You've admitted feeling low at times over this past year. Are you more confident now?
Yeah, my self-doubts are disappearing day by day. When I wrote
my first song it was a big step and I thought, 'yeah, I can really
do this'. However, my first single is a cover. I can only say,
'Hey, look at me!' when my own song is in the Top 40.
So why release a cover as your first song?
Basically because I needed to come back with a big hit. Plus I didn't have a statement song and this says it all.
To be honest I don't really know why I didn't release my own single
first. It's not very 'take charge' of me, is it? But there we
go. I've recorded Freedom, it's going to be a big hit and
it's a perfect statement. So people will have to wait to hear
what else I can come up with.
How impoortant is it that Freedom goes to No 1?
To be honest, I don't want No 1s anymore. Now, don't get me wrong,
I wouldn't mind the odd few but I'd also like a record going in
at eight and staying around. Or even going in at 20 and growing.
though not with this one. I'll change my mind on this one. I'd
like Freedom and my next single to be No 1 and the others
to go Top 10 please.
What's it like working in the studio on your own?
It was scary at first but not so much now. Basically, despite
being in and out of them loads of times in the past few years,
studios are very alien to me. It used to be a case of 'Yes, go
in and sing your vocals. No, don't touch anything! Just go and
sing. Thanks very much. Bye!' So I feel as if I'm going into the
studio for the first time. I'm now working very closely with a
guy called Anthony who used to play with Pulp and Elastica. In
fact he's the one who danced naked on stage with Elastica at Glastonbury
last year! That's how I met him.
Does tis mean your music will have a Pulp/Elastica feel?
There will be all sorts of styles-I'm writing on both guitar and
keyboards-but I don't want to tie myself down to one particular
sound. Some songs I'll record with a band, others will be more
computer based, and yeah, there will be influences of Pulp but
there will also be influences of Pet Shop Boys, New Order and
Oasis.
It's a year since you turned up on your own at TOTP to hang out with Oasis. How do you feel about that time now?
When I first started appearing as Robbie ex-Take That, I used
to take a deep breath and charge around shouting, 'Here I am,
it's Robbie!' Then suddenly I thought, 'I don't have to pretend
anymore. I don't have to appear bigger than I really am. I can
say what I feel, not what I'm told to say.
But sometimes you seem to regret what you say, for example your recent comments about Gary?
It's not that I wish I hadn't said those things, I just wish I
might be sorry but I don't regret it. There's no point regretting
things. If you can't do the time, don't do the crime. Life's too
short to worry about things I've said.
You don't sound particularly happy.
I don't think anyone can ever be fully happy. If you're fully
happy then you're a miserable person because the grass is always
greener on the other side- it has to be. I'm not saying I'm miserable-
in fact I'm the happiest I've been for a long time, but I'm no
happier than I was when I was at school. Then again, I'm more
miserable than when I was at school.
Have you put Take That behind you?
I'll never be able to leave it all behind. It's like excess baggage
but nice baggage which I'll carry for a long time.
TOTP, ....96