Millennium (song)

"Millennium"
Single by Robbie Williams
from the album I've Been Expecting You
Released	7 September 1998
Format	CD single, Cassette
Recorded	1998
Genre	Pop, soul
Length	4:07 (Album Version) 3:46 (Radio Edit)
Label	Chrysalis
Writer(s)	Robbie Williams, Guy Chambers, John Barry, Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley
Producer	Guy Chambers Steve Power
Certification	Gold (BPI)
Robbie Williams singles chronology
"Let Me Entertain You" (1998) "Millennium" (1998) "No Regrets" (1998)

For the Front Line Assembly song see Millennium (Front Line Assembly 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.

The song heavily borrows the musical arrangement from John Barry's "You Only Live Twice", the title track for the James Bond film of the same name, reported to be one of Williams' favourite Bond films.

The song was the 30th best selling of 1998 in the UK.

"Millennium" was Williams' first solo single to top the UK Singles Chart. In 1999, the song also received extensive airplay in Canada and the USA, where it was the lead single for Williams' North American compilation album, The Ego Has Landed.

Music video

The tongue-in-cheek video for "Millennium" features Williams parodying James Bond, complete with references to Bond films like Thunderball and From Russia with Love. The song includes a sample of You Only Live Twice by Nancy Sinatra^[1]. The video was filmed at Pinewood Studios, home to most Bond productions. During the end of the video, Williams drives away in an economy car, a fittingly chosen Bond Bug, instead of 007's Aston Martin DB5, which later drives past him while he's having car trouble.

At the 1999 BRIT Awards, "Millennium" won the award for Best British Video.

Reception

The song became Williams' first number-one single in the United Kingdom, shipping over 400,000 copies and being certified gold by the BPI.^[2] The song also became an international success; it managed to break into the Top 40 around the world. It also became Williams' first song to chart inside the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 when it was released in 1999. However, neither it nor "Angels" (the song chosen as his second single in the United States) charted in the US Top 40.

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Millennium".

UK CD1
(Released 7 September 1998)

1. "Millennium" – 4:07
2. "Love Cheat" [Demo Version] – 3:46
3. "Rome Munich Rome" [Demo Version] – 3:05

UK CD2
(Released 7 September 1998)

1. "Millennium" – 4:07
2. "Lazy Days" [Original Version] – 4:29
3. "Angels" [Live Version] – 5:38

European CD Maxi
(Released 7 September 1998)

1. "Millennium" – 4:07
2. "Love Cheat" [Demo Version] – 3:46
3. "Rome Munich Rome" [Demo Version] – 3:05
4. "Angels" [Live Version] – 5:38

Certifications and sales

Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
United Kingdom (BPI)[2]	Gold	400,000^
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Charts

Chart (1998)	Peak position[3][4]
Irish Singles Chart	1
UK Singles Chart	1
New Zealand Singles Chart	3
Italian Singles Chart	6
Swedish Singles Chart	12
Norwegian Singles Chart	14
French Singles Chart	16
Austrian Singles Chart	18
Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart	18
Swiss Singles Chart	18
Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart	20
Australian Singles Chart	24
Dutch Singles Chart	38
German Singles Chart	41
Chart (1999)	Peak position[5]
Canadian Singles Chart	9
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	72
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay	74
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream	20
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Tracks	29
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks	22

Preceded by "Bootie Call" by All Saints

UK Singles Chart number-one single 13 September 1998 for 1 week

Succeeded by "I Want You Back" by Melanie B featuring Missy Elliott

References

1. ^ http://www.whosampled.com/sample/view/384/Robbie%20Williams-Millenium_John%20Barry%20feat.%20Nancy%20Sinatra-You%20Only%20Live%20Twice/
2. ^ ^{a b} "British single certifications – Robbie Williams – Millennium". British Phonographic Industry. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx.  Enter Millennium in the field Search. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Click Go
3. ^ "Millennium" Chart Positions
4. ^ Robbie Williams Singles release and peak position in Italy
5. ^ "Millennium" Chart Positions in North America