Memory Seishun no Hikari

Memory Seishun no Hikari (Memory 青春の光; Memory The Light of Youth) is Morning Musume's fourth single. It was released on February 10, 1999 as an 8cm CD. First press of the single came with a different cover (the members wearing gray coats in front of the skyscrapers in Shanghaihttp://mani-entertainment.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/2006/02/memory_b0d2.html (February 23, 2006)). It was used as the ending theme to Idol wo Sagase! 
This is the last single to feature first generation member Fukuda Asuka. It sold a total of 410,850 copies, peaking at #2 on the Oricon weekly charts, and also ranking as the #51 single for 1999.
In 2004, it was re-released as part of the Morning Musume Early Single Box, a limited edition box set containing their first eight singles reissued on 12cm CDs. In 2005, the singles were released individually, and first press editions came with a photo card.
==Tracklist==
===Original Edition===
#Memory Seishun no Hikari
#Happy Night
#Never Forget - Fukuda Asuka
#Memory Seishun no Hikari (Instrumental)
===Re-release Edition===
#Memory Seishun no Hikari
#Happy Night
#Never Forget - Fukuda Asuka
#Memory Seishun no Hikari (Instrumental)
#Memory Seishun no Hikari (99.4.18 Live Version)
==Featured Members==
*1st Gen: Nakazawa Yuko, Ishiguro Aya, Iida Kaori, Abe Natsumi, Fukuda Asuka (last)
*2nd Gen: Yasuda Kei, Yaguchi Mari, Ichii Sayaka
==Single Information==
Lyrics and Compositions: Tsunku
;Memory Seishun no Hikari
*Arrangement: Maejima Yasuaki
*Rap: L Da Headtoucha
*Dance Choreography: Natsu Mayumi
;Happy Night
*Arrangement: Konishi Takao
;Never Forget
*Arrangement: Konishi Takao
==Performances==
===TV Performances===
*[1999.02.07] ASAYAN
*[1999.02.12] Music Station
*[1999.02.16] Utaban
*[1999.02.26] Music Station
*[1999.03.23] Utaban
*[1999.04.02] Music Station
*[1999.04.18] ASAYAN
*[2006.08.04] Hello Pro Hour #16 (Memory Seishun no Hikari) - Matsuura Aya, Goto Maki
===Concert Performances===
;Memory Seishun no Hikari
*Morning Musume '99 Memory Seishun no Hikari Tour
*Morning Musume Summer Event '99
*Hello! Project '99
*Morning Musume Summer-Autumn Event '99
*Hello! Project Happy New Year 2000
*Live Revolution 21 Haru ~Osaka Jou Hall Saishuu Bi~
*Abe Natsumi First Concert Tour 2004 ~Anata Iro~
*Morning Musume Concert Tour "The BEST of Japan Natsu ~ Aki '04"
*Morning Musume Concert Tour 2005 Natsu Aki "Baribari Kyoushitsu ~Koharu-chan Irasshai!~"
*Natsumi Abe '05 Revue & Concert "How Are You, Miss Murata?" in Nippon Seinen-kan - Abe Natsumi
*Morning Musume Concert Tour 2008 Haru ~Single Daizenshuu!!~
*Hello! Project 2011 WINTER ~Kangei Shinsen Matsuri~ B kkuri Live - Suzuki Airi
*Dream Morning Musume Special LIVE 2012 Nippon Budokan ~Dai Isshou Shuumaku "Yuusha Tachi, Shuugou Seyo"~
*Hello Pro Kenshuusei Happyoukai 2014 ~Haru no Koukai Jitsuryoku Shindan Test~ - Dambara Ruru / Murota Mizuki
*Hello Pro Kenshuusei Happyoukai 2014 ~6gatsu no Nama Tamago Show!~ - Dambara Ruru / Murota Mizuki
*Morning Musume '15 Concert Tour Haru ~GRADATION~ - Sato Masaki, Oda Sakura (with Ogata Haruna, Nonaka Miki, Makino Maria, Haga Akane as chorus) (part of a medley)
*Juice=Juice LIVE MISSION 220 ~Code3→Growing!~ - Miyamoto Karin
*Hello! Project Kenshuusei Happyoukai 2017 9gatsu ~Go NEXT!~ - Ichioka Reina, Horie Kizuki, Takase Kurumi, Yamazaki Yuhane, Nishida Shiori, Shimakura Rika, Doi Rena, Okamura Minami
*Morning Musume Tanjou 20 Shuunen Kinen Concert Tour 2018 Haru ~We are MORNING MUSUME~ - Sato Masaki, Ogata Haruna, Nonaka Miki, Makino Maria, Haga Akane, Morito Chisaki
;Happy Night
*Morning Musume '99 Memory Seishun no Hikari Tour
*Morning Musume Summer Event '99
*Hello! Project '99
*Morning Musume Summer-Autumn Event '99
*Morning Musume Concert Tour "The BEST of Japan Natsu ~ Aki '04"
*Morning Musume Yomiuri Land EAST LIVE 2009
*Morning Musume Concert Tour 2012 Haru ~Ultra Smart~ Niigaki Risa Mitsui Aika Sotsugyou Special
*Morning Musume Tanjou 20 Shuunen Kinen Concert Tour 2017 Aki ~We are MORNING MUSUME~
*Hello! Project 20th Anniversary!! Morning Musume '19 Dinner Show "Happy Night"
*Kudo Haruka LIVE 2020 "New Face!" - Kudo Haruka
;Never Forget
*Morning Musume '99 Memory Seishun no Hikari Tour
*Hello! Project 2009 Winter Elder Club Kouen ~Thank you for your LOVE!~ - Elder Club
*Morning Musume Concert Tour 2012 Haru ~Ultra Smart~ Niigaki Risa Mitsui Aika Sotsugyou Special- Niigaki Risa
*Morning Musume '16 Concert Tour Haru ~EMOTION IN MOTION~ Suzuki Kanon Sotsugyou Special - Suzuki Kanon
===Event Performances===
;Memory Seishun no Hikari
*[2006.06.10] Yasuda Kei, Inaba Atsuko, Ayaka no 1-Paku 2-Nichi Bus Ryokou in Nagano Part 2 - Yasuda Kei, Inaba Atsuko, Ayaka
*[2018.08.11] Suzuki Airi FC Event Dai 1kai Airi Mania Kai ~Budokan Otsukare / A Sou Ieba 24sai Omedetou~ - Suzuki Airi
*[2019.12.06] Tanaka Reina Birthday Event OtsukaReina Kai 8 ~30 da.~ - Tanaka Reina
*[2021.07.15] Juice=Juice Dambara Ruru Birthday Event 2021 - Dambara Ruru
*[2023.06.18] Murota Mizuki Birthday LIVE 2023 - Murota Mizuki
;Happy Night
*[2008.09.02] Morning Musume Hawaii Tour 2008 ~Aloha to You~
;Never Forget
*[2010.03.24] Morning Musume Fanclub Tour in Hawaii 2010 - Kamei Eri
*[2010.04.04] LAST MELON GREETING - Melon Kinenbi, Abe Natsumi, Iida Kaori, Yasuda Kei, Yaguchi Mari, Yoshizawa Hitomi, Ishikawa Rika, Matsuura Aya Maeda Yuki
*[2020.09.27] Juice=Juice Miyamoto Karin FC Event 2020 - Miyamoto Karin
==Oricon Chart Positions==
Total Reported Sales: 410,850
==Cover Versions==
*An English cover was recorded by Tonya Kelly as "Memories" for the album Cover Morning Musume!
*Abe Natsumi recorded a solo cover of the song on her debut album Hitoribocchi.
*Tsunku sang his own version for his album TYPE2.
*Yasuda Kei later covered a rock version for her graduation as the B-side of "AS FOR ONE DAY".
==Trivia==
*An application form for the 1st Heike Michiyo & Morning Musume Protegee Audition was also included in this single.
*The male chorus vocals for the song is done by 7HOUSE, another music project by Tsunku. Iida Kaori would marry the band's vocalist ten years later, in 2008.
*The PV premiered on ASAYAN on January 31, 1999.
*Yasuda Kei commented on the single for a YouTube video series counting up to Morning Musume's 50th single.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NRwJlPxlNw
*"Never Forget" is a solo song by Fukuda Asuka for her graduation. 
*Prior to this single's release, on January 17, 1999, Fukuda shocked fans and viewers of the television show ASAYAN with her decision to graduate from Morning Musume to continue her studies. Her last appearance with Morning Musume was at her farewell concert in April. The last song she performed was "Never Forget". She was the only one not crying during her graduation concert, and later stated that she thought they were all fake crying and the only one being honest was Nakazawa Yuko. She also said in later interviews that she was treated poorly by management and fellow band mates, being their scape goat, which was the real reason for her leaving the group.
*The 5th track on the re-release is a live version, recorded at Fukuda's graduation concert held at Tokyo Kosei Nenkin Kaikan Hall on April 18, 1999. The song starts off with an extended and emotional intro, which symbolizes Asuka's final live. Abe and Fukuda are main vocalists, and the members create complex mixture of groove. The sound from the same concert DVD/video was used as a main source. The mixing was later applied before the release of this version.Morning Musume。EARLY SINGLE BOX Booklet Translation.
*The Center for this single is Abe Natsumi.
==Interviews==
==Videos==
==References==
==External Links==
*Discography: Hello! Project, UP-FRONT WORKS, Tsunku.net
*Wikipedia: Japanese, English
*Lyrics: , , 
cs:Memory Seishun no Hikari
es:Memory Seishun no Hikari
it:Memory Seishun no Hikari
Category:Morning Musume Singles
Category:1st Generation Morning Musume Singles In
Category:2nd Generation Morning Musume Singles In
Category:1999 Singles
Category:Last Single to Feature a Morning Musume Member
Category:8 Members Line-Up
Category:2005 Singles
Category:Platinum Certification