Robbie Singles- and Video-Collection - Freedom

[linny]

Freedom
was released on 29.07.1996
and was a cover version of George Michael's song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEtuqwT9x80

The Video
Was first aired in July 1996, and was shot in Miami, USA, Directed by David Mouldy
This was Robbie's first solo single.
Because Robbie hadn't got around to recording his own version of "Freedom" , he had to mime to George Michael's version instead.

Robbie says that because of the constraint forced on him by his ex-record company he needed something quick to put out, to keep him in the public eye.
And as he was not sure about which of his tunes he should go with first, so he put "Freedom" out, as a statement. Also he says, the lyrics in the song fit everything he has been through when leaving Take That.

[linny]

Old Before I Die
Written by: R.Williams / E.Bazilian / D.Child
was released on 14 April 1997 and taken from the album Life thru a lens (1997)

old before i die
Music video

"I genuinely want to be old…"
Behind the scenes footage filmed on set at the Old Before I Die video shoot.

The Video
First aired in April 1997 and was directed by David Mould
Kicking off the promotion for Life Thru a Lens, Old Before I Die rocketed to No.2 in the UK singles charts in April 1997.

The single was the only successful material to come from Robbie's brief writing partnership with Bazilian/Child.

Chart Highlights:
Released worldwide except US
Charting at No.2, Old Before I Die was Robbie's first original solo material to be released. It was his first real taste of success after Take That and spent two weeks in the UK charts in April 1997


Other facts

Robbie about the song:
"The first and last song I will ever write with Desmond Child who has worked with a whole load of stars and made a whole lot of money. When we'd finished it we were sitting in his pool in Miami when he turned to me and said:’ Do you like this house? You helped me pay for it!' He ruined it all for me and I'll never work with him again. I still love the song though. It's very anthemic."

Robbie about the video:
"I cant even remember doing the video - I know it's there cause I've seen it, but I was a lot bigger then - not obviously in record sales I'm huge now - but then I was a lot bigger, tubby, the lard arse. That's all I remember of that video."

The video to the song shows Rob performing "Old Before I die" in a huge hall with a really old band. At one time Rob starts to sort of fly across the hall. He says the song is a look back on the years before.

[linny]

Lazy Days
Written by: R.Williams / G.Chambers
was released on 14 July 1997 and taken from the album Life thru a lens (1997)

Lazy Days
Music video

"If I look mad… it's because I am"
Behind the scenes footage filmed on set at the Lazy Days video shoot.

The Video
First aired in July 1997 and was directed by Thomas Q Napper it was also shot in the UK

Chart Highlights:
Released worldwide except US
Struggling to make the Top 40 in any European charts, Lazy Days spent a week in the UK's Top Ten in July 1997.


Other facts

The follow up to Robbie's first offering, Old Before I Die, Lazy Days was a minor hit in the summer of '97. Amidst his battle with addiction, a detoxed Robbie appeared cleaner and fitter on Top Of The Pops after his stint in rehab. Robbie told his fanzine, Sole: "It's basically saying enjoy your youth and don't worry about making mistakes because we all make mistakes - it's part of growing up. That's something I've only just learnt for myself."

Robbie about the song:
"A song about that time between being happy and drunk and getting a headache. Everything is a bit dreamy and pleasant."

Robbie about the video:
"Tell you the truth right, the Lazy days video I'd been in rehab for two weeks and they let me out on day release to shoot the video. I left rehab, they let me out and of course I'm mental and I'm like that [looks wide eyed around him] the world. And I'd lost some weight, cause I'd been on detox, I wasn't allowed to drink so the weight just fell off cause I wasn't drinking. And the video's quite bonkers y'know it is a bonkers video, cause that's how my head was at the time I think. I was still in rehab three weeks after the video was shot, then when the video came - I think for me to get in touch with my anger - they wouldn't allow me to watch the video. They said "We're not gonna let you watch the video" And I just went "OK I know you want me to get in touch with my anger but I'm not. I don't care, I'll see it when I get out, with the rest of the world so PAH!"

[linny]

South Of The Border
Written by: R.Williams / G.Chambers
was released on 15 September 1997 and taken from the album Life thru a lens (1997)

South of the border
Music video

Preparing for the video shoot
Behind the scenes footage filmed on set at the South Of The Border video shoot..

The Video
First aired in September 1997 and was directed by Thomas Q Napper it was also shot in the UK

Chart Highlights:
Released worldwide except US
Although not making a huge impact in Europe, South Of The Border hit the UK's top 20 in September 1997, reaching No.14.


Other facts

South Of The Border was about Robbie "completely losing the plot" the year before. His third release failed to make much of an impact and by this point, many thought he was doomed to fail.

Robbie about the song:
The new single written when I was sitting in Stoke - On - Trent station waiting to come back to London around Christmas time. I was having a very tough time."

Robbie about the video:
"It's crap that video. That video, you see cause what happened is, "Let me entertain you" was gonna be that single. At the last minute, we were recording "Let me entertain you" the video, the next day, and I just went NO we're doing "South of The Border" as a single. "South of the Border" shouldn't a) have ever been a single, and shouldn't b) have taken that quick to re-do the whole idea for one video. So it wasn't the directors fault he had about 10 minutes to go right we're doing another song then? You know so that's what happened there."

[linny]

Angels
Written by: R.Williams / G.Chambers
was released on 1 December 1997 and taken from the album Life thru a lens (1997)

Angels
Music Video

"I was on the verge of being dropped…"
Behind the scenes footage filmed on set at the Angels video shoot...

The Video

First aired in December 1997and was directed by Vaughan Arnell and produced by Adam Saward it was also shot in London & Devon, UK

Chart Highlights:

Released worldwide
Angels reached No.4 in the UK charts in 1997, but also made further appearances at numbers 57 and 75 in 1999 and 71 in January 2000. It also featured in the Top 20 of music charts throughout Europe.

Other facts

More recently, the winner of the BRITS 25 'Best Song Award' in 2005, the anthemic Angels was Robbie's breakthrough hit, selling almost 1.5 million copies worldwide and cementing his success as a solo artist. The first song to be written by Robbie and Guy Chambers, it was finished in just under 30 minutes and changed the course of Robbie's career.
The release of the single led to rocketing sales of Life Thru A Lens, which was swiftly rescued from the nation's bargain bins and went on to spend a whopping 218 weeks in the UK album charts instead! "I was on the verge of being dropped," said Robbie, 'and then Angels came out and six album later I'm still here. So without Angels I wouldn't have a career... There are certain songs that define an artist and I think Angels is definitely what you think about when you think of Robbie Williams."


Robbie about the song:
"The first slow one on the album. It was written with my Aunty Jo and Grandad Williams in mind. They are no longer with us. I believe you have guardian angles and Auntie Jo and my grandad are looking after me."

[linny]

Let Me Entertain You
Written by: R.Williams / G.Chambers
was released on 16 March 1998 and taken from the album Life thru a lens (1997)

Let me entertain you
Music Video

"It's just a semi"
Behind the scenes footage filmed on set at the Let Me Entertain You video shoot.

The Video
First aired in March 1998 and was directed by Vaughan Arnell it was also shot in London, UK.

Chart Highlights:
Released worldwide expect USA
Despite missing the top spot, Let Me Entertain You was a huge hit in the UK, peaking at No.3 and staying in the top ten for a month in March 1998.

Other facts

Described by Robbie as a 'party anthem', Let Me Entertain You climbed to No.3 in the spring of 1988, during the post-Angels whirlwind. The song soon became his signature gig-opener.
Inspired by the Rolling Stones film Rock 'n' Roll Circus, Robbie said: "We watched Rock Circus and after that we went and recorded Let Me Entertain You. "When we started writing the demo there was a furious jungle beat underneath it. It was so hardcore it got me very excited, and I still get excited listening to it now. It's not really heavy metal, it's more like camp rock opera!"

Robbie about the song:
Robbie about the song: "Camp rock opera. Really mad track with touches of my mate Elton John's Pinball Wizard."

Robbie about the video:
"And I was in character anyway, as this mad person, this mad glam rocker and I was loving that. And then these pole dancers turned up and they were all off their heads, and they were all boozing, and I was trying to stay sober to finish the video shoot. I can remember that night my drummer was staying at my house - Chris, and I'd let him get the keys and I'd gone to see my girlfriend at the time and I'd come back to my house and I was rip roaring drunk, and I'd still got the make-up on, and the Lycra suit - cos I quite like it. And I got to my house and Chris my drummer was asleep on the sofa, and couldn't hear me belling, so couldn't get in! I went to five different hotels before somebody would let me in, I'd got this cowboy hat on and this mad kiss make-up, and I ended up, I went to the Landmark Hotel and I'm going 'Look I am Robbie Williams it's me' and they're going 'No your mad whoever you are, get out the hotel' Five different hotels before I could get to sleep".

[linny]

Millennium
Written by: R.Williams / G.Chambers / L.Bricusse / J.Barry
was released on 7 September 1998 and taken from the album I've been expecting you (1998)

Let me entertain you
Music video

Another Robbie Fantasy
Behind the scenes footage filmed on set at the Millennium video shoot.

The Video
First aired in September 1998and was directed by Vaughan Arnell, and produced by Amanda Tassie it was also shot in the UK

Chart Highlights:
Released worldwide expect USA

Millennium became Robbie's first UK No.1 in September 1998 and spent two months in the UK Top 40.
The track was also a massive hit throughout Europe, storming the Top 20 in Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland and peaking at No.4 in Italy

Other facts
The album I've Been Expecting You's first single, Millennium was inspired by John Barry's Bond music and was written "in a barn in the countryside," Robbie said. "It's about the run up to the millennium and the state our heads are in."
Coincidentally, Millennium knocked All Saints off the UK top Spot and it became Robbie's first solo No.1. As far as Robbie was concerned: "someone had to be knocked off and it may as well be the wife!"
The Bond-inspired theme followed through from the song and into the video, featuring all kinds of topical paraphernalia from jet packs to the obligatory tux.
However, with press reports tipping him as the next candidate to play the silver screen's most famous spy, Robbie was keen to set the record straight. "I've never asked or wanted to play James Bond," he told Radio 1. "I did the Millennium video as a pastiche and I left it there."

Robbie about the song:
This is going to be the first single off the new album and I'm really pleased with it. I had the idea for the song after listening to John Barry's Bond music. We wrote the song at my friend's barn in the countryside and it's about the run up to the millennium and the state our heads are in. In fact, if you sat down and thought about it you could give yourself a complex."

Robbie about the video:
It was great it was like my chance to live in the sixties, for some reason, or early seventies, and it was my chance to have girls y'know fawning over me, but like paying 'em to which is something I haven't done ever before in private. The models on the shoot, cause I knew a couple of them, and they weren't fawning enough, in fact they were a bit like bored of the whole day, and they didn't fawn enough. And I remember phoning them up or speaking to them the next day and saying "Look this is my video shoot this is my dream, I'm paying you, you fawn a lot bigger and a lot better than that, weather you fancy me or not!" And I think the bits we all used were all of that say. Well the humour aspect of it is very important for me anyway, well I say very important, I wish it could be less important for me, I can't take anything seriously even the serious bits of my life they're soap and comedy, in my own head."

[linny]

Strong
Written by: R.Williams / G.Chambers
was released on 15 March 1999 and taken from the album I've been expecting you (1998)

Strong
Music video

Scared By Obsessive Fans
Behind the scenes footage filmed on set at the Strong video shoot.

The Video
First aired in March 1999 was directed by Simon Hilton and produced by Carrie Sutton it was shot in various places

Chart Highlights:
Released worldwide expect USA
Spending a week in the UK charts, Strong peaked at No.4 in March 1999.

Other facts
The third track to be released off Robbie's second album, Strong, came at a busy time. Written in a hotel in Cologne, the song was influenced by some of Robbie's more manic admirers who, he admitted "scared the living daylights" out of him. With hoard of fans setting up camp outside his hotels, Strong carried an autobiographical message. "I just wanted them to understand I'm not being rude, but I'm feeling a bit scared of everything," he said.
Using footage from his live performances, Strong gave fans a taste of the ‘real' Robbie. Backstage we get an insight into his frolics with the band and a view of what life is like from Robbie's side of the fence.

Robbie about the video:
"Strong" is made off clips of Robbie's personal life (his holidays for example) and parts of him performing live on stage.

[linny]

She's The One/It's Only Us
Written by: K.Wallinger
was released on 8 November 1999 and taken from the album I've been expecting you (1998)

She's The One
Music video

Robbie Shows Off On The Ice-rink
Behind the scenes footage filmed on set at the She's The One video shoot.

The Video
First aired in November 1999 was directed by Dom Hawley & Nic Goffey
and produced by John Madsen it was shot in the UK

Chart Highlights:
Released worldwide expect USA
A massive hit throughout Europe, She's The One reached No.4 in Italy and spent three weeks in the UK's top ten.

Other facts
The She's The One video features Robbie in full-on Torvill and Dean figure-skating mode as he pulls off another guise as trainer and last-minute stand in for the World Figure-Skating Championships.
His rhinestone-studded outfit was later sold at his Bid It Sum auction, fetching thousands for the Give It Sum Fund. The video also won Best Video at the BRIT Awards in 1999.
Robbie's second No.1, She's The One was taken from Karl Wallinger's Egyptology album and was a favourite song of Robbie's after his time in rehab.
A massive UK hit, it went on to win a number of awards - including a BRIT award and a Capital Radio Award for best single - in 2000.
The double A-side, It's Only Us, was the theme song for the Sony Play Station Fifa 2000 football game, which also featured a digital version Robbie himself!

Robbie about the video:
"It was Nick and Dom's idea, see, my idea was I was gonna be a whippet trainer and my whippet was called she's the one, and the trials and tribulations of what happened with me and the whippet. I decided to do the ice skating idea instead."

[linny]

No Regrets/Antmusic
Written by: R. Williams / G. Chambers
was released on 30 November 1999 and taken from the album I've been expecting you (1998)

No Regrets
Music video

"We were the biggest thing since sliced bread"
Behind the scenes footage filmed on set at the No Regrets video shoot.

The Video
First aired in November 1999 was directed by Pedro Romhanyi and was shot in the UK

Chart Highlights:
Released worldwide expect USA
Reaching Austria's top 40, No Regrets spent a week in the UK's Top Ten in December '98.

Other facts
Robbie's first double A-side, No Regrets, kicked off the release of I've Been Expecting You, with Adam Ant's Ant music at its side.
Robbie wrote the song as a cathartic testimonial to his past experiences. Amassing critical acclaim, it became one of the most talked-about tracks off the album, possibly due to its reference to his days with Take That. Having already worked with The Pet Shop Boys singer Neil Tennant on a charity project, he invited him, along with The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon, to sing on the track.

Robbie about the song:
This song is about relationships breaking up. Not just with girlfriends, but with people I've worked with. People I've felt have let me down or people who feel I've let them down. It's wishing that the past could be different, so we could be friends but at the same time getting on with our own lives and having NO REGRETS. It's got a positive message."

Robbie on whether No Regrets was about Take That:
"No Regrets was about me walking with a petrol can setting things on fire."

Robbie about the video:
"I like the beginning bit of it, it's great, where I'm dead down and the music kicks in and I go" [clicks his fingers and sings the first line] "and then stop" [looks serious and casts his eyes down] "see I can do it anywhere I want - that's showbiz!"