Somethin' Stupid

About

Written by Carson Parks in 1966, Something Stupid became a worldwide hit a year later when Frank and Nancy Sinatra’s father–daughter version topped charts across the US, UK and Australia. Robbie Williams revived the duet in 2001 with actress Nicole Kidman, releasing it as the lead single from Swing When You’re Winning. The recording, produced by Steve Power, reached number one in the UK for three weeks, including the coveted Christmas chart, and went on to achieve gold status with over 400,000 sales.

The collaboration was born out of mutual admiration following Kidman’s success in Moulin Rouge!. Williams wrote to her asking, “Will you be Nancy to my Frank?”, and she agreed immediately. The pair recorded their vocals together in London, creating a chemistry that balanced playful romance with old-Hollywood elegance. Williams later admitted he was nervous, joking that he was “trying not to lick her face.”

Nicole’s voice has a lovely tone to it. It’s a very difficult harmony to sing, but she sailed through it. To get someone of her stature to do it was the biggest coup of the century.Robbie Williams

The video, directed by Vaughan Arnell, cast the pair as lovers in a glamorous 1950s fantasy, filmed in a West London studio. Its flirtatious scenes — complete with diamond jewellery and a Christmas setting — became one of Williams’ most talked-about visuals. Both the single and video captured the playful spirit that defined the album: respectful of tradition yet unafraid to be mischievous. Something Stupid remains one of Williams’ most commercially successful and enduring duets.