Take That - For The Record

[audrey potnoodlehorne]

Oh God. That was amazing. My brain is just scrambled with joy and surging hormones. The bit where they all watched Robbie's messages was pretty horrible though, they were all left looking a bit sad. But...

Jason and Lulu having inter-generational sex!
Slightly misogynistic tour bus chants!
Wanking competitions!
Paul, James and Teddy the secuity men (I have no idea if that was their actual names)!
Mark swearing excessively!

Quote of the evening though goes to Gary Barlow's wife, who had been a poorly paid dancer on the final tour "well at least I got something out of it" (I assume she's talking about the gigantic and tastelessly decorated house). I'll never sleep tonight.

[ronvelig]

got to agree that was brilliant.

was a bit sad at the end, and felt the dissapointment from the lads from robbie's no-show

[Jen]

This show was bloody brilliant. Concluding thoughts:
*Robbie needs a wife. And a hug.
*Mark is still one of the most adorable things in the world.
*Jason and Howard are both a bit weird.
*As talented as Gary is and was, he bloody knows it.
*Wanking competitions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*It's staggering that Gary still doesn't really understand the problems between him and Rob, when he hit the nail on the head when he said "I just never took him seriously".
*Nigel-Martin-Smith is uber creepy.
*Young girls should not be allowed to have kids and be boyband fans at the same time if they point at the telly and tell their 3 year old son that "that's daddy" when said boyband are on the screen.
*Lulu and Jason did it!
*They were the best boyband in the world....ever.

[audrey potnoodlehorne]

jennyscott said:

*Mark is still one of the most adorable things in the world.

I second that emotion. Oh he's just so fantastic. I want to have a kid so I can point at the telly and say "that's daddy". That girl was a genius! She was such a hardcore fan, her eyebrows fell out from grief at the band splitting.

And I can guess why Jason has trouble sleeping, his achievements over the last 10 years included "sitting around". He needs a job or a constructive hobby to tire him. Or maybe some more sex with Lulu.

[browneyedboy]

One of the most startling things was how different Lulu looks now and then. She's aged the best out of them all.

I was a bit confused at the beginning as Jason's voice seemed to be a tad too high, either helium or a problem with the recording.

Most of them seem like nice people, except for Robbie who came across bitter and spoilt. He doesn't need a wife, he needs to sit down with Gary and tell him how he feels to his face. He owes his career to Gary whether he likes it or not and it would do him good to acknowledge it.

[Kubla Khan]

It was an excellent documentary. Was it really on ITV?

I'm not a Robbie fan but it was genuinely sad when he said he'd swap it all for Gary's life.

[PP]

blackeyedboy said:

One of the most startling things was how different Lulu looks now and then. She's aged the best out of them all.

I doubt very much it's natural aging.
They covered the whole Lulu/Jason sex thing in the other programme that was on. If I remember correctly, Lulu wasn't so coy in that, or perhaps it was other people that said they'd shagged.

I was a bit confused at the beginning as Jason's voice seemed to be a tad too high, either helium or a problem with the recording.

That was so weird! He's never sounded so camp!

I'm all emotional now! When Howard was saying he'd contemplated suicide and the bit with his daughter really pulled at the heart strings. And then the bastards made it worse by ending with the messages from Robbie!

On a side note, we once trained a friend's toddler to call a giant poster of David Duchovney "daddy".

[PP]

Oh and playing "Love Ain't Here Anymore" over the part about Robbie leaving was a killer!

[Jen]

blackeyedboy said:

Most of them seem like nice people, except for Robbie who came across bitter and spoilt. He doesn't need a wife, he needs to sit down with Gary and tell him how he feels to his face. He owes his career to Gary whether he likes it or not and it would do him good to acknowledge it.

I don't agree with that- his start in music obviously has huge connections to Nigel-Martin-Smith and Gary, but it was Robbie who went off and sold over 6 million albums in the UK alone of songs that he'd written and performed, yet Gary was one the one whose solo career failed so miserably. His start may be down to them, but his solo career is his doing.

[norelle]

My god, Jason Orange is SO CAMP. And has worse acne scars than Matt from Busted.

[browneyedboy]

jennyscott said:

blackeyedboy said:

Most of them seem like nice people, except for Robbie who came across bitter and spoilt. He doesn't need a wife, he needs to sit down with Gary and tell him how he feels to his face. He owes his career to Gary whether he likes it or not and it would do him good to acknowledge it.

I don't agree with that- his start in music obviously has huge connections to Nigel-Martin-Smith and Gary, but it was Robbie who went off and sold over 6 million albums in the UK alone of songs that he'd written and performed, yet Gary was one the one whose solo career failed so miserably. His start may be down to them, but his solo career is his doing.

I agree that he has had success in his own right but would he have had the opportunity to write with Guy Chambers had he not just left one of the most successful groups in Britain, who were a success because the driving force in the group was such a great songwriter.

Kylie's success isn't solely down to Stock Aitken Waterman, but they launched and sustained her career for 5 years and she wouldn't be where she is today without them.

[moosey]

I don't know, maybe it's just me not being a Robbie fan but I think he came across terribly during the whole thing, it's made me hate him more than I did and I didnt think that was possible! I thought his messages and "apologies" for the rest of them were really insincere.

[drbastard]

I think it served to underline how much of a tosser Robbie is. He seemed so fake and unpleasant. There is nothing remotely interesting about Robbie both personally and musically. He is not a tortured genius of pop; he is a petulant brat with too many tattoos and should learn to be magnanimous in his bitter victory.

[josiec]

Completely agree that Robbie came across as a total knob! Why the hell didnt he turn up? Its just so lame. He definitely wouldnt have had the opportunity to right with Guy Chambers otherwise - and without him he wouldn't have had the success he has! I mean - does anyone else remember the car crash that was Freedom!?!

* Totally love Mark - he is as gorgeous and precious as he was ten years ago
* I thought Gary came across brilliantly - totally stable and satisfied with his life. He might not have dealt with the whole Robbie situation well but at the end of the day - he's not his dad, its not his job to have looked after him!
* Howard - bless his daughter! He seemed happy!
* Jason - is it just me or did sleeping with Lulu turn him gay??!

All in all a great program - I was sad to go to sleep knowing that Take That were no more!!!!

[Becky]

I thought they rushed over a lot of the time in Take That and mainly concentrated on the fall out and the after math.

I also thought that Robbie spoilt it by not going to the reunion at the end. He should have just swallowed his pride and gone. He'd probably feel a hell of a lot better now if he had done, even if it hadnt gone that well. At least he'd have been able to face up to the bitterness that hes been through from that and know whether he was right or wrong.

[undisco_me]

These days Lulu's face looks like puff pastry - that is to say, her minging face now looks puffy and swollen, almost as if she has had some surgical procedures over the last 10 years or so. Lesson number one to Lulu: you need to have good skin in the first place to have collage, a facelift, peels and implants, whatever. Otherwise you're just going to look flaky, with slabs of foundation ready to crack off at every ingratiating and colloquial joke that you try to make. Her expression tightning whilst trying to tease It's my perogative (with that disgusting gravel of hers, her lungs are probably made out of coal) was like seeing germ-infested grease squeezed out of a leather ball being squashed from all angles. It was unflattering, vile, and needed cleaned up.

With Jason on the other hand, I had really started to develop a bit of a belated obsessive crush over him, he used to look so perfect. But his voice: the pitch, the frayed listhp-p-p-p. The absence of a girlfriend, noticeable use of the word drama, all made convenient evidence that he has turned into a big fat flamer. He must have spent all day with that crew if they took footage of him talking about his sleep, which made me feel rather sorry for him. But he started to look better with his shades on, and more like the highly gorgeous hottie he used to be. The brow was just a bit drooped at both sides.

Whilst Robbie didn't come across well at all in my opinion, and most on here, just trying to tell this to his fans. My sister looked so proud of him, her passion included the immortal line: Robbie fucking hates Gary, delivered in the same tone as a girlfriend telling her boyfriend's granny that her grandson likes two sugars not one in his coffee. Ugh, I also had to tell her that Back For Good is actually better than anything Robbie has - and ever will - record in his lifetime. Don't get me started was her responce, which was defeating enough. But I did feel for the first time I could see why there might have been a feud between Robbie and Gary.

Howard did have the look of a sailor that had seen a bit too much sea and reflected sun in his eyes, with not much in the way of human contact. But watching him interact with his daughter did redeem him completely. He suprisingly looked good sitting on the edge of the couch watching Robbie. But I am so bored of emotional reactions on TV, it's not anything William's deserves, but I suspect it wasn't specifically him Howard was getting emotional about. The delusion of Jason, though, saying he'd like to try something again, and all 4 'waiting' on Robbie was more than a little creepy. Remeber Sunset Boulivard where Norma Desmond is playing cards with all those real-life former stars - it was a bit like that.

The recorded message at the end was sheer Williams indulgence - yet again proving just how loathesome and out of touch he can really be.

Perhaps I've went on too much.

[drbastard]

I hate Lulu. Nobody here in Scotland really likes her. We reserve the right to compare her and Sheena Easton to manky dogs. Manky dogs with low cholesterol.

[Jem]

It's the mid atlantic accent thing.

I'll confess I was not a Take That fan but I loved the programme- probably cause it was a little car crash tv. MArk was hopelessly optimistic the rest just seemed sad either about their lives or Careers.

Nigel MArtin Smith was hellishly creepy

[Becky]

I thought it was a little bit odd when Robbie said "All I wanted was for him to love me" about Nigel Martin Smith. Why on earth would he love him? Thats not what managers are there for. Unless that it was more that he wanted to be the centre of attention and not Gary.

The video messages from Robbie, I thought, were just power trips. It was on his terms, and it was all about him, and he didnt give them the opportunity to directly say anything back to him.

[FGtoH]

Is jason gay?

[drbastard]

becky said:

The video messages from Robbie, I thought, were just power trips. It was on his terms, and it was all about him, and he didnt give them the opportunity to directly say anything back to him.

I would have said, "Fuck you," back to him. How Gary managed to keep his composure is beyond me.

Robbie's vapid praise was so unpleasant: "Ooo er duckie, you're a great pop song writer..." It just seemed needlessly hateful.

"If Nigel didn't find me, someone else would have."

I wonder.

[butterflyboy]

Robbie-What an arrogant, selfish prick-He woudnt have made it without Take That no question-his head is just full of his own importance. A sad ungreatful individual that asumes that the world would recognise his "talent" anyway. Done get me wrogn but isnt this teh Robbie who failed his GCSE's and just went to the audition for a laugh? Gary was writing and recording songs and playing clubs since almost as soon as he was a teen, and gave the band the majority of thier hit songs. Without Gary Robbie wouldnt be here. And i wish he wouldnt. Cunt.

Jason-Creepy old puff


Howard-Will you marry me u hunk o' spunk?

[Kolakube]

That documentary is by far the greatest TV programme of the year. It had me welling up - I have to agree about Love aint here anymore being played over the bit where Robbie left.

Even though it was a long shot, I was half expecting Robbie to jump in the room even after they'd told the guys he'd declined his invite. The video messages did it for me too. I loved jason saying he's quite sad that Robbie didn't come because he would have been nice to see him.... NO! You're gutted because you've just lost 100 quid to Howard Donald.

Brought back many good memories - Nigel Martin Smith really is a bit of a freak.

[sinitta]

Martin-Smith has no love in his eyes. You look into them and you just see evil.

[drbastard]

sinitta said:

Martin-Smith has no love in his eyes. You look into them and you just see evil.

I feel that way when I look into Myleene Klass' eyes.

[sinitta]

I've been pleasantly surprised by Myleene on CD:UK. She's not as bad as I thought she'd be. That Jonny creature needs to be gone though.

[georgie]

I spent most of the documentry giggling at how well David Walliams did the voice of Howard on Rock Profile.
I missed the video stuff in the last half hour but totally agree that Robbie came across badly.

[sinitta]

I liked the sound of Howard's unreleased solo single. Pity it's never seen the light of day.

[coxy1979]

Is still wrong that I still fancy Jason Orange?

[josiec]

Absolutely not - I completely fancied Jason too. Which felt so wrong after years of him being the ugly one.....