Feel (Robbie Williams song)

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." Chambers said: "The best songs, I think, are the ones that are the most emotional. 'Angels' is very raw, and with 'Feel', Robbie was at his absolute lowest point. He didn't want to write that lyric, but he wrote it because he had to. That's the sort of lyric that I'm interested in, not just words that rhyme nicely."

Chart performance

In the United Kingdom, "Feel" peaked at number four on the UK singles chart, spending four weeks inside the top 10. 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. It was the most played song in Europe in 2003. Despite Williams' major success in most of the world, "Feel" failed to reach the US Billboard Hot 100, but reached number 28 on the Billboard Adult Top 40. "Feel" has sold 625,000 copies in the UK as of September 2022.

Music video

The music video for "Feel" 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

• UK, Canadian, and Australian CD single

1. "Feel" (album version) – 4:22
2. "Nobody Someday" (demo version) – 2:53
3. "You're History" – 4:44
4. Photo gallery and video clips

• UK cassette single

1. "Feel" (album version) – 4:22
2. "Nobody Someday" (demo version) – 2:53
3. "You're History" – 4:44

• UK DVD single

1. "Feel" (video) – 4:22
2. "You're History" (audio) – 4:44
3. "Nobody Someday" (demo version; audio) – 2:53
4. 3× video clips

• European CD single

1. "Feel" (album version) – 4:22
2. "Nobody Someday" (demo version) – 2:53

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the Escapology album booklet.

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
• The 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

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

Certifications

Release history

Cover versions

After the release of "Feel", contestant Ricky Ord sang the song in the 2003 second season of Deutschland sucht den Superstar for the theme "My Pop Idol", being one of the first contestants eliminated. In season 8 in 2011, contestant Ardian Bujupi sang the song for the theme "English v. German". 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".

In Williams' 2024 biopic Better Man, "Feel" is performed by Carter J. Murphy, who portrays Williams as a child, and Steve Pemberton, who plays Williams' father Peter.

References

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