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"Back for Good" is a song by British boy band Take That. Written and co-produced by lead singer Gary Barlow, it was released in 1995 as the second single from the band's third studio album, Nobody Else.

The song topped the UK Singles Chart, and achieved great success in many countries around the world, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Spain and the United States. The song went on to reach number one in over 31 countries.

Background

Written by Gary Barlow, who also sang lead vocals on the track, it was their sixth UK chart-topper, and their only US top ten hit. Barlow claims he wrote the song in fifteen minutes. It was initially unveiled at the 1995 BRIT Awards, and such was the demand for the single that the release date was brought forward and the song made available to the media an unprecedented six weeks before release.

The song appeared on most releases in a slightly remixed form, which added some extra instrumentation including additional drum beats. Some releases featured both radio and album versions. The song was a big hit in Brazil, during the years of 1995 and 1996, due to soap-opera "Explode Coração" on which the song appeared as one of the main songs on the TV show's soundtrack. Group member Robbie Williams also recorded a Hard Rock live version, which was a b-side to his 1998 single Angels. The song was featured on the final episode of the second series of "Spaced", in which Tim, Brian, and Mike, along with Mike's Territorial Army buddies, attempt to play the song for Marsha, ala boombox scene from "Say Anything..." It also featured in the final episode of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's The Office as a love theme for characters Tim (Martin Freeman) and Dawn (Lucy Davis). Gary Barlow stated on ITV1's An Audience with Take That Live broadcast on 2 December 2006 that there were 89 recorded versions of the song by other artists.

"Back for Good" was covered by Boyz II Men for their Love album, by The Wedding Present for their How The West Was Won album, and by The Concretes on the Guilt by Association Vol. 1 compilation. Coldplay performed this song with Gary Barlow at Shepherd's Bush Empire, London in aid of War Child in 2009.

The song's popularity, and perceptions of its quality, led to an urban myth that it had secretly been written by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees. Gibb later commented that he had "never even heard" the song.

Chart performance

The song was released on 27 March 1995 and entered the UK Singles Chart at number one, selling nearly 350,000 copies in its first week. This made it one of the fastest selling singles of the year, selling almost as many as the rest of the top 10 that week added together. It remained at number one in the UK for four weeks. The song has received a Platinum sales status certification in the UK and is also still regularly ranked high in UK based favourite ever songs polls. It is their biggest selling single in the UK, with sales of 1.1 million as of November 2014. The song won Best British Single at the 1996 BRIT Awards.

"Back for Good" would later reach number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100, spending a total of 30 weeks on the chart, 66 weeks on the US Adult Contemporary chart and 30 weeks on the Top 40 US Airplay chart.

Take That were the first British boy band to achieve a US top ten single throughout the 1990s and only one other British boy band 5ive managed this feat during this decade however with a lower peak to Take That. Some 17 years later first initially by The Wanted and subsequently One Direction both achieved higher US single peaks for a British boy band.

The song was a phenomenal success internationally, going to number one in 31 countries and selling millions worldwide.

Music video

The music video to the song is relatively simple but now iconic. It is shot in black and white and shows the band walking and dancing in the rain as well as the band performing the song in a shelter. It was also the last music video to feature Robbie Williams in the present day until he rejoined the band in 2010. A 1958 Chevrolet Impala and a 1951 Mercury, both customised in the styles of the 1950s/early 1960s feature in the video.

The video has often been an influence in the band performing the song live as they often make use of artificial rain when performing it. It also appears on the DVD release, Never Forget: The Ultimate Collection.

The music video was also paid homage to by The Wanted in the music video to Walks Like Rihanna. The video was based on three classic 90's boy band singles and their videos with Back For Good being one of them.

Track listings

UK 7" vinyl (74321 27146 7)

1. "Back for Good" (Radio Mix) – 3:59
2. "Sure" (Live) – 3:16
3. "Back for Good" (TV Mix) – 4:03

UK Cassette single (74321 27148 2)

1. "Back for Good" (Radio Mix) – 3:59
2. "Sure" (Live) – 3:16
3. "Back for Good" (TV Mix) – 4:03

UK CD single #1 (74321 27146 2)

1. "Back for Good" (Radio Mix) – 3:59
2. "Sure" (Live) – 3:16
3. "Beatles Tribute" (Live at Wembley Arena) – 11:40

UK CD single #2 (74321 27147 2)

1. "Back for Good" (Radio Mix) – 3:59
2. "Pray" (Radio Edit) – 3:43
3. "Why Can't I Wake Up with You" (Radio Edit) – 3:37
4. "A Million Love Songs" (7" Edit) – 3:53

EU CD single #1 (74321 27963 2)

1. "Back for Good" (Radio Mix) – 3:59
2. "Sure" (Live) – 3:16

EU CD single #2 (74321 27964 2)

1. "Back for Good" (Radio Mix) – 3:59
2. "Sure" (Live) – 3:16
3. "Beatles Tribute" (Live at Wembley Arena) – 11:40

Japanese CD single (BVCP-9852)

1. "Back for Good" (Radio Mix) – 3:59
2. "Sure" (Live) – 3:16
3. "Pray" (Radio Edit) – 3:43
4. "Why Can't I Wake Up with You" (Radio Edit) – 3:37
5. "A Million Love Songs" (7" Edit) – 3:53

US CD single #1 (07822-12880-5)

1. "Back for Good" – 4:03
2. "Love Ain't Here Anymore" – 3:57
3. "Back for Good" (Live From MTV's Most Wanted) – 4:10

US CD single #2 (07822-12880-2)

1. "Back for Good" – 4:03
2. "Love Ain't Here Anymore" – 3:57
3. "Back for Good" (Radio Mix) – 3:59
4. "Back for Good" (Urban Mix) – 4:02
5. "Back for Good" (Live from MTV's Most Wanted) – 4:10

US Cassette single (07822-12880-7)

1. "Back for Good" – 4:03
2. "Love Ain't Here Anymore" – 3:57

US 7" vinyl (07822-12880-5)

1. "Back for Good" – 4:03
2. "Love Ain't Here Anymore" – 3:57

US 12" viynl – Jukebox release only (TAKEBFG1)

1. "Back for Good" – 4:03
2. "Back for Good" (Radio Mix) – 3:59
3. "Back for Good" (Radio Instrumental) – 3:59
4. "Back for Good" (Urban Mix) – 4:02
5. "Back for Good" (Urban Instrumental) – 4:02

Official versions

• Album version (4:03)
• Album instrumental (4:03)
• Radio mix (3:59)
• Radio instrumental (3:59)
• Urban mix (4:00)
• Urban instrumental (4:00)
• TV mix (4:03)
• Live from MTV's Most Wanted (4:10)
• BBC Radio 2 'Live & Exclusive' (4:11)
• Live from the Manchester Nynex (6:35)
• Live at Wembley (4:01)

Charts and sales

Chart successions

References

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18. Oricon Singles Chart Oricon Singles Chart (Retrieved 2 November 2012)
19. "M-1 TOP 40". M-1.fm. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
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27. Billboard (16 December 1995). "Hot 100 Airplay (Radio Songs) Back For Good". Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
28. "Take That - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
29. Billboard (25 November 1995). "Top 40 Mainstream Back For Good". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 1 October 2008.
30. "Take That | Awards". AllMusic. 13 February 1996. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
31. 1995 Australian Singles Chart aria.com (Retrieved 28 July 2008)
32. 1995 Austrian Singles Chart Austriancharts.at (Retrieved 28 July 2008)
33. 1995 Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart Ultratop.be (Retrieved 28 July 2008)
34. 1995 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart Ultratop.be (Retrieved 28 July 2008)
35. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
36. "Billboard - Google Books". Books.google.ca. 1 January 2000. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
37. 1995 French Singles Chart Disqueenfrance.com (Retrieved 30 January 2009)
38. Steffen Hung. "Das deutsche Hitparadenportal". germancharts.com. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
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40. 1995 Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch (Retrieved 28 July 2008)
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44. "Billboard Top 100 – 1996". Retrieved 27 August 2010.
45. List of best-selling singles of the 1990s in the United Kingdom
46. Australian certifications (Retrieved 28 July 2008)
47. Austrian certifications ifpi.at (Retrieved 28 July 2008)
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50. Italian certifications (Retrieved 2 September 2008)
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53. "USA certifications, database". RIAA. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
54. Sexton, Paul (18 November 2006). Back for Good? Take That, All Saints Return To Records Shops. Retrieved 5 January 2012. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

External links

• Template:MetroLyrics song

• Use dmy dates from April 2011
• 1995 singles
• Brit Award for British Single
• Number-one singles in Australia
• European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles
• Number-one singles in Germany
• Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
• Number-one singles in Norway
• UK Singles Chart number-one singles
• Take That songs
• Pop ballads
• Songs written by Gary Barlow
• RPM Top Singles number-one singles
• Torch songs