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in 20th Century Retro

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Thanks TT

 

Some programs to watch out for on the music channels

 

Hooked On

 

Today at 17:00 on The Box

 

Top 10

Kelly Clarkson v Will Young: Category:

Saturday 14th November at 09:00 on MTV Hits

 

Will Young: Ultimate 10 on TV

 

 

Sunday, 15th November 2009

 

 

9:45pm Smash Hits!

 

 

Will Young's Greatest Hits

 

Monday 16th November at 09:00 on MTV Hits

 

 

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Thanks Sunday. :thumbup:

 

Suggy rang me about the Hooked On. It is also repeated on Wednesday at 7.30am & Friday at 1pm.

Edited by truly talented

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Thanks to Gill.

 

Digital Spy Interview.

 

Will Young

Monday, November 9 2009, 06:04 GMT

 

By David Balls, Music Reporter

 

 

Since winning the inaugural Pop Idol back in 2002, Will Young has gone on to become one of reality TV's greatest successes. He's released four studio albums, notched up nine top five hits and added acting to his repertoire with appearances in Mrs. Henderson Presents and a stage production of The Vortex. As he releases new single 'Hopes & Fears' and his first Greatest Hits collection, we met up for a chat about the journey so far.

 

How significant does it feel to be releasing The Hits?

"I started off thinking that it wasn't that significant and more a contractual thing, but now I'm rehearsing all the songs for the tour it makes me really proud. The songs are all really varied and show growth along the way."

 

Do you think it's growth that's helped you last longer than other talent show stars?

"I think it's hard for any artist to stay around, whether they're from a talent show or not. I think British people like honesty and I think people still like the fact that I stood my ground on Pop Idol and then I came out with 'Leave Right Now'. That made people think, 'He's doing what he wants to do'."

 

Do you think you'd have been given that freedom if you'd come from The X Factor?

"Yeah, I think so. I would have always been my own person. I think people could tell that from the time on Pop Idol when I had a bit of a scuffle with Simon Cowell. They saw that I was up for a bit of a fight. I would like to think so anyway."

 

What's the biggest benefit to having come from Pop Idol?

"I went on that show because I love music and I then got to work with people who were huge heroes of mine. I had Steve Lipson, who produced my second album, saying to me, 'If I don't produce it, you won't have a career'. I was just amazed that someone who'd worked with Frankie Goes To Hollywood, The Art Of Noise and Annie Lennox wanted to produce my album. Working with that calibre of person was just such a privilege."

 

What's the new single, 'Hopes & Fears', about?

"Ooh, I don't know really... pregnancy haha! The song was written by a friend of mine, Stuart, who I worked with on the last record too. I liked it and needed something for the Greatest Hits, but the stuff I've been working on for my next album is much more dance-pop and didn't really fit in."

 

It's got a pretty interesting music video of course.

"Yeah, I think it's important not to take yourself too seriously. A lot of my videos have been p**s-takes of myself, from pregnancy to Blue Peter to learning to swim. I think the things I've done visually over the years haven't been what was expected from someone who won a talent show. Some of those videos have been really different and creative. The superhero one for 'Let It Go' was probably my favourite one."

 

How's the next album shaping up?

"Well, I'll be able to talk more about it when it comes out but it's an ongoing project that's finally coming to fruition. The guys from Groove Armada have done something and there's a Calvin Harris track on there too. That was meant to be on the last album but it didn't make it on."

 

Who would you compare it to?

"Oh, I don't know really! It's probably a huge cliché, but at the moment I'm really heavily into Bronski Beat and the Communards. I've kind of had a huge discovery of them, because I didn't really know their stuff before. The last couple of songs have kind of been down that line - they're f**king good! They're a little bit '80s, but I think I've always had that vibe."

 

There are loads of electropop females in the charts right now. Do you like them?

"It's definitely the domination of the females, which is good for me haha! The Ladyhawke album hasn't really left my stereo the whole year. I like the Lily Allen songs and La Roux too. I like her music but she should stop slagging people off, because she sounds stupid. Then of course there's Lady GaGa - those pop songs are amazing. 'Poker Face' is just an amazing song. I didn't get it at first and then it just clicked."

 

Why do you think you've managed to avoid tabloid attention recently?

"After I did Mrs Henderson and had to get naked in the film, it was just like, 'Where else can I go?' You can't exactly write a story about me being spotted topless because I've already got my c**k out on the big screen. There was something quite liberating about it, but I was terrified at the time. But it does limit stories being sold now."

 

What's been the weirdest thing you've read about yourself in the press?

"Well, there was this guy who said he'd slept with me and that I had camouflage pants on, which was really weird. I remember being more offended by the camouflage pants than by the fact he accused me of sleeping with him! That said, it was a bit hard because I was seeing someone at the time."

 

Will Young releases new single 'Hopes & Fears' on November 9. The Hits follows on November 16.

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Daily Star Will snippet

 

In Playlist::

 

BOP IDOL WILL

 

* WILL YOUNG cannot wait to get his Greatest Hits album out of the way so he can concentrate on an 80s dance project.

 

The Pop Idol, 30, said, "My next album is much more dance-pop".

"I'm heavily into Bronski Beat and the Commundards.

 

"The last couple of sings have kind of been down that line - they're a little bit of 80's.

Thanks to Pauline

 

 

 

BBC News online interview with Will re Hits

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Talking Shop: Will Young

 

 

 

 

 

 

Will Young says he now feels like a 'proper' actor with roles in Miss Marple and Skins

 

 

Will Young is releasing a greatest hits album seven years after the Pop Idol win which launched his pop career.

 

It features classic tracks such as Leave Right Now and Light My Fire, plus two new tracks, including his latest single, Hopes and Fears.

 

The singer discusses his new record, two new acting roles, the X Factor - and Nick Griffin's appearance on Question Time.

 

 

The video for Hopes And Fears is interesting - it features you as a pregnant man! What inspired you to do this?

 

Director Chris Sweeney had the idea. It's always nice to do something different and challenging. I can't really do those normal videos. I like to give the audience a bit more credit. I really like the idea of a man doing pregnancy, I think it's really interesting. I spoke to a great friend of mine who'd just had a daughter, I'm the god dad. Now I find I have a lot more empathy with the hormones. It's all the emotions everyone feels in one intense nine months.

 

 

 

Why are you doing a greatest hits now?

 

I'm lucky there have been enough singles, it's so interesting looking back on them, they're such great songs. It's a bit weird to have a hits album but it's just the way now. What's interesting is to look back on the last eight years and look at all those songs, the progression of the music.

Evergreen is still the biggest-selling single of the decade which is crazy and I kind of forgot about it. Lots of people remember Pop Idol and that song, it's such a moment. Leave Right Now was another big moment for me where the music was becoming more mature and I was taking more control. Changes was also a big one for me because it was the first time I played Glastonbury.

 

So it's a bit like looking back at an old photograph album?

 

Exactly. I feel very lucky to be here and to have my career and also I look back on the stuff that I've done and I've been allowed to do such different things than what you would expect from a winner of a show like Pop Idol.

 

Did you have to fight to do things your way?

 

I did fight for it but to be honest, they pushed it as well. The credit should definitely go to my record company and Simon Fuller as much as it should go to me. I'm still with the same people. I was just very lucky to work with very interesting arty people when I was a very naïve and innocent politics student.

 

 

Are you still pursuing an acting career as well?

 

I've just done a Miss Marple and an episode of Skins. I've changed agents, it's wonderful. I love the acting, my confidence has gone right back up again with the acting with these two roles. Slowly it's showing people I am serious about it and I can do it. My new agent is wonderful. With the film (Mrs Henderson Presents), the play (Noel Coward's The Vortex) and these two jobs, I now feel like a proper actor. I want a BBC period drama next.

 

Who is your favourite on the X Factor?

 

I think they're all great in their different ways but I've always thought Joe's a bit of a dark horse and I liked him when I saw him in Morocco. Cheryl was great, very open to listening to advice. Obviously it was her decision but we did properly talk about it. She really listens.

 

How did you find your appearance on Question Time earlier this year?

 

I'm annoyed as last Thursday (when BNP leader Nick Griffen appeared) has beaten my record! We had the most amount of viewers since we went to war. You couldn't not have that party (the BNP) represented on the show because it has representation in Europe and locally but any intelligent person could see what he stands for is archaic and ridiculous. He quoted polls he couldn't remember, he couldn't remember quotes, so he didn't come off well.

I also had a problem with the lady from the Conservative party, she was not pushed on her views on civil partnership. They were pushing Nick Griffin for his bigoted views, they should have pushed her for her bigoted views. She dodged the question. Nick Griffin was not potentially the only narrow-minded person on that panel.

 

In the light of the news children as young as seven will be offered careers advice, what did you want to do when you were that age?

 

I wanted to be a singer. I always wanted to be a singer - or a vet. It was a passion. I love singing and I love animals. I'd still do it now. Maybe I could be the new David Attenborough?

 

Will Young was talking to BBC entertainment reporter Emma Saunders.

His single Hopes and Fears was released on Monday 9th November and the album The Hits follows on Monday 16th November.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8326574.stm

 

Thanks to Julie

 

 

Thanks for those TT - here's another one - just a link though:

 

Will Young: “I’m obsessed with John and Edward.”

Posted by Anneke Hak on 11/11/2009

 

Will Young has admitted that he’s become obsessed with John and Edward, after watching their performances on the X Factor. Watch our exclusive video interview with Will Young here.

 

http://www.handbag.com/celebrity/Will-Youn...n-and-Edward/v1

Edited by munchkin

Thanks munchkin.

 

Is there a listen again faxcility as I'll be in Manchester? :dance:

 

 

I'm not sure about Listen Again but I believe they put up the interviews later - you can look back through their Indulgence archive.

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I'm not sure about Listen Again but I believe they put up the interviews later - you can look back through their Indulgence archive.

 

Thanks Chris. :thumbup:

 

:blush: re my typing error.

Edited by truly talented

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From 4 music website.

 

 

Will gets his hits out

 

Wed 11 November 2009 - Interview

 

 

 

 

 

From TV talent show winner to top British talent, Will Young is celebrating his career so far with his first Greatest Hits collection, The Hits. In part one of our exclusive interview with the singer, he tell us how it feels to look back over the last seven years and what he has planned for the future...

You released your debut album From Now On in 2002. Seven years on, how does it feel to be putting your Greatest Hits together?

I feel old. I feel old and past-it. It felt a bit weird to begin with, but what's been really interesting is that I look back on all the songs and when you're doing something and you're in it, you don't take time to stop and go, 'Oh, I'm really proud of that.' I'm really proud of all those pop songs. Some of them are so different. I mean, Evergreen is so defining of a moment and it was a big moment for me, and then Leave Right Now was like a gear change in my career, really. It felt like a new me. When I think of the songs, I think of the videos a lot of the time.

Do you have a favourite music video?

Who Am I is my favourite. I love it! I just think its so kitsch and so British. I think that's the thing: I've got to work with people who are so talented. What I love about doing the videos is that I always love doing the comedy. What I love about pop is that I can bring out that side in performing. You can write the songs and perform the songs, but then you can put this whole aesthetic to it. I've always tried to do something different.

Do you have a favourite song from your back catalogue?

Who Am I is my favourite, just because I love the lyrics and probably because of associations with that time. I'd kind of stopped enjoying my job for a while and then with Who Am I, I kind of started enjoying it again. And the lyrics mean a lot to me.

What are your thoughts on your early singles like Evergreen and The Long and Winding Road?

Evergreen was a song that wasn't written for me. It was on a Westlife album and it wasn't even a single for them. The thing about songs is that they remind you of moments. I sang Evergreen in rehearsals and I hadn't sung that song in four years. All these emotions came flooding back and it was really weird. I don't think anything else would make me evoke those emotions apart from that song, and it's now my favourite song in rehearsals.

Looking ahead, you're now working on a dance-pop album with people like Groove Armada. How's it coming along?

It's coming out next summer. It's been a project that I've been doing for three or four years and it is very different to the stuff that I do normally, which is very mainstream middle-of-the-road pop, which I'm very happy with. It came from doing remixes. I'm doing some stuff with Fred Falke. I think if I'd done it a few years ago then people would have seen it as an attempt by me to be cooler whereas now I just want to do it and the songs are really cool. If it works it works, and if it doesn't it doesn't.

The new single Hopes and Fears is available to download now. The Hits is released on 16 November.

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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v186/curlywurly/Will%20Young/COVER.jpg

 

Manchester Evening News.

 

How Will came to terms with being a Pop Idol

Singer and actor Will Young talks openly to Gary Ryan about his life in the limelight

 

EVER since he publi­cly rebuked Simon Cowell after he branded his perform­ance on Pop Idol "dis­tinctly average" In 20O1. Will Young has parlayed his expected five minutes into a career of some longevity, trans­forming himself into one of Bri­tain's most unlikely pop stars.

A resolutely middle-class, privately educated politics graduate, he's made unusual, esoteric choices that might have wrong footed lesser acts. On screen he appeared opposite Dame Judi Dench; on stage, he's played the tormented young musician Nicky Lancas­ter in Noel Coward's The Vortex at Manchester's Royal Ex­change; and - in an industry' where previous talent show winners such as Girls Aloud arc more au fait with grinding up and down poles than Influen­cing polls - he silenced critics when he appeared on Question Time, sending ratings skyrock­eting.

As he prepares to unleash his greatest hits compilation, the stats speak for themselves: four number ones, nine top 10 sin­gles and two Brit awards.

"You know, it's like looking through a photo album." he muses at his home in London. "It's been quite emotional think­ing back to everything that's happened."

'Emotional' is a word that crops up a lot with Young. To the outside world, he looked like he was living an uncompli­cated life. His sole brush with controversy came in a jump-before-you're-pushed Sunday newspaper front page where he announced, Tm gay' (to which folk blithely shrugged, 'and...?"). After that, it seemed he had no skeletons in the closet.

His circumspect interview style, politeness and swelling mumsy fanbase made him look safe and sterile: Cliff Richard for the Noughties.

Yet behind the myriad awards for (among others) Rear Of The Year and Best Hair, his life was unravelling.

"If I could go back and change one thing. I'd definitely get therapy earlier on," he says. "Definitely. To deal with the whole craziness of it.

"I resisted it for so long. And I think people do. You're ashamed of admitting you can't cope on your own. But you know, you can't lead a horse to water."

Four years of therapy have made Young refreshingly open about his life. "I just got stuck." he admits. "And I think people do get stuck in their lives, and helps to talk to someone and get an objective view of your life.

"I'm a big advocate of ther­apy. I think everyone should do it - it's like going to see a me­chanic when your car breaks down."

He's only recently started to get his head around his over­night rise to fame. He was the surprise winner of Pop Idol, the precursor to The X-Factor, with pundits expecting teen Gareth to triumph.

“It took me nearly five years to fully cope with the fame." he muses.

"For the last few years I've been in a good place and able to limit the weirdness in terms of how it can damage you person­ally.

"You know, I can get on a train now or I can get on a bus and not fed overly conscious or have a panic attack."

Nothing, he points out can prepare you for the level of zealous fan interest. "Oh God." he sighs, "they were breaking into my flat. I had to move apart­ment blocks.

"I remember people follow­ing the tour bus for days. You know, constantly ringing up your hotel room. People think­ing I was talking to them through the TV screen. "I mean, it was definitely shocking to be open to that world of fanaticism."

Having turned 30 this year. Young Is good company - witty, but tremendously self-critical.

Pay him a compliment and he’ll dismiss it, so it’s tricky to believe that by his own reckoning, four years ago, he was “acting like a rude **** to everyone”.

His debut single, Evergreen (a Westlife cover he hasn’t sung live in four years) stormed into the record books as the fastest selling debut ever, while his sophomore album, 2003’s Fridays Child, brought critical acclaim. For three years, he "didn't have a social life", working solidly. "I didn't want the one turning up to the open­ing of an envelope and people thinking *who does he think he is?'", he notes.

In 20O5, he suffered a crisis of confidence. "I had a patch of about four months where I thought I was quite special, but to be honest it was proba­bly when I was at my can get on 3 most unhappiest at work so it wasn't really worth it, he laughs dryly. "Most of the time, when people are rude, they're not normally very happy. I suddenly thought 'this isn't me; I need to sort it out'. So I took a break and luckily I got it back together and didn't be­come a complete idiot."

Underlying all of this was Young's struggle to grapple with the mental health prob­lems of his twin brother, Rup­ert, who he is 10 minutes older than.

 

The pair had always been dose, yet while Rupert was seen playing the doting sibling on Pop Idol, secretly he was coping with alcoholism and dysthamia (a depressive disorder sparked by trauma). There were also multiple suicide attempts.

Now, Rupert has turned his life around and established the Mood Foundation, a charity that offers free, one-on-one treatment to anyone over 18 di­agnosed with depression or anxiety.

"What happened with Rup­ert over the years and now he's got his charity and he's been so­ber for three-and-a-half years, he's an inspiration to other peo­ple," says Young proudly. "When you've seen something like that with someone so close to you, you realise that happi­ness is the most important thing in life.

"Really, I'm not going to sit on my deathbed and go, 'I wish I sold one more record...'."

When he fell out of love with what I was doing," Young moved to Manchester and spent four months in Noel Coward's 1924 play The Vortex, at the Royal Exchange - to mixed re­views.

"It was the turning point in a way, because I'd started to feel like a hamster in a cage, on a wheel."

Will says. "I didn't want to feel like I was in a process plant, so it was important to try different things."

Subsequent acting roles have included a Bafta-nominated part in Mrs Henderson Pre­sents, and he will soon be seen to be playing a teacher In E4s Skins and in ITV’s Miss Marple drama. The Mirror Cracked From Side To Side.

When he appeared on Ques­tion Time, meanwhile, the show recorded its hitherto highest ever ratings - it took the appearance of Nick Griffin to break that record.

What did Young make of the BBC's controversial decision to allow the BNP leader a platform?

"I think the BBC were stuck between a rock and a hard place really," he considers. "I think his faults as a leader and his faults in his very odious statements over the years were shown up and that's a good thing."

Age seems to suit Young. For someone who had his first proper relationship at 25 and found his emotional develop­ment stymied by living a life in the public eye, he's making up for lost time, retreating to weekends at his Cornish bolthole spent surfing and "partying more than I ever have... I think I've become more juvenile with age, actually he laughs. "What I do is showing off, basically," he chuckle. "I've been guilty in the past of taking myself too se­riously but I don't do that now. I'm not under any illusion than I'm saving lives."

This is reflected in his forth­coming studio album, due out next summer. Whereas his last effort. Let It Go, represents his "break up record", now he's in "happy party time", having col­laborated with the likes of Groove Armada after becoming fascinated with remixes around the end of 20O3.

"You know, it's not an at­tempt to be cool or anything," he disclaims. "It's Just an at­tempt to do really good pop songs in a different style." Apart from that, he assisted Cheryl Cole in picking her charges for The X Factor ("I couldn't audi­tion for that show now. I was wonderfully naive back in 2O01"). So what is next for the cultural Zelig?

"Oh gosh," he responds... "surprises," before concluding: The surprises are the best. Well." he pauses. "Most of the time."

 

» Will Young plays the Apollo on Sunday and Monday. His Greatest Hits album. The Hits, is out on Monday

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v186/curlywurly/Will%20Young/picture.jpg

 

Thanks to Curlywurly.

 

 

Edited by truly talented

Thanks TT - that's a great interview :thumbup: What a great picture :wub:

 

:o At his comment about fans breaking into his flat after he won PI. I read about someone drawing on his front doorstep with lipstick but trying to break in - that's a bit :blink: He was living with Mary at the time I think and I know he had to move.

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mumsnet

 

 

 

Off to have my tea but looking forward to watching this later.

 

Thanks Sunday. :thumbup:

Thanks Sunday - that was lovely. I couldn't see the full interview on their site though. :thumbup:

It looks like Will is singing H&F on GMTV

 

 

GMTV ITV 1

Penny Smith and John Stapleton present an hour of news and current affairs, before Jill Halfpenny and Peter Davison talk to Andrew Castle and Emma Crosby about their roles in new West End musical Legally Blonde. Will Young performs his latest single Hopes & Fears, and Lucie Cave looks ahead to the weekend's TV viewing in Talking Telly

 

 

Friday 27th November on ITV 1 from 06:00 to 09:25

  • Author

Thanks Sunday. Thought it might be Leave Right Now or Evergreen.

 

Aren't we getting a second song too voted for on their website and those two aren't listed.

Just read over on D Will is on the One Show next week - no details yet. Thanks to the girls for posting. :dance:
Thanks for the latest TV appearances, :thumbup: so we still don't know the 2nd song on GMTV yet, it's bound to be one of the ballads though I reckon. :D
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