The Flood (Take That song)

Last updated

"The Flood"
The Flood cover.png
Single by Take That
from the album Progress
Released15 October 2010 (2010-10-15)
Studio
Genre Pop rock
Length
  • 4:51 (album version)
  • 4:14 (UK radio edit)
Label Polydor
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Stuart Price
Take That singles chronology
"Hold Up a Light"
(2009)
"The Flood"
(2010)
"Kidz"
(2011)
Music video
"The Flood" on YouTube

"The Flood" is a song by English pop group Take That from their sixth studio album, Progress (2010). It was released as the lead single in the United Kingdom on 7 November 2010. The song is the first to feature Robbie Williams since his return to the band in July 2010, and features both Williams and Gary Barlow on lead vocals.

Contents

The song received acclaim from critics, who praised its anthemic sound and Williams' vocals. It peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart, and was a hit internationally.

Promotion

The song was placed on the Radio 1 A-Playlist for a number of weeks after its first play on radio in early October. The band appeared on X Factor result show 6 to perform "The Flood" live for the first time on 14 November, it was also the first time they had performed as a five piece in 15 years. They also performed it on Children in Need and closed the show with number-one single "Never Forget". They then sang "The Flood" on X Factor Italy on 23 November, as well as on The Voice of Holland on 27 November. Following that was Skavlan.

Then they performed it on Benissimo on 1 December. Next up was The Late Late Show in Ireland on 10 December and then they performed it live on Wetten, dass..? in Germany. They also performed "The Flood" on Strictly Come Dancing and Dance avec les stars . They later sang it on the X Factor final on 12 December, where they also sang their number 1 single "Never Forget" with the final three contestants. They closed the Royal Variety Performance with "The Flood", with their backing dancers representing the progress of man.

Critical reception

The single gained rave reviews across the media and social network sites since its first play at BBC Radio 1 with social network users and fans commenting on the single as "incredible". [1]

During the ITV broadcast of the documentary Look Back, Don't Stare, Elton John appears to listen to an early demo of the song with the band and comments "Brilliant, do you know how big this is gonna be?" [2] - however, this was clever video editing and the extended cut reveals Elton was actually listening to the song Underground Machine.

Digital Spy awarded the single 4 stars commenting that the single "reveals itself to be a genuinely epic pop belter". [3] The Daily Telegraph again praised the single stating "The Flood is a stirring us-against-the-world pop anthem that blends the best of Williams' rabble rousing instincts with Gary Barlow's smooth songwriting." [4] Orange agreed with this view, stating that "when it comes to perfect pop, they're still the masters of their game". [5]

The Flood was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award in 2012 for best work and most performed song. [6]

Chart performance

The single achieved commercial success in the United Kingdom and across Europe upon release, charting in more than 20 countries to date.

"The Flood" debuted in Denmark at number 7 on 22 October 2010 before moving up to 4. It remained in the Danish Singles Chart for a total of 20 weeks and was certified Gold by the IFPI. [7] The track debuted in the Top 10 in Ireland on the Irish Singles Chart dated 11 November 2010, at number 8, but later rose to number 3 whilst also spending 15 weeks in the Irish Top 50. [8] On 14 November 2010, the single debuted at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart with sales of 69,484 copies, and remained there the week after selling 89,917; it was held off number 1. The track has sold over 600,000 copies to date in the United Kingdom alone, being certified as Platinum, and has spent a total of eight weeks in the UK top ten and 20 weeks in the top 100. [9]

The song peaked at number 6 in Switzerland and remained in the charts for 21 weeks, also peaking at number 14 in Austria where it spent 19 weeks in the Austrian Singles Chart. The single became the band's 16th top 40 single in Germany where it peaked at number 12 and spent 25 weeks within the German Charts and in Norway the band continued their consecutive hits with The Flood peaking inside the top 5 at number 3. [10] In the Netherlands the single peaked at number 4 and has to date spent 16 weeks within the charts, whilst the single peaked at number 2 in Italy where it was certified Gold by the FIMI. [11]

Music video

The music video, directed by Mat Whitecross, features the five members of the band racing against another crew in specially-made five-seater sculling boats. [12] The band's boat is named "Progress" after the record breaking number 1 album, whilst the band wear old-fashioned white rowing kits, bearing a custom-designed Take That crest. The group is shown to be competing in a race against a younger crew and although losing the race, the group continue going past the finish line (to the confusion of the winning team) and are shown to row down the River Thames past famous London landmarks before fading away into a stormy sea. The video for the single was filmed in July 2010 on Dorney Lake in Buckinghamshire, which played host to the rowing events at the 2012 Summer Olympics, [12] [13] as well as on location on the River Thames. [14]

Personnel

Track listing

  1. "The Flood" – 4:51
  2. "The Flood" (instrumental) – 4:51
  1. "The Flood" (Video) – 5:00
  2. "The Flood" (Behind the Scenes) – 2:30
  1. "The Flood" (radio edit) – 3:54
  2. "The Flood" (instrumental) – 4:51
  1. "The Flood" – 4:51
  2. "The Flood" (video) – 5:00

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [47] Gold15,000^
Germany (BVMI) [48] Gold150,000
Italy (FIMI) [49] Platinum30,000
United Kingdom (BPI) [50] Platinum602,000 [9]
Streaming
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [51] Gold50,000

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Radio dates and release history

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Run (Snow Patrol song)</span> 2004 song by Snow Patrol

"Run" is a song by Northern Irish-Scottish alternative rock band Snow Patrol from their third studio album, Final Straw (2003). It was released in the United Kingdom on 26 February 2004 as the second single from the album. The song was conceived in 2000 by frontman Gary Lightbody after an accident he had during a bender. "Run" is described as a Britpop power ballad. It received critical acclaim, and was compared to Coldplay's "Yellow".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lovelight</span> 2006 single by Robbie Williams

"Lovelight" is a song written and originally performed by Lewis Taylor for his 2002 album, Stoned, Part I. In 2006, the song was covered by British singer Robbie Williams. His version was produced by Mark Ronson and was released as the second single from his seventh solo album, Rudebox, on 13 November 2006. Williams' version reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart and became a top-10 hit in five other European countries.

<i>Beautiful World</i> (Take That album) 2006 studio album by Take That

Beautiful World is the fourth studio album by the English pop group Take That. Released on 27 November 2006, it was the band's first studio album in 11 years; it was also the band's first album to be released as a four-piece instead of the original five-piece, without Robbie Williams, who had quit the group in 1995 and was not to rejoin them until 2010. Five singles were released from the album: "Patience", "Shine", "I'd Wait for Life", the European-only single "Reach Out", and "Rule the World", which appeared on the deluxe tour edition. The album features what Take That describe as "a throwback to the 90s, but with a modern twist". Beautiful World is their first album in which every member of the band sings lead vocals on at least one song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patience (Take That song)</span> 2006 single by Take That

"Patience" is a song by English boy band Take That. It was released on 13 November 2006 as the first single from their comeback album, Beautiful World. The single peaked at the top of the UK Singles Chart, and also topped the charts in Germany, Spain and Switzerland, as well as peaking in the top ten of the charts in Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Austria and Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shine (Take That song)</span> 2007 single by Take That

"Shine" is the second single taken from English pop group Take That's comeback album, Beautiful World (2006). It became Take That's sixth consecutive number one single and their tenth number-one overall, making them one of only seven acts in the history of the UK charts to have more than nine number one hits. The song is about former Take That member Robbie Williams' battle with depression.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rule the World (Take That song)</span> 2007 single by Take That

"Rule the World" is a song by English boy band Take That. It was recorded for the soundtrack of the film Stardust (2007), and then included on the deluxe edition of their fourth studio album Beautiful World (2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex on Fire</span> 2008 single by Kings of Leon

"Sex on Fire" is the first single released from American rock band Kings of Leon's fourth studio album, Only by the Night. The song gave Kings of Leon their first number-one single in Australia, Finland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, charting at the top spot on digital downloads alone in the latter country, before its physical release. In September 2009, it was Britain's second most-downloaded digital single ever. The song has sold 1.2 million copies in the United Kingdom as of November 2012. It has also gained significant popularity in the United States, reaching number one on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 56 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the band's second highest-charting song there on the latter chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greatest Day (Take That song)</span> 2008 single by Take That

"Greatest Day" is a song by English pop group Take That. It was released through Polydor Records on 24 November 2008 as the lead single from their fifth studio album, The Circus (2008). The song was written by the band and produced by John Shanks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Use Somebody</span> 2008 single by Kings of Leon

"Use Somebody" is a song recorded by the American rock group Kings of Leon. It was the second single from the band's fourth studio album Only by the Night, and it entered American and British charts in early December 8, 2008, three weeks after the album release. The single was augmented with a music video released a month later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Release Me (Agnes song)</span> 2008 single by Agnes Carlsson

"Release Me" is a pop song recorded by Swedish singer Agnes Carlsson taken from her third studio album, Dance Love Pop (2008). The track was written by Carlsson, Anders Hansson and Sharon Vaughn. It was released as the album's second single in Sweden and as Agnes's debut single internationally. "Release Me" was another top ten hit for Agnes in Sweden and also charted in Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Worldwide, the single sold over 900,000 copies, making it Agnes' biggest hit to date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not Fair</span> 2009 single by Lily Allen

"Not Fair" is a song by British recording artist Lily Allen from her second studio album, It's Not Me, It's You (2009). Written by Allen and Greg Kurstin, the song was released as the second single from the album on 20 March 2009 by Regal Recordings. The song incorporates country music as the lyrics depict sexual frustration. Contemporary critics did not positively receive the song and its theme, some calling it a "pseudo-country track" and considering it a strange musical composition. The single peaked in the top 20 of the charts of some European countries and Australia, while scoring Allen's second consecutive top-five hit on both the UK Singles Chart and the Dutch Top 40.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Said It All</span> 2009 single by Take That

"Said It All" is a song by English rock band Take That. It is the fourth single from to be taken from their fifth studio album, The Circus (2008). The single was released in the United Kingdom on 15 June 2009, where it peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart and number one on the Scottish Singles Chart. It was their last hit as a four-piece as Robbie Williams return to the group on the next hit, "The Flood".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shame (Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow song)</span> 2010 single by Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow

"Shame" is a song written and recorded by English singers Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow for Williams's second greatest hits compilation album, In and Out of Consciousness: Greatest Hits 1990–2010 (2010). Produced by Trevor Horn, it was released as the lead single from the album on 27 August 2010 in most countries worldwide and on 1 October in the United Kingdom. "Shame" marks the first time Williams and Barlow collaborated on a song together solely and the first time they worked together since Williams left Take That in 1995. It is a pop song with country and folk music influences; two reviewers noted that it contains an acoustic guitar part similar to the one of the Beatles' 1968 song, "Blackbird". The lyrical content revolves around the singers repairing their broken relationship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shine a Light (McFly song)</span> 2010 single by McFly

"Shine a Light" is the second single from English band McFly's fifth studio album, Above the Noise. The single features vocals from singer Taio Cruz. The single was released on 7 November 2010 via digital download, with a physical release following the next day. A free download was available for members of the band's new website, SuperCity. The song received mostly positive reviews from pop music critics. On 3 November 2010, the song was added to BBC Radio 1's A-List. The song peaked the number 9 in UK Airplay Chart. McFly secured their fifteenth Top 5 hit with "Shine a Light" on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Time (Dirty Bit)</span> 2010 single by the Black Eyed Peas

"The Time (Dirty Bit)" is a song by American musical group the Black Eyed Peas from their sixth studio album, The Beginning. It was written by group members will.i.am and apl.de.ap along with DJ Ammo, who produced the song with will.i.am. Additionally, Franke Previte, John DeNicola and Donald Markowitz received co-writing credits since the chorus interpolates 1987's Dirty Dancing soundtrack "(I've Had) The Time of My Life", performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kidz (song)</span> 2011 single by Take That

"Kidz" is a song by English pop group Take That from their sixth studio album, Progress. It was released as the second single from the album on 20 February 2011. The song features Mark Owen and Gary Barlow performing lead vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Love (Take That song)</span> 2011 single by Take That

"Love Love" is a single by English pop group Take That from the band's first EP, Progressed. The song features Gary Barlow and Mark Owen on lead vocals. It was released in the United Kingdom as a digital download on 11 May 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paradise (Coldplay song)</span> 2011 single by Coldplay

"Paradise" is a song by the British rock band Coldplay, released on 12 September 2011 as the second single from their fifth album, Mylo Xyloto. The song received its radio debut at 7:50 a.m. on The Chris Moyles Show on 12 September 2011. According to Coldplay's official website, the single was not initially chart eligible in the United Kingdom, because it was available on iTunes as an "instant grat" when pre-ordering the album. Following the release of the album on 30 October 2011, the song became chart eligible in the UK and entered the UK Singles Chart at number 14, before taking the number 1 spot on its tenth week, becoming the band's second number-one single after "Viva la Vida" in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candy (Robbie Williams song)</span> 2012 single by Robbie Williams

"Candy" is a song by English pop singer Robbie Williams, released on 11 September 2012 as the lead single from his ninth studio album Take the Crown. It was written by Williams and Gary Barlow, interpolating a riff from "Eurodans" by Terje Olsen. The song was Williams's first UK number-one single since "Radio" in 2004, and was deliberately produced in the style of other 2012 chart-toppers in a calculated attempt to re-establish his presence in the UK charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let Me Go (Gary Barlow song)</span> 2013 single by Gary Barlow

"Let Me Go" is a song by British singer-songwriter Gary Barlow. It was released in Ireland on 15 November 2013 and in the United Kingdom on 17 November 2013 as the lead single from his fourth solo album, Since I Saw You Last (2013). It was written by Barlow and produced by Steve Power. "Let Me Go" peaked at number two in the UK Singles Chart, becoming Barlow's sixth solo top 10 hit in the UK.

References

  1. Metro.co.uk, Ann Lee for (8 October 2010). "Take That's new song The Flood gets rave reviews on Twitter".
  2. MissWilliamsArg (22 September 2012). "Take That - Look Back Don't Stare (FULL DVD)". Archived from the original on 26 September 2012 via YouTube.
  3. "Take That: 'The Flood'". Digital Spy . 6 November 2010.
  4. "Neil McCormack The Telegraph 07-11-10". Archived from the original on 12 November 2010.
  5. "Chart Blog: Take That - 'The Flood'". BBC Chart Blog.
  6. "The Ivor Novello 2012 nominations". Digital Spy . 17 April 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Take That – The Flood". Tracklisten.
  8. 1 2 ">> IRMA << Welcome to our site >>". Archived from the original on 7 January 2012.
  9. 1 2 Myers, Justin (24 March 2017). "Take That's Top 40 biggest songs revealed". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  10. GmbH, musicline.de / PhonoNet. "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche - musicline.de".
  11. Hung, Steffen. "danishcharts.dk - Take That - The Flood".
  12. 1 2 "Take That's The Flood by Mat Whitecross". Promo News . 15 October 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  13. "Digital Spy 2010-21-07. Retrieved 21 July 2010". Digital Spy. 21 July 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  14. "~~ Marine Film Services ~~ Take That". Archived from the original on 30 August 2017.
  15. "Take That – The Flood" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  16. "Take That – The Flood" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  17. "Take That – The Flood" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  18. Take That — The Flood. TopHit. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  19. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 48. týden 2010 in the date selector.
  20. "Take That Chart History (Euro Digital Song Sales)". Billboard . Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  21. "Chart Search Results - European Hot 100 Singles 2010-11-27". Billboard . Retrieved 2 February 2023.[ permanent dead link ]
  22. "Take That: The Flood" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
  23. "Take That – The Flood" (in French). Les classement single.
  24. "Take That – The Flood" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  25. "MAHASZ".
  26. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Flood". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  27. "Take That – The Flood". Top Digital Download.
  28. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 2, 2011" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  29. "Take That – The Flood" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  30. "Take That – The Flood". VG-lista.
  31. "PORTUGAL SINGLES TOP 50". Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. 9 January 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  32. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  33. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201048 into search.
  34. "국내 대표 음악 차트 가온차트!". gaonchart.co.kr.
  35. "Take That – The Flood" Canciones Top 50.
  36. "Take That – The Flood". Singles Top 100.
  37. "Take That – The Flood". Swiss Singles Chart.
  38. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  39. "ifpi.dk".
  40. "Billboard - Google Books". 1 January 2000. Retrieved 31 March 2014 via Google Books.
  41. "Offizielle Deutsche Charts - Offizielle Deutsche Charts".
  42. "FIMI - Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana - Ricerche e dati di mercato". Archived from the original on 21 January 2011.
  43. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2010" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  44. "Norway Singles Chart".
  45. "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 - 2010". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  46. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2011". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  47. "Danish single certifications – Take That – The Flood". IFPI Danmark.
  48. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Take That; 'The Flood')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  49. "Italian single certifications – Take That – The Flood" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Select "2014" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "The Flood" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  50. "British single certifications – Take That – The Flood". British Phonographic Industry.
  51. "Danish single certifications – Take That – The Flood (Streaming)". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  52. "Take That Debut New Single The Flood". MTV UK. 8 October 2010. Archived from the original on 18 October 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
  53. "The Flood - Single by Take That - Download The Flood - Single on iTunes". iTunes Store . Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  54. "The Flood (2-Track): Take That: Amazon.de: Musik". Amazon.de . Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  55. "Pre-order The Flood now - Take That Official Site". Takethat.com. 11 October 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  56. "The Flood: Take That: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk . Retrieved 31 October 2010.