LOVE Machine

LOVE Machine (LOVEマシーン) is the seventh single of the J-pop idol group Morning Musume, released on September 9, 1999 as an 8 cm CD. It sold a total of 1,646,630 copies, making it a massive hit (a #1 single in Japan) and their highest selling single. The VHS for the single was released on October 14, 1999.

In 2004, it was re-released as part of the Early Single Box and again in 2005 as a 12 cm CD. The single also marked the debut of the third generation member Goto Maki and the departure of Ishiguro Aya.

This is the only Morning Musume single that stayed 3 weeks in a row on the #1 position on the Oricon chart. "LOVE Machine" ranked as the #7 single for 1999.

Original Edition

 * 1) LOVE Machine
 * 2) 21seiki (21世紀; 21st Century)
 * 3) LOVE Machine (Instrumental)

Re-release Edition

 * 1) LOVE Machine
 * 2) 21seiki
 * 3) LOVE Machine (Instrumental)
 * 4) LOVE Machine (Early Unison Version)

A side

 * 1) LOVE Machine
 * 2) LOVE Machine (Instrumental)

B side

 * 1) LOVE Machine ～analog remix～
 * 2) LOVE Machine ～analog remix～ (Instrumental)
 * 3) Secret Track (シークレットトラック)

VHS Tracklist

 * 1) LOVE Machine (MV)

Featured Members

 * 1st gen: Nakazawa Yuko, Ishiguro Aya (last single), Iida Kaori, Abe Natsumi
 * 2nd gen: Yasuda Kei, Yaguchi Mari, Ichii Sayaka
 * 3rd gen (Debut Single): Goto Maki

TV performances

 * [1999.09.05] ASAYAN
 * [1999.09.09] Utaban
 * [1999.09.10] Music Station
 * [1999.09.19] ASAYAN
 * [1999.09.30] Utaban
 * [1999.10.08] Music Station
 * [1999.12.23] Utaban
 * [1999.12.24] Music Station
 * [1999.12.31] 50th Kouhaku Uta Gassen
 * [2000.08.20] Hello! Morning Episode 020 (Hello! Morning Version)
 * [2000.09.03] Hello! Morning Episode 022 (Last Phrase Karaoke)
 * [2000.12.31] 51th Kouhaku Uta Gassen (part of a medley)
 * [2004.02.14] PopJam Live Special in Makuhari Messe (by Matsuura Aya, Goto Maki and ZONE)
 * [2005.12.31] 56th Kouhaku Uta Gassen (as Yume Morning Musume)
 * [2006.07.15] MUSIC FAIR 21
 * [2007.12.31] 58th Kouhaku Uta Gassen
 * [2011.07.25] HEY!x3 Music Champ - (part of a medley) Dream Morning Musume
 * [2012.01.01] CDTV Premium Live - Dream Morning Musume
 * [2012.02.24] Music Station - Dream Morning Musume
 * [2012.08.02] Odaiba Gasshuukoku Mezamashi Live 2012
 * [2013.07.31] FNS Uta no Natsu Matsuri 2013
 * [2014.01.31] Music Station (updated version)
 * [2014.04.xx] Bokura no Ongaku

Concert Performances

 * LOVE Machine
 * Hello! Project Happy New Year 2000
 * Morning Musume First Live at Budokan ~Dancing Love Site 2000 Haru~
 * Hello! Project 2000 Atsumare! Summer Party
 * Hello! Project 2001 Sugoizo! 21seiki
 * Live Revolution 21 Haru ~Osaka Jou Hall Saishuu Bi~
 * Hello! Project 2001 TOGETHER! SUMMER PARTY
 * GREEN LIVE
 * Hello! Project 2002 ~Kotoshi mo Sugoizo!~
 * Morning Musume CONCERT TOUR 2002 Haru "LOVE IS ALIVE!" at Saitama Super Arena
 * Morning Musume LOVE IS ALIVE! 2002 Natsu at Yokohama Arena
 * Morning Musume CONCERT TOUR 2003 Haru "NON STOP!"
 * Morning Musume Concert Tour 2003 "15nin de NON STOP!"
 * Morning Musume Sakura Gumi Hatsu Kouen ~Sakura Saku~ - Morning Musume Sakura Gumi
 * Morning Musume Concert Tour 2005 Haru ~Dai 6 Kan Hit Mankai!~
 * Morning Musume Concert Tour 2005 Natsu Aki "Baribari Kyoushitsu ~Koharu-chan Irasshai!~"
 * Morning Musume Concert Tour 2007 Haru ~SEXY 8 Beat~
 * Morning Musume Concert Tour 2008 Haru ~Single Daizenshuu!!~
 * Morning Musume Concert Tour 2009 Haru ~Platinum 9 DISCO~
 * Morning Musume Concert Tour 2009 Aki ~Nine Smile~
 * Morning Musume Concert Tour 2010 Haru ~Pikappika!~
 * Morning Musume Concert Tour 2011 Haru Shin Souseiki Fantasy DX ~9ki Mem wo Mukaete~
 * Hello! Project 2011 SUMMER ~Nippon no Mirai wa WOW WOW Live~ (WOW WOW Ver.)
 * Hello! Project 2011 SUMMER ~Nippon no Mirai wa YEAH YEAH Live~ (YEAH YEAH Ver.)
 * Dream Morning Musume Special LIVE 2012 Nippon Budokan ~Daiisshou Shuumaku "Yuusha-tachi, Shuugouse yo"~
 * Hello! Project Yaon Premium LIVE
 * Hello! Project COUNTDOWN PARTY 2013 ~GOOD BYE & HELLO!~

Single Information

 * 1) LOVE Machine
 * 2) *Lyrics and Composition: Tsunku
 * 3) *Arrangement: DANCE☆MAN
 * 4) *Main Vocals: Abe Natsumi, Goto Maki
 * 5) 21seki
 * 6) *Lyrics and Composition: Tsunku
 * 7) *Arrangement: Suzuki Shunsuke
 * 8) *Strings Arrangement: Murakami Tatsuya

Oricon Rank and Sales

 * Total time in the Oricon Top 100: 31 weeks.
 * Total sales: 1,646,630

Cover Versions

 * An English cover was recorded by Debbie French as "Love Machine" for the album Cover Morning Musume!
 * American singer-songwriter Scott Murphy recorded a cover of the song for his album Guilty Pleasures 3.
 * A Korean version of the song, titled "Dream Girl", was recorded by After School for Tokyo Girls, a series which documented the Hello! Project Korea Auditions.
 * An English reggae version was recorded by British singer Janet Kay featuring Takahashi Ai for Kay's cover album Idol Kay, which was produced by Tsunku.

Trivia

 * This is the third Morning Musume single with an English name.
 * 1st Generation member Abe Natsumi gives a comment about the single on Youtube.
 * This is the seventh single where Nakazawa Yuko was leader of Morning Musume.
 * This is the highest selling single in all of Hello! Project.
 * It is 1 of 23 music videos of a single that has reached over 1,000,000 views on Morning Musume's official youtube channel.
 * Coincidentally, the way the members are set up for the jacket cover ended up being in order of graduation. Going from top to bottom, right to left, with Ishiguro being top-right and Yaguchi being bottom-left and is known as the "LOVE Machine Curse"
 * LOVE Machine appears as a song in Kareoke Revolution J-Pop Best Collection Volume 1.
 * In the movie Summer Wars, the artificial intelligence is named LOVE Machine after the song.
 * A new version of this song was recorded for The Best! ~Updated Morning Musume~ in 2013.
 * Tsunku has mentioned during an episode of Uchi Kuru!? that "LOVE Machine was originally an unreleased Sharam Q song with a change in arrangements.
 * It is 1 of the 4 Morning Musume singles that sold more than 1,000,000 of copies.
 * In the movie Seishun Bakachin Ryorijuku a movie where Goto Maki starred in 2 people were singing LOVE Machine
 * This is their first single where it was a Graduating and Debut single.
 * The song was sampled in Dancing Dolls' single "DD JUMP" (2013).