Listen: Take That's new single - produced by ELO's Jeff Lynne - from forthcoming album III

Take That have released its first single following Jason Orange’s departure.

16:41 10 October 2014

Revived pop group Take That have released its first single following bandmate Jason Orange’s departure.

Entitled These Days, the single is an upbeat and energetic dance piece with lyrics including: “Tonight we gotta live for/ We gotta live for these days/ Tonight, tonight, we'll remember/ We'll remember these days.”
 
There is also perhaps a sense of nostalgia in the song, as the originally five-strong band sings: “Take me back/ To where it all began.”

Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen shared vocal duties while recording the song, which is described as “a nod to the sound that defined their early years” and “out-and-out feel-good-pop.”

Reports confirmed that the band has been working with the new album and that they teamed up with Electric Light Orchestra frontman, multi-instrumentalist and producer Jeff Lynne. They started the collaboration at the start of the year after they signed him to a team of producers including Stuart Price. 

Orange was not involved but is said to have granted his former bandmates his “blessing”. He revealed that he had left the band last month, insisting there had been “no fallings-out” with his bandmates.