Feel (Robbie Williams song)
"Feel" is a song by British singer-songwriter Robbie Williams. It was released on 2 December 2002 as the lead single from his fifth studio album, Escapology (2002). The song became an international hit, peaking at number one in the Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Romania and reaching the top five in several other countries, including Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
"Feel" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Robbie Williams | ||||
from the album Escapology | ||||
B-side |
| |||
Released | 2 December 2002[1] | |||
Studio | Los Angeles, London | |||
Length |
| |||
Label | Chrysalis | |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Robbie Williams singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Feel" on YouTube |
Background
"Feel" was written by Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers. According to Williams, most of the vocals are from the original demo recording from 1999, as he felt unsatisfied with the re-recorded vocals. He commented, "I just couldn't sing it as well as I did on that day."[2]
Chart performance
In the United Kingdom, "Feel" peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart, spending four weeks inside the top 10.[3] The song topped the charts in Hungary, Italy, Portugal, and the Netherlands. It was also successful in Canada, where it reached the top 10 and spent a total of 20 weeks on the chart.[4] It was the most played song in Europe in 2003.[5] Despite Williams' major success in most of the world, "Feel" failed to reach the US Billboard Hot 100. "Feel" has sold 625,000 copies in the UK as of September 2022.[6]
Music video
The video was directed by Vaughan Arnell and shows Williams in a cowboy-like lifestyle. It gained some attention in the United States thanks to Daryl Hannah's appearance as Williams' love interest. There were two versions of the same video, one shot in black and white and the other in colour and was filmed in Sundre, Alberta, Canada.
Track listings
|
|
Credits and personnel
Credits are taken from the Escapology album booklet.[11]
Recording
- Recorded in Los Angeles and London
- Mixed at The Record Plant (Los Angeles)
- Mastered at Marcussen Mastering (Los Angeles)
Personnel
- Robbie Williams – writing, lead vocals
- Guy Chambers – writing, bass synthesizer, production, arrangement, orchestral arrangement
- Gary Nuttall – backing vocals, picky guitar
- Zenia Santini – backing vocals
- Anne Skates – directing (gospel choir)
- Fil Eisler – slide guitars
- Neil Taylor – slide guitars
- Phil Spalding – bass
- Andy Wallace – piano
- Dave Clayton – synthesizers
- Jeremy Stacey – drums
- Jony Rockstar – drum loops
- Richard Flack – drum loops, engineering, programming
- London Session Orchestra – orchestra
- Gavyn Wright – concertmaster
- Nick Ingman – orchestral arrangement
- Sally Herbert – orchestral arrangement
- Steve Price – orchestral engineering
- Tom Jenkins – assistant orchestral engineering
- Isobel Griffiths – orchestral contracting
- Jim Brumby – programming, additional engineering
- Steve Power – production, mixing
- J.D. Andrew – assistant mixing
- Steve Marcussen – mastering
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[59] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria)[60] | Gold | 15,000* |
Belgium (BEA)[61] | Gold | 25,000* |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[62] | Platinum | 90,000‡ |
France (SNEP)[63] | Gold | 250,000* |
Germany (BVMI)[64] | Gold | 250,000^ |
Italy (FIMI)[65] | Gold | 25,000‡ |
Sweden (GLF)[66] | Gold | 15,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[67] | Gold | 20,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[68] | Platinum | 625,000[6] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Australia | 2 December 2002 | CD | Chrysalis | [69] |
Europe | [22] | |||
United Kingdom |
|
[1] | ||
Belgium | 4 December 2002 |
|
Capitol | [70] |
United States | 17 February 2003 | Hot adult contemporary radio | Virgin | [71] |
Cover versions
After the release of "Feel", contestant Ricky Ord sang the song in the second season of Deutschland sucht den Superstar for the theme "My Pop Idol", being one of the first contestants eliminated. In Season 8, contestant Ardian Bujupi sang the song for the theme "English v. German". A year later, in 2016, contestants of the tenth season of X Factor Italy sang a medley of "Feel" and "Angels", before being joined by Williams himself to sing his single "Party Like a Russian".[72]
References
- "New Releases – For Week Starting 2 December 2002: Singles". Music Week. 30 November 2002. p. 23.
- "Feel". RobbieWilliams.com. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- "Robbie Williams Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
- "Robbie song is Europe's biggest". 28 January 2004.
- Griffiths, George (13 September 2022). "Robbie Williams' Official Top 40 biggest singles in the UK revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- Feel (UK, Canadian & Australian CD single liner notes). Robbie Williams. Chrysalis Records. 2002. CDCHS 5150, 7243 551763 0 1.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Feel (UK cassette single liner notes). Robbie Williams. Chrysalis Records. 2002. TCCHS 5150, 7243 5 51763 4 9.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Feel (UK DVD single liner notes). Robbie Williams. Chrysalis Records. 2002. DVDCHS 5150, 7243 4 90313 9 5.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Feel (European CD single liner notes). Robbie Williams. Chrysalis Records. 2002. 7243 5 51783 2 9.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Escapology (UK CD album booklet). Robbie Williams. Chrysalis Records. 2002. 5439942.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - "Robbie Williams – Feel". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Robbie Williams – Feel" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Robbie Williams – Feel" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Robbie Williams – Feel" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Top Lista Hrvatskog Radija". Croatian Radiotelevision. Archived from the original on 10 February 2003. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
- "Oficiální Česká Hitparáda – Pro týden 4/2003" (in Czech). IFPI ČR. Archived from the original on 1 February 2003. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
- "Robbie Williams – Feel". Tracklisten. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 21, no. 1. 28 December 2002. p. 7. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
- "Robbie Williams: Feel" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Robbie Williams – Feel" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Robbie Williams – Feel" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Top 50 Singles Εβδομάδα 29/03 – 04/04" (in Greek). IFPI. Archived from the original on 14 April 2003. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
- "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
- "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Robbie Williams". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- "Robbie Williams – Feel". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Nederlandse Top 40 – Robbie Williams" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Robbie Williams – Feel" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 31 December.
- "Robbie Williams – Feel". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Robbie Williams – Feel". VG-lista. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Major Market Airplay – Week 48/2002" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 20, no. 48. 23 November 2002. p. 23. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
- "Nielsen Music Control". Archived from the original on 15 October 2007.
- "Hits of the World". Billboard. 12 April 2003. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
- "Arhiva romanian top 100 Editia 3, saptamina 27.01–2.02, 2003" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on 14 May 2005. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- "Robbie Williams – Feel" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Robbie Williams – Feel". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Robbie Williams – Feel". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Robbie Williams Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Canada's Top 200 Singles of 2002 (Part 2)". Jam!. 14 January 2003. Archived from the original on 6 September 2004.
- "Top 100 Songs of 2002". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 2002. Archived from the original on 2 June 2004. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- "Top of the Music – Mix e Singoli" (PDF) (in Italian). FIMI. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 May 2006. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "Årslista Singlar, 2002" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
- "The Official UK Singles Chart 2002" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
- "Most Broadcast of 2002 — Airplay Top 50" (PDF). Music Week. 18 January 2003. p. 31. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
- "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2003". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
- "Jahreshitparade Singles 2003". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved 12 February 2020.
- "Jaaroverzichten 2003" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
- "Rapports Annuels 2003" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
- "Billboard European Top 10 Singles 2003". Billboard. 27 December 2003. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
- "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 2003" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
- "Top of the Music – Mix e Singoli" (PDF) (in Italian). FIMI. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 May 2006. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2003". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
- "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2003" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
- "Topul anului 2003" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on 22 January 2005. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- "Årslista Singlar, 2003" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
- "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2003". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 12 February 2020.
- "The Official UK Singles Chart 2003" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
- "Decennium Charts – Singles 2000–2009" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2005 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Austrian single certifications – Robbie Williams – Feel" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2003". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Danish single certifications – Robbie Williams – Feel". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
- "French single certifications – Robbie Williams – Feel" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Robbie Williams; 'Feel')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Italian single certifications – Robbie Williams" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 20 October 2019. Select "2019" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Robbie Williams" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
- "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2003" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Robbie Williams; 'Feel')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "British single certifications – Robbie Williams – Feel". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 2nd December 2002" (PDF). ARIA. 2 December 2002. p. 29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 January 2003. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- "New Releases Singles Week 49, 04 December 2002". Ultratop. Archived from the original on 5 February 2003.
- "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1491. 14 February 2003. p. 28.
- "Robbie Williams apre il terzo Live". Sky Uno. 10 November 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016.