What Happened Between Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers?
The Netflix documentary "Robbie Williams" depicts the singer's journey to stardom and the difficulties he faced. Throughout his life after leaving Take That, there is only one thing that remains consistent.
It's unexpected to learn that Robbie Williams' musical partner is not a girlfriend or family member, but rather his musical director, Guy Chambers. Together, they collaborated on hit songs like "Angels", "Let Me Entertain You", "Rock DJ" and "Feel". In the documentary directed by Joe Pearlman, Williams reminisces about his past by watching footage of himself and talks about Chambers, calling him one of his closest friends and the perfect songwriting partner. They have created some amazing music together.
In 2002, the partnership unexpectedly ended. What caused the separation and did the duo ever reconcile?
Williams and Chambers collaborated on five of Williams' albums. These albums helped Williams achieve international solo success and earned him numerous Brit Awards, as well as five UK number ones. Video footage from this time shows a close musical relationship similar to that of Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and highlights Chambers' significant influence on Williams. Whether they were in the studio for Life Thru A Lens or relaxing in Jamaica while working on new tunes together, the two men clearly had a strong bond. Williams even referred to them as "brothers in this moment." Chambers played in Williams' live band during tours and they even went on vacation together to the south of France with Chambers' wife and newborn baby in the summer of 2000.
The movie reveals that there were some issues when Williams composed the song "Come Undone". Williams mentioned, "I presented it to Guy, and he responded with a hesitant 'Hmm, it's not up to par.' I had a bad feeling about this."
Robbie and Chambers had some clear disagreements when Robbie wanted to alter the lyrics. However, Chambers explained that it wasn't possible to make any changes because it would require re-recording the choir, which would be quite costly. Williams later admitted that things could have gone smoother if they had communicated better.
During the conversation between Williams and Chambers, Williams revealed some big news: this would be Chambers' final album to work on. Williams then extended an offer for Chambers to join the tour, but it seems Chambers was taken aback by the news. Williams notices a change in Chambers' demeanor, stating that he seems like a completely different person now.
During Episode 2, Halliwell interrogates Chambers about the events surrounding the camcorder. Chambers discloses that a musician from Williams' band had initiated the rift by insinuating that someone else was taking charge of the album. This statement sparked a heated confrontation between Chambers and Williams as Robbie phoned Chambers shortly after.
This statement made by Williams suggests that there could have been some validity to it. He claims that Guy may have been thinking, "We are a group named Robbie Williams," while Williams himself required complete autonomy. Unfortunately, Chambers ultimately decided not to participate in Williams' tour.
In 2002, there was a lot of confusion about what led to the breakdown between Williams and Chambers. Some media outlets suggested that Williams wanted Chambers to sign an exclusivity agreement, while rumors swirled that Chambers was collaborating with Gary Barlow, his former Take That bandmate. According to Chris Heath's book, Feel: Robbie Williams, Chambers had demanded an unreasonable increase in profits. Chambers, however, released a statement indicating that he wanted to work on other projects and felt he couldn't commit solely to Williams. After five albums and six years of working together, Chambers believed it was time to move on from the collaboration.
After they separated, Williams launched the album Rudebox in 2006, which received mixed reviews, and Reality Killed the Video Star in 2009. It wasn't until ten years later that they reunited to collaborate on Williams's album Swings Both Ways, released in 2013. They hit the studio again in 2012 to record the second swing-inspired album.
During the launch of their album, Chambers was interviewed by the Daily Telegraph and shared that he and his former partner still kept in touch even after their partnership ended. Chambers visited his old partner's house with his family back in 2008 and tried to write with him again, but unfortunately, it didn't work out. Despite this setback, Chambers remained optimistic and hoped that they would collaborate once more. He believed that all he needed was patience, and he was right because when his former partner finally asked him to write with him again, Chambers was ready.
In the interview, Williams shared that he and his colleague Guy had a great collaboration and produced many songs in just one week. They had a good chemistry and enjoyed the process. Williams also noted that their relationship has improved over time, and they now annoy each other less. He attributed this positive change to their maturity and experience, and expressed his love for Guy.
The pair joined forces to create music for the theatrical version of David Walliam's book, The Boy In The Dress. Their working relationship prospered as they went on to collaborate on Williams' albums and tours for The Heavy Entertainment Show Under the Radar Volume 1, 2 and 3. Last year, they teamed up once again for a holiday album, The Christmas Present. Chambers recently unveiled that the twosome is currently working on another untitled project in the musical realm.
The latest addition to the Netflix library is the option to view 'Robbie Williams'.
