42 Do What U Like

 

 

I think one of the most surprising things I learned about Take That was how much of a slow burn their success was, in comparison to many other boybands around. Not only did it take them until their ninth single to top the chart, but their first single actually didn't make the UK top 100 at all! Do What U Like is a decent song, although much like a lot of Take That and Party it's very of its time. It's quite low down in comparison to the other debut era singles because I think they do this kind-of sound better, or with a catchier chorus, and you can see why certain songs performed better in the chart than this managed. Nevertheless, it's quite an interesting part of Take That's history and a decent track, and it feels quite far away from some of their biggest hits despite their dabbles with dance music both pre and post reunion.

 

Like the band I am confused with Do What U Like.

 

Is it a good or bad thing?

 

When they first came back in 2005 it was the only track omitted from both the album and video collection of Never Forget: The Ultimate Collection. The music video was also restricted from Youtube at Gary/the band/possibly Robbie's request for years. However it would appear some years later when the group finally just decided to embrace it.

 

Though having watched the link above I didn't realise their was a non nude/mop and jelly version of the infamous music video, till now. A compromise and agreed edit clearly having been reached.

 

It was after all designed to garner attention and thus served its purpose well. The video is still being talked about after all when other singles have faded from public attention. It is also used positively as a tool to show how far they came from Do What U Like to Back For Good - nowhere to the biggest pop single worldwide of 1995. It also inspired a great joke from the band about how they sold more records once they put their clothes back on.

 

The song itself isn't the greatest and is ignored by myself, I always think Promises was their debut but no that was their chart breakthrough.

 

Regarding the singles from their debut Could It Be Magic, A Million Love Songs, It Only Takes A Minute and Promises get play from myself, alongside Take That and Party and Give Good Feeling from the album. A debut album which is very patchy and dated when compared even with Everything Changes, released only a year later.

 

Give Good Feeling I feel would have been a better single choice due to its dance house vibe.

 

I agree with the observation about later boybands and how they would all go in at number one or at least top 10. A luxury of the tried and tested path and radio/television backing laid out by Take That for future likewise iterations. I suppose ultimately that was part of their legacy, for better or for worse.

 

Bros and New Kids on the Block before them would also have false starts before finding huge chart success so maybe it was a harder era to consolodate/build an initial huge audience?

Edited August 28, 2024Aug 28 by nirvanamusic

'I'd Wait for Life' didn't stick out to me as having single potential, so it was certainly a surprise when it was announced! And also unsurprising to me when it didn't do too well. Almost 18 years later(!) I still feel that way about it. It's not that I think it's bad, it's a pleasant track... but surely better left as an album track. I agree that Reach Out would have been a better option! Also an interesting point raised about Jason never being given his moment to have a lead vocal single, like the other three. I wonder if he wanted that or not?

 

'Do What U Like' will always be memorable for that video! :lol: I wonder how many people actually saw the video when it was brand new? Perhaps not that many were exposed ( :kink: ) to it? Did it only become notorious once Take That became massive? I'm kind of surprised that the song was even included on the debut album given how it didn't do well. I don't think the song is great, but not terrible either!

I have a soft spot for do what you like, and i loved the tour medley they done with it.

Id wait for life is a bit bland and forgettable, nice album track but totally a wrong choice for single, reach out should have been a single instead, it was such a poor follow up to the 2 massive number 1s patience and shine but thankfully they bounced back brilliantly with rule the world after it.

41 When We Were Young

 

 

The final single from the Progress era, specifically from the Progressed deluxe re-issue of the album, was a song that felt quite far removed from the three singles immediately before. Whilst a lot of Progress was high energy electro-pop, When We Were Young was a ballad, with vocals shared between Gary and Robbie. Unlike the era's lead single The Flood, When We Were Young doesn't quite have that same anthemic feel to it, and as a result it's merely "nice" and a little forgettable. That said, with a couple of relistens as I compiled this list, it was growing on me more than a couple of the ballads I've ranked lower, so perhaps this one's suffering from me not knowing it long enough yet. Nevertheless, it's a lovely song lyrically, and a particularly touching song to have released with Robbie part of the group again (even more so when it's the final single to feature Robbie as well as Jason in the group).

 

I forgot this was the last song to feature all five, which is a shame. When We Were Young has always been a non starter for me because it had already been bettered. More on that later.

 

The song kind of plods along and never gets out of first gear. Forgotten.

 

Having looked back over the Progressed track listing aside from Love Love, the stand out of the eight new tracks, When We Were Young makes sense to follow that up as the best option due to its thematical content to close out the Progress/Progressed chapter.

 

A far more striking close for this reunion though was a song both fans and critics alike were crying out to become a single: Eight Letters. The sample, emotion, sentiment - written by Robbie, sang by Gary - and a perfect closer not only for this reunion chapter but their history up to that point.

 

With a full proper release for Eight Letters and a striking music video, I believe it would rank high in Take That's overall canon. When you stand these two next to each other (both essentially occupy the same theme) it only shows When We Were Young's weaknesses in comparision.

Edited August 29, 2024Aug 29 by nirvanamusic

I knew Eight Letters before I listened to Progress recently - not sure where from, though! It definitely would've been a better track to round the era off, though.

The 'I'd Wait For Life' being released instead of 'Reach Out' thing still really bothers me. Like, WHY the hell would you do something so stupid?!

When we were young is a decent song but i do forget about it and i would still prefer 8 letters to it.

40 How Deep Is Your Love

 

 

The final single Take That released before splitting up was a cover of a Bee Gees track. How Deep Is Your Love was the only single promoted from their first Greatest Hits collection, and spent three weeks at #1. It was also their first single without Robbie, though perhaps not the best indicator of what a four-piece Take That were capable of given it was a cover. It's a nice version, perfectly competent, but it's not really a song I associate with Take That and definitely a curious song to have ended a pretty monumental run of hits from their original time together. Thankfully, a four-piece group proved more than capable of producing fantastic music a decade later...!

 

I remember Take That's split and the crazy aftermath --not seen before or since-- but not How Deep Is Your Love. I always assumed Never Forget was their swansong.

 

What also struck me to learn was how succesful this final single was worldwide.

 

It has definitely grown on me over time and they make enough slight changes to give their version an identity. I just wish they had stuck to their original plan and released The Day After Tomorrow as the fourth single in December 1995, followed by this single the following April. It would have meant sales for Nobody Else wouldn't have been dead in the water following the split and Greatest Hits news.

 

The Day After Tomorrow often ranks high on Take That under-rated gems lists and has a brooding vibe with fantastic vocal arrangements. It could have been a hit in the US/worldwide following Back For Good's huge success across 1995. They could have capitalised with a music video set in New York city.

 

How Deep Is Your Love is acceptable though it would have been nice to have gone out on an original song. Unlike other boybands they weren't defined by their cover versions.

Edited September 3, 2024Sep 3 by nirvanamusic

39 Why Can’t I Wake Up With You

 

 

I find this song a little fascinating - more so in terms of its release strategy than the song itself, though! Why Can't I Wake Up With You was included on Take That and Party, and I'd classify it as the eighth (!) single from the era. However, it received a new radio edit for its single release, which is not an uncommon practice. The new mix was then included on follow-up album Everything Changes, which could also make it the lead single from that era...! I wouldn't say that myself, when its artwork matches the theme of the debut era, but it's fair to say it bridged what was quite a small gap between eras effectively, peaking at #2 in the chart - the band's highest peak to that point. As for the song, it's perfectly nice, and the radio mix definitely improves the song, but it's another that suffers from not really being enough of a standout to me right now in a discography that is actually really quite varied.

 

I think the remixed version released as a single was great for their sound and also being contemporary. I know it used to be Robbie and Howards favourite song by the group, as mentioned during the Progress era.

 

It was a key single in broadening their audience and appeal, very East 17 with the break beats. Had they released the original version from the music video above they would have risked being type cast, plus they had released a better ballad in A Million Love Songs.

 

I have to say the singles from Everything Changes were spot on and although I enjoy Another Crack In My Heart from the album, it wouldn't have been in favour of the diverse singles they put out for this album campaign.

 

Edited August 30, 2024Aug 30 by nirvanamusic

I do like how deep is your love, not a top 10 for me but mid rank, why cant i wake up with you i dont listen to, i just find its a song that doesnt go anywhere but as a single it did very well.

Eight Letters -beautiful song and sentiment.

I listen to it a lot. :heart:

I'm the same it's a song a re visit a lot.

38 New Day

 

 

I only knew Giants from the Wonderland era until recently, and that gave me the impression that this album may be a more "typical" Take That album after the experimental nature of Progress and how those influences bled into the III era to make a diverse tracklist. Wonderland surprised me when I listened in full because I definitely enjoyed it more than I expected, albeit it lacks the same high highs as most other Take That albums. New Day exemplifies that - it was probably a good choice to follow up Giants, but I don't think it's standout enough to have made any impact on its own, especially at a point where their singles chart days were deemed in the past and streaming provided an uphill battle. Nevertheless, it's a solid song, a little forgettable and no standout of their whole discography, but it has a little charm to it I think. (shoutout to River, my favourite album track on Wonderland and I think it could've made for a good single)

 

Completely agree with the review about New Day. The album, aside from Giants, was slim pickings.

 

The only other songs I remember are River for its energy and title track Wonderland's instrumentation. However, I don't feel either could have pushed the album back up the charts.

 

Wonderland has the unfortunate status as their first studio album to miss out on number one (entry at 2) since their debut in 1992 and also first to not go Platinum.

 

The video for New Day is different and fun at least.

Edited August 31, 2024Aug 31 by nirvanamusic

37 Once You’ve Tasted Love

 

 

It says a lot that I'd say we're already out of the region where I'd classify songs as "forgettable" - everything left is something I could hum the tune of, even if it's quite new to me! Once You've Tasted Love still leaves relatively early though. It was released as the band's third single, and it almost looked to be stalling the band's progress after Promises broke the UK top 40 when it entered at #47. My thoughts on it are similar to Do What U Like, in that there are better examples of this kind of vibe across some of the other singles from the album, and I can see why it didn't catch on even to the level of Promises. I think I'd appreciate a little more light and shade throughout, it's a little samey, but it's a decent track and the chorus is certainly quite catchy.

 

'I'd Wait for Life' didn't stick out to me as having single potential, so it was certainly a surprise when it was announced! And also unsurprising to me when it didn't do too well. Almost 18 years later(!) I still feel that way about it. It's not that I think it's bad, it's a pleasant track... but surely better left as an album track. I agree that Reach Out would have been a better option! Also an interesting point raised about Jason never being given his moment to have a lead vocal single, like the other three. I wonder if he wanted that or not?

 

'Do What U Like' will always be memorable for that video! :lol: I wonder how many people actually saw the video when it was brand new? Perhaps not that many were exposed ( :kink: ) to it? Did it only become notorious once Take That became massive? I'm kind of surprised that the song was even included on the debut album given how it didn't do well. I don't think the song is great, but not terrible either!

The video itself wasn't widely played but it was rather notorious at the time. "Number One" magazine (a rival to smash hits in the late 80s/ early 90s) did a spread on it (pun intended) with pictures so it was known about in the pop mags of the day which was of course the point of it.