圓滾滾香菇森林歷險記

“I’m a bit worried I’ve become an alcoholic,” says Take That’s Gary Barlow. “Because of all these No. 1 hits.”

“We’ve been opening bottles all the time. And every time we do it someone says, ‘Well, if you can’t celebrate this, when can you celebrate?’ I’m recovering now, but it’s been hectic. The week we made No. 1 on five separate charts, well… that was quite a week!”

The return of Take That has been nothing short of sensational. It was prompted by the excitement surrounding an ITV1 documentary reunion. Says Gary, “right up till the end, we were having second thoughts about it, but I’m glad we took part. It was the catalyst for everything that happened.”

Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange and Mark Owen rather gingerly put tickets on sale for Take That: The Ultimate tour. It sold out in minutes. Then they thought of an album of new songs (a gamble, but one that proved they do not have to rely on former band members, or regurgitating favourite tunes). Only released on 27th November, it had sold 1.5 million copies in the UK by the end of December, making it the second biggest-selling album of the whole year. (Snow Patrol’s Eyes Open sold a few thousand more, but had been on sale since 1st May). And Beautiful World has topped the chart for six weeks so far. Feet firmly on the ground as usual, Gary Barlow’s mind boggles a bit as he admits, “It’s a proper, proper hit album. You know, I don’t think any of the others stayed at the top for so long. The most was four weeks - and that was the Greatest Hits.”

The notion that the success of Take That’s further adventures has so far outstripped anything experienced before by the World’s Biggest Pop BandTM 1993-1996, is testament to one thing. This is much more than, as Smash Hits once prophetically hoped, “Take That: One More Time For The Laydeez…” This is big.

As well as recapturing millions of original fans, Take That have added a new generation of devotees. As with all genres, there are good boy bands and bad boy bands. And Take That were one of the best ever, with classic songs that still excite, and new ones, like the single Patience, which compare well against them. Last summer’s live shows had a fizzy, carnival vibe.

“We’re loving being back, you know,” says Gary. “The experience is much more fun this time around. Last time, everything happened at a million miles per hour and we were constantly trying to keep up with the machine. Now, there’s not such a rush for us. We don’t have to worry about the next boy band coming round the corner.”

The 2006 tour gave the band a chance to reconnect with their loyal live fans. “At that point,” says Gary, “we didn’t know if there would be an album, we could’ve gone back to our everyday lives after that. And I made a conscious decision to really savour the tour, every night of it. There’s a great vibe out there. In the old days, by show 10 or eleven, the concentration had slipped a bit. This time around, I loved every bloody one.” The band will play live once more at Earls Court on 14th February. It’s been eleven years since Take That last performed at the BRITs Awards. In 1996, the band - by that point, the same four-piece we know now - stood on stage and surveyed the scene. A few emotional days beforehand, they’d announced a full and final split. Bowing out at the top of their career, they’d ridden a run of four BRITs and eight No. 1 singles, including classics Pray, Back For Good and Never Forget. The band had sold 25 million albums worldwide. In their last ‘ever’ UK appearance, Take That sang their farewell single, How Deep Is Your Love, then handed over the mantle of pop kings. Someday soon, they’d said, this would all be “someone else’s dream”.

“I remember just strolling on stage that night, and waving to people we knew as we went on,” says Gary. “We were so casual about it. We were at the end of six years in pop and we’d sung every day. By that time, the pressure was off.”

After the show, Gary, Mark and Howard flew back to Manchester, anxious to step out of the spotlight. Jason went to nightclub Browns to party with Michael Hutchence and Paula Yates.

“It is very different now,” says Gary. “But in a good way. We’re excited, we’re getting dreamy about the BRIT Awards and we talk about it every time we meet. We appreciate it. It’s such an enormous show.”

Take That scooped a BRIT for Best British Single that night for Back For Good. Sharing the limelight then and now was another Manchester band, Oasis, who are picking up the biggie in 2007 for an Outstanding Contribution To Music. Gary’s happy about that. “I’m glad it’s Oasis, I like them - very much so.”

There’s no rivalry, he insists, between the bands. “We can’t be jealous,” says Gary, “We had 10 years off in the middle, while Oasis kept on going, still working hard.”

What Gary would be jealous of, however, would be someone who’s managed to win awards - and keep hold of them! He’s keen to issue a plea.

“Can you put out an appeal, please, to find Take That’s missing BRIT Awards? We won four. I have one, and I’m pretty sure Mark has another. We’ve lost two somewhere along the way, and we need to locate them. We’d absolutely love to get them back.”

And what will happen if the band win at the BRIT Awards 2007 (apart from placing their statuette, very quickly, under lock and key)?

“We’ll have to crack open another bottle,” says one determined-to-celebrate member of Take That. “… and party!”

well done!! congratulations