Music giants bid to stop cheap CDs

This is Money

19 February 2007

 

 

 

The music industry moved today to stop an online retailer selling top CDs at almost half the shop price.

 

Music Trading Online agreed an undertaking in 2004 not to continue selling the 'parallel imports' through its online operation, CD-Wow.

The CDs - from artists including Robbie Williams, Radiohead, Coldplay, Snow Patrol and Oasis - are genuine, but their sale in Britain breaches copyright laws.

 

Now record companies including EMI, Sony, Mercury and Warner have taken the case back to the High Court in London, claiming Music Trading is in contempt of court for failing to honour its undertaking.

 

The companies, which are also seeking damages, say Music Trading has continued to buy the CDs in countries where they are cheaper and sell them in the UK without consent from the copyright owners.

 

Richard Spearman QC, representing the claimants, told Mr Justice Evans-Lombe there had been a 'flagrant breach' of the High Court order which came to light after his clients organised 'test purchases' of CDs from CD-Wow.

 

'The claimants discovered that CD-Wow were despatching from Hong Kong to the UK high-profile and high-demand CDs and DVDs, namely Robbie Williams' Greatest Hits CD and the Live Aid DVD.'

 

He said evidence of the contempt included test purchases despatched by CD-Wow from Hong Kong to customers in the UK of albums by all the top popular artistes.

 

'The CD-Wow business has at all material times been a very substantial concern. As at 2002 it was supplying some 10,000 units per day to the UK market. It is currently the second biggest player in the online music buying market in the UK.'

 

He said the operation was initially extremely successful because it was supplying the UK market with CDs manufactured for another market, which were substantially cheaper than any supplier within Europe.

 

CD-Wow will argue during the case that the test purchases were isolated mistakes caused by human error, said Mr Spearman.

 

Judgment will be reserved to a later date.

 

 

EMI board bid

 

 

A FED-UP professional investor is offering nearly £430,000 of his own money to buy a seat on the board of troubled EMI — so he can “sort it outâ€.

 

The world’s third biggest music company has filed two profits warnings in quick succession.

 

It also sacked the head of its failing music division, Alain Levy.

 

Now Hugh Hendry, chief investment officer of hedge fund Eclectica, says EMI directors are not “showing enough commitment†because they own so few shares.

 

Eclectica has about £320million under management and holds about three million shares in EMI — which has stars including Robbie Williams, Lily Allen and Coldplay in its stable.

 

Mr Hendry will encourage EMI to dump expensive and profit-free stars and concentrate on more lucrative markets such as music publishing.

 

He said: “I am fearful this board is making decisions on my behalf when, between eight of them, they own just 190,000 shares out of 800million in circulation. That’s not much at all.â€

 

Mr Hendry has written to them offering to personally match the shareholding of the entire board for nearly £430,000 — in exchange for a non-executive directorship.

 

EMI’s recording stars drew a blank at the Brits last week, despite being up for 11 awards.

 

Its shares have tanked and the company warned its profits would fall by about 15 per cent this year. Last night EMI said it had not received Hendry’s letter.

 

Threat of takeover prompts EMI to consider sale of recorded music business

19/02/2007

 

http://businesssalereport.com/images/bsr-images/emi.gif

 

 

 

EMI, the global music group whose artists include Coldplay and Robbie Williams, could put its recorded music division up for sale to guard against a possible takeover after issuing its second profit warning in four weeks.

 

According to the Guardian newspaper, the company is looking at either a sale of the recorded music division or a refinancing of its publishing business which would see the company borrow up to £1bn.

 

A number of private equity companies are thought to be preparing bids for EMI, and Warner Music is also tipped to be working on a new offer for the group after its most recent merger attempt failed.

 

EMI announced last week that full year results to March 2007 would be likely to show sales within the recorded music division fall by 15%. It had previously predicted a fall of between 6% and 10%.

 

 

http://businesssalereport.com/images/bsr-images/emi.gif

from rwap

 

b**ch AND FAMOUS

Comebacks and meltdowns

Trixy Honoré

Wed, 21 Feb 2007

Anyone who doubts that dreams really, really can come true is in for a surprise.

 

That’s because one of my own personal dearly cherished hopes has just come true. Yes, the Spice Girls are reuniting for a charity gig, followed by a UK tour!

 

Let’s hear it for their failed solo careers — I mean, come on, they wouldn’t be doing this otherwise.

 

Those naysayers best not scoff, though — just look at Take That. The boy band reformed recently, sans the one successful solo performer of the original line-up, Robbie Williams, and just look at them. They’re collecting music awards (and pointedly not mentioning their former member, who’s currently in rehab), and Robbie is facing flagging album sales and the reported possibility of being dumped by his record label. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Yes, reported possibility of being dropped in you dreams perhaps you moron :angry: :rolleyes:

 

These people honestly are just plain stupid in so many ways.

Robbie is EMI's cash-king...they're not stupid. They know the WORST selling Robbie albums will be multi-platinum.

Robbie is EMI's cash-king...they're not stupid. They know the WORST selling Robbie albums will be multi-platinum.

 

Exactly. This reporter obvioulsy dislikes Rob so decides to make up a load of $h!t about him being dropped. Now this "Robbie is being dropped" c**p will probebly be the new thing among the press. :rolleyes:

 

He has sold nearly 30m albums alone with EMI since the 2002 deal, not to mention his huge amount of singles + DVD sales and of course his record breaking tours. Rudebox, is infact the best selling album outside the US of 2006 by any solo artist so these so called journalists are just embaressing themselfs. :rolleyes:

thanks to Linz at rwap.

 

EMI responds to rival's overtures

 

 

Katie Allen

Wednesday February 21, 2007

Guardian Unlimited

 

 

EMI, the UK music group, responded last night to an approach from rival Warner Music about a possible takeover. The company is understood to have told Warner it would consider a bid depending on the price offered and regulatory issues.

 

It emerged earlier that a tie-up could see Warner and EMI hand over major artists to independent record companies under an industry deal to boost smaller labels' market share. US-based Warner confirmed renewed interest in its ailing rival this week and announced a controversial pact securing the support of independents' lobby group Impala. It is thought a bid could come as soon as March.

 

Impala has derailed music mergers in the past but will support Warner in return for market-boosting measures and funding for a new digital licensing initiative.

 

 

Patrick Zelnik, the president of Impala, said today that Warner had agreed to give independents first refusal on some of the combined group's subsidiary labels and the artists that come with them. Warner, home to Madonna and My Chemical Romance, could be willing to dispose of EMI's Robbie Williams but declined to comment for now on what might be sold. Impala said it was too early to say which labels and artists would top its wishlist but Mr Zelnik insisted such transfers would benefit consumers. "It's about catalogues that are badly exploited. It's about musical diversity. And the point is to reinforce the market share of the independents."

The agreement also commits Warner to pursuing greater market access for independents in negotiations with software players such as Apple and Microsoft, Mr Zelnik said. Offline, it would mean better access for independents in supermarkets and stores, accused of narrowing choice and squeezing out small record shops.

 

 

Mr Zelnik is meeting Neelie Kroes, the European competition commissioner, on Friday and is confident the deal could be a precedent for more cooperation. Mr Zelnik, who also heads the French Naïve record label, said: "We mustn't be arrogant and claim to be magicians who have found some great solution. We have to discuss things with the commission. All we ask is the regulators do their job."

 

 

The commission is due to rule on the Sony-BMG music merger on March 1 and is expected to open a further investigation lasting months. Last summer a European court upheld an Impala appeal and struck out the commission's approval of the 2004 merger. Competition lawyers questioned whether Impala's support will improve Warner's chances, but the Impala chairman, Martin Mills, said tonight: "I think this removes a lot of the problems for the commission. Three strong majors and a strong independent sector is a much better situation for the industry than the one we find ourselves in now."

 

Warner, which clarified today that any bid would probably all be in cash, has been trying for seven years to buy EMI.

 

This is making me mad, I can see the headlines now, the bast*rds..

 

I hope EMI rule the day.

 

He has only one album to complete thats why stupid pr**ks but sadly it will make good fodder for the UK press.

This articles makes him out to be a product or a piece of meat rather than an actual person. :rolleyes:

 

I definatly do not see him bein dropped. It is a ridiculous thing to suggest really and could only be suggested by people as clueless as the UK press. Robbie is EMI's cash-king, they depend on his success more than anyone else, hence why they gave him the biggest record contract in British music history. He makes an absolutely fortune for them, nearly 30 million albums alone sold with them since only 2002 when the £80m deal was signed. Not to mention the bucket loads of singles, dvd's, books and other merchandice he sells. And then their is of course the two mammoth tours he has done.

 

He is an extremly diverce artist, which are hard to find these days tbh. He can go from ballads, to upbeat pop tracks, from Swing to rap, from electro pop to rock. He can pull off anything and that is rare.

 

These moron joustnalists who spread this c**p that he might be dropped are only dreaming. They all have something against Rob and have more so than ever, in the past year so it is not a suprise they are suggesting such an insanely ridiculous thing that he would be dropped on the back of lower than usual sales of an album that got virtually zero promotion from Rob or EMI for that matter. Despite this it sold over 3m in three short months and is in fact the biggest selling album of 2006, by a solo artist outside the USA, so certainly nothing to mourn about.

 

The last 15 months have been the most successful in Rob's carear. He's had his best selling studio album to date with Intensive Care, a record breaking world tour where he played to over 3.5m people and an album that depite getting no promo and being extremly experimental, reaching #1 in 14 countries and becoming the fastest million seller accross Europe in 2006. However, if you were to choose to believe the Uk press, who seem to be under the impression that he is only successful in the Uk and if he gets lower than usual sales then his carear is over etc. It is complete and utter ignorance and would take an increadibly naive person to believe it all. But sadly there are alot of people that do believe it and do think he is finished etc. Even Intensive Care, depite selling over 1.6m in the UK, got slagged off by the press as being a flop and under-perfmorming, which was complete and utter madness. http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y279/tc73/Smilies/screama.gif

 

The Swing is Rob's last album with EMI as far as I can see, so whenever he gets around to releasing it, he will then be free hopefullly. I just hope that EMI don't rush him in anything, that is the last thing that they need to be doing. They should not rush this Swing album for an xmas 07 release. Rob needs at least a year away from all of this to get himself sorted imo.

An interesting article.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml....xml&page=1

 

Is this the end of the superstar era?

Last Updated: 12:01am GMT 22/02/2007Page 1 of 3

 

 

Britney and Robbie may have problems, but it's the music business that's facing meltdown. Neil McCormick asks where the stars went, while insiders predict the future of music

 

Last weekend, Britney Spears, once American pop's cheerleading sweetheart, burst into a hairdresser, grabbed a razor and brutally shaved her head, muttering about people wanting to touch her.

 

Last week, Robbie Williams, the biggest-selling solo artist in UK music history, missed the Brit awards because he had entered rehab for addiction to prescription anti-depressants.

 

It is hard to imagine more graphic demonstrations of the toxic dangers of the modern fame game.

 

Yet, for the music business itself, the spectacle of pop stars on the verge of a nervous breakdown is just a sideshow, as the whole superstar system on which the industry has been constructed goes into meltdown.

 

From Elvis to Eminen, for 50 years the music business has brought us iconic figures whose worldwide impact has resonated far beyond the confines of pop radio, their music, imagery, fashions and personalities helping to define the times we live in. Bob Dylan, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Michael Jackson, Madonna - these were musical artists who achieved a kind of global cultural omnipresence.

 

 

You did not have to like their music to know who they were, or feel its effect.

 

But as the music industry struggles to come to terms with collapsing sales, diverging international markets and the internet-fuelled emergence of highly personalised and parochial buying patterns, is the era of the global musical superstar drawing to an end?

 

Mergers, profit warnings and cost-cutting at the ever-shrinking number of major labels (currently down to four: Universal, SonyBMG, Warners and EMI) have demonstrated that the music business is struggling to come to terms with the challenges of download distribution.

 

But there is more than just new musical delivery systems and the problems of piracy at play - there is a change in the whole culture of how music is consumed.

 

Last year, the BBC cancelled Top of the Pops due to a collapse in viewing figures. There is no centralisation of pop culture any more, no radio station, music magazine or TV programme that reflects and shapes the tastes of music lovers.

 

The internet has opened up a vast catalogue catering to all tastes and every age group. This encourages a highly personal soundtrack model of consumption, where you can load your iPod with everything you already like and never have to listen to anything you don't want to ever again.

 

It is the enemy of universality.

 

Consider the case of Arctic Monkeys. Last year was widely deemed to be "their" year. They had the fastest-selling British debut album of all time, won two Brit awards and will be headlining the Glastonbury festival this year.

 

But would you recognize them on the street? They had a peculiarly anonymous kind of success that did not overrun into wider popular culture in the way Oasis and Robbie Williams did in the UK in the 1990s.

 

Rising up through fan forums, they are only really popular with their own following. It seems to suit the band, but they are anti-stars, an invisible phenomenon. How do you sell that to the world?

 

The major record companies that have grown to dominate sales across the planet are high-overhead businesses built on a model where only one in 10 artists is successful, but a tiny minority sell in such vast quantities that they pay for everything else.

 

That model is now failing. Of the 100 best-selling albums of all time, only three have been released in the 21st century (and one was a compilation by the Beatles, the others being by Eminem and Norah Jones).

 

With the exception of Eminem, the biggest stars of the decade have been either US solo artists emerging from uber-glossy '90s manufactured pop (Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé) or tasteful, sensitive (and often British) melodic pop-rock (Coldplay, Dido, James Blunt, Norah Jones). It is the rise of the middle-of-the-road.

 

In troubled times, these are the artists companies consider it safe to spend their marketing budgets on.

 

But while they can still sell in big (if diminishing) quantities, they lack the kind of challenging uniqueness that could send shockwaves rippling through the world at large. They lack superstar-sized charisma.

 

Perhaps as an intentional rejection of the superficial values of traditional showbusiness, much of modern pop culture (certainly in the UK) seems to have developed a strange kind of humility.

 

James Blunt, who had one of the biggest albums in the world in 2005, could probably travel on the Tube unmolested.

 

And while a non-rock fan might recognise Chris Martin, it would only be because he is married to a movie star. Identifying another member of Coldplay would be a stretch.

 

As for James Morrison, or the members of Keane, Snow Patrol and the Kooks, who are these people? It is an Everyman model of fame, the star next door. It is music without edges.

 

Yet the UK scene is as edgy, exciting and flamboyant as it has ever been, frothing over with exceptional talents from Amy Winehouse to the Guillemots.

 

People feared that the web would make everything homogeneous, but it seems to be doing the opposite. Attempts earlier this decade to promote American stars at the expense of local talent have foundered: there were only four US acts in the top 20 UK albums last year.

 

American idols (Justin, Christina and Beyoncé) failed to gain international sales to match their profiles.

 

Which is an interesting reversal, given that Britain's biggest stars of the past 15 years (Oasis and Robbie) proved unwelcome in America.

 

By promoting interactivity between audience and artist and making available music that corresponds to the particular interests of different types of people, the internet is actually making music more parochial.

 

The problems facing the international music business may, in fact, be an indication of the rude health of grassroots music. Lower recording costs and new distribution models mean more access for musicians and more choice for consumers, which means we are less dependent on the choices record labels make for us.

 

Declining CD revenues focus attention on other ways of making money, feeding into a boom in live music.

 

With lots of great music to choose from and many more musicians making a living through performance and independent sales, the old model, where only a tiny minority of musicians (as few as two per cent) enjoyed the benefits of fame and fortune, hardly seems worth defending.

 

Maybe, with hindsight, the first flourishing of the international music business from the '50s to the '90s will be seen as an aberration: the superstar era. Given the treatment meted out to the likes of Britney and Robbie, perhaps we should be glad it's over.

 

advertisementWhat those in the know say...

 

"In virtually every market in the world people have a desire to connect more with their own culture, and that has come at the expense of international stars. People got fed up being sold fluff. The barriers to entry are now collapsing all around, so it's easy for any artist to make their product available.

 

" The live sector is vibrant. It's cheap for an artist to record a few tracks, sell music at gigs, develop a fan base and promote themselves that way. Ten or 20 years ago, you had to go with a major label to have success but not any more. If there is another Bruce Springsteen out there, maybe he is doing it himself."

 

Paul Burger Founder of Soho Artists, artist management company focusing on world music. Formerly chairman of Sony Music UK and Ireland

 

"People listen to a greater variety of music than ever before, and are more demanding consumers. There have only ever been a few artists who made good albums. All too often albums got sold off the back of one killer single plus a lot of filler, but this is not possible any more, now that the consumer can choose individual tracks. It's all good for the music consumer, and for musicians it's a good time, too, because they can take charge of their music, distribute and promote it themselves for little or no cost.

 

"Musicians have traditionally made money by playing live, and that's not going to change. You cannot download the live experience. It's the real hard currency of the music business."

 

Martin Stiksel Founder of Last FM, an internet radio station and recommendation engine that tailors itself to the personal tastes of individuals

 

"While everyone is questioning the future of the music business, nobody questions the power of music. It is used to promote and sell just about every type of commodity and service, constantly. So it is just a question of how music is going to be distributed, consumed and paid for.

 

"Music publishers have had to spend decades remodelling and reshaping their businesses. They started off selling piano rolls, then sheet music, then recorded music took over and publishers had to learn how to license and monetise their rights. Record companies will have to acquire the same mind set, monetising and licensing their recorded music. Licensing, which the industry has long considered secondary income, will become the primary income."

 

Fran Nevrkla Chairman of PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited) & VPL (Video Performance Limited), non-profit music licensing bodies who collect performance royalties for musicians

 

"We have a generation coming through who don't think that music is something you pay for. It may not be good for the corporations, but, if you believe that the internet is a more democratic trading environment, there is a very healthy future for the music industry. New independents are forming all the time from the remnants of old corporate business, new shoots springing up from old wood."

 

Alison Wenham Chief executive of AIM, the Association of Independent Music

 

"Will the old corporations be here as we know them in five years time? No chance. Will music still be something people are making money out of in five years time? Absolutely. I think we're going back to the 70s again. Its all about being as entrepreneurial and independent as possible. The future is small. There are four big corporations at the moment, and there might be three in a year's time. But for music lovers it's never looked better. Roll on the '70s!"

 

Christian Tattersfield MD of 14th Floor Records (a joint venture deal with Warner Records, artists include David Gray, Damien Rice, Ray LaMontagne and Nerina Pallot) NMC

While I think EMI would be STUPID to get rid of a huge guaranteed money-maker like Robbie, he WOULD make them a ton of money to get out of debt. And Warner may be a better place for Rob...you never know.

Robbie and Madonna set to become stablemates

by Reuters on Thursday, 22 February 2007

 

http://v2.arabianbusiness.com/images/magazines/arabianbusiness.com/web/fullsize/robbie_full.jpg

Robbie Williams and Madonna will find themselves on the same record label if the Warner acquisition of EMI goes ahead.

 

Warner Music Group has made a bid approach for Britain's EMI despite uncertainty over whether any deal would win regulatory approval, in the latest twist in a seven-year tit-for-tat takeover battle.

 

EMI, which announced the move on Tuesday, said there was currently no proposal for the board to consider and no certainty that the approach would result in one, but the statement still sent its shares up 5.4 percent to 233-1/2 pence at 1140 GMT.

 

Analysts had speculated that EMI, the world's third largest music company and home to Robbie Williams and Coldplay, could receive a fresh takeover approach after it last week issued its second profit warning in just five weeks.

 

 

Warner, the fourth largest music major, has also struggled recently, reporting a 74 percent drop in quarterly profit due to its artists having fewer hits, and any tie-up would give both sides access to more artists and the ability to cut costs.

 

It would also help solve EMI's historical problem of having the smallest market share out of the four music majors in the United States -- the world's largest music market.

 

But any fresh attempt could run into the same regulatory problems that have hindered previous efforts.

 

"The regulatory outlook is still very uncertain," said Numis Securities analyst Richard Hitchcock. "But given how difficult the trading environment is -- U.S. physical sales are down 20 percent in the year to date -- they (Warner Music) will no doubt argue that the case for consolidation has been strengthened."

 

Analysts said any bid was likely to be pitched around 260 pence a share. Warner offered 320p a share for EMI last year.

 

EMI and Warner Music first tried to merge in 2000 and again in 2003. Last year, they were locked in a $4.6 billion battle to buy each other, but hopes of a deal were quashed in June when a European court annulled approval of the 2004 merger of Sony Corp's Sony Music and Bertelsmann's BMG.

 

That ruling cast doubt on whether EMI and Warner Music would get regulatory clearance, and the companies abandoned talks until there was more clarity from antitrust regulators.

 

The European Commission is now examining the refiled Sony-BMG application, which would create the world's number two music company, with a deadline of March 1.

 

By then, it could decide to either clear the deal, ask the companies to provide remedies to any competition concerns or open an in-depth investigation that would last 90 working days, with most analysts expecting the latter.

 

The music industry has struggled in recent years as the growth in legal downloading has not yet made up for the slide in physical sales but EMI's recorded music business has been hit particularly hard, with the poor performance of new releases such as Williams' "Rudebox".

 

All groups have been looking to grow their digital revenues. Barney Wragg, the former senior vice president of Universal music's digital division, told Reuters recently he had joined EMI because it was so focused on its digital business.

 

But according to analysts at Jupiter, it has some way to go as Universal, the world' number one music company, has been the most successful at growing its digital business, ahead of Sony BMG in second, Warner in third and EMI in fourth.

 

EMI said it would consider any proposal with "a particular focus on conditionality, the regulatory and operational risk profile, and on valuation in relation to the company's standalone value and the value creation available from a combination".

 

Panmure analyst Alex DeGroote said in a note that the announcement would likely alert private equity, who would be interested in the publishing side of the business, but that Warner was the most likely suitor due to potential synergies.

 

Media reports over the weekend suggested EMI was considering "re-engineering" its balance sheet by borrowing against the more reliable publishing side, and one analyst noted that this may have prompted Warner to act as any acquirer would want to go through that process themselves.

 

Well that is a nicer angle than the one last night.

I find the Telegraph article very interesting, they've certainly got a point.

It also made me think that not only Rob had longevity (which is what the hip artists of the moment have yet to prove) but during that time when he had huge success it was like no other male artists (at least from the UK) ever came close in reaching his level, there was almost no competition if you ask me. Looking at it now: At first it was James Blunt making it big, but now it almost seems as if he is "out" again because it was not long until James Morrisson took over and now there's also this Mika bloke. They might be successful with their music but who would want to put a poster of those up on their wall...? :unsure: Well, I certainly wouldn't. :puke2: :lol:

To me those aren't popstars, unlike Rob - he is a real popstar with all the good and bad that comes with it...

 

I don't think there will be anybody else to reach Robbie's level, not in the bigger than life superstar sense. Rob is a true star in every sense of the word and that's just in born I think. He's got the full package, talent, charisma, personality, sense of humour, good looks and that IT factor. Its all natural with Rob where as with a lot of the flavours of the month type stars its something they try to be or put across and it doesn't translate. Plus with Rob there's something that just endears him to people, whether its the sense of humour or just his honesty but people actually care about him where as with others just care about their music.

 

Regarding that article about Warner and EMI, even if Warner buys out EMI I can't see them dropping Rob. Though they are American based they still know that Rob brings in a lot of money and especially as swing is the next album, if they play their cards right they can have a success with it in the US so I doubt they'd want to drop him. Plus he's only got one album left, it'd be more costly for them to buy him out of his contract then keep him on.

Kylie: We just can't get you out of our bed

23/02/07

The Star

 

http://www.wopvideos.com/imgvideos/grandes/1091.jpg

 

Randy Brits’ top fantasy figures are Aussie beauty Kylie Minogue and pop hunk Robbie Williams.

 

Cancer battler Kylie, 38, is the woman UK men most want to bed.

 

Rehab-bound Robbie, 33, right, is the girls’ top fantasy fella.

 

Other stars we lust after include actors Russell Crowe, 42, Brad Pitt, 43, and Sarah Michelle Gellar, 29 and busty Pamela Anderson, 39.

 

British men are also getting kinkier.

 

More than 35% fantasise about sex with two or more women, according to a new book, Sex And The Psyche, by Brett Kahr.

 

 

 

thanks to robstar at trws

 

I don't know if this is "normal" or "nasty"---regardless it's total garbage. <_<

 

Take That Hope Robbie Williams Will Join Them On Tour

 

February 26, 2007 9:12 a.m. EST

 

 

Maira Oliveira - All Headline News Reporter

London, England (BANG) - There's no Take That without the original fifth member to complete the group.

 

The British sensation have pleaded with former bandmate Robbie Williams to join them on their new U.K. tour.

 

The band - Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Howard Donald and Jason Orange - have just announced plans for their 22-date "Beautiful World Tour" and want troubled Robbie to join them.

 

Howard said, "It would be lovely to have Robbie join us and let's just say we're keeping in touch about it. Having Robbie sing a few numbers would be amazing and we'll have to wait and see if he's up for it. We certainly are."

 

Robbie - who is undergoing treatment for addictions to prescription drugs in a rehab clinic - was mooted to appear with the band when they embarked on their reunion tour last year. However, the "Rudebox" singer - who left the band in 1995 - was only featured as a 20 feet pre-recorded hologram for the hit song "Could It Be Magic."

 

Since reforming, Take That have had a successful tour, a number one album, "Beautiful World," a number one single, "Patience," and won the BRITS British Single award.

 

Their 2007 arena tour begins in Birmingham on November 16. Tickets go on sale on Friday at 9 a.m.

Robbie's Take That texts

 

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/8/8c/TakeThat.jpg

 

LIFE STYLE EXTRA (UK) - Take That have been sending former bandmate Robbie Williams text messages of support as he fights his prescription drug addiction.

 

The group - Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen and Jason Orange - have dismissed claims they deliberately snubbed Robbie by failing to mention him when collecting their British Single BRIT award.

 

They insist they have been in constant contact with the 'Angels' singer since he checked into a US rehab centre but don't want to publicise their support.

 

Gary said: "We got picked up a lot for not mentioning Robbie when we collected the award and for us it seemed like everyone was just jumping on the bandwagon.

 

"But we have all sent texts and emails to him. We just want to deal with it privately."

 

Robbie checked into Arizona's Meadows centre on February 13 the day before the BRITs.

 

He is being treated for an addiction to the anti-depressants Seroxat and Xanax, and the painkiller Vicodin.

ummm...Rob isn't allowed to have his cell or internet access while in rehab, douchebag.

 

Try again.

 

<_<