Take That

Take That

Take That are a bunch of wankers that give manchester a bad name English pop musical group consisting of members Gary Barlowgay, Howard Donaldgay, Jason Orangegay, Mark Owengay, and, formerly, Robbie Williamsnot gay, thats why he left. After seeing major success by selling shit records to teenage girls that dont no anything better in the early to mid 1990s as a five person boyband act, a reformed four man version of the band achieved new success in the late-2000s without Williams.

Formed in Manchester in 1990, Take That sold more than 30 million records between 1991–1996. Between the band's first single release in 1991 and their breakup in 1996, the BBC described Take That as "the most successful British band since The Beatles in the UK, beloved of young and old alike". Take That's dance-oriented pop tunes and soulful ballads dominated the UK charts in the first half of the 1990s, spawning two of the best selling albums of the decade with Everything Changes (which was nominated for the 1994 Mercury Prize) and Greatest Hits 1996, and according to Allmusic, "at this time were giant superstars in Europe with the main question about them not being about whether they could get a hit single, but how many and which would make it to number one".

Take That's music was notable for the band's writing of their own tracks as compared to many other ensuing boybands. Through Gary Barlow, the band were known for their catchy melodies that crossed genres and catered to many musical tastes spanning emotional Ballads, to Hi-NRG, Pop, Soul and Dance, thus contributing to their wide fan base who whilst consisting mainly of teenage women and teenyboppers includes famous singers like Elton John and other acts, who respect the band's work ethic and strong performance ethic. It was their live acts that really got them renown for their characterisation as top performers, and was what would distinguish them from the later emergent boybands. By strong live performances and grandiose dance sets that involved large scale thematic shows at sold out stadiums that were "theatrical affairs that featured fire, elaborate costumes, and complicated dance routines", Take That were arguably one of Europe's biggest live acts of the 1990s. Their success caused other pop managers and labels to create other late 1990s boybands like Boyzone, East 17, 911, and later, Westlife and 5ive, as well as to try the successful formula with women, as the Spice Girls did when they hired Simon Fuller as their manager in 1995.

The band split up in 1996, but after a 2005 documentary and the release of a greatest hits album, they officially announced a 2006 reunion tour around the United Kingdom, entitled The Ultimate Tour. On 9 May 2006, it was announced that Take That were set to record their first studio album Beautiful World in over 10 years. They then went on to produce another sellout tour in 2007, The Beautiful World Tour, which garnered positive reviews from critics, and is to date their highest selling tour.

History

Early years (1989-1993)

In 1989, Nigel Martin-Smith sought to create a British male vocal singing group. Having seen the success and fame of what was the nascent concept of Boybands following the meteoric rise of the New Kids On The Block in the United States, he realized there was no such contemporary group in the United Kingdom. Therein was the birth of the first boyband from the UK and arguably all of Europe at the time. Martin-Smith's vision, however, was more mature and teen-oriented than the clean-cut image that the New Kids sported in the media.

Auditions for the group were held throughout Manchester, where Martin-Smith met teenage singer and budding songwriter Gary Barlow (then 18), whom he was immediately impressed with. Barlow had been rejected by major record labels, but had been playing live sets at pubs all round the North of England, and until that time, had won a couple of songwriting competitions, having penned A Million Love Songs at age 15. Barlow was immediately interested in the opportunity and recommended his 17-year old friend Mark Owen; a former child model, football (soccer) player and trialist, and whom Barlow met whilst playing live sets at one of the pubs; and Owen had been working there part time as well as at Barclays bank as a teller. Vehicle painter, former model and occasional DJ/breakdancer, Howard Donald was one of the oldest to audition at 21, but he was accepted into the group. He recommended to Martin-Smith a neighbourhood friend Jason Orange (then 18), who was a skilled break-dancer and had appeared on The Hitman and Her. Working as a decorator, Orange passed the audition and joined the project. Finally, Martin-Smith recruited a 15-year old boy named Robbie Williams as the fifth and final member of the group by way of advertising in the local media. According to Williams in Take That: For The Record, it was his mother that signed him up for an interview, and he was selected after an audition.

When Take That formed, they were forging a new type of musical path as much as a musical career, as they were largely the pioneers of the new boyband genre outside of the US. They started with more dance oriented melodies to cater to the British dance and disco scene of the late 1980s and the Madchester scene of the early 1990s. In their early years, they were clean-cut and dressed in black leather gear, but at the height of their fame, they were known for a more older, adult feel and image than the squeaky-clean New Kids. During their popularity, the band sported body piercings, tattoos, facial hair, and dreadlocks, in Donald's case.

For the first two years, the band rehearsed, performed at school dances, public events and even gay bars.

The band's breakthrough single was a cover of the 1970s Tavares hit It Only Takes A Minute, which peaked at number seven 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 - both top 20 hits. Their cover of the Barry Manilow disco hit Could It Be Magic gave them their biggest hit to date, peaking at number 3 in the UK. Their first album, Take That & Party, was released in 1992, and included all the hit singles to date. The band was still however, not widely known outside of the dance circuit, and had not made it into the mainstream music charts.

Superstardom (1993-95)

1993 saw the release of Take That's most successful original album Everything Changes, based on Barlow's original material. It spawned four UK number one singles - their first number one Pray, Relight My Fire, Babe (beaten to Christmas number one by Mr Blobby), and the title track Everything Changes. The fifth single Love Ain't Here Anymore reached number three on the UK charts. Everything Changes saw the band gain international success, but it failed to crack the US market where an exclusive remix Love Ain't Here Anymore (U.S. Version) gained little success. However, by 1994, the band had become radio and television hits across Europe and Asia, where along many other 90s acts like Michael Jackson and Duran Duran, the rise of MTV videos streamed direct to via what was a new form of television called cable TV saw the rise of global touring opportunities because of worldwide audiences as it meant the band reached audiences far and wide. However, it was not till 1995 that the band would do their first World Tour.

It was at this time in 1994 that the band fronted scores of magazine covers ranging from Smash Hits to GQ, Popstars and so on and began 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 also began touring extensively around the continent and had sell out concerts back in England at almost all of their sets from Earl's Court to concerts for Princess Diana, to Berlin and Milan. The band had also developed an astoundingly massive female teenage fanbase at the time, because the band was seen as new and exciting and consisted of four good looking Mancunians who could "dance, smile and sing in harmonies". This led to what was known as the "Take That Phenomenon" around the UK, usually underscored by throngs of teenagers queueing up for long lines wherever the band was rumoured to be. There was mass hysteria everywhere they went, and the band hit the apex of their popularity in the 1990s. During this time, the band performed at numerous music awards shows like the Brit Awards or Top of the Pops, where they were regulars with their five hits in a row in 1994, also winning the 'Best Live Act' award in 1995 at the MTV Europe Music Awards.

By the time the band's 1995 album Nobody Else was launched, the release of Sure, their first single from the album, achieved yet another number one on the UK Charts. But it was not until their second release from that album that they would experience what would become their biggest hit single (and only US Chart entry), Back for Good, which reached number one in 31 countries around the globe and to date has been covered 89 times the world over. The song was initially unveiled for the first time via live performance whilst at the 1995 Brit Awards, and based on rave reviews and the reception of that performance alone, the record pre-sold more records than expected and forced an earlier release date. Never Forget was the final single off the Nobody Else album. The album was also noted for its cover which was a parody of the cover of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band cover sleeve.

Departure of Williams and break-up (1995–1996)

In July 1995, Robbie Williams left the group and was photographed by the press partying with British band Oasis at Glastonbury. Take That continued to promote the album Nobody Else as a four piece, scoring a further hit single and fan favorite Never Forget (subsequently released as a single in a Jim Steinman remix version) and completing the Nobody Else Tour in July 1995.

On 13 February 1996, Take That 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 U.K. number one until their 2005 comeback a decade later. At the time in 1996, such was the level of Take That's popularity, that upon their announcement of their break up, millions of teenage fans were seen crying all over the country and across Europe and the situation got so dire that counselling hotlines had to be specially set up by local authorities to cater to suicidal tendencies in many young women.

Gary vs Robbie

After the band split, both Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow began their persuits of solo careers. Gary started by carrying the majority of the success between the two early on, releasing his singles from his album Open Road. Robbie started with a release cover of George Michaels' hit "Freedom," before releasing singles, "South Of The Border" and "Lazy Days." None were as successful as Gary's work, but Robbie's release of worldwide hit single Angels gained him worldwide international stardom which kick-started his solo career. Gary failed to produce a song of matching quality. Robbie went on to release further smash hits such as "She's The One," "Millenium", "Let Me Entertain You," "Rock DJ," and duet with Kylie Minogue "Kids."

Although Gary never made a public statement declaring any sort of war was in order between the two of them at the time, the media hype saw Robbie publicly humiliate Gary's songwriting. In the documentary "Take That - For The Record," Robbie claimed it was the worst time for him personally as drugs and alcohol heavily dominated his life, but he clearly remembered describing Gary as "a crap songwriter," having heard his first solo album. Gary stated in the film that the humiliation was too much for him to bear after being dropped by his label, leading him to shut himself off from the public eye for a long time. He claimed "I've never lay in bed wishing that I was Robbie Williams....but I suppose 7 or 8 years ago I lay in bed wishing that I had his career."

By 2005, Robbie Williams was a worldwide established musician, whilst Gary Barlow remained in a low key image only producing songwriting for other artists. The documentary saw Robbie announce his regret about his comments towards Gary, and in a video message to the band (having not attended their drinks reunion), Robbie apologised to Gary and called him "An amazing songwriter and singer," but announced in his interview that he would not apologise for his remarks about Gary as a person as he did not believe Barlow could see himself the way Robbie saw him, and stated that was the reason for him not attending the reunion. In the film, Gary responded by claiming he had said all he wished to say, and looking back on the last ten years, it was just a good old fashioned public fight that everyone just loves to see, and that maybe he should have attempted to be something that he wasn't in order to compete in the industry.

Careers outside Take That (1996-2005)

Gary Barlow
Barlow recorded a solo album, Open Road (1997). Five singles were released from the album, with the first two — Forever Love and Love Won't Wait (written by Madonna) — both reaching number 1 on the UK singles chart, but it was the single "So Help Me Girl" that gave Gary Barlow's solo album international stardom. His second album, Twelve Months, Eleven Days, was less successful. Two singles were released: Stronger, which reached #16, and For All That You Want, which reached #24. Barlow was then dropped from his label just before he was due to release a third single Lie To Me. He later set up a studio in his Cheshire home and began writing and producing records for the likes of Atomic Kitten, Donny Osmond, Blue including the UK No.2 hit 'Guilty', Lara Fabian and Delta Goodrem.

Mark Owen
Owen has released three solo albums to date - Green Man, In Your Own Time and How the Mighty Fall. He had three top 5 singles from these albums; Child, Clementine and Four Minute Warning. He has toured extensively in Europe and the UK, and visited Japan in early 2006, where he has secured a publishing deal. Mark Owen also won Celebrity Big Brother in 2002. Mark's third album How The Mighty Fall was released under his own label Sedna Records.

Howard Donald
Donald developed his songwriting skills, and tried to land himself a solo record deal after the band split. Despite completing an album, he gave up his efforts at launching a solo career. However, he returned to his DJ-roots and went on to become a successful DJ playing mostly in the UK and Germany. He is also one of the owners of the production company Sonic Fly.

Jason Orange
Orange briefly ventured into acting with two roles; a DJ drug dealer Brent Moyer in Lynda La Plante's Killer Net (shown on UK Channel 4 and now on DVD) and a theatre role in the play Gob which was performed at the King's Head Theatre, London. He also travelled the world and went back to college to study sociology and psychology.

Robbie Williams
(see Robbie Williams)

Reunion: The Ultimate Tour and Beautiful World (2005–2007)

On 14 November 2005, Never Forget - The Ultimate Collection, a new compilation of their hit singles including a new previously unreleased song, also made the top end of the UK charts. The new song Today I've Lost You (recorded in September 2005) was originally written as the follow up to Back for Good but was never recorded. On 16 November2005, the group got back together for the ITV documentary TAKE THAT: For The Record, in which they aired their views over the split and what they had been up to during the last 10 years. On 25 November 2005, there was an official press conference by the band announcing that the post Robbie Williams line-up were going to tour in 2006. The tour, entitled Ultimate Tour, ran from April to June 2006. The tour featured a guest appearance by British soul singer Beverley Knight, who replaced Lulu's vocals on the song Relight My Fire; although Lulu did appear during the stadium shows on Relight My Fire and Never Forget. The American girl-band Pussycat Dolls supported the group at their Dublin concert, and the Sugababes supported the group on the final five dates of the stadium leg.

On 9 May 2006, Take That came back to the recorded music scene after more than ten years, signed to a music deal with Polydor Records in a deal reportedly worth £3,000,000. After a month on sale the band's comeback album Beautiful World sold over 2.7 million copies in the U.K. Unlike the band's earlier works, where the majority of their material was written by Gary Barlow, all songs are co-written by the band members. The come-back single Patience was released on 20 November 2006, with a special event launching it on 5 November (Bonfire Night). On 26 November Patience hit number 1 in the UK in its second week of chart entry making it the group's 9th No.1. The video for Shine, the follow-up to Patience was 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. However the single only reached 17 in the UK Singles Chart, falling out of the top 40 the following week. This is thought to be 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 picure 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 Beautiful World the album 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 in Belfast. The tour included 49 shows throughout Europe and the UK and ended in Manchester on 23 December 2007.

Current and future events: The Circus (2007–present)

After having an outstanding year of success in 2007, Take That received four nominations for the 2008 BRIT Awards. Nominated for Best British Group, Best British Single (Shine), Best British Album (Beautiful World) and Best Live Act, taking home the Best Live Act and the Best British Single awards.

On 22 May 2008 two of the Take Take That members, Gary Barlow and Howard Donald, attended the 2008 Ivor Novello awards and 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 18th September 2008.They were unable to attend as they were in LA finishing off their new album, 'The Circus'. They did send a video link message, which was shown at the awards.

The first single "Greatest Day" from the album The Circus made its radio premiere on October 13, 2008 and it was released 24th November. It reached Number 1 in the UK Singles Chart on 30th November 2008. The Circus was released in the UK on 1st December 2008.

Take That performed on Children in Need 2008, singing their new single "Greatest Day", before donating £250,000 to the charity from their Marks and Spencers fee.

An album launch Party for The Circus was held in Paris on the 2nd December.

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 England, Scotland and Wales. Tickets for the tour went on sale at 09:00 BST on 31 October. The promoters, SJM, have said that the band's tour is "the fastest selling in UK history".

Trivia & other Media

• Take That were the first group to win the Best Group Award at the MTV Europe Music Awards. They were also the first boyband and English group to perform at the awards, performing at the inaugural awards night in 1994.
• They performed at the 2006 Royal Variety Performance.
• In an episode of the alternative comedy Green Wing, whilst Mac is in a coma, he is played Take That's Back for Good.
• In the final episode of Spaced their song Back for Good was the song used by Tim, Brian, and Mike to convince Marsha to move back to the house.
• They posed together for a nude shot and their video Do What U Like contains an uncensored version, arguably because their manager early in their career wanted them to appeal to the homoerotic market.
• Take That were the most photographed group in Europe for the years 1993-1995.
• 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 North America and Europe in August 2007.
• In 1997 Slow Smile recorded a punky cover of Back For Good. An EMI/Virgin spokeswoman commented "Gary Barlow was caught in a moment and approved it... rather than liking it, he was staggered by it.”
• In the Only Fools And Horses episode of Mother Nature's Son, during a scene in the pub, Take That is being played in the background.
• Mark Owen had soccer trials with Manchester United and Oldham Athletic but was rejected because of his size.
• Star Stories, a British satirical comedy program that takes a look at celebrity lives, did an episode on Gary Barlow, which included the 'story' of the band's formation, break up, and reformation. The comedy is made in the eyes of the celebrity it is showcasing, in this case, Gary Barlow. At the end of an episode, Star Stories normally mocks the celebrities it showcases by telling the 'story' of where some of the celebrities involved are now, an example in this episode being "Robbie Williams can probably be seen performing at Butlin's in 2009". Ironically, one of these stories was "Gary Barlow is surely a contender for 2008's Ivor Novello award". Despite trying to mock the band in this fashion, Take That went on to win an award at the Ivor Novello awards for their single Shine.
• Take That are the most successful boyband to have reunited in history.
• The band are the best selling UK Live pop act in history and constantly sold and continue to sell out concerts in record time.
• The band cite their motivations for coming up with live performances requiring hours of practice and countless dance routines as a result of their love for their loyal fans, known globally and especially around Europe as "Thatters".
• In The Office UK Christmas Special, released in 2003, Back For Good is played when Dawn walks away from Tim (Martin Freeman) during the climax of the series.
• In Shameless Series 4 episode 8 there is a musical scene by the cast, who sing along to "Never Forget" during the wedding sequence. The directors cut appears as a bonus on the series 4 dvd. Paul Abbott, creator of the series is a Take that fan.
• Never Forget is a musical based on songs of the band from the 1990s. The musical toured in 2007 and 2008 and opened at the Savoy Theatre, London, in May 2008. In April 2006, Gary Barlow and EMI licensed the band's songs to be used in the musical. Take That later posted a statement on their website distancing themselves from it.
• Their tour - Take That Present The Circus Live - became the fastest selling tour in British History.
• The group performed on Children in Need 2008.

Discography

Main article: Take That discography

• Take That & Party (1992)
• Everything Changes (1993)
• Nobody Else (1995)
• Beautiful World (2006)
• The Circus (2008)

External links

• Take That TV - Official Take That Website (Polydor)