Eternity/The Road to Mandalay
Robbie's fourth UK No.1 was his second double A-side release. As the lead track, Eternity was inspired by "the most amazing summer" and never featured on an album until the Greatest Hits.
"It was the first holiday I'd had in a long time," said Robbie. "I'd just been working, working and working and then I found myself with a month off and went and did amazing things with friends, met amazing people and had loads of laughs just in a wonderful part of the world."
A particularly personal track, The Road to Mandalay carries a French vibe and was written while Robbie was in France taking part in a television show.
"It turned out to be the most, for me, touching song that I've written," said Robbie. "Everything (I've) ever stolen has been lost, returned or broken, no more dragons left to slay." It's one of those songs that you go "this is really sad, but it's dead positive at the same time."
Eternity/The Road to Mandalay shot straight to No.1 and held on to the top spot for two weeks in the UK before slipping to No.3 in the third week and climbing back to No.2 a week later.
Hitting No.7 in the German charts and No.4 in the Italian charts, the single also managed to make it's mark in the European market.
