Robbie Williams relights Take That’s fire as he rejoins band 15 years after quitting By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 4:59 PM on 15th July 2010
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It was the reunification devotees had dreamt of for years. And today, it was – finally – confirmed that Robbie Williams has rejoined Take That.
Williams has returned to the fold 15 years after he stunned the pop world by leaving the chart-topping, boy band.
A statement from the band says: ‘The rumours are true... Take That: the original line-up, have written and recorded a new album for release later this year.
Friends reunited: RRobbie sang with Gary Barlow last year at the Royal Albert Hall in West London for BBC Children in Need Rocks concert
Friends reunited: RRobbie sang with Gary Barlow last year at the Royal Albert Hall in West London for BBC Children in Need Rocks concert
The band – now the original line-up once more of Williams, Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange and Mark Owen – confirmed they have been recording a new album as a five-piece.
The record, which is as yet untitled, will be released in November of this year. The band will then, most likely, tour next year.
It marks the first time the original band have recorded a full album together since the release of their chart-topping album Nobody Else 15 years ago.
Last night, Williams, 36, said: ‘I get embarrassingly excited when the five of us are in a room. It feels like coming home.’
Meanwhile, Mark Owen – who was Williams’ best friend in the band - added: ‘Getting the five of us to be in a room together, although always a dream, never actually seemed like becoming a reality.’
‘Now the reality of the five of us making a record together feels like a dream.
‘It’s been an absolute delight spending time with Rob again. But I’m still a better footballer.’
Jason Orange said said: ‘Flippin’ brilliant, absolutely brilliant. I’m over the moon that Robbie’s back with us, however long it lasts. I just want to enjoy our time with him. Life is beautifully strange sometimes.’
Back in 1996: The band, now the original line-up once more of Williams, Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange and Mark Owen, confirmed they have been recording a new album as a five-piece
Back in 1996: The band, now the original line-up once more of Williams, Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange and Mark Owen, confirmed they have been recording a new album as a five-piece
The reunion of the five stars took place in New York last September.
Shortly afterwards the band all secretly wrote and recorded the six songs which would set the foundation for the forthcoming album.
Since then, they have been working on the new record, which will be released through Polydor Records in November.
Between them, Take That and Robbie Williams have sold more than 80 million albums – and won an astonishing 19 Brit Awards
They have secured 13 chart-topping albums and 17 No1 singles.
Their new album will be released exactly 20 years since the band first sang live as a group on long-forgotten late night ITV show The Hitman & Her in 1990.
Williams quit the band in July 1995. The end came after he had fallen out with them over his excessive drug-taking, missed rehearsals and a conflict with Mr Barlow and the band’s former manager Nigel Martin-Smith over musical direction.
At the time, Williams felt the rest of the band – and especially Barlow – did not take his musical input as seriously as he felt he deserved.
Take That without Robbie: The band became a success once more without Robbie, while Williams' solo career took a dive
Take That without Robbie: The band became a success once more without Robbie, while Williams' solo career took a dive
Initially, Williams performed better outside the band, becoming Britain’s biggest solo star and the holder of the most Brit Awards in history.
He scored huge hits with songs including Angels, Let Me Entertain You and Rock DJ.
And after Gary Barlow lost his solo record deal, the animosity between those two especially seemed to escalate.
But Take That – who had split a year after Williams’ left in 1996 - reformed following a TV documentary in 2005.
Since then, they have returned to the fore of pop music with their two albums Beautiful World and Circus both topping the charts and selling millions.
Williams, meanwhile, has struggled to repeat his early solo success and saw his career flounder as he battled drugs and depression.
The glasnost between Williams and Barlow accelerated following the TV documentary and Williams called Barlow 'my new best friend' after the pair attended an Arsenal football match together.
In September last year, the band entered a New York recording studio at the same time as Mr Williams..
On healing the rift with his old band, Robbie admitted last October: 'It's a complete weight of my shoulders I didn't know it was there.
'You carry around all this resentment and bitterness for such a long time I thought it wasn't there anymore... We put everything out on the table - I thought this, they thought that, and then at the end we had a hug up and what was left was what we had at the beginning... just five guys that love each other.'
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