Robbie Williams has said he wants to make a “new Rat Pack album”.
The pop star released his big band swing covers collection, ‘Swing When You’re Winning’, in 2001 and followed it up with 2013’s ‘Swings Both Ways’. Both albums went to Number One in the UK.
During a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Williams revealed that he was keen to revisit this style of music on a forthcoming record.
“I would like to write a new Rat Pack album,” he told the publication. “I think I might do it. And whether they join in or not, it’s up to their estates, but we’ll see.”
The comments came after the singer was asked which artist he would collaborate with if he could, “dead or alive”.
Williams continued: “Most of the time we take artists for granted because they’re just there and they’re in our lives. It wasn’t until the Olympics when Celine [Dion] came [on] when I was reminded, ‘Oh my Lord, this is a very special person’.
The Rat Pack was an informal group of vocalists in the 1950s and ’60s, including the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. Many consider them to be the founding fathers of Las Vegas, with the entertainers performing together at casino venues in the city.
In 2016, NME featured Williams’ ‘Swing When You’re Winning’ in a round-up of the UK’s all-time best-selling albums that “have no redeeming features whatsoever”. The star ‘duetted’ with a recording of Sinatra’s vocals on the LP’s track ‘It Was A Very Good Year’.
Elsewhere in the Hollywood Reporter interview, Williams spoke about putting together the soundtrack for his new biopic Better Man, which is directed a co-written by Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman).
“I sent a bunch of songs to Michael Gracey, the director, and he would then send them back and tell me basically, kindly, they weren’t good enough,” he recalled, before comparing himself to Eminem in 8 Mile.
He added: “I didn’t have a bird’s-eye view of the film. I didn’t know what was needed. We saw the film, and basically what it needs is a hug, so we [gave it] a hug because by the time you get to the end of the movie, you’ve been through a lot and you need a hug.”
Williams released a reflective new single called ‘Forbidden Road’ from the Better Man soundtrack last November.
He said in April that he had “written loads of songs” and was feeling “full of purpose and loving life”.
He later revealed that a new album would be coming soon. However, the singer explained that he was “waiting to know when exactly the film [was] coming out before” announcing anything about the project.
Speaking to NME last month, Williams responded to reports that Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi would be appearing on a track from his new “guitar rock” album.
“And Glenn Hughes! I wanted to make the album that I’d make if I’d left Take That now, knowing what I know,” he said. “This particular song encapsulates that perfectly.
“Unfortunately and fortunately for me, pop songs turned up along the way, too. I’m like: ‘Ah, fuck – a hit!’ This [track] is massive guitars, as you can imagine. It’s adrenaline-filled and balls-to-the-wall. That one in particular is my favourite song off my new album – that I’ve just announced is happening!”
NME then asked when the track and album would be out, to which Williams replied: “I dunno – let’s see how well the film does.” You can watch the full video interview above.
Williams is due to embark on a huge tour across the UK, Ireland and Europe this year. The announcement came shortly after he’d hinted to fans that he would be hitting the road again “soon”. Find any remaining tickets here.
In other news, Williams has shared his thoughts on ‘Forbidden Road’ being disqualified from the Oscars 2025 shortlist for Best Original Song.
Faith No More appear to be hinting at a return to the stage in 2027.
The influential alt-metal band have remained mostly quiet over the past decade following the release of their reunion album ‘Sol Invictus’ in 2015. After its arrival, they played what would become their most recent live performances in 2016 and later called off several touring plans in the years that followed.
Now, however, they seem to be preparing fans for something new. The group recently shared an image of a concert crowd on social media with nothing more than the text “2027” placed across it.
No additional information accompanied the post, but it quickly sparked speculation among fans, many of whom believe a full scale tour announcement could be coming next year.
After wrapping up their 2016 run of shows, the band intended to return to the road in 2020. Those plans were ultimately abandoned because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Further touring plans surfaced in 2021 as venues began reopening, but those dates were also cancelled before they could begin. Frontman Mike Patton later explained that mental health struggles were behind the decision and revealed he had been diagnosed with agoraphobia during the pandemic.
Until recently, a reunion seemed unlikely. Patton spoke about Faith No More’s lengthy break and said that he did not “see it as a sad thing”.
Speaking on the Kyle Meredith With… podcast and reflecting on whether he felt a “sense of closure” after the 2016 tour, the vocalist said: “I didn’t really think so at the time, but, yeah, maybe. I think that we all kind of felt it, but it was unspoken.”
“It’s funny: when you’ve been in a band or a musical situation for a period of time, you always, in the back of your head, you’re kind of thinking, ‘Well, maybe this is it.’ And I don’t mind that feeling,” he added. “I don’t see it as a sad thing. I see it as being present and being able to really appreciate it while it’s happening.”
Faith No More have never formally announced a breakup following the cancellation of their 2021 tour, although other members have suggested in recent years that the chances of touring again were uncertain.
Last year, guitarist Roddy Bottum discussed the band's future and admitted they were in a “really weird spot”. “I can’t really tell you what’s going on. I don’t know myself. I get different information from people… and I’m in the band,” he said.
Drummer Mike Bordin echoed similar thoughts last spring, saying that he and some of the other members were willing to perform again, but claimed Patton was “unwilling to do shows with us”.
In addition to leading Faith No More since 1989 after replacing original singer Chuck Mosley, Patton has also been involved with projects including Mr Bungle, Fantômas, and Tomahawk.
Tomahawk recently unveiled plans for their first tour in 13 years, with a series of US dates scheduled for this summer. The run begins in Nashville next month and will also see Patton and his bandmates reunite with longtime labelmates Melvins for the first time since 2003.
Patton has also recently launched his tour with Avett Brothers and teamed up with Jehnny Beth on the new single ‘Look At Me’.
