RUDEBOX (ALBUM)

'''Rudebox''' is the name of Robbie Williams's tenth solo album, and seventh studio album, released on October 23, 2006 in the UK. It was originally scheduled to be called ''1974'', the year Williams was born.
The album features collaborations with William Orbit, Mark Ronson, Soul Melanik and two collaborations with the Pet Shop Boys: "''She's Madonna''" and "''We're the Pet Shop Boys''". Lily Allen provides backing vocals on the songs "''Bongo Bong and Je Ne T'aime Plus''" and "''Keep On''".
Williams covers five songs on the album: "''Louise''", a 1984 hit for The Human League, "''Kiss Me''", the biggest hit for Stephen Duffy, "''Lovelight''" by Lewis Taylor, "''We're the Pet Shop Boys''" by My Robot Friend, and "''Bongo Bong and Je Ne T'aime Plus''", a hit by Manu Chao.
Getting a mixed reception from critics, the album reached the top position in 14 countries including United Kingdom, Australia, Switzerland, Germany, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, Italy and Finland, among many others.
The album debuted at #2 on the United World Chart selling 378,000 copies in its first week^[1]. It has so far sold almost 500,000 units in the United Kingdom and over 4.5 million worldwide.^[2]
The song "Dickhead" is included as hidden track in some countries.
Japanese editions of the album feature "Lonestar Rising" as the bonus track, instead of "Dickhead".^[3]

Contents

Track listing

Special edition

Critical opinion

Lack Of Promotion

Album sales

American sales

Singles

Rudebox in Pop Culture

Controversies

Certifications, Peaks & Sales

Notes

External links

Track listing

#	Title	Songwriters	Producers	Duration
1.	"Rudebox"	(R. Williams, B. Laswell, B. Collins, C. Aiken, R. Shakespeare, S. Dunbar)	Soul Mekanik	4:44
2.	"Viva Life on Mars"	(R. Williams, D. Spencer, K. Andrews)	Soul Mekanik	4:51
3.	"Lovelight"	(L. Taylor)	Mark Ronson	4:02
4.	"Bongo Bong and Je Ne T'Aime Plus" (featuring Lily Allen)	(M. Chao)	Mark Ronson	4:48
5.	"She's Madonna" (with Pet Shop Boys)	(R. Williams, N. Tennant, C. Lowe)	Pet Shop Boys	4:16
6.	"Keep On" (featuring Lily Allen)	(R. Williams, C. Heath, S. Duffy)	Juan Gabriel	4:19
7.	"Good Doctor"	(R. Williams, J. Meehan)	Mark Ronson	3:16
8.	"The Actor"	(R. Williams, B. Christy, C. Russo)	Brandon Christy & Craig Russo	4:06
9.	"Never Touch That Switch"	(K. Andrews, D. Spencer)	Soul Mekanik	2:47
10.	"Louise"	(J. Callis, P. Wright, P. Oakey)	William Orbit	4:46
11.	"We're the Pet Shop Boys" (with Pet Shop Boys)	(My Robot Friend)	Pet Shop Boys	4:57
12.	"Burslem Normals"	(R. Williams, D. Spencer, K. Andrews)	Soul Mekanik	3:50
13.	"Kiss Me"	(S. Duffy)	Joey Negro	3:18
14.	"The 80's"	(R. Williams, J. Meehan)	Jerry Meehan	4:18
15.	"The 90's"	(R. Williams, J. Meehan)	Jerry Meehan	5:34
16.	"Summertime"	(R. Williams, A. Genn)	William Orbit	5:41
17.	"Dickhead" (UK/Russian bonus track)	(R. Williams, J. Meehan)	Jerry Meehan	4:09

Special edition

A special edition of the album was released along with the regular edition, presented in a special package and design including an exclusive DVD featuring the 30-minute documentary "We Are Not Alone", plus "Rudebox" Live at Roundhay Park in Leeds and the Trailer of Robbie's new DVD "And Through It All - Robbie Williams Live 1997-2006".

Critical opinion

The album got a very mixed reception from critics in the UK.NME praised the record, saying it was the best album of William's career and a great pop album, giving it 8/10. It received further praise from other rock magazines such as Mojo and Uncut, along with the likes of Music Week, All Music Guide, Pop Matters, and various broadsheet newspapers.
However, the greatest British tabloids were not as kind and many of them including the Mirror newspaper slammed it. Williams himself said in an interview that he was delighted to get such praise from magazines who usually do not rate him.

Lack Of Promotion

Due to Williams' touring Latin America and Australia when the album was released, the artist never got to promote the album. There were no TV/Radio appearances, no big magazine interviews and no tour for the album. His record company EMI also failed to market the album heavily, by having very few ads on TV/Radio for the album.

Album sales

In the United Kingdom the album sold 54,667^[4] copies on its first day in stores, taking the number-one slot on the albums chart midweek. By Wednesday the album had sold over 75,000 copies.^[5] The album debuted at number-one on the Official UK Albums Chart selling over 147,000 copies on its first week^[6] Despite reaching the number one spot, 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, it easily outsold '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.^[7]
The album was released in the Netherlands on October 20, 2006, on the same day the album was certified platinum as a result of pre-order sales of over 70,000.^[8]
In Belgium the album sold 50,000 copies and went Platinum. It was released on October 23, 2006 in Australia and debuted at number-one achieving Platinum status in its first week.^[9]. It has since been certified 2x platinum (140,000). Since October 20th 2006 the album has sold 5 million copies and has reached number one in 14 countries around the globe.^[2]
The album shipped 220,000 in France in its opening week, as well as 600,000 in Germany, and 700,000 in the UK. In Australia, sales are approaching 3x platinum (210,000), and in Mexico it has gone platinum with at least 100,000 sold. Overall sales in Europe are estimated at around 3.5 million, whilst outside Europe an estimated 1.5 million.
On November 8th 2006, IFPI certified the album 2x Platinum in Europe with sales of over 2 million making it the fastest platinum selling album of 2006.^[11] On November 20th 2006, the album reached number-one in Mexico becoming his first number-one album in that country on the main Top 100 Chart.
Rudebox was the 18th best selling album of 2006 worldwide according to the IFPI. Outside the US, it was 2006's best selling album by a solo artist.

American sales

Though not widely released in America, new copies of Rudebox have been found in select stores as an import (imported CDs have higher prices). For instance, the Borders store in Tacoma, Washington lists ''Rudebox'' at a price of $22.99 plus tax (most newly released CDs in America are sold at $14.99). However, Virgin Megastore featured the album along new releases at $11.99-$15.99. The album was a relative success on the Digital charts, reaching the top 15 on iTunes. It also peaked at #7 on the Canadian iTunes. As recently as July 2007, American stores carry the Argentinian pressing of the album listed at $14.99 and including the hidden track "Dickhead".

Singles

★ Rudebox

★ Kiss Me (''Limited international release'')

★ Lovelight

★ Bongo Bong and Je Ne T'Aime Plus (''Limited international release'')

★ She's Madonna

Rudebox in Pop Culture

"Rudebox" also belongs to a variety or genre of jokes initiated in early Spring 2007 amongst south Manchester teen and tweenagers. "-box" as utilised and coined by Williams fermented into a multitude of related and non-related -box suffixes, which are liberally applied in conversation to connote either empathy or mocking. For example, "sillybox" when somebody says something stupid, down to "fat box", "boredbox", "workbox", and countless other examples. The suffix was profiled in The Guardian newspaper in late July 2007, and can now be found across the Greater Manchester conurbation and is also making inroads in North London teen culture.

Controversies

"She's Madonna" 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.^[12]
Further controversy arose over the track "The 90s", part of which implies that Williams was ripped off by Take That's manager Nigel Martin-Smith 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.^[13]
The omitted lyrics were rapped during the break before the second verse:
:"Now I'm managed by a prick and I'm 16 and chubby. Told me to lose 20 pounds and you're not Rob, you're Robbie, and if I see you with a girl, then you're gonna be sorry and if you don't sign this contract, get your bags from the lobby. He's such an evil man, I used to fantasize of taking a Stanley knife and go and play with his eyes. I pray to the Lord he won't have any children. He didn't spot Elvis leaving the building."

Certifications, Peaks & Sales

Country	Peak Position	Certification (If Any)	Sales/shipments
Argentina	1	Platinum[14]	40,000+
Australia	1	2x Platinum[15]	140,000+
Austria	1	2x Platinum[16]	60,000+
Belgium	3	Platinum[17]	40,000+
Denmark		Platinum[18]	30,000+
Finland	1	Platinum[19]	33,465+
France	3	Platinum[20]	200,000+
Germany	1	3x Platinum/5x Gold[21]	600,000+
Hungary		2x Platinum[22]	20,000+
Ireland		2x Platinum[23]	30,000+
Mexico	1	Platinum[24]	100,000+
Portugal	5	Gold[25]	10,000+
Spain	1	Gold[26]	40,000+
Sweden	2	Gold[27]	30,000+
Switzerland	1	2x Platinum[28]	60,000+
United Kingdom	1	2x Platinum[29]	600,000+

Notes

1. United World Chart
2. Niel Tennant talks about Rudebox's sales
3. Japanese Edition of the Album
4. U.K. Midweeks 24/10 (Tuesday)
5. Midweeks 24/10 (Wednesday)
6. U.K. Top 75 - October 29th 2006
7. Can Robbie Williams Escape Drugs Demons To Save His Career?
8. Album already platinum in the Netherlands
9. ARIA Charts
10. Niel Tennant talks about Rudebox's sales
11. IFPI Certifcations, November 2006
12. http://www.exposay.com/robbie-williams-is-accused-of-stealing-shes-madonna-track/v/3888/
13. http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,4-2006430123,,00.html
14. CAPIF
15. ARIA
16. IFPI Austria
17. IFPI Belgium
18. IFPI Denmark
19. IFPI Finland
20. Disque En France
21. IFPI Germany
22. MAHASZ
23. IRMA
24. AMPROFON
25. AFP – Week 49 Year 2006
26. – 2006 Certifications
27. IFPI Sweden – 2006 Certifications
28. IFPI Switzerland
29. BPI

External links

★ Official web page