About Us ThisisBigBrother.com

Princess · 19-11-2008, 07:23 PM

Biography off the new website

Quote:

It was, incontestably, the pop story to end all pop stories, the unlikely triumph to beat all unlikely triumphs. When Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange and Mark Owen released “Patience”, the first single from the second coming of Take That on November 20, 2006, it was more than a decade since the band’s famous split, and the world, it seemed, was ready for them. More than that, perhaps without knowing it until then, we needed them. The return of Take That to their rightful place at the top of the charts became the most compelling tale in British pop music, not to mention the most heart-warming.

“Patience” had a grandeur to it as well as a sweeping, heartfelt emotionality, and a classic, crowd-pleasing British pop sensibility. No wonder it became Take That’s ninth UK number one and a hit across Europe, nor that it was voted Best British Single at the 2007 BRIT Awards. “Beautiful World”, the album that followed it two weeks later, sold 2.5 million copies in Britain. And “Shine”, the feel-good second single, an infectious pop stomp featuring Mark’s distinctive lead vocal, also went straight to number one. At the 2008 Ivor Novello awards “Shine” won PRS Most Performed Song, and at the 2008 BRITs it took Best British Single. I’d Wait For Life was the third single.

Then in the October of 2007, Take That released “Rule the World” which appeared as the theme to the film Stardust. And that winter the Beautiful World Tour – Take That’s most ambitious and successful to date – played to sell out audiences across the country over 32 nights. Bring on yet another BRIT, Best British Live Act, plus the award for Tour of the Year at the Vodafone Live Music Awards, and you’ve got an unprecedented comeback and a wave of popular and critical acclaim for a band most people, including its members, thought they’d never hear from again.

“None of us saw it coming,” says Mark of Take That’s return. “I don’t think we even wanted it. It’s not like one of us was calling the others for years saying, ‘Let’s get back together’. It was never going to happen. And then it happened.”

“Our story is so far fetched,” says Gary. “It’s crazy, really. I think it’s taken a while for us all to get our heads round it, some maybe longer than others, but everyone’s enjoying it this time. And that’s what’s most important to me. That and our audience. I really don’t think any other group has got an audience like ours. It’s like we’d won before we’d even sung a note.”

No story is ever quite that simple, of course, and this one is particularly complicated. The members of the most successful British pop group of the Nineties had spent almost ten years apart, seldom seeing each other or even speaking. Each had been bruised, in different ways and to different degrees, by their time in Take That, and then by their experiences away from the boy band hothouse. While Robbie became the biggest British solo artist in history, Gary’s career started promisingly but then stalled. Mark’s was longer but less commercially successful. Howard returned to his first love, dance music, as a DJ. Jason tried acting, and travelled. It was a difficult time for everyone, but not without its compensations. Gary, Howard and Mark became fathers, and all four slowly constructed identities distinct from their ex-boy band personas.

They were first reunited in 2005 to discuss the idea of a greatest hits album. Then an ITV documentary was proposed to celebrate ten years since they split. To the others’ surprise, Robbie agreed to appear in the film, though not with the rest of the band.

The documentary was a ratings winner, attracting over seven million viewers, and as a direct result, on November 25, 2005 Gary, Mark, Howard and Jason appeared at an official press conference to announce a British tour. They sold 560,000 tickets in record time, and the tour ran from April to June 2006, taking in 32 arenas and stadiums across the UK and Ireland. Again, Robbie put in a virtual appearance, beamed at the audience as a 20-feet high pre-recorded hologram during performances of Could It Be Magic. In all, Take That have played to close to a million people since reuniting.

“I think it was inevitable that after that we’d make an album,” says Mark, and on May 9, 2006, bowing to that inevitability, Take That signed a £3 million deal with Polydor, and hired manager Jonathan Wild to look after their affairs.

That summer, they travelled to Los Angeles and co-wrote and recorded Beautiful World with the experienced American producer John Shanks, opening a new chapter in a book we’d all thought was closed.

Following the phenomenal success of Beautiful World the band regrouped in April 2008 at SARM Studios in Notting Hill, west London, and began work on a new album, just the four of them in a room. By the summer, when producer John Shanks arrived to start recording, they’d already written 25 new songs.

“There was a real energy when just the four of us were in the studio putting those demos together,” says Mark. “And recording the album was all about trying to capture that. It’s not over-polished. It sounds great but it feels real. I feel we’ve kept that original spirit. It feels very British to me. It feels like a British album.”

Any pressure to repeat the success of Beautiful World was internal rather than external. “We’ve proved how good we are time and again, how successful we are at getting in the pop charts,” says Jason. “What matters now is whether we like it. We want it to represent us, who we are and where we’re at. We want it to be authentic.”

“When everyone came back to the studio in April it was like a new band,” says Gary. “Everyone really wanted to be there. Everyone was feeling good in their own skin again. It felt very natural to be doing another record.”

“I’ve had such a good time this time,” says Howard. “I’ve felt much more involved. It just felt so easy and relaxed. I think it comes across in the album. The second album is supposed to be the difficult one, but this was anything but.”

Howard senses a change in the band’s outlook this time. “It was a little bit uncomfortable, coming back in 2006,” he says. “You were always asking yourself if you were doing the right thing. Will we look stupid? Will people think we’re too old? What are people going to say? I still care about that stuff. I want people to like what we’re doing. But I’m more proud of being Howard out of Take That now than I ever was before. I think we all appreciate things more now than we did.”

“What’s always interested me is the dynamic in the band,” adds Jason. “And it still interests me: these four lads, it’s like a relationship: we keep moving, keep finding out things about each other. But it’s fun, it feels good, working together, being in a gang, being creative. We laugh all the time. Even with all the tensions and the tiredness… it feels right. It makes sense.”

So Take That came back. And now they’re back again. And guess what? They’ve topped “Patience”, and they’ve beaten “Beautiful World”, and no one need wonder any longer whether they’re back for good, or just back for now. Because right now it doesn’t matter.

“For the first time ever really, I feel like I’m in a real band,” says Mark. “I’m really proud of this record. It feels like a proper album. I think it’s better than Beautiful World. I think it’s a record for record buyers. I think Take That fans will love it and I think – I hope – people who just like music will like it too.”

The songs on The Circus are both vintage Take That and a bold step into the future. They’re widescreen, stadium-sized anthems and they’re intimate, heartfelt ballads, they’re lyrically challenging and musically diverse, theatrical and rooted, appealingly naïve and strikingly mature, simple in design but epic in execution.

“I’m grateful every morning to be in this position,” says Gary. “I know what it’s like not to work. I love being involved in music. I really need it. When you’re not allowed to do it, it’s really tough. Now I’m just trying to get the most out of every day. I feel better about it than I ever have because everyone else feels better about it. I’m in my element, big time. And I think we all are.”

Democratic, defiant and dramatic, The Circus is the sound of four men fully in control of their own destinies, perhaps for the first time in their working lives. Like the song says: learn to listen.

Princess · 19-11-2008, 11:08 PM

From the Sun,nice things about the album!

Quote:

TAKE THAT are a clean-cut manband from Manchester. Amy Winehouse is a drug-addled caner from Camden.
But, despite the gaping crack between them, How Did It Come To This, on Take That’s forthcoming album The Circus, is inspired by troubled Amy’s life.

JASON ORANGE — who was once the band’s chief hellraiser before hanging up his party hat — was behind the track about “a girl in Camden Town” living her life under the spotlight.

The lady in question is described as “slightly schizophrenic” and “slightly OCD” and living “a world away.”

Remind you of anyone?

Jason sings: “All this noise and all these lights/All this talking through the night. All this expectation now it’s making me neurotic/ Tell me have I seen your face before? How did it come to this?/ How did it ever come to this?”

The track later pleads with the caned Camden character: “Have you turned on your TV?/ Have you seen reality?”

Winehouse is probably the most unpleasant person to feature in a song from these pop kings. But fans looking forward to the new Take That CD brightening up winter should not fear.

The Circus — out December 1 — is the most uplifting, orchestral epic material they have produced.

The band shared responsibility and vocals around more than ever, with MARK OWEN in particular taking more lead duties.

And Mark revealed: “There was a real camaraderie and equal flow of ideas.”

He takes the lead on track Hello — where the credit crunch gets a mention. Mark sings: “Looks like the cost of houses are falling but I don’t notice.”

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And he revealed: “It’s a fun optimistic song that definitely shows a different side to us.”

HOWARD DONALD sings lead on What Is Love and Here — co-written with London indie folk duo TURIN BRAKES.

Meanwhile band chief GARY BARLOW is pleased the album’s first single — Greatest Day, out Monday — makes choosing the setlist for their gigs easier.

He said: “We’ve got so many songs to choose from to close live shows, but we always struggled for one to open with.

“Greatest Day is that song.”

The lads last month broke the record for the fastest-selling UK tour — selling 600,000 tickets in five hours for their 2009 stadium dates. They’ve had a lot of Greatest Days lately.

Unlike Winehouse...

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...cle1949711.ece

Daniel__ · 19-11-2008, 11:23 PM

To be honest I dont usually like Take That but I think there new song is pretty good so might have to download it from itunes lol

Princess · 21-11-2008, 12:10 AM

Out to download on Sunday Daniel

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

One week till 'The Circus'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

X Factor tomorrow!!!!!

Princess · 21-11-2008, 01:04 AM

BRILLIANT article!!!!

Quote:

TAKE THAT - The Circus
****

IT’S the evening of Children In Need and I’m in the middle of a cluster of people hanging outside a certain dressing room at BBC Studios. I’ve already suffered an elbow jab in the ribs as the crowd — mainly female — jostle to get a glimpse of the biggest pop band in the country.

Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Jason Orange and Howard Donald are to present Children In Need with a cheque for (their fee from their Marks & Spencer advert) and perform new single Greatest Day. But first there are photograph requests, autograph pleas and star-struck gawping to deal with.

When a BBC employee arrives with more champagne for next door’s dressing room, he is nearly rugby-tackled to the floor by the band’s bodyguard James. Take That are big business — even bigger than before. Their 2009 stadium tour is the fastest-selling UK tour of all time, shifting £35million of tickets in one day.

After a stern eye and some quizzing by the bodyguard, SFTW is allowed in to meet the nation’s most famous boyband — now a middle-aged manband — who are in their finest form physically and musically.

“What the hell is going on next door?” asks an ever-smiling Mark as shrieks from Girls Aloud’s dressing room boom through the walls. “They’re polishing off champagne while we’re sat here drinking coffee and water,” says Howard shaking his head. “Something is wrong.” “It’s like when I went to see the Spice Girls in Manchester,” says Jason. “They all had separate dressing rooms — one each!” Gary says: “Well, guys, that sounds like the way forward to me. Separate dressing rooms and no talking to each other until stage time. What do you think?” Of course, Gary, 37, is joking. Relations in the Take That camp are at an all-time high.

Dazzler

Making fifth album, The Circus, their second since their comeback, has been a labour of love. Gary says: “It was a bit like a running race last time. We were trying to keep up with it all, as well as dealing with being back as a band. This time it was easier. “We just loved every minute of it and had fun together. There are no rows in Take That. I don’t even know if we could ever insult each other.”

If Beautiful World saw Gary relinquish the chief songwriter reins, then The Circus establishes Take That as a “real band” even more. All four members are involved with the music and singing leads on the album. Gary and Mark, 36, who has come into his own as a songwriter, share equal leads.

Howard, 40, is the main singer on What Is Love and the folky Here while 38-year-old Jason takes the lead on the all-out pop dazzler How Did It Come To This. Howard says: “Deciding who sings which lead or parts is a bit like Big Brother. You have to take another member of the band into the corner and talk to them, going against another member. It’s all about ganging up.” Mark adds: “Howard said he didn’t want any leads this time round. He said, ‘I don’t want any lead vocals, any of the singles,’ though he sounds great on What Is Love and Here.” Howard laughs: “I honestly didn’t, Otherwise, I would have been singing all the ones Mark sings! “I try to get more involved in the harmonies than anything else. I love the melodic side of our songs. Even when it comes to the lyrics, I take a back seat. “I sometimes get frustrated with writing lyrics, especially as these guys find it so easy. I have to take some time out to go and play the drums until I calm down.”

The Circus is Take That’s most credible record to date. There are big show songs such as Hello, plus lush ballads including Said It All and soaring anthemic choruses like their new single Greatest Day.

Gary says: “The album was called The Circus because the title visually connected the tour, the stadium sound and the big arms in the air. We’re planning something extra-special. “It made sense to call the album The Circus even though it’s really the antithesis of the actual song. The song is downbeat and about a best man at a wedding I went to about three years ago. “He had just split up with his partner and got drunk. “When he got up to make his speech he basically talked about himself for five minutes and how he’d ruined his life. Everyone was dying.”

It’s the four different personalities in Take That which make it work so well, keep them grounded and make them all such likeable individuals. There are new babies on the way for Mark and Gary in a week and seven weeks respectively. Both are excited but, although they know whether they are having a boy or a girl, they will not let on. Gary says: “I had to know because what if I decorated the nursery the wrong colour. I’m not bloody doing it again.”

Jason and Howard both admit to being worriers still, while Gary and Mark seem to take the lead, pushing things as much as possible. Jason says: “I still worry if we’re good enough — that we’re not working together well enough and about our own group dynamics. “I worry if the material is good enough and I’ll even worry about not having anything to worry about. I struggle sometimes to be free, to enjoy it and ride with it. “I just think it’s fundamental to us being here that we work hard, know we’re doing a good job — but it’s not like we don’t deserve all this. “We’re not as special as some people might believe. “We are just genuine really. I know we have all these people around us, this circus, but take them away and you’ll see.” Mark laughs: “Jay is our quality control man. There’s always a ‘but’.”

Howard says: “I’d say Gary’s really the only one that’s always 100 per cent. Like when the tickets for the tour went on sale, I wasn’t really that positive that they were going to sell out. “I always wonder when the bubble is going to burst. But Gaz just believes in us. He knows.”

So when there are tensions, what happens? Jason says: “Two of us go quiet, another paces up and down. But Gaz, he’s very sort of determined and more forthright. Sometimes I think he’s racing ahead as much as I’m sure he thinks I’m slowing things down. Then we all agree.” Gary says: “I think the reason we get the results we do is because these days we study every detail of each song. “Sometimes that means 33 takes of a vocal but it works. It’s completely new to us and we were never like that before. Then, we used to amble on stage not even knowing what we were singing!

“I don’t mean this in an arrogant way at all — but I think we’re in a league of our own now. “Before our comeback, when we were around the first time, I’d always say another band could come along and be better than us and replace us at any time. And maybe they did. “But I don’t think they can now. This is years of history and so we treat it with respect. There’s no rush any more.”

All four have suffered a roller- coaster ride in fortunes since Take That called it a day at a press conference in February 1996. While helplines were set up for suicidal fans, the doubters mocked that the four couldn’t really cut it without Robbie Williams, who had quit a year earlier. Gary went on to enjoy solo success with his album Open Road in 1997 but was dropped after its follow up Twelve Months, Eleven Days was less successful. He went on to write for Atomic Kitten, Blue and Delta Goodrem. Mark had limited solo success and won Celebrity Big Brother in 2002, while Howard failed to land a solo record deal but carved a career as a successful DJ, which he still does when he has the time.

Glory

Only Jason quit music properly, winning small acting roles as well as going back to college to study psychology and sociology. He also travelled the world for two years.

Mark says: “It has made us appreciate all this for sure. We still can’t believe it, if we’re honest. We had gone to the other side and seen the downside of it all. So now we bring that experience into it. “I think we really value this, and we’re really grateful to be here. We do look at each other and say, ‘Oh God, what’s happening? Can you believe this?’ ” Jason says: “We thought that would be it in the Nineties, and we’ve come back to all this glory.”

Gary says: “I think the reason we are still here and talking to you today about our new album is that our music is good. Simple as that. If it were even just a bit c**p, then we never would have had this second chance.” Since their comeback in 2006, after a decade away, they have surpassed the achievements of the old Take That. Sales have gone through the roof and they have picked up Brit Awards for Best British Single for Patience and this year for Best Live Act, as well as an Ivor Novello award for most performed work for Shine.

So they have proved that it works as a four, yet the question of Robbie’s return, who the band — including Gary — are all on good terms with, keeps cropping up. Gary says: “It’s funny as I’ve noticed people are less obsessed with that now. It still crops up but not as much, which is good. We love Robbie but people see us as a four-piece now. “We’ve proved ourselves as this band here today.”

So how long can it last? Howard says: “Who knows? We’re just enjoying the moment. Mark adds: “I guess it depends how long we hold up for really, especially our knees.” Gary laughs: “Nah, lads. Forget the knees. We won’t be stopping when they go. That’s when we simply start using stools on stage instead.”

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...cle1954224.ece

My favourite bits are

Gary laughs: “Nah, lads. Forget the knees. We won’t be stopping when they go. That’s when we simply start using stools on stage instead.”

We love Robbie but people see us as a four-piece now.

Mark laughs: “Jay is our quality control man. There’s always a ‘but’.”

“It’s like when I went to see the Spice Girls in Manchester,” says Jason. “They all had separate dressing rooms — one each!” Gary says: “Well, guys, that sounds like the way forward to me. Separate dressing rooms and no talking to each other until stage time. What do you think?” Of course, Gary, 37, is joking. Relations in the Take That camp are at an all-time high.

:bigsmile:

Princess · 21-11-2008, 01:12 AM

Oh dear lord,I swear I nearly had a heart attack just now. I logged into my email to check them before I go to bed and I noticed I had an e-mail about a 'ticket update' from Seetickets which is where I got 4 of my dates. Nearly everyone whose been getting Seetickets e-mails recently have been having tickets cancelled(not many) because of some wrong detail entered and I really really thought my tickets were going to be cancelled! Just a dispatchment update,thankfully.

Princess · 21-11-2008, 12:14 PM

A new tour date has just been announced for the 9th of June in Rioch Arena in Coventry!

Announced by gary on Heart FM and Mark on Mercia FM.

Princess · 21-11-2008, 05:51 PM

Yay I just got 'Greatest Day'!!!!!!!

edit:The b-side is amazing!!!!

Princess · 22-11-2008, 12:28 AM

I miss Mark!!! I'm just talking to myself in here

Another review(good one!)

BBC Pop and Chart Review

Quote:

Staging a comeback far bigger than any of us could have imagined, it's now time for Take That – The Man Band to release their 2nd album since returning to their adoring fanbase looking slightly crinkly. Circus, coincidentally released on the same day as Britney's album of the same name, is it, and we're pleased to report it's pretty damn amazing.

Modern day Take That are like the drama faces of Melpomene and Thalia. Gary Barlow, the graceful swan of the group, is cementing his position as the country's premier pop writer by dripping tragedy over soaring, epic ballads. Melancholy lament What Is Love has Howard shining on lead vocals, questioning 'the science of fate' while title track The Circus says it best with "I'm the only clown you’ll ever know. I love you was too many words to say". The brilliant Rule The World might be hard to top but opening track The Garden and the perky Hold Up The Light have that same magical feel. With songs like this, we're left curious why they went with the relatively lacklustre Greatest Day as lead single.

Then there's Mark Owen, representing comedy, still happily bouncing about like Clementine was as big a hit as it should have been and creating adorable upbeat pop songs Paul McCartney would be proud to sing. If Morrisons have ruined Shine for you, then the cheeky Hello will happily take its place in your heart. Julie puts Mark in story telling mode and almost feels like a sequel to Babe, but the real highlight is the utterly catchy Up All Night complete with a proper oom pah pah band and skip down the street chorus – we can just imagine the video with Take That clad in drummer outfits with big shiny silver buttons.

A stunning album, Take That are the vintage champagne of pop fizzing with playful bubbles and happily maturing with age.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/8qp2/

I've read that there's a really good review in Attitude as well,which I suppose I'll have to buy since I bought it when Luke was in it,I have to buy it when my boys are in it!