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Post by wiseman on Nov 16, 2010 8:53:59 GMT 1
13:06 | Monday November 15, 2010
By Ben Cardew
HMV estimates that it will shift up to 150,000 copies of the new Take That album Progress today, after opening all of its 275 UK and Ireland stores one hour early to sell the release.
Consumer demand for the new album, which sees Take That reunite with Robbie Williams for the first time in 15 years, has already moved the album’s release date forward one week and the album has also topped the pre-release charts at Play.com and HMV.
And while lead single The Flood surprised many by not topping the charts yesterday, losing out to Rihanna’s Only Girls (In The World), HMV says it expects demand for the album to be brisk.
"Progress has all the makings of one of the biggest and fastest-selling albums of recent years, and it should comfortably shift well over a million copies in just a few weeks as we approach Christmas - when it will undoubtedly top the festive charts,” says an HMV spokesman.
“Robbie's return to the band is the fairytale chapter that was waiting to be written, and if that wasn't enough, the weekend's TV documentary and show-stealing appearance on the X-Factor will have given the band an incredible platform to connect with a vast family-based audience of millions of fans all over the country."
HMV estimates that should it sell 150,000 copies today, as expected, the album could sell as many as half a million copies in its first week of release in the UK alone.
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Post by wiseman on Nov 16, 2010 8:54:18 GMT 1
Take That: Christmas odds slashed after X Factor
The odds of Take That album Progress being Christmas number one have dropped to 2/5 after their first performance as a five piece in 15 years on X Factor.
Robbie Williams performed with the band for the first time since he left in 1995 as they sang single The Flood from new album Progress, due out on Monday.
The Daily Mail said Williams made "a nervy return" while the Daily Star said Take That "brought the house down".
Progress, meanwhile, has become the biggest pre-order release of the year.
On Monday morning, Ladbrokes made Progress 2/5 favourite for the Christmas number one album while William Hill made it their 4/9 favourite. Crowd 'thrilled'
According to early estimates, an average audience of 14.5 million viewers watched the X Factor results show, in which contestant Aiden Grimshaw was ejected.
Take That were top of the bill following performances from JLS and Westlife.
The Daily Express said Take That "thrilled the crowd, little more than a year after Robbie made his shaky solo comeback on last year's X Factor".
After the performance, Gary Barlow told X Factor host Dermot O'Leary: "The whole day of being in the dressing room has actually been as much fun as being on here - it's been great being back together."
Asked by O'Leary how it felt to be back in the band, Williams replied: "Just still weighing it up. At the moment it feels absolutely magical, fantastic."
Online retailer Amazon said demand for Progress was "higher than anything that either of them have achieved before".
Gennaro Castaldo, of HMV, said: "Progress has all the makings of one of the biggest and fastest-selling albums of recent years, and it should comfortably shift well over a million copies in just a few weeks as we approach Christmas."
He said it would "undoubtedly top the festive charts".
Progress, produced by Madonna and Killers collaborator Stuart Price, is Take That's first album as a five-piece since 1995's Nobody Else.
Despite predictions for their album to be a huge success, The Flood was kept off the top of Sunday's singles chart on Sunday by Rihanna who was number one for a second week with Only Girl (In The World).
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Post by Chris on Nov 16, 2010 8:59:29 GMT 1
Michael may just give them a run for their money on 19th December.
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Post by Smoocham on Nov 16, 2010 9:06:23 GMT 1
....in your opinion. Well obviously. Whose opinion would I be giving? I await your verdict Chris This is the first Take That album I won't be buying. It sounds far too much like a Robbie album to me Manic don't be mean to Robbie!!! Did I mention I love it??? Fingers crossed it sells well (can't get SOS or Kidz out of my head)
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Post by wonderwall on Nov 16, 2010 11:37:22 GMT 1
im getting this for my wife today hope its good and my 300k prediction for first week well and truely out the window
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Post by Chris on Nov 16, 2010 11:51:25 GMT 1
Just bought Progress and after just one listen I love it!! Great album. Love the electronic sound. Best tracks for me are Wait, Kidz, SOS and The Flood. Worst track for me: Underground Machine.
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Post by Smoocham on Nov 16, 2010 12:43:02 GMT 1
Just bought Progress and after just one listen I love it!! Great album. Love the electronic sound. Best tracks for me are Wait, Kidz, SOS and The Flood. Worst track for me: Underground Machine. I agree although Underground Machine is growing a little after my millionth listen lol. I'm a very happy girl today!
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Post by Chris on Nov 16, 2010 16:25:38 GMT 1
My new fave track by far: Happy Now.
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Post by wonderwall on Nov 16, 2010 18:58:01 GMT 1
just got it for my wife only 2 copies left so i was lucky hope she likes it
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