Original boyband Take That still shine. Citylife.co.uk 24.06.09

http://www.citylife.co.uk/music/news/13769_original_boyband_take_that_still_shine

IT started with one man’s idea of the perfect pop group.

Manchester entrepreneur Nigel Martin-Smith had come across 1980s American heartthrobs New Kids On The Block while they were making a TV show in Britain and had the brainwave of replicating that formula using lads from the north of England.

Take That would be about old-fashioned, all-round entertainment.

These were pop stars who smiled, not snarled, did not advocate drink or drugs and were unfailingly polite – not just to the fans but to the media.

The first of the famous five was keyboard-playing Gary Barlow, a Frodsham lad signed to Martin-Smith’s talent agency in Manchester.

Gary, born January 20, 1971, had been only 12 years old when he landed his first job playing in a club in Connah’s Quay, North Wales.

While playing the hits of Barry Manilow, he began writing his own songs from the age of 13. In 1989, Gary entered the Manchester Evening News Search For A Star talent competition and was voted, prophetically, the performer with the best long-term future.

The second member of Take That was Oldhamer Mark Owen, born January 27, 1972. He was a natural entertainer, doing Elvis impressions as a small child.

While still at school, Mark got himself a job as tea boy at Strawberry studios, Stockport. When Gary turned up to record there, the pair formed a band, The Cutest Rush.

Another duo came Martin-Smith’s way. Howard Donald and Jason Orange were well-known break-dancers.

Howard, the oldest member of Take That, born April 27, 1968, hailed from Droylsden and was a natural athlete who, after school, had found work painting cars, but his real life was on the club scene of Manchester.

Wythenshawe lad Jason, born an identical twin on July 10, 1970, also lived for the night.

He left school to work for Manchester’s direct works department, but became better known as a dancer on the late-night TV show The Hitman And Her.

So Gary was the brains of the outfit, doe-eyed Mark the cute pin-up, and Howard and Jason the beefcake.

All that was missing was the joker in the pack. Robbie Williams, born February 13, 1974, was an aspiring actor from Stoke-on-Trent, still at school when he was asked to audition.

Take That came into existence in late 1990, travelling to club gigs in Martin-Smith’s car and home again the same night to save hotel bills.

Coco Savannas

Teen magazines began to take notice of the fivesome in summer 1991 and the first glimmerings of Take That mania came when 1,000 youngsters surged forward at a gig in Coco Savannas nightclub in Stockport.

Five fans were treated for crush injuries.

Take That signed a record contract with RCA and the hits were soon coming thick and fast.

When they turned up to the HMV store on city centre Market Street for a signing session, 3,000 youngsters came and the fivesome had to escape the store disguised as policemen.

Other signings in large towns were cancelled for fear of similar scenes.

The fans were now a determined army, exchanging information about the lads’ home addresses and phone numbers.

Parents' terrace home

Mark told how one fan put a ladder up to a bedroom window of his parents' terrace home in Oldham, trying to see in.

Take That were famous beyond their dreams, but also trapped in the bubble of their own fame.

The first cracks appeared in the Take That machine when Robbie – frustrated by the band’s regime and increasingly aligning himself with his new chums in Oasis – left the band during tour rehearsals in 1995.

Take That soldiered on as a foursome, staging a breath-taking set of shows at the M.E.N. Arena and Earl’s Court which drew fans from all over Europe.

But months later, in February, 1996 – with suicide helplines at the ready for grieving fans – a press conference was called at the Hilton International Hotel at Manchester Airport.

“The rumours are true,” Gary declared. Take That were to split.


“My dream is that after five to 10 years we could come back and do it all again,” he added.

In the following 10 years, Gary launched a solo career which stalled, but became a hugely successful songwriter and producer.

Mark had modest success as a solo artist and won the reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother in 2002.

DJ

Howard became a DJ and Jason did some acting, studying and travelling. Gary, Howard and Mark all became fathers.

But the big story, post-Take That, was the immense success of Robbie who sold more albums in Britain than any other solo artist, but did it with songs which told us how unhappy he was, and performances which often sneered at his boy band past.

In 2005, the foursome reunited to talk about a greatest hits album, and then an ITV documentary. Robbie took part, too, but, tantalisingly, was interviewed apart from the other four. Interest was so great that, in November, 2005, a reunion tour was announced, with 560,000 tickets sold in record time.

Robbie remained a spectre at the feast, appearing as a hologram during Could It Be Magic.

A new album, Beautiful World, sold in its millions and singles such as Patience and Shine took up where Take That had left off in 1996 at the top of the chart.

heyday

By December, 2007, Take That were performing 11 nights at the M.E.N. Arena, one more even than in their 1995 heyday, and polishing yet more BRIT awards.

There was more timeless pop in The Circus album, followed by a show to beat all that had gone before.

Again, there were rumours that Robbie may put in an appearance, but, if once it seemed ludicrous for megastar Robbie to deign to rejoin his old chums, now it was ruled out for fear that Robbie would appear to be trading on Take That’s greater success.

As he prepared to go out and entertain a total of a million people at the start of The Circus tour, Gary said: “Later on in our lives, when we’re looking back, if there’s a moment when it’s as big as it’s going to get, I feel it’s these next four weeks.”

All agree that Take That 2009 is a more contented, more democratic organisation. If the first tour was about nostalgia, they are now thinking more about the future.

But the surreal idea of a “boy” band in which one member, Howard, is 41, is not lost on them

“It felt really natural,” Jason said of being pursued by fans in the 1990s. “I suppose it’s a bit sad in a way, but all famous people have to admit it, that there’s a part of them that craves attention. And we got it.

“This time around, it feels a bit more unnatural. We’ve said a few times, being in advancing years, still having people coming to the concerts seemingly hysterical, and being a pop star, it seems faintly ridiculous.”

Take That play Lancashire County Cricket Club on Tuesday, June 23, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday (June 24, 26, 27 and 28). Gates open at 4pm. £45, £55. Call 0871 2200 260 to check availability.

*The Script and Gary Go support on June 23-24, James Morrison and Gary Go on June 26 and Lady GaGa and Gary Go on June 27-28.

Stage times:

June 24 Gary Go (6.35pm) The Script (7.30pm) Take That (8.45pm)
June 26 Gary Go (6.35pm) James Morrison (7.30pm) Take That (8.45pm)
June 27 Gary Go (6.35pm) Lady Gaga (7.30pm) Take That (8.45pm)
June 28 Gary Go (6.35pm) Lady Gaga (7.30pm) Take That (8.45pm).

thanks 4 the note jen!