''Rudebox'' is the seventh studio album by English singer-songwriter
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, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...
, released on 23 October 2006 in the United Kingdom. It features two guest appearances from the
Pet Shop Boys
The Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo i ...
. The album was produced by a variety of producers including:
Mark Ronson
Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, Robbi ...
, Soul Mekanik,
Pet Shop Boys
The Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo i ...
and Jerry Meehan.
Musically, ''Rudebox'' is a
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
album
with
pop,
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
,
electronica
Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...
and
rap
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
elements.
''Rudebox'' was supported by five singles: "
Rudebox
''Rudebox'' is the seventh studio album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams, released on 23 October 2006 in the United Kingdom. It features two guest appearances from the Pet Shop Boys. The album was produced by a variety of producers ...
", "
Kiss Me", "
Lovelight
"Lovelight" is a song written and originally performed by Lewis Taylor for his 2002 album, ''Stoned, Part I''. In 2006, the song was covered by British singer Robbie Williams. His version was produced by Mark Ronson and was released as the sec ...
", "
Bongo Bong and Je ne t'aime plus
"Bongo Bong" and "Je ne t'aime plus" (English: "I Don't Love You Anymore") are two pop songs originally written and performed by Manu Chao. In 2006, the songs were combined into one track and covered by British singer Robbie Williams. The track w ...
" and "
She's Madonna
"She's Madonna" is a song by British singer Robbie Williams with the duo Pet Shop Boys, from his seventh studio album, ''Rudebox'' (2006). The track was released as its third and final international single on 5 March 2007 by Chrysalis Records. ...
". The title track was a big success in Europe, reaching number one in Germany, Switzerland and Italy. It also reached the top ten in a lot of other countries around the world.
"Lovelight" was a top ten hit in six countries, including the UK, where it peaked at number 8.
Background
The album features collaborations with
William Orbit
William Mark Wainwright (born 15 December 1956),"William Orbit." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 30. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2000. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, 7 May 2017. Available onlinvia ''Encyclopedia.com'' known ...
,
Mark Ronson
Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, Robbi ...
, Soul Mekanik (featuring
Candy Flip's Danny Spencer and his brother) and two collaborations with
Pet Shop Boys
The Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo i ...
: "
She's Madonna
"She's Madonna" is a song by British singer Robbie Williams with the duo Pet Shop Boys, from his seventh studio album, ''Rudebox'' (2006). The track was released as its third and final international single on 5 March 2007 by Chrysalis Records. ...
" and "We're the Pet Shop Boys".
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Her music career began in 2005 when she made some of her vocal recordings publi ...
provides backing vocals on the songs "
Bongo Bong and Je ne t'aime plus
"Bongo Bong" and "Je ne t'aime plus" (English: "I Don't Love You Anymore") are two pop songs originally written and performed by Manu Chao. In 2006, the songs were combined into one track and covered by British singer Robbie Williams. The track w ...
" and "Keep On". Williams covers five songs on the album: "
Louise
Louise or Luise may refer to:
* Louise (given name)
Arts Songs
* "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005
* "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984
* "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013
* "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929
*"Louise", by Clan of ...
", a 1984 hit for
The Human League
The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their third album ''Dare' ...
, "
Kiss Me", the biggest hit for
Stephen Duffy
Stephen Anthony James Duffy (born 30 May 1960 in Alum Rock, Birmingham, England) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was a founding member, vocalist, bassist and then drummer of Duran Duran. He went on to record as a solo perform ...
, "
Lovelight
"Lovelight" is a song written and originally performed by Lewis Taylor for his 2002 album, ''Stoned, Part I''. In 2006, the song was covered by British singer Robbie Williams. His version was produced by Mark Ronson and was released as the sec ...
" by Lewis Taylor, "We're the Pet Shop Boys" by My Robot Friend, and "Bongo Bong and Je ne t'aime plus", by
Manu Chao
Manu Chao (; born José-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao on 21 June 1961) is a French-Spanish singer. He sings in French, Spanish, English, Italian, Arabic, Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, Greek, and occasionally in other languages. Chao began his mus ...
.
Williams himself spoke fondly of the album upon its release; "It has become something on which I've found myself. This is the right direction for me personally, this is what it is. I saw the whole Robbie thing coming to a close as it was, I couldn't make another album like the ones I'd made, and this has just opened up a thousand other doors. What I am excited about now is making more music. I love all the stuff on the album, I love Rudebox, it's a favourite song of mine. I don't know what's gonna happen now, I'm excited about getting it out there, but I'm more excited about making more."
The album is a mixture of covers and new tracks, in addition to "Summertime", a song originally written when Williams left Take That and which appeared in the credits of ''
Mike Bassett: England Manager''. Receiving a mixed reception from critics, the album reached the top position in fourteen countries including United Kingdom, Australia, Switzerland, Germany, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, Italy and Finland.
Controversies
"
She's Madonna
"She's Madonna" is a song by British singer Robbie Williams with the duo Pet Shop Boys, from his seventh studio album, ''Rudebox'' (2006). The track was released as its third and final international single on 5 March 2007 by Chrysalis Records. ...
" was the centre of a tabloid storm after Ashley Hamilton claimed that he came up with part of the song with Williams. Hamilton has claimed he wishes to take the matter to court as he is not credited as a co-writer on the album.
Further controversy arose over the track "The 90's", part of which implies that Williams was ripped off by
Take That
Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singe ...
's manager
Nigel Martin-Smith
Nigel Martin-Smith is a Manchester-based English musical band manager. He helped form the 1990s British boy band Take That.
Biography Early career
Martin-Smith entered the entertainment industry in the early 1980s working as a casting agent fro ...
after the band failed to make a profit from a European tour. The song raised the ire of Martin-Smith, who demanded that the song be removed from the album. The omitted lyrics were rapped during the break before the second verse. During a 2019 concert at
The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse is a performing arts and concert venue situated at the Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England. The building was erected in 1846–1847 by the London & North Western Railway as a roundhouse, ...
in London, Williams stated: "Somebody asked me to do The '90s tonight. But I can't
..because I'll get sued by Nigel Martin-Smith".
Reception
Critical reception
According to review aggregator
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, ''Rudebox'' received an average of 53 out of 100 indicating "mixed or average reviews" from music critics, based on reviews from 12 critics.
Rating the album 8 out of 10, Priya Elan of ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' wrote "Luckily, ‘Rudebox’ is the best thing he's ever put his name to", adding that "there's the double-headed autobiography of ‘The 80s’ (currently at the centre of a legal dispute) and its follow-up ‘The 90s’, the clattering ‘Vogue’ rap in the LA tale ‘The Actor’ and ‘She’s Madonna’ – possibly his most bonkers song ever."
Julie Broadfoot of
BBC Music
BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network.
Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio o ...
wrote "There are a couple of tracks that wash over you but the album's a grower and some of the hooks will follow you around for hours", adding that ""Good Doctor", a tongue-in-cheek take on drugs, has bags of energy and the Stephen Duffy "Kiss Me" is brilliant. 'She's Madonna' ('I love you baby, but face it she's Madonna') is a weird but fun tune about Queen Madge."
Commercial performance
In the United Kingdom, the album sold 54,667 copies on the day of its release, reaching number one on the midweek version of the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
. The next day, the album had sold over 75,000 copies. The album debuted at No. 1 on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
, selling over 147,000 copies in its week of release. Despite reaching number one, sales were far below what was expected by his label EMI and overall sales were overtaken by his former band Take That's ''
Beautiful World''. However, the album performed better than ''Beautiful World'' outside the UK. The fallout of the album's relative failure led to the firing of two music executives responsible for the album's development. As of December 2013, the album had sold 514,457 copies in the UK.
The album was released in the Netherlands on 20 October 2006, on the same day the album was certified platinum as a result of pre-order sales of over 70,000 copies. In Belgium, the album sold 50,000 copies and went platinum. It was released on 23 October 2006 in Australia and debuted at number-one, achieving platinum status in its first week. It has since been certified 2× Platinum. 220,000 copies of the album were sold in France on the week of release, as well as 600,000 in Germany. On 8 November 2006,
IFPI
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 19 ...
certified the album 2× Platinum in Europe with sales of over 2 million copies, making it the fastest platinum selling album of 2006. On 20 November 2006, the album reached number-one in Mexico, becoming Williams' first number-one album there. The album was certified platinum there, with sales of over 100,000 copies.
Sequel
In December 2020, while promoting "
Can't Stop Christmas", Williams revealed to the Official Charts Company that he had recorded a dance album during the lockdown period, which includes collaborations with Guy Chambers and a number of dance music artists from Stoke-on-Trent. The untitled album was scheduled to be released in spring 2021, and might be released with the band name Stoke House Mafia (a name inspired by 2010s chart stars
Swedish House Mafia
Swedish House Mafia (SHM) is a Swedish house music supergroup consisting of Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso. The group officially formed in late 2008, were placed at number ten on the ''DJ Mag'' Top 100 DJ Poll 2011, and have been ...
), though the report from the Official Charts Company did not confirm whether the record was the ''Rudebox'' sequel or not.
Track listing
Notes
* "Rudebox" contains elements of the composition "
Boops (Here to Go)
"Boops (Here to Go)" is a song by Jamaican duo Sly and Robbie, released in 1987 as the first single from the album '' Rhythm Killers''. The song is their most successful in the United Kingdom, where it reached No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart in M ...
" as written by Bill Laswell, Carl Aiken,
Bootsy Collins
William Earl "Bootsy" Collins (born October 26, 1951) is an American bass guitarist and singer.
Rising to prominence with James Brown in the early 1970s, and later with Parliament-Funkadelic, Collins established himself as one of the leading n ...
,
Sly Dunbar
Lowell Fillmore "Sly" Dunbar (born 10 May 1952, Kingston, Jamaica) is a drummer, best known as one half of the prolific Jamaican rhythm section and reggae production duo Sly and Robbie.
Biography
Dunbar began playing at 15 in a band called ...
and
Robbie Shakespeare
Robert Warren Dale Shakespeare (27 September 1953 – 8 December 2021) was a Jamaican bass guitarist and record producer, best known as half of the reggae rhythm section and production duo Sly and Robbie, with drummer Sly Dunbar. Regarded as ...
.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
References
External links
Official web page
{{Authority control
2006 albums
Robbie Williams albums
Albums produced by Mark Ronson
Albums produced by William Orbit