Take That in 1996

1996 started with the band in London to finish up some recordings in a London studio.

6 February and it was on to London to pre-record the Des O'Connor Show. Once they got there that is! The band were stuck at Heathrow Airport for over an hour due to their luggage being lost! Once at the studio the band performed probably the best version of How Deep Is Your Love and had a quick chat with Des!!

The rest of the week was spent recording the video for How Deep Is Your Love.

While the band were in London that week, a radio station picked up a rumour that had been circulating for while for an impending split. This was quickly denied but the rumours didn't go away and with hindsight it was plain to see.

12 February, The Sun newspaper ran a story confirming Take That were to split. The story was again denied from all possible areas until it was announced that Take That would be holding a press conference the following day at the Manchester Airport Hilton.

13 February, a day all Take That fans will remember. At around 2.30pm the band confirmed that they were to disband.

After 6 years Take That had finally decided to go their separate ways. But first there was still 2 more months of promotion to be done!!

A performance at the 1996 Brit Awards was first where the band also picked up an award for Best Single for Back For Good.

The last UK performance was at Top Of The Pops, where a record number of fans turned up to say goodbye.

The San Remo festival followed on 22 Feburary and was their first European commitment since announcing the split. They performed How Deep Is Your Love and fans were given the chance to ask them questions.

10 March and it was time for the first of 3 promotional trips to Europe: Norway, Sweden and Denmark were first. In Olso the band appeared on the Top Twenty Countdown and gave a short interview on a Norwegian TV show. Copenhagen was next followed by Sweden where again they gave radio and TV interviews.

20 March and the band flew to Madrid. Hundreds of fans were waiting at the airport in Madrid hoping to catch a glimpse of the band. Hundreds more were waiting outside the hotel, so many that even the traffic had come to a complete standstill!! The next day was spent doing interviews and recording a TT special for TVE1.

That evening the band said goodbye to Spain and head to Zurich, Switzerland.

The band appeared on a live TV show in Zurich and a huge TV screen was installed outside so all the waiting fans could watch the show!

The final promotional trip Take That undertook as a band kicked of 29 March as the band flew to Germany to peform at the "Wetten Dass,..." show which went out live the same night.

31 March, the band went to Vienna, Austria where the next day they gave interviews and performed on "Willkommen Oesterreich".

They left Austria on 2 April and headed to Belgium. Due to some very bad weather the band arrived in Belgium several hours late! Once they did they gave more interviews and appeared on a TV show.

The next day the band drove to Holland to prepare for their final day. April 4 - The last day of Take That. The band left the hotel via the back and had to take a river boat to the studio as the roads were jam packed of fans from all over the world.

The band performed Back For Good and How Deep Is Your Love for the last time together and gave a short interview and watched videos taped by fans around the world with messages for the band - and then it was over.


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