''I've Been Expecting You'' is the second studio album by the English singer
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, ''Life thru a Lens'', was re ...
. It was released on 26 October 1998 through
Chrysalis Records. The album spawned five singles, including lead single "
Millennium
A millennium () is a period of one thousand years, one hundred decades, or ten centuries, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...
", which became Williams' first UK number-one hit.
A critical and major commercial success, it debuted at number one on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
, marking Williams' second consecutive chart-topper, and has been certified 10× Platinum.
Critical reception
John Bush of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
rated the album four stars out of five, and stated that the album is both a "studied" and "more mature, calculated album" than its predecessor ''
Life Thru a Lens'' (1997) "from a pop star who's often gloried in being immature and spontaneous."
He noted the album "may suffer from comparisons to its excellent predecessor, but it also finds Robbie Williams weathering the
sophomore storm quite well."
''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' rated the album 8/10, saying "boy, what a record" and that Williams' "writing skills have improved enormously".
The reviewer also noted the album's "impressive diversity" and concluded that "sure, Robbie's still more
Michael Barrymore
Michael Ciaran Parker (born 4 May 1952), known by his stage name Michael Barrymore, is an English comedian, influencer and television presenter of game shows and light entertainment programmes on British television in the 1980s, 1990s and 200 ...
than
Michael Stipe, and he'll never be 'cool' by that constipated, soul-crushingly snobbish
James Lavelle definition. But he's a natural-born star and he wants you to love him. ''I've Been Expecting You'' provides 12 good reasons why you should."
Retrospectively,
Colin Larkin of ''
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' is an encyclopedia created in 1989 by Colin Larkin. It is the "modern man's" equivalent of the '' Grove Dictionary of Music'', which Larkin describes in less than flattering terms.''The Times'', ''The Kno ...
'' considered ''I've Been Expecting You'' to continue Williams' "renaissance" and highlighted "No Regrets" as "one of Williams' finest songs to date", as well as praising "Strong" for being "wonderfully self-deprecating."
''
The Rough Guide to Rock'' contributor Jane Holly writes that the album received "great critical acclaim" and was "another eclectic mix of songs and styles", with the singer's "no-nonsense lyrics" evident on "Strong" and "No Regrets". She also praised how Williams "emanates a new-found confidence" throughout the album.
In 2011, ''I've Been Expecting You'' was ranked at number 223 in ''
Q''s readers poll of the "250 Best Albums of the Last 25 Years"; the magazine wrote that the record "dials down the
cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...
to gratifying effect", and drew attention to its ubiquitous singles.
Success
Williams and Chambers started the writing process of the album in
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
in the spring of 1998. ''I've Been Expecting You'' was released in October 1998. It debuted at number one on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
, and went on to become the UK's best selling album for that year. According to the ''
Music Week
''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future.
History
Founded in 1959 as ''Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music We ...
'', the album has sold 2,582,016 copies in the UK as of November 2016,
and has been certified 10× Platinum for shipments of 3 million copies, making it Williams' best-selling album in the country.
The album also received attention outside the United Kingdom, particularly in continental Europe and Latin America, and has sold a total of five million copies worldwide. Williams finished album promotion with an extensive
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
an tour in the autumn of 1999. ''I've Been Expecting You'' was ranked 91st in a 2005 survey held by British television's
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
to determine the 100 greatest albums of all time.
Singles
* "
Millennium
A millennium () is a period of one thousand years, one hundred decades, or ten centuries, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...
", a song which was inspired by
John Barry's music from the
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...
film ''
You Only Live Twice'', became Williams' first solo number-one single in the United Kingdom when it was released in September 1998, knocking
All Saints from the top spot. Williams commented that "Someone had to be knocked off and it may as well be the wife" as Williams and
Nicole Appleton were engaged at the time. The song went on to sell over 400,000 copies in the UK being certified
Gold
Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
by the BPI in November 1998. The song also became a top twenty hit in many European countries as well as in Latin America and
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
.
* "
No Regrets", a collaboration with
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 100 million records worldwide and were listed as the most successful duo in UK music h ...
singer
Neil Tennant
Neil Francis Tennant (born 10 July 1954) is an English singer, songwriter and music journalist, and co-founder of the synth-pop duo the Pet Shop Boys, which he formed with Chris Lowe in 1981. He was a journalist for '' Smash Hits'', and assist ...
and
The Divine Comedy
The ''Divine Comedy'' (, ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun and completed around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and one of the greatest wor ...
's
Neil Hannon, was released as the album's second single in November 1998, reaching number four in the UK Singles Chart, backed with the cover of
Adam and the Ants
Adam and the Ants were an English Rock music, rock band that formed in London in 1977. The band existed in two versions, both fronted by Adam Ant, between 1977 and 1982. The first phase began when the band were founded in May 1977 and were call ...
1981 hit "Antmusic". The song became a substantial hit around the world and went on to sell over 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom, where it was certified
Silver
Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...
in October 2004, almost six years after its original release.
* "
Strong
Strong may refer to:
Education
* The Strong, an educational institution in Rochester, New York, United States
* Strong Hall (Lawrence, Kansas), an administrative hall of the University of Kansas
* Strong School, New Haven, Connecticut, United ...
", a song written in a hotel in
Cologne
Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, inspired by some of Williams' more manic admirers whom he admitted "scared the living daylights" out of him, was released as the album's third single. The song debuted at number four in the United Kingdom and number nine in
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
. The track became a hit, peaking within the top forty around
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
and many other countries around the world.
* "
She's the One", a cover of the
Karl Wallinger track from the album ''Egyptology'', was a favourite song of Williams' after his time in rehab. The song was released as the album's fourth single, becoming his second number-one hit in the United Kingdom. The song went on to win a number of awards around the world, including a
BRIT Award for 'Single of the Year' and a Capital Radio Award for 'Best Single'. The single was released as a double
A-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of vinyl records and cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a single usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or ...
with "It's Only Us", the official theme for
EA Sports
EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they imitated real-life sports networks by calling themselves the "EA Sports Network" (EASN) ...
' video game
FIFA 2000. The single sold over 400,000 copies in the UK alone and was certified Gold by the BPI in early 2000.
* "
Win Some Lose Some" was released as the album's fifth and final single in May 2000 in New Zealand only. The song reached the top 10 there, and the physical copy of the single has since become a very sought-after item amongst fans.
Lawsuit
In 1998, Williams was sued by Ludlow Publishing over the song "Jesus in a Camper Van" because it lifted lyrics from the
Loudon Wainwright III song "I Am the Way", from his album ''
Attempted Mustache''. The lyric to "I Am the Way" is as follows: "Every son of God has a little hard luck sometime, especially when he goes around saying he's the way." The lyric to "Jesus in a Camper Van" in question is: "Even the son of God gets it hard sometimes, especially when he goes around, saying I am the way."
Williams claimed that he had heard a young man say the line whilst in
rehab, and only found that it was a line from Wainwright's song after he had already recorded it. Williams' agents called Wainwright to notify him about this, but Wainwright had little say in the matter; "I Am the Way" was a parody of the
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer, songwriter, and composer widely considered to be one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American Left, A ...
song "New York Town"; Ludlow Publishing owned the line's copyright. In 2002, Ludlow Publishing won the lawsuit, receiving 25% of the income that "Jesus in a Camper Van" garnered, and subsequently, the album was re-issued replacing "Jesus in a Camper Van" with "It's Only Us".
During a show at the Roundhouse London in October 2019, Williams performed the song and also revealed, "That lyric cost me £2.5 million! Truth to God!"
Track listing
All tracks written by
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, ''Life thru a Lens'', was re ...
and
Guy Chambers
Guy Antony Chambers (born 12 January 1963) is an English songwriter, musician and record producer, best known for his work with Robbie Williams.
Education
Chambers attended Quarry Bank Comprehensive School sixth form in Liverpool. From 18, ...
, except where noted.
Credits
* Robbie Williams – vocals
;Robbie Williams Band
*
Guy Chambers
Guy Antony Chambers (born 12 January 1963) is an English songwriter, musician and record producer, best known for his work with Robbie Williams.
Education
Chambers attended Quarry Bank Comprehensive School sixth form in Liverpool. From 18, ...
– keyboards, organ, vibraphone, synthesizer, acoustic guitar, piano, electric guitar, orchestral samples, bass synth, musical director
* Fil Eisler – bass, guitar, vocals
* Gary Nuttall – guitar, vocals
* Alex Dickson – guitar, vocals
* Planet (Claire Worrall) – guitar, vocals, keyboards
*
Chris Sharrock – drums
Additional personnel
* Andy Duncan – percussion, loops
* DJ Slice – scratching
*
Jeremy Stacey – drums
*
Nicole Appleton – telephone voice
;
London Session Orchestra
*
Gavin Wright – leader
* Nick Ingham – orchestral arranger
Backing vocalists
* Bevereley Skeet
*
Claudia Fontaine
*
Neil Hannon
*
Neil Tennant
Neil Francis Tennant (born 10 July 1954) is an English singer, songwriter and music journalist, and co-founder of the synth-pop duo the Pet Shop Boys, which he formed with Chris Lowe in 1981. He was a journalist for '' Smash Hits'', and assist ...
* Nicole Patterson
Also Acoustic guitarists
* André Barreau
* David Catlin-Birch – also bass guitar
* Steve McEwan – also electric guitar
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
See also
*
List of best-selling albums in the United Kingdom
References
{{Authority control
1998 albums
Robbie Williams albums
Chrysalis Records albums
Albums produced by Guy Chambers
Albums recorded at Trident Studios
Albums recorded at Wheeler End Studios