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16-06-2009 08:59 PM |
Some Markie interviews
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We weren't sure comeback single and reunion would work, says Take That star Mark Owen
Jun 14 2009 Billy Sloan
WHEN Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Jason Orange and Howard Donald stood behind their mikes at RAK Studios, they knew the stakes could not be any higher.
Take That were recording their 2006 comeback album Beautiful World, their first since the group's shock split a decade earlier.
Their status as the biggest boy band in UK pop history with record sales of 19 million meant nothing.
The future of Take That - if they were going to have one - was on the line.
The four were nervous when the red light went on in the control room to begin taping Patience.
The musical heritage of the legendary RAK Studios in London had piled on even more pressure.
It was where Radiohead recorded their groundbreaking 1995 album The Bends and Duffy laid down tracks for her Grammy-award-winning 2008 debut Rockferry.
Famous names in the visitors book included Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Arctic Monkeys, Rod Stewart, Ultravox and Simply Red.
"Patience was a song we weren't even sure would work," said Mark.
"We looked at each other, saying:'Is this track any good? Do we even like it?' It was only the third song we had written for the album.
"The spirits of all the great artists who had worked at RAK were flying around the studio. It was incredibly inspiring.
"Apart from maybe a lick of paint, it has not changed much over the years since it was opened by hit producer Mickie Most in 1976. It has an amazing history.
"When we started singing Patience, we could see people around getting into it. Immediately, that took a lot of pressure off. The record company were very enthusiastic when they heard it and reckoned it would make a great single.
"We were unsure of what we were doing but it felt, musically, like we had moved to a higher level." Patience hit No.1 in the UK charts, staying there for four weeks and shipping 535,000 copies to become one of the 10 best-selling singles of 2006.
The self-penned song was voted Record Of The Year and won a Brit Award the following February.
Three years on, it seems bizarre Take That had any self-doubt. They have eclipsed the achievements of a phenomenal career spanning from 1991 to 1996 and survived the headline-hitting departure of bandmate Robbie Williams.
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday they will headline spectacular gigs at Hampden Park in Glasgow - as part of their spectacular Circus Tour - to a combined audience of 165,000 devoted fans.
When Take That exploded on to the UK music scene in 1991, they chalked up a string of hit singles including Relight My Fire - a rousing vocal spar with Scots singer Lulu - and Back For Good.
Their albums Take That And
Party (1992), Everything Changes (1993) and Nobody Else (1995) helped make them global stars.
The group have even surpassed that success since their surprise reunion in 2005.
On November 14, 2005, Gary, 38, Mark, 37, Jason, 38, and 41-year-old Howard appeared together on ITV documentary Take That: For The Record.
They were adamant there would be no group reformation. The documentary was intended to show what each member - plus Robbie -
had been doing in the decade since their split.
Mark said: "We were nervous about a comeback. Could we reinvent the wheel? The only reason we did For The Record was to close the door on Take That but we ended up kicking it open even wider.
"Off the back of it, we were asked to do a handful of concerts. We just fell into it.
"Initially, when we were told seven UK arena shows had been booked, our reaction was,'Hey, that's maybe pushing it a bit'. Our promoter was confident we would sell them out. Suddenly, it progressed to 25 arena concerts and four stadium shows.
"Then we wanted to prove to ourselves we could still do it." The group's Ultimate Tour 2006 - which included two gigs at the SECC in Glasgow - broke box-office records before they had even sung a note live.
On the opening night, at the Metro Arena in Newcastle on April 23, self-doubt again crept in.
Mark said: "The crowd in the Metro Arena seemed so vast, I remember looking out from behind the stage and feeling very moved.
"We had a look at each other and thought: 'How did we end up here?' It was overpowering to be hit by such a wave of enthusiasm when we walked on.
"I don't want to get all drippy but I got pretty emotional.
"Each of us knew what was at stake but there was a feeling of, 'Let's go out and enjoy this because it's going to be over so quickly'.
"We didn't think our reunion would last beyond that string of gigs." The tour helped cement Gary, Mark, Jason and Howard's relationship as friends but, more importantly, it proved the catalyst for the four to begin writing together.
In the previous incarnation of Take That, Gary Barlow penned all their key songs.
After their split in 1995 he enjoyed considerable success as a solo act - with UK No.1 singles Forever Love and Love Won't Wait - and wrote hits for Atomic Kitten, Donny Osmond, Blue and Delta Goodrem.
Mark never anticipated the new four-way writing collaboration would yield such pop riches as hit singles Patience, Shine, Rule The World and The Greatest Day.
If the UK music industry was surprised by their prowess as writers, so it seems were the band.
Mark said: "First time around I don't think we got enough respect for our music - we struggled to win credibility for our songs. We had to come back with something a real step up musically.
"It wasn't that we didn't take our music seriously before. We were only 18 or 19 years old then.
Gary had always done most of that stuff.
"He had to take a step back, change his way of working and think how we would approach it as a group.
"When we realised we could write together, it was all a happy accident.
"There's definitely much more soul in Take That now. Our music is more grown-up and honest.
"Back then it felt like we were part of a big machine churning things out.
"That's why we called it a day - there was a danger of being swallowed up by all that.
"In 1996, at the end of Take That, Gary was a bit lost in his own thing - and he would even admit that.
"We never got the chance to try anything new. We were so tired, knackered, we knew it was time to stop."
A follow up to the two postreunion group albums - Beautiful World and The Circus - has been put on hold until after this tour.
Mark added: "We've talked about recording another album but nobody is looking beyond these shows.
"People might hate the gigs. Then we will have to call it a day. Hopefully, it won't come to that."
There's no chance of it. This time Take That are back... for good..
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http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/tv-showb...8057-21440106/
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After months of waiting, Take That fans will be treated to two gigs at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff next week. Band member Mark Owen takes time out of rehearsals to talk to Karen Price about the shows, family life and a certain Mr Williams
IT’S the day before the most anticipated date in the music calendar and Mark Owen is trying to keep the nerves at bay.
Just 24 hours after our phone chat, Owen and the other members of Take That staged the world premiere of their much-anticipated tour, The Circus. And just like their massive comeback three years ago, which saw the chart-toppers give a blistering performance at the Millennium Stadium, their latest show has gone down a storm.
Critics at the opening gig at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland last weekend described the performance as “a real pleasure” and “pure theatre”.
All that, and there wasn’t even a mention of the R word in any of the reviews I scoured.
Yes it seems that Mark Owen, Gary Barlow, Jason Orange and Howard Donald, are back at the very top and they don’t need any help from former bandmate Robbie Williams thank you very much.
When the tour was announced last year, there was much talk about whether Williams would reunite with the band or not.
Three years ago he was represented on stage during the comeback tour as a hologram. But it doesn’t appear that he’s referenced this time, even though the boys are all on talking terms once again.
“No, he’s not going to come,” says Owen, 37, when I ask the inevitable question about whether Williams will join the 2009 tour.
“I’m so glad Robbie is back in contact and we see him now. We talked last year of him maybe coming (on tour). We were all a bit giddy about seeing each other but it’s not possible at the moment. Rob’s doing a new record. But it (reunion) will happen one day.”
When we speak, the father-of-two is looking forward to the world premiere of the tour the following night, but he admits the nerves are kicking in.
“I have been really good all week and quite calm but I can feel myself starting to tense up a little bit. I woke up this morning and felt a bit...” he trails off.
“Sick?” I offer.
“Yes, sick,” he laughs.
“The nice thing about the first venue is you’re in there three or four days before, so we’ve done most of our sound checks and stuff.
“I’m hoping not to go in too early before the show. I’ve got the kids coming up today with my lady so I probably won’t get any sleep tonight.”
The tour opened just two nights after Britney Spears launched her series of London gigs as part of her tour – coincidentally also called Circus. But it seems Take That had no reason to worry about any competition.
As one critic, who has seen both shows, stated: “The boys’ show makes their rival’s look like an end-of-pier performance. Britney has a cast of 50? Pah, Take That have over 200. She rides an umbrella, they have a hot air balloon hovering above, but hitch a lift from the centre of the stadium to their big top tent on a 20ft-high, mechanical elephant with glowing eyes whose tail is an upside down woman with hair extensions. Heck, they even learned to ride unicycles.”
Owen admits: “It’s a big show – the biggest we have done, or it feels like it is.
“There are 58 trucks. On the last tour there were 30.”
Those trucks are carrying a selection of outrageous outfits – the boys don amateurish face paint and clowns’ outfits for one section – and some magnificent sets, including the hot air balloon.
But Owen plays down the costumes.
“There are not as many as in the past,” he says. “We’ve got an amazing wardrobe. People have been coming in and making stuff for us. We’re not like the Spice Girls so it isn’t all by John Galliano. But they are all beautiful.”
While it’s all well and good to put on an extravaganza – what about the main ingredient: the music?
“We are not one of those bands who don’t play the back catalogue. We think we’ve got a good set list. I think we’ve got the balance right,” says Owen. “Gary’s slightly concerned we are playing one too many off the new record. I said, ‘It will be great. Don’t worry. Just smile and sing and shut up’!”
Take That originally dominated the charts from 1991 to 1996 when they sold 19 million records. They announced their split seven months after Williams quit the band in July 1995.
Following a TV documentary in 2005, in which they aired their views on the split, the post-Williams line-up announced they were reforming to tour in 2006. The rest is history. Now they are bigger and better than ever, notching up more chart-toppers with the albums Beautiful World and The Circus and their current tour is said to be “the fastest-selling in UK history”.
While all of them, except Orange, are now fathers, it seems they are enjoying life in a band even more second time round – mainly because they are not afraid to speak their minds and want to be the best possible for their fans.
“We get on really well, better than we ever have done. But we are not afraid to say: ‘That’s not working.’ We are more honest. We all really care. We really care so much,” says Owen.
Due to their personal commitments – Owen is dad to Elwood, who’s nearly three, and six-month-old Willow – their tours are now condensed. They also travel with old friends.
“There’s a really nice atmosphere. We have a really great crew. Everyone started with us back in ’91 or ’92. There’s a real family atmosphere back stage. Everyone wants it to go well. There’s a crew of 238 and you don’t want to let them down.”
When we speak, The Circus show isn’t the finely-tuned spectacular that fans in Sunderland – and earlier this week, Coventry – enjoyed.
“I hope it’s going to be alright. At the moment we’re coming in at about six hours,” laughs Owen of the gig.
“There’s been a few hiccups – technical things really. We’re hoping it’s going to be about an hour and 45 to two hours. We don’t want to go on too much. People get bored after that.”
I don’t think there’s much chance of that happening. There is a variety of support acts – from James Morrison and The Script to Lady Ga Ga and The Saturdays – to warm up the crowds, mainly made up of 30-something women. There is also little known singer Gary Go, who Owens tells me “we have been championing”.
So which member of Take That gets most nervous before performing live in front of 60,000 fans?
“I think on the outside it’s probably me or Jay. Gary on the outside is very cool usually. We are all getting a bit nervous about it. I’m trying not to think about it.
“But I love touring as long, as I’m looking after myself; and as long as you’re feeling strong, it’s great. The worst thing that can happen is you wake up and go: ‘Oh my throat’s sore.’ That’s my one dread. It would break my heart if I were to lose my voice.”
Owen is not sure how long his children will join him on tour.
“It’s quite disrupting for them. Elwood knows daddy’s in a band but he thinks all daddys are in bands.
“The other day we saw a male friend in the street and he told us he was going to work. Elwood said: ‘What’s your band called’?”
After the hysteria of being in a band first time round, when Take That disbanded, Owen managed to lead a relatively quiet life, despite continuing as a solo artist and even winning Celebrity Big Brother.
But although Take That are now one of the world’s biggest bands once again, Owen says the fame doesn’t bother him and he manages to lead a relatively “normal” life away from the public glare.
“It’s not too bad at all. Everyone’s got their own lives now. You don’t get people outside your door. It’s fine.”
As far as Take That are concerned, will they now be like a new version of the Rolling Stones and go on forever or do they plan to bow out at the top?
“We just want to get this tour right and get through it but everyone’s quite up for a new record,” says Owen.
Surely music to their screaming fans’ ears...
Take That are at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on Tuesday & Wednesday
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http://www.walesonline.co.uk/showbiz...1466-23850601/
Love this bit,too cute!
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Owen is not sure how long his children will join him on tour.
“It’s quite disrupting for them. Elwood knows daddy’s in a band but he thinks all daddys are in bands.
“The other day we saw a male friend in the street and he told us he was going to work. Elwood said: ‘What’s your band called’?”
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