Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Howard Donald, and Jason Orange have once again proved they are the nicest men in music - and quite possibly the world.

According to news reports, the lads have expressed their regret at not having done more for Robbie Williams when the booze and drugs started to take hold in the mid-1990s.

Gary laments "missing the signs" that his former band-mate was in trouble, while Mark has said, "I feel a bit guilty now that I wasn’t mature enough to hear his cries."

Jason even appeared to confirm the rumours of Robbie's return to the line-up, saying, "Lets get him back as quickly as possible."

Whatever the ins and outs of Williams' departure from the band back in 1995, it's clear he was a liability. As it turned out, the public wouldn't accept a four-man Take That (how ironic that seems now), so Robbie's meltdown cost them all dearly - particularly Donald and Orange, whose chances of solo success seemed slim at best and proved to be just that.

Now I am far from unsympathetic to Robbie's plight at the time. But my God, didn't he milk it for 10 whole years after he straightened himself out? And didn't he just love putting the boot in when his solo career took off and those of his former band-mates faltered?

Perhaps the others could have done more to help him but I think enduring a decade's worth of snide comments, childish gloating about his solo success, and even personal abuse in his lyrics ("I met the other guys / one seemed like a c*ck" from his song The '90s is a fairly unambiguous reference to Gary Barlow) is more than enough penance for their negligence.

I personally don't think they owe Robbie anything. What do you reckon?

Oh, and by the way, MSN Music will be the first place (including their official site) you'll be able to see the video for TT's new single, Up All Night, on Tuesday 27th of January.

I've just got back in from the Brits 2009 nominations ceremony at the Roundhouse in Chalk Farm. I say ceremony, it was more like being in the studio audience for an ITV2 programme. In fact, thinking about it, that's exactly what it was.

Anyway, I was invited because I am on the voting panel this year. That's not quite as grand as it sounds. There are somewhere in the region of 1000 of us, from record shop owners to student union ents managers (no disrespect to either), but it nonetheless felt pretty exciting to be part of a process I've observed avidly since the bad old days when Phil Collins winning Best British Male was a foregone conclusion.

Not exciting enough not to be late though. Hey, I was watching the Obama inauguration speech and I reasoned that any future children I might have will be more likely to ask where I was when that was happening than when Scouting For Girls were nominated for British Breakthrough Act.

I must be getting old.

So, for those of you who care about such things, here are the nominations in full:

British Male Solo Artist
Ian Brown
James Morrison
Paul Weller
The Streets
Will Young

British Female Solo Artist
Adele
Beth Rowley
Duffy
Estelle
M.I.A.

British Group
Coldplay
Elbow
Girls Aloud
Radiohead
Take That

British Single
Adele - Chasing Pavements
Alexandra Burke - Hallelujah
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
Dizzee Rascal ft. Calvin Harris - Dance Wiv Me
Duffy - Mercy
Estelle ft. Kanye West: American Boy
Girls Aloud - The Promise
Leona Lewis - Better In Time
Scouting For Girls - Heartbeat
The X Factor Finalists - Hero

British Album
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
Duffy - Rockferry
Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Ting Tings - We Started Nothing

British Breakthrough Act
Adele
Duffy
The Last Shadow Puppets
Scouting For Girls
Ting Tings

British Live Act
Coldplay
Elbow
Iron Maiden
Scouting For Girls
The Verve

International Male Solo Artist
Beck
Neil Diamond
Jay-Z
Kanye West
Seasick Steve

International Female Solo Artist
Beyoncé
Gabriella Cilmi
Katy Perry
Pink
Santogold

International Group
AC/DC
Fleet Foxes
The Killers
Kings of Leon
MGMT

International Album
AC/DC - Black Ice
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
The Killers - Day & Age
Kings of Leon - Only By The Night
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

British Producer of the Year
Bernard Butler
Brian Eno
Steve Mac

Critics' Choice Award
Florence and the Machine

Outstanding Contribution to Music
Pet Shop Boys

So basically Duffy and Coldplay lead the way with four nominations each. I'd make Duffy favourite to convert all four of hers to gongs next month. No surprises there, you might think.

But then, as Florence And The Machine were being announced as recipients of this year's Critics' Choice award (one of two that are given in advance), I remembered that when Adele won it last year, Duffy was barely on the radar.

Critics, eh? What do they know?

...that Berry Gordy created the record label which was responsible for much of the last century's finest soul, pop, and R&B records: Motown.

Not only that, in doing so, he contributed more than perhaps anyone to the racial integration of popular music.

I am not going to try to compete with Tom Townshend's appraisal of the legendary label here. He nails the essence of Motown's appeal in far more detail than I could possibly manage in a blog entry.

What I will say, though, is that reading his article made me revisit the tracks he specifically discusses, despite the fact I knew them very well anyway, which is surely the sign of good music journalism.

They are all fabulous, of course, but I felt I just had to say a word about I Want You Back by the Jackson Five. From the joyous descending piano sweep at the start to the insanely infectious staccato guitar riff to what may be the most melodic bass-line in music history to the pre-pubescent Jacko's impassioned vocals which somehow manage to convey both yearning AND joy, it's as close to the perfect pop song as I've ever heard.

I thought I knew all this anyway but listening really is believing. Ahhh... they don't make 'em like that any more.