Who wrote robbie williams Angels

[punkfloyd]

Hi

 

I had aklways heard a story going around that Robbie williams and Guy chambers did not write this and in fact it was bought from someone when Robbie heard this.  I then heard that in a newspaper in Ireland the guy had admitted that he was the person who sold the song to robbie and had proof?  And yet it is still claimed to be Robbies song?  i see no reason why robbie should not get all the money if he purchased it,  but surely claiming to write it is wrong.  Any thoughts, 

[Ray the DJ]

Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers co-wrote Angels

[lookslikemik]

Although credited to the Williams/Chambers partnership, the original song was co-written by Robbie with an Irish singer-songwriter called Ray Heffernan.  It was broadly similar to the song as we now know it.  Heffernan accepted a one-off payment for his rights to the song (reported variously as anywhere from �5000 to �10000), and it was modified by Williams and Chambers.  Recent documentaries have highlighted this, including interviews with Heffernan and playing a tape of the original recording.  And the album sleeve notes contain a pretty clear hint: "Even fallen angels laugh last, thanks to Ray Heffernan"!

[peters cute]

yeah it was robbie and guy chambers

[HelenBack]

I was very close friends with one of Ray's sisters at the time they met, just before Christmas 1996, when Robbie stayed at their house (I saw photos of him and the family). I also met Ray a few times the following summer after Robbie had terminated their friendship.
I can confirm that Ray did indeed write part of the song and they both wrote the rest of the song together. And yes, he was given a few grand as payment to be able to use it, but should have been credited on the CD as having co-written it.
Guy Chambers and Robbie re-worked it a little, but GC didn't write it.
Hope that helps

[irishguy2008]

I saw the guy who wrote the song on tv3 television. He wrote the song for his daughter who had just died in hospital in Dublin. The line was actually I'm loving an angel instead and apart from that it was very much the same song that I heard on the Dictaphone on the TV3 morning show with Robbie clearly singing I'm loving an angel instead. I agree with the writer above and I'm not really surprised but to buy the rights to a song should not allow the buy to be accredited with writing this song. Ray gets a mention thanking him for his help n the cd I believe but in actual fact he wrote the melody and lyrics.

[irishguy2008]

check out youtube for Ray Heffernan. On there there is an interview with him regarding this song. He has the contract for 7500 for the song co signed by himself and Robbie. He has also the bones of the sound of the song on Dictaphone which he has transferred onto his pc.