Nigel Martin-Smith
Encyclopedia
Nigel Martin-Smith is a Manchester
-based musical band manager who formed 1990s British boy band Take That
.
. From there, he challenged the "London-centric" attitude of many in the business, championing the cause of local talent and establishing many actors in film and television. His first success in the music industry was the artist Damian
who had a UK top 10 hit with a cover of "The Time Warp" in 1989.
He also ran the Film Artist Agency at Half Moon Chambers in Manchester.
Take That
In the early 1990s, following the success of US boyband New Kids on the Block
, Martin-Smith decided to create a British version of NKOTB with a similar "chosen" formula of singers and dancers. In 1990, he assembled Gary Barlow
, a 19 year-old from Cheshire
who had been singing and playing the piano on the northern club circuit for five years; Mark Owen
, 18, and Manchester United trialist; Howard Donald
, 21, a vehicle painter who also DJ'd, danced and modelled; Jason Orange
, a 19 year old painter and decorator from Manchester who had danced on Pete Waterman
's television programme The Hitman and Her
. He advertised for another singer, and chose 16 year old bodypopper
Robbie Williams
from Stoke-on-Trent
.
Take That sold 19 million records (9m albums and 10m singles) between 1990 and 1996. Between the band's first single release in 1991 and their break-up in 1996, the BBC
described Take That as "the most successful British band since The Beatles
in the UK, beloved of young and old alike" . Take That's dance-oriented pop tunes
and ballad
s dominated the UK charts in the first half of the 1990s, spawning two of the best selling albums of the decade with Everything Changes in 1993 and their Greatest Hits in 1996.
By 1995, Williams, who had been growing frustrated with his life in Take That, went partying with Oasis
at Glastonbury
and then left the band. After his departure, the last Take That album Nobody Else
was re-issued in some markets excluding some vocals by Williams, most notably a new recording of "Love Ain't Here Anymore". Williams didn't actually perform any lead vocals on this album, and band members later blamed this on his "lack of interest and commitment" in the recording of the album. The rest of the band finally split in 1996.
In 1995, Gay Times
listed Martin-Smith as one of the most influential gay people in music.
In 2007, Martin-Smith was parodied (along with the members of Take That) in the Channel 4 spoof documentary series Star Stories
.
Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams left Take That in 1995 under a strict performance and confidentiality agreement, but later decided to sue Martin-Smith for breach of his fiduciary duties. Williams lost the case.
The feud between the pair resurfaced when Williams' biography
written by his friend and Daily Mail
journalist Chris Heath
, "Feel: Robbie Williams" was published in 2004. Williams described how Martin-Smith allegedly destroyed his confidence, and didn't hide his hatred for Martin-Smith whom he calls "the spawn of Satan
" claiming that the manager told people he was gay:
In response, Martin-Smith blamed Williams' inability to deal with his sexuality as the major cause of the singer's insecurity and his drug and alcohol issues, and stated:
On Williams' 2006 album Rudebox, Williams originally detailed in the track "The 90s" about how he fantasised about gouging out Martin-Smith's eyes out during his time with Take That:
However, after warning Williams over another song on the album entitled The 90s, Martin-Smith successfully sued Williams and his record company Chrysalis Records
for £300,000 in the High Court
for defamation of character. Williams and EMI were also forced to issue an apology to Martin-Smith.
and managed the come back of Scottish
singer Lulu
. Around this time, Martin-Smith made a huge investment in his Manchester based talent agencies moving into purpose-built studios and offices and employing leading agents to oversee his roster of artistes. The NMSM Talent Group now incorporates:
In 2005, Martin-Smith was contracted to work on the re-launch of Take That which saw him co-produce a TV documentary about the group, manage the release of their Ultimate Collection compilation album, and launch their sell-out UK tour. However, Martin-Smith was removed from the position once the documentary was over and just before the tour as, according to Mark Owen
, he "wasn't needed." An alternative theory was that Robbie Williams
would never appear as long as Martin-Smith had anything to do with the band. Martin Smith said: “I can’t believe what a success the comeback has been. I thought they would do the tour and that would be it. But now they could tour every year and pack stadiums.”
, set along Canal Street
:
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
-based musical band manager who formed 1990s British boy band Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
.
Biography
Martin-Smith entered the entertainment industry in the early 1980s working as a casting agent from offices in Manchester's Royal ExchangeRoyal Exchange, Manchester
The Royal Exchange is a grade II listed Victorian building in Manchester, England. It is located in the city centre on the land bounded by St Ann’s Square, Exchange Street, Market Street, Cross Street and Old Bank Street...
. From there, he challenged the "London-centric" attitude of many in the business, championing the cause of local talent and establishing many actors in film and television. His first success in the music industry was the artist Damian
Damian (musician)
Damian is an English pop musician and actor, who was briefly successful in the late 1980s. He is best known for his 1989 hit, "The Time Warp", a cover version of the original track from The Rocky Horror Show...
who had a UK top 10 hit with a cover of "The Time Warp" in 1989.
He also ran the Film Artist Agency at Half Moon Chambers in Manchester.
Take ThatTake ThatTake That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
In the early 1990s, following the success of US boyband New Kids on the BlockNew Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block are an American boy band from Boston, Massachusetts, assembled in 1984 by producer Maurice Starr. The band currently consists of brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood.New Kids on the Block enjoyed success in the late 1980s and...
, Martin-Smith decided to create a British version of NKOTB with a similar "chosen" formula of singers and dancers. In 1990, he assembled Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and record producer. He is frontman and lead vocalist of pop group Take That and is currently the head judge on the eighth series of The X Factor. Barlow is one of Britain's most successful songwriters...
, a 19 year-old from Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
who had been singing and playing the piano on the northern club circuit for five years; Mark Owen
Mark Owen
Mark Anthony Patrick Owen , is an English singer-songwriter. He is a member of pop band Take That. The band were hugely successful during the 1990s and have enjoyed even more success since their reunion in 2005...
, 18, and Manchester United trialist; Howard Donald
Howard Donald
Howard Paul Donald , is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist, dancer, DJ and house producer. He is a member of English pop band Take That. As well as working with Jason Orange as band choreographers, he sang lead vocals on one of the band's many number one singles first time round, "Never...
, 21, a vehicle painter who also DJ'd, danced and modelled; Jason Orange
Jason Orange
Jason Thomas Orange is an English musician and dancer. He is a member of the pop band Take That who gained popularity in the 1990s and are currently enjoying further success since their reunion in 2005.-Early fame and Take That:...
, a 19 year old painter and decorator from Manchester who had danced on Pete Waterman
Pete Waterman
Peter Alan Waterman OBE is an English record producer, occasional songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman songwriting team he wrote and produced many hit singles...
's television programme The Hitman and Her
The Hitman and Her
The Hit Man And Her was a British television dance music show hosted by Pete Waterman and Michaela Strachan. The programme was produced by Granada Television in Manchester, Clear Idea Productions and Music Box and it ran almost continuously for over four years and three months September 1988 until...
. He advertised for another singer, and chose 16 year old bodypopper
Popping
Popping is a street dance and one of the original funk styles that came from California during the 1960s-70s. It is based on the technique of quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in the dancer's body, referred to as a pop or a hit...
Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
from Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
.
Take That sold 19 million records (9m albums and 10m singles) between 1990 and 1996. Between the band's first single release in 1991 and their break-up in 1996, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
described Take That as "the most successful British band since The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
in the UK, beloved of young and old alike" . Take That's dance-oriented pop tunes
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
and ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s dominated the UK charts in the first half of the 1990s, spawning two of the best selling albums of the decade with Everything Changes in 1993 and their Greatest Hits in 1996.
By 1995, Williams, who had been growing frustrated with his life in Take That, went partying with Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
at Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
and then left the band. After his departure, the last Take That album Nobody Else
Nobody Else
- Peak positions :- US Import Version :- Year-end charts :- Personnel :* Gary Barlow – vocals, songwriter, producer, programmer* Robbie Williams – vocals, songwriter* Jason Orange – vocals* Mark Owen – vocals, songwriter...
was re-issued in some markets excluding some vocals by Williams, most notably a new recording of "Love Ain't Here Anymore". Williams didn't actually perform any lead vocals on this album, and band members later blamed this on his "lack of interest and commitment" in the recording of the album. The rest of the band finally split in 1996.
In 1995, Gay Times
Gay Times
Gay Times is one of the United Kingdom's leading gay magazine for gay and bisexual men.-Publication and content:...
listed Martin-Smith as one of the most influential gay people in music.
In 2007, Martin-Smith was parodied (along with the members of Take That) in the Channel 4 spoof documentary series Star Stories
Star Stories
Star Stories is a British television comedy programme that takes a satirical look at celebrities and their lives. It was first shown on Channel 4 on September 15, 2006....
.
Robbie WilliamsRobbie WilliamsRobert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
Robbie Williams left Take That in 1995 under a strict performance and confidentiality agreement, but later decided to sue Martin-Smith for breach of his fiduciary duties. Williams lost the case.The feud between the pair resurfaced when Williams' biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
written by his friend and Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
journalist Chris Heath
Chris Heath
Chris Heath is a British writer who was a regular contributor to the popular English music magazine Smash Hits in the eighties and early nineties....
, "Feel: Robbie Williams" was published in 2004. Williams described how Martin-Smith allegedly destroyed his confidence, and didn't hide his hatred for Martin-Smith whom he calls "the spawn of Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
" claiming that the manager told people he was gay:
"When I first went into Take That I thought I could do everything, but I left thinking I could do nothing...I just remember being shit-scared of Nigel and I really wanted him to like me. He was the person, I believe in my life that fucked with my head, and I just didn't have the facilities to deal with it. I can say something nice about every single member of Take That. But when it comes to Nigel Martin-Smith....I want to rip his uterusUterusThe uterus or womb is a major female hormone-responsive reproductive sex organ of most mammals including humans. One end, the cervix, opens into the vagina, while the other is connected to one or both fallopian tubes, depending on the species...
out."
In response, Martin-Smith blamed Williams' inability to deal with his sexuality as the major cause of the singer's insecurity and his drug and alcohol issues, and stated:
"It's very sad that Robbie has turned out like he has. He doesn't seem at all happy. He has been suppressed and the ramifications of that are now beginning to show. He looks a mess, he looks like a lost unhappy individual. It's very telling that none of his relationships with women have lasted. He is now dating another actress in LA. It won't last. It's all for show. Deep down he is gay. Robbie and I were completely comfortable with each other. He was the more dominant one and knew what he wanted. That's not the behaviour of a man who is experimenting for fun. It was for real."
On Williams' 2006 album Rudebox, Williams originally detailed in the track "The 90s" about how he fantasised about gouging out Martin-Smith's eyes out during his time with Take That:
The lyrics prompted Martin-Smith to instigate legal action against Williams and EMI prior to the album's release. The case did not delay the release of the album, but partly delayed the release of the single as EMI and Williams were forced to rewrite the song and remove the offending lyrics.
"Either you're a thief or you're shit, which one will you admit to? Such an evil man, I used to fantasise about taking a Stanley knife and playing around with your eyes."
However, after warning Williams over another song on the album entitled The 90s, Martin-Smith successfully sued Williams and his record company Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis...
for £300,000 in the High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
for defamation of character. Williams and EMI were also forced to issue an apology to Martin-Smith.
After Take That
Martin-Smith entered into a consultancy deal with Virgin RecordsVirgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
and managed the come back of Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
singer Lulu
Lulu (singer)
Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
. Around this time, Martin-Smith made a huge investment in his Manchester based talent agencies moving into purpose-built studios and offices and employing leading agents to oversee his roster of artistes. The NMSM Talent Group now incorporates:
- URBAN TALENT - an agency specialising in real people with a natural talent to work in television
- LIME ACTORS - a management company for professional, trained actors. One of its clients was former Coronation StreetCoronation StreetCoronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
actor Adam RickittAdam RickittAdam Peter Rickitt is an English actor, singer-songwriter and model.-Biography:Rickitt was born in Crewe, Cheshire, the youngest of four brothers. His father is co-owner of an estate agency...
, signed in 1997 - NEMESIS MODELS - an agency representing established commercial fashion and photographic models
- SMITH'S - another modelling agency but one that specialises in high fashion models for work with our associate agencies worldwide.
In 2005, Martin-Smith was contracted to work on the re-launch of Take That which saw him co-produce a TV documentary about the group, manage the release of their Ultimate Collection compilation album, and launch their sell-out UK tour. However, Martin-Smith was removed from the position once the documentary was over and just before the tour as, according to Mark Owen
Mark Owen
Mark Anthony Patrick Owen , is an English singer-songwriter. He is a member of pop band Take That. The band were hugely successful during the 1990s and have enjoyed even more success since their reunion in 2005...
, he "wasn't needed." An alternative theory was that Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
would never appear as long as Martin-Smith had anything to do with the band. Martin Smith said: “I can’t believe what a success the comeback has been. I thought they would do the tour and that would be it. But now they could tour every year and pack stadiums.”
Manchester Gay village
Martin-Smith owns three venues in Manchester's gay villageGay village
A gay village is an urban geographic location with generally recognized boundaries where a large number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people live or frequent...
, set along Canal Street
Canal Street (Manchester)
Canal Street, the centre of the Manchester Gay Village, is a street in Manchester city centre in North West England. The pedestrianised street, which runs along the west side of the Rochdale Canal, is lined with gay bars and restaurants...
:
- Queer - a cafe bar by day and a bar/club by night.
- Essential - a nightclub venue which announced its closure on Tuesday 12 January 2010 and shortly after reopened as Klub Mancunia, allegedly a 'new venue', though it was actually the same venue and management. This caused some uproar within the gay community in Manchester leaving them feeling "cheated" as Nigel Martin Smith had claimed to have sold the club onto new owners. The catchphrase "Mancunia - Essentially still Essential" gained popularity amongst the community and on social networking websites. In September 2010 Klub Mancunia closed again, seemingly due to lack of interest. It was re-launched on Saturday 9 October 2010 as Essential - The Nu Generation, with Nicksy (Simon Nicks) from GaydioGaydioGaydio is a radio station for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community broadcast from Manchester, UK. It is broadcast on 88.4FM in Greater Manchester and online through their website and the UK Radioplayer....
as its newly appointed Manager. - Glam - underground pop bar club.