I've Been Expecting You
Encyclopedia
I've Been Expecting You is the second studio album by British singer-songwriter Robbie Williams
.
in the spring of 1998. I've Been Expecting You was released in October 1998. It debuted at #1 on the UK Albums Chart
, and went on to become the UK's best selling album for that year. According to the BPI
, the album has sold 2,563,106 copies in the UK as of June 2009, and has been certified 10x Platinum for shipments of 3 million copies. It is Williams' best selling album in the country and the 38th best selling album of all time. The album also received attention outside the United Kingdom, particularly in continental Europe and Latin America, and has sold a total of five million copies worldwide. Williams finished album promotion with an extensive Europe
an Tour in the autumn of 1999. I've Been Expecting You was ranked ninety-first in a 2005 survey held by British television's Channel 4 to determine the 100 greatest albums of all time.
in a Camper Van", because it lifted lyrics from the Loudon Wainwright III
song "I Am The Way", from his album Attempted Mustache
. The lyric to "I Am the Way" is as follows: "Every son of God
has a little hard luck sometime, especially when he goes around saying he's the way." The lyric to "Jesus in a Camper Van" in question is: "Even the son of God gets it hard sometimes, especially when he goes around saying, I am the way." Williams claimed that he had heard a young man say the line whilst in rehab
, and only found that it was a line from Wainwright's song after he had already recorded it. Williams' agents called Wainwright to notify him about this, but Wainwright had little say in the matter; "I Am the Way" was a parody of the Woody Guthrie
song "New York Town"; Ludlow Publishing owned the line's copyright. In 2002, Ludlow Publishing won the lawsuit, receiving 25% of the income that "Jesus in a Camper Van" garnered, and subsequently, the album was re-issued replacing "Jesus in a Camper Van" with "It's Only Us".
2002 Reissue Replacement Track
Special Edition Bonus DVD
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
.
Success
Williams and Chambers started the writing process of the album in JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
in the spring of 1998. I've Been Expecting You was released in October 1998. It debuted at #1 on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, and went on to become the UK's best selling album for that year. According to the BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
, the album has sold 2,563,106 copies in the UK as of June 2009, and has been certified 10x Platinum for shipments of 3 million copies. It is Williams' best selling album in the country and the 38th best selling album of all time. The album also received attention outside the United Kingdom, particularly in continental Europe and Latin America, and has sold a total of five million copies worldwide. Williams finished album promotion with an extensive Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an Tour in the autumn of 1999. I've Been Expecting You was ranked ninety-first in a 2005 survey held by British television's Channel 4 to determine the 100 greatest albums of all time.
Singles
- "Millennium", a song which was inspired by John BarryJohn Barry (composer)John Barry Prendergast, OBE was an English conductor and composer of film music. He is best known for composing the soundtracks for 12 of the James Bond films between 1962 and 1987...
's music from the James BondJames Bond (film series)The James Bond film series is a British series of motion pictures based on the fictional character of MI6 agent James Bond , who originally appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming. Earlier films were based on Fleming's novels and short stories, followed later by films with original storylines...
film You Only Live TwiceYou Only Live Twice (film)You Only Live Twice is the fifth spy film in the James Bond series, and the fifth to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's screenplay was written by Roald Dahl, and loosely based on Ian Fleming's 1964 novel of the same name...
, became Williams' first solo number-one single in the United Kingdom when it was released in September 1998, coincidentally knocking All SaintsAll Saints (band)All Saints were a British/Canadian girl group. Founded in 1993 as All Saints 1.9.7.5, the group consisted of founding members Melanie Blatt and Shaznay Lewis, and sisters Nicole Appleton and Natalie Appleton...
from the top spot. Williams commented that "Someone had to be knocked off and it may as well be the wife" as Williams and Appleton were engaged at the time. The song went on to sell over 400,000 copies in the UK being certified GoldGoldGold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
by the BPI in November 1998. The song also became a top twenty hit in many European countries as well as in Latin America and AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
- "No Regrets", a writing collaboration with Pet Shop BoysPet Shop BoysPet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
' singer Neil TennantNeil TennantNeil Francis Tennant is an English musician, singer and songwriter, who, with bandmate Chris Lowe, makes up the successful electronic dance music duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:...
and The Divine ComedyThe Divine ComedyThe Divine Comedy is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and his death in 1321. It is widely considered the preeminent work of Italian literature, and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature...
's Neil HannonNeil HannonNeil Hannon is a Northern Irish singer and songwriter, best known as the creator and frontman of the chamber pop group The Divine Comedy. The band's official website even goes so far as to say, "The Divine Comedy is Neil Hannon," and Hannon is quoted in an interview as saying, "The Divine Comedy...
, was released as the album's second single in November 1998, reaching number-four in the UK Singles Chart, backed with the cover of Adam and the AntsAdam and the AntsAdam and the Ants were a British rock band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The original group, which existed from 1977 to 1980, became notable as a cult band marking the transition from the late-1970s punk rock era to the post-punk and New Wave era...
1981 hit "Antmusic". The song became a substantial hit around the world and went on to sell over 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom where it was certified SilverSilverSilver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
in October 2004, almost six years after it's original release.
- "StrongStrong (song)"Strong" is a song by Robbie Williams, released as the third single from his 1998 album, I've Been Expecting You in early 1999. The song managed to break into the top five in the United Kingdom. The b-side is the live version of Let Me Entertain You recorded at the 1999 BRIT Awards, the performance...
", a song was written in a hotel in CologneCologneCologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, inspired by some of Williams' more manic admirers whom he admitted "scared the living daylights" out of him, was released as the album's third single. The song debuted at number-four in the United Kingdom and number-nine in New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The track became a hit peaking within the top forty around EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and many other countries around the world.
- "She's the One", a cover of the Karl WallingerKarl WallingerKarl Edmond De Vere Wallinger is a Welsh musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for leading the band World Party and for his mid-1980s stint in The Waterboys...
track from the album Egyptology, was a favourite song of Williams' after his time in rehab. The song was released as the album's fourth single, becoming his second number-one hit in the United Kingdom. The song went on to win a number of awards around the world, including a BRIT AwardBrit AwardsThe Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
for 'Single of the Year' and a Capital Radio Award for 'Best Single'. The single was released as a double a-side with "It's Only Us", the official theme for SonySony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
's PlayStationPlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
FIFAFIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
2000. The single sold over 400,000 copies in the UK alone and was certified Gold by the BPI in early 2000.
- "Win Some Lose SomeWin Some Lose Some"Win Some Lose Some" is a song by British popstar Robbie Williams, released as the fifth and last single from his album, I've Been Expecting You in New Zealand, in March 2000...
" was released as the album's fifth and final single in March 2000, with an exclusive release in AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The song achieved some success there, and the physical copy of the single has since become a very sought-after item amongst fans.
Lawsuit
In 1998, Williams was sued by Ludlow Publishing over the song "JesusJesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
in a Camper Van", because it lifted lyrics from the Loudon Wainwright III
Loudon Wainwright III
Loudon Snowden Wainwright III is a Grammy Award-winning American songwriter, folk singer, humorist, and actor. He is the father of musicians Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche, brother of Sloan Wainwright, and the former husband of the late folk singer Kate McGarrigle.To...
song "I Am The Way", from his album Attempted Mustache
Attempted Mustache
Attempted Mustache is the fourth album from Loudon Wainwright III. It was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Bob Johnston and was released in 1973 on Columbia Records....
. The lyric to "I Am the Way" is as follows: "Every son of God
Son of God
"Son of God" is a phrase which according to most Christian denominations, Trinitarian in belief, refers to the relationship between Jesus and God, specifically as "God the Son"...
has a little hard luck sometime, especially when he goes around saying he's the way." The lyric to "Jesus in a Camper Van" in question is: "Even the son of God gets it hard sometimes, especially when he goes around saying, I am the way." Williams claimed that he had heard a young man say the line whilst in rehab
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
, and only found that it was a line from Wainwright's song after he had already recorded it. Williams' agents called Wainwright to notify him about this, but Wainwright had little say in the matter; "I Am the Way" was a parody of the Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
song "New York Town"; Ludlow Publishing owned the line's copyright. In 2002, Ludlow Publishing won the lawsuit, receiving 25% of the income that "Jesus in a Camper Van" garnered, and subsequently, the album was re-issued replacing "Jesus in a Camper Van" with "It's Only Us".
Track listing
- "StrongStrong (song)"Strong" is a song by Robbie Williams, released as the third single from his 1998 album, I've Been Expecting You in early 1999. The song managed to break into the top five in the United Kingdom. The b-side is the live version of Let Me Entertain You recorded at the 1999 BRIT Awards, the performance...
" (Robbie WilliamsRobbie WilliamsRobert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
, Guy ChambersGuy ChambersGuy Chambers is an English songwriter and record producer, perhaps best known for his long partnership with Robbie Williams.- Biography :...
) - 4:39 - "No Regrets" (Williams, Chambers) - 5:09
- "MillenniumMillennium (song)"Millennium" is a song by Robbie Williams, released as the first single from his second album, I've Been Expecting You. The song was released in 1998....
" (Williams, Chambers, John BarryJohn Barry (composer)John Barry Prendergast, OBE was an English conductor and composer of film music. He is best known for composing the soundtracks for 12 of the James Bond films between 1962 and 1987...
, Leslie BricusseLeslie BricusseLeslie Bricusse is an English composer, lyricist, and playwright.Although best known for his partnership with Anthony Newley, Bricusse has worked with many other composers. He was educated at University College School in London and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge...
) - 4:05 - "Phoenix from the Flames" (Williams, Chambers) - 4:02
- "Win Some Lose SomeWin Some Lose Some"Win Some Lose Some" is a song by British popstar Robbie Williams, released as the fifth and last single from his album, I've Been Expecting You in New Zealand, in March 2000...
" (Williams, Chambers) - 4:18 - "Grace" (Williams, Chambers) - 3:14
- "Jesus in a Camper Van" (Williams, Chambers, Loudon Wainwright IIILoudon Wainwright IIILoudon Snowden Wainwright III is a Grammy Award-winning American songwriter, folk singer, humorist, and actor. He is the father of musicians Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche, brother of Sloan Wainwright, and the former husband of the late folk singer Kate McGarrigle.To...
) - 3:39 - "Heaven from Here" (Williams, Chambers) - 3:05
- "Karma Killer" (Williams, Chambers) - 4:26
- "She's the One" (Karl WallingerKarl WallingerKarl Edmond De Vere Wallinger is a Welsh musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for leading the band World Party and for his mid-1980s stint in The Waterboys...
) - 4:18 - "Man Machine" (Williams, Chambers) - 3:34
- "These Dreams" (Williams, Chambers) - 5:08
- "Stand Your Ground" (Hidden Track) (Williams, Chambers) - 2:59
- "Stalker's Day Off (I've Been Hanging Around)" (Hidden Track) (Williams, Chambers, Eisler) - 3:30
2002 Reissue Replacement Track
- 7. "It's Only UsIt's Only Us"It's Only Us" is a song released in 1999 by British singer Robbie Williams, as a double A-side with a cover of "She's the One". It was the fourth single from I've Been Expecting You. The single became Williams' second number-one single in the United Kingdom, spending one week at number one. "It's...
" (Williams, Chambers) - 2:52
Special Edition Bonus DVD
- "Millenium" (Live on TOTP)
- "Man Machine" (Live on TOTP)
- "No Regrets" (Live on TOTP)
- "Strong" (Live on Later... With Jools Holland)
- "Karma Killer" (Live on Later... With Jolls Holland)
- "Jools Holland Interview"
- "It's Only Us" (Live on TOTP)
- "She's The One" (Live in Germany)
Certifications, Peaks and Sales
| Country | Peak Position | Certification (if any) | Sales (shipments) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 24 | ||
| Finland | 20 | ||
| France | 31 | 2x Gold | 200,000+ |
| Germany | 16 | Gold | 250,000+ |
| Hungary | 33 | ||
| Ireland | 1 | ||
| Netherlands | Gold | 40,000+ | |
| New Zealand | 4 | Platinum | 15,000+ |
| Norway | 5 | Gold | 20,000+ |
| Sweden | 21 | Gold | 30,000+ |
| Switzerland | 19 | Platinum | 50,000+ |
| United Kingdom | 1 | 10x Platinum | 2,563,106+ |