Swing When You're Winning
Encyclopedia
Swing When You're Winning is a swing cover album
by English
singer-songwriter Robbie Williams
.
, the album counts as Williams' fourth studio album. Aside from the title, the album is not directly associated with Williams' previous album, Sing When You're Winning
. Born from his lifelong love for Frank Sinatra
, combined with the success of the track "Have You Met Miss Jones?
" that he recorded for the film "Bridget Jones's Diary" in early 2001, the album was recorded at the Capitol
Studios in Los Angeles
, California
, and was symbolically released under the Capitol label. The album features duets with actors Rupert Everett
, Nicole Kidman
, Jon Lovitz
and Jane Horrocks
, as well as a special guest performance from Robbie's friend and former flatmate Jonathan Wilkes
. Surprisingly the album features a duet with Frank Sinatra
on the song "It Was a Very Good Year
", in which Williams sings the first two verses, and a recording of Sinatra is used for the vocals on the third and fourth verses. Williams explains this came about after one of his session musicians played his vocals to Sinatra's family. This musician was purportedly a good friend of the family, and played with Sinatra on the original release of "It Was a Very Good Year". Another surprising guest musician is pianist Bill Miller
who accompanies Williams on "One For My Baby". Miller played on many of Sinatra's tours and recordings, among them, the original 1954 soundtrack recording of "One For My Baby" and the 1958 Capitol studio recording. Additionally, backing musicians for portions of the album include the London Session Orchestra. The album's lead song, "I Will Talk and Hollywood Will Listen", is the only original song on the album. Additionally, Williams' recording of "Beyond The Sea" featured in the 2003 animated motion picture Finding Nemo
.
and over seven million copies worldwide. The album spent 57 weeks on the UK Albums Chart
, certified 7x Platinum, and became the 49th best-selling album of all-time in the UK. In Germany, the album has become Williams' best-selling album there, selling more than 1,500,000 copies being certified 5x Platinum. The album debuted at #1 and stayed there for nine non-consecutive weeks. It managed to stay 83 weeks on the German Albums Chart, nineteen weeks in the top 10. Thanks to its success, it became the fourth best-selling album of the decade in Germany.
and Somethin' Stupid
, were the only songs from the album which were not performed live. Additionally, there were three songs performed live which did not appear on the album: "The Lady is a Tramp
", which featured as a b-side to "Mr. Bojangles", and "Let's Face the Music and Dance
" and "My Way
", which features as b-sides to "Somethin' Stupid".
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
singer-songwriter 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...
.
Background
After the success of his third studio album, Sing When You're Winning, Williams wanted to take another musical direction. He took two weeks off his tour to record what would be his fourth studio album, an album he described as the "big band album he had always dreamed of making." The album was released in November 2001. Consisting mainly of pop standard covers common to the Great American SongbookGreat American Songbook
The Great American Songbook is a hypothetical construct that seeks to represent the best American songs of the 20th century principally from Broadway theatre, musical theatre, and Hollywood musicals, from the 1920s to 1960, including dozens of songs of enduring popularity...
, the album counts as Williams' fourth studio album. Aside from the title, the album is not directly associated with Williams' previous album, Sing When You're Winning
Sing When You're Winning
Sing When You're Winning is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams.-Background:Following the release of his last album, I've Been Expecting You in 1998, and in the middle of promotion and touring in 1999, Robbie found time to start the work on what would be his third...
. Born from his lifelong love for Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, combined with the success of the track "Have You Met Miss Jones?
Bridget Jones's Diary (film)
Bridget Jones's Diary is a 2001 British romantic comedy film based on Helen Fielding's novel of the same name. The adaptation stars Renée Zellweger as Bridget, Hugh Grant as the caddish Daniel Cleaver, and Colin Firth as Bridget's "true love", Mark Darcy...
" that he recorded for the film "Bridget Jones's Diary" in early 2001, the album was recorded at the Capitol
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
Studios in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and was symbolically released under the Capitol label. The album features duets with actors Rupert Everett
Rupert Everett
Rupert James Hector Everett is an English actor. He first came to public attention in 1981, when he was cast in Julian Mitchell's play and subsequent film Another Country as an openly gay student at an English public school, set in the 1930s...
, Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
, Jon Lovitz
Jon Lovitz
Jonathan "Jon" Lovitz is an American comedian, actor, and singer. He is best known as a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1990.-Early life:...
and Jane Horrocks
Jane Horrocks
Barbara Jane Horrocks is an English voice, stage, screen and television actress, voice artist, musician, and singer. She is best known for her role as "Bubble" in the TV series Absolutely Fabulous as well as her distinctive voice....
, as well as a special guest performance from Robbie's friend and former flatmate Jonathan Wilkes
Jonathan Wilkes
Jonathan Wilkes is an English television presenter, actor and musician. Jonny Wilkes is currently performing as Billy Flynn in Chicago at The Cambridge Theatre, London. He is also the best friend of singer Robbie Williams...
. Surprisingly the album features a duet with Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
on the song "It Was a Very Good Year
It Was a Very Good Year
"It Was a Very Good Year" is a song composed by Ervin Drake in 1961 for and originally recorded by Bob Shane of The Kingston Trio and subsequently made famous by Frank Sinatra's version in D-minor, which won the Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance, Male in 1966. Gordon Jenkins was awarded...
", in which Williams sings the first two verses, and a recording of Sinatra is used for the vocals on the third and fourth verses. Williams explains this came about after one of his session musicians played his vocals to Sinatra's family. This musician was purportedly a good friend of the family, and played with Sinatra on the original release of "It Was a Very Good Year". Another surprising guest musician is pianist Bill Miller
Bill Miller (pianist)
Bill Miller was an American jazz pianist, who accompanied Frank Sinatra over fifty years, and for the last eight years of his life, accompanied Frank Sinatra, Jr.....
who accompanies Williams on "One For My Baby". Miller played on many of Sinatra's tours and recordings, among them, the original 1954 soundtrack recording of "One For My Baby" and the 1958 Capitol studio recording. Additionally, backing musicians for portions of the album include the London Session Orchestra. The album's lead song, "I Will Talk and Hollywood Will Listen", is the only original song on the album. Additionally, Williams' recording of "Beyond The Sea" featured in the 2003 animated motion picture Finding Nemo
Finding Nemo
Finding Nemo is a 2003 American comi-drama animated film written by Andrew Stanton, directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich and produced by Pixar. It tells the story of the overly protective clownfish Marlin who, along with a regal tang called Dory , searches for his abducted son Nemo...
.
Success
When the album was released in late 2001, it became an instant #1 hit in the United Kingdom, spending six consecutive weeks at #1. In Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, Germany and Switzerland, it reached the top 10, going on to sell over two million copies by the end of 2001 in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and over seven million copies worldwide. The album spent 57 weeks on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, certified 7x Platinum, and became the 49th best-selling album of all-time in the UK. In Germany, the album has become Williams' best-selling album there, selling more than 1,500,000 copies being certified 5x Platinum. The album debuted at #1 and stayed there for nine non-consecutive weeks. It managed to stay 83 weeks on the German Albums Chart, nineteen weeks in the top 10. Thanks to its success, it became the fourth best-selling album of the decade in Germany.
Singles
- "Somethin' StupidSomethin' Stupid"Somethin' Stupid" is a song written by C. Carson Parks and originally recorded in 1966 by Parks and his wife Gaile Foote, as "Carson and Gaile". It is best known in the hit version by Frank Sinatra and his daughter, Nancy Sinatra....
", a duet with Nicole KidmanNicole KidmanNicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
, was released as the album's first single. A cover of FrankFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
& Nancy SinatraNancy SinatraNancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....
, the song became Williams' fifth number 1 in the United Kingdom, selling almost 100,000 copies in the week of release, as well as hitting the top spot in Argentina, New Zealand, Latvia and scoring top ten placings all over Europe. It became one of the biggest hits of 2001, selling over 200,000 copies in the UK alone after spending three weeks at the top of the charts, being certified Silver in January 2002.
- A double A-side of "Mr. Bojangles" and "I Will Talk and Hollywood Will Listen"Mr. Bojangles/I Will Talk And Hollywood Will Listen"Mr. Bojangles / I Will Talk And Hollywood Will Listen" are songs by British pop singer Robbie Williams released as a double A-side exclusively in Central and Eastern Europe in early 2002. The single did not manage to break into the top forty in any country, but the songs, especially "Mr....
was released as the album's second and final single, however, it was only released in CentralCentral EuropeCentral Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
and Eastern EuropeEastern EuropeEastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
.
Live performances
A live performance of the album from The Royal Albert Hall was released on DVD in December 2001. It has become one of the best selling music DVDs of all time in Europe, being certified 6x Platinum in the United Kingdom alone and 2x Platinum in Germany. The performance includes renditions of nearly all of the songs from the album, with guest appearances from Jonathan Wilkes, Jon Lovitz, and Jane Horrocks, as well as a live version of Robbie's 'duet' with Frank Sinatra. Rupert Everett emceed, and Nicole Kidman attended the show, but neither performed their duets featured on the album. Thus, They Can't Take That Away From MeThey Can't Take That Away from Me
"They Can't Take That Away from Me" is a 1937 song written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and introduced by Fred Astaire in the 1937 film Shall We Dance....
and Somethin' Stupid
Somethin' Stupid
"Somethin' Stupid" is a song written by C. Carson Parks and originally recorded in 1966 by Parks and his wife Gaile Foote, as "Carson and Gaile". It is best known in the hit version by Frank Sinatra and his daughter, Nancy Sinatra....
, were the only songs from the album which were not performed live. Additionally, there were three songs performed live which did not appear on the album: "The Lady is a Tramp
The Lady Is a Tramp
"The Lady Is a Tramp" is a show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical Babes In Arms in which it was introduced by former child star Mitzi Green. This song is a spoof of New York high society and its strict etiquette...
", which featured as a b-side to "Mr. Bojangles", and "Let's Face the Music and Dance
Let's Face the Music and Dance
"Let's Face the Music and Dance" is a song written in 1936 by Irving Berlin for the film Follow the Fleet, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire and featured in a celebrated dance duet with Astaire and Ginger Rogers...
" and "My Way
My Way (song)
"My Way" is a song popularized by Frank Sinatra. Its lyrics were written by Paul Anka and set to music based on the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed in 1967 by Claude François and Jacques Revaux, with lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibault. Anka's English lyrics are unrelated to the...
", which features as b-sides to "Somethin' Stupid".
Track listing
Certifications, Peaks and Sales
| Country | Peak position | Certification (if any) | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 9 | Platinum | 40,000+ |
| Australia | 3 | 4x Platinum | 280,000+ |
| Austria | 1 | 4x Platinum | 120,000+ |
| Canada | Gold | 50,000+ | |
| Europe | 1 | 6x Platinum | 6,000,000 |
| France | 21 | Gold | 100,000+ |
| Germany | 1 | 5x Platinum | 1,500,000+ |
| Hungary | 2 | Gold | 5,000+ |
| Ireland | 1 | ||
| Netherlands | Platinum | 80,000+ | |
| New Zealand | 1 | 5x Platinum | 75,000+ |
| Poland | Gold | 20,000+ | |
| Sweden | 4 | Platinum | 60,000+ |
| Switzerland | 1 | 3x Platinum | 120,000+ |
| United Kingdom | 1 | 7x Platinum | 2,100,000+ |
End of Decade Charts
| 2000–2009 | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums Chart | 4 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
17 |