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 Lift Me Up or What I Am?, 20 years since the solo Spice chart battle! |
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  Nov 1 2019, 07:43 AM
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#1
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 "Jayrusaleminians" - Umi.
Pronouns: he/him
Joined: 4 April 2007 Posts: 41,415 User: 3,217 
          
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20 years ago today (1st November 1999) Emma & Geri went head to head in the UK singles chart, with What I Am & Lift Me Up respectively! Geri went to #1 while Emma peaked at #2.
Which song is the best in your opinion? Previous Polls: I Want You Back or I Want You Back [Same titles, different solo Spice songs... Mel B vs Melanie C] Love Thing or Never Give Up on the Good Times [Songs that were meant to be singles but didn't end up being released] Hey You (Free Up Your Mind) or Sophisticated Lady [Solo B Sides with backing vocals from another Spice Girl!] We're Not Gonna Sleep Tonight or Crickets Sing for Anamaria [Last singles from Emma's first two albums that missed Top 10] Who Do You Think You Are or Holler [Uptempo songs from Double A Side singles] Mama or Let Love Lead the Way [Ballads from Double A Side singles] Outer Space Girls or Walk of Life [Too Much B Sides] Downtown or Headlines (Friendship Never Ends) [Children in Need Charity Singles] Never Be the Same Again or I Turn to You [Melanie C UK #1 Singles] |
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Nov 1 2019, 08:53 AM
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#2
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 Alone and wounded
Pronouns: She/her
Joined: 18 January 2011 Posts: 60,105 User: 12,810 
                
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'What I Am' for sure! A cool avenue for Emma to briefly travel down. I've always found 'Lift Me Up' boring and Geri's vocals are a little strained in places.
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Nov 1 2019, 09:03 AM
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#3
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 BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 7 September 2017
Posts: 5,073 User: 39,587
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What I Am for sure.
Lift Me Up is probably the third worst ever Spice related-single (after Half of Me and Angels in Chains). Geri never did solo balads any good. |
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Nov 1 2019, 10:02 AM
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#4
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 BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 6 September 2017
Posts: 11,805 User: 39,568
 
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I liked Lift me up more back in the day, and being deaf I especially loved the signed performances. However over time What I am has definitely grown in my appreciations while Lift me up has gone down a bit.
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Nov 1 2019, 10:58 AM
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#5
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
Joined: 6 September 2017
Posts: 927 User: 39,574
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Lift Me Up. Yes Geri is my fave but I've always loved the song and have never had a problem with her vocals on it the imperfections add to its charm. I think absolute did a wonderful job of producing it too.
What I Am has grown on me but it's still just a mediocre cover versionthat didn't add much else. Emma's voice saves it. |
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Nov 1 2019, 01:06 PM
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#6
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 606 User: 3,500
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I remember the original of What I Am. Never liked it. Always irritated the hell out of me. Emma doing it in such a cutesy way, made it even more irritating. It sounds like she should be singing it for toddlers on CBBC. I half expected the b side to be The Cow in The Meadow Goes Moo.
I love Lift Me Up. And I'm not one for remixes, but I adore the remix versions too. |
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Nov 1 2019, 04:01 PM
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#7
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BuzzJack Regular
Joined: 25 October 2018
Posts: 253 User: 78,056
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Lift me up
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Nov 1 2019, 04:46 PM
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#8
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
Joined: 6 September 2017
Posts: 1,044 User: 39,576
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Lift me up
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Nov 1 2019, 07:38 PM
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#9
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BuzzJack Regular
Joined: 21 September 2017
Posts: 318 User: 41,834 
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Lift me up
(What I Am is a great track but I prefer the original version) |
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Nov 1 2019, 09:41 PM
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#10
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 16 November 2009
Posts: 7,591 User: 9,988
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What I am, I cant imagine any adult finding Lift me up pleasing to the ears.
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Nov 1 2019, 09:50 PM
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#11
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 BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 7 January 2009
Posts: 7,064 User: 8,073
 
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Gerita.
The Emma song is pure trash x |
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Nov 1 2019, 09:54 PM
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#12
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
Joined: 6 September 2017
Posts: 1,014 User: 39,551 
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‘What I am’ - mainly for Emma’s vocal. But ‘Lift me up’ is also just a tad too cheesy for me nowadays.
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Nov 2 2019, 01:49 AM
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#13
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 I found the love, I found the love in me
Pronouns: He/Him
Joined: 13 December 2007 Posts: 87,430 User: 5,042
   
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Lift Me Up.
What I Am is horrific. |
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Nov 2 2019, 02:17 AM
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#14
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"Jayrusaleminians" - Umi.
Pronouns: he/him
Joined: 4 April 2007 Posts: 41,415 User: 3,217
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QUOTE(Jonjo @ Nov 2 2019, 01:49 AM)  What I Am is horrific. You’re horrific xox 
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Nov 2 2019, 03:43 PM
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#15
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electric butterflies
Pronouns: he/him
Joined: 7 March 2006 Posts: 49,113 User: 70
  
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It's always been 'What I Am' for me. I still go back to it now whereas 'Lift Me Up' is a guaranteed skip.
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Nov 2 2019, 04:10 PM
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#16
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BuzzJack Climber
Joined: 30 November 2014
Posts: 137 User: 21,419
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Even though I own the physical copy of both singles, I’ve decided to download them off iTunes yesterday. And have listen to them a few times this morning. I do like both songs. And I have many fond memories from back in the day. However I think 20 years on, Lift me up sounds more dated than What I am. And the video... gosh what was Geri thinking? 😂... again... I love both songs. But now I think Emma’s a bit better.
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Nov 2 2019, 05:23 PM
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#17
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BuzzJack Regular
Joined: 25 March 2018
Posts: 394 User: 69,521
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If Emma had gone head-to-head with Geri with one of her originals, I might feel differently. But as it is...Geri by a mile.
I really do think Lift Me Up is a very solidly crafted pop song...with some strangely imperfect early vocals. Absolute and Geri created the similar Circles Round the Moon two years later...and that one sounds vocally flawless. I'm aware of Geri's limitations as a singer. But honestly, her team should have done some easy fixes on Lift Me Up...as it's pretty good otherwise. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think Lift Me Up is one of Geri's few songs that could have gotten play in the US. Look At Me was too strange for the market...but Lift Me Up fits adult contemporary radio. I'll also defend the video. I actually think it's really cute and memorable. The only time it crosses the line into groan inducing for me is the spaceship taking off and spelling 'Geri' at the end. Anyway. I adore most of Emma's original material...but her covers, by and large, are way too similar to the originals...and lack the effort to be interesting. Emma's the better singer and entertainer...but sorry...Geri deserved the win on the charts on this one. |
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Nov 2 2019, 09:33 PM
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#18
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BuzzJack Idol
Joined: 29 June 2006
Posts: 128,408 User: 845
 
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What I am i dont really like lift me up.
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Nov 4 2019, 04:02 PM
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#19
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They've had the very Tunnocks, Mary
Joined: 13 March 2011
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Hands down, 'What I Am' for me, even two decades on. I still listen to it on Spotify with regularity (it's on my 'Feel Good' playlist that I have on whilst I work, so that may explain why) and whilst Emma has had better singles as time has gone on, this was a faithful cover, very melodic and Tin Tin Out did a great job on the production. It was just very unfortunate to get caught in the crossfire of such an ugly chart battle that was mostly the media's doing, but not entirely.
Having just read 'Freak Like Me' by Malcolm McLean (which I'd recommend all Buzzjackers to read, especially those who populate this artist forum, it's a brilliant book about his experiences following popstars around at the end of 90s/beginning of the 00s. Geri and the then quartet Spice Girls feature quite heavily) it's put my perception of this 'chart battle' in even sharper focus given he was ringside for much of it. The way I see it, a clash of release schedules was bound to happen at some point with all the girls branching out into solo ventures. That Geri happened to be at the centre of such a clash was unsurprising and surely no accident. But 'Lift Me Up' is far from being her best solo effort (that key change remains painful), and I still stand by my belief that it got there on what goodwill there was towards her at the time, and the fact she literally flogged herself to anyone who gave her airtime promoting this single. Not to mention that Chris Evans stunt she pulled midweek which I think was undoubtedly where the rot started to set into her solo career, or at least her continuing at the level of success and fame she was at at the time. It left a bad taste in many people's mouths because it seemed like there was nothing she wouldn't do to secure success at any cost. Of course this was tied into a wider thing with her where she was mentally not in a good place and placed her own happiness and worth so readily on her fame and success, that she talked about in quite some depth in her 'Just for the Record' book. So you can understand a lot of her motives from that, but all the same with hindsight it's very problematic to digest. On the flipside of things though, this for me is why 1999 was one of my favourite years for music. Literally anything went, in sound and style, and it was that bit more exciting to witness because of how much competition there was each week, and nothing was set in stone, even when it seemed like it was. This chart battle, as ugly and public as it was, was a prime example of that, and I miss the charts having that same kind of excitement, however built up the hype was. |
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Nov 4 2019, 04:10 PM
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#20
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 16 November 2009
Posts: 7,591 User: 9,988
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Nice write up. Geri's transformation into the person she is now is mindboggling until you realise lady of the manor Geri is just another act and publicity stunt.
Let's not forget 3 years ago Geri was so desperate for attention and a Spice reunion that she was willing to do it as a 3 piece and took that pic of them in party hats in bed. That Geri is still there it is just right now she is getting sponsorships and attention for being Lady Horner. I'm sure in probably a couple of years that will pass and she will be back to wanting a reunion again. This post has been edited by sammy01: Nov 4 2019, 09:54 PM |
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