Never Forget: The Ultimate Collection

The most successful boy band to emerge from Britain since the Beatles

In the 1990's Take That ruled the world. They were the most successful boy band to emerge from Britain since The Beatles. With record sales reaching 25 million and 14 top ten hits, including a record breaking, eight instant No.1's, under their belt Take That appeared to be indestructible. The band was built around main singer/songwriter Gary Barlow, with Robbie Williams and Mark Owen supplying occasional lead vocals (and something "cute" for the teens and gay market) and two dancers (Jason Orange and Howard Donald), who added something a little more "physical" and less "innocent" for the older audience. The music itself was a fairly unique blend of up-tempo, high energy, pop/disco numbers, well-chosen covers and classy ballads, giving them a breadth of material. But in 1996, after a manic few years that culminated in the loss of their youngest member – Robbie Williams – the band broke millions of fans hearts by announcing they were splitting. Prison riots, air crashes and royal visits had provoked less media interest than this announcement made at the Hilton International Hotel, near Manchester Airport, on February 13, 1996. Hundreds of callers bombarded telephone helplines, distraught teenagers wept hysterically, the budding womanhood of half the western world, it seemed, was in mourning.

Never Forget: The Ultimate Collection – all singles, live track, remix and newly recorded song

Now almost a decade later the ultimate boyband is back – and have proven that it still has what it takes to make the headlines. Put your knickers back on, you won’t be getting the chance to throw them at the boys again. Take That are not exactly back together per se, but four of the five band members have regrouped to promote the release of their new greatest hits album Never Forget: The Ultimate Collection. After almost 10 years away from the charts, Take That went straight to No. 2. It could have been No. 1 if Madonna had not released her album on the same week. All sixteen of their UK singles, including Back For Good, Pray, Relight My Fire, A Million Love Songs, Never Forget, It Only Takes A Minute and Could It Be Magic are featured on this new compilation, alongside a bonus live track Pray, a 2005 remix of Relight My Fire and a newly recorded track, Today I've Lost You, which was written as the follow up to Back For Good in 1995, but never recorded until this year. The release of this greatest hits album puts the spotlight back on the boy band, which created the mould from which Boyzone, Westlife and all the rest were formed.

Former Take That members’ solo careers

Take That were the vision of Manchester entrepreneur Nigel Martin-Smith, inspired by American heartthrobs New Kids On The Block. The band provided the platform from which Robbie's incredibly fruitful solo career began. Owen – Take That's "cute one" – was, surprisingly, the first to launch a solo career and in 2002 he was given a boost after he won TV's Celebrity Big Brother. Aged 33, he now lives in the Lake District and releasing music on his own label, having been twice dropped by major companies. Donald, aged 37, lives in Ramsbottom with his girlfriend and daughter and is now a DJ, while Orange, aged 35, is an actor, still seeking a really meaty role to make his name. The smart money said Barlow had the best chance of a solo career. But, by the time he released his second album, he was suffering a huge media backlash, not helped by Robbie's regular haranguing of his former bandmate. Barlow, aged 34 – married with two children, living in a Cheshire mansion – is now a songwriter and producer, working with some of pop's biggest names. After winning more headlines, initially for his drink and drug problems and yo-yoing weight, Williams's Christmas 1997 hit, Angels, started Robbie – now 31 and living in Los Angeles – on his way to becoming the biggest pop act in Britain.