Robbie Williams news from month: October, 2006

Robbie Williams has gone straight to the top of the album charts with his latest album Rudebox. Former chart-toppers Killers slipped from number one to number five, with new entries from My Chemical Romance, Meat Loaf and Rod Stewart. McFly topped the singles chart with Star Girl, closely followed by Fedde le Grande’s Put Your Hands Up For Detroit. Last week’s number one My Chemical Romance’s Welcome To The Black Parade, dropped to four, behind Girls Aloud.

It is the eighth chart-topping album for the former Take That star, who is currently on tour in South America. Last month Williams, 32, called off the Asian leg of his world tour in November, citing stress and exhaustion.

news.bbc.co.uk

London, England (BANG) – There’s no stopping this British singer from having sex anytime, anywhere – literally. Robbie Williams will be the first to admit he’s been quite the adventurous type during his lifetime and has even confessed to enjoying sex in public places.

The British pop sensation – who has dated a string of celebrities including model Rachel Hunter and singer Nicole Appleton – says his excessive use of drugs and alcohol during his early career awakened his appetite for daring sexual thrills. He told Britain’s More magazine, “When I used to take drugs, you lose your inhibitions. I’ve had sex in trains, planes and wine bars. And quite a few car parks.” The heartthrob admits he would love to get up close and personal with Madonna. He said, “Even when I’m going out with a girl, I could be home watching TV and a famous girl will come out and I’ll think, ‘Oh, I fancy her.’ Madonna is one of those women.” Robbie says he doesn’t bother getting involved in one-night stands anymore because they’re hard work.

The “Angels” singer – who reportedly has a special book of notes about his conquests – says casual relationships no longer appeal to him because he can’t be bothered with the aftermath. He said, “I suppose one-night stands are becoming too much of a palaver. If a girl comes to my place, nine out of 10 times you will not want to see her in the morning. So these days I can’t really be bothered.” Robbie also says he finds it hard to find romance in Britain because of his popularity and now only dates American women. He said, “I’ve been out with girls here. In Los Angeles, I can try and meet my special someone without the papers f***ing it up.”

Maira Oliveira, allheadlinenews.com

Robbie Williams refused to tour with Take That because he thought fans wouldn’t want to see him.

The ‘Angels’ singer – who quit the boy band at the height of its fame in 1995 – thinks the group’s die-hard fans still haven’t forgiven him.

His former bandmate Gary Barlow is quoted by Britain’s Daily Star newspaper as saying: “Robbie felt respectful enough to say, ‘Those people have come to see you – they’re not going to want to see me’, which is not true. They would’ve wanted to see him.”

Gary, 35, also confessed he had doubts about Robbie joining the remaining Take That members Mark Owen, Jason Orange and Howard Donald for the reunion because he is so consumed with his own solo career.

He said: “I never expected him to come onstage. I wondered myself if it would have been right. When you’re a band it’s not about any individual, it’s about Take That.”

ecanadanow.com, BANG Media International

Your least favourite popstar’s gone electro and it’s – whisper it – good. With his Take That past coming back to haunt him, tabloids sharpening their knives and missed appearances, clearly all is not well with Williams. And yet he has claimed that this is the first musical venture where he is being himself. The stakes are extremely high. Luckily, ‘Rudebox’ is the best thing he’s ever put his name to. From a career of trying on different ill-fitting identities (CampPop Robbie, Fat Dancer Robbie, Swing Robbie, Stadium Robbie) he has finally found one that fits. Fucking about on laptops with the likes of Lily Allen and Pet Shop Boys, he has hit on a fun, frantic, pisstaking mixtape of crystalline ’80s electropop, Skinner derived rap-ups and lazy skank pop.

Lyrically, Williams has always been a very British mix of redcoat self-deprecation and zeitgeisty, chemically-enhanced moodiness, but on ‘Rudebox’ he continues this without falling into the previous pratfalls of whininess or navel-gazing. There’s the double-headed autobiography of ‘The 80s’ (currently at the centre of a legal dispute) and its follow-up ‘The 90s’, the clattering ‘Vogue’ rap in the LA tale ‘The Actor’ and ‘She’s Madonna’ – possibly his most bonkers song ever. ‘Rudebox’ is not ‘Robbie Williams the serious artiste’, but it is an amazing pop album. It remains to be seen if it will be his undoing with the mainstream and those tabloid hacks. But it seems, musically at least, he’s just getting started. And, if you leave your preconceptions at the door, you might just love it.

Priya Elan, nme.com

Pop music’s “bad boy” got a little cheeky with fans at Thursday’s MTV Latin Music Awards in Mexico City after he dropped his pants before performing “Rock DJ” and gave the audience a glimpse at his full moon.

Williams, who won best international pop artist, was just one performer at an event that included Daddy Yankee, who won artist of the year, Shakira, who won song of the year, and Mexican singer Julieta Venegas, who won best performer of the year. The Mexican indie act Panda took home awards in three different categories including best band, best alternative artist, and newcomer of the year. The Mexican band Mana took home the video of the year award and best rock artist award. They were also honored with an award for their work in Latin music over the past two decades

The music channel has set up a “green carpet” at the Palacio de los Deportes dome for the stars of Latin music and their guest to arrive in style in front of their fans, and take a few moments for quick interviews.

monstersandcritics.com

Robbie Williams has become something of a cultural icon and even in his earlier Take That days, he could be seen wearing adidas clothing. Now things are set to move to a higher level with the launch of the Robbie Williams adidas tracksuit.

adidas and Robbie Williams have enjoyed a formal relationship for several years. Robbie recently approached adidas to investigate the possibility for some custom made adidas tracksuits to feature in the visuals of his latest album campaign. adidas was happy to enter into this project with him, which resulted in the production of the tracksuits worn by Robbie Williams on the cover of his “Rudebox” album.

The three different tracksuit styles will go on sale on the morning of Friday, 20th October as a very limited edition. The outfits are available in men and women styles and are sold exclusively at nine adidas Originals stores worldwide. Those stores can be found in Hong Kong, Berlin, Cologne, Zurich, Copenhagen, London (Earlham Street), Amsterdam, Lille and Barcelona.

This collaboration is the result of mutual respect grown over the last years.

pocket-lint.co.uk/news, Chris Hall

The Sun has issued an apology and paid compensation to the former manager of pop group Take That.

On September 4 and 14 the newspaper published articles about “The Nineties” a song written about former Take That singer Robbie Williams for his soon to be released album.

The piece included allegations from Williams – now retracted – alleging that Nigel Martin Smith, who used to manage Take That, either took the profits from a European tour or failed to make any and lied to the band when they asked about it.

Today the Sun wrote: “There is no truth in these allegations. The European tour did make money, the band were paid and the accounts were scrutinised by accountants and found to be impeachable. We sincerely apologise to Nigel Martin Smith for the distress caused by publishing these allegations and have agreed to pay him compensation.”

pressgazette.co.uk, Lou Thomas

Gary – who famously fell out with Robbie after the ‘Angels’ singer quit the popular boy band in 1995 – says the group have put their differences behind them and are hopeful Robbie will delight their fans by joining his bandmates on stage again

Gary – who famously fell out with Robbie after the ‘Angels’ singer quit the popular boy band in 1995 – says the group have put their differences behind them and are hopeful Robbie will delight their fans by joining his bandmates on stage again
He told Britain’s This Morning TV programme: “We all dream of a day when we can be on stage together, even if it’s just for one song. I think it will happen.”

Gary and the three other members, Jason Orange, Howard Donald, Mark Owen, reunited this year for a series of sell-out live shows and are releasing a new album just before Christmas.
Gary recently revealed that he is worried about Robbie.

The ‘Back For Good’ singer is concerned that his former bandmate could have a nervous breakdown if his so far successful solo career starts to struggle.

He said: “Robbie has hurt me more than anyone else has. But as an adult and a father I’d hate to see him go through what I’ve been through, because I don’t know if he’d come out the other end. On a musical level, I know how much it keeps him together, doing this and being successful.”

BANG Media International

LONDON (Reuters) – Robbie Williams and his former bandmates from Take That go head to head later this month with the release of an album and a DVD on the same day. Williams, who has forged a successful solo career since leaving boyband Take That and who frequently makes digs at his former bandmates during gigs, is releasing his new album “Rudebox” on October 23. The album follows last year’s “Intensive Care”, which, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry trade group, was the top selling album in Europe last year and sold more than five million copies in total. Take That are releasing a DVD on the same day called “The Ultimate Tour – Live in Manchester”, which features a documentary about the build up to the band’s reunion — after splitting in 1996 — and successful return to the stage. Take That are also promoting a new album which appears on November 27 called “Beautiful World”.

Williams has asked young film-makers to make seven short films to compliment his new album and is holding a competition for the eighth film to accompany the track “The 80s”. Williams will be on the panel of judges and the winner will receive 7,500 pounds in prize money as well as possibly see the film included on a special DVD. “This is the record I’ve always wanted to make,” Williams said in a statement. It’s reignited how I think about what I can do with music myself.”

Speaking about the film competition, he added: “Just like in music, today you can create a masterpiece out of an i-book and some digital footage, as much as you can in a fancy studio.”

Williams is signed to EMI and Take That to Universal Music Group’s Polydor label.

© Reuters 2006.