BACK FOR GOOD?…
As one of the biggest Take That fans around, you’d think I’d be delighted that one of the most hotly anticipated reunions seems to be on the cards.
But I can’t help but have mixed feelings about Robbie being back in the band’s line-up.
On one hand, I would love nothing more than to see the boys together again, but there is quite a big part of me that thinks it would be a mistake to try and turn back the clock.
I became a Take That fan when I was eight and along with millions of heartbroken teenagers, I admit I shed a tear or two the day Robbie quit.
Just a month later I saw them live for the first time and although there were only four of them on stage, I still loved them.
As Take That split and became confined to the pop graveyard, I supported Robbie, but there was still a tiny flicker of hope that the boys get back together.
This flame grew when, on one of the best nights of my life (If my husband is reading this, I promise our wedding day features higher - well slightly anyway) a small part of that dream came true.
I was at Knebworth in 2003 when around 125,000 screaming Robbie fans watched as Mark Owen joined him on stage to sing Back for Good.
But this proved to be the highlight in Robbie’s career and as his celebrity started to fade, Take That reformed as a four-some and became more successful than ever before.
I fought to get tickets for their reunion tour, and when I stood in the crowd at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium, there was a hope that Robbie would put in an appearance.
He didn’t – and the reunion tour turned into a full blown career as Take That released two new albums and regained their title as the Kings of pop.
So why is it only now that Robbie wants to rejoin the band?
As much as I love him, I’m a bit miffed that he is only doing this after watching the boys put in the hard work to re-establish themselves.
He was given the opportunity to get back on stage with Take That during the reunion tour and this would have been perfect.
The band only performed tracks from before the split and he would have been able to slot back into his old role.
Now, the band has a new image, new songs and a new fan base that Robbie has had no part in, and it would be odd for him to appear in the band like the past 14 years hasn’t even happened.
But while I’m against a permanent reunion, I would love to see Rob make an impromptu appearance with the band for one of the old classics, and Take That’s tour this summer would be the ideal opportunity.
And what would be even more amazing is if it happened on June 16th at the Millennium Stadium – because I have tickets!
Written by Gemma
Barlow voted greatest songwriter ever…
Barlow voted greatest songwriter ever
So, Gary Barlow has been voted the greatest songwriter of all time, in a survey by www.onepoll.com
All I can say is that it’s about flaming time.
The man is a song-writing genius and I can’t believe it has taken this long for it to be recognised.
Even after writing some of the 90’s biggest hits, like Pray and Never Forget, he still struggled to be taken seriously as a writer and was just seen as the one from Take That who couldn’t dance.
The fact that he was just a teenager when he wrote A Million Love Songs – a song which reached number seven in the charts - obviously counts for nothing.
After the band split, he was humiliated after being dumped by his record label, despite being favourite to have the successful solo career, when he failed to reach the same dizzy heights Take That had got to.
But while Robbie Williams’ career went from strength to strength, Gary stayed out of the limelight, quietly tinkering away on his piano and coming up with chart-toppers for other pop acts.
Anyone heard Blue’s 2003 hit Guilty? Or maybe you’ve hummed along to The Winner’s Song by Peter Kay’s alter-ego Geraldine McQueen?
Both were written by the music-making machine that is Gary Barlow.
He is now riding high in the charts again following Take That's unbelievable comeback, helped along by their huge number one hit Patience – yet another Barlow classic.
And finally, he is getting the song-writing recognition he deserves. It’s just a shame it’s taken so long for him to get it.
Written by Gemma
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