With a distinctive voice familiar to millions of fans across the globe, singing Robbie Williams’ tracks on ‘Better Man’ biopic and replicating his Stokie twang was never going to be easy.
In the end, it was Adam Tucker who was chosen to channel Robbie’s vocals for his early hits for the silver screen. Released on Boxing Day, the film features Robbie as a CGI monkey, a nod to his mischievous character. And many viewers have been surprised that it’s not actually always Robbie they’re hearing.
Speaking to the Mirror, 30-year-old Adam shared insights into his involvement in the movie. With a stroke of luck, a pal of his happened to live next door to one of the film’s casting agents.
Recalling his audition experience, he said: “It took a while, but things moved swiftly from there. Next thing, I’m having a phone call with these guys.” Adam submitted various recordings of himself performing hits like Angels, Feel, and Let Me Entertain You.
Once on board, Adam spent around 18 months darting in and out of the studio, starting in February 2023 until the film’s release last Christmas. He noted that working on CGI was particularly complex.
While many wonder if he altered his voice to mimic Robbie, he disclosed that there had been minor modifications but nearly everything was natural. During his audition, Adam was eager not to try and imitate Robbie and instead showcased his authentic self.
“I never thought I sounded like him, maybe little bits because I’m singing a Robbie song or something,” he remarked. “Obviously when I watched the film, I knew what bits I sang, I knew what bits Robbie sung, but I was like ‘Oh wow that does sound like Robbie,’ not that I should have been shocked because that’s the reason I got hired, it’s crazy.”
Better Man
(Image: YouTube/ Robbie Williams)
Adam took a bold step in his audition by choosing to perform Angels, a track synonymous with Robbie. “With Angels, I remember sitting there when I was four or five with the cassette player, playing Angels on repeat and pretending to sing as Robbie Williams,” he fondly remembered.
“For me it was huge, it’s weird, I’ve done this in the studio for the last 18 months with four people. You sort of forget that it’s going out to the world because you’re so engrossed in going the studio. It’s sort of like going to the studio everyday with your mates, the whole thing was just fun there was no pressure, the only pressure I felt was what I put on myself. I auditioned straight into singing Angels and I was like ‘Oh my God, this is the biggest song, especially in Europe but one of the biggest songs ever.
“You just never like, feel like, the gravitas of what you’re doing when you’re in a studio, because you just don’t know how It’s going to be receptive, with people and you don’t, I’d never thought about that.”
Six months after completing his recording parts, Adam was privately coming to terms with the fact that millions worldwide would hear his voice and see his name in the film credits.
He shared: “I managed to camouflage myself in the role of singing, I was quite proud of that. There are some songs in the film that is me and him singing, it cuts between both of us, most people would not know, obviously there was a lot of work that’s gone into it. That’s how seamless I think our voices would have sit. Some of the songs are completely remade and different.
Robbie Williams and Jonno Davies speak onstage during the “Better Man” Canadian Premiere
(Image: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)
“Obviously he didn’t write these songs with the intention that they were ever going to be in a film and they were going to be to a specific narrative. That’s sort of why I was hired, to bring that narrative to life in the singing when he’s driving a car when he’s just been fired from Take That, or Angels when his grandma dies. It’s these emotionally charged scenes that are not specific in the original recording, so they had to re-record these and wanted me to come in.
“Obviously Rob’s voice has changed, you get older, your voice changes, so they wanted someone who could play the younger versions of him.”
As for Robbie’s own contribution to the musical biopic, Adam outlined: “I know how he sounds in general but it was specifically on things, there are some voice notes that we’d had from him to guide us on the right path of how it sounded, or how he would sing. He’s from Stoke but he doesn’t necessarily sound like he’s from Stoke. It’s his own voice, it’s not an obvious voice, if you have an Elton John you can change your pronunciations, whereas Robbie is quite specific, his voice is really unique but not glaringly obviously different. He was able to give us references for singing.”
But away from the studio, Adam delved into the Robbie archive, rewatching live footage from his early days as a solo artist, including THAT performance at Knebworth. “Let Me Entertain You is live, obviously it was recorded in the studio,” Adam said: “But that was jumping around in the studio with a microphone it was the only way you can capture the voice and microphone.
Robbie Williams pictured in 1997, the year Angels was released
“He was involved but not loads. It’s very honest.” Since its release, Robbie admitted he’s “almost the bad guy” in the movie due to his levels of honesty. This, however, is something Adam praises the legendary musician for.
“I think that’s his biggest asset, being completely open about him and he way he thought at the time,” he said, before adding: “Times have changed, he’s matured quite a lot and he thinks differently about certain people now in a more positive light. It’s a really dark film, it’s so raw and obviously a lot more emotional.
“People I’ve spoken to were like ‘I was crying’ at the end, when he’s singing My Way, reuniting with his dad, people are in tears. It’s very interesting, a lot of people are very shocked.”
Despite portraying Robbie, Adam humorously denied ever being a Robbie tribute act, despite numerous inquiries. “You close your eyes and it sounds like Robbie Williams but you open them and it looks like Ed Sheeran,” he quipped.
He isn’t taking a back seat either; Adam is using the momentum from Better Man to focus on his own music endeavours.
With an active presence on TikTok, he shares glimpses into his musical journey with his audience. Discussing the significant impact of the movie, he said, “We’ll ride this wave and see what comes from it.”
He reflected on his previous experiences with fleeting fame, saying: “I’ve been on telly before and done a performance on BBC One and then, you know, you get that sudden rush of people coming to you. You’re kind of the talk for a couple of weeks and then it just kind of dies off.
“Whereas a film has got like this, almost like this ramp effect, people start by going to watch the film, and they tell their friends to go to watch the film, and then people start finding out about you, it’s kind of like a slow ramp.”
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