Take That have unveiled the emotional video for ‘Pray’ (Odyssey Version), which sees the band delve into their personal archives for behind the scenes footage of their incredible journey. ‘Pray’ (Odyssey Version) is taken from Take That’s brand new greatest hits album ‘Odyssey’, which is out now via Polydor. The album forms part of the band’s epic 30th anniversary celebrations, which will also see Gary, Mark and Howard head out on a landmark nationwide tour next year, cementing their status as the UK’s most successful live act of all time.
‘Pray’ was Take That’s first chart-topping single in the UK, back in 1993, and it’s therefore fitting that the video for their ‘re-imagined’ version explores the incredible journey that the original track helped to kick-start. The archive footage, much of which is being seen for the first time, gives us a look behind the scenes of their hugely successful early years: the legions of screaming fans, the groundbreaking live shows, the 90’s haircuts, the outrageous outfits, the tour buses and planes, the photo shoots, and the little moments in between the madness, which offer a fascinating glimpse into the dynamic of 5 young friends taking on the world. We then fast-forward to the band’s record-breaking second coming, completing this most epic of cycles with the three band-mates standing triumphant on the edge of their next chapter.
2019 marks 30 years since 5 likely lads met in Manchester, forming Take That. ‘Odyssey’ is a chronicling of their journey from humble beginnings to becoming one of the biggest boy bands of all time, before splitting up and then making a remarkable comeback, becoming even more successful in their second incarnation. “The story is, if you think about it, quite mad” says Howard. To use Owen’s words: “To tell the tale of the band, the history of what happened to us. If you only ever own one of them, this should be the definitive Take That record.”
The 2 CD LP is a mix of their biggest hits from the last 3 decades, interwoven with personal soundbites from across the years, which help to piece together this richest of musical tapestries. It will also include gorgeously ‘re-imagined’ versions of their classics, giving fans the chance to hear their favourites in a new light, “but without spoiling what people loved about them in the first place” says Barlow. ‘Pray’ (Odyssey Version) is one of such ‘re-imaginings’.