Robbie Williams looks 50 shades of miserable throughout the new Netflix documentary documenting his rise, fall and baffling hatred of Gary Barlow. The only exception comes midway through his 2006 European tour when he tells fans watching him soundcheck that they’re in for a treat. “We’ve done a new song. We’re rehearsing this for the very first time. Nobody’s heard this song yet. Not even I – and I wrote it. That’s weird,” he says. For the first and last time, he glows with enthusiasm.
He’s still giving off happy vibrations as he plunges into the opening verse –seemingly unaware of the horror stealing over his audience. “OK then, back to basics,” Robbie raps, sounding like Mike Skinner from The Streets recovering from a chest infection. “Grab your shell toes and your fat laces.”
Williams had just introduced an unsuspecting universe to Rudebox – the best tune he had ever written and the one through which he could show the public “the real Robbie”. That was Williams’s logic at the time, at least. As it transpired, Rudebox and the accompanying album of the same name were the biggest collective disaster of his career – even more catastrophic than the leather trousers he sported in the video to Take That’s Could It Be Magic.
He almost didn’t get over Rudebox. His record label didn’t recover at all. In 2002, Williams had signed an £80 million contract with EMI – twice the previous biggest deal for a British artist (Elton John) and well ahead of what the industry was offering The Rolling Stones, REM or Michael Jackson. At the time, Robbie quipped, “I’m rich beyond my wildest dreams.”
EMI executives may have felt a chill even as the ink dried. By the time Williams struck the deal, he had already fallen out with songwriting partner Guy Chambers – midwife to lucrative smashes such as Angels and Rock DJ. Now, the only thing on the rocks was their relationship – and this at a time when EMI needed the hits to keep coming.
Initially, the contract seemed like money well spent. The final Williams-Chambers LP, Escapology, came out in November 2002 and sold 6.5 million copies. The following year, Williams played three nights at Knebworth. Robbie could do no wrong.
But as he adjusted to life without Chambers – their relationship had frayed when Williams tried to assert greater control in the studio – EMI saw the value of its investment shrivel. Williams’s next album, 2005’s Intensive Care, was his first without Chambers. It did a not-shabby 6.2 million units, though its big singles – Sin Sin Sin and Tripping – were quickly forgotten.
And then came Rudebox, which limped its way to a pitiful two million sales – less than half what EMI had been banking on. The timing could not have been worse. By 2006, the internet was having a devastating impact on the music industry – and nowhere was the downturn more acute than at EMI, then one of the traditional “big four” major labels.
With the tide going out, EMI was discovering who its friends were. In December 2005, The Beatles’s Apple Records had launched a lawsuit seeking $50 million in unpaid royalties (an undisclosed settlement was agreed in 2007). In desperation, in May 2006, EMI launched an audacious bid for its rival Warner. Warner rejected the approach – and made an unsuccessful $4.6 billion counter-bid for EMI. By year’s end, EMI would post losses of £260 million.
Omg RUDEBOX yall remember rudebox? I’m gonna go listen to rudebox now, thanks!
I feel like everything he did after Rudebox is forgotten.
Boohoo for the big media company. Clearly the author doesn’t like Robbie (which is fine, to each their own). But describing an album with 2 MILLION sales as pitiful?!
I wonder if the albums had been a roaring success and made EMI much more than the money they contracted Robbie for if they’d have been gentlemen and phoned him up and threw him another 10 million.
That’s the way business goes and more often than not it’s the person rather than the company that gets shafted.
Also, at the time Robbie Williams was probably the biggest thing in British music and albums and things were much more prevalent sales wise than previous era’s so that alongside inflation it’s no surprise he got a bigger deal whether it was deserved or not
Never heard this guy actually sing just know about him for some reason
Rudebox is a great song, and the only one I have ever heard from Robbie Williams
I’m Rudebox biggest fan, don’t be sad Robbie it’s a gem and ahead of its time 😅
I never understood the obsession over Robbie Williams. I found him to be a mediocre singer who tried way too hard. He came across as too sleazy for me and he was so extra to the point I found him very annoying. Even today, with those godawful cat commercials.
My favourite from him is ‘Bodies’. All these people who say they haven’t heard of him should hear it. And other songs by him too. He’s great.
When he needs to be remembered or needs more money, take that reunion. Then he leaves the group and tries to do a solo thing but then fades out like usual not too long after.
12 comments
***The Telegraph’s Ed Power writes:***
Robbie Williams looks 50 shades of miserable throughout the new Netflix documentary documenting his rise, fall and baffling hatred of Gary Barlow. The only exception comes midway through his 2006 European tour when he tells fans watching him soundcheck that they’re in for a treat. “We’ve done a new song. We’re rehearsing this for the very first time. Nobody’s heard this song yet. Not even I – and I wrote it. That’s weird,” he says. For the first and last time, he glows with enthusiasm.
He’s still giving off happy vibrations as he plunges into the opening verse –seemingly unaware of the horror stealing over his audience. “OK then, back to basics,” Robbie raps, sounding like Mike Skinner from The Streets recovering from a chest infection. “Grab your shell toes and your fat laces.”
Williams had just introduced an unsuspecting universe to Rudebox – the best tune he had ever written and the one through which he could show the public “the real Robbie”. That was Williams’s logic at the time, at least. As it transpired, Rudebox and the accompanying album of the same name were the biggest collective disaster of his career – even more catastrophic than the leather trousers he sported in the video to Take That’s Could It Be Magic.
He almost didn’t get over Rudebox. His record label didn’t recover at all. In 2002, Williams had signed an £80 million contract with EMI – twice the previous biggest deal for a British artist (Elton John) and well ahead of what the industry was offering The Rolling Stones, REM or Michael Jackson. At the time, Robbie quipped, “I’m rich beyond my wildest dreams.”
EMI executives may have felt a chill even as the ink dried. By the time Williams struck the deal, he had already fallen out with songwriting partner Guy Chambers – midwife to lucrative smashes such as Angels and Rock DJ. Now, the only thing on the rocks was their relationship – and this at a time when EMI needed the hits to keep coming.
Initially, the contract seemed like money well spent. The final Williams-Chambers LP, Escapology, came out in November 2002 and sold 6.5 million copies. The following year, Williams played three nights at Knebworth. Robbie could do no wrong.
But as he adjusted to life without Chambers – their relationship had frayed when Williams tried to assert greater control in the studio – EMI saw the value of its investment shrivel. Williams’s next album, 2005’s Intensive Care, was his first without Chambers. It did a not-shabby 6.2 million units, though its big singles – Sin Sin Sin and Tripping – were quickly forgotten.
And then came Rudebox, which limped its way to a pitiful two million sales – less than half what EMI had been banking on. The timing could not have been worse. By 2006, the internet was having a devastating impact on the music industry – and nowhere was the downturn more acute than at EMI, then one of the traditional “big four” major labels.
With the tide going out, EMI was discovering who its friends were. In December 2005, The Beatles’s Apple Records had launched a lawsuit seeking $50 million in unpaid royalties (an undisclosed settlement was agreed in 2007). In desperation, in May 2006, EMI launched an audacious bid for its rival Warner. Warner rejected the approach – and made an unsuccessful $4.6 billion counter-bid for EMI. By year’s end, EMI would post losses of £260 million.
**Read more: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/how-robbie-williams-80-million-rudebox-deal-ruined-emi/**
Does anyone even know Robbie Williams outside of the UK? Never really heard much about him, and all those albums/songs? Zilch.
He seems like the biggest name who never really made it elsewhere.
This is not true. EMI made a profit on this deal ‘pretty quickly’.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1367549412457478
Omg RUDEBOX yall remember rudebox? I’m gonna go listen to rudebox now, thanks!
I feel like everything he did after Rudebox is forgotten.
Boohoo for the big media company. Clearly the author doesn’t like Robbie (which is fine, to each their own). But describing an album with 2 MILLION sales as pitiful?!
I wonder if the albums had been a roaring success and made EMI much more than the money they contracted Robbie for if they’d have been gentlemen and phoned him up and threw him another 10 million.
That’s the way business goes and more often than not it’s the person rather than the company that gets shafted.
Also, at the time Robbie Williams was probably the biggest thing in British music and albums and things were much more prevalent sales wise than previous era’s so that alongside inflation it’s no surprise he got a bigger deal whether it was deserved or not
Never heard this guy actually sing just know about him for some reason
Rudebox is a great song, and the only one I have ever heard from Robbie Williams
I’m Rudebox biggest fan, don’t be sad Robbie it’s a gem and ahead of its time 😅
I never understood the obsession over Robbie Williams. I found him to be a mediocre singer who tried way too hard. He came across as too sleazy for me and he was so extra to the point I found him very annoying. Even today, with those godawful cat commercials.
My favourite from him is ‘Bodies’. All these people who say they haven’t heard of him should hear it. And other songs by him too. He’s great.
When he needs to be remembered or needs more money, take that reunion. Then he leaves the group and tries to do a solo thing but then fades out like usual not too long after.