[Princess]

The Sun

How's about That then fellas?


By shifting 432,000 copies in a week, their new record The Circus has become easily the fastest-selling album of the year in the UK. And it’s the third-quickest mover of all time.

Only OASIS’s Be Here Now and COLDPLAY’s X&Y have sold more — meaning Take That now rank above DIDO, ARCTIC MONKEYS, MICHAEL JACKSON and a little-known former boyband singer named ROBBIE WILLIAMS.


And here’s another example of how staggering their latest sales figures are — The Circus has shifted more units than the combined sales of the next FIVE artists in this week’s chart — global music giants THE KILLERS, LEONA LEWIS, BRITNEY SPEARS, KINGS OF LEON and, erm, RHYDIAN.

But forget all the stats. Today proves Take That are now a British institution and true pop royalty.

The first time around, when they were all oiled chests, skimpy clobber and silly dance moves, it wasn’t cool for lads to like them.

But now it’s uncool NOT to like the re-formed manband — who show off their more mature look in my exclusive new pictures.


What’s more, while most groups on the comeback trail claim they’re not in it for the filthy lucre, Take That really mean it.

A pal of the band told me: “They’ve been offered lots of big-money gigs over Christmas and New Year but said no to spend time with their families instead.

“They’re going to make some time to get together as a foursome before the end of the year too — and have a proper old-school celebration.”

Gary said: “We set out to make a record each of us was really proud of and we did that.

“To then have it fly off the shelves like it did this week has been just amazing.”

And to think people said it would never be the same when Robbie left.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...cle2013150.ece

[Princess]

Classy new custon status

[Ross]

I just want to say, I wanted to say it like when the video first came out but Howie's dancing in 'Greatest Day' is hilarious. His arms haha.

[Princess]

Haha yeah,he's obviously taking dancing lessons of Mark.

[pinkmichk]

more radio 2 vids

Check out the Radio 2 website here http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/event/takethat/ for three brand new videos from Take That's Radio Theatre session on the Ken Bruce show last week.

Head over there now to watch 'Patience', 'Back For Good' and 'Up All Night'.

[xDramatick]

I'm obsessed with "She Said" atm, it's so dancey haha.

[Princess]

Originally posted by pinkmichk
more radio 2 vids

Thank you! Hope someone puts them on YT as I can't watch them in Ireland

[Princess]

Originally posted by Darenn
I'm obsessed with "She Said" atm, it's so dancey haha.

I loveeeeee that song. Like I love them all but 'She Said' is just so different,I really hope they do it on tour!WITH DANCING.

[Princess]

Why it's cool to love Take That
By Edith Bowman


IT is one of the great comebacks in pop history.

After 432,000 first-week sales of their new album, Take That rank alongside giants Oasis and Coldplay.

And now anyone from girls to trendy blokes can like them.

Here Radio1 DJ Edith Bowman, a champion of cutting edge bands, says why . . .
IF you want any proof about how it has become acceptable to like Take That now, then I can provide it.

I was at the MTV awards in Liverpool a few weeks ago and I was on the red carpet interviewing guests for Scott Mills’ show.


We were over- running a bit and it passed 7pm and we started eating into Zane Lowe’s show.

I asked Zane, who bear in mind is about as cutting edge as you can get, if he wanted me to grab anyone like Lemar or The Killers. ‘Or how about Take That?’ I joked. I thought he’d tell me where to go.

But straight away he said, ‘Hell yeah, can you get me Gary Barlow?’

Then on air he proceeded to profess his love for the man band and hail the songwriting genius of Gary.

I challenge anyone who still thinks Take That are a boy band to compare Barlow’s songwriting with the likes of Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol or Tom Chaplin from Keane.

There’s not a great difference between the three. Yet, for some reason, there is still a stigma attached to loving Take That, particularly for blokes.

But that, thankfully, is changing.

I’ve always loved Take That. I went to see them at the MEN Arena in Manchester when I was 15 and it was a great night.

I’ve enjoyed all sorts of music from loads of different genres but there will always be a place for Take That.

Back in the day they penned pop classics including Back For Good and Never Forget. For me, the old stuff never died.

I’ve always been out of the closet with my love for them. It’s never been a problem for me to hold my hand up and proudly say, ‘I am a Take That fan’.

A lot of the cool kids turned their noses up when the band announced they were to reform.

But slowly there has been a realisation, particularly among a lot of blokes, that the new stuff is quality.


Although, sadly, a lot of them will be scared to admit it till the day they die.

I’m glad it’s becoming easier to confess to being a fan, though, and the more guys who put their prejudice aside and say they are into it, the better.

The band are incredibly likeable, they don’t pretend they’re anything they’re not.

They are just a bunch of wholesome guys and great role models for anyone who looks up to them.

For those who still refuse to accept they are a great band who write great songs, then I say it’s time to get over the fact they are Take That.

I’m on the judging panel for the Brits next year and, in the Best British Album category they are in there with The Streets, Snow Patrol, Razorlight and Coldplay.

And they are as deserving, if not more so, than any of those others. Why shouldn’t they win? They are, after all, the full package.

They sing live, they write their own stuff, they look fantastic and they never stray too much from who they really are.

That old adage about a good bottle of wine also applies to Take That.

They just keep getting better and better with age.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...cle2017600.ece

[Princess]

Did you catch Take That Come To Town on TV on Sunday night? It was a The Circus themed spectacular, with acrobats, dancers and gymnasts taking over the small stage, and Peter Kay's character Geraldine amusingly hosting a quiz with the boys. They were also on Irish talk show Tubridy Tonight looking rather handsome as you can see from these pics! If you missed Sunday night's show, check out the video of one of their fab new tracks "Up All Night" below. They definitely put on a show!

http://uk.popsugar.com/2578642

I was stood in the cold while they were in there.....

[Princess]

4.2 Million viewers for Take That Come to Town! That's like the whole of Ireland


http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/tvratings

The album has now sold more than half a million! As it sold 83,046 yesterday!

http://forum.takethat.com/t/1295.aspx

[Princess]

Review(I don't think I've posted this one)

Saying you dislike Take That in their new-and-improved formation is a bit like saying you don’t like Thumper or Bambi: plain wrong. After all, Gary’s lost all that weight and kept it off, so the least you could do is give the guy a break, right? The second long-player from the revamped Fab Four sees them evolve from pert comeback Beautiful World, spinning their sound to a whole new grown-up level, replete with four lead singers, strings, sha-la-la-laaas aplenty and no little amount of joie de vive. With The Circus, it seems that Take That have flexed their ample musical muscle and proven that they’re no pop clowns…

You see, one of the key minus points of Beautiful World was its lack of upbeat numbers: it was as if by gaining stubble and stylish suits, Take That had shunned their past of jelly and leather-clad frivolity, with Shine the notable exception. Not so here. Hello, Up All Night and Hold Up A Light will all have you slapping your thighs with joy, and the likes of epic opener The Garden and Said It All are enough to rouse the most miserly cynic’s pop sensibilities. Above all else on The Circus, Take That sound like they had a whale of a time making it. Ballads aren’t left out either, with the title track a gorgeous slice of old-school Gary at the piano, matched by the Howard-fronted What Is Love, a song dunked in melancholy that wouldn’t be out of place on the stage of any West End theatre production.

What stands out here is that this is a team effort. All the songs were written by the reunited quartet and vocal duties are shared around the group, with Mark scoring more leads than perhaps even he can believe. But even his propensity to squawk doesn’t take the shine off this record. Each song sounds epic, full of heart-melting melodies and uplifting lyrics. Having seen Take That live last year, RealMusic Blog can only wonder how fantastic this new album will be performed live - it certainly seems to have been written with sweeping-lighters-aloft stadiums in mind.

The Circus is an outstanding collection of songs that are perfectly paced and crackle with positivity. It features tracks that would work in Disney movies, on stage and even has nods to The Beatles on Up All Night and Hello. The pressure on the Fab Four to produce must have been immense, but they’ve exceeded even our expectations. The slimmed down, new-and-improved Take That are jet-propelled at the moment and with this record, anything seems within their reach.

http://uk.real.com/music/blog/2008/1...hat-the-circus

[Callum]

I have a confession to make, I adore 'Up All Night'. I might even ask for the album for Christmas now.

[Princess]

Do Callum! UAN is 80% gonna be next single.

[Princess]

Since the Britney crew are gloating,I wanna too,lol.

Take That-The Circus has sold 512,000 copies in 8 days in the UK alone

[Locke.]

I want Julie as the next single, guranteed number 1

[Princess]

It's either Julie or Up All Night,I want Up All Night but I'll be happy with either.

[30stone]

I never understood why take that never broke america??

as they could well have, or still can

biggest band of my time i think.

[Princess]

Originally posted by 30stone
I never understood why take that never broke america??

as they could well have, or still can

biggest band of my time i think.

Back for Good was number 7 over there and I hear they're going to release 'The Circus' there so hopefully *fingers crossed* The guys always put 100% into promo and with the US I don't think they would like to be away from their families for so long.

[xDramatick]

Originally posted by Princess

I loveeeeee that song. Like I love them all but 'She Said' is just so different,I really hope they do it on tour!WITH DANCING.

Haha, I'd love to see them release it.

[Princess]

Haha,nah that will never happen! Although it would be great in the summer

Nowt has happened today...... *coughs*


Album wise,from the songs I didn't like-Hello has really grown on me,I like The Circus better than I did but I like What Is Love less(skipped it yesterday and felt bad!)

[30stone]

Originally posted by Princess

Back for Good was number 7 over there and I hear they're going to release 'The Circus' there so hopefully *fingers crossed* The guys always put 100% into promo and with the US I don't think they would like to be away from their families for so long.

yeh i suppose so, my mum who loved them back then and does now said that there was many american boy bands around the time they tried which made it a lot harder for them

[Princess]

That's probably true actually! Never even thought of it. As much as I'd love them to break America,I hope they don't leave us too long! If they do it properly will have to be after the tour.

[Scarlett.]

CHART king GARY BARLOW has signalled he would welcome a sensational TAKE THAT reunion with heart-throb former bandmate ROBBIE WILLIAMS .

And he revealed HE was the man who persuaded Robbie to end his US exile — for the sake of his career.

Gary, whose Take That hits include Relight My Fire, said the pair had shared several long conversations about Robbie’s future.

He said: “The band has been having great fun with Robbie over the last few months and we’ve been talking a lot. It’s been really good getting to know him again. He has sorted himself out and is in a really good place at the moment.

“It’s great news that he’s decided to come back to the UK. I’ve always loved working here and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else — and I’ve been telling Robbie for a while now that he needs to move back.

“I think the time is right for him to come back now. I don’t think the US is the best place for him to be.

“This is where he thrives and is the best thing he can do for his career.

“He’s got a lot of unfinished business here and he’ll be back to his best in no time if he comes home.”

The Sun told exclusively yesterday how Robbie, 34, was preparing to return to the UK next year after living for five years in Los Angeles.

He has bought a £7million mansion in the Wiltshire countryside — and told fans on his website he’d “love” to rejoin Take That, who have enjoyed a hugely successful comeback since reforming two years ago.

Robbie, who scored a string of solo hits after leaving the group in 1995, also revealed that he has had the band’s symbol tattooed on his right arm.

Speaking at Capital Radio’s Jingle Bell Ball in London’s 02 Arena, Gary, 37, said he and the band had never ruled out the idea of Robbie rejoining and admitted they HAD discussed the possibility with him.

He said: “Robbie will not be coming on tour with us next year because he’s got his own things to do.

“But we are not ruling out getting together with him beyond that.”

Robbie walked out on Take That after a series of rows. The band split up a year later and went their separate ways.

Together ... Gary Barlow and Robbie Williams at Arsenal match last month

Together ... Gary and Robbie at Arsenal match last month

Robbie launched a successful solo career and racked up a succession of No1s — including Angels and Millennium.

But he hit the skids with the release of his widely- panned seventh album Rudebox in 2006 and became a virtual recluse in LA.

Meanwhile Take That got back together in the same year and once again became the biggest pop act in the UK.

In the emotional message on his Inner Sanctum website Robbie — who was pictured with Gary at an Arsenal football match last month — said he was thrilled by the group’s remarkable return to the top.

He said: “I’m over the moon for the boys. Having met up with them I can tell you they’re having a ball. I’m really really proud. I love the new album too — haven’t stopped listening to it.”

He added: “I’d love to be in the band again but I’ve got some unfinished business of my own.”

And he signed off by saying: “I’d like to think we’d be the only band in the history of music to get together because of artistic differences.”

Gary previously admitted the majority of the fallouts in Take That stemmed from clashes between him and Robbie.
Guest

Despite his solo success, Robbie maintained a bitter war of words with the band after he left, launching a series of personal attacks.

But this seems to have been laid to rest now.

The prospect of Robbie rejoining Take That brought a mixed response from fans and record industry figures.

Music mogul SIMON COWELL said Gary and his bandmates MARK OWEN, 36, JASON ORANGE, 38, and 40-year-old HOWARD DONALD would be better off WITHOUT Robbie.

He said: “I’d keep it as it is. Robbie could have a guest slot now and again — or a duet.”

Meanwhile, readers flooded on to our online MySun forums to express their views on a reunion — some of which are printed on the right.

Take That’s comeback has proved an amazing hit.

Last week they sold an incredible 432,000 copies of new album The Circus. It has sold another 120,000 so far this week and is on course for one million sales by Christmas.

The Sun

[xDramatick]

Take That were great on GMTV this morning! They've literally just finished singing.
Mark's joke about Robbie was funny xD