TAKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE WITH ROBBIE

Ultimately, says Robbie, the album is inspired, at least in part, by the Human League's classic 1984 single 'Louise', about a man who sees his former girlfriend at a bus stop and realises that he still has strong feelings for her.

"It's one of my all-time favourite tracks," he says, "and I liked the idea of writing from Louise's point of view. And so several tracks on the album, things like 'Ghosts' and 'Spread Your Wings' in particular, run along similar themes, about ex-lovers who still yearn for one another. There's a lot of pining on this record, I think."

Identifiably the work of someone taking stock of his life ? see 'Ghosts', 'Make Me Pure' and the mesmerising 'Advertising Space' ? Intensive Care is richly melancholic and steeped in nostalgia. While recording it, Robbie would revisit the key songs of his youth ? everything from Oran Juice Jones' 'The Rain' to Prefab Sprout's 'When Love Breaks Down'.

"When I think about school and hear some of the songs from the 80s, it breaks my heart, it really does," he says. "But I think I might have finally purged myself of that, it might finally be out of my system, which is probably a good thing. But it's definitely been an influence in the making of this album. I wanted to write the kind of songs that could break somebody else's heart in 15, 20 years, and give them the same sense of nostalgia as my favourite songs gave me."

source (http://music.ninemsn.com.au/artistfeature/default.aspx?aid=141)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/1madlady/plat_all.jpg

January & February 2006

March 10, 2006

The start of 2006 sees five albums gain their first Platinum Europe Award for sales of over one million copies in Europe, and a total of eight international artists gaining certification.

Fuelled by the runaway success in 2005 of American Idiot, Green Day's 2001 release International Superhits sells its first million in Europe. It is the band's first greatest hits album, containing tracks from 1994 to 2001 from the Grammy Award winning Californian pop-punk band. Penned predominantly by the group's front man Billie Joe Armstrong, the album has sold across 19 European countries.

Jack Johnson's third studio album In Between Dreams secures the first Platinum Award for the artist. The 30-year-old from Hawaii was a professional surfer before turning to surf film-making and then music. The singer-songwriter recently won Best International Newcomer at the 2006 Brit awards, and is currently on a sell-out European tour.

French singer Raphael also achieves his first PEA for his album Caravane. This is the third album release from the singer-songwriter who has just won Male Artist of the Year at the French 'Victoires de la Musique' award ceremony. Born in Paris to a Russian father and Argentinean mother, Raphael's work illustrates a broad mixture of musical influences, and the album has gone three times platinum in France.

Sugababes achieve the first Platinum Award for their fourth album Taller in More Ways. Following the album's October 2005 release, co-founding member Mutya Buena left the group shortly after in December. She was replaced by new find Amelle Berrabah, who joins Keisha and Heidi in one of the UK's most successful girl bands. Previously, the three-piece had topped charts worldwide and had four UK No.1's since forming in 1998, including the first hit single from this album, Push the Button.

The Pussycat Dolls have also crossed the million mark in Europe with sales of their debut title PCD. The all-girl group, previously a dance troupe based in L.A. and Las Vegas, was formed in 1995 but did not release an album until September 2005. Since then they have enjoyed global success with the single Don't Cha (featuring Busta Rhymes), which scooped a Billboard Music Award last year. The band have also revealed they are to tour with the Black Eyed Peas, whose member Will.I.Am features on the girls' latest single Beep.

Gorillaz' second studio album Demon Days mirrors their eponymous debut by going double-platinum. The May 2005 release includes hit singles Feel Good Inc, Dare and Dirty Harry, and features an impressive and eclectic list of collaborators including De La Soul, Shaun Ryder, Ike Turner, Dennis Hopper, MF Doom and the London Community Gospel Choir. The virtual group made up of Noodle, 2D, Murdoc and Russel, recently performed at the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards and the 2006 Grammys - 3D animation was used to project the band onto the stage.

Coldplay's global No.1 album of 2005, X&Y, picks up its fourth PEA for four million European sales. This album won the group the Best Album award at the 2006 Brits, whilst the first single from the album - Speed of Sound - took Best Song. This is the third studio album from the British group, which has gone eight times platinum in the UK alone.

Robbie Williams scoops another multi-platinum award - a fifth for his 2004 Greatest Hits album. This has now sold in excess of five million copies across 19 European countries, going multi-platinum in 12. The title has gone six times platinum in Ireland and Williams' native UK, plus five times platinum in Germany and Italy, cementing the artist's huge popularity across the continent.


Source: http://www.ifpi.org/site-content/platinum/platinum_intro.html

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/1madlady/plat_all.jpg

James Blunt & Robbie Williams pass 5 million sales mark in Europe - March 2006
April 7, 2006

Six international artists picked up Platinum Europe Awards in March, with two albums scoring five million European sales.

The Rolling Stones album A Bigger Bang achieves its first Platinum Award for over one million sales in Europe. The September 2005 release accompanied the world tour of the same name, and is the long awaited follow-up to 1997's studio album Bridges to Babylon. The legendary British group - formed in the '60s - also played one of the biggest free concerts of all time on Copacabana Beach in Brazil this February, performing to a crowd of 1.2 million.

Zucchero achieves the first PEA for 2004's Zu & Co, which has gone four times platinum in his native Italy. The album features duets with Miles Davis, Sheryl Crow, Paul Young, Brian May, Sting and The Cranberries' Delores O'Riordan. Zucchero has been releasing albums since 1983, largely inspired by gospel, blues and rock, and including songs in Italian, Spanish and English.

Katie Melua's second album Piece By Piece has equalled the European success of her debut Call Off The Search by achieving double platinum status. The 21-year-old singer-songwriter, who is signed to Mike Batt's Dramatico label, has enjoyed widespread success since being spotted as a student in a Brits School showcase. Melua is currently on a European tour, and has announced she will be supporting Il Divo at their US concerts this summer.

Radiohead's critically acclaimed album OK Computer has now sold over three million copies in Europe. The album won a Grammy for Best Alternative Album after its 1997 release, and often tops 'Best Ever Album' opinion polls. It is the third album from the progressive rock band who met at school in Oxford in the late 1980s. A new album is forthcoming from the group, who are embarking on a European tour next month.

James Blunt's debut offering Back To Bedlam is still selling at an impressive rate across the continent, and has now crossed the five million mark. The album propelled Blunt to two Brit awards this year - Best Pop Act and Best Male Solo Artist. The former soldier released the title in October 2004 and it has gone nine times platinum in the UK alone, where it was the best selling album of 2005.

Robbie Williams also gains a fifth platinum level for his latest album Intensive Care. This is the eighth studio album from the British artist, and was the biggest selling title in Europe last year, despite only being released in October. It has sold across 19 countries, and mirrors the success of his 2004 Greatest Hits album which also achieved a fifth PEA last month.

Source: http://www.ifpi.org/site-content/platinum/platinum_intro.html

When I went to one of our CD stores here in SA, I noticed a "new" IC CD - same cover as the original but in a hue of pink instead of blue. The guy behind the counter told me it includes a DVD with extra footage, a mini interview as well as making of a music vid - not too sure which one but I think I read "Make me pure" Has anyone else seen/heard of this "new" CD? ;)

Its not a new CD being released.

When they released Intensive Care here, they released 2 CDs at the same time. One version was the normal CD at the normal cost. The other contained the CD with an additional DVD containing the documentary, In Intensive Care (which had already been shown on our TV), the Make Me Pure video and exclusive tarot card visuals and cost around £16.

I hope this helps.

Stupid me bought both not knowing the difference. I do love the dvd of Make me Pure, very sexy Robbie. The interviews are nice too.

Trust SA to be last in line ...:lol:

Its two years ago when Intensive Care was released.

I can remember very well, how i was irritated after Escapalogy, but more often i heard the songs of Intensive Care more i liked it - and after two years i still like it. Surprise Surprise, Intensive Care is a hidden diamant, its love with the second look. Ok, some love it immediatly, it depends of the person. But i remembered too that a lot of fans were first irritated like me, and like me they loved the album more often they heard it.

Robbie Williams music is a kind of music that you can hear it completly without getting boring. There are so much albums where every song sound similar, its so fuck*n boring.

Robbie Williams music is like himself, lovely mad, sincere, brave, funny and variable - maybe it is cause he let speak every one of his multiple personalities .. haha. I love every each of them. Cuddie cuddie :jackie:

Thank you Rob, without you music world would suffer a lack. Your music is a flower i always like to smell on it. :SexyStick:

I wanna give the laudation to Em, who said in his song "Without Me"

Chorus:
Now this looks like a job for me
So everybody, just follow me
Cause we need a little, controversy
Cause it feels so empty, without me
I said this looks like a job for me
So everybody, just follow me
Cause we need a little, controversy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QggN4XPEiRY


Presenting the unique Robbie Williams with his Intensive Care

Robbie Williams coming on stage, testing the sound and singing

Sin Sin Sin :thumbup:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA_XZioilGs

official video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da_qADmooHI

:andrea:

My Guru :sanna:

:jackie:

My favourite album so far (Although I like 'Singing when your Winning' for the noglastic effect)

I like this album.