Sing When You're Winning
Kicked off by the release of Rock DJ, Robbie's third album came exactly a year after his sell-out Slane Castle Show.
It'd been a manic year, to say the least! Rarely off the radio or out of the papers, he'd collected armfuls of awards and played huge sell-out gigs. Yet somewhere amid the mayhem, he'd somehow found the time to make another album!
By now a national institution, the new album was a turning point - Robbie had finally found his confidence, not only to be more brash, but also to be more vulnerable...
"Every track is a solid track on this album. I want people to think, ‘oh, he's getting there isn't he?' you know? I want them to have a good time, be sad, be in different moods," he said.
Inspiration was taken from a catalogue of influences - from the Who-inspired Kids with Kylie, to the first release, Rock DJ, inspired in part by UNICEF mentor, the late Ian Dury.
The Road To Mandalay became an early favourite of Robbie's, inspired by his time in France. "I just picked up French vibes and started singing a French sort of melody. And then it's turned out to be the most, for me, touching song that I've written."
Snapped by photographer Paul M Smith, the album's artwork - along with Robbie's complete football strip (including a signed jockstrap!) - was later sold at Robbie's Bid It Sum auction to raise money for his charity, Give It Sum.
The ‘Sing' band included the familiar faces of Guy Chambers, Neil Taylor, Fil Eisler and Chris Sharrock.
Collectors' Edition
Each of Robbie's first seven studio albums, including Sing When You're Winning, have been upgraded and expanded with an extra DVD full of previously unreleased material! Also available on digital download and as a digital video album (if you're only after those vintage Robbie videos), you can order your copy below. Scroll down to see the full tracklist.
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Highest UK chart position: No.1 Selling more than 2 million copies in the UK alone, Sing When You're Winning spent a whopping 91 weeks in the UK chart. Hitting the charts throughout a number of European countries, Sing When You're Winning also made its mark on the Latin American charts, reaching No.6 in Argentina.
Releases
| Title | Track Length | Lyrics | Buy | Robbie says | |
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| Let Love Be Your Energy | 4:06 |
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Buy |
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| Better Man | 3:22 |
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Buy |
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| Rock DJ | 4:18 |
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Buy |
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| Supreme | 4:18 |
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Buy |
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| Kids | 4:46 |
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Buy |
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| If It's Hurting You | 4:10 |
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Buy |
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| Singing for the Lonely | 4:31 |
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Buy |
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| Love Calling Earth | 4:05 |
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Buy |
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| Knutsford City Limits | 4:45 |
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Buy |
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| Forever Texas | 3:37 |
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Buy |
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| By All Means Necessary | 4:01 |
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Buy |
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| The Road to Mandalay | 3:18 |
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Buy |
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| Title | Track Length | Lyrics | Buy | Robbie says | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Let Love Be Your Energy | 4:06 |
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Buy |
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| Better Man | 3:22 |
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Buy |
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| Rock DJ | 4:18 |
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Buy |
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| Supreme | 4:18 |
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Buy |
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| Kids | 4:46 |
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Buy |
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| If It's Hurting You | 4:10 |
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Buy |
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| Singing for the Lonely | 4:31 |
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Buy |
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| Love Calling Earth | 4:05 |
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Buy |
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| Knutsford City Limits | 4:45 |
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Buy |
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| Forever Texas | 3:37 |
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Buy |
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| By All Means Necessary | 4:01 |
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Buy |
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| The Road to Mandalay | 3:18 |
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Buy |
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| Rock DJ (Top Of The Pops Special 30/08/00) | 4:13 |
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Buy |
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| Kids (with Kylie Minogue) (Top Of The Pops 06/10/00) | 3:38 |
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Buy |
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| Kids (with Kylie Minogue) (MTV Music Awards 16/11/00) | 5:37 |
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Buy |
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| Let Love Be Your Energy (Later...with Jools Holland 02/12/00) | 4:15 |
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Buy |
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| Better Man (Later...with Jools Holland 02/12/00) | 3:32 |
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Buy |
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| Supreme (Top Of The Pops 08/12/00) | 3:43 |
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Buy |
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| Interview (Parkinson 07/04/01) | 13:13 |
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Buy |
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| Eternity (Top Of The Pops 29/06/01) | 4:22 |
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Buy |
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| The Road To Mandalay (Top Of The Pops Special 30/08/00) | 3:27 |
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Buy |
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"As a perfect meeting of style and content, therefore, it's a masterpiece. This being another Robbie Williams record that says 'I am Robbie Williams, The Pop Star', the tunes here expertly (though maybe not as expertly or exuberantly as they did before) push your various pop-music buttons. Ian Dury (the single, 'Rock DJ'), The Divine Comedy ('Road To Mandalay'), Gloria Gaynor ('Love Supreme'), country music ('If It's Hurting You') and Krautrock (all right - but maybe next time)... all different stylistic bases are covered."
NME, August ‘00
"...at this point in his career, he could release a cover of Spinal Tap's Jazz Odyssey and watch it soar to number one. His star is so high that the News of the World recently ran a long interview with a woman he met in a New Zealand bar, despite the fact that her testimony revealed no bizarre sexual practices or anything else of interest."
The Guardian, August 2000
"Robbie Williams, England's top entertainer of the moment, pulls from pop's past like a hip-hopper samples a groove, chasing lavish contemporary beauty. Known for crowd-pleasing shenanigans onstage, the former boy-band bad boy turns into a craftsman within the protective studio womb. On his second U.S. album, Williams and collaborator Guy Chambers achieve an audio spectacle showcasing their melodic wit and stylistic valor..."
Rolling Stone, October 2000
