Forgive me if I'm wrong on any of this, but I believe he owes EMI one more album - which will be the 2nd Swing album, then he is a free agent.

 

The next studio album will therefore be part of a new record deal. I know that I read somewhere (within the last fortnight) that Universal are the favourites to sign him, as he reportedly has been impressed by the way they have promoted and marketed their acts (not least the return of his former band).

 

As for his decline in popularity, I honestly suspect that the blip is temporary, because he is Britain's leading PopStar of the last decade and he has a place and respect in the public eye not seen since the death of Freddie Mercury & therefore the end of Queen. (i.e. A Charismatic & Brilliant showman, great songs that the public love, yet not loved by the music critics due to the perceived lack of originality).

 

Virtually all major acts in the history of Pop Music have had a time when the media has turned on them and they are out of vogue within the public eye, but they all bounce back because they are amongst the greats and Robbie will be the same.

 

However, I would be happier if he gets the Swing album (and EMI contract) out of the way (ie. Nov 1997), then takes time out to sort out his personal well-being before coming back refreshed with a great album and tour in 1999.

 

Great post, and I agree ^_^

 

I have been saying for ages that he only has one album left with EMI, and that is obviously Swing as it was written into his contract. At the time of the deal, articles all said different things when it came to the amount of albums he had to do. It ranged from 4 to 6, now obviously it is 6 now considering Rudebox was his 5th release since the contract signing late 2002. It was never made official how many albums it was for I don't think, but I cannot imagine it being 7 as that was never mentioned.

 

I do agree about Universal, they certainly know how to promote their acts, TT have done a massive amount of promo themselfs but also there have been endless adds for both the album and both singles. EMI are a very strange when it comes to promotion. It is truely bizzare, they don't seem to care at all. I really don't get it. Perhaps it's the chairman who is the problem, I really don't know but it really is'nt normal for a record company to be so useless, especially one that is the 3rd biggest in the world. :wacko:

 

Although, Robbie did say last year that he can't wait to get away from the record company's as a whole, so perhaps he will release independently. Although without a big record company behind you, sales won't be as high, but perhaps he does'nt care about sales anymore, if he did i'm sure he would've promoted Rudebox hugely and if it still did'nt work, then he would be back making ballads and more commercial mainstream pop, but he does'nt seem to be by the sounds of things.

 

Btw, have'nt you got your dates mixed up there? :P

As long as he doesn't appear on Dancing on Ice. <_<

As long as he doesn't appear on Dancing on Ice. <_<

 

Robbie on dancing on Ice?............. Please! :lol: :P

 

I would love a Parky interview though. ^_^

I think more and more artists are willing to go independant just to have the freedom to release what they want, when they want. I know the two artists are worlds apart, but Nine Inch Nails (which I am a HUGE fan of) are one that is releasing his final album on Interscope and he's planning on releasing one album at a time with smaller studios.

 

Artists HAVE to have the backing from somewhere but when the contracts are on a smaller scale, the artists have more control.

 

With NIN's new release, they didn't even let Intercope know what was going on...Trent Reznor wanted to release it as an ARG (alternate reality game) giving clues on tour shirts, painted murals (one in London actually), mystery websites, etc...it's been really fun watching it all unfold. But he said had they let Interscope know what they wanted to do they would have announced "Be sure to see the mural in London for more clues!!!" They would have blown the game!

 

Anyway...I'm rambling. My point is, it's not unusual now for artists to sign smaller contracts so they can get out of them quicker. I hope Robbie follows this path as well with his next move.

Well, it would mean far more money I guess if his sales picked up like before, and when you think about it, EMI put very little work into promotion so it could work out far better in the end. ^_^

 

Found this on Wikipedia about acts who have gone down this route

 

Resurgence of independent labels

In the 1990s, due to the widespread use of home studios, consumer CD recorders, and the Internet, independent labels began to become more commonplace. Independent labels are typically artist-owned (although not always), with a stated intent often being to control the quality of the artist's output. Independent labels do not enjoy the resources available to the "big four" and as such will often lag behind them in market shares. Often independent artists manage a return by recording for a much smaller production cost of a typical big label release. Sometimes they are able to recoup their initial advance even with much lower sales numbers.

 

On occasion established artists, once their record contract has finished, move to an independent label. This often gives the combined advantage of name recognition and more control over one's music (not to mention a bigger slice of the royalty pie). Singers Dolly Parton, Aimee Mann and Prince, among others, have gone this route. Historically, companies started in this manner have been re-absorbed into the major labels (an example is Frank Sinatra's Reprise Records, which has been owned by Warner Music for some time now, and Herb Alpert's A&M Records, now owned by Universal). Similarly, Madonna's Maverick Records (started by Madonna with her manager and another partner) was to come under control of Warner Music when Madonna divested herself of controlling shares in the company.

 

There are many independent labels; folk singer Ani DiFranco's Righteous Babe Records is often cited as an ideal example. The singer turned down lucrative contracts from several top-name labels in order to establish her own New York-based company. Constant touring resulted in noteworthy success for an act without significant major funding. Ani and others from the company have spoken on several occasions about their business model in hopes of encouraging others.

 

Some independent labels become successful enough that major record companies negotiate contracts to either distribute music for the label or in some cases, purchase the label completely.

 

On the punk rock scene, the DIY ethic encourages bands to self-publish and self-distribute. This approach has been around since the early 1980s, in an attempt to stay true to the punk ideals of doing it yourself and not selling out to corporate profits and control. Such labels have a reputation for being fiercely uncompromising and especially unwilling to cooperate with the big six (now big four) record labels at all. Perhaps the most important and influential labels of the Do-It-Yourself attitude was SST Records, created by the band Black Flag. No labels wanted to release their material, so they simply created their own label to release not only their own material but the material of many other influential underground bands all over the country. Ian MacKaye's Dischord is often cited as a model of success in the DIY community, having survived for over twenty years with less than twelve employees at any one time.

He could just release music from his "In Good Company", was'nt that where he was planning on releasing Escapology from before re-signing?

I would love to see a more rockier album too, but anything is great!! :)

Jeez the guy never stops!!! :blink: Thank God! :wub:

Robbie on dancing on Ice?............. Please! :lol: :P

 

I would love a Parky interview though. ^_^

 

 

Jonathon Ross is back soon with his show ....so maybe we will see him there

 

As for the dates maybe Thisispop got a time machine...... :rolleyes:

 

Jonathon Ross is back soon with his show ....so maybe we will see him there

 

As for the dates maybe Thisispop got a time machine...... :rolleyes:

 

Oh yes, back tonight I believe. B) No-one very interesting on though. :rolleyes:

 

Btw, I was reading the first part of "Feel" last night as I had'nt read it in ages, re-read the whole split with Guy. What a t***, a a money obsessed one at that. Although their last ever song together was called "Blasphemy" and sounded amazing, lyricially brilliant, also Rob said it would be a great show opener and how proud he was of it. He also gave to to David Beakham as a gift, wish we could hear it someday :(

I agree with thisispop and his comments, thanks for posting it. If Robbie releases anything this year it will be, I think, to say goodbye to EMI and get shot of them..just like Macca.

Obviously I meant 2007 & 2009 not 1997 & 1999. :P

 

I think what Robbie needs to do, is disappear off the music scene and limelight for a little while, so that people actually miss him, because he hasn't really had a break in his music career. So that when he comes back, he would be like a hero returning.

 

I would draw a direct comparison with David Bowie.

During the 1970s up to 1980 Bowie released (under his RCA contract) 13 studio albums, 2 Live albums & 1 Best of. He then took a 2.5 year sabbatical where he only released three songs (including his famous duet with Queen "Under Pressure" in 1981) before returning refreshed with a new record contract (from EMI America) and the biggest album "Let's Dance" & tour "Serious Moonlight" of his career in 1983.

 

Robbie is in a near identical situation where he has been at the top of his Game for a decade (excluding the previous 5 years with Take That), but the media has turned on him. Probably, because they needed someone else to turn on after the demise of the UK previous biggest icon - David Beckham (now ex-England captain & International footballer).

Obviously I meant 2007 & 2009 not 1997 & 1999. :P

 

I think what Robbie needs to do, is disappear off the music scene and limelight for a little while, so that people actually miss him, because he hasn't really had a break in his music career. So that when he comes back, he would be like a hero returning.

 

I would draw a direct comparison with David Bowie.

During the 1970s up to 1980 Bowie released (under his RCA contract) 13 studio albums, 2 Live albums & 1 Best of. He then took a 2.5 year sabbatical where he only released three songs (including his famous duet with Queen "Under Pressure" in 1981) before returning refreshed with a new record contract (from EMI America) and the biggest album "Let's Dance" & tour "Serious Moonlight" of his career in 1983.

 

Robbie is in a near identical situation where he has been at the top of his Game for a decade (excluding the previous 5 years with Take That), but the media has turned on him. Probably, because they needed someone else to turn on after the demise of the UK previous biggest icon - David Beckham (now ex-England captain & International footballer).

 

Thisispop... Could I borrow your Time Machine & then I would not have to wait for two years for him to come back..... serioulsy though... what really annoys me is the total disrespect that has been shown to Rob in the last six months by both certain members of the press & anyone else who felt like slagging him off.

Rob will be back though as good as ever & I am hoping that his next studio album will be as interesting as Rudebox & seeing some of the producers that he is going to be working with then Im sure its going be very exciting.

The nice thing about Rob's work is that it is totally original & is certainly not boring so I am looking forward to whats coming next. I felt that Rudebox was a little bit rushed & lacked a little depth in some parts but overall was a great album & is one of my favourites.

 

 

Yes Scotty, the In Good Company company was set up to release Escapology if an agreement with the record companies wasn't reached.

 

I don't think Rob wants to be tied down to a record company anymore and he's hinted that he can always release his material via the website. Yes it would mean lower sales but it would mean he'd have all the control, all the say in what he wants to release and when he wants to release it. Personally I think creative control matters more than how much one sells but whether Rob feels the same way is yet to be seen. We know he still pays an awful lot of attention to sales and I wish he wouldn't, its not about how much something sells, that does not determine quality, well it doesn't imo anyways.

 

I agree, he needs to take some good time off but at the same time I'd love for him to just get the Swing out there this year, just to get it out of the way and so he can concentrate on his own stuff and then he can start fresh with no commitments on his shoulders.

 

As for publicity, yes the record company should do some but the publicity done by the artists themselves could get too much. There is such a thing as over promotion and just doing anything, anywhere - what I call whoring - which I think applied in TTs case. Doing things as Dancing on Ice and the other such shows just cheapens the artist's image... well it does to me. I see the artists that perform on those shows as the last attempt at a flagging career type of promotion or the more z list artists that would even consider going on those shows. In promotion, either extreme is not good. Its about picking and choosing the appropriate avenues and not spreading yourself too thin.

 

With Rob there is always something to look forward to, just imagining what he can come up with. I'm sure he's blow us away again, with the new album, just as he did with Rudebox. I'd love another album along those same lines but Rob doesn't repeat himself which is what makes him so exciting and so unique. A true original. Though not given his full due respect that he so rightly deserves.

From todays Sun ^_^

 

I bumped into Rob’s pal MAX BEESLEY in London’s Groucho Club last week and he spoke excitedly about the new songs Rob is working on.

 

Max said: “Rob’s brilliant at the moment — the best he’s been in years and he’s buzzing with his music. He’s writing songs and enjoying being in the studio.

 

“He’s going to come back with some great new tracks. He really couldn’t be on better form.â€

 

:cheer:

:o That's so good to hear!!! :cheer: :cheer: :cheer: :cheer: :cheer: :cheer: Does he have time to rest at all :unsure:

Yes I agree, much better than any Robbie joining TT news ^_^

That's the best part out of that Sun article or whatever Rob's mum said.

 

Writing music is Rob's form of therapy and he certainly has a lot to write about, I can't wait to hear what he comes up with next.

I wonder what his material's going to be like in 10 years from now :wub:

Yes Scotty, the In Good Company company was set up to release Escapology if an agreement with the record companies wasn't reached.

I'm slightly confused by this. I can't find the 'In Good Company ' as an active UK business on systems at work (just testing them out , not abusing for personal interest ;) ), but the In Good Co Co Ltd is the one which shows the activity, and is 25% owned by EMI. But when I got a parcel from the website, the label said The In Good Company, trading as Robbiewilliams.com

Sorry , this is off-topic, but is there one company or two involved here ???

I didnt take Wikipedia long to put up Mark Ronson's quote about how brilliant the new album will be did it? :lol:

 

Here is what I found on the new album from Wikipedia: ^_^

 

Robbie Williams is currently working on the follow up to his 2006 album Rudebox in Los Angeles. It is unclear as to when the album will be released however,In an interview with The Big Issue magazine in 2006, Williams's gave the interview a snippen of some new material, to which was described as being "Guitar laden, but not overly rock".

 

Music Producer Mark Ronson has confirmed he will be producing the album. In an interview with The Sun Newspaper,speaking about the album he said “His last album was a bit of an experiment but the new stuff will be brilliant.†Robbie's actor friend Max Beesley also revealed that Robbie is "buzzing with his music. He’s writing songs and enjoying being in the studio. He’s going to come back with some great new tracks. He really couldn’t be on better form.â€