I was particularly saddened yesterday looking at The Sun (not that one, the English tabloid.) I went on line curious to see what they had to say about Manchester United’s destruction of AC Milan and there emblazoned on the front cover was a story about Take That’s Mark Owen. I read it and went back over the previous story and it took me back to some really enjoyable times working with the guys in the 90’s back in the UK. More on Mark’s demons in a future blog but for now let’s stay happy.
For me Take That started the whole boy band thing and when they reformed and came back with that song ‘Precious’ I thought, ‘Oh My God, the first all man band! ‘What an amazing song and what a triumphant return. When a band return as good, even better than the first time it’s plaudits all round, and especially when they aren’t trying to be what they were. It shows great belief in yourself to come back and not want to do what you did before, be a shadow of your former self. While the dance routines change so has the audience. Fond memories are still evoked yet people think, shit that’s real talent. Of course a lot of the well loved songs are in there but they’re not pretending to be twenty any more. For me one of the greatest ever comebacks and splitting when they did was, on reflection probably the right thing to do. Although when I was at BMG and present at the press conference they held at an hotel at Manchester Airport to announce the split to the world’s media I was thinking, what the ….
Take That proved that you can go away, do what you have to do, take time away from each other and do solo projects or just chill and then when the time is right, go for it. It’s a shame they didn’t crack America but back then it was all Justin with his N Sncys and no one was interested. And that knobhead Louis Pearlman was doing the do and projected them in to the stratosphere. He got a little greedy though our Louis. I wonder what he’s doing now?……N sync were OK but there were some dodgy wax chested impersonators around at the time who pale in comparison( and chest hair) to those fab boys from my home town of Manchester, England.
With the phenomenal success of Take That you can happily advocate the reforming of bands. If there is a purpose there is always a reason and Take That reforming was a purposeful reason! It made everyone sit up and become aware of a how an act can mature through years. And what’s more they didn’t need the boy Williams and were right not to recruit him especially when his career needed it. Remember how you used to slag them off Robbie?
Simon Cowell has a whole lot to thank Take That for, he didn’t find them and he never found any boy bands half as good as them..
