Take That | Biography, News, Photos and Videos | Contactmusic.com Biography Take That (1990 - 1996, 2005- ) Take That are an English pop band that achieved great success in the 1990s. Although the band split in 1996, they reformed over a decade later to renewed commercial success. Formation: Take That were formed in 1990 by their manager Nigel Martin Smith in Manchester. The five band members were Mark Owen, Gary Barlow, Jason Orange, Howard Donald and Robbie Williams. The band's first release to find commercial success was a cover version of Tavares' song 'It Only Takes A Minute,' which reached number seven in the UK singles chart. The follow-up tracks, 'I Found Heaven' and 'A Million Love Songs' (written by Gary Barlow) were both top 20 hits. Career: The band's cover of Barry Manilow's 'Could It Be Magic' was their biggest success so far in their career. The single reached number three in the UK singles. In 1992, Take That's debut album was released.

Entitled Take That & Party, the album included all the band's singles up until that point. In 1993, the band released a new album, Everything Changes, which contained original tracks written by Barlow. The single 'Pray' was their first number one single. Disappointingly for the band, their single 'Babe' was beaten to the highly coveted Christmas number one slot by Mr. Blobby, a character from Noel Edmonds' family entertainment show. Although the band began to garner international acclaim with the release of Everything Changes, they failed to find success in the United States. A new album Nobody Else was released in 1995 and went to number one in the UK album charts. 'Back To Good' was the second release from the album and was their biggest-selling single. The track reached number one in 31 countries across the world and also gained the band their only US chart entry. Robbie Williams announced that he was leaving Take That in 1995. The band continued to promote Nobody Else as a four piece and completed the Nobody Else Tour without Williams. In February of the next year, the band announced that they would be splitting up.

The announcement was followed by the release of their Greatest Hits album. A cover of The Bee Gees' 'How Deep Is Your Love?' was the band's last number one single success until they reformed in 2005. A new compilation of Take That's' hit singles was released in November 2005. Never Forget - The Ultimate Collection reached the top of the UK. A new song on the album, 'Today I've Lost You' had originally been intended as the follow-up to 'Back For Good' but the band spilt before a recording was made. At the same time as the album release, an ITV documentary about the band was aired. TAKE THAT: For The Record showed the band speaking out about the split and their activities over the last 10 years. Later that month, they announced that they would be touring the next year, without Robbie Williams. The tour was named the Ultimate Tour and featured guest slots from Beverley Knight and Lulu. Support bands for the tour included The Pussycat Dolls and the Sugababes. In May 2006, Take That signed a record deal with Polydor Records. The contract is reported to be worth £3 million.

The first album to be released under the new contract was Beautiful World, which sold over £1.5 million in the UK. 11 of the 12 songs on the album had been written by professional songwriters, unlike their previous albums, which had largely been penned by Gary Barlow. The remaining song, 'I'd Wait For Life' was a joint composition attributed to the whole band. The first single from the album was 'Patience'. The song reached number one in the UK in its second week on sale. Take That followed up the success of the single with a performance at the BRIT Awards, where they won the Best Single award. The second single, 'I'd Wait For Life' fared less well, reaching number 17 and then falling from the Top 40 the next week. Beautiful World finished up as the fourth best-selling album of 2007 and the band signed another record contract, this time with Interscope, who would release their album in the US and Canada - territories in which they had so far had little success. On 1st December 2008, Take That released their fifth studio album, 'The Circus'.

The album received universal praise and broke the record for most pre-ordered album at the time. The release was supported by 'Take That Present: The Circus Live' through June and July 2009. The live circus became the fastest sell-out tour in UK history, selling 35 million GBP worth of tickets in the first day alone. On 30th November 2009, they released 'The Greatest Day - Take That Present: The Circus Live', a live album recorded on their tour that year, accompanied by a DVD release of footage from the tour. On 7th June 2010, it was announced that Barlow and Robbie Williams had collaborated on the writing of a song called 'Shame', which would feature vocal performances from both artist. The following year, the announcement came that Take That would be working on a new album as a 5-piece band once again. On its release on 4th October 2010, 'Shame' marked the first collaboration between them since 1995.

On 15th November, 2010, 'Progress' was released, debuting at the top of the UK album charts and becoming the fastest selling album of the century, as well as the second fastest selling album of all time. On 28th April 2014, with production underway for the seventh studio album, Robbie Williams left the band for a second time due to the birth of his second child. The separation was amicable, and Barlow announced that Williams would be welcomed back whenever he was ready. On 24th September 2014, Jason Orange announced that he was leaving the band as well. Similar to Williams, no falling out had taken place, Orange had simply decided to no longer be part of the band. Due to the various departures, Take That's seventh studio album was entitled 'III' in reference to the three remaining members of the band. 'III' became the band's seventh number one single Biography by Contactmusic.com Profile of the British Boy Band Take That Updated September 26, 2016.

Formation of Take That Take That began when Gary Barlow, already a veteran of TV performances and in his late teens, met Mark Owen and Robbie Williams , 2 other aspiring, 3 years younger, teen performers. They formed the trio Cutest Rush. However, it wasn't long before producer/manager Nigel Martin Smith approached the trio about taking part in a British version of the American New Kids on the Block . The trio agreed and, along with Jason Orange and Howard Donald, they formed Take That in 1990. The group would become one of the most successful boy bands of all time. Take That Members Robbie Williams British Breakthrough Take That's first 3 singles in 1991 and 1992 were only minor hits, but they did endear the group to a mostly gay dance club audience that would be a significant part of the group's core fan base throughout their career. The group's cover of the old Tavares disco classic "It Only Takes a Minute" finally brought them a top 10 pop hit.

continue reading below our video Top 5 Longest Running TV Shows This was followed by 2 more top 10 pop singles and a debut album Take That and Party which reached #5 on the album chart in August, 1992. Quote from Take That's Gary Barlow From interview with Subba-Cultcha on fan response to Take That's reunion: "We really didn’t plan to get this response especially with the tour, we were a bit nervous about whether tickets would sell. I had my phone off when they went on sale, and then when I turned it on I had all these messages about selling out all the dates in 5 minutes, and would we agree to release more dates. It was just amazing, it really is overwhelming!" Everything Changes Everything Changes, Take That's second studio album, was released in October, 1993, amid fan hysteria for the group. The new collection topped the album chart and included 6 top 10 pop singles in the UK, 4 of them went clear to #1. Everything Changes made Take That into stars in many countries around the world, but US success still proved elusive.

Nobody Else With press accolades that Take That were the best-selling British pop group since the Beatles , the 3rd studio album Nobody Else appeared in May, 1995. It included the massive hit single "Back for Good" that finally broke the group into the pop top 10 in the US. Unfortunately, cracks were starting to appear in the group, and there were signs that the taste of British pop audiences was beginning to change and drift away from Take That's brand of dance pop and sweet love songs . Take That's Top Pop Hits All of the following were #1 pop singles in the UK. 1993 - "Pray" 2014 - "These Days" The Break Up Apparently tiring of the clean-cut boy band image, Robbie Williams began hanging out with the members of pop-rock group Oasis . The group was notorious for drunken and drug-induced partying. By late in 1995, Williams had walked out on the group. The remaining four members soldiered on, but in February, 1996 the announcement came that the group members were going their separate ways.

The group's fans were reportedly so distraught at the break-up that British authorities were forced to set up telephone hotlines to make support available to deal with the news. The Return of Take That After the group's break-up Robbie Williams went on to become one of the UK's biggest pop stars. Gary Barlow also enjoyed solo success initially. He released 2 #1 pop singles and a #1 album, but by the end of the 1990's his success faded. Mark Owen has managed to generate 3 top 10 pop singles, but the remaining 2 members of the group failed to crack the charts with any solo work. In mid-November 2005 Take That reunited to help put together a documentary on the group including the individual members' views on the group's split and news on what they had been doing for the past 10 years. A new compilation of the band's past recordings titled Never Forget - The Ultimate Collection was released as well and it reached #2 on the album chart. On November 25, 2005 an official press conference was called to announce that all members of Take That except Robbie Williams would be reuniting onstage for a tour in 2006.

Called The Ultimate Tour 2006, the group's reunion caused a sensation and necessitated adding 19 additional dates to the initially planned 11 shows. Although Robbie Williams gave his blessing to the reunion and the remaining group members extended an open invitation for him to join them, Robbie Williams only took part in the tour as a 20 ft. hologram during the performance of Barry Manilow's "Could It Be Magic." During the tour the group announced that they would be entering the studio to record their first album in 10 years once the tour was complete. "Patience," the first single from Take That's upcoming album Beautiful World. The song became the group's 9th chart topping single when it reached #1 the final week of November, 2006. The album entered the UK album chart at #1. The group earned four Brit Award nominations including Best British Group, Best British Album, and Best British Single. They won Best British Single for "Shine." The Circus Take That proved their return would not be short-lived with "Greatest Day," the first single from their next album The Circus, debuted at #1 in November 2008.

The album sold over 400,000 copies in its first week of release in the UK becoming the third highest first sales week in UK chart history. The accompanying concert tour became the fastest selling concert tour of all time selling out 650,000 tickets in less than four and a half hours. Robbie Williams Returns In the summer of 2010, Take That member Gary Barlow and his former bandmate Robbie Williams released the duet single "Shame." It was the first time they had worked together in 15 years. The song was a success peaking at #2 and hitting pop charts across Europe. On July 5, 2010, Robbie Williams announced his return to Take That. "The Flood," the first single from the fully reunited Take That, peaked at #2 on the charts. The resulting album Progress broke records by selling 235,000 copies in its first day of release. In the full first week of sales, Progress became the second fastest selling album of all time in the UK after Oasis' Be Here Now. Both were eclipsed in 2015 by Adele's worldwide smash 25 .

The accompanying concert tour sold over 1.1 million tickets in one day breaking Take That's previous record. The group announced that Robbie Williams would perform some of his hit songs as part of the tour. III After another Take That hiatus lasting from October 2011 through early 2014, both Robbie Williams and Jason Orange announced their departures from the group. Both were careful to clarify there was no ill will between them and the rest of the group. The resulting trio recorded a seventh album for the group titled simply III. In October 2014, "These Days," the first single from the project debuted at #1 on the UK pop singles chart becoming the group's twelfth chart-topping hit. The album also reached #1. Take That: All 8 albums ranked from worst to best Take That: All 8 albums ranked from worst to best Digital Spy ranks the man-band's LPs from Take That & Party to III.

Don't Miss Share December 08 2016 12:52 PM Share December 07 2016 1:51 AM Share December 05 2016 11:04 PM Share December 05 2016 11:22 AM November 28 2016 3:29 PM Latest News Share 34 minutes ago 8:35 PM Share 1 hour ago 7:42 PM Share 8 hours ago 12:37 PM 22 hours ago 11:08 PM Must Read Share 4 hours ago 4:48 PM Share December 19 2016 12:00 PM Share January 15 2017 1:37 PM Share 8 hours ago 12:32 PM 22 hours ago 11:08 PM © Getty Images Dave J Hogan 29 January 2016 2:45 PM Shares Take That may have dwindled from five to three, but we live in hope that Robbie Williams and Jason Orange will return to the man-band for their

 25th anniversary next year.

As the rumour mill continues to bubble surrounding Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald's next step, Digital Spy has ranked the groups' seven albums and one EP from 1992 to 2013. Let the arguments commence! 8. Nobody Else (1995) Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Singles: 'Sure', 'Back for Good', 'Never Forget' Even though this album contains both 'Back for Good' and 'Never Forget', hear me out. The 'Never Forget' that is heard on the album is sadly not the single version that everyone knows and loves featuring the choir, and sounds surprisingly dull in comparison. 'Sure' is a genuinely great pop-R&B stomper, but there isn't much else on the album to shout about. Maybe there was too much tension between Robbie Williams and the rest of the band at this point, but aside from the singles, the album is largely filler material. The tracks are a mixture of R&B and pop ballads, with the majority of them not really going anywhere, without any of the usual soaring Gary Barlow melodies. 'Back for Good' is clearly the standout track by some huge distance.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Chart peak: 1 Singles: 'Love Love', 'When We Were Young' Technically not an album but it has enough songs on it, so we're including it on the list. Released the year after its parent album came out, it contains eight tracks recorded during and after the Progress sessions. Most of the tracks are rather experimental for Take That, especially the Kraftwerk-style 'Man'. But there are some genuinely great pop tracks including 'Love Love' and 'Don't Say Goodbye'. Although big enough to be considered a full studio album, it was probably the right idea to call it an EP instead. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below 6. Take That and Party (1992) Chart peak: 2 Sales: 870,000 Singles: 'Do What U Like', 'Promises', 'Once You've Tasted Love', 'It Only Takes a Minute', 'I Found Heaven', 'A Million Love Songs', 'Could It Be Magic' Listening to the group's debut album is a strange experience, considering how mature they sound in comparison today. Gary and Robbie's voices are nowhere near their future peaks, but there's enough catchy pop to make it a generally enjoyable listen.

It contains seven Take That hits, including the classics 'It Only Takes a Minute' and 'A Million Love Songs'. However, 'Could It Be Magic' is a different version to the radio edit, and nowhere near as good. The songs sound rather dated, but most of them are fun and listenable. For a boyband in its infancy to have a member (Barlow) write most of their songs was also a marker that made them different from the majority of their rivals. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Sales: 579,000 Singles: 'These Days', 'Let In the Sun', 'Hey Boy' This album was always going to be tricky. We loved TT as a fivesome, then surprisingly loved them as a foursome, then went back to loving them even more as a fivesome again. And now, with Robbie busy having his own career again and Jason deciding to call it a day, we had to try and picture them as a trio. Thankfully they worked far better than Bros or 911. That being said, the album wasn't perfect. Without Robbie's presence in the vocal booth or songwriting department and without Jason for... helping out Howard with the backing vocals...

it felt like a rather disjointed effort. There weren't many memorable songs compared to those that came before it aside from its lead single. More disco-tinged than usual, it was at least impressive for having such an epic sound for three guys with no band. 4. Everything Changes (1993) Chart peak: 1 Sales: 1,300,000 Singles: 'Why Can't I Wake Up With You', 'Pray', 'Relight My Fire', 'Babe', 'Everything Changes', 'Love Ain't Here Anymore' Advertisement - Continue Reading Below After their first album, Take That and in particular Gary Barlow began to mature with their second. The singles kept the catchiness but added some extra power and better melodies. While songs from Take That & Party sound dated, songs from Everything Changes still sound fresh. 'Everything Changes' and 'Pray' are genuine pop classics, while 'Babe' and 'Relight My Fire' are still TT favourites. This is also the first time where Robbie starts to show his worth in the pop world. There are a few album track duffers, but the singles are so good that they save the album as a whole.

We still can't believe Mr Blobby beat 'Babe' to Christmas number one! 3. The Circus (2008) Singles: 'Greatest Day', 'Up All Night', 'The Garden', 'Said It All', 'Hold Up a Light' Advertisement - Continue Reading Below The four-piece went for an all-out circus theme for the second album after their big comeback, so much so that it almost felt like a concept record. The attached tour was also their most elaborate to date at the time. All the songs have an epic quality to them, especially 'Hold Up a Light' and lead single 'Greatest Day'. The whole album is enjoyable, but it perhaps lacked a certain element of catchy pop that most of their other albums contained. 2. Beautiful World (2006) Sales: 2,800,000 Singles: 'Patience', 'Shine', 'I'd Wait for Life', 'Reach Out', 'Rule the World' Take That's comeback as a four-piece in 2005 was exciting enough, but fans couldn't have imagined just how successful they were going to be a second time around.

After so long away, it wasn't clear just what kind of music they would produce. As it happened, 'Patience' remains one of pop's greatest ever comeback songs, and it was backed up by 'Shine' (before it was ruined by Morrisons). It also doesn't have any filler tracks, including Mark's ballad 'Hold On' and Howard kicking it on 'Mancunian Way'. Plus, Jason's hidden gem 'Wooden Boat' is a solid gold piece of folk beauty that Simon & Garfunkel would be proud of. 1. Progress (2010) Sales: 2,400,000 Singles: 'The Flood', 'Kidz', 'Happy Now' Robbie finally reunited with Take That for the first time since 1995's Nobody Else, and it was more than worth the wait. The combination of Robbie, Gary and Mark's matured songwriting abilities created an almost perfect pop album. Progress features 11 excellent tracks, with all five members getting a lead vocal at least once. Robbie doesn't take over, the songs are catchy, moving, and memorable.

'The Flood' remains an epic pop anthem that was perfect for the group's return as a five-piece. Take That’s Top 40 Biggest Selling Songs 29 November 2014 Take That’s Top 40 Biggest Selling Songs To celebrate Take That’s latest reinvention as a trio – plus forthcoming new album III – we count down their 40 best sellers! Google + It’s exactly 23 years since Take That scored their first-ever Top 40 hit with Promises, and few could have predicted back then that the quintet-turned-quartet-turned-trio would still be a major chart force all these years later. They’ve had more ups and downs than the lifts in Selfridges, but one thing has remained constant: that hitmaking ability. 11 Number 1 singles, from 25 Top 40 hits and sales stats that most boybands – or manbands to bring them bang up to date – would kill for a quarter of . Over 9.3 million singles’ sold is the kind of sales real talk we are dealing with here.

They broke our hearts on Valentine’s Day 1995 when they said it was all over, but we should have known they couldn’t stay away. In the last few years we have seen Jason Orange, Mark Owen, Gary Barlow and Howard Donald reform as a quartet, re-recruit prodigal band member Robbie Williams, only to shed both Robbie and Jason in time for the release of their brand-new album III. And with their first single as a trio These Days a serious contender for this week’s Number 1 , we thought it was about time we had a good old route through their biggest selling songs to see which tracks come out on top. And as we’ve got over 23 years of history to look over, why not go the whole hog and make it a great big Top 40? First, the Top 10… 1: Back For Good (1995) The heartfelt ballad was something of a bittersweet experience. Arguably a career high, the band looked invincible at this point (something they’d refute in next single Never Forget) but behind closed doors, trouble was afoot, and this was the last single to be released while Robbie was still actually in the band.

Spending a month at the top from April 1995, Back For Good gave us a glimpse of the kind of songs we could expect from Take That when they reformed in 2006, not that any of us suspected that was on the cards, of course. Premiering at the 1995 BRIT Awards, demand for the song was so high, the release had to be brought forward. At the following year’s BRIT Awards, Back For Good won Best British Single. It’s a solid-gold classic – well, platinum, actually – that no slow dance at the disco would be any good without. SALES: 1.1 million CHART FACTS: Back For Good ended a week-long reign at the top for Outhere Brothers’ novelty hit Don’t Stop (Wiggle Wiggle) and its own four-week Number 1 stint was terminated by Oasis scoring their first chart-topper with Some Might Say. It was the band’s only US Top 10 and went to Number 1 in over 30 countries across the globe.

One famous admirer of Back For Good is Coldplay’s Chris Martin, who invited Gary on stage with him and the band to sing it, while he did backing vocals. 2: Rule The World (2007) And so we zoom 12 years into the future, skipping over Gary, Mark and Robbie’s solo careers, a triumphant return and more Number 1s to a little curiosity that didn’t even make it to the top of the Official Singles Chart. Rule The World was a bonus track on the repackaged tour edition of the band’s hugely successful comeback album Beautiful World, and was also featured on Michelle Pfeiffer movie Stardust. When released as a single, it was a success of Back For Good proportions – save for that small detail of missing out on Number 1 – and became an instant radio staple. X Factor contestants fought over who got to sing it, couples about to get married immediately rethought their first dance playlists, and you bought it in your droves – it was fifth bestselling single of the year. And earlier this year, it became Take That’s second single to score the big one – a million copies sold!

SALES: A ‘cool million’ CHART FACTS: How could such an amazing song sell so much and yet never get to Number 1, you might ask? Well, Rule The World was blocked by the chart-topping juggernaut of 2007 that was Leona Lewis’s Bleeding Love, which spent seven weeks at Number 1. Rule The World spent 12 weeks inside the Top 10, more than any other Take That song. 3: Patience (2006) After a silence of over a decade, TT were B – A – C – K. A reunion TV show and tour the year before had proven there was still an appetite for the band, so they put their best foot forward, and mouth to the mic and got back in the studio to make a comeback with new material. First up was Patience, almost a companion song to Back For Good, Patience stormed to the top of the Official Singles Chart almost exactly eight years ago, and refused to budge for a month. To say the comeback was a success is something of an understatement – Beautiful World has sold over 2.8 million copies in the UK.

SALES: Patience has notched up over 690,000 sales. CHART FACTS: The band had their first brush with Leona when she bumped them off Number 1 with her X Factor winner’s single A Moment Like This. Patience was the ninth bestselling single of 2006, despite being released so late in the year. Patience won the BRIT Award in 2007 for Best British Single. 4: How Deep Is Your Love (1996) Back in time we go, to the song that we all assumed was going to be the very end of the Take That story. The band’s first Number 1 without Robbie (he left before Never Forget was released, but still sang on it), How Deep Is Your Love was their swansong, released after the announcement of their split. Selling over 230,000 copies in its first week, and paying back Oasis for knocking off Back For Good by returning the favour with Don’t Look Back In Anger, How Deep Is Your Love stayed at Number 1 for three weeks.

SALES: 600,000 CHART FACTS: How Deep Is Your Love is, of course, a cover of the Bee Gees’ classic from the soundtrack of John Travolta movie Saturday Night Fever. Take That managed what the brothers Gibb could not – they took it to Number 1.The original only made it as far as Number 3 in 1977. 5: The Flood (2010) Yet another comeback in the boys’ back catalogue, this time Take That were welcoming their long-lost fifth member, Robbie Williams. Yes, the reunion that absolutely nobody – especially Robbie and Gary – thought would ever happen was actually a real thing and we were wide-awake and not dreaming and hadn’t even bumped our head or anything! The Flood was the first single to feature Robbie in over 15 years! SALES: 580,000 CHART FACTS: Cruelly kept off the top by the mighty Rihanna and her future million-seller Only Girl (In The World). The Flood was one of the Top 40 bestselling singles of 2010.

6: Greatest Day (2008) The lead single from fifth album The Circus, Greateat Day became Take That’s eleventh Number 1 – their most recent so far. SALES: 520,000 CHART FACTS: Yet another Take That tune to feel the Leona Lewis effect – her cover of Run knocked Greatest Day off the top after one week.But they’ve only themselves to blame. Take That helped Leona to victory on The X Factor, performing A Million Love Songs with the star in the 2006 grand final. 7: Never Forget (1995) If you think about it, this is the real moment the old Take That said goodbye. Although Robbie had recently departed the band, they ploughed ahead with the release of Never Forget. The first song to feature Howard on lead vocals and the last Number 1 with Robbie, there was barely a dry eye in the house as Never Forget reigned supreme at Number 1. SALES: 498,000 CHART FACTS: Never Forget marked the second time Take That had knocked Outhere Brothers off Number 1 in that same year – some might say it was getting personal.

Boom Boom Boom was denied a fifth week at the top thanks to Howard and the gang. Never Forget meant that every member of Take That had scored a Number 1 on lead vocals – except Jason. Gary, of course, sang the majority of the band’s chart-toppers, but at this stage Robbie and Mark had also scored one each on lead, with Everything Changes and Babe respectively. Mark would go on to have another Number 1 as frontman when Shine did the business in 2007. Take That found themselves inadvertently caught up in the battle of Britpop when Oasis and Blur went head-to-head to knock them off Number 1. It was Roll With It vs Country House, and Blur, of course, won that round. 8: Shine (2007) The second single from Beautiful World gave Take That a sixth consecutive Number 1 and for some reason reminds us that we have to go to the supermarket to get in a few bits for Christmas. Featured Mark on lead vocals for the first time since 1993’s ten-hanky blubfest Babe.

SALES: 493,000 CHART FACTS: Shine spent two weeks at Number 1, giving Kaiser Chiefs’ only chart-topper, Ruby, the heave-ho. It was toppled by Sugababes vs Girls Aloud and their Comic Relief cover of Walk This Way. 9: Pray (1993) Take That’s very first Number 1, and the first of four consecutive chart-toppers for the band, Pray was when TT mania really took hold. Dreamy, beach-set video? Check. Everyone looking like they’ve been down the gym? Check. A month at Number 1? Check. It took the might of late, great Queen frontman to depose them, but it wasn’t the last we’d heard of Take That in the Number 1 spot… SALES: 394,000 CHART FACTS: Pray was the first of three Number 1s for Take That in 1993 – they spent a total of seven weeks at the top of the Official Singles Chart that year.

10: Babe (1993) And just edging it into the Top 10 is the Christmas Number 1 that never was. Babe had all the right ingredients to be a festive chart-topper. It tugged at the heartstrings, with a tale of love, loss and reunion. The video had snow. And a cute child. But you must never underestimate the purchasing power of the British public, and the UK found the charms of a huge pink alien/monster (we're not quite sure) too hard to resist. Mr Blobby, of course, was that big, erm, blob of chart smashery who leapt back up to Number 1, knocking them off the top after a week and landing there just in time for the turkey. SALES: 385,000 CHART FACTS: Babe was the first Take That single to feature Mark on lead vocals and the band’s first Number 1 with anyone other than Gary as frontman . Other notable entries in the Top 20 and beyond… Take That’s second Number 1 Relight My Fire FT Lulu just misses a Top 10 placing with 330,000 sales.

It’s the only time Take That have released a single with a featured artist. The band’s first Top 10 It Only Takes A Minute lands at Number 20, and Happy Now, from the band’s Progress album, is their biggest selling song not to make the Top 40 at Number 24. First hit Promises lands as their 30th bestseller. And just outside at Number 41 is the band’s classic debut single Do What You Like, which failed to chart. We’ve never been able to look at jelly in the same way since. Here’s Take That’s Official Top 40 Biggest Selling Songs… Robbie Williams | New Music And Songs | Robbie Williams About Robbie Williams Out of all the members of Take That, Robbie Williams never really seemed to fit in. Roguishly handsome where his bandmates were merely cute, Williams was tougher and sexier than the rest, which made him more distinctive. He also fought regularly with the other members and their management, primarily because he was occasionally averse to being so heavily packaged.

So it didn't come as a surprise that he was the first to leave the band, departing early in the summer of 1995 to pursue a solo career (by some accounts, he was fired from the group). Although he was the first out of the gate, it took Williams a while to get started. For most of 1995, he attempted to boost his credibility by tagging along with Oasis, hoping that Noel Gallagher would give him a couple of songs. He never did, but all of his time with Oasis launched Williams into a world of heavy partying, drinking, and drugging. Over the course of 1996, he was only heard from in gossip columns, and every published picture indicated he had put on considerable weight. Occasionally, he was quoted as saying his new music would abandon lightweight dance-pop for traditional Brit-pop, but his first single was a cover of George Michael's "Freedom '90." Released late in 1996, the single was a disaster, but his second single, 1997's "Old Before I Die," was more in the vein of his early pronouncements, featuring a distinct Oasis influence.

Williams finally released his first solo album, Life Thru a Lens, in 1997. The album became a big hit in Britain, prompting his second, I've Been Expecting You, to go multi-platinum upon its release in 1998. (The Ego Has Landed, a U.S.-only compilation designed for breaking Williams to American audiences, was released stateside in the spring of 1999.) Sing When You're Winning followed in late 2000, gaining success with the video hit "Rock DJ," while a big-band album of standards (Swing When You're Winning) appeared a year later. By this point, Robbie Williams had become one of Europe's premier pop stars, known for his headline-grabbing behavior as much as his hit-studded albums. Moreover, his solo work had sold far more copies than his work with Take That. During 2002, Williams celebrated an enormous new contract with EMI (rumored to be upwards of 80 million dollars), but suffered the loss of his longtime production partner Guy Chambers.

Escapology, the fifth Robbie Williams album (and the last to include Chambers' input), sold millions of copies in Europe, though it failed to persuade American audiences. As a result, the 2003 concert record, Live at Knebworth, wasn't released in the States. He introduced a new musical partner, Stephen Duffy, with a pair of songs from his compilation Greatest Hits, then reappeared in 2005 with Intensive Care. Although the album topped charts in Europe and helped Williams set an impressive concert record -- his 2006 world tour sold over one-and-a-half-million tickets in one day -- a certain creative atrophy was setting in, despite the new input from Duffy. Within a year, he had recorded and released Rudebox, a dance album recorded with half-a-dozen outside producers, some featured guests, and several covers instead of self-penned material. Rudebox hit number one across Europe but only went double platinum in the U.K., becoming his lowest-selling studio album to date.

Accordingly, Williams' next album -- the 2009 release Reality Killed the Video Star -- found him returning to the sound of his older albums, with the Buggles' Trevor Horn handling all production duties. The following year, most news of Robbie Williams surrounded his reunion with Take That, which took the form of a new album, Progress, plus a few new songs recorded with bandmate Gary Barlow that were released on a new Williams hits collection, In and Out of Consciousness: Greatest Hits 1990-2010. Barlow also figured in the writing and production of the ninth Robbie Williams studio album, Take the Crown, released in late 2012. Produced by Williams alongside Jacknife Lee (Snow Patrol, R.E.M., Bloc Party), the album saw Williams return to the eclectic pop sound of his earlier work, with a trailer single ("Candy") written by Williams and Barlow. The single reached number one across Europe, including the U.K., as did the album, which was certified platinum. For his next release, Williams worked with Guy Chambers again on his second swing album, Swings Both Ways, which comprised a mix of standards and originals.

Released in late 2013, it featured a variety of guests including Lily Allen, Olly Murs, Rufus Wainwright, Kelly Clarkson, and Michael Bublé. Williams spent the next few years relatively quietly, settling into family life with his wife Ayda Field and their two children, and releasing only an odds'n'sods collection (Under the Radar, Vol. 1) in late 2014. Williams returned to the pop realm in late 2016 with the release of his eleventh LP, The Heavy Entertainment Show, which featured production by Guy Chambers and Richard Flack, as well as songwriting contributions from the likes of the Killers, Stuart Price, and Rufus Wainwright. Entertainment became his twelfth U.K. chart-topper, making him the most successful U.K. solo act in chart history upon its release. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi BIOGRAPHY: Robbie Williams Lifetime twitter BIOGRAPHY The prodigal son of squeaky clean boy band Take That took a big risk in breaking out alone, but Robbie Williams has enjoyed an extraordinarily successful and colourful career.

Robert Peter Maximillian Williams was born on 13 February 1974 in Stoke-on-Trent. At the age of three, Williams' parents divorced and he went to live with his mother and sister. At school Williams became labelled as mischievous and subsequently his jester nature left him with no GCSEs. With few options left he took a job as a salesman but fate intervened; his mum Jan noticed an article in the local newspaper for a boy band audition. Knowing Williams had already shown promise with his singing and acting abilities, she managed to get him an audition at one of the many being held throughout Manchester. It seemed his rebellious nature at school did him no harm in the end, as his audition was a grand success, so beginning his uphill journey to fame. In 1990, the boy band Take That was formed by manager Nigel Martin-Smith. Williams was the last to join the four other members – Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Jason Orange and Howard Donald – and at only 16-years-old, was also the youngest. For five straight years, the success of Take That was undisputed, topping the charts time after time and touring the world to sold out stadium gigs.

But in 1995, Williams decided enough was enough and announced his departure from the band in his bid to go solo as a singer. Take That's image had always adhered to the typical boy band persona of clean cut living, in keeping with the average age of its fan base, but as soon as Williams left the band he hit the headlines for his outlandish behaviour. Clearly ecstatic to be rid of his managed personality and teen idol status, he was soon photographed partying at the ’95 Glastonbury with Oasis, a band so far from Take That's musical sound and reputation that it was obvious Williams was sending a silent smug message regarding his past five years in the band. He soon changed his own image, wearing grungy clothes, growing a beard and piling on the pounds to gain a significant beer gut: it seemed as though he was intentionally distancing himself from the band that had made him a star. Williams' intention had always been to go it alone though and in 1996 his solo singing career began with a cover of George Michael's ‘Freedom’, reaching number two in the UK singles chart.

Recording for his first album began in March 1996 and meeting songwriter and producer Guy Chambers would be the assurance of success, leading to the pair's long-term collaboration. ‘Old Before I Die’ was the first single released from the debut album, reaching number two, and ‘Life Thru A Lens’ was released in September 1997. Williams' wild partying in the years following his departure from Take That led him down into the dark and apparently inevitable world of drink and drugs. Before long he found his way along the path endless celebrities take, landing in rehab before the album had even been completed. 'Life Thru A Lens' marked a mediocre success for Williams, failing to make the number one spot and the third single, ‘South of the Border’, sank into a mild oblivion outside of the top ten. Some critics and fans began to question how far Williams was going to be able to take his solo mission, and whether he could compete with even half of the success of Take That. A meeting with his record label to discuss his future was the turning point for Williams.

It was agreed that a fourth single would be taken from the album, and ‘Angels’ became the biggest singing single in the UK and was certified double platinum, selling two million copies worldwide and immediately spiralling 'Life Thru A Lens' sales sky high. UK stardom as a solo artist was most definitively accomplished but Williams had yet to make a huge impact in the international market. In 1998, Williams and Chambers began writing songs for album number two from Jamaica. Borrowing the musical arrangement used by Nancy Sinatra in James Bond's ‘You Only Live Twice’, the first single, ‘Millennium’, was released in 1998, knocking All Saints' ‘Under The Bridge’ off the number one slot – an ironic coincidence, given that Williams was engaged to one of its band members, Nicole Appleton, at the time. When the album ‘I've Been Expecting You’ was released in October 1998, it shot straight to number one and became the best selling release in the UK for the year. Learning from the first album's initial failure, this time Williams’ record label ensured that publicity was spread outside the UK and the single ‘No Regrets’ impacted well in Europe and Latin America.

The next step for Williams was to crack the American market - a notoriously tricky target for UK artists. He signed to Capitol Records in the US (part of EMI) and embarked on a promotional tour in America. But when Millennium was released in 1999 it plummeted to 72 in the Billboard Hot 100 and his debut album across the pond, aptly titled, ‘The Ego Has Landed’, only peaked at number 63. Despite the chart failure, Williams still received a decent amount of video airplay and was nominated for an acclaimed MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video. He did not scoop the award, but the nomination nonetheless helped to raise his profile significantly. Despite being in the middle of tours and world promotion, Williams still found time in 1999 to record his third studio album, ‘Sing When You're Winning’. The first single released, ‘Rock DJ’, caused controversy, not because of its musical content but because of its video. Featuring Williams tearing chunks off his skin and muscle while performing a strip show lead to a censoring from ‘Top Of The Pops’ and other channels followed suit.

Nevertheless, the track was a huge hit around the globe, winning several awards including Best Song of 2000 at the MTV Europe Awards and Best Single of the Year at the BRITs. The album's release in August 2000 was a success the world over and entered the UK charts at number one and led to Kylie Minogue approaching Williams to write some songs for her album, ‘Light Years’. Instead, the pair produced the duet single ‘Kids’ and a joint UK tour for two months of sell out dates. After the success of his third album, Williams decided to take another musical direction. He took two weeks off from his tour to record what would be his fourth studio album, which was characterised by a sound very different to that of his previous releases, becoming the big band album he had always dreamed of making. Born from his life-long love for Frank Sinatra, combined with the success of a jazz style track ‘Have You Met Miss Jones?’ recorded for the film ‘Bridget Jones's Diary’ in early 2001, ‘Swing When You're Winning’ was released in 2001 to instant success worldwide.

A duet with Nicole Kidman, ‘Somethin Stupid’, was the first single. A cover of the Frank and Nancy Sinatra hit, it became Willams' fifth UK hit and the album was certified the 49tth Best Selling Album in UK music history. Subsequently Williams was also able to fulfill a lifetime's dream by appearing in a one man showcase at London's Royal Albert Hall. In 2002, Williams signed a record-breaking £80 million contract with EMI, reportedly the biggest in British history, proving that the high school dropout from Stoke was well and truly a mega star. After a year off from recording, Williams began working on his fifth album. ‘Escapology’ signalled a new era for Williams. He had made a caustic split from his long time collaborator Guy Chambers, with both parties making contrary statements for the parting. This left Williams with a more active role in the making of the new album, indicating his confidence in the studio, and three of the tracks were the first songs that he had written without Guy Chambers' input. Its release in 2002 hit number-one in the UK but still only found its way to number 43 in the US.

A mammoth summer tour in 2003 climaxed with three concerts at Knebworth with a record 375,000 fans turning out to watch him. The shows were released as Williams' first live album in 2003 and it became the fastest selling live album, beating Oasis' sales by double. A year after the live album's release, Williams decided that it was time to take a step out of the limelight and take a fresh perspective on his career to date by working with some new talents. He began collaborating with British songwriter Stephen Duffy in 2004, and a greatest hits compilation was released the same year which hit the number one spot in 18 countries. After touring Latin America with the greatest hits album, Williams’ sixth studio album, ‘Intensive Care’, was released a year later in October 2005 and continued the constant stream of record selling music, shifting over two million copies in just six weeks.

Noting that Williams had managed to dominate the charts for many of his solo years since departing Take That, the former members of the band – who had split in 1996 – agreed to reunite in London for a preview screening of a documentary that was due to be screened on ITV1. When Williams had left the band, mountains of unpleasant rumours had circulated regarding the reasons, most revolving around his dislike for Gary Barlow – nevertheless, there was a high expectation that Williams might let the past rest and attend the screening. However, he still declined the reunion, leaving fans disappointed and the four remaining members to go it alone once more. Williams' seventh studio album, ‘Rudebox’, received mixed reviews on its release. The first single, of the same name, was premiered on Radio 1 by DJ Scott Mills, causing some controversy when it was aired before the record label's embargo date. The single was panned by many though and ironically, the officially reunited Take That's comeback album, ‘Beautiful World’, sold more copies, ranking the album Williams' lowest selling to date. It seemed that Williams’ change of musical direction had missed the mark, finally producing an album which failed to fly off the shelves.

It was not the end though, as faith was apparently restored when a world tour was announced in 2006 which set a Guinness World Record for selling 1.6 million tickets in one single day. Williams has managed to keep a relatively low profile in the British media since his move to Los Angeles. He has commented in the press several times that he prefers the lifestyle in LA because he enjoys more freedom and privacy than his life in the UK. His constant battle with substance and alcohol abuse have taken a toll on his private life, and he has made a frank public admission about suffering depression, taking part in Stephen Fry's BBC documentary about bipolar disorder. He also developed a reputation for being unable to settle in a relationship for any significant period. Since his split from Nicole Appleton in the late 90s, he had been linked only briefly to several celebrities, including Rachel Hunter, however claims emerged that Williams had finally have found love with American actress Ayda Field. The couple married in a ceremony at the singer's home in Los Angeles on 7 August 2010.

The dating drama was enlivened when his inability to commit to women opened speculation regarding his sexuality, to the point that in 2005 he won a libel case against MGN and Northern & Shell relating to articles which reported he was a closet homosexual. The substantial damages awarded to Williams caused Gay Rights campaigners to ask that he donate the money to gay charities, claiming that his legal case had suggested that Williams was insulted to be labelled gay. Comparisons have been made to a similar case concerning Jason Donavan, which did in turn alienate many of his gay fans. Long term friend, actor and musician Max Beesley has spoken out in the press though, saying, "some of the stuff written about him is enough to make me mad, the rumours about him being gay, for example. Not true. I've never met anybody less gay in my life!" On 4 October 2007, Williams made a return to the live stage after almost a ten month break in a guest appearance at Mark Ronson's concert in LA. He performed The Charlatans classic, ‘The Only One I Know’, which features on Ronson's album ‘Version’.

In January 2008, the long silence since the release of Rudebox in 2005 prompted rumours that Williams was 'on strike' at his record label, EMI. His manager Tim Clark dismissed the claims and insisted plans to record were simply on hold. The new EMI owner Guy Hands told the Financial Times that “we don't have an issue with Robbie Williams. What has happened is that his manager has made a number of statements, but Robbie has not. Robbie has spent a large number of years working full-time and he wants to take 2008 quietly. We do not have a need to push Robbie Williams into making an album.” Tim Clark, Williams' manager, declined to comment. Roll on two years and it was announced that Robbie was set to release his second greatest hits album, ‘In and Out of Consciousness: The Greatest Hits 1990–2010’, to mark the singer's 20 years in the business. The album included a song, ‘Shame’, written in conjunction with Robbie's old band mate, Gary Barlow. This collaboration added fuel to the rumours that a reunion with Take That was on the cards.

An official announcement was made on 15 July that Robbie Williams had been working with his old boy band, Take That and it was confirmed that the group had written an album together. The statement issued at the time read: "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." On 20 September 2010, the singer released his second book 'You Know Me' in collaboration with Chris Heath. It features photographs of the star over his 20-year career and his comments on them. In October the same year, Media Control named Robbie as the most successful album-artist of the millennium due to the amount of time he had spent in the German charts. 'Progress' was released in November 2010 and became the second fastest selling album in UK history. Robbie and the band also announced that they would be touring together in 2011. The tour, Progress Live 2011, was the fastest selling of any band ever in the UK and culminated with an eight night stint at Wembley Stadium.

On 15 and 16 July 2011, the band were due to perform sold-out gigs in Copenhagen, Denmark as part of their tour but they were forced to cancel them - the first concerts they had ever cancelled - as Robbie had a stomach infection. In late 2012, Robbie released a solo album, produced by Barlow, called 'Take The Crown'. He then released another swing album in 2013 called 'Swings Both Ways'. On 6 October 2011, Robbie launched a radio show entitled 'Radio Rudebox' in which he interviewed Barlow and played music. There have also been rumours that Robbie has left Take That once again following an interview given by Barlow to the Radio Times. It has since emerged that Barlow meant that the group are on hiatus as both singers are currently pursing solo projects. Watch this space! Take That Tickets | Concert Dates & Tour | The Ticket Factory Take That tickets Take That will be returning to the Genting Arena, Birmingham in May and June 2017! Take That are set to bring their fans yet another unmissable live experience when they hit the road in 2017 with ‘Wonderland Live’.

Gary, Mark and Howard have announced 22 dates across the UK and Ireland, in support of their brand new album ‘Wonderland’, scheduled for release in March 2017. And for the first time ever, the band’s main stage will be in the centre of the arena floor, giving their fans a truly unique and memorable experience like never before. Take That are renowned for their incredible live shows and for pushing the boundaries of live production, having created some of the most memorable stage shows in UK music history. They are the only band in the world to have had a huge mechanical elephant as part of the cast for their Circus Tour, not to mention a 70 foot man named Om who rose out of the stage on The Progress Tour. Walls of water, enormous holograms, circus performers, aerialists, a custom made flying machine and a huge ball of burning fire have all graced their stages and the Wonderland Live Tour will be no less spectacular. Take That’s Wonderland Live is the first time that fans will see the band perform brand new material from their forthcoming studio album Wonderland, due out in March, as well as their much-loved classics, performed in the round.

Take That are one of the UK’s most successful acts with an enviable career spanning three decades. The band have sold over 7.6 million concert tickets in their lifetime, setting the record for the fastest selling tour of all time in UK history when 1.34 million tickets were snapped up for their Progress Live Tour in less than 24 hours. In the UK alone, they have achieved seven UK Number One albums, 15 Number One singles, sold over 45 million records, won six Ivor Novellos, and eight BRIT Awards. Internationally, they have scored an incredible 54 No.1 hits and 35 No.1 albums. Their last album ‘III’, the first a newly created three-piece and went straight to No.1 upon it’s release in 2014, their seventh No.1 album, with the first single from the album ‘These Days’ also hitting the top spot. Read More What is Fee Free Friday? ×

Question: What is the name of 'Take That's' 2010 album which marked the return to the band of Robbie Williams?
Answer: Progress