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Millennium (song)

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For the Front Line Assembly song, see Millennium (Front Line Assembly album).

"Millennium"
Single by Robbie Williams
from the album I've Been Expecting You
B-side
Released7 September 1998 (1998-09-07)
GenrePop[1]
Length
  • 4:07 (album version)
  • 3:46 (radio edit)
LabelChrysalis
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Robbie Williams singles chronology
"Let Me Entertain You"
(1998) 		"Millennium"
(1998) 		"No Regrets"
(1998)
Music video
"Millennium" on YouTube

"Millennium" is a song by English singer Robbie Williams from his second studio album, I've Been Expecting You (1998). On 7 September 1998, it was released as the first track from the album and became Williams' first single to top the UK Singles Chart. The song also received extensive airplay in the United States and Canada, where it was the lead single from Williams' 1999 compilation album, The Ego Has Landed.

The song borrows heavily from the musical arrangement of John Barry's "You Only Live Twice", the title track of the 1967 James Bond film, said to be one of Williams' favourite James Bond movies.[2] However, it is a re-recording in a slightly different key instead of a direct sample for reasons of cost.[3]

Recording and composing

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The song that would become "Millennium" started being written in 1997. Robbie Williams and producer Guy Chambers were at Blah Street Studios in Hampshire, where Williams expressed the idea to do something based on James Bond. From that start, Chambers decided that he would sample "You Only Live Twice" by Nancy Sinatra, which featuring what he considered an "iconic intro" that "grabs you straight away", and that Williams wanted the addition of a hip-hop beat, which was achieved by speeding up the sample. Chambers then created a simple bassline for the verses. When Williams' lyrics were mostly done, Chambers felt it lacked "an obvious title for the track", and suggested "Millennium" for being "both strong and topical", because as Chambers said in a retrospective review, "There was a lot of talk about the millennium back then, it’s a bit like the 'Brexit' word now". Then Chambers asked for a "football chant", which only had a melody before Williams came up with "come and have a go if you think you're hard enough' a phrase used by Melanie C during the 1997 Brit Awards directed at Liam Gallagher who Williams was also feuding with.[4] The whole writing process took about four hours, and Chambers described "Millennium" as "the simplest song Robbie and I have ever written - only two chords. And it's written in D flat major, which is very unusual in pop music."[3][5]

Once co-producer Steve Power heard the demo, which already had a sample of they found potential for a single given it showed a different sound from Williams' debut album Life thru a Lens. As Power explained: "It had the more programming-based feel that we wanted to introduce on the second album in order to get away from the guitar-based feel of the first album, and it already had the chorus hook, the Bond theme sample, on the demo version, which I remember mixing before last Christmas."[3]

Trident Studios in London was used for the majority of the recordings, including drums, bass and samples for the backing track, and the backing vocals, which included three female session singers and male vocals by Williams' guitarist Gary Nuttall. Williams' vocals were done at Jacobs Studios in Surrey.[3]

Williams suggested using a sample only accompanied by a hip-hop beat. Guy Chambers found a beat by speeding the sample up. The record label, Chrysalis Records, discovered that a new recording would cost only one tenth of the licensing fee that would be required to sample "You Only Live Twice", so they asked for a new string section that still acted as a recognisable pastiche of the song. Nick Ingman arranged the orchestra, which according to Power "was in the wrong key for 'Millennium', although we did want it to sound like the original sample in the choruses and we did refer to John Barry's original score for that", and conducted a 26-piece string section, plus harp and four French horns, at Angel Recording Studios in Islington to the programmed backing track, with a guide vocal over the top.[3]

Power said the song used most of the 48 tracks offered by the multitrack tape: "We had about six tracks of backing vocals, and nine tracks for the strings. Then there were the programmed tracks; and when you get into programming, you'll layer about four kick drums to tape! For speed, and to keep the creative flow going, we put them all down to separate tracks rather than spend time deciding which one we wanted loudest when recording. So we had a lot of independent outs from the programmed backing track onto separate multitrack channels, like the programmed percussion and sampled noises. Then there were the unused scratching tracks, and the live percussion - all in all, I think we filled maybe 36 or 38 tracks in total."[3]

Music video

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The tongue-in-cheek video for "Millennium", directed by Vaughan Arnell, features Williams parodying James Bond, complete with dinner jacket and references to Bond films like Thunderball and From Russia with Love.[6] The video was filmed at Pinewood Studios, home to most Bond productions. During the video, Williams travels in an aeroplane and fails to fly a futuristic jet pack. He is also seen flirting with girls in an over-the-top manner and caricaturing the facial expressions of Sean Connery. He is seen in a boat, clearly a studio model, against an obviously projected background characteristic of 1960s Bond films. During the end of the video, Williams drives away in an economy car, a Bond Bug, instead of 007's Aston Martin DB5, which later drives past him while he is having car trouble.[7] Lorraine Pascale appears in the video as a 'Bond Girl'.[8]

At the 1999 Brit Awards, "Millennium" won the award for British Video of the Year.

Chart performance

[edit]

The song became Williams' first number-one single in the United Kingdom, shipping over 400,000 copies and being certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The song also became an international success; it managed to break into the Top 40 around the world. It also became Williams' first song to chart inside the US Billboard Hot 100 when it was released in 1999. While neither "Millennium" nor "Angels" (the song chosen as his second single in the United States) charted in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, it did chart at number 20 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart.

Track listings

[edit]

Credits and personnel

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Credits are lifted from the I've Been Expecting You booklet.[15]

Studio

Personnel

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[53] Platinum 598,000[52]

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref(s).
United Kingdom 7 September 1998
  • CD
  • cassette
 Chrysalis [54]
Japan 30 September 1998 CD [55]
United States 6 April 1999
Capitol [56][57]

References

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  1. ^ Pearlman, Nina; Eliscu, Jenny (2004). "Robbie Williams". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 876. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  2. ^ "Robbie Williams's Millennium sample of John Barry feat. Nancy Sinatra's You Only Live Twice". WhoSampled. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Sillitoe, Sue (November 1998). "GUY CHAMBERS & STEVE POWER: Recording Robbie Williams' 'Millennium'". Sound on Sound. Archived from the original on 2 January 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  4. ^ "Spice Girls and Liam Gallagher put rift behind them at Olympics concert". 13 August 2012.
  5. ^ How I wrote Robbie Williams' 'Millennium' by Guy Chambers
  6. ^ "Millennium: Music Video". RobbieWilliams.com. Archived from the original on 13 January 2010. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  7. ^ "Page 36 - the Lancashire & North West magazine". Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  8. ^ Liz Hoggard (11 February 2011). "Baking hot with new BBC chef, Lorraine Pascale". Standard.co.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  9. ^ Millennium (UK CD1 liner notes). Robbie Williams. Chrysalis Records. 1998. CDCHSS 5099, 7243 8 86090 2 9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ Millennium (UK CD2 liner notes). Robbie Williams. Chrysalis Records. 1998. CDCHS 5099, 7243 8 86091 2 8.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ Millennium (UK cassette single sleeve). Robbie Williams. Chrysalis Records. 1998. TCCHS 5099, 7243 8 86090 4 3.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ Millennium (European CD single liner notes). Robbie Williams. Chrysalis Records. 1998. 7243 8862422 0.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ Millennium (Australian CD single liner notes). Robbie Williams. Chrysalis Records. 1998. 8860992.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ^ Millennium (Japanese CD single liner notes). Robbie Williams. Chrysalis Records. 1998. TOCP-40100.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ^ I've Been Expecting You (UK CD album booklet). Robbie Williams. Chrysalis Records. 1998. 497 8372.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ^ "Robbie Williams – Millennium". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  17. ^ "Robbie Williams – Millennium" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  18. ^ "Robbie Williams – Millennium" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  19. ^ "Robbie Williams – Millennium" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  20. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8117." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  21. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 8384." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  22. ^ "Billboard – Google Books". 3 October 1998.
  23. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). ""Robbie Williams". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960-30.6.21 (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 283" (PDF). Retrieved 2 July 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  24. ^ "Robbie Williams – Millennium" (in French). Les classement single.
  25. ^ "Robbie Williams – Millennium" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  26. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 45. 7 November 1998. p. 16. Retrieved 8 June 2020. See LW column.
  27. ^ "Íslenski Listinn (8.10–15.10. 1998". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 9 October 1998. p. 10. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  28. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Millennium". Irish Singles Chart.
  29. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 42. 17 October 1998. p. 12. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  30. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 41, 1998" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  31. ^ "Robbie Williams – Millennium" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  32. ^ "Robbie Williams – Millennium". Top 40 Singles.
  33. ^ "Robbie Williams – Millennium". VG-lista.
  34. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  35. ^ "Billboard – Google Books". 24 October 1998.
  36. ^ "Robbie Williams – Millennium". Singles Top 100.
  37. ^ "Robbie Williams – Millennium". Swiss Singles Chart.
  38. ^ "Robbie Williams: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  39. ^ "Robbie Williams Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  40. ^ "Robbie Williams Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  41. ^ "Robbie Williams Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  42. ^ "Rapports annuels 1998" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  43. ^ "Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1998" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 51. 19 December 1998. p. 8. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  44. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 100 – Vinsælustu Lögin '98". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1999. p. 34. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  45. ^ "Årslista Singlar, 1998" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  46. ^ "Best Sellers of 1998 – Singles Top 100". Music Week. 16 January 1999. p. 7.
  47. ^ "RPM 1999 Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Retrieved 30 June 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  48. ^ "RPM 1999 Top 100 Adult Contemporary". RPM. Retrieved 30 June 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  49. ^ "Most Broadcast of 1999: Airplay Top 50" (PDF). Music Week. 22 January 2000. p. 31. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  50. ^ "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1999". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52. 24 December 1999. p. 47.
  51. ^ "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 1999". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52. 24 December 1999. p. 54.
  52. ^ Griffiths, George (13 September 2022). "Robbie Williams' Official Top 40 biggest singles in the UK revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  53. ^ "British single certifications – Robbie Williams – Millennium". British Phonographic Industry.
  54. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 5 September 1998. p. 31. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  55. ^ "ミレニアム | ロビー・ウィリアムス" [Millennium | Robbie Williams] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  56. ^ "New Releases". Radio & Records. No. 1293. 2 April 1999. p. 44.
  57. ^ Paoletta, Michael (3 April 1999). "Williams' 'Ego' to Land in U.S.". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 14. p. 12. ...'Millennium,' which goes to modern AC, mainstream rock, modern rock, and top 40 radio stations April 6.
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