name | Take That |
---|---|
background | group_or_band |
origin | Manchester, England |
genre | Pop, pop rock, dance |
years active | 1990–96,2005–present |
label | Sony BMG Universal Music Polydor |
associated acts | Lulu |
website | |
current members | Gary BarlowHoward DonaldJason OrangeMark OwenRobbie Williams }} |
Take That are an English five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter. In total, the group have had 27 top 40 singles and 16 top 5 singles in the United Kingdom alone, 11 of which have reached number 1, as well as having seven number 1 albums.
Take That's dance-oriented pop tunes and soulful ballads dominated the UK charts in the first half of the 1990s, winning multiple BRIT Awards while also spawning two of the best selling albums of the decade with ''Everything Changes'' (which was nominated for the 1994 Mercury Prize) and their ''Greatest Hits'' album. Williams left the band in 1995 while the four remaining members completed their world tour and released a final single before splitting up in 1996.
However, after filming a 2005 documentary and releasing a new greatest hits album, the four-piece Take That officially announced a 2006 reunion tour around the UK, entitled ''The Ultimate Tour''. On 9 May 2006, it was announced that the group were set to record new material together once again; their fourth studio album, ''Beautiful World'', was released in 2006 and was followed up with ''The Circus'', in 2008. The group achieved new success as a four-piece, scoring a string of chart hits across the UK and Europe while taking the number of records sold to over 40 million worldwide.
Williams rejoined Take That in 2010 for the band's sixth studio album, ''Progress''. It was released on 15 November of that year and became the fastest selling album of the 21st century thus far, the second fastest selling album in British history, whilst also making it the first album of new material to feature Take That's original line-up since their 1995 album, ''Nobody Else''. Since 2011, Take That have set the new record for the fastest selling tour of all time in the UK, beating the previous record set by their Circus Live Tour in 2009, won best British group, and have become Amazon's best-selling artist of all time.
Take That's first TV appearance was on ''The Hitman & Her'' in 1990, where they performed Barlow's self written unreleased songs "Love" and "My Kind of Girl". They later appeared a second time to perform "Waiting Around", which would become the B-side for the first single, "Do What U Like". "Promises" and "Once You've Tasted Love" were also released as singles but were minor hits in the UK. Take That initially worked the same territory as their American counterparts, singing watered-down new jack R&B;, urban soul, and mainstream pop. However the group worked its way toward Hi-NRG dance music, while also pursuing an adult contemporary ballad direction. As they aimed to break into the mainstream music industry they worked a manner of small clubs, schools and events across the country building up a fanbase as they travelled to gigs constantly for months.
The band's breakthrough single was a cover of the 1975s Tavares hit "It Only Takes a Minute", which peaked at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart. This success was followed by the track "I Found Heaven", then by the first Barlow ballad "A Million Love Songs" which again reached number 7. Their cover of the Barry Manilow disco hit "Could It Be Magic" gave them one of their biggest hits to date, peaking at number 3 in the UK. Their first album, ''Take That and Party'', was released in 1991, and included all the hit singles to date.
It was during the years 1993–95 that the band fronted scores of magazine covers ranging from ''Smash Hits'' to ''GQ'', becoming mass merchandised on all sorts of paraphernalia ranging from picture books, to posters, stickers, their own dolls, jewellery, caps, T-shirts, toothbrushes and even had their own annuals released. The band had also developed a large female teenage fanbase at the time. During this time, they performed at numerous music awards shows and chart shows such as the BRIT Awards and ''Top of the Pops'', also winning the Best Live Act award in 1995 at the MTV Europe Music Awards, having been renowned for their breakdance routines, melodious harmonies, elaborate costumes and flamboyant stage props.
In 1995, Take That released their 3rd studio album ''Nobody Else'', again based on Barlow's own material which reached number 1 in the UK and across Europe, capturing new audiences annually, with Take That also able to make inroads in the adult audience in Britain through Barlow's melodic, sensitive ballads. For nearly five years, Take That's popularity was unsurpassed in Britain. The release of "Sure", their first single from the album, achieved yet another number one on the UK Charts. It was not until their second release from that album however, that they would experience what would become their biggest hit single, "Back for Good", which reached number one in 31 countries around the globe and to date has been covered 89 times the world over. It was also their first US hit, where it reached the Top 10. The song was initially unveiled for the first time via live performance while at the 1995 BRIT Awards, and based on the reception of that performance, the record pre-sold more records than expected and forced the record label to bring the release date forward by an unprecedented six weeks. The album was also noted for its cover which was a parody of the famed cover of The Beatles' ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' cover sleeve.
In July 1995, Williams was photographed by the press partying with fellow band Oasis at Glastonbury Festival. This led to the band offering him an ultimatum; where he was to adhere to the bands responsibilities or to leave before their scheduled world tour. Undaunted by the loss of Williams, Take That continued to promote ''Nobody Else'' as a four-piece, scoring a further hit single with Barlow's "Never Forget" and completing the Nobody Else Tour in Late 1995.
On 13 February 1996, Take That formally announced that they were disbanding. This was followed by the ''Greatest Hits'' compilation in 1996, which contained a new recording, a cover of The Bee Gees' "How Deep Is Your Love". The single went on to become what was to be the band's final UK number one until their 2006 comeback a decade later. Take That gave what was thought to be their final performance in April 1996 at Amsterdam. Following the band's announcement, millions of their fans were distraught around the world and in the UK alone, teenage girls threatened suicide and were seen lining streets in tears, to the point that telephone hotlines were set up by the government to deal with counselling them. After the band broke up, highly respected music figures such as Elton John noted that Take That were different to other boybands before and after them, in that they wrote their own material through Gary Barlow, the only boyband member who won an Ivor Novello award during his time in a boyband. Take That had also left a legacy of being immaculate performers with a very high work ethic, causing them to be voted in as the greatest boyband of all time.
In the album ''Beautiful World'' all four members of the band had the opportunity to sing lead vocals. Unlike the band's earlier works, where the majority of their material was written by Gary Barlow who received a sole credit, all four band members are credited as co-writers, regardless of whether they contributed to the writing process or not. The comeback single, "Patience", was released on 20 November 2006, with a special event launching it on 5 November. On 26 November "Patience" hit number 1 in the UK in its second week of chart entry making it the group's ninth No. 1 and stayed there for 4 weeks. Take That also accompanied eventual winner Leona Lewis in a live version of "A Million Love Songs" in the final of ''The X Factor'' on 16 December 2006.
The week after Take That's comeback album Beautiful World was released it was announced that Take That had become the first artists ever to top the UK official single and album charts along with the download single, download album and DVD charts in the same week, as well as topping the radio charts.
The video for the number 1 hit single "Shine", the follow-up to "Patience", premiered on 25 January 2007 on Channel 4, ahead of its release on 26 February 2007. The band's success continued on 14 February 2007 when Take That performed live at the BRIT Awards ceremony at Earl's Court. Their single "Patience" won the Best British Single category. The third single taken from ''Beautiful World'' was "I'd Wait For Life", released on 18 June 2007 in the UK. The single reached 17 in the UK Singles Chart. This was due to lack of promotion, as the band decided to take a pre-tour break rather than do any promotion for the single.
During 2007, Take That also wrote a song for the motion picture ''Stardust'' titled "Rule the World", which reached number 2 in the UK charts and went on to be the 5th biggest selling single of 2007. Meanwhile, the album ''Beautiful World'' was the fourth biggest-selling album of 2007. It was announced at the start of 2007 that Take That signed a record deal with American label Interscope, and would also release their album in Canada. Starting on 11 October 2007, Take That began their ''Beautiful World Tour 2007'' in Belfast. The tour included 49 shows throughout Europe and the UK and ended in Manchester on 23 December 2007. The band received four nominations at the 2008 BRIT Awards. Nominated for Best British Group, Best British Single ("Shine"), Best British Album (''Beautiful World'') and Best Live Act, they took home the Best Live Act and the Best British Single awards.
On 28 October 2008, on the Radio 1 Chris Moyles show, it was announced that Take That would be touring again in June/July 2009, covering the UK and Ireland. Tickets for the ''Take That Present: The Circus Live'' tour went on sale on 31 October. The promoters, SJM, have said that the band's tour is "the fastest selling in UK history".
On 22 May 2008, Barlow and Donald attended the 2008 Ivor Novello Awards where Take That won the award for Most Performed Work with their single "Shine". Take That won the Sony Ericsson Tour of the Year award at the Vodafone music awards on 18 September 2008. They were unable to attend as they were in LA finishing off ''The Circus''. They did send a video link message, which was shown at the awards. On 22 November 2008, Take That appeared on TV show ''The X Factor'' where the finalists performed some of their greatest hits. The band also performed on Children in Need 2008, singing their new single, "Greatest Day", before donating £250,000 to the charity from their Marks and Spencer fee. The band were also voted the Greatest Boyband of All Time, reflecting their ongoing marketability and success in the pop arena, even after two decades.
The band were nominated for one Brit Award in the category Best Group and performed "Greatest Day" at the 2009 BRIT Awards ceremony.
"Up All Night", the second single from ''The Circus'', was released on 2 March 2009, and peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart, despite heavy airplay. In Germany and Australia, "The Garden" was released as the second single instead. On 7 May 2009, Take That's official website confirmed that the third single from ''The Circus'' would be "Said It All" which was released on 15 June 2009, peaking at number 9 on the UK Singles chart. The video premiered on GMTV on 8 May 2009. It features all four band members dressed up as vintage circus clowns, which tied in with their forthcoming ''Take That Present: The Circus Live'' tour.
Take That started their ''Circus Live'' tour at the Stadium of Light on 5 June 2009 in Sunderland and ended at the Wembley Stadium in London on the 5 July 2009, which over 80,000 people attended. This tour quickly became the fastest-selling of all time, breaking all records by selling all of their 650,000 tickets in less than four and a half hours.
In November 2009 Take That released the official DVD of their ''Circus'' tour, which became the fastest-selling music DVD of all time in the UK on its first day of release and has not left the top 10 since its release. This overtook the previous record sales holder, which was Take That's ''Beautiful World Live'' tour and stayed at the number 1 spot for 8 weeks.
The following week Take That released their first live album, ''The Greatest Day – Take That Present: The Circus Live'', which sold 98,000 copies on its first day of release and was certified Platinum in December 2009. "Hold up a Light" was released as the fifth and final single from ''The Circus'' to radio stations and as a digital download to promote the release of the live album.
After working with the band on new material in Los Angeles, on 15 July 2010 Robbie Williams announced he was returning to Take That. After months of working together, assembling new songs for a new album and even debating a band-name change to "The English", a joint statement between Williams and the group read, "The rumours are true... Take That: the original lineup, have written and recorded a new album for release later this year." The statement went on to say, "Following months of speculation Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams confirmed they have been recording a new studio album as a five-piece, which they will release in November."
The lead single from Take That's album ''Progress'' was announced as "The Flood" and was released 7 November as a digital download, and on 8 November as a physical copy, with the album released a week later on 15 November. The single peaked at number 2 in the UK Singles Charts and to date has sold over 500,000 copies in the UK alone. The single also achieved success across Europe charting inside the top 10 in ten countries while also charting in another nine countries to date.
On 26 October the band announced that they would be embarking on a huge UK stadium tour entitled Progress Live starting in Sunderland on 27 May, and finishing with a record breaking 8 nights at London's Wembley Stadium in July 2011. Williams will also perform hit singles from his solo career. They will then play at some of the biggest venues across Europe for the second leg of the tour. The phenomenal demand for tickets across the country led to the web sites of all the major UK ticket suppliers either crashing or considerably slowing for hours on end. The demand and sheer volume of fans also created problems for the UK telephone network. Take That's Progress Live has also broken all records for ticket sales selling over 1.1 million tickets in one day smashing the previous box office record set by Take That's Circus tour in 2008.
On the first day of release ''Progress'' became the fastest selling album of the century, with 235,000 copies sold in just one day. The album reached number 1 in the UK, selling around 520,000 copies in its first week, becoming the second fastest-selling album in history. After the release of ''Progress'' it was announced that Take That have become Amazon's top-selling music artist of all time. The album, to date, has retained the number one spot for six consecutive weeks in the UK since its release, selling 2 million copies in the UK alone and becoming the best selling album of 2010 ''Progress'' also achieved success across Europe where it debuted at number one in Ireland, Greece, Germany and Denmark. and the European Top 100 Albums chart. It also debuted inside the top 10 of the charts in Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland.
"Kidz" was announced as the second single from Progress, it was released 21 February 2011 and charted well across Europe. The band performed the song live at the 2011 Brit Awards hosted at the 02 Arena where they won a Brit for Best British Group and were nominated for Best British Album. Their performance of ''Kidz'' was praised by critics which involved a highly choreographed routine featuring dancers dressed in police-styled riot gear bearing the Take That symbol on the uniform and shields.
On 29 April, it was announced that Take That had recorded the official single for the upcoming blockbuster, X-Men: First Class. The song, entitled "Love Love" was released worldwide for digital download on 11 May 2011. It was performed for the first time on 11 May live on ITV for the National Movie Awards 2011.
On 19 May 2011, Take That announced a new EP entitled ''Progressed'' which contained eight tracks that were written by the band since they reunited as a five piece. It was packaged alongside the record breaking album ''Progress'' and returned the band to number 1 in the UK Album Chart the week after it was released on 13 June 2011.
Take That wrote and recorded the theme song "Rule the World" for the film ''Stardust'' directed by Matthew Vaughn, which was released in cinemas across the globe in October 2007.
In 2007, their song "Back for Good" was used as part of the soundtrack for popular Korean drama The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince.
Take That presented their own TV show ''Take That Come to Town'', a variety show in which they performed some of their biggest hits. The show also featured comedy sketches with one of Peter Kay's alter egos Geraldine McQueen. It aired on 7 December 2008 on ITV1.
In November 2010 ITV aired ''Take That: Look Back, Don't Stare'', a black and white documentary which focused on the band working together for the first time in 15 years. Through a series of interviews the band look back at their achievements while also looking forward to what the future holds for them. On 18 November 2010 Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow appeared together live for the first time on the "Popstars" program in Germany singing their hit "Shame".
In 2011, Take That's song Love Love was chosen as the theme song for the film X-Men: First Class and later, When We Were Young was chosen as the main theme for The Three Musketeers movie. Both tracks come off the album Progressed
Gary Barlow has been confirmed as a judge on The X Factor starting with the 2011 series.
Category:English dance music groups Category:English pop music groups Category:British boy bands Category:Eurodance groups Category:Musical groups from Manchester Category:Musical groups from Cheshire Category:Musical groups established in 1989 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1996 Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2005 Category:BRIT Award winners Category:Ivor Novello Award winners
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He is best known for his official refixes for pop artists including Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Timbaland, Mariah Carey, Far East Movement and Robyn and his distinctive style of production which features a fusion of electro house and hip hop music.
Instead of using the term remix, Chew Fu coined the term "refix" because his "remixes are like a completely new productions." When DJ-ing Chew Fu only plays his own original productions and refixes.
Chew Fu got his start in the industry working for Diddy and Quincy Jones's record label Qwest. as well as well as utilizing a worldwide network of dance music bloggers.
Chew Fu began "producing hip hop with house music back in 2005, because he wanted to play it in the clubs but no-one was making it." He is also a classically trained jazz musician who holds a Masters Degree in Music.
As a producer, Chew Fu has created original productions with Wiley, Beanie Man, Donna Summer, Kerli and Doug E Fresh, to be included on his debut album slated for release in July 2011.
On where his name came from: "My crew came up with it when I was producing tracks for Bad Boy Records to describe my production process and style. Chew Fu is the sound made during and after I’ve consumed a track and spit out a hot refix."
This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
Name | Robbie Williams |
---|---|
Background | solo_singer |
Birth name | Robert Peter Williams |
Born | February 13, 1974Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England |
Instrument | Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, synthesiser, drums, piano, violin, harmonica, marimba |
Genre | Pop rock, soft rock, dance, britpop |
Occupation | Singer-songwriter, musician, vocal coach, record producer, actor |
Years active | 1990–present |
Label | Chrysalis/EMI (1990-2011)Universal/RCA (USA) (2011 – present) |
Associated acts | Take That |
Website | }} |
Williams has sold more than 57 million albums worldwide. He is the best-selling British solo artist in the United Kingdom and the best selling non-Latino artist in Latin America. Six of his albums are among the top 100 biggest-selling albums in the United Kingdom. He has also been honoured with seventeen BRIT Awards—more than any other artist—and seven ECHO Awards. In 2004, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame after being voted as the "Greatest Artist of the 1990s."
In July 1995, Williams's drug abuse had escalated to the point of his having a near drug overdose the night before the group was scheduled to perform at the MTV Europe Music Awards. According to the documentary ''For the Record'', he stated that he was unhappy with his musical ideas not being taken seriously by lead singer Barlow and Nigel Martin-Smith, because his desire to explore hip hop and rap conflicted with the band's usual ballads. Barlow explained in interviews that Williams had given up trying to offer creative input and merely did as he was told. As well as Williams's friction with the management of the band, Jason Orange had problems with his increasingly belligerent behaviour, his lack of interest in performing, and his frequent habit of missing the band's rehearsals.
Both Orange and Barlow confronted Martin-Smith about the internal conflict, because they did not want him dropping out while touring and before any possible future touring of America, which never took place. During one of the last rehearsals before the tour commenced, the group confronted Williams about his attitude and stated they wanted to do the tour without him. He agreed to quit the band and left; it would be the last time for twelve years that they were all together. Despite the departure of Williams, Take That completed their Nobody Else Tour as a four-piece band. They later disbanded on 13 February 1996, Williams's twenty-second birthday.
Shortly afterwards, Williams was photographed by the press partying with the members of Oasis at Glastonbury Festival. Following his departure, he became the subject of talk shows and newspapers as he acknowledged his plans to become a solo singer, and he was spotted partying with George Michael in France. However, a clause in his Take That contract prohibited him from releasing any material until after the group was officially dissolved, and he was later sued by Martin-Smith and forced to pay $200,000 in commission. After various legal battles over his right to a solo career, Williams was victorious in getting released from his contract with BMG. On 27 June 1996, Williams formally announced that he had signed with Chrysalis Records.
Recordings for Williams's first album began at London's Maison Rouge studios in March of that year. Shortly after his introduction to Guy Chambers, Williams released "Old Before I Die" which would be the first single taken from his début album. Co-written by Williams with Eric Bazilian and Desmond Child, the single was released in April 1997, hitting number two on the UK Charts; however, it was largely ignored on international charts. The second single, "Lazy Days", was released in mid-1997. Although Williams was going through drug rehabilitation on the advice of his friend Elton John, he was allowed to check out to shoot the video for the song, but promotion for the single was virtually non-existent, so whilst the single charted at number eight in the United Kingdom, it struggled to reach the top forty of any European chart.
His debut album, ''Life Thru a Lens'', was released in September 1997. The album launched with his first live solo gig at the Élysée Montmartre theatre in Paris, France. At first, the album was slow to take off, debuting at number eleven of the UK Album Charts. The third single of the album, "South of the Border", failed to make a significant impact on the UK Charts. When it was released in September 1997, it reached number fourteen.
After Williams met the record company's concerns about his future, he released what would be the fourth single taken from his album, not knowing it would become his biggest single in the United Kingdom so far, and one of his best-known and most successful songs to date. "Angels" became Williams' best-seller in the United Kingdom, being certified 2x Platinum by the BPI. The song, apart from becoming a hit around Europe and Latin America, caused sales of his album to skyrocket. The album remained inside the British top ten for forty weeks and spent 218 weeks there altogether, making it the 58th best selling album in UK History with sales of over 2.4 million. The album eventually managed to sell over three million copies in Europe alone.
Williams and Chambers started writing the second album in Jamaica in early 1998. The first single, "Millennium", was inspired by John Barry's, theme song for ''You Only Live Twice'', the James Bond movie. The song became Williams' first solo number one single in the United Kingdom when it was released in September of that year. The song went on to ship over 400,000 copies in the UK alone being certified Gold by the BPI in November 1998. It also became a top twenty hit in many European countries, as well becoming a hit in Latin America and Australia.
When the album ''I've Been Expecting You'' was released in late October 1998, it débuted at number one in the UK Albums Chart. The album received more attention outside the United Kingdom, leaving its mark in the European and Latin American markets with hits such as "No Regrets", a collaboration with The Pet Shop Boys' singer Neil Tennant and The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon. The single "No Regrets" was released in November 1998, reaching number four in the UK Singles Chart, backed with the cover of Adam and the Ants, "Antmusic". The single eventually sold over 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom being certified Silver in October 2004, almost six years after its original release.
The third single "Strong" from the album debuted at number four in the United Kingdom and number nine in New Zealand, however peaked moderately at only number 68 in Germany, number 99 in France and number 55 in the Netherlands. The fourth single, "She's the One", a cover of a track from World Party's album, ''Egyptology'', became his second number one hit in the United Kingdom. The single was released as a double a-side with "It's Only Us", the official theme for FIFA 2000. The single became a massive success shipping over 400,000 copies in the UK alone being certified Gold by the BPI in early 2000. Williams finished the year with an extensive European Tour late in 1999.
The album ''I've Been Expecting You'' was a smash hit, selling almost 3 million copies in the United Kingdom alone: certified 10x Platinum by the BPI. In Europe alone, the album sold over 4 million copies.
Capitol Records, trying to make Williams a bigger star, released a second single from the album, the ballad "Angels". Williams shot a new video for it, and when it was released in fall of that year, the song became a somewhat bigger hit than "Millennium", peaking at number 53, but this was not enough for Williams, so he concentrated on the rest of the world where he was already an established act. The album went on to ship 500,000 copies in the United States, certified Gold by the RIAA in November of that year. The compilation was released worldwide (as a limited edition in Europe); the album was a success in New Zealand reaching number one on the official album charts.
In the middle of promotion and the tours in 1999, becoming an established worldwide pop star, Williams found time to start work on what would be his third studio album. This time he had finally found his inner confidence.
The first single taken from the album was "Rock DJ", a song inspired by Williams's UNICEF mentor, the late Ian Dury. The video showed Williams in an attempt to get noticed by a group of females, first stripping and then tearing chunks of skin and muscle from his body, and caused controversy in the United Kingdom and many other countries. The video was edited by Top of the Pops for its graphic content and many other channels followed suit. The song became an instant hit, making number one in the United Kingdom and becoming his third number one single as a solo artist exactly a year after his sell-out concert at the Slane Castle. The song also reached number one in New Zealand and hit the Top 10 placings in many countries including Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Italy and Australia. Despite this success, the song failed to break into the United States charts, but it did get some TV Airplay on channels such as MTV and VH1. The song went on to win several awards; among them, "Best Song of 2000" at the MTV Europe Music Awards, "Best Single of the Year" at the BRIT Awards and an MTV Video Music Award for Best Special Effects. It sold over 600,000 copies in the UK alone, being certified Platinum by the BPI.
When the album, ''Sing When You're Winning'' was released in August 2000, it topped the charts in many different countries all over the world including Germany, New Zealand and The Netherlands and secured top ten placings in Italy, Austria, Australia, Finland and Sweden, among many others. As for the UK, the album débuted at number one being certified 2x Platinum on its first week of release.
The album's second single, a collaboration with Australian singer Kylie Minogue, titled "Kids", was written when Minogue approached Williams to write material for what would be her first album under Parlophone – ''Light Years''. Williams decided to include the track on his album and release it as a single. It was an instant hit when it was released in October of that year, hitting number two in the United Kingdom and reaching top twenty placings in countries like Australia and New Zealand. Kids became one of the biggest hits of that year selling over 200,000 copies in the UK alone and was certified Silver.
Further singles, such as "Supreme" (which Williams also recorded in French), and "Better Man" became big hits reaching the top 10 in numerous countries around the world.
"Eternity", a track that was not featured on the album, was released in mid 2001 backed with "The Road to Mandalay" - the former was written by Williams. It became his fourth number one single in the United Kingdom, selling over 70,000 copies in its first week in the UK alone, and also hit the top 10 in many countries including Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy among others.
The album spent 91 weeks inside the UK Charts, going on to sell 2.4 million copies in the UK alone and was certified 8x Platinum by the BPI. It became the 51st Best Selling album in UK Music History and went on to sell over 4 million copies in Europe alone.
After the success of his third album, Williams wanted to take another musical direction. He took two weeks off from his tour to record what would be his fourth studio album, the big band album he had always dreamed of making. Born from his life-long love for Frank Sinatra combined with the success of the track "Have You Met Miss Jones?" that he recorded for the film ''Bridget Jones' Diary'' in early 2001 the album was recorded at the Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, California.
Williams took the chance to duet with his long-time friend Jonathan Wilkes, ''Little Voice'' star Jane Horrocks, ''Saturday Night Live'' star Jon Lovitz, Rupert Everett and the Academy Award winning actress Nicole Kidman. The first single released from the album was a duet with Kidman, on "Somethin' Stupid". Originally a hit for Frank and Nancy Sinatra, the song became Williams' fifth number one hit in the United Kingdom, selling almost 100,000 copies in its first week of release, as well as hitting the top 5 in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, The Netherlands, Belgium and New Zealand. It eventually went on to become one of the biggest hits of 2001, selling over 200,000 copies in the UK alone. After spending three weeks at the top of the charts in 2001, it was certified Silver in January 2002.
When the album ''Swing When You're Winning'' (in reference to his 2000 studio album ''Sing When You're Winning'') was released in late 2001, it became an instant hit in the United Kingdom (spending six consecutive weeks at number one), Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, Germany and Switzerland and it reached the top ten in the rest of the world, going on to sell over 2 million copies by the end of 2001 and over 7 million altogether. A second single was released from the album, a double a-side "Mr. Bojangles/I Will Talk and Hollywood Will Listen". It was, however, released only in Central and Eastern Europe. "Mack the Knife" was released as a radio single in Mexico.
The album spent 85 weeks inside the UK Charts, selling more than 2.1 million copies. It was certified 7x Platinum in the United Kingdom and ultimately became the 49th Best Selling Album in UK Music History. "Beyond the Sea" was put in the credits of the film ''Finding Nemo'' in 2003 and was also released on the film's soundtrack CD.
A DVD called ''Robbie Williams Live at the Albert Hall'' was released in December of that year. So far, it has become one of the best selling music DVDs in Europe, being certified 6x Platinum in the United Kingdom and 2x Platinum in Germany.
Williams began working on what would be his fifth studio album, spending a year in the recording studio. The album heralded a new era for Williams. He had taken a more active role in the making of this album, giving an indication of his growing confidence in the studio. "One Fine Day", "Nan's Song", and "Come Undone" were the first songs that Williams wrote without the input of Guy Chambers. Most of the songs were recorded in Los Angeles.
The album's first single, "Feel", written by Williams and Chambers, was recorded as a demo. When they started working on the album and were trying to re-record the vocals, Williams felt unsatisfied with it, so he decided to include the demo version and then release it as the first single. When the single was released in late 2002, it became Williams' biggest international hit, going number one in countries like The Netherlands and Italy, as well as reaching the top ten in almost every single European country.
When Williams' fifth studio album, ''Escapology'', was released in late 2002, it hit number one in at least 10 countries around the world including the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. Elsewhere, it made the top ten. In the United States, however, it failed to make such an impact, reaching only number forty-three on the Billboard Albums Chart.
The album's second single, "Come Undone" became a top ten hit around the world. Due to its controversial video, it was heavily censored by MTV Networks Europe for depicting a debauched (but fully-clothed) Williams having three-way sex with two women. The video was about some young people having a party and it showed footage of fights, drug taking and alcohol abuse. It also showed unsettling images of insects and reptiles. The uncensored version of the video was released on DVD single in Europe and was also included on the Enhanced CD Single. BBC Radio 2 also banned the song for its explicit content. At that time, it was confirmed that Williams and Guy Chambers were to officially split up. The single version of "Come Undone" is not the same version as the one on the album, but instead is listed by producer Steve Power as being "from an original production by Guy Chambers/Steve Power".
The third single taken from the album was "Something Beautiful". The song was written in Barbados. It was first offered to Tom Jones, who declined, after which it was reworked for its inclusion on Williams' album. The single was released in mid-2003. While it had minor success compared to Williams' previous songs, it did manage to enter the top ten in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Denmark. However it failed to make much of an impact in the music charts in other countries. The video featured a number of people from all over Europe vying to win the chance to perform as Robbie Williams at the end of the same video. The three winners had the chance to meet Williams. Three different versions of the video were released in different parts of the world, featuring the different winners. Williams started his world tour in the mid-2003, and he was about to do three live concerts in Knebworth. The Knebworth shows attracted a total of 375,000 fans.
''Escapology'' ended up selling almost 2 million copies by the end of 2003 in the United Kingdom. It was certified 6x Platinum by the BPI, becoming the 60th best selling album in UK music history. The album went on to sell over 5 million copies in Europe alone.
In October 2003, Williams released his first live album, ''Live at Knebworth'' which peaked at number two in the UK. The album reached the top position in Germany and Austria and became a top ten album throughout the rest of Europe, Australasia and Latin America. The live record ended up selling a little over 600,000 copies in the United Kingdom and was certified 2x Platinum by the BPI. It sold a total of 2 million units in Europe alone.
In October 2004, Williams released a retrospective of his career, and also, to reveal the new tracks he had been working on with the then-new collaborator, Stephen Duffy. "Radio", the compilation's first single was released in October 2004, which debuted at number one of the UK Singles Chart (becoming Williams' sixth number-one hit) selling 41,732 copies. The song was also a number one hit in Denmark, and it hit the top ten in The Netherlands, Italy, Austria and Norway.
When the compilation ''Greatest Hits'' was released two weeks later, it went on to sell 320,000 copies in its first week in the United Kingdom debuting at number one. The album also hit the top spot in other countries like Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, Austria, The Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand.
The album's second single, the ballad "Misunderstood", which was also the soundtrack of the film ''Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason'' hit the top ten in Italy and Denmark in December of that year, making the album the best selling album of the year in the United Kingdom and becoming the 61st Best Selling Album in UK Music History, with sales over 2 million copies, becoming certified 6x Platinum by the BPI. It also became the best selling album of the year in Europe, being certified 5x Platinum, with over 5 million copies sold.
Eight years after the release of "Angels", in February 2005 the British public voted it as the "Best Single of the Past Twenty-Five Years" at the 2005 BRIT Awards.
After touring Latin America in late 2004 for the promotion of his ''Greatest Hits'' album, Williams started working on his sixth studio album. Recorded in his bedroom in the Hollywood Hills, the album was co-written by Stephen Duffy over the course of 24 months.
The track "Ghosts" was inspired by the Human League's "Louise", about a man who breaks off a relationship with his partner and realises he still has strong feelings for her.
The album's first single "Tripping", was released on 3 October 2005, it became an international success topping the charts in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and Spain.
The album ''Intensive Care'' was launched in Berlin, Germany on 9 October. It became a smash hit around the world, hitting number one in the United Kingdom, as well as topping the charts in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Australia, Sweden, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Finland and many other countries.
In November 2005, Williams took home the MTV Europe Music Award for 'Best Male', but also, entered in ''The Guinness Book of World Records'' when he announced his World Tour for 2006, selling 1.6 million tickets in one single day. But after the success, Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Jason Orange, and Howard Donald had agreed to reunite in Notting Hill, west London, for a preview screening of a documentary about Take That. The documentary screened on ITV1 on 16 November 2005. Unfortunately, according to a source quoted by The Sunday Mirror, "Robbie announced he wasn't coming. The rest of the band were gutted but felt the show had to go on."
By December, the second single from the album was released. The ballad "Advertising Space" reached the top ten in some European countries including the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy.
Williams kicked off his ''Close Encounters World Tour'' in South Africa in April 2006, when he finished his European leg of the tour. 2.5 million had seen the show, and after touring Latin America and Australia the numbers went up to 3 million.
After a long gap between singles, the third cut from the album was released in the mid-2006. "Sin Sin Sin" was the first song Williams and Duffy wrote together, the video of which was shot in Cape Town, South Africa right before the start of his tour. The track became Williams' first single not to make the UK Top 20, charting at only number 22, but managed to enter the top 20 in some countries including Germany, Switzerland, Austria, The Netherlands, Denmark and Italy.
By the end of the promotion of the album, it was announced that it had sold over five million copies in Europe alone, and was certified 5x Platinum by the IFPI. It was also certified 5x Platinum in the United Kingdom becoming, at the time, his lowest selling studio album in the country.
The first single, "Rudebox", was premièred on radio by Scott Mills on his show on BBC Radio 1. The event caused some controversy, as the record label's embargo date was broken, although the artist himself later backed the presenter for doing so. More controversy followed due to the first single's radical change of direction when compared to his older releases. British newspaper ''The Sun'' named the song "The Worst Song Ever". However, Victoria Newton stated that there were sure-fire hits on the album. The song was released in September that year reaching number four in the UK Singles Chart. It hit the number one spot in Germany, Switzerland and Italy.
Williams released his much anticipated dance/electro album, ''Rudebox'', on 23 October 2006. It received mixed reviews: Allmusic gave it a four star rating, the ''NME'' 8 out of 10, and Music Week and MOJO were equally positive, but it received much weaker reviews from some of the British press. Despite reaching the number one spot, sales were far below what was expected by his label, and overall sales in the UK were overtaken by his former band, Take That's ''Beautiful World''. The album has sold a little under 500,000 copies in the United Kingdom, becoming his lowest-selling album in the country, being certified 2x Platinum by the BPI. The album was received with a warmer reception by the public in other parts of the world where it hit number one including Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Finland and Italy.
The album sold 2x Platinum in Europe with sales of over 2 million making it the fastest platinum-selling album of 2006. The album finished at number eighteen in the list of 2006's best selling albums worldwide. Neil Tennant claimed the album had sold 4.5 million copies by early 2007.
The second single, "Lovelight", came out right before the release of the album, and was commercially released on 13 November. The single reached the top ten in the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Finland, Denmark and Italy, but failed to reach the success of Williams' previous releases when the track showed no longevity in the charts.
The third single, "She's Madonna" included remixes from Kris Menace and Chris Lake and was released on European radio in late January to precede the commercial release which was scheduled for 5 March 2007. The track reached only number sixteen on the Singles Chart in the United Kingdom, but fared better in Continental Europe hitting the top ten in most countries. It rose to number one on the European Airplay Chart after spending four weeks at number two, a feat his former band, Take That, failed to achieve. It was confirmed that this single was not going to be released in Latin America or Australia, but did receive heavy airplay in the latter country. Despite this, the single was released as Digital Download in Mexico in four different formats. In August 2007, the single reached number 12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Chart.
"Bongo Bong and Je Ne T'Aime Plus", a collaboration with British singer Lily Allen, was released as the third single in Latin America and other European countries, hitting radio in January 2007, and as a Digital Download in February. To promote his album, Williams commissioned a series of short films. ''Goodbye to the Normals'' was directed by Jim Field Smith and features "Burslem Normals" by Robbie Williams.
On 4 October 2007, Williams made a return to the live stage after almost ten months, when he made a guest appearance at Mark Ronson's concert in Los Angeles. He performed The Charlatans' song "The Only One I Know", which features on Ronson's album ''Version''.
Rumours of a new studio album co-written with Guy Chambers had surfaced in early 2007, along with known commitments required by Williams to his EMI contract. British singer-songwriter Laura Critchley commented that she had sung vocals for three songs, and said that it would not be released until 2009.
On 16 January 2008 UK tabloid ''The Sun'' announced that Williams had been working on some songs with The Blockheads member Chaz Jankel. The article went on to state that the reunion with Chambers hadn't worked out and that the material that Williams is working on with Jankel will form the basis of his next studio album. However, although it had been confirmed on the Blockheads' official site that Jankel was writing with Williams, the rumour that Chambers was no longer working with him was not official. In late August 2008, Williams' friend Callum Blue commented that he was still working on the album. In February 2009, it was confirmed that Williams had written material with Guy Chambers and Mark Ronson. A spokesman said that Williams was planning to begin the recording sessions in March and that the new album would be released in late 2009. This will probably be the last Williams album released by EMI. On his official website, Williams confirmed that he is working with producer Trevor Horn on his new album; he described himself as "buzzing" and that the new album sounds "big. Very, very big". The new album will be titled ''Reality Killed the Video Star'', a reference to the song "Video Killed the Radio Star" by Horn's former band The Buggles. The album was released on 9 November 2009 in the United Kingdom. The new song "Bodies" saw its first play on 4 September 2009 during the Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1, where Moyles described it as "a grower", with Williams later agreeing that it may take a few listens for people to like it.
On 11 October 2009 Williams published a 12-track compilation album, titled ''Songbook'', as a free CD for the newspaper ''The Mail on Sunday''. The CD is a one-off album of some of his biggest hits - including several rare live performances and images from his new album. The CD also included the 'completemyartist' software which gave access to more exclusive content and playlists online. That same evening, Williams made his "comeback" on ''The X Factor'' results show, performing his new single "Bodies" for the first time live. The appearance proved to be somewhat controversial as press and viewers alike questioned Williams' well-being following a bizarre and erratic performance. A spokesperson for Williams later issued a public statement declaring that Williams had not been taking drugs. On 12 December 2009 Williams appeared again on the show to duet with finalist Olly Murs. There were claims that Robbie missed his cue, and he was unaware of the long instrumental and therefore began too early. However, after laughing it off and picking up his place again from Olly Murs, he managed to complete the performance without any other negative incidents.
On 20 October 2009 Williams opened the BBC Electric Proms at the London RoundHouse. It was his first live concert for 3 years and was beamed across 200 cinemas around the world. Accompanied by a string section, horn section, full band and producer Trevor Horn, Williams performed several new tracks from ''Reality Killed the Video Star'' and several of his greatest hits. Among the musicians, the harpist in the band Lucinda Belle was spotted in this live show by BBC DJ Fearne Cotton, which directly led to her being signed by Universal Records with a five-record deal worth 1.25 million pounds.
''Reality Killed the Video Star'' was exclusively previewed in the UK on the Spotify music streaming service on 6 November 2009, three days before its official release on 9 November. In a high profile chart battle, Williams' album was pitted against X Factor 2008 runners-up JLS who released their debut album the same day. JLS beat Williams to the number one spot by 1500 sales - both were the two biggest-selling albums of the year so far in the UK - making ''Reality...'' Williams' first studio album not to reach no.1 in the UK. However it reached number 1 globally that week.
The album was also released in the United States (Williams' first album to be released there since 2002's ''Escapology''). However, the album peaked at #160 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and dropped out of the chart after only one week.
In late November 2009, Williams traveled to Australia to perform at the ARIA Music Awards of 2009.
On 15 July 2010, Robbie Williams announced he was returning to Take That. A joint statement between Williams and the group said "The rumours are true... Take That: the original lineup, have written and recorded a new album, to be called, ''Progress'' for release later this year," read the band's statement. "Following months of speculation Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams confirmed they have been recording a new studio album as a five-piece, which they will release in November."
On 26 August 2010, it was announced Williams would become a guest vocal coach on the ninth series of German reality television show ''Popstars: Girls forever'' to teach candidates for a girl group. On 20 September 2010, Williams released his second book called "You Know Me" in collaboration with Chris Heath. The book features a collection of photographs of Williams from the past 20 years of his career and discussion of them by Williams as transcribed by Heath.
In October, Media Control named Robbie Williams the most successful album-artist of the millennium due to the fact that he had spent No. 1 on the German Albums Chart for 38 weeks since 2000. He also reached that chart's Top Ten 135 times.
On 15 and 16 July 2011, Take That were scheduled to perform two sold-out concerts in Copenhagen, Denmark as part of their Progress Tour. Unfortunately, the day after the first concert, Robbie announced that he had acquired a stomach infection and (despite treatment attempts) was unable to take part in the concert. Due to this, the entire event was cancelled, leaving thousands of fans in frustration. This was the first time Take That ever cancelled a concert. It was not rescheduled.
On 27 March 2009, Williams stated he felt ready to re-join Take That. He said: "I'm in regular contact with them, even Gaz, and it's looking more likely by the week. The lads all seem up for it and some people think it's a done deal. I think it would be fun." Williams was eager to re-join the band on their The Circus Live tour, but these plans never materialised. In September 2009, Williams was reported to be working in New York with Take That, however these rumours were never confirmed.
While it was rumoured that Williams would reunite with Take That on 12 November 2009 for a Children In Need charity concert at The Royal Albert Hall, they merely greeted each other warmly on stage between performances. However, both did join with the other acts in the final song of the evening, with Robbie putting his arm around Gary Barlow and singing Hey Jude happily together. Williams subsequently implied in an interview that a proper reunion was still a distinct possibility. On 15 February 2010, tabloid newspaper ''The Sun'' printed an interview with Robbie, stating that he and Take That had been sighted going to an Los Angeles studio together.
It was announced on 15 July that Robbie Williams had rejoined Take That. In November 2010 the Take That album Progress was released, becoming the fastest selling album since 2000 and second fastest selling album in UK history. Williams explained that the long-standing friction between himself and Gary has been resolved, and how close they are now.
The band also announced the Progress Live 2011 tour which will travel across the UK in the Summer and finish with a record breaking 8 nights at Wembley Stadium in London. The tour will also visit some of the biggest venues across Europe after the tour of the UK. The tour was the fastest selling tour in UK history with ticket hotlines and websites crashing under the demand.
Later in 2000, "Rock DJ", a single taken from Williams's second US album ''Sing When You're Winning'', was released; it reached #24 in the Hot Dance Club Play Chart, but failed to chart on the Hot 100. The album peaked at #110 on the Billboard 200 and only stayed on the charts for four weeks.
Together with a promotional tour, EMI hoped that the release of ''Escapology'' would be the album to successfully break the American market. Williams performed the lead song "Feel" on such shows as ''Good Morning America'' and ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno''. However, this single did not reach Hot 100 but peaked at #28 on the Adult Top 40. The album ''Escapology'' also failed to catch fire in America and peaked at #43 on the US Album Billboard Charts. ''Intensive Care'' and ''Rudebox'' were not released on an American label, but they were made available on iTunes. Williams's 2009 album, ''Reality Killed The Video Star'', was released in the US, but was also a commercial failure, peaking at #160 and remained on the chart for only one week.
Williams's single "Lovelight" was released in the United States by Virgin Records, debuting at #23 in the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Chart on March 2008 and eventually peaking at #8 by May 2008. It was the third single from the British singer to hit the American dance chart. It was also his sixth single to reach American charts and his second highest-charting single in an American chart to date. Other singles from Rudebox were released in the United States: ''She's Madonna'', ''We're the Pet Shop Boys'' and ''We're the Pet Shop Boys (Close My Eyes)''. These songs peaked at #12, #5 and #7 respectively in the Hot Dance Club Play chart.
In Canada, Williams has enjoyed more success, with "Feel" reaching the top ten there. A few of his other songs have gained popularity there, notably "Angels", "Millennium", "Rock DJ", "Tripping" and "She's Madonna". Williams has received a Platinum certification for his ''The Ego Has Landed'' for sales of over 100,000 and Gold for ''Swing When You're Winning'' as well as for Escapology selling over 50,000 units of each.
In 2002, Williams appeared on the track "My Culture" on the ''1 Giant Leap'' album, alongside rapper Maxi Jazz (which features lyrics from the hidden track "Hello Sir" from ''Life Thru a Lens''). Williams also features on a double CD titled ''Concrete'' which was released on the same day as ''Rudebox''. The CD features a concert recorded for the BBC featuring the Pet Shop Boys and Williams singing their classic hit "Jealousy". Their joint effort, "She's Madonna", was released as a single in March 2007. On 13 August 2007, a Dean Martin duets album was released, on which Williams sings "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone". Most recently it was announced that Williams has recorded what is going to be Mexican singer Thalía's first single from her upcoming English-language album. In 2010 he announced that he was to release "Shame", a duet with Take That lead singer songwriter Gary Barlow as the first single from his greatest hits collection ''In and Out of Consciousness: The Greatest Hits 1990–2010''.
He has been presented many awards, including seventeen BRIT and seven ECHO awards. In 2004, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame, after being voted as the Greatest artist of the 1990s.
He appears in the list of the all-time Top 100 biggest selling albums in the United Kingdom six times.
On 23 October 2009 it was announced that he would receive the Outstanding Contribution To British Music award at the 2010 BRIT Awards. Williams received his award on 16 February 2010 at the end of the ceremony and performed a live medley of his greatest hits including ''Let Me Entertain You'', ''No Regrets'', and ''Angels''.
On Friday 3 September 2010, on a show that included "The Wanted" and Alesha Dixon, he switched on the world famous Blackpool illuminations, stating that it was one of the greatest honours he'd ever achieved.
Williams has reportedly battled mental illness, obesity, self-esteem issues, alcoholism, and substance abuse throughout his life. He once discussed how his friend Elton John booked him into a clinic to cope with his drug use that emerged from the depression he was experiencing while still in Take That. He entered a rehabilitation centre in Tucson for his addiction to the prescription pills Xanax, Seroxat, Vicodin, and the energy drink Lucozade in February 2007 Williams used to smoke up to 60 cigarettes a day; he gave up in 2009 for his girlfriend Ayda Field.
Williams has a strong interest in UFOs and related paranormal phenomena, and has pursued this interest during his 2007–08 sabbatical. His interest in the subject led to him taking part in a documentary for BBC Radio 4 with Jon Ronson. The documentary followed them to a UFO convention in Nevada. During an interview with Joss Stone on ''The Jeremy Kyle Show'' in 2008, Williams revealed that while out of his head on dispirin he has seen UFOs three times. Williams said his first UFO sighting was when he was a child in Britain while he spotted his second in Beverly Hills, and added that the third sighting was just after he had written a song about alien contact.
On 8 November 2008, Williams was spotted with Field at football match at the Emirates Stadium home of Arsenal, where he was also seen with Gary Barlow accompanied by his two oldest children, and Williams's longtime friend Jonathan Wilkes. The couple has been living together in a mansion in Wiltshire since the beginning of 2009 according to ''The Sun''. In October 2009, Field appeared in the video of Williams comeback single Bodies. Williams has been referring to Field as his "wife" in recent interviews.
In November 2009, Williams announced to Jonathan Ross that he was 'in love' with Field. On 26 November 2009, Williams proposed to Ayda Field live on the Australian radio channel 2dayfm in an interview on the Kyle and Jackie O Show. However, it was later revealed by Williams' manager that it was "done as a joke following suggestions it was a stunt which was set up prior to the radio show." His spokesman confirmed: 'He did say it, but he did it in a jocular manner. They are not engaged.' A few days later Williams himself denied the engagement, using his official blog to say "Hey all. We are not engaged. Rob.". On 7 August 2010, Williams and Field married at his home in Los Angeles.
Williams is a lifelong supporter of Port Vale, based in his home town of Stoke-on-Trent. In February 2006 he bought £240,000 worth of shares in the club, making him the majority shareholder. He also has a restaurant at Vale Park named in his honour.
; Studio albums
; Compilation albums
; Live albums
Category:1974 births Category:Living people Category:BRIT Award winners Category:Capitol Records artists Category:English dance musicians Category:English expatriates in the United States Category:English football chairmen and investors Category:English-language singers Category:English male singers Category:English pop singers Category:English singer-songwriters Category:Hollywood United players Category:Ivor Novello Award winners Category:Music from Stoke-on-Trent Category:People from Stoke-on-Trent Category:People self-identifying as substance abusers Category:Port Vale F.C. Category:Take That members Category:World Music Awards winners
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name | Gary Barlow |
---|---|
background | solo_singer |
birth name | Gary Barlow |
born | January 20, 1971Frodsham, Cheshire, England |
instrument | Vocals, piano, keyboards |
occupation | Singer-songwriter, pianist, record producer |
genre | Pop |
years active | 1988–present |
label | Sony Music, Polydor,San Remo, Future Records |
website | |
associated acts | Take That }} |
Gary Barlow (born 20 January 1971) is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and record producer. He is the lead vocalist of British pop group Take That and is the head judge on The X Factor. Barlow is one of Britain's most successful songwriters. He has had two Number 1 singles and a Number 1 album as a solo artist, and has had sixteen top 5 hits, eleven Number 1 singles and seven Number 1 albums with Take That. He is a five-time recipient of the Ivor Novello Award and was voted the greatest British songwriter of all time in a national 2009 poll organised by OnePoll.
"I was one of those kids that's forever dancing in front of the TV looking at my reflection."
He said he enjoyed watching ''Top of the Pops'' on television, and when he was ten years old, he watched an episode of the programme in which Depeche Mode were performing their new single "Just Can't Get Enough". Barlow was mesmerised by the sound and decided he wanted a keyboard for Christmas. For the next few years, he spent most of his spare time teaching himself to play his favourite songs.
In 1986 Barlow entered a BBC Pebble Mill at One competition called ''A Song For Christmas'' with a song called "Let's Pray For Christmas". After getting through to the semi-finals, he was invited to London's West Heath Studios to record his song. This inspired Barlow to perform on the northern club circuit, singing cover versions and his own songs. Barlow's first performance was at the Connah's Quay Labour Cub in the late eighties and he was paid £18 per performance on Saturday evenings.
In 1989 he appointed Wigan show business agent Barry Woolley to be his manager and recorded a single ("Love Is in the Air") which was never released commercially. Barlow was eventually put in touch with casting agent Nigel Martin-Smith who was interested in starting a boyband. Martin-Smith decided to use Barlow as the lead-singer after being impressed by his self written material including an early demo tape of Barlow's "A Million Love Songs" concluding that the band will be built around Barlow's vocals and songwriting skills.
Barlow, who wrote the majority of the group's songs, is generally recognised as the musical talent behind Take That. After choosing Barlow as the group's lead-singer, Nigel Martin-Smith introduced Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and finally Robbie Williams to the fold. The UK group were signed to RCA records, and after a number of top 40 hits, eventually secured their first Number 1 with Barlow's "Pray". Previous hits included "A Million Love Songs", "It Only Takes a Minute" and "Could It Be Magic".
The debut album ''Take That & Party'' was released on 17 August 1992. It reached number 2 on the UK Album Chart. The following year saw the release of their second album, ''Everything Changes'' based on Barlow's own material. It went straight in at number 1 in the UK Album Chart and spawned four number 1 singles, as well as "Why Can't I Wake Up With You" and "Love Ain't Here Anymore" hitting number 2 and 3 respectively. Barlow received an Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song in 1994 for the number 1 hit song "Pray" included on the album. Their third album ''Nobody Else'', again based on Barlow's own material, went straight to number 1 and was to be their last studio album of the 90s. The album had three number 1 singles, including Barlow's "Back for Good" which peaked at number 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was brought forward an unprecedented 6 weeks before its official release such was the demand for the single. A ''Greatest Hits'' collection followed again reaching number 1. The album featured the band's eighth number 1 single "How Deep Is Your Love". This was to be the first single released by Take That as a four piece (without Robbie Williams) and it was their last single until they reformed in 2005. In 1994 Barlow alongside Rick Astley did backing vocals for Elton John's version of Can You Feel the Love Tonight from The Lion King.
In 2008, the band were nominated for four Brit Awards (Best British Group, Best British Album, Best British Single and Best British Live Act). They won Best British Single and Best British Live Act. After great success in 2006, Take That released the single "Greatest Day" which went straight to number 1 and became their eleventh number 1 single in the UK. The week after they released their second album since their reunion in 2006, ''The Circus'' which was the most preordered album of all time. ''The Circus'' album was also a great success for Take That going straight to the top of the UK album chart and selling over 2.2 million copies across the country, going multi platinum within 4 days of its release. In June and July Take That performed a record breaking tour named ''Take That Present: The Circus Live'' throughout the United Kingdom selling sold over 1 million tickets in just 5 hours.
It was announced that Barlow was in the process of writing Take That's much anticipated sixth studio album, set for release in late 2010. The album, ''Progress'', was the first to feature the original line-up since their 1995 album, ''Nobody Else''. The band also announced a stadium tour entitled Progress Live which will take place in 2011. The tickets for the tour went on sale on 29 October 2010. Due to unprecedented high public demand for tickets, ticketmaster websites across the UK and Ireland crashed and all initial tour dates sold out in under 15 minutes. It was reported that a record breaking one million tickets were snapped up on the first day of sale, resulting in Take That smashing the previous box office record of tickets sold which was set in 2008 by Take That Present: The Circus Live. Due to unprecedented demand Take That added more dates to their tour, finishing in the UK with a record breaking 8 consecutive nights at Wembley Stadium after which the tour will then commence throughout Europe with an estimated 1.75 million people expected to attend the shows.
The lead single from ''Progress'' was announced as "The Flood". The single debuted at number 2, selling over 500,000 copies since release. On the first day of the release of ''Progress'', the album sold over 235,000 copies across the UK, making it the fastest selling record of the century. On 21 November 2010, ''Progress'' debuted at number one in the United Kingdom, becoming the band's seventh number-one album. By the end of its first week on sale the album sold over 520,000, making it the second fastest-selling album of all-time in UK chart history. To date ''Progress'' has sold 2.8 million copies in the UK and has achieved similar chart success across Europe.
The media have widely acknowledged Barlow's talent and labelled him as the mastermind behind the unprecedented success of Take That's comeback and the new musical direction they have taken.
In October 2007, Barlow founded San Remo Live Publishings as an independently run management company to establish and support artists and songwriters.
Gary Barlow has recently signed a new 5 year song writing publishing deal with Sony music. He has also been voted as the greatest British songwriter of all time, ahead of Paul McCartney and John Lennon of The Beatles.
Gary's charity efforts in 2009, including his organising of the BT Comic Relief Kilimanjaro Climb and his organising of 'Children In Need Rocks', raised in excess £6 million. In addition to the charity events organised by Gary, the pop star has also shown support for fellow artists' charity efforts including that of Ronan Keating. The pair belted out Take That's Back for Good written by Barlow at Ronan's Emerald and Ivy Ball in Battersea, South London, on Saturday. The starry bash raised £650,000 for Cancer Research UK.
His organisation of a very special event at the Royal Albert Hall went ahead in November 2009 and was broadcast the following week. This saw a meeting of Take That with Robbie Williams on stage and a number of unusual duets (including Dame Shirley Bassey with Dizzy Rascal and Take That with Lily Allen). Gary dedicated the band's song "Rule the World" to "everyone whose lost someone – Dad, this is for you". It was a very special night raising £2M and ending with Gary seeming to promise it could be an annual event.
It was announced in December 2009 that Barlow had been awarded the prestigious Blue Peter Gold Badge, awarded for outstanding achievements and inspiring children to realise their talents and achieve.
To celebrate his 10th wedding anniversary Gary invited family and many friends to a special event in London. It was a rare event that Gary allowed a popular magazine to photograph the event. A highlight was a special Bingo session hosted by Gary. Money raised at the event was donated to Barnardo's.
Towards the end of 2009, there has been a huge Twitter campaign to 'Get Gary Knighted' for all of his charity work over the years. The campaign has been mentioned and endorsed by many celebrities, including Chris Moyles of Radio 1.
At the beginning of May 2010, it was announced that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had asked Gary Barlow to organise her 85th birthday and her Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012. A source said: "Her Majesty has been made well aware of his charity work and the events he has put together. She knows that Gary has got the power to pull in the big names across the music industry and to ensure it's a party to match the occasion".
Barlow appeared at Twickenham Stadium to perform the hit single "Shame" alongside Robbie Williams in aid of the Help for Heroes charity on 12 September 2010.
Gary Barlow has also donated the original handwritten lyrics to his number 1 hit single Back for Good to help raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Barlow wrote the song in 1995 and it went on to top the charts across the world as well as becoming a top ten hit in America.
It was announced in December that Gary Barlow would be organising a special show, named GB40, at Shepherd's Bush Empire to celebrate his 40th birthday. This event will see him take to the stage on his own for the first time in over eleven years as he performs songs that span a his 20 year career in music. He has also announced that all of the profits from the show will go to charity.
It has been announced that Gary Barlow is planning to organise a charity walk to the North Pole to raise money for BBC Sport Relief.
In his autobiography ''My Take'', Barlow mentions he was on the Edgware Road tube train that was one of the targets of the 7 July 2005 London bombings.
In 2009, Barlow named "Don't Give Up", the 1986 duet between Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush, as the song that had most inspired him. He said: "I don't think you can listen to this song without feeling inspired, it could save anybody. The lyrics are so inspirational. Specifically I was having a very low moment in the 1990s and the song came on the radio. There have only been a very few times when I've had to pull the car over to listen to a song – this was one of them."
Barlow's father Colin died aged 71 on 15 October 2009. The singer rushed back to his parents' home in Frodsham, Cheshire, and cancelled an engagement to launch his celebrity-packed Children in Need show, whilst also postponing the launch of the Take That edition of Singstar.
During the 2010 General Election the Conservative Party announced their intention to encourage musical achievement amongst young people in schools with a competition called ''School Stars''. Barlow appeared at a school staged campaign event and sang "Greatest Day", backing the introduction of the programme by Conservative Party leader, David Cameron.
Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:English male singers Category:English singer-songwriters Category:English keyboardists Category:Ivor Novello Award winners Category:People from Frodsham Category:Musical groups from Cheshire Category:Take That members Category:The X Factor (UK) Category:The X Factor judges
da:Gary Barlow de:Gary Barlow es:Gary Barlow fr:Gary Barlow it:Gary Barlow ka:გერი ბარლოუ arz:جارى بارلو my:ဂယ်ရီ ဘားလိုး nl:Gary Barlow ja:ゲイリー・バーロウ pl:Gary Barlow pt:Gary Barlow fi:Gary Barlow sv:Gary Barlow th:แกรี บาร์โลว์ tr:Gary BarlowThis text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
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