# Pearl: The Best Collection

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***Pearl: The Best Collection*** (stylised as **pearl ～The Best Collection～**) is [Kokia](/source/Kokia_(singer))'s first greatest hits album, released on February 1, 2006.[1] It was released simultaneously with her first video clips collection, *[Jewel: The Best Video Collection](/source/Jewel:_The_Best_Video_Collection)*.[2]

## Background

The album featured material from her time with [Mother Land](/source/Mother_Land) management under [Victor Entertainment](/source/Victor_Entertainment) (2003–2006). In this time, Kokia had released two albums (*[Remember Me](/source/Remember_Me_(Kokia_album))* and *[Uta ga Chikara](/source/Uta_ga_Chikara)*), along with seven singles. After working with Mother Land, she set up her own personal management company, [Anco & Co.](/source/Anco_%26_Co.), and has worked with them ever since.[3]

Three singles were released after *Uta ga Chikara*, and only feature on *Pearl*. The first of these, "Dandelion" (released 11 months prior in late February 2005), was used as the ending theme song for a [Nippon Television](/source/Nippon_Television) documentary show [Super TV Jōhō Saibansen](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B9%E3%83%BC%E3%83%91%E3%83%BC%E3%83%86%E3%83%AC%E3%83%93%E6%83%85%E5%A0%B1%E6%9C%80%E5%89%8D%E7%B7%9A).[4] The second was also featured in a TV show, [Kin'yō Entertainment](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%87%91%E6%9B%9C%E3%82%A8%E3%83%B3%E3%82%BF%E3%83%86%E3%82%A4%E3%83%A1%E3%83%B3%E3%83%88).[4] This single, "Time to Say Goodbye", was released five months after "Dandelion", in July 2005.

The final single was released on [New Year's Day](/source/New_Year's_Day) in 2006: "[Ai no Melody/Chōwa Oto (With Reflection)](/source/Ai_no_Melody/Ch%C5%8Dwa_Oto_(With_Reflection))". The songs were used as the opening and ending theme songs for the animated film [Origin: Spirits of the Past](/source/Origin:_Spirits_of_the_Past).[5] This single was released a month prior to the best collection.

## Conception

The idea of releasing a greatest hits album was first suggested to her by her Mother Land director in early 2005, after he noted the number of singles and soundtrack songs Kokia had.[6]

Kokia chose the title "Pearl" due to the secondary meaning of the word as an item of great beauty. She believed it created an image of a pearl necklace, where each of Kokia's songs were created from within her then threaded onto the necklace of her greatest hits album.[2] Kokia also considered the songs to develop inside of herself like how pearls develop in seashells: by developing around something she has on her mind.[6]

The title of Kokia's second greatest hits is thematically related to *Pearl*, since Kokia named it *[Coquillage](/source/Coquillage:_The_Best_Collection_II)* (the [French](/source/French_language) word for shell).[7]

Kokia chose all her songs that were featured in commercials, and combined these with the songs most she wanted people to hear.[6] She chose every track she had released as a single since 2003. From *[Remember Me](/source/Remember_Me_(Kokia_album))*, five songs were taken: "I Believe (Umi no Soko Kara)", "Kawaranai Koto (Since 1976)", "The Power of Smile", "Remember the Kiss" and "Watashi no Taiyō". The version of "Remember the Kiss" on the album, "Remember the Kiss (A Wish)", was a previously recorded unreleased version.[2] From *[Uta ga Chikara](/source/Uta_ga_Chikara)*, Kokia chose three songs: "So Much Love for You", "Utau Hito" and "Yume ga Chikara".

From the singles released post *Uta ga Chikara*, all four A-sides are included. "Chōwa Oto (With Reflection)" is a re-recording of "Chōwa Oto" from Kokia's [Gai Records](/source/Gai_Records) Victor Entertainment released album *[Trip Trip](/source/Trip_Trip)* in 2002. Also featured on the album from the singles was the B-side "Shiawase no Hanataba", which had been used as the [Kyōdōbokin](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%85%B1%E5%90%8C%E5%8B%9F%E9%87%91) Red Feathers campaign CM song,[5] and also featured as a theme song for the TV show [*The New Dotch Cooking Show*](/source/Dotch_Cooking_Show).[4]

One song was a rarity from the soundtrack of the film *[The Hotel Venus](/source/The_Hotel_Venus)*, a cover of the [Eagles](/source/Eagles_(band))' song "[Desperado](/source/Desperado_(Eagles_song))".[2]

Other than the new versions of "Remember the Kiss" and "Chōwa Oto", there were three re-recordings: "Arigatō... (The Pearl Edition)", "Yume ga Chikara (Brave Warrior)" and "The Power of Smile (A Gentle Breeze)". Kokia felt it was important for her to re-record "Arigatō...", the lead single from her [Pony Canyon](/source/Pony_Canyon) debut album *[Songbird](/source/Songbird_(Kokia_album))*, after her growth as a musician, as well as a thank-you message to all her supporters.[6] She re-recorded "The Power of Smile" (her most successful single)[8] to try a new approach to a song that everyone would recognise.[6] Kokia also attempted to capture the fun feeling of her live performances in the re-recordings of "The Power of Smile" and "Yume ga Chikara" by using musicians she plays with in lives (such as guitarist Kazuhiro Matsuo and pianist Toshiya Shioiri).[6]

## Promotion

Kokia appeared on the TV shows West21 and A-ha-n Rouge, as well as had articles in magazines AI-Vision Press, CD Data, Gekkan Audition, Gekkan Newtype and Gekkan Songs throughout January and early February.[4]

On January 21, Kokia performed her first live concert in [Paris](/source/Paris), titled "Bonjour Paris! Bonjour mon ami!"[4] This was followed by the album's official tour, [Kokia Album Tour 'Thank U!'](/source/Kokia_Album_Tour_'Thank_U!'), in February 2006 in Japan. She performed at three dates, in [Nagoya](/source/Nagoya), [Osaka](/source/Osaka) and [Tokyo](/source/Tokyo).[4]

## Reception

The album reached #19 in its first week, selling 10,000 copies.[8] It charted for a single more week in the top 100 at #67, before charting lowly for another four weeks.[8] The album re-entered the charts in February 2007, charting lowly for two weeks.[8]

## Track listing

All songs written by Kokia, except for "[Desperado](/source/Desperado_(Eagles_song))", written by [Eagles](/source/Eagles_(band)) members [Glenn Frey](/source/Glenn_Frey) and [Don Henley](/source/Don_Henley).

## Singles

Date[8] Title Peak position Weeks Sales February 23, 2005 "Dandelion" 84 (Oricon) 3 3,500 July 21, 2005 "Time to Say Goodbye" 54 (Oricon) 2 2,900 January 1, 2006 "Ai no Melody/Chōwa Oto (With Reflection)" 30 (Oricon) 6 13,000 March 16, 2007 "Arigatō... (The Pearl Edition)" 139 (Oricon) 3 1,900

## Japan sales rankings

Release Chart Peak position First week sales Sales total February 1, 2006 Oricon Weekly Albums Chart 19 10,000[8] 19,000

## References

1. ["KOKIA｜pearl ～The Best Collection～（初回限定盤）｜@Victor Entertainment"](http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/-/Discography/A012051/VICL-61852.html) (in Japanese). [Victor Entertainment](/source/Victor_Entertainment). Retrieved 2010-05-05.

1. ["KOKIA 初のベストアルバム「pearl」"](http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/kokia/). Victor Entertainment. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20060219185635/http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/kokia/) February 19, 2006 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 5, 2010.

1. ["ja:プロフィール"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100205081608/http://www.kokia.com/30/3010/) (in Japanese). Kokia Web. Archived from [the original](http://www.kokia.com/30/3010/) on 2010-02-05. Retrieved 2010-03-08.

1. ["KOKIA OFFICIAL WEB SITE - INFORMATION"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100330002345/http://motherld.com/kokia/) (in Japanese). *Mother Land*. 2006. Archived from [the original](http://www.motherld.com/kokia/) on 2010-03-30. Retrieved 2010-04-17.

1. ["Kokia タイアップ"](http://artist.cdjournal.com/a/kokia/110133/tieup/) (in Japanese). *CDJournal*. Retrieved 2010-04-17.

1. ["KOKIA Special Feature"](http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/jpop/essentials/kokia/index.html). *CDJapan*. 2006. Retrieved 2010-03-08.

1. ["ja:コキヤージュ？！"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100501003659/http://www.kokia.com/blog/1/) (in Japanese). '*Otonami' Music Translator Kokia's Blog*. 2009-10-25. Archived from [the original](http://www.kokia.com/blog/1/) on May 1, 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-03.

1. ["オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」"](http://ranking.oricon.co.jp). *[Oricon](/source/Oricon)*. Retrieved 2010-05-05. (subscription only)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Pearl: The Best Collection](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl%3A_The_Best_Collection) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl%3A_The_Best_Collection?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.