Eternity/The Road to Mandalay

"Eternity" / "The Road to Mandalay" is the fifth single from English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams' third studio album, Sing When You're Winning (2000). "Eternity" does not appear on the album but was later included on Williams' Greatest Hits album in 2004. The lyrics of "Eternity" were written as a tribute to Williams' close friendship with Geri Halliwell. Brian May of Queen plays electric guitar on the track.

"Eternity" / "The Road to Mandalay"
Single by Robbie Williams
B-side	"Toxic"
Released	9 July 2001 (2001-07-09)[1]
Studio	Master Rock, Sarm Hook End ("The Road to Mandalay")
Length	5:02 ("Eternity") 3:57 ("The Road to Mandalay")
Label	Chrysalis
Songwriter(s)	Robbie Williams Guy Chambers
Producer(s)	Guy Chambers Steve Power
Robbie Williams singles chronology
"Let Love Be Your Energy" (2001) "Eternity" / "The Road to Mandalay" (2001) "Better Man" (2001)
Music video
"Eternity" on YouTube
Music video
"The Road to Mandalay" on YouTube

Released on 9 July 2001, the double A-side was the 20th-best-selling single of 2001 in the United Kingdom, topping the country's singles chart, and also peaked at number two in Ireland. "Eternity" as a solo single reached number one in New Zealand and became a top-10 hit in eight other countries. Though "Eternity" never appeared on a Robbie Williams studio album, a comedic snippet of the song can be heard in "Outtakes", a hidden track on Swing When You're Winning.

Music videos

The video for "The Road to Mandalay" shows Robbie Williams and four friends driving a Jensen FF and a Ford Transit van, alternatively goofing around and scoping out a money transport van and the people who transport the money in Marseille.^[2][3][4] When the robbery goes down, Williams and his friends dress with masks covering their faces and run into the transport van with a truck. Holding up a sign with the French words "Ouvrez ou je bute le petit" ("Open or I kill the little one"), and showing the dog of one of the drivers, thus showing they know where to find the driver's family, they quickly move the money to their Ford Transit van, then celebrate while driving off. Williams invites his friends to his new plush house, celebrating with plenty of champagne and cake. The video ends with the van nearly running over an elderly lady, and with Williams waking up startled next to his girlfriend (Australian model Lisa Seiffert).

The video for "Eternity" is a sequel to "The Road to Mandalay". It was directed by Vaughan Arnell. It is mixed with scenes from the first video, which are scenes of Williams and his girlfriend lounging around their house in Spain, playing pool and walking along the beach and jumping on the trampoline. These scenes are also intercut with scenes of Williams and his girlfriend standing opposite each other, looking wistfully at each other. The end of the video shows Williams giving his girlfriend a long parting kiss, then being handcuffed and led away to several waiting Guardia Civil police cars, having been tracked down from clues left at the scene of the robbery.

Track listings

UK CD and cassette single^[5][6]

1. "Eternity" – 5:02
2. "The Road to Mandalay" – 3:57
3. "Toxic" – 3:48

European CD single^[7]

1. "Eternity" – 5:02
2. "The Road to Mandalay" – 3:57

French CD single^[8]

1. "The Road to Mandalay" – 3:57
2. "Eternity" – 5:02

Credits and personnel

"Eternity"

Credits are taken from the Greatest Hits album booklet.^[9]

Studio

• Mastered at Metropolis Mastering (London, England)

Personnel

• Robbie Williams – writing, lead vocals
• Guy Chambers – writing, piano, production, arrangement
• Gary Nuttall – backing vocals, acoustic guitar
• Claire Worrall – backing vocals
• Phil Palmer – acoustic guitar
• Brian May – electric guitar
• Melvin Duffy – pedal steel guitar
• B. J. Cole – pedal steel guitar
• Dave Clayton – keyboards
• Andy Duncan – percussion
• Steve Power – production, mixing
• Richard Flack – Pro Tools
• Tony Cousins – mastering

"The Road to Mandalay"

Credits are taken from the Sing When You're Winning album booklet.^[10]

Studios

• Recorded at Master Rock Studios (North London, England) and Sarm Hook End (Reading, England)
• Mixed at Battery Studios (London, England)
• Mastered at Metropolis Mastering (London, England)

Personnel

• Robbie Williams – writing, lead vocals
• Guy Chambers – writing, backing vocals, piano, organ, Mellotron, clavinet, Omnichord, production, arrangement
• Andy Caine – backing vocals
• Steve McEwan – backing vocals
• Phil Palmer – acoustic and electric guitars
• Dave Catlin-Birch – bass guitar
• Melvin Duffy – pedal steel guitar
• Chris Sharrock – drums
• Andy Duncan – drum programming, Pro Tools
• Bob Lanese – trumpet
• Pauline Boeykens – tuba
• Edgar Herzog – clarinet
• Alex Dickson – autoharp
• Steve Power – glockenspiel, production, mixing
• Richard Flack – Pro Tools
• Jim Brumby – Pro Tools
• Tony Cousins – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2001) Peak position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[11] 9 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[12] 6 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[13] 9 Denmark (Tracklisten)[14] 3 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[15] 5 France (SNEP)[16] 45 Germany (GfK)[17] 7 Ireland (IRMA)[18] 2 Italy (FIMI)[19] 4 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[20] 17 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[21] 11 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[22] 1 Portugal (AFP)[23] 8 Scotland (OCC)[24] 2 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[25] 34 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[26] 10 UK Singles (OCC)[27] 1

Year-end charts Chart (2001) Position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[28] 43 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[29] 53 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[30] 70 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[31] 46 Germany (Official German Charts)[32] 33 Ireland (IRMA)[33] 15 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[34] 62 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[35] 60 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[36] 16 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[37] 51 UK Singles (OCC)[38] 20

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Belgium (BEA)[39]	Gold	25,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[40]	Gold	418,000[41]
* Sales figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "New Releases – For Week Starting July 9, 2001: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 7 July 2001. p. 25. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
2. "The Road to Mandalay: Music Video".
3. "Miss France 2020 : Robbie Williams invité d'honneur". 15 November 2019.
4. "Miss France 2020 : Présence exceptionnelle de Robbie Williams". 15 November 2019.
5. Eternity / The Road to Mandalay (UK CD single liner notes). Robbie Williams. Chrysalis Records. 2001. CDCHS 5126, 7243 879538 2 6.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
6. Eternity / The Road to Mandalay (UK cassette single sleeve). Robbie Williams. Chrysalis Records. 2001. TCCHS5126, 7243 879538 4 0.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
7. Eternity (European CD single liner notes). Robbie Williams. Chrysalis Records. 2001. 7243 879674 2 7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
8. The Road to Mandalay / Eternity (French CD single liner notes). Robbie Williams. Chrysalis Records. 2001. 724387987722.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
9. Greatest Hits (UK CD album booklet). Robbie Williams. Chrysalis Records. 2004. 724386681928.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
10. Sing When You're Winning (UK CD album booklet). Robbie Williams. Chrysalis Records. 2000. 7243 5 28125 2 3.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
11. "Robbie Williams – Eternity" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
12. "Robbie Williams – Eternity" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
13. "Robbie Williams – Eternity" (in French). Ultratop 50.
14. "Robbie Williams – Eternity". Tracklisten.
15. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 18, no. 31. 28 July 2001. p. 7. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
16. "Robbie Williams – Eternity" (in French). Les classement single.
17. "Robbie Williams – Eternity" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
18. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Eternity / The Road to Mandalay". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
19. "Robbie Williams – Eternity". Top Digital Download.
20. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 35, 2001" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
21. "Robbie Williams – Eternity" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
22. "Robbie Williams – Eternity". Top 40 Singles.
23. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 19, no. 35. 25 August 2001. p. 12. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
24. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
25. "Robbie Williams – Eternity". Singles Top 100.
26. "Robbie Williams – Eternity". Swiss Singles Chart.
27. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
28. "Jahreshitparade Singles 2001" (in German). Retrieved 15 December 2018.
29. "Jaaroverzichten 2001" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
30. "Rapports annuels 2001" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
31. "Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 2001" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 18, no. 52. 22 December 2001. p. 14. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
32. "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 2001" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
33. "Best of Singles 2001". IRMA. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
34. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2001". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
35. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2001" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
36. "End of Year Charts 2001". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
37. "Swiss Year-End Charts of 2001" (in German). Retrieved 20 May 2018.
38. "The Official UK Singles Chart 2001" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
39. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2001". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
40. "British single certifications – Robbie Williams – Eternity/The Road to Mandalay". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
41. "Robbie Williams' Official Top 40 biggest singles in the UK revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 September 2022.