medical industry or health economy) is an aggregation and integration of sectors within the economic system that provides goods and services to treat patients with curative, preventive, rehabilitative, and palliative care. It encompasses the creation and commercialization of products and services conducive to the preservation and restoration of well-being. The contemporary healthcare secto...

آي تيونز ريموت

هذه المقالة يتيمة إذ تصل إليها مقالات أخرى قليلة جدًا. فضلًا، ساعد بإضافة وصلة إليها في مقالات متعلقة بها. (مارس 2023) آي تيونز ريموتالشعارمعلومات عامةنظام التشغيل آي أو إس النموذج المصدري حقوق التأليف والنشر محفوظة المطورون أبل موقع الويب apple.com معلومات تقنيةالإصدار الأول 200...

 

Politique climatique

La politique climatique d'une organisation internationale, d'un État ou d'un groupe d'États, ou d'une collectivité territoriale définit les actions à entreprendre pour lutter contre le réchauffement climatique. Elle se traduit par un plan d'action stratégique, souvent appelé plan climat. Elle vise généralement conjointement deux objectifs : l'atténuation du changement climatique et l'adaptation au changement climatique. Le climat étant affecté à l'échelle planétaire, avec...

 

Iglesia anglicana episcopal de Venezuela

Iglesia anglicana episcopal de Venezuela Escudo Información generalDenominación Comunión anglicanaRito AnglicanoSufragánea de Iglesia episcopal en los Estados UnidosFecha de erección 1967SedeCatedral Catedral de Santa María División administrativa Venezuela y CurazaoPaís VenezuelaJerarquía[editar datos en Wikidata] La Iglesia anglicana episcopal de Venezuela es una iglesia de la Comunión anglicana. La diócesis abarca parroquias y misiones localizadas en Venezuela y Curaza...

United States sanctions against Iran

Trade restrictions levied by the United States government The United States imposed sanction of 1995 bans aviation companies from selling aircraft and repair parts to Iranian airlines. Iranian registered commercial airplanes (such as this Iran Air Boeing 747-100B for example) were also banned from entering U.S. airspace due to the sanctions. The United States has since 1979 applied various economic, trade, scientific and military sanctions against Iran. United States economic sanctions are ad...

 

The Last Emperor

1987 biographical film by Bernardo Bertolucci For other uses, see Last Emperor (disambiguation). The Last EmperorTheatrical release posterDirected byBernardo BertolucciScreenplay by Mark Peploe Bernardo Bertolucci Based onFrom Emperor to Citizen: The Autobiography of Aisin-Gioro Puyi1960 autobiographyby PuyiProduced byJeremy ThomasStarring John Lone Joan Chen Peter O'Toole Ying Ruocheng Victor Wong Dennis Dun Ryuichi Sakamoto CinematographyVittorio StoraroEdited byGabriella CristianiMusic by ...