Intensive Care (album)
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| Intensive Care | |||||
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| Studio album by Robbie Williams | |||||
| Released | October 24, 2005 (UK) | ||||
| Recorded | 2003-2005 in Los Angeles, California, USA | ||||
| Genre | Pop rock, Adult Contemporary | ||||
| Length | 53:02 | ||||
| Label | Chrysalis/EMI | ||||
| Producer | Robbie Williams, Stephen Duffy | ||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
| Robbie Williams chronology | |||||
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Intensive Care is the ninth album and sixth solo studio album by English pop singer Robbie Williams, released on October 24, 2005 in the United Kingdom.
Although not originally intended to be released in North America, it was made available on iTunes there most likely because of Williams's appearance at Live 8.
Contents |
[edit] Album description
After touring Latin America in late 2004 for the promotion of his Greatest Hits album, Williams started working on what would become his sixth studio album. Recorded in Robbie Williams' bedroom high in the Hollywood Hills, the album was co-written by Stephen Duffy over the course of 24 months.[1]
[edit] Track listing
- "Ghosts" – 3:42
- "Tripping" – 4:36
- "Make Me Pure" – 4:33
- "Spread Your Wings" – 3:50
- "Advertising Space" – 4:37 (Robbie Williams / Stephen Duffy)
- "Please Don't Die" – 4:48
- "Your Gay Friend" – 3:21
- "Sin Sin Sin" – 4:09
- "Random Acts of Kindness" – 4:15
- "The Trouble with Me" – 4:20
- "A Place to Crash" – 4:34 (Robbie Williams / Stephen Duffy)
- "King of Bloke and Bird" – 6:13
[edit] Trivia
- "Ghosts" was intended to be one-half of the fifth single from Intensive Care, with "A Place To Crash." However, this was cancelled in favor of releasing a single from his new album Rudebox. The lyrics were inspired by the Human League song "Louise", about a man who spots his former lover at a bus stop and realises he still cares for her, with "Ghosts" being written from Louise's point of view. Williams subsequently recorded a cover version of the original "Louise" for Rudebox.
- "Please Don't Die" might have been unreleased, because it was a very sensitive song to release at the time because of the London Bombings that happened in 2005. This song deals with the insecurities some people have with their loved ones. The chorus is a pessimistic but realistic question of the vulnerability and helplessness one feels if their love one dies or goes away to far away places.
[edit] Success
The album was launched in Berlin, Germany on the October 9. It was not shown on television, but broadcast to various locations around the world in cinemas and theatres, in a high-definition "cine-cast". It was shown on Saturday 22nd October 2005 on Channel 4. During the album launch, Williams said he would like to be the new "King of Pop".[2]
When Intensive Care was released in late October 2005, it became smash hit around the world, hitting number-one in the United Kingdom, selling 373,000 copies in its first week as well as topping the charts in 20 counties including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, New Zealand and many other countries, debuting at number-one in the United World Chart selling over 900,000 copies worldwide with over 3 million copies shipped.[3] The album became Williams' biggest international success in his career, selling over 2 million copies in only six weeks.[4]
That November, Williams took home the MTV Europe Music Award for 'Best Male', but also, entered in the The Guinness Book of World Records when he announced his World Tour for 2006, selling 1.6 million tickets in one single day.[5] But After the success, Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Jason Orange and Howard Donald had agreed to reunite in Notting Hill, West London, for a preview screening of a documentary about the group, Take That. The documentary screened on ITV1 on Wednesday November 16 2005, Unfortunately, according to a source quoted by Sunday Mirror, "Robbie announced he wasn't coming. The rest of the band were gutted but felt the show had to go on".[6]
The album became the best selling album in Europe by the end of 2005 with sales over the 4 million copies.[7] However, it only managed to be the third best selling album in the United Kingdom that year.
Williams kicked off his Close Encounters World Tour in South Africa in April 2006, when he finished he's European leg of the tour, 2.5 million had seen the show,[8] and after Latin America and Australia the numbers when up to 3 million.
By the end of the promotion of the album, it was announced that it sold over 5 million copies in Europe alone being certified 5x Platinum by the IFPI,[9] it also certified 5x Platinum in the United Kingdom becoming, at the time, his lowest selling studio album in the country,[10] worldwide, the album went on to sell way over 8 million copies becoming Williams' best selling studio album around the world.
[edit] Singles
The album's first single, "Tripping", was released in October 3 2005, it became an international success, topping the charts in Germany, The Netherlands, Taiwan, Argentina & Mexico, and more importantly, the United World Chart.
"Make Me Pure" was released as the double a-side to "Tripping" in some countries, in Australia, New Zealand and Mexico, the song was released as a single between "Advertising Space" and "Sin Sin Sin".
By December, the second single from the album was released, the ballad "Advertising Space", becoming another international hit, reaching the top ten in Europe, Australasia and Latin America.
After a long gap between singles, the third cut from the album was released in the summer 2006, "Sin Sin Sin" was the first song Williams and Duffy wrote together,[11] the video was shot in Cape Town, South Africa right before the start of his tour, when the track was released it became Williams' first single to miss the UK Top 20, charting at number twenty-two, worldwide, the single did a lot better, hitting the top ten in Europe and Latin America.
[edit] Musicians
- Robbie Williams: Lead vocals, backing vocals, guitar, epiphone casino, synthesizer
- Stephen Duffy: Guitar, keyboards, nord lead, wine glass, sitar, harp, secquencers, shakers, dilruba, harmonica (track 11)
- Claire Worrall: Backing vocals, (track 11) piano, mellotron, Hammond B3, helicopter
- Melvin Duffy: Pedal steel guitar (track 11)
- Neil Taylor: Guitar (track 11)
- Greg Leiz: Guitar
- Justin Duarte: Acoustic Guitar
- Jerry Mehan: Bass guitar, fender precision (track 11)
- Matt Chamberlain: Drums, percussion (track 11)
- Kate Kisson: Backing Vocals
- Tessa Niles: Backing vocals
- Jeff Babko: Trombone (track 11)
- Cleto Escobedo: Baritone saxophone (track 11)
- Waddy Wachtel: Guitar (track 11)
- Jebin Bruni: Synthesizer
- Davey Farragher: Bass guitar, fender precision
- John Paterno: Guitar
- Buddy Judge: Guitar
- Max Beesley: Percussion, vibes
- Gary Nuttall: Backing vocals (track 11)
- - Carlton E. Anderson: Choir (track 3,11)
- - Maxi Anderson; Choir (track 3,11)
- - Randy Crenshaw: Choir (track 3,11)
- - Judith Hill: Choir (track 3,11)
- - Julia Tillman: Choir (track 3,11)
- - Carmen Twillie: Choir (track 3,11)
- - Oren Waters: Choir (track 3,11)
- - Maxine Waters Willard: Choir (track 3,11)
- - Will Wheaton Jnr: Choir (track 3,11)
- - Terry Wood: Choir (track 3,11)
- - Charlie Bisharat: Violins (track 1,2,3,5,6,8,10,12)
- - Mario De Leon: Violins (track 1,3,5,6,8)
- - Armen Garabedian: Violins (track 1,2,3,5,10,12)
- - Berj Garabedian: Violins (track 1,3,5,6,8)
- - Alan Grunfeld: Violins (track 1,3,5)
- - Sara Pakins: Violins (track 1,2,3,5,6,8,10,12)
- - Michelle Richards: Violins (track 1,2,3,5,6,8,10,12)
- - Sarah thornblade: Violins (track 1,3,5,6,8)
- - Josefina Vergara: Violins (track 1,2,3,5,6,8,10,12)
- - John Wittenburg: Violins (track 1,2,3,5,6,8,10,12
- - Denyse Buffum Violas (track 1,2,3,5,6,8,10,12)
- - Matt Funes Violas (track 1,3,5)
- - Roland Kato Violas (track 2,10,12)
- - Evan Wilson Violas (track 1,3,5,6,8)
- - Larry Corbett Cello (track 1,2,3,5,6,8,10,12)
- - Suzie Katayama Cello (track 1,2,3,5,6,8,10,12)
- - Dan Smith Cello (track 1,3,5)
[edit] Credits
- Album produced by Stephen Duffy and Robbie Williams
- Original production by Andy Strange
- Mixed by Bob Clearmountain at Mix This
- Engineered by John Paterno, Andy Strange, Stephen Duffy Pablo Munguia, Tony Phillips, Adam Noble and Dan Porter
- Strings arranged and conducted by David Campbell
- Strings engineered by Alan Sides at NRG
- Mastering by Tony Cousins at Metropolis Studios, London
- A&R: Chris Briggs
- Photography: Hamish Brown
- Design and artwork: Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
- Art coordination by Tom Hingston Studio
[edit] Certifications, Peaks & Sales
| Country | Peak Position | Certification (If Any) | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 1 | 3x Platinum[12] | 120,000+ |
| Australia | 1 | Platinum[13] | 70,000+ |
| Italy | 1 | ||
| Austria | 1 | 3x Platinum[14] | 90,000+ |
| Belgium | 1 | 2x Platinum [15] | 80,000+ |
| Denmark | 2x Platinum[16] | 60,000+ | |
| Finland | 3 | 2x Platinum[17] | 62,501+ |
| France | 1 | 2x Platinum [18] | 600,000+ |
| Germany | 1 | 11x Gold[19] | 1,100,000+ |
| Hungary | Platinum[20] | 10,000+ | |
| Ireland | 1 | 5x Platinum[21] | 75,000+ |
| Mexico | 2 | Platinum/Gold[22] | 150,000+ |
| Netherlands | 1 | 2x Platinum[23] | 160,000+ |
| New Zealand | 1 | Platinum[24] | 15,000+ |
| Portugal | 1 | Platinum[25] | 20,000+ |
| Spain | 1 | Platinum[26] | 80,000+ |
| Sweden | 1 | Platinum[27] | 60,000+ |
| Switzerland | 1 | 3x Platinum[28] | 120,000+ |
| United Kingdom | 1 | Crystal[29] | 900,500+ |
| United States | 7,000+[30] |
| Preceded by Lift by Shannon Noll |
Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album October 31, 2005 |
Succeeded by Tea and Sympathy by Bernard Fanning |
[edit] External links
- ^ Discography>Albums>Intensive Care
- ^ Intensive Care
- ^ United World Chart, "Intensive Care", November 12 2005
- ^ United World Chart, "Intensive Care", December 17
- ^ Robbie Williams Enters The Guinness Book of World Records
- ^ Robbie Williams Misses Take That Reunion
- ^ IFPI Certification for "Intensive Care"
- ^ EMI Music México
- ^ IFPI certification for "Intensive Care"
- ^ BPI Certification for "Intensive Care"
- ^ Discography>Singles>Sin Sin Sin
- ^ CAPIF
- ^ ARIA
- ^ IFPI Austria
- ^ IFPI Belgium – August 26, 2006
- ^ IFPI Denmark
- ^ IFPI
- ^ Disque En France
- ^ IFPI Germany
- ^ MAHASZ
- ^ IRMA
- ^ AMPROFON
- ^ NVPI
- ^ RIANZ - December 26, 2005
- ^ AFP – Week 9 Year 2006
- ^ PROMUSICAE
- ^ IFPI Sweden – 2005 Certifications
- ^ IFPI Switzerland
- ^ BPI
- ^ Billboard “Ask Billboard"
