TAKE THAT ALBUM SMASHES RECORDS - Daily Star - 03.12.08

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/playlist/view/60955/Take-That-album-smashes-records/

TAKE That are celebrating yet another record-breaking week.

And they have promised fans they ain’t seen nothing yet.

I was with the kings of pop in Paris to launch brilliant new album The Circus, which scored the biggest first day sales of 2008 on Monday.

And with albums flying off the shelves, the classy collection looks like outstripping the mammoth sales of predecessor Beautiful World.

But while the lads were a picture of blushing modesty in my presence, they confessed that ruling the Top 40 and a monster sell-out stadium tour were actually part of a grand masterplan all along.

Gary Barlow, 37, revealed: “We wrote the album with stadiums in mind.

“We imagined how it would be to sing the songs on stage at Wembley before we even started writing.
“We thought now was the time to do it.”

The Circus has trounced Britney’s new album, also called Circus, this week by shifting more than 133,000 copies in just one day and Gaz is on top of the world.

Surrounded by swooning French lasses and British girls who’d been lucky enough to bag tickets to the posh VIP bash, he added: “I feel like we will never be bigger than we are now – this is it.”

That’s good news for their rivals. But personally I think TT have the ability to grow further if they continue making cracking pop albums like The Circus.

lt was a double celebration for Mark Owen, who was still toasting the arrival of his new daughter Willow.

I clinked champers glasses with the pop cutie, 36, after the lads had wowed on stage with a trademark charismatic performance.

Proud Mark beamed: “If someone had told me a few years ago we’d be back with another hit album and I’d have two kids I’d never have believed them. It’s brilliant – we are so lucky.”

I don’t think luck has anything to do with it, lads.

Jason Orange has finally conquered his fear of failure.

The 38-year-old got so jittery he nearly bailed out of Take That’s initial reunion press conference and got the wobbles on tour.

Reformed Jay told me: “I’ve really got over my nerves. I used to panic before everything we did but now I just go with the flow. It is what it is.”

Pleased to hear it mate.

Howard Donald isn’t looking forward to the festive season.

While most of us gorge on mince pies, turkey and all the trimmings once, the 40-year-old has to stuff himself silly twice.

He explained: “I’m doing two Christmases so I can be with both my daughters, Grace and Lola. It’s going to be a bit full-on.”

I’m sure the six-pack won’t take long to fix.

It’s official – Take That are the biggest band in the UK.

By the end of next year they will have performed to more than two million fans since their comeback in 2005. Next year’s sell-out stadium jaunt has become the fastest-selling tour of all time.

These shows, combined with their Ultimate and Beautiful World tours, will see the boys playing to more people than any other UK act this century.

wonderful post, loved it!
this, though, scares me: “I feel like we will never be bigger than we are now – this is it.”

time will say....