Editing Morning Musume (section)

===1997-1998: Formation and beginnings===
Japanese producer [[Tsunku]] started the group in 1997 through an audition for a female rock vocalist for his band [[Sharam Q]].<ref name="JPTimes">{{cite web|url= http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2009/03/13/music/morning-musume-not-ready-to-graduate-yet/|author= Robert Michael Poole|title= Morning Musume not ready to graduate yet|access-date= August 2, 2017|date= March 13, 2009|publisher= The Japan Times|archive-date= June 7, 2019|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190607203406/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2009/03/13/music/morning-musume-not-ready-to-graduate-yet/|url-status= live}}</ref> The audition was held on the Japanese TV show ''[[Asayan]]''. The winner was [[Michiyo Heike]], later to become a soloist under what would eventually become known as [[Hello! Project]]. Tsunku decided to form a girl group consisting of five of the runners-up: [[Natsumi Abe]], [[Yuko Nakazawa]], [[Kaori Iida]], [[Asuka Fukuda]], and Aya Ishiguro. They were issued a challenge to sell 50,000 copies of their demo single, "[[Ai no Tane]]", with just five days of promotion events.<ref name =JPTimes /> They managed the feat in four promotion days (spread out over November 1997) in a very grassroots manner, and Tsunku began his mission to create the most famous all-girl group in Japan.

In early 1998, the girls were ready with their first official single, "[[Morning Coffee (song)|Morning Coffee]]".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.up-front-works.jp/discography/zetima/29/s_01/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116201909/http://www.up-front-works.jp/discography/zetima/29/s_01/index.html|url-status=dead|title=Up-Front Works Discography – Morning Coffee|archive-date=January 16, 2014}}</ref> The success of this single (hitting number six on the Japanese pop charts) brought them three new members known as the second generation: [[Kei Yasuda]], [[Mari Yaguchi]], and [[Sayaka Ichii]], bringing the total member count to eight. The second single, "[[Summer Night Town]]",<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.up-front-works.jp/discography/zetima/29/s_02/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130609073522/http://www.up-front-works.jp/discography/zetima/29/s_02/index.html|url-status=dead|title=Up-Front Works Discography – Summer Night Town|archive-date=June 9, 2013}}</ref> was the first single of the new lineup—a mature pop tune about unsuccessfully attempting to hide one's true feelings. Their third single, "[[Daite Hold on Me!]]",<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.up-front-works.jp/discography/zetima/29/s_03/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116194600/http://www.up-front-works.jp/discography/zetima/29/s_03/index.html|url-status=dead|title=Up-Front Works Discography – Daite Hold on Me!|archive-date=January 16, 2014}}</ref> continued in the same vein musically as Summer Night Town, and managed to hit number one on the charts. Leader Nakazawa also started her solo career.

"[[First Time (Morning Musume album)|First Time]]"<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.up-front-works.jp/discography/zetima/29/a_01/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116220220/http://www.up-front-works.jp/discography/zetima/29/a_01/index.html|url-status=dead|title=Up-Front Works Discography – First Time|archive-date=January 16, 2014}}</ref> was released in July 1998, featuring the singles "[[Ai no Tane]]", "[[Morning Coffee (song)|Morning Coffee]]" and "[[Summer Night Town]]".

That year, Tsunku also formed [[Tanpopo]], the first subgroup of Morning Musume, with [[Kaori Iida]], Aya Ishiguro, and [[Mari Yaguchi]]. Tanpopo touted slower, more mature songs.

When "[[Morning Coffee (song)|Morning Coffee]]" was released, however, Morning Musume's label [[Zetima]] went by a different name, '''One Up Music''' (One Up is a combination of [[Warner Music Group|Warner Music Japan]] (the label that distributed One Up Music's catalog) and [[Up-Front Group]] (One Up Music's parent company)). However, in April 1998, one month before the release of "[[Summer Night Town]]", One Up Music ended its distribution deal with Warner, and was rebranded as '''Zetima''' when it merged with '''[[Zetima|Y.J. Sounds]]''' (another former [[Up-Front Group]]-affiliated label). Distribution rights would be given to [[Sony Music Entertainment Japan|Sony Music Japan]]'s sub label [[Epic Records]] for "[[Summer Night Town]]", "[[First Time (Morning Musume album)|First Time]]", and all of Zetima's subsequent releases.