Ever Free
{{For|the Ayumi Hamasaki song|Vogue (Ayumi Hamasaki song)}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Ever Free
| cover = Ever Free.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Cover of the 2007 re-release
| type = single
| artist = hide with Spread Beaver
| album = Ja, Zoo
| released = May 27, 1998
| format =
| recorded = Early 1998
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Alternative rock
| length =
| label = Universal Victor
| writer = hide
| producer =
| prev_title = Pink Spider
| prev_year = 1998
| next_title = Hurry Go Round
| next_year = 1998
}}
"Ever Free" is the tenth single by Japanese musician hide, the third to bear the hide with Spread Beaver name, released on May 27, 1998. It debuted at number one on the Oricon chart, replacing his previous single "Pink Spider", and was the 23rd best-selling single of the year and certified double platinum by the RIAJ.
On May 2, 2007, the single was re-released.{{cite web| url = http://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000036181 | title = hideの"誕生会"今年も開催決定!!| work = Barks| language = Japanese| date =2007-12-05| accessdate = 2011-06-26}} On December 8, 2010, it was re-released again as part of the third releases in "The Devolution Project", which was a release of hide's original eleven singles on picture disc vinyl.{{cite web| title = hide singles on vinyl| work = tokyohive.com| url = http://www.tokyohive.com/2010/09/hides-hits-re-released-on-vinyl-spawns-special-club-events/| accessdate = 2011-06-26}}
Recording
According to recording engineer and Spread Beaver member Kazuhiko "I.N.A." Inada, he and hide wanted hide's singles to be different from each other; this being why they followed "Rocket Dive", his first since X Japan disbanded and which I.N.A. described as a refreshing number with a sense of speed, with "Pink Spider". For "Ever Free", the two used a lightly distorted guitar sound and thought about how to balance the world of the lyrics between the three songs.{{cite web| url =https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000229575&page=1| title =【対談】I.N.A. × KNOCK OUT MONKEY、hideを語る「僕らは正しい選択をしたんだって思います」|work = Barks|language = Japanese |date =2023-02-03|accessdate =2025-05-04}}
I.N.A. estimated that there were about seven different versions of "Ever Free", featuring various tempos and melodies, before reaching the finished track. They started by having Joe record drums. But they did not have much time because hide and I.N.A. were going back and forth between Los Angeles and Japan, so Joe played while listening to a minor-key demo that was completely different from the final arrangement. Thus, they had to edit the drums to make it consistent, and when Joe heard the final version, he said, "What is this? I didn't play on this."
Music video
The music video for "Ever Free" is composed of behind the scenes footage of hide with Spread Beaver at photo shoots and filming the "Pink Spider" music video. There is additional archival footage of the band playing the song in a jam session at the Chili Factory Studio.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}
Reception
"Ever Free" debuted at number one on the Japanese Oricon weekly charts, replacing his previous single "Pink Spider", with sales of over 516,000 in the initial week.{{cite web|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/search/result.php?kbn=js&types=rnk&year=1998&month=6&week=2&submit4.x=35&submit4.y=11|title=Oricon Weekly Single Charts for the second week of June 1998|language=Japanese|publisher=Oricon|accessdate=2009-12-26}} By the end of the year it sold 842,440 copies and was the 23rd best-selling single of the year,{{cite web|url=http://www1.interq.or.jp/kunioki/year/music/rc_ms98.shtml |title=What's This Year - Music 1998 |language=Japanese |publisher=interq.or.jp |accessdate=2004-07-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310102413/http://www1.interq.or.jp/kunioki/year/music/rc_ms98.shtml |archivedate=2012-03-10 }} being certified double Platinum by the RIAJ.{{cite web|url=http://www.riaj.or.jp/f/data/cert/gd.html|title=月次認定作品 認定年月：1998年 6月|publisher=RIAJ|language=Japanese|accessdate=2018-02-18}}
Track listing
All songs written by hide.
{{Tracklist
| title1 = Ever Free
| length1 = 3:39
| title2 = Ever Free (Voiceless Version)
| length2 = 3:51
| title3 =
| note3 = hidden track
| length3 = 6:10
}}
- The hidden untitled third track begins with 5 minutes and 13 seconds of silence, representing May 13, the date "Pink Spider" was released, before playing a piece of that song.
Personnel
- hide – vocals, guitar, bass
- Joe – drums
- Eric Westfall – mixing engineer, recording engineer (at Sunset Sound)
- S. Husky Höskulds – assistant engineer (Sunset Sound Factory)
- Daiei Matsumoto – recording engineer (at Hitokuchizaka-Studio)
- Kazuhiko Inada – recording engineer
- Hiroshi Nemoto – assistant engineer (Hitokuchizaka-Studio)
- Kevin Dean – assistant engineer (Sunset Sound)
:Personnel per Ja, Zoo liner notes.Ja, Zoo liner notes, 1998-11-21. Retrieved 2013-01-27
Cover versions
"Ever Free" was covered by Transtic Nerve on the 1999 hide tribute album Tribute Spirits.{{cite web| title = hide TRIBUTE SPIRITS| work = amazon.co.jp| url = https://www.amazon.co.jp/hide-TRIBUTE-SPIRITS-オムニバス/dp/B00005FRAI| language = Japanese| accessdate = 2012-06-10}}
It was also covered live by DJ Ozma at the hide memorial summit on May 3, 2008.{{cite web| title = hide Memorial Summit Day 1 - Part A| work = jame-world.com| url = http://www.jame-world.com/us/articles-4677-hide-memorial-summit-day-1-part-a.html| accessdate = 2012-06-10}}
An instrumental version of the song was included in the soundtrack of the movie Attitude, which was scored by hide's former X bandmate Taij.{{cite web | title=Attitude Original Soundtrack | work=cdjapan.co.jp | url=http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=TEC-277777 | accessdate=2013-04-06}}
The track was covered by defspiral, which is composed of four of the five former members of Transtic Nerve, for the Tribute II -Visual Spirits- tribute album and by Born for Tribute III -Visual Spirits-, both albums were released on July 3, 2013.{{cite web| title = Two hide Tribute Albums to be Released Simultaneously! | work = musicjapanplus.jp| url = http://www.musicjapanplus.jp/news/1/22063/two-hide-tribute-albums-to-be-released-simultaneously/| accessdate = 2013-05-05}}
Yuki Koyanagi recorded a version of "Ever Free" for Tribute VI -Female Spirits-, released on December 18, 2013.{{cite web| title = hide Tribute VI -Female SPIRITS- | url = http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=TKCA-74017| work = cdjapan.jp| accessdate = 2013-12-15}}
It was covered by Takanori Nishikawa for the June 6, 2018 Tribute Impulse album.{{cite web |url=https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000153814|title=hide最新トリビュート盤にHISASHI × YOW-ROW、西川貴教、MIYAVI、GRANRODEOら|publisher=Barks |language=Japanese|date=2018-04-14|accessdate=2018-04-14}}
On January 1, 2023, Knock Out Monkey released a cover of "Ever Free". The artwork and music video both feature various homages to hide's originals.{{cite web|url=https://natalie.mu/music/news/507441|title=KNOCK OUT MONKEYがhide「ever free」カバー、オマージュたっぷりMV公開|work=Natalie|language=Japanese |date=2023-01-01|accessdate=2025-05-04}}
Legacy
Kazutaka Kodaka, a longtime fan of hide, was given permission to use "Ever Free" for the Danganronpa 3 anime.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{YouTube|y4tmVG1UYH4|"Ever Free" Official Music Video}}
{{Hide (musician)}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Hide (musician) songs
Category:Oricon Weekly number-one singles
Category:Songs released posthumously