19 years ago...
Monday 14th September 1998
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx1krWk-kFI
The day after marrying her first husband Jimmy Gulzar, Mel B released her debut solo single I Want You Back, featuring Missy Elliott! The R&B/Hip-Hop flavoured track was the very first solo release to come from any of the Spice Girls. It debuted at #1 in the UK, and would prove to be Mel's only chart topper away from the group. Its entry date of Sunday 20th September 1998 was also the last date of the Spiceworld Tour, with the concluding date taking place at Wembley Stadium.
16 years ago...
Monday 17th September 2001
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl15xG3cHd4
Victoria's first chart moment away from the Spice Girls was a collaboration with True Steppers & Dane Bowers - Out of Your Mind - in August 2000. It would be another year until she was ready to release her first completely solo single, Not Such an Innocent Girl. By 2001, all of her former band-mates had achieved at least one solo #1 each (the aforementioned Out of Your Mind had had to make do with #2). The pressure was on for Victoria to achieve the same. With an expensive-looking video and an intense promotional schedule, surely Victoria's time had come? Unfortunately for her, it wasn't to be! Despite a much-hyped chart battle between herself and Kylie Minogue (who won out, with Can't Get You Out of My Head entering at #1), she fell way short of the mark - entering and peaking at #6. Surely a great position to achieve for a lot of artists, but for Victoria it was labelled as an unmitigated flop.
4 years ago...
Thursday 19th September 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUUO5JeT-QA
Mel B surprised her fans with the release of For Once in My Life, her first music release in over 8 years! Was she finally gearing herself up to release a third solo album? Sadly not, as another 4 years have come and gone without further music releases! For the past decade Mel has experienced major success in the television industry, and thus has prioritised presenting & judging over music. For Once in My Life was backed with one of the more memorable solo-Spice music videos - it was filmed on the set of Desperate Housewives, and sees her stripping off, cutting her own hair and even giving herself a kiss on the lips. ;o Ultimately chart success wasn't forthcoming, although it managed to make it to #30 in the UK Indie singles chart, and #2 in the US Billboard Dance Club Songs.
I like 'For Once In My Life'. It was mainly stemmed from me and my then housemate having an ironic obsession with it bit then grew to genuinely like it.
'I Want You Back' is probably one of the most forgettable and nondescript #1s ever. NSAIG is okay, but nothing to write home about at all.
wow didnt realize they all came out around the same time.
I loved both IWYB and FOIML. Missy did a great thing working with Mel on that track. I only wish she (and Timbaland) could've done more on the album.
NSAIG was cute when it came out. I rarely listen to it now, I loved the video tho.
For Once In My Life is such an anthem, can't believe it was 4 years ago
19 years ago...
Saturday 19th September 1998 / Sunday 20th September 1998
The Spice Girls performed the last two dates of their Spiceworld Tour at Wembley Stadium!
The tour began in February 1998 in Dublin, Ireland, and at this point the Spice Girls were still in tact as a 5 piece. However, by the end of the first European leg in May, Geri quit the group - just two weeks before they were set to embark on their North American dates. Despite fears of a backlash, their American fans proved themselves to be fine with the prospect of seeing a quartet instead. Barely any refunds were requested and every American date was successfully completed. By the time the girls returned to the UK for their stadium dates in Sheffield & London, both Mel B & Victoria were showing the signs of pregnancy. The Wembley shows were filmed, and subsequently released on VHS in November 1998 and DVD in October 2008.
Memorable elements of this tour include the If U Can't Dance intro (I love the routine / formation!), Naked (despite it seeming that only the chairs they were sat on were covering their modesty, they weren't completely naked x), 2 Become 1 (Emma's extended high note ), Spice Up Your Life (the conga *.*) and a rousing cover of We Are Family.
Looking back, it's a great shame that the biggest show of their career wasn't with the full line-up. This is why I actually prefer their Istanbul show from 1997 - for me it represents the group at their peak & I enjoy it more (even though it's sadly lacking a performance of Viva Forever). Geri has since expressed regret at missing out on the opportunity to perform at Wembley Stadium - although she did get to perform for American & Canadian fans for the first time, thanks to the 2007/8 tour The Return of the Spice Girls.
Yeah as good as Wembley Stadium was looking at it now it just never looks or feels right as a four piece. I think it's also because there was no new four piece only music either it was just Spice and Spiceworld which again made the absence stand out more (to me)
18 years ago...
Monday 27th September 1999
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlq9PecSD5o
Melanie C released Goin' Down, which managed a peak of #4 in the UK. This grungy rock song was released as the lead single off her debut album Northern Star.
17 years ago...
Monday 25th September 2000
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtW13ZtSdgw
Mel B released Tell Me, which also reached #4 in the UK and preceded the release of her debut album Hot. It includes the memorable lyric "all you loved was Mel B's money" (this song is about her ex-husband Jimmy Gulzar).
17 years ago...
Monday 9th October 2000
Mel B's debut album Hot was released. It proved to be a commercial disaster, stalling at #28 in the UK chart - making it the first Spice related release to miss the UK Top 20. Mel B sadly has the dubious honour of being the only Spice Girl not to have achieved a Top 10 solo album. Four months after release, Mel achieved another Top 5 hit single with 'Feels So Good', but interest in its parent album remained limited - only managing to climb to #95.
16 years ago...
Monday 1st October 2001
Victoria Beckham's self-titled album came out. She was the last of the Spice Girls to release a debut, following Geri's 'Schizophonic' (1999), Melanie C's 'Northern Star' (1999), Mel B's 'Hot' (2000) and Emma's 'A Girl Like Me' (2001). 'Victoria Beckham' achieved a UK peak of #10, following on from the #6 peak its lead single 'Not Such An Innocent Girl' acheived. Sadly this would prove to be Victoria's only commercially released album, although her second album sessions (from 2003/2004) were eventually leaked.
12 years ago...
Friday 30th September 2005
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9n5AkJU-so
Melanie C released First Day of My Life (a cover of an Enrique Iglesias song). It became a #1 smash in Germany, Spain & Switzerland thanks to being the theme song from the German soap opera telenovela Wege zum Glück. The single's success lead to a re-release of her third album Beautiful Intentions, which hadn't previously included the track. Curiously she didn't release this as a single in the UK, but included it as a bonus track on the 'Carolyna' single in 2007.
I’m surprised I did!! Maybe the Viva Forever haters are influencing me. ;o
20 years ago...
Monday 13th October 1997
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wfpXI5PKlw
Spice Girls released Spice Up Your Life, the first single from their second album Spiceworld! http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=205301&view=findpost&p=5843362
14 years ago...
Monday 13th October 2003
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdW9oM6ZMME
Emma Bunton released Maybe, the second single to be taken from her sophomore album Free Me! What a gem of a pop song. It provided Emma with a #6 peak in the UK.
Both are great tracks that I still listen to quite frequent
Feeling all nostalgic with this topic btw
(And old )..
21 years ago...
Monday 14th October 1996
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ro0FW9Qt-4
Spice Girls released their second single Say You'll Be There! http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=205301&view=findpost&p=5843362
20 years ago...
Thursday 16th October 1997
https://twitter.com/SpiceGirlsNet/status/920017030430052352
The official launch of the Spice Girls dolls! They would go on to be the fifth best selling toy of Christmas 1997 in the UK with 300,000 sales, which was reportedly too limited to satisfy demand. 9 year old me really wanted them, but 9 year old me was also too aware of "dolls not being for boys" to dare ask :') Does anyone here collect their dolls?
Omg 21 years since their best single was released!!
18 years ago...
Monday 18th October 1999
Melanie C's debut album - Northern Star - was released 18 years ago! Released three weeks after introductory single 'Goin' Down', the album started off somewhat modestly in the UK album chart - entering at #10, on sales of just under 18,000. Northern Star initially spent just three weeks inside the Top 40, but with the release of its title track as the second single, it climbed back inside, and remained within the Top 40 over Christmas 1999. This caused its sales to swell to 175,000 by the end of the year.
2000 proved to be an incredibly successful year for Melanie C. The album's third & fourth releases - Never Be The Same Again and I Turn To You - both topped the UK charts. A re-release of the album containing newer versions of these two singles saw Northern Star achieve its peak of #4. It was certified 3xPlatinum by February 2001, denoting shipments of over 900,000 copies. Its actual UK sales stood at 890,150 as of October 2016. It also achieved great longevity, registering 99 weeks inside the UK Top 200 - even re-entering the Top 75 in 2004!
The album was also a success in other countries. It reached #1 in Sweden and peaked within the Top 10 in several countries. It was certified gold in Australia, Canada and Switzerland, and platinum in Germany and Sweden. Although Northern Star only reached #108 in the US Billboard chart, it sold around 95,000 copies there in total. With an estimated 4 million sales worldwide, this makes Northern Star by far the most successful album released by a member of the Spice Girls gone solo. Go Melanie!
Despite the album receiving average reviews upon release (including a particularly scathing assessment by http://www.nme.com/reviews/album/reviews-nme-1475), its a true fan favourite - with many fans citing it as not only Melanie's best work, but as the best solo Spice Girls album. It's arguably the most genre diverse album released by a Spice Girl too, exploring pop, rock, electronic, r&b, techno and punk - with production from Rick Rubin, Rick Nowels, Craig Armstrong, Marius De Vries, Rhett Lawrence and most notably William Orbit, who was one of the producers on Madonna's much-celebrated album 'Ray of Light' (1998).
Melanie C may not be one of the UK's most celebrated female solo artists, sadly - but in my eyes Northern Star is a classic - happy 18th anniversary! *.*
WOW time flies I still love this album so much one of her best work ever and one of the best spice solo albums ever .
I like Northern star but not myfav solo record.
Is funny to see how modest was in the beginning and how big became after NBTSA and I turn to you.
I always thought that if the success was keeping low until 2000 then we could have such a better Forever era, with solo attitude less strong and much more focu on the group again
NS is a masterpiece
Northern star is my favourite Spice realease full stop! I adore it
Northern Star is Melanie's best album, still love it now. Not the best solo spice album but certainly one of the best.
17 years ago...
Monday 23rd October 2000
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFBWbH5CeREhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtczIm5XrNo
Spice Girls released their Holler / Let Love Lead the Way, the "Double A Side" single which launched their third studio album, Forever! The single reached #1 in the UK, becoming their 9th and final chart topper as a group.
http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=205301&view=findpost&p=5831251 + http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=205301&view=findpost&p=5830055
Mind the Mel C look they all were hot in the video , Holler is just perfection and still sounds awesome
^^im now feeling old with this one...sheesh
I was 13 17 years ago, i can imagine people feeling old tbh.
What about them do they feel old too LOL
20 years ago...
Monday 3rd November 1997
It's been 20 years since the release of the Spice Girls' second album Spiceworld!
Spiceworld is of course the follow up to their hugely successful debut album 'Spice'. The level of notoriety and success the Spice Girls achieved with that album was phenomenal, and lead to them filming their very own movie! This took place in the summer of 1997. As if the Spice Girls weren't busy enough learning their lines & filming scenes, there was also the small matter of recording their second album. Spiceworld was written/recorded on set during any free moments; a hectic time for the Spice Girls!
Spiceworld is a pop album, with influences of Latin (Spice Up Your Life, Viva Forever), Motown (Stop), Disco (Never Give Up on the Good Times) and even Jazz (The Lady is a Vamp). It received positive critical reviews, bettering the mixed response towards their debut.
The album was an instantaneous success, reaching the Top 10 in all major markets - including #1 in the UK, on first week sales of just under 192,000. This made it the fastest selling girl group album of all-time in the UK, a record which has still not been taken from them 20 years on... so it might come as a surprise that the media and music industry insiders deemed its sales as being "disappointing" at the time! This negativity/backlash was likely a response to the Spice Girls famously sacked their manager (Simon Fuller) just four days after the album's release. Spiceworld spent three non-consecutive weeks at #1, and had sold its millionth copy by the end of 1997. By 2009, its total sales were approaching 1.6m, while its worldwide sales are reportedly around 20m.
Four singles were released from the album - Spice Up Your Life, Too Much, Stop and Viva Forever. Stop became the group's first single to miss the top spot in the UK, having to make do with #2, but the other three singles all reached #1. Too Much was the most successful release in the US, where it peaked at #9 - the group's final US Top 10 hit.
In February 1998, the Spice Girls embarked on their first tour (the Spiceworld Tour) in support of the album. They started in Europe, and sadly by the end of this leg in May, Geri decided to leave the group. A four piece Spice Girls toured North America over the summer of 1998, and culminated with stadium dates at Don Valley and Wembley Stadium in September 1998, which marked the end of this album era.
What an incredible pop album, one of my all time faves! Please feel free to share your memories / your favourite songs/performances!
Ha 20 years ago today i ran to the shop to buy this album with my dad and my sister throwing a strop in the music shop because she didn't get the Backstreet Boys album she wanted
I remember coming home and listening to the album the whole evening and thinking the girl sang German in Move Over for several years! (Das ist over instead of Cause its over)
This is my favorite album of the girls. It had the hits like Spice Up Your Life,Too Much, Stop and Viva Forever and brilliant songs like Saturday Night Divas,Never Give Up On The Good Times,Do It, Denying and The Lady is a Vamp. In my opinion there is no bad song on this album.
Loved the tour and went to the Arnhem date on the 28th of March 1998. Sadly we lost Geri during this era but the Wembley concert was stil amazing!
I'll write something more substantial tomorrow perhaps, but today marks 21 years since the release of Spice in the UK!
21 & 20 years since their first two albums... help ;o
Spiceworld Truly a pop masterpiece! This deserved to outsell their debut in my opinion. While I love Spice, Spiceworld is much more varied in it's styles touching on Motown, Latin, Disco, Jazz and even flavours of RnB, it was great evolution from the first album and it features my top 3 Spice Girls singles (Viva forever, Stop, Spice up your life)
It has been really lovely to see a few articles from Billboard and Metro giving the album the praise it deserves, it's Spiceworld that makes me gutted that we never got that 3rd follow up to the album, these girls still had so much more to give (as evident with some of their solo pop masterpieces).
^ It's great that it's received some attention for its anniversary!
A few articles:
21 years ago...
Monday 4th November 1996
...the Spice Girls' debut album Spice went on sale in the UK!
After forming in 1994 via an audition process, the Spice Girls (or Touch as they were known back then) parted company with the original managers the following year. This was due to their frustration with the company's unwillingness to listen to their visions and ideas.
The Spice Girls already had a session booked with the songwriter and producer Eliot Kennedy, so they drove to his studio in Sheffield to see if he'd still honour the meeting, even though they were now lacking in representation. Thankfully Eliot was intrigued by the girls and decided to work with them anyway. 'Love Thing' and 'Say You'll Be There' were composed during their very first session together. From there on out their debut album took shape, with writers & producers Stannard and Rowe & Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins also coming on board. The Spice Girls eventually secured new management with Simon Fuller of 19 Entertainment, and subsequently signed to Virgin Records in September 1995. 'Spice' was ultimately ready to be released a year later.
The 10-track album is a pop record at its core, but it incorporates other styles such as r&b, soul, funk and even hip-hop!
'Spice' entered the UK albums chart at #1 on 10th November 1996, with first week sales of 114,000. From there on out its sales exploded, and by the end of 1996 'Spice' had racked up an astonishing 1,800,000 sales, peaking with 439,000 sales in a single week in the Christmas chart (while the third single, the ballad '2 Become 1', became the Christmas #1 of 1996). The album went on to spend 15 non-consecutive weeks at #1 in total, as well as a consecutive 40 week run within the Top 5. It was still Top 20 by the time the group had moved on to its second album era. It is certified 10xPlatinum for shipments exceeding 3 million copies, and was within the Top 3 best selling albums of 1996 and 1997, as well as the third best selling album of the 1990s decade. It didn't exit the chart until early 1999, having amassed 113 weeks in the Top 200.
'Spice' was released in February 1997 in the US. It initially entered the US Billboard chart at #6, which at the time was the highest debut for a UK girl group. They held this record until 2013, when Little Mix entered the US chart at #4 with their own debut album 'DNA'. Ultimately 'DNA' had a short chart life, whereas 'Spice' had tremendous tenacity. It hovered around the US Top 10 for 3 months, before it finally reached its peak of #1 (where it stayed for 5 non-consecutive weeks). 'Spice' ended up selling over 5 million copies in 1997 alone, and went on to achieve a sales total of around 7.5m.
Overall, 'Spice' is one of the most successful albums of all-time, and remains as the best selling by a girl group. It has reportedly sold as much as 31 million copies worldwide. It topped the charts in at least 17 countries, and became a platinum or multi-platinum album in more than 40 countries. It was also the best selling album worldwide in 1997. The success of 'Spice' and the singles taken from it, combined with their unique image & infectious personalities, helped the Spice Girls to become a worldwide phenomenon, not seen since Beatlemania.
One word: iconic.
Spice and Spiceworld are both two of my favourite albums of all-time I really need to get the former on vinyl at some point. Funnily enough, I prefer the Spiceworld singles but the Spice album tracks so I guess they're great in different ways. My parents owned Spice when it first came out, so when I got into the girls I nabbed it off them and they still haven't got it back. happy birthday to two iconic albums *.*
10 years ago...
Monday 5th November 2007
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMo6v_uFZKU
It's been a decade since the release of the Spice Girls' final ever single (presumably ) - 'Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)'!
*Lazily copies the commentary I wrote for it in the recent rate results*
2007 saw the return of the Spice Girls, reuniting after 7 years apart! As well as announcing a world tour & a Greatest Hits album, they also confirmed a new single - 'Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)' - released as that year's Children in Need single. In an interview with GMTV, Geri described 'Headlines' as a "big love song" and a "Spice Girls classic".
After a rather haphazard release strategy of "download only" (5th November), inclusion on the Greatest Hits album (12th November) and finally a CD single (19th November), 'Headlines' stalled at #11 in the UK - making it their first single to miss the Top 10 (in fact they'd never previously placed lower than #2). It spent a mere 6 weeks in the Top 100, and racked up total sales of just over 50,000. Undoubtedly a huge under-performance & disappointment for a group previously accustomed to #1 platinum smashes. It also reached #90 in the US Billboard Hot 100.
Can you believe it's been 10 years? What do you think about Headlines?
Headlines
I actually really like the song it's a beautiful ballad but it is just so wrong for a single, and a comeback single from a group who had a perfect run of amazing singles up until then, it's just barmy. When you look at what All Saints managed the year before with Rock Steady for their come back, and then Girls Aloud Something New for their come back a few years later, it pales in comparison. I so so so so SO wish we had got a massive upbeat stomper of a track for their comeback something in the vein of Who do you think you are, Never give up on the good times, Spice up your life, one that could not be ignored, then Headlines could have taken Voodoo's place on the GH that would have been perfect.
Arrrgh these girls lol
NME reviewed Spiceworld as part of this week's edition of Album Club:
From 17:35 onwards. Snobby at times, as is expected of NME, but it is interesting to hear a perspective of people not necessarily fans of Spice Girls.
I still love headlines
Tonight I dreamed of them singing Headlines in a big Tv show similar to te Olympics 😍
17 years ago...
Monday 6th November 2000
Forever, the third studio album by the Spice Girls, was released! A huge write-up for this one.
This album was a long time in the making. Plans for a third Spice Girls album were in motion in 1998, with the girls suggesting that it would include solo songs and duets, as well as group songs. This unusual idea obviously didn't come to pass.
'Goodbye' was recorded in the summer of 1998 and released as a single in December. It became their third Christmas #1 and fifth best selling hit. At this point it seemed the group's popularity was untainted despite Geri's departure earlier that year - so there was huge interest in when the eventual first 4-piece album would materialise. Would it be ready in 1999?
Sadly not! Following the success of 'Goodbye', the group parted ways for a few months. Victoria & Mel B both gave birth in early 1999 and took time out - and notably Melanie C took the opportunity to record her first solo album ('Northern Star') during this downtime. It wasn't until August 1999 that the girls were ready to start work on the third album. They collaborated with their usual British producers and writers, and for the first time in their careers they worked with the American producers Rodney & Fred Jerkins, and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. According to Geri many years later, the other four girls had expressed an interest in making R&B music even while she was still in the group, but she felt it wasn't the right fit for her. She reckons that it was her departure that allowed the other girls to feel free to explore their desire to record R&B.
In December 1999 the girls embarked on a short UK tour, 'Christmas In Spiceworld'. They showcased three of their new songs - 'W.O.M.A.N.', 'Right Back At Ya' and 'Holler' (then known as 'Holler Holler'). The first two songs were a continuation of the pop sound they were known and loved for, while 'Holler' was their fans' first taste of the group's new sound.
In March 2000, the Spice Girls were honoured with the 'Outstanding Contribution to Music' award at the BRIT Awards - but despite this, a single and album wasn't ready for release, to benefit from this exposure. What was the cause of the delay? By this point, they had recorded more than enough tracks to compile an album. It seems the delay was for two reasons. Reason 1: The girls were distracted by their solo endeavours. That same month, Melanie C achieved her first solo #1 hit with 'Never Be The Same Again', and sales of her album skyrocketed. She followed this with another #1 smash in August, 'I Turn to You' - and both singles became successful worldwide. The other three girls also spent time separately in recording studios in 2000, each working on respective debut solo albums. Reason 2: The Spice Girls/Virgin decided to scrap almost all of the tracks from their "pop sessions", deciding to commit fully to making the album an R&B record - and thus needed more time in the studio to create new tracks. It wasn't until July that the album's final track was recorded (while the sole surviving pop track, 'Right Back At Ya', was reworked to fit the album's sound), and thus they were finally ready to get to work on choosing a single, recording videos and starting promotion.
The tracks 'Holler' and 'Let Love Lead The Way' (both written and recorded in August 1999) were chosen to be released as a Double A Side single. Both videos were filmed in July 2000, and the songs/videos premiered in September. It was also revealed that the third album finally had a name - 'Forever'.
Rather strangely, Mel B decided to release her solo material just week's before the group's releases, despite strong resistance from Virgin. This decision proved to be a misfire, with her debut album 'Hot' stalling at #28 in the UK albums chart. Despite this, it seemed like it was business as usual for the Spice Girls - their single shot straight to #1 in the UK at the end of October 2000, becoming their 9th #1. Would 'Forever' follow suit?
'Forever' was released in the same week as 'Coast To Coast', the second album from the Irish boyband Westlife. During the Spice Girls' absence from the charts, Westlife had emerged as the new chart force to be reckoned with, having achieved 7 #1 singles in a row by the time the groups went head to head in the charts. Media attention was intense - who would win? Ultimately, the Spice Girls proved to be no match for the all-conquering Westlife. While the girls reached a perfectly respectable #2, they had been outsold 3:1 - and thus were labelled as having flopped.
'Forever' performed disappointingly outside of the UK, failing to make the Top 10 in quite a few countries - partly due to poor promotion. With a downturn in success and reported in-fighting within the group, the Spice Girls quietly parted ways at the end of the year. No further singles were released, and 'Forever' ended up becoming the final Spice Girls studio album.
With the benefit of hindsight, there were certainly things they could have done differently. They evidently spent far too long away from the charts, the complete change of direction in music genre was arguably a misstep, and they focused more on their solo careers than the group... it seemed by the time they got around to releasing 'Forever', their passion for the group had dwindled, in particular Melanie C. Also, the group's image had visibly matured, so maybe they were unwittingly alienating some of their younger fans too.
Personally, I don't think 'Forever' is a bad album! It includes some of their greatest vocal moments, and I'll always argue that 'Holler' is one of their best singles. What are your thoughts on the album?
Final thought: That artwork will never not be terrible. What were they thinking?
That album artwork Kinda sums up the whole era for me. I like Forever but that’s it I like it while I love the first two albums. While I’m glad we got Holler and some other tracks the whole era kinda makes me wish it was either completely different or not done at all. It certainly tarnished them a little at the time.
I like the 4 unreleased leaked Eliot Kennedy tracks (A Day in Your Life, Pain Proof, Give You What You Want & Right Back At Ya pop mix) more than the majority of Forever. They wasted a good pop four piece album.
I agree.
So many anniversaries, I can't keep up!!
18 years ago...
Sunday 7th November 1999
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVp9P1-fBy8https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEOeClFSQ1o
It's been 18 years since Geri Halliwell and Emma Bunton went head to head in the UK singles chart! Geri released Lift Me Up as the third single from her debut album Schizophonic, while Emma teamed up with Tin Tin Out for her first solo offering What I Am (a cover of the 1988 hit by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians).
At this point in time it hadn't yet been two full years since Geri had left the Spice Girls, and things between her and Emma were still quietly acrimonious. A chart battle wasn't ideal, and not planned by the ladies themselves; Geri openly criticised record label executives at the time: "I think that we should be responsible about that because that little kid has to part with four quid and making them decide is really wicked, I think. That is like choosing between two parents".
Nevertheless, their promotional schedules were intense, ensuring that they both occupied the top two positions - but it was Geri who succeeded in achieving the #1 spot, outselling Emma by a margin of 33,000 copies (139,000 vs 106,000 copies). Geri also won in terms of total sales; as of June 2017 Lift Me Up had sold 346,000 copies, compared to What I Am's 224,000.
I wonder why neither of them changed their date by a week? I mean both were pretty much heading for the #1 spot it would have been better for both (well Emma) to have moved the singles so they didn't clash hence betting their discographies.
03/10/1999 - 141,500 - Eiffel 65 - Blue (La Da Dee)
10/10/1999 - 172,600 - Christina Aguilera - Genie In A Bottle
17/10/1999 - 123,000 - Christina Aguilera - Genie In A Bottle
24/10/1999 - 92,000 - Westlife - Flying Without Wings
31/10/1999 - 137,000 - Five - Keep On Movin
07/11/1999 - 139,000 - Geri Halliwell - Lift Me Up
14/11/1999 - 122,600 - Robbie Williams - She's The One
21/11/1999 - 148,000 - Wamdue Project - King Of My Castle
28/11/1999 - 147,947 - Cliff Richard - Millennium Prayer
05/12/1999 - 158,328 - Cliff Richard - Millennium Prayer
12/12/1999 - 159,369 - Cliff Richard - Millennium Prayer
19/12/1999 - 213,000 - Westlife - I Have A Dream/Seasons In The Sun
26/12/1999 - 231,000 - Westlife - I Have A Dream/Seasons In The Sun
The only week near Emma's release, in which the #1 sold less than what Emma sold to be #2, is (rather surprisingly) Westlife's Flying Without Wings. Westlife 92k vs Emma 106k. The only thing is, if Emma had released a couple of weeks earlier, without the hype of a "Spice Girl vs Spice Girl battle", would she have sold significantly less than 106k, and therefore not prevented Westlife from #1 anyway?
Had Geri moved her week of release and Emma had kept it, the #3 behind Geri/Emma was Five's Keep on Movin', with sales of 87,000. So perhaps Emma would have managed to clinch #1 for herself (again, I'm assuming she'd have sold somewhat less than 106k without the battle hype).
If Geri had released a week earlier, I imagine she would have lost out to Five, and if she'd delayed by a week then she'd have been up against Robbie Williams... and I guess her label didn't feel brave enough for this scenario, even though his first week ended up being less than Geri's.
I know all of this is "moot point" territory! It does seem that Emma's only viable chance of #1 would have been if Geri/EMI had decided to move, but it seems they were ultimately happy to stick to it - and it paid off for them!
10 years ago...
Monday 12th November 2007
It's been a decade since the Spice Girls released their compilation album Greatest Hits!
The collection includes all 13 of their singles, including 'Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)' which was a brand new single at the time. Additionally, 'Move Over' from the Spiceworld album and another new recording, 'Voodoo', were also included.
Greatest Hits was released in support of the Spice Girls' 'The Return of the Spice Girls' tour, which took place across Europe and North America, from December 2007 to February 2008.
It was released on the same date as X Factor winner Leona Lewis' highly anticipated debut album 'Spirit'. It was a foregone conclusion that Leona would claim the #1 album that week, and she did it in style - selling a huge 375,872 in its first week on sale. The Spice Girls did manage to enter at #2 though, with 75,787 sold. Greatest Hits was certified Platinum in the UK, and had sold over 413,000 copies as of August 2012.
The Greatest Hits compilation was the first Spice album I ever bought *.* I'm glad they released it shortly before I got into them because a GH is always a solid starting point when you want to get into a group. Their chart career may have been short but they managed to pack a lot of hits into those few years!
It is a shame that the compilation isn't on Spotify. </3
I always thought the Greatest Hits would have sold more for them, i know it has done well but i expected it to sell far higher.
its been a very consistent seller for sure, but i also thought it would sell more, especially as Girls Alouds first GH sold over 1m, released 12 months before.
I feel like a Vinyl would have boosted sales long term, and if it was stocked in the super markets with those 3 pound CDs.
*if* the rumours of a new album next year are true, I hope its a repackage with say a bonus CD rather than a whole new greatest hits, then the sales will all count as one right
The Greatest Hits was a nice collection, but it is somewhat lacking.
They did f*** all promo for it, and released it on the same week as Leona - all the press was again about the chart battle and how Leona had the upperhand - it was sad to see that actually, as maybe if they had released it in another week it would have stand a better chance.
Then the disgraceful Limited Edition Box - what a crack of shit. I bought it out of 'being a fan' but was so reluctant to do it, cos it was bad. I loved the pink, but the 'friendship bracelet' was at best childish and the content of the box super shit.
And Headlines, I think, didnt help it either. It was as a poor song, with a shit video. And I dont even want to talk about their performances of it, or even Voodoo.
So, I like the GH standard edition/two CD edition with videos. It's a great CD with all their singles plus a new track. I wish the standard edition was on Spotify as it would improve its sales over time.
Overall, a bit poorly handled, but a nice item to the collection.
The total for the GH is obviously much higher than Jay's figure posted. It has charted for about 10 weeks in the top 200 after that figure.
As for the release, the cd and cd/dvd were fine, maybe adding step to me would have been good. The ugly pink box was such a disaster though.
A vinyl is crying out to be released surely.
JESUS CHRIST
17 YEARS SINCE OUR OF YOUR MIND AND HOLLER
I CAN'T
I STILL LISTEN TO THEM A LOT
I LITERALLY CAN'T EVEN
OMG AT 18 FOR LIFT ME UP
I cant believe the reunion and the GH is already 10 years ago, seems less, actually they were absolutly perfect, I ams o happy they did and I was able to attend a concert. Many things could have been done better but still it was beautiful
19 years ago...
Monday 23rd November 1998 - Bryan Adams feat. Melanie C - 'When You're Gone'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W2jONIjrM0
18 years ago...
Monday 22nd November 1999 - Melanie C - 'Northern Star' (Single)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6OLkIF3Up4
14 years ago...
Monday 10th November 2003 - Melanie C - 'Melt' / 'Yeh Yeh Yeh'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0RBIkWpyd8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL07-WxN-c8
13 years ago...
Monday 22nd November 2004 - Geri Halliwell - 'Ride It'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV8ivByc6U8
11 years ago...
Monday 20th November 2006 - Emma Bunton - 'Downtown'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhD4rXkV0yo
6 years ago...
Sunday 6th November 2011 - Melanie C - 'Weak'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1bsXGc7X0U
5 years ago...
Sunday 11th November 2012 - Melanie C feat. Emma Bunton - 'I Know Him So Well'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eO0hhfq5RM
4 years ago...
Friday 25th October 2013 - Geri Halliwell - 'Half of Me'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EK2vNnS5pg
I forgot to mention a few of these anniversaries over the past few weeks! Note that today's date is exactly 19 years since 'When You're Gone', while yesterday was 13 years since 'Ride It' & 18 years since 'Northern Star'.
Can't quite believe how old some of these songs are now. 13 years since Geri's last Top 10 hit, and 11 years since Emma's last one...
When You’re Gone is still so huge . Played all over radio around the world . Melanie really did help this song become a hit !!!
17 years ago...
Monday 27th November 2000 - Melanie C - 'If That Were Me'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K_P6G0E7oE
16 years ago...
Monday 26th November 2001 - Geri Halliwell - Calling'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu4a_7k38Bc
'If That Were Me' and 'Calling' have a couple of things in common - they're both ballads, and both were released as the last singles from their respective parent albums, 'Northern Star' and 'Scream If You Wanna Go Faster'.
The proceeds of Melanie C's single went to the Kandu Arts charity, due to the song's theme about homelessness. It was poorly received by critics, and it couldn't be called a fan favourite either (although I personally like it!). It peaked at #18 in the UK charts, which at the time was the lowest peaking single a solo Spice Girl had achieved. In fairness it was the 5th release from a multi-platinum album, and unlike her previous three singles, 'If That Were Me' wasn't edited or remixed for its release. As of 2009 it had sold over 53,000 copies, which believe it or not makes it Melanie's 7th best seller.
Geri had high hopes that 'Calling' would return her to #1 in the UK charts, but it wasn't to be - entering at a respectable #7 (its eventual total sales exceeded 70,000 copies). This chart position reportedly upset her, and it abruptly marked the end of the 'Scream If You Wanna Go Faster' era. It ended up taking her 3 years to follow it up (with 'Ride It'); in the intervening period she had tried her hand at acting, presenting and most notably became a judge on Popstars: The Rivals.
I like if that were me . But can you imagine if Closer for a single release ? It would have been a bigger hit and pushed album sales further !
I Love calling! Still a beautiful ballad.
If that were me is one of worst solo single ever for me
The scary one is half of me being 4 years old, Jesus that 4 years has gone quick.
I like IFTWM but a double a-side of closer and be the one was screaming to be released! I thought suddenly Monday would have worked as a double-side with if that were me and given it that extra push.
10 years ago; 2nd December 2007 - the Spice Girls started their Return of the Spice Girls tour, in Vancouver!
16 years ago...
Monday 10th December 2001 - Emma Bunton - 'We're Not Gonna Sleep Tonight'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vhbQmOj--A
11 years ago...
Monday 3rd December 2006 - Emma Bunton - 'Life in Mono'
A couple of Emma anniversaries!
Last week marked 11 years since the release of Emma's third and (to date) final studio album Life in Mono. It was released directly after her #3 peaking Children in Need single Downtown, but unfortunately Emma didn't scale the same heights in the albums chart - entering at a mere #65. This made it the second lowest charting solo Spice Girls album, which still remains the case 11 years on - the only album to perform worse was Mel B's L.A. State of Mind, which peaked at a shockingly low #453!
#65 was a clearly disappointing result, particularly seeing as Emma was taking part in Strictly Come Dancing that year. Its sales aren't too bad though, relatively speaking! It sold 12,307 copies in its first week, 9,926 copies in week 2 (#75) and approx 12,000 copies in week 3 (#79). This certainly highlights how strong album sales in Christmas 2006 (Christmas week saw all of the Top 15 albums sell over 100k)! By June 2009, Life in Mono has amassed 50,725 sales.
We're Not Gonna Sleep Tonight was the final single to be taken from Emma's debut album A Girl Like Me. In its original album version its a Latin-tinged summery bop, but it was given an overhaul for single release, transforming it into a more dance-pop offering. Sadly it proved to be a bit of a flop, entering the UK charts at #20 - at the time this made it the lowest charting Spice related release ever. It went on to sell over 35,000 copies.
I've always thought Emma gave up on music too soon. 50k of an album after a CIN cover and the most non radio friendly song released while she was pregnant. Mel C would give her left tit to flog 50k albums.
I love Life in Mono I know it's not everyone cup of tea but I've enjoyed so much too bad she gave up on music so soon another album like Free Me now would be Ace .
I don't think it would be my thing but Emma doing a covers album now released in Nov with a couple of duets (robbie and Will Young say) could be a great seller. She could get that 50+ market coin. Her Heart connection plus her TV connections could really come in handy.
Take me to another town was surely crying out to be single number 2.
A personal anniversary: today's date is 10 years since I saw the Spice Girls for the very first time (and last time) at London O2 Arena! What a dream come true that was
14 years ago...
Sunday 4th January 2004 - Victoria Beckham - 'This Groove' / 'Let Your Head Go'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjF5RfhSG-shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcskhTEHAP0
14 years since Victoria's final ever single charted in the UK!
After leaving Virgin Records in 2002, Victoria went back to the drawing board for her proposed second album. She signed to the Telstar label and started to work on dance/pop flavoured material in early 2003. In the same year she was introduced to the producer Damon Dash, who guided her towards a more Hip-Hop flavoured sound. A song from each session was chosen for a Double A Side single release, possibly to test the waters and determine which sound was better received by the public - This Groove from the urban sessions, and Let Your Head Go from the pop sessions.
As always, there was pressure placed on Victoria to achieve a #1 single. Its release date of Monday 29th December 2003 was most likely purposefully chosen due to the fact that the week after Christmas was usually a low-selling week in the days of physicals. Unfortunately she still couldn't manage it, and entered at a respectable #3 on sales of 29,000 copies.
Unfortunately Telstar went bankrupt in 2004, and the media placed most of the blame on Victoria being an expensive signing for the label. Victoria lost interest in her solo music career that year, which meant that this single would ultimately be her final one.
Sadly both songs remain unavailable to either download or stream, which means the single has stalled at a sales total of 69,000 copies, all of which are physicals! Neither music video is officially uploaded to YouTube either.
This Groove' / 'Let Your Head Go' Were really perfect along with the videos everything was on point I've enjoyed them so much I still do
God, this thread is making me depressed.
I just can't believe these releases are this old!
Victoria needs to put that double A-side on Spotify pronto, 'Let Your Head Go' is just so good!
Its a bloody shame Let Your Head Go isnt on Spotify cause its such a banger! One of my favorite solo spice releases,
A shame that Let Your Head Go and This Groove aren't online to purchase/stream.
I feel like there is a distinct lack of online presence from releases that were overseen by Simon Fuller/19 Management at the time of their releases:
Victoria's LYHG/This Groove (not available anywhere)
Emma's Free Me album (not available on iTunes)
Spice Girls Greatest Hits (not available on Spotify)
A shame, cos they are probably the best releases from each artist...
16 years ago...
Monday 17th September 2001
WHAAAAAAAAT WHAT WHAAAT!!
AND HOW MANY YEARS SINCE HER EXCELLENT, ESPECIALLY THIS GROOVE WHICH HAS MORE THAN OVERTAKEN LYHG, WHICH I LOOOVED AS A KID FAR MORE THAN THIS GROOVE WHICH I DIDN'T LIKE, DOUBLE A-SIDE?!
So couldn't she add it?
Or is it one of those things where the rights go up for auction as no one owns them?
14 years ago...
Monday 26th January 2004 - Emma Bunton - 'I'll Be There'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9xImcenGrI
It's been 14 years since the release of Emma's 7th single - I'll Be There! Emma & 19/Univeral approached the release of her second album (Free Me) with caution, preceding its release with three singles. I'll Be There served to launch the album, which followed two weeks later. Both single & album peaked at #7 in the UK charts! I'll Be There managed an overall total of around 40,000 copies (an indication of how horrible sales levels were that year - it was the 153rd best seller of the year!). The music video was given a black and white treatment, and was shot in Paris.
Great single !!!
My third fav from Emma.
The video is so beautiful
Can't even remember that one
The B side 'So long' is gorgeous. It just drips with class.
14 years ago...
Monday 9th February 2004 - Emma Bunton - 'Free Me'
Emma's second solo album, 'Free Me', was released 14 years ago this week! It includes the singles 'Free Me', 'Maybe', 'I'll Be There' and 'Crickets Sing for Anamaria'. The album is heavily influenced by music of the 1960s, with a mixture of pop, motown and bossa nova sounds running throughout its 12 tracks. It seemed Emma had really found her niche, because the album & its singles were like nothing else in the charts at that time.
'Free Me' entered the UK albums chart at #7, with first week sales exceeding 33,000 copies. This made it the second fastest selling solo Spice album, behind 'Scream If You Wanna Go Faster' (which shifted 35,000 in its opening week). As of 2009, 'Free Me' had sold 142,000 copies in total, making it Emma's best selling album in the UK. 'Free Me' received critical acclaim, which wasn't a usual outcome for a solo Spice record!
Such a shame it didn't manage to go top 5 being the second fastest selling album! Our girls have really been unfortunately with charting positions for their albums at times. Then downloads have also worked against them chart position wise.
Free Me is the best Spice-related album and it really was the album that restored my interest in Emma and the group too!
Shame she stopped promoting it and went on another massive iatus before Life in Mono (which is the second-best Spice related album!).
I am so grateful this album is my life 🙏🏼
Free Me is a masterpiece it's on the level of Northern star perfection
17 years ago...
Monday 19th February 2001 - Mel B - 'Feels So Good'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxkVAMvwoQU
It's been 17 years since the release of Feels So Good by Mel B. It became one of her biggest hit singles, reaching #5 in the UK with impressive first week sales of 55,000 copies. It went on to sell over 142,000 copies in total, and was the 85th best selling single of 2001. Despite being a hit, Feels So Good did little to revive her debut album Hot, which only managed to return to the UK Top 100 for two weeks (going no higher than #95).
Mel B doesn't exactly have much going for her solowise, but WHAT a song!
A strong effort from Mel B. The first three singles from the album were all great. If only she'd released 'Hotter' after this one!
Also, I so wish that artwork had been used on the album. So much more appropriate for her established fan base.
I love "Feels So Good"!
By the way, was she trying to make some kind of allusion to the "Say You'll Be There" video with this artwork?
It's much better than SYBT
In fact, a LOT of their solo songs are better than the group songs (except the ballads, Hollier/ LLLTW) come to think of it - but hype = sales
21 year ago today, the Spice Girls won their first ever Brit Awards for British Single of the Year ("Wannabe") and Video of the Year ("Say You'll Be There"). During the acceptance speech for the former award, Mel C called out Liam Gallagher who refused to attending, stating he'd punch them backstage if he bumped into them:
They also performed the now iconic medley of "Wannabe" and "Who Do You Think You Are" which itself won a Brit for most iconic performance at the BRITs in 2010:
The whole thing was IKONEK - the Liam call-out, the performance, the costumes
An iconic night in their history! I never get tired of that performance! I know a lot of the credit is aimed at Geri's look when it comes to its iconic status, but personally I think it goes beyond that. It's such an electrifying performance.
It was Iconic indeed and they all looked amazing
It's a shame in a way that Geri's dress gets so much attention because the performance itself is just WOW! The only thing that could make it better would be if it were live!
15 years ago...
Monday 24th February 2003 - Melanie C - 'Here It Comes Again'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT8m63PIN7E
15 years ago, Melanie C released 'Here It Comes Again', the first single to be taken from her second album 'Reason'. The single entered the UK charts at #7, making it her sixth Top 10 hit as a soloist. Supposedly Virgin were disappointed with that position, having projected it to enter at #2 behind Christina Aguilera's 'Beautiful' - but Melanie was only the fifth highest new entry of the week! As of 2009, 'Here It Comes Again' had sold just under 40,000 copies in total - 19,000 of which had been shifted in its first week on sale.
P.S. This single was released the day after my 15th birthday, so it came out half of my life ago... I wouldn't mind being 15 again! :')
Nice enough song .
One of my least favourite Mel C singles. It's so boring it just plods along, for a lead single it was so bad nothing to excite people for the album.
Can't believe she went from Northern Star to that
Very plodding song, 'nice enough', but more Forever fodder than Robbie Williams
She needed to stick to the pop bops
Here It Comes Again is one of my favorites!
I remember the first time I heard it, it was in a Sunday morning and it started playing on the radio (the song had some decent airplay in Brazil).
I had no idea she had a new song out -- oh, those days with limited internet connection -- , I was just so happy when I recognized her voice.
I loved HICA at the time however it hasn't aged as well as some of her others for me, I find it a bit too long nowerdays. At the time I adored it though, her voice is magnificent!
Here It Comes Again was the perfect first single but the album tracks were a mess and the b-sides were much better tracks .
Here it comes again is the biggest solo Spice girls flop when you think where she was and solo Spice girls were at that time.
3rd March -
18 years since their appearance and performance at the Brits 2000, winning Outstanding Contribution to music!
21 years since the UK release of 'Mama'/'Who Do You Think You Are'
What were the singles/ B sides of Reason??
Here It Comes Again
- Love to You
- Like That
- Living Without You
On the Horizon
- I Love You Without Trying
- Wonderland
Let's Love (Japanese release)
Melt / Yeh Yeh Yeh
- Knocked Out
- I Wish (Live from Re:Covered) [cover of Stevie Wonder]
Yeh Yeh Yeh
That should have been first single!
9th March -
20 years since the single release of 'Stop'!
Stop is well known for being their first single to miss out on the top spot in the UK - entering and peaking at #2 behind 'It's Like That' by Jason Nevins & Run DMC.
As of March 2017 it had sold 420,200 copies, which means it is Gold certified.
This would be the final single released while Geri was still a member of the band during their heyday, however their next single Viva Forever still counts as being a 5 piece release.
The dance routine during the chorus surely has to be their most recognised dance routines? Iconic!
My fav spice song
I’ve been tk that street in Dublin and took photos 😂
'Stop' is phenomenal. So, SO good. I was so shocked and extremely annoyed that it was the one to break their #1 run
One of their worst songs, but also one of their most iconic.
If that's the best girl band song ever, they must all be trash
13th March -
18 years since the single release of 'Bag It Up'!
Bag It Up was the fourth and final single to be released from Geri Halliwell's debut album Schizophonic.
As of March 2015 it had sold over 260,000 copies in the UK, and is certified Silver.
It was her third consecutive #1 hit single in the UK!
Bag It Up was the only solo Spice song to be performed at the Brit Awards, noted as being raunchy and controversial (it featured a giant pair of inflatable legs!)
All solo Spices should have performed at the Brits.
Lol at this getting to no.1 when Loo At Me, Out Of Your Mind and Innocent Girl didn't!
This also shows that this type of pop, Spicy music was still popular. Spice Girls should have stuck with this sound + Hollier.
Today's date is 20 years since Stop entered the UK charts at #2. https://twitter.com/bbcmusic/status/974223764438310912 I still remember listening to the chart show and being shocked/disappointed that they weren't #1! (Back then I didn't know about midweeks, and I was only 10 years old, so in my mind the #1 was their rightful position... #2 didn't compute ).
I love 'Bag It Up', I still hear that in gay bars a lot!
Everything about Bag it up was perfection
I always think Geri left because the group was turning into a proper band. She was the weak link when it came to live concerts and singing live.
The other 4 loved that side, the only thing the 4 really did in 1999 was the mini christmas tour.
Maturing their sound, being taken more seriously and being a touring band, probably everything Geri wasnt about.
Oops at me not updating this since March! Here are release anniversaries that have occurred since I last posted (+ 'Reason' which I forgot to mention).
Albums
19 years ago - 7th June 1999 - Geri Halliwell - Schizophonic
17 years ago - 16th April 2001 - Emma Bunton - A Girl Like Me
17 years ago - 14th May 2001 - Geri Halliwell - Scream If You Wanna Go Faster
15 years ago - 10th March 2003 - Melanie C - Reason
13 years ago - 11th April 2005 - Melanie C - Beautiful Intentions
13 years ago - 6th June 2005 - Geri Halliwell - Passion
11 years ago - 2nd April 2007 - Melanie C - This Time
Singles
20 years ago - 1st June 1998 - Spice Girls (as part of "England United") - (How Does It Feel to Be) On Top of the World
19 years ago - 10th May 1999 - Geri Halliwell - Look at Me
18 years ago - 20th March 2000 - Melanie C - Never Be the Same Again
17 years ago - 2nd April 2001 - Emma Bunton - What Took You So Long?
17 years ago - 4th June 2001 - Mel B - Lullaby
15 years ago - 26th May 2003 - Emma Bunton - Free Me
15 years ago - 2nd June 2003 - Melanie C - On the Horizon
14 years ago - 31st May 2004 - Emma Bunton - Crickets Sing for Anamaria
13 years ago - 4th April 2005 - Melanie C - Next Best Superstar
13 years ago - 30th May 2005 - Geri Halliwell - Desire
11 years ago - 16th March 2007 - Melanie C - The Moment You Believe
6 years ago - 13th May 2012 - Melanie C - The Night [EP]
1 year ago - 17th March 2017 - Melanie C - Hold On
It's all so long ago! (Apart from Hold On )
More recent anniversaries:
13 years ago - 13th June 2005 - Mel B - Today
11 years ago - 18th June 2007 - Melanie C - Carolyna
Tomorrow...
7 years ago - 24th June 2011 - Melanie C - Rock Me
WOW rock me 7 years holy shit time flies
7 years !!! Damn .
26th June 2012 - 6 years ago: Spice Girls reunite to announce their Viva Forever! musical
An exciting day (at the time it'd been a little over 4 years since they'd last been pictured together as a 5). I remember so much focus being on Victoria's perceived distance from the other girls.
28th June 2007 - 11 years ago: Spice Girls reunite and announce Return of the Spice Girls tour!
The excitement I felt on that day was immense - I spent it all online, on DenDen / reading news articles / watching news channels. The press conference.
It really seemed like it was never going to happen, with Melanie C being so adamantly against the idea of it. Thank goodness she had a (rather sudden) change of heart!
11 years on and I'm still not keen on Geri's dress. Melanie C looked the best!
Looking back, it's weird to think that it was only six and a half years between the end of the Forever era and that reunion. It felt like such a long time, but I suppose that's because I was so young (I was 12 when they went on hiatus, and 19 when they got back together). Six years doesn't feel like much to me any more. I mean we're not far from it being 6 years since they last performed together at the Olympics.
One more very " " thing that occurred to me - the 2007 reunion is now the half way point between the release of Wannabe, and the present day. In fact Wannabe to reunion was a slightly shorter period of time, approx 10 years and 50 weeks.
Mel C looked the best that night
No way has it been that long already I read the newspaper from a very young age so I remember those photos and the hype behind the reunion as clear as day. The annoying part is that I didn't get into the Spice Girls until 2008, aged 10, mere months after the tour ended... so I've always hoped that they'd reunite at least one more time after missing out. My parents did go to the Return of the Spice Girls tour though so I at least have their tickets in amongst my Spice collection
Wannabe was released 22 years ago today in the UK!2 years since the disaster that was GEM :')
Wow
Who would have thought how their lives were going to change when it was released and how huge they would go on to become.
‘Viva Forever’ was released as a single 20 years ago today
Great song, still love it.
Best song ever!
Best song ever!
Their best song after the mega brill spice up your life.
Viva Forever was such a weird moment. A beautiful, haunting song featuring the now absent Geri. And such an eerie video.
And then it takes the UK No.1 spot, after the media-branded 'disappointment' of Stop going to No.2.
It seemed like it was over. Then, for a moment, Viva Forever suggested it wasn't... Until it all went quiet and eventually fizzled.
Happy Olympics Day! 6 years ago today!
What a magical performance! So exhilarating! Can't believe it's been 6 years since then.
Performance of the night... easily
I remember watching this at my sister's when we were having a barbecue. I saw nothing else of the Olympics but this I made sure I did! They totally rocked it
Today's date (5th September) marks 7 years since the UK release of Melanie C's fifth studio album 'The Sea'!
As a fan, 'The Sea' was game changer for me.
I was over the moon when this album arrived. Melanie really committed to a strong sound and I see it as a return to form. My faith was restored.
I'm sad for her that it wasn't as successful as it deserved to be. It should've made enough money to finance a big budget follow-up straight away.
Her second best album !!!
I may start a sea survivor to celebrate 5 years .
One of my least favorite spice solo albums unfortunately.
It's my fave after Northern Star
Happy 1 year anniversary to the Buzzjack Spice Girls forum A huge thank you to Jay and Maz! for successfully reviving the forum and making it into one of Buzzjack's finest
Aww thank you Theo! That year went by very quickly
Happy Birthday to the most overrated Spice-related album
After all these years, it is still a bunch of pish that should have been released back in the 90s and stayed there
Happy 18th Birthday, Holler/Let Love Lead The Way!
The Girls final release before the 2007 reunion. The single was certified Silver and was the groups 9th and final UK chart topper
2 tubes lol
Holler is their most underrated song. It's such a gem
Lmao I'd never noticed "2 tubes" before!
18 years! I was 12 when this came out. I remember how excitement I felt throughout this short lived era, more vividly than what came before... the Spice Girls were finally back! Memories of recording the radio premiere on cassette and listening to it over and over, and then taping the video premiere and watching that repeatedly! I even remember the store I bought the CDs from. It was great to see them back at #1 in the singles chart. A shame it all went pear shaped so quickly. 👀
For me, Holler has stood the test of time as being one of their greatest songs... I don't care what anyone says x Also one of their very best music videos too. I honestly don't think they needed to play it safe by making it a Double A Side, I believe Holler would have got to #1 by itself - although having said that I do really like Let Love Lead the Way anyway, and it helps pads out their rather short singles discography.
It is 15 years since 'Maybe' came out.
This was the second single from Emma Bunton's second solo album 'Free Me'. This charted at #6 in the UK.
What are your views on this now?
It remains her absolute best, what a tune!
So camp.
It remains the best Solo Spice single and one of the best songs of the last 20 years in my opinion! An underrated gem x
I thought Maybe was released on October 13th?
Hollier 18 Year Anniversary
When was this, Nov 25th?? Obviously it has two anniversaries: since it was on tv and since it was released. It has been EIGHTEEN YEARS since the most famous ever double A-side was on tv, and now I think? 18 years since its release week!!
WHAT A BOP
14th December 1998 - 20 years since the release of Goodbye
2 Become 1’s 22nd anniversary is today!
Not these three anniversaries being a tumbleweed moment on BuzzJack, tssk x
All of their Christmas #1 singles being 20+ years old now.
I found these on my Mixcloud travels recently - the top 40 rundowns from Christmas 1996 and 1998 with Mark Goodier on Radio 1 when '2 Become 1' and 'Goodbye' were Christmas number one!
1996: https://m.mixcloud.com/1869300/uk-top-40-bbc-radio-1-mark-goodier-22nd-december-1996/
1998: https://m.mixcloud.com/1869300/uk-top-40-radio-1-mark-goodier-20th-december-1998/
2 Become 1 is so about getting a condom on. Just listen to those lyrics.
Merry Christmas!!!!
1 year ago today, the Spice Girls reunited at Geri’s house & shared pictures/Instagram story videos! Could this have been the final time we see them together as a 5 piece? Time will tell ;o
15 years ago - 9th February 2004 - Emma released her incredible second album Free Me!
WOW time flies anyway
Free Me = Perfection
19th February 2001 - 18 years ago - Mel B - Feels So Good was released!
It entered the UK charts at #5 with first week sales of 55,000 copies, and had sold 142,000 as of June 2017.
~
Other recent anniversaries:
11th February 2002 - 17 years ago - Victoria Beckham - A Mind of Its Own
12th February 2007 - 12 years ago - Emma Bunton - All I Need to Know
Amazing. IMAGINE any of them now opening with 55k sales on the first week.... Them were the days
I love 'Feels So Good'.
Free Me is indeed by far and away the best solo Spice album.
Northern Star disagrees
24th February 2003 - 16 years ago - Melanie C - Here It Comes Again was released!
My gosh!! I remember absolutely adoring this when it came out, was sure it was going to be a huge hit. As time has gone by it hasn't aged as one of my favourites at all, yet if it randomly comes on I can't help but belt it out haha
I remember not liking it at all. Too MOR.
n/m delete
Melanie C - Here It Comes Again - The beginning of her downfall (solo career wise), wasn't the strong comeback single we needed and doesn't compare to any of the 'NS' singles, and its crazy that this sold less than all of them even 'ITWM' which only managed a #18 peak, (those X-Mas sales helped with a not bad #53k for a low top 20 single). She waited way too long to release a follow-up and sadly everybody forgot about her, and to put it simply this or the follow up just didn't cut it, plus those terrible early 00's sales didn't help matters.
I always wished that 'The Sea' was released back then instead of 2011, and maybe could have continued her solo success for a couple of more years ('Think About It') could have definitely fared better back then than this (along with 'Weak' & 'Burn' as follow ups).
Maybe if 'HICA' came out in 2001 or even 2002 along with the album, then it may have done better, because it sounded more like from that time, as by 2003 it sounded out of date.
9th March 1997 - 22 years ago - Spice Girls - Mama/Who Do You Think You Are entered at #1 in the UK!
9th March 1998 - 21 years ago - Spice Girls - Stop single was released!
After 21 years I still feel sad about Stop not getting to #1
#StopToTheTop2019!
Stop for platinum!
Mama to get a nice boost this Mother's day please.
Justice for Holler/LLLTW too
Holler for Gold
I guess we just have no idea how big the boost will be to their catalogue come the tour. Also what their plans are post tour.
Melanie C - Reason, her second album, was released 16 years ago this week! (10th March 2003). It charted at #5, and to date it is the last solo album by a Spice Girl to chart in the UK Top 5.
It was for sure a huge step down from the quality of Northern Star, but in its own right I don't think it's as bad as some fans make it out to be, it's ok. My favourite album track is 'Positively Somewhere'.
The album cover is one of my least favourite Spice artworks. I've always disliked that 'Reason' isn't printed on the front cover, because it just gives the impression that it's a self-titled album to me. I'll always dislike the strangely photoshopped stomach/waistband too. Just... not good.
How could anyone at virgin and Melanie herself release this after NS . It is knowhere near as good , first week sales were decent but then it bombed. The material was not
Good enough . Lots of fans think releasing years after NS was the issue , this is slightly true but the album quality is poor. It is very dreary , it took me over 10 years to appreciate.
How could anyone at virgin and Melanie herself release this after NS . It is knowhere near as good , first week sales were decent but then it bombed. The material was not
Good enough . Lots of fans think releasing years after NS was the issue , this is slightly true but the album quality is poor. It is very dreary , it took me over 10 years to appreciate.
I never ever noticed the stomach waistband thing until you just pointed that out Jay and now I'm wondering how on earth I never noticed!!
I genuinely do really like this album, it's very consistent (bar Soul boy which is a bag of crap) however it's not at all commercial and was a huge step down from Northern Star. I don't understand why she didn't collaborate with the same producers as her first one when that worked out so well.
I do think it could have sold slightly better had it been released in 2001 instead of in 2003 the wait was too long, but it was never going to sell much more it just wasn't strong enough compared to her previous material. There was no NBTSA or ITTY or NS on this record. I am slightly shocked by On the horizons poor performance though I thought it was a pretty solid single.
The album that really changed it all for her. It is not a good album, but it does have some stand outs. Home is gorgeous and so was Wonderland, Reason, Positively Somewhere (although a bit off...) but the rest just kind of sits there.
Soul Boy is her worst song.
Never understood either why she didnt collaborate again with at least some of the NS producers and instead focused on really mediocre talent. Oh well..
Also agree with you that era did produce some amazing songs. Home is stunning as is Positively somewhere, reason, wonderland and I love you without trying I also thought that I want you back from the Northern Star era would have worked nicely on this album.
13th March 2000 - 19 years ago - Geri Halliwell - Bag It Up
20th March 2000 - 19 years ago - Melanie C feat. Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes - Never Be the Same Again
Both #1 hit singles in the UK!
Great songs and so wildly different from each other - one is camp pop extravaganza and the other is full-on R&B with Mel C at her most lesbionic high.
I'm honestly surprised they didn't try to launch Never Be The Same Again in the US.
Not launching NBTSA in the USA was a huge mistake. It was perfect for the US market two girls from two of the biggest girls bands in the USA and the RnB that was huge over there. Melanie C didn't really get the push she deserved over there, ITTY got a bit of traction (got to #1 on the dance chart and even won a Grammy) but apparently the record company never acted on it which Mel was annoyed about. Then When you're gone was also great for the US radio with it's rockier vibe plus Bryan Adams has had quite a bit of success over there.
Real shame Northern Star could have done well in the USA if there had been a proper push with it.
Back on topic, a great time to be a solo Spice Girls fan with back to back solo #1's and top 5's flying about everywhere
I always surprise myself when I go check NS credits and actually, only ONE song in it is produced by William Orbit, which is GO! (lovely but hardly an iconic moment).
I agree. It was just a way to say that no actual single nor any other album track are produced by Orbit, which is weird just because in my head that was her 'Ray of Light'. Which still makes sense because of Marius De Vries, but for some reason I always assumed it was a Mel C x William Orbit album.
Honestly, for the longest time I thought Northern Star and I Turn To You (album version) were produced by Orbit.
I assume it's because they made such a big deal out of her working with William Orbit at the time when he was hot property it would've made more sense if he actually produced more of the album than just the opening track.
Rick Nowels wrote on both Ray Of light and NS.
Love the song now as much as I did back then.
Never be the same again! Still my favourite solo Spice Girls single It's just perfect
Bag It Up is easily my least fav Geri single
NBTSA is a classic, but it comes only as my third favorite single from that album, after NS and ITTY
Never Be The Same Again and Spice Up Your Life are my 2 ultimate tracks from the entire Spice Girls catalogue both as a group and solo.
How could I forget to post about Emma's 18 year anniversary for What Took You So Long? Although today's date is the 18th anniversary of its 2nd week at #1 in the UK.
2nd April 2001 - 18 years ago - Emma Bunton - What Took You So Long?
Also a few April anniversaries for Melanie C:
4th April 2005 - 14 years ago - Melanie C - Next Best Superstar
11th April 2005 - 14 years ago - Melanie C - Beautiful Intentions
2nd April 2007 - 12 years ago - Melanie C - This Time
I always end up feeling a bit to see how awfully long ago their releases were.
16th April 2001 - 18 years ago - Emma Bunton - A Girl Like Me
18 years since the release of Emma's debut solo album !!
It’s Raining Men was released 18 years ago today, 30th April 2001!
UK stats:
The final Spice related #1
Two weeks at #1
Geri’s fourth #1 solo single in a row (and her 11th #1 overall, including 7 with the Spice Girls)
13th best selling single of 2001
121st best seller of the 2000s decade
I was so surprised at the time at how huge this was. I totally couldn’t hear her singing this when I heard she was covering it.
But it worked so well.
Amazing promo and video
This era started with such promise! Then the follow up singles came.
I wanted them to release 'Feels Like Sex' and 'Circles Around The Moon' after IRM.
I always imagined 'Circles' to have an animated video like the intro to Bewitched TV series.
Even 'Don't Call Me Baby' has more going for it as a single than 'Scream If You Wanna Go Faster'.
For me, it was a fairly strong album, poorly represented by the choice of singles.
Circles Round the Moon would've been a fantastic single choice.
Feels Like Sex wouldn't so glad that was replaced by It's Raining Men.
I still think Scream was a great single choice aswell I don't understand why it underperformed.
One of the WORST cover versions ever. Truly disgraceful.
I think she did a good job with her cover! The song is not exactly a work of art imo, so I hardly consider her version as being sacrilegious to the original. Both are fun.
It’s no surprise to me that her version was a huge hit on arrival, in numerous countries.
Nowadays it’s holding up as one of the most streamed Spice related songs - 14.4m on Spotify and 11m on YouTube.
I thought Geri did a fantastic cover of the song, I prefer her version to The Weathergirls which I find a bit screechy tbh.
It was a great start to her second album era such a shame she followed up with SIYWGF when she had much stronger tracks to go with:
It's raining men
Circles around the moon
Strength of a woman
Calling / Don't call me baby
That's the single selections I would have gone with, I adore Calling however it wasn't really strong enough on it's own. Thank god Feels like sex wasn't released that would have flopped big time.
It's a shame EMI never did try to make a proper greatest hits from Geri really - she did have four number one singles, a further four top tens and a top 40. It could've done OK with a well thought out tracklist. Now I believe there's only that digital "Playlist" collection out, though it might have sold more than LA State of Mind.
Ah the whole ‘It’s Raining Men’ era was so epic for me as a Geri/SG fan and follower.
I remember the album signing at Virgin where you had to win wristbands to meet her - I ended up winning 3 times so went through 3 times
When she performed IRM at the National Lottery I got audience tickets and me and my friend tried to leave as soon as she performed as we had another friend waiting outside in a car to try and follow Geri - the security stopped us from leaving so I had to fake an illness to get us out We followed Geri’s car and when we pulled up next to her at the traffic lights we were screaming how much we loved her etc., anyway much to our amazement her driver pulled over and we spent 20-30 minutes talking and getting pictures and stuff signed, one of my best moments/memories of following the girls. Geri spoke about it a few weeks later on a blog entry on her website.
I get that a singer of limited vocal range going toe to toe with the Weather Girls is a bit...eyebrow raising...but Geri's cover of It's Raining Men really does do something interesting with the song. It gives it a whole different energy...and that's more than what a whole lot of hit covers do.
It's Raining Men isn't my favorite single by Geri...it wouldn't even be in my top 5. But it's my favorite of her eras because of her willingness to just totally go for broke with the performances. There's an infectious enthusiasm to what she was doing then. She seemed to love every second of being out on stage. It was epic pretty much every time she performed it.
But it did cast a shadow on the rest of the album. I actually think Scream and Calling were great singles. But after IRM, their performances just came off as...sleepy. The marketing wasn't as thought out and clever as IRM either. Nothing was on the same level.
Geri released 'Look At Me' 20 years ago today!
It reached #2 on the UK singles chart and was certified Gold for sales of 400,000
It also topped the charts in New Zealand and reached the Top 10 in Argentina, Australia, Canada, the Euro chart, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Malaysia and Spain
Certified gold for shipments, but not sales, unfortunately!
at this being 20 years ago! Loved it at the time, still consider it to be one of her best moments. Fun video too. Such a shame it missed #1 essentially because EMI made a daft decision with formats & prices.
Yeah its such a shame they didn't do two formats she would've had five consecutive number 1s in a row.
Still love Look at Me as much today as I did 20 yrs ago. The perfect pop comeback.
Look At me is her best song .
Still frustrates me that the record company gave away the number 1 because of no 2 cds.
It’s incredibly frustrating that they basically threw away the #1!
Geri’s Schizophonic album was released 20 years ago! !!! 7th June 1999!
As if the first solo album is 2 decades old.
I think this is by far her strongest album, I wouldn’t consider it to have any duds. Her singles run of #2/#1/#1/#1 was incredibly impressive. What an era!
A pity that the planned reissue a few years ago never came to fruition. Would be amazing if it was released on vinyl - could be released with both covers, one with a red vinyl and one with a white vinyl. *Dreams into existence*
I have grown to like it over the past couple of years though it is not an album I regularly listen to. It's good and some excellent pop songs.
12 years ago on this date, 28th June 2007... the Spice Girls reunited! The first time they'd been seen together as a 5 piece for 9 years, and almost 7 years after the Forever album.
It weirdly feels like it was yesterday but also like it was a lifetime ago at the same time...
It was overwhelmingly exciting to see them together again.
Jesus Christ why is Geri so obsessed with wearing household items? First of all a tea-towel sewn on her black dress at the Brits, then her Nan's Curtains when they reunited...
They looked way better on this year reunion
20 years ago today two iconic moments happened
Posh and Becks married in Dublin and Geri performed at Party in the Park in front of 100,000 people in Hyde Park, London
Happy Anniversary to both moments *.*
23 years ago today: Wannabe released!
What is more shocking for me is the fact that it’s already been 3 years since the 20th anniversary. The fans were strongly anticipating that milestone anniversary, hoping that it would be the perfect excuse for a reunion. As we know that ended up being a bit of a messy time in Spice history (GEM... eek). Even though it was very disappointing at the time, at least now we can say it was for the best in the long run!
The past 3 years feel like they’ve really flown by for me. It puts into perspective how everything they achieved in their heyday happened incredibly quickly. 3 years after Wannabe: Geri had already been out of the group for over a year & had released a solo single and album. Mel B & Victoria became mums & had married their partners. Melanie C and Mel B had also released solo singles.
A total tune. I dont listen to it and not really my kind of track, but when listening to it with other people it is always a blast!
It deserves to be the iconic track that it is !
Definitely agree that Melanie looked the best that day Effortless!
I guess we'll never know what Geri was thinking when it came to that dress... A choice :')
I don't think I was ever overly fond of Victoria's image back then, but as the years go by it looks more and more strange to me! Certainly unrecognisable from the Victoria of today. Would love to know what she thinks of her style from back then.
Agree that Mel B's look isn't the best, it doesn't seem very "her".
Emma looked lovely.
Overall it's certainly not one of my favourite looks of the group, but with all the excitement on the day I didn't really focus too heavily on their style!
I loved the first bit and the taxis, but the screeching of SPICE YP YA LIFE SPICE UP YA LIFE SPICE UP YA LIFE SPICE UP YA LIFE SPICE UP YA LIIIFE I didn't
Geri released her second solo single 'Mi Chico Latino' on this day, 16th August 1999. A week later it entered the UK singles chart at number one, becoming her first of four solo singles to do so:
I did subscribe to the view that 'Look At Me' was her only decent solo single for a long time but with twenty years' distance I've got to give 'Chico' it's due, a great pop single with a Latin influence and she looked amazing in the video too.
^ I kinda wonder if Geri should have launched her US solo career with Mi Chico Latino. Mind you, I personally really like Look at Me...but it was too unusual for US radio...and the general American audience was indifferent to the video's death of Ginger and rebirth. On that...I maintain my belief that Americans in the 90s were only invested in the group...and not the individual members. That only changed when Victoria and Mel B built their own brands in the US in the 2000s. Point being, I think Geri made a bold statement of "I'm back!" with Look at Me...and America flat-out didn't care.
Anyway. The single and album crashed and burned bad enough that no other attempt was made here.
But would she have had a better shot at the US market if she started with Mi Chico Latino? It was significantly more US radio-friendly. Sexy video. Great image during the promotional campaign. Also. Lift Me Up sounds like it'd fit squarely on Adult Contemporary radio of the time and may have worked as a decent follow. Would the two have set the charts on fire? Maybe not. But maybe her US prospects wouldn't have been over in a week either.
I can't stand Mi Chico Latino. It's so cringe...
Conversely it's my favourite Geri song and one of my overall favourite solo Spice songs
I was on holiday in Guernsey with my parents (I was 11!) when Mi Chico Latino came out... I bought CD1 & 2 from Woolworths there. I got the misprinted CD2 disc - the disc had the same design as CD1 (blue and stated it had B Sides on it) but it actually did play the remixes. I'm glad I didn't take it back to the shop because I'm happy to have it in my collection! I ended up buying the correct pink disc version some years later.
I played those CDs every day on that holiday, so it always reminds me of it (which was actually a bit of a disaster, with bad weather and bad accommodation, but it's funny to remember ). 20 years ago though
It was a very well timed release considering that Latin Pop was having quite a moment in the summer of 99! I'm glad it was a UK #1
My favourite Geri single such a bop!
It is a BOP and a very early 2000s defining summer ANTHEM but the Spanish is so so so soooo bad. She gave it the ooolll college try!
Masterpiece I still love it so much
My favourite Geri song for sure! 'Viva Forever' is my favourite Spice Girls song too, so up with latin-pop clearly.
I love as well, having re-read "Just for the Record" this weekend (research for the fact I've written about 'Chico' for my blog's retro pop series about the charts of 1999 this week) that we have her mum's collection of slushy Spanish language romances to thank for her talky bits in Spanish on there. 'Donde ésta el hombre con fuego en la sangre?' indeed
The last anniversary I posted about was Wannabe in early July, and then ThePensmith posted about Mi Chico Latino. Here are all the anniversaries that occurred between them!
21 Years Ago: 20/07/98 - Spice Girls - Viva Forever
19 Years Ago: 07/08/00 - Melanie C - I Turn to You
19 Years Ago: 14/08/00 - Victoria Beckham - Out of Your Mind (with True Steppers & Dane Bowers)
18 Years Ago: 30/07/01 - Geri Halliwell - Scream If You Wanna Go Faster
16 Years Ago: 06/08/03 - Melanie C - Let's Love [Japanese Release]
14 Years Ago: 01/08/05 - Melanie C - Better Alone [Online Release]
11 Years Ago: 25/07/08 - Melanie C - Understand [Canadian Release]
6 Years Ago: 18/08/13 - Melanie C - Loving You (with Matt Cardle)
3 Years Ago: 29/07/16 - Melanie C - Numb (with Sons of Sonix)
The first few in that list being that old doesn't actually phase me as much as realising that Loving You was 6 years ago already... feels more recent!
6 years since the last top 20 solo Spice single...
13 years nearly since the last top 10 though omg
September anniversaries so far:
Albums:
05/09/11 - Melanie C - The Sea [8 years ago]
10/09/12 - Melanie C - Stages [7 years ago]
Singles:
04/09/11 - Melanie C - Think About It [8 years ago]
06/09/16 - Melanie C - Anymore [3 years ago]
14/09/98 - Mel B - I Want You Back (feat. Missy Elliott) [21 years ago]
17/09/01 - 18 years ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl15xG3cHd4
18 years since Victoria's first "proper" solo release!
Spice Girls performed at Wembley Stadium 21 years ago today
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj1RSsbg3No
Iconic!
Stuck In The Middle was a much better song, though. Emma was never gonna beat it.
A couple of Melanie C anniversaries:
20 Years Ago: 27/09/99 - Melanie C - Goin' Down
14 Years Ago: 30/09/05 - Melanie C - First Day of My Life
And it's 18 years today since Victoria Beckham released her debut album!
Poor Victoria, barely anyone cared for the album in 2001 and now they don't 18 years later
Like That, IOU & I Wish - career highlights!
TBH she only got herself to blame, releasing it with those two front singles. WTF, two of the worst songs on the album lol
Like That and Not That Kind of Girl still bop though, as does I Wish!
'Like That' was my favourite from VB's first album. I could imagine J-Lo recording that at the time. Would have been a good follow up to NSAIG. It sounds more grown-up and credible.
All the ballads were way too cheesy for me though. I remember being shocked that AMOIO didn't bomb.
Like That was my favorite too and still is Too bad she didn't release open your eyes it's much better than VB
I was (and still am) so disappointed with the VB album. Only more so when I listen to Open Your Eyes, which is supposed to be fan mixed and is still vastly superior.
9th October 2000 - 19 years ago, Mel B released her debut album 'Hot'!
Nice! I've been bopping to Word Up, Tell Me and Feel Me Now recently ah
Hot is a decent album it has like 5 or 6 absolute killer songs and some filler. Releasing right before Forever was an awful decision, she should have had an album out Oct or Nov '99.
Two incredible songs share the same anniversary of 13th October
1997... Spice Up Your Life by Spice Girls, 22 years ago!
2003... Maybe by Emma Bunton, 16 years ago!
Two of the most iconic Spice-related singles ever (in my mind at least )
I shall be bopping to both today
Age has been very kind to Spice Up Your Life.
Complete career highlight from the Spice Girls.
Today marks 23 years since the release of Say You'll Be There! (14th October 1996)
Say You'll Be There never hit the highs of so many of their other singles, an enjoyable song but not in their top tier singles.
Happy Birthday, Northern Star! Released 20 years ago today on October 18th, 1999!
3x Platinum in the UK and nearly 4 million sales worldwide.
The album produced 2 #1 hits (NBTSA, I Turn To You), 2 Top 5s (Goin' Down and Northern Star) and the Top 20 (If That Were Me)
This album still sounds incredible and is one of my favourite solo spice girls records and albums of all time.
Happy Anniversary!
Happy anniversary Northern Star As far as I’m concerned this album/era is the pinnacle of solo Spice Girls (just ahead of Schizophonic and Free Me).
It’s a shame nothing in particular has been done to celebrate this particular anniversary. I want it on vinyl
Schizophonic and Northern Star both being 20 doesn't half freak you out. Time waits for no one Haha
The first two released albums and for me still the two best. Free Me is close runner up.
An anniversary edition would have been welcomed, very strong debut and even stronger follow up with Reason.
Northern Star what a masterpiece
Really good album and she really surprised everyone with both the material and success.
Recent anniversaries:
2 years ago - 20th October 2017 - Melanie C - Room for Love
3 years ago - 21st October 2016 - Melanie C - Version of Me
12 years ago - 22nd October 2007 - Melanie C - This Time (Single)
19 years ago - 23rd October 2000 - Spice Girls - Holler / Let Love Lead the Way
Holler... forever a bop!
19 Years bloody hell, time goes so fast!
That Holler cover should've been the album cover. I know its blurry and far from perfect but it at least had some Spice infused into it.
This really was the start of the end sadly.
The first DVD i bought. I did not even have a DVD player
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5V4dyRyC8Jg/VTu_cb9i6WI/AAAAAAAABpc/VYY0Kmahp9Y/s1600/288.jpg
I remember from a magazine or the Brit Award saying that the new song will be call Holla Holla, something like that.
Love this (double)single ...how many bittersweet memories...
3rd November 1997 - 22 years ago - Spiceworld album release!
Happy birthday to an iconic album I can't say I remember it being released as I was only 3 months old discovered it in 2008 I think and instantly loved it all, except 'The Lady Is A Vamp'. HOWEVER, that finally clicked on tour this year! So I just stan it from start to end now.
In all honesty, I'm kind of surprise they didn't get more trashed for essentially re-doing Destiny's Child debut album cover for Forever:
Yes, I'm a aware wearing black against a white backdrop isn't original in itself, but that, along with similar font and also working with US producers it just seems like it gets too close for comfort.
So annoyed but not shocked their social media has posted about Spiceworld anniversary 🙄
I remember getting it from Woolworths on release weekend and on first listen being instantly in love with Stop and praying it would be a single.
Was so excited when Geri announced it as a forthcoming single on the Audience with Show.
Love all ten tracks, their best album, best single selection, best artwork, best memories.
I had to wait until Christmas Day 1997 for my copy! My first ever CD.
Almost forgot: today's date, 23 years ago... the UK release (and presumably elsewhere in Europe?) of their first album Spice!
Completely forgot to mention the 19th anniversary of Forever! Released 6th November 2000!
Other recent anniversaries...
12 years ago: 5th November 2007 - Spice Girls - Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)
8 years ago: 6th November 2011 - Melanie C - Weak
Time go so fast.
If Forever had achieved a higher level of success do you think they would have still split?
The bond was 5 but the recent reform of 4 worked strongly.
The problem with the time after Spiceworld and up to Forever their focus and style of music was splintered and that would have became stronger if Forever reached higher levels of success.
That said, if Forever was huge they would have likely stayed together longer even if it was to prove they could succeed just aswell with or without Geri.
Forever,didnt have the magical Spice Girls feel, and, it lost the fun element of the sound of the Spice Girls.
I think a split was inevitable by that point due to solo careers. Melanie C had pretty much moved on from the group and Holler/LLLTW going to number 1 and the album number 2 didnt encourage her to carry on with promotion which was discussed before Xmas 2000 and she wasnt interested in carrying on. Victoria and Emma were recording solo albums at this point and Mel B had released hers.
Mel B and Emma were the two who would've carried on with B continuing to say the group would be back soon during her 2001 solo promotion.
Yeah I think even if the album had smashed hitting #1 and being a huge seller, they would have disbanded promotion asap. They might have released a second (third if you count Goodbye) single from the album, but I doubt it would have been promotion (ala IYWHSF in Europe).
Melanie C released the single ‘Northern Star’ 20 years ago today, as November 29th is the date available online, it seems it was released on Nov 22 judging by the official charts??
Northern Star was indeed out on Monday 22nd November 1999! Someone's put the wrong date on Wikipedia for some reason.
Forever is one of the worst albums eever!
12 years ago today since the Return of the Spice Girls Tour kicked off in Vancouver on December 2nd, 2007.
I was wondering if anyone had any credible or reliable sources regarding the DC and TLC tours apparently grossing over $70 million?
Thank you! 😊
^ Crazy that the Return of the Spice Girls tour is 12 years ago!
All the anniversaries from the past 4 weeks:
Singles
21 years ago - 23/11/98 - Melanie C - When You're Gone (with Bryan Adams)
20 years ago - 22/11/99 - Melanie C - Northern Star
20 years ago - 09/12/99 - Spice Girls - It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It) (as part of Artists for Children's Promise)
19 years ago - 27/11/00 - Melanie C - If That Were Me
18 years ago - 26/11/01 - Geri Halliwell - Calling
18 years ago - 10/12/01 - Emma Bunton - We're Not Gonna Sleep Tonight
16 years ago - 10/11/03 - Melanie C - Melt / Yeh Yeh Yeh
15 years ago - 22/11/04 - Geri Halliwell - Ride It
13 years ago - 20/11/06 - Emma Bunton - Downtown
8 years ago - 02/12/11 - Melanie C - Let There Be Love
7 years ago - 11/11/12 - Melanie C - I Know Him So Well (feat. Emma Bunton)
Albums
13 years ago - 03/12/06 - Emma Bunton - Life in Mono
12 years ago - 12/11/07 - Spice Girls - Greatest Hits
Goodbye was released 21 years ago today on December 14th, 1998!
The Official Spice Girls Instagram and Twitter accounts have posted the single cover celebrating the anniversary, along with a link to Spotify!
Finally they've done something they should be doing on a regular basis.
Seeing as there's not much activity on the social media pages, they should be posting short clips, videos lyrics, celebrating anniversaries and
posting iTunes, music store and Spotify links.
^ Agreed! Glad that they've acknowledged Goodbye, hopefully it'll get a fair few streams today.
21 years though
Goodbye is, for me, their underrated CLASSIC! Everyone loves it and it deserves waaaaay more attention than it gets!
On a side note, I wish they would release Xmas remixes from all their 3 Xmas #1s as a special gift one year ah. I think Goodbye in particular REALLY lends itself to that...
It was lovely to see their social media acknowledge the Christmas #1 anniversaries:
22 years ago this week the Spice Girls were in America promoting Spiceworld: The Movie.
This interview was filmed on Janaury 16th, 1998. Refreshing that the interview talks about their success, career, movie etc rather than gossip
Ooh, thanks for posting that! That was a nice little interview, the interviewer was very positive and complimentary.
I've been a bit lazy when it comes to this thread, oops!
As mentioned in the My Happy Place topic, Emma's most recent album was released 1 year ago today!
Also, 19 years ago What Took You So Long? was #1 in the UK chart. Still one of my absolute favourite solo Spice songs and it totally deserved those 2 weeks at #1! A moment
Emma Bunton's debut album was released 19 years ago, Monday 16th April 2001!
I still have the cassette lol 19 years already, oh dear.
It feels like it's only about 10 years old.
I sometimes forget that the year 2000 was 20 years ago 😂
Emma hasn't put put a bad album. A girl like me was a solid debut.
A Girl Like Me loses it in its second half for me.
First half is pretty solid though.
High On Love is a lovely pop song and would've made a nice fourth single.
.
A Girl Like Me has 4 great songs in it. The rest are mediocre at best, unfortunately...
My Happy Place has 3 amazing songs, 1 ok and the rest are just bad lol
She has hinted recently that she is going to do a new album and that she now feels more confident with her writing music. Here's hoping
I think as new album tagged on to a greatest hits like olly murs you know I know would be a great move for emma and mel c aswell.
You are all being way to harsh on Emma, apart from 2 become 1 with Robbie her songs aren't bad. Some songs are average or boring for sure but they aren't bad songs.
A girl like me is a solid album 5 or 6 stand out tracks the rest you can play through without skipping thinking 'I cant bare to listen to this song'.
A Girl Like Me has 4 good songs . The rest I don’t even listen too.
My happy place I can actually listen to the whole way through . It is a pleasant album , just cheaply produced.
My happy place is certainly a front loaded album, interesting decision to put the 2 originals right at the start of the album.
Emotions is a gorgeous little number that saves the 2nd half of the record.
I guess I like A Girl Like Me better than most.
To my ears What Took You So Long, Take My Breath Away, High On Love, and Better Be Careful sounded like the obvious singles...and would have made a strong chart run. I think High On Love is the second best song on the album...and it (along with Better Be Careful) deserved a top 10.
I think most of the rest is solid album material. To me, the only truly 'meh' songs are Been There, Done That and She Was a Friend of Mine. With those two...coupled with two 'fine' covers...I get the album's not perfect. But I don't think What Took You So Long is the lone redeemer of it either.
I do think out of her material she'd done, though...both Invincible and Free Up Your Mind (perhaps with a punchier, slicker mix) are quite a bit better than the songs I mentioned above. Not sure the full story on Invincible...as it ended up being released as a single by another artist in that same general time period. Emma had a better shot at making the song famous.
I do find it unusual throughout the course of the album, she manages to have material that's both mature for her image....AND material that sounds even younger than the Spice album material from five years before. Not a complaint, really. It's possible an entire album of guitary lite-pop may have become boring.
Did a girl like me go platinum?
I listened to that album in full once and almost fell asleep.
'Take My Breath Away' is a cute song.
I thought it sold far better than that, I actually thought it was verging on platinum.
Both A Girl Like Me and Scream If You Wanna Go Faster sold under 200k
This wasnt great for 2001 standards and showed the fanbase was starting to get fed up of solo spice.
Then again both enjoyed huge number 1 hit singles that year so interest was still there as single acts.
Victoria bombed with both her single and album.
I know northern star went triple platinum, did geri,s debut go platinum?
Ya i would say a few of those should have silver or be very close now. I love northern star, its my second fave solo spice album after reason, i know many dont rate reason at all but i still love the album and wish it had done better.
Schizophonic is also certified 2 times platinum based on shipments too. That must have been a massive over shipment though as it probably hasn't crossed 500k in sales yet.
It's a really odd thing to think back and remember...from October 2000 through October 2001, four of the girls released albums...and so did the group. All FIVE (and the group) released singles in that stretch.
I'm too lazy to add up all the single/album sales from that year span. But I'm sure altogether they'd make up a pretty respectable number. Some of the fanbase was still there. It's just...ALL of them stretched it so thin at once. The record label shouldn't have allowed it to happen like that.
And yes. I have wondered if the solo careers could have had more longevity had the group not fallen apart in the way it did. We'd waited ages for a third group album only for them to abandon it immediately and start up that "we're focusing on solo for now!" talk. Mel B even said some nutty things about perhaps releasing more Forever singles in 2002. It wasn't enough to lose me as a fan (hey...I'm still here). But. I mean. It was annoying...
I wish they had been more dedicated to the group when the time came to promote Forever! Mel B's album being timed so close to Forever was the most ridiculous scheduling ever. Melanie C still wasn't ready to let go of the Northern Star era (and to be fair this was understandable considering it was such a big success). Emma was putting the finishing touches to her debut album, while Victoria was recording as well. They were clearly all itching to jump ship and fully focus on solo careers, but I wish they'd been a bit more patient. Group and solo releases colliding was messy. At least the remaining four members of One Direction finished all their group commitments before they embarked on their solo careers.
I agree that all of them releasing so closely together was over-saturation for the market. Particularly a market that was 100% physical products. I doubt a lot of their young fans could afford every release, so choices had to be made... and clearly many Spice fans passed on Hot and Victoria Beckham, and Emma's debut didn't exactly do great things despite having a #1 lead single!
All of this came within 24 months:
13/03/2000 #01 Geri Halliwell Bag It Up
20/03/2000 #01 Melanie C Never Be the Same Again (feat. Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes)
07/08/2000 #01 Melanie C I Turn to You
14/08/2000 #02 Victoria Beckham Out of Your Mind (with True Steppers & Dane Bowers)
25/09/2000 #04 Mel B Tell Me
09/10/2000 #28 Mel B Hot
23/10/2000 #01 Spice Girls Holler / Let Love Lead the Way
06/11/2000 #02 Spice Girls Forever
27/11/2000 #18 Melanie C If That Were Me
19/02/2001 #05 Mel B Feels So Good
02/04/2001 #01 Emma Bunton What Took You So Long?
16/04/2001 #04 Emma Bunton A Girl Like Me
30/04/2001 #01 Geri Halliwell It's Raining Men
14/05/2001 #05 Geri Halliwell Scream If You Wanna Go Faster
04/06/2001 #13 Mel B Lullaby
30/07/2001 #08 Geri Halliwell Scream If You Wanna Go Faster
27/08/2001 #05 Emma Bunton Take My Breath Away
17/09/2001 #06 Victoria Beckham Not Such an Innocent Girl
01/10/2001 #10 Victoria Beckham Victoria Beckham
26/11/2001 #07 Geri Halliwell Calling
10/12/2001 #20 Emma Bunton We're Not Gonna Sleep Tonight
11/02/2002 #06 Victoria Beckham A Mind of Its Own
That's 23 releases - 5 albums (as Piers noted, that was 4 different solo Spice Girls releasing an album within a year, and a group album), as well as 18 singles!
It's pretty impressive that most of these releases achieved great peaks, but I think this period of time was ultimately damaging for their long term prospects. There's a lot more I could say about those scheduling decisions, but this post is getting very long already! The one thing I'll say is that Victoria really should have avoided releasing singles until Emma and Geri's eras had come to a close. Virgin was way too confident to schedule her debut album as a Q4 release. She would have had 2002 all to herself if she'd waited!
8 years ago - Spice Girls reunite to announce musical [26th June 2012]
9 years ago - Rock Me by Melanie C [24th June 2011]
13 years ago - Spice Girls reunite to announce reunion tour [28th June 2007] ... this now represents the mid-way point of the 5 of them knowing each other, given that they formed 26 years ago
15 years ago - L.A. State of Mind by Mel B [27th June 2005]
21 years ago - Word Up by Mel B [28th June 1999]
24 years ago - Spice Girls performed Wannabe on GMTV on London’s South Bank [28th June 1996]
The reunion in 2007 was so exciting at the time but my god looking back what a mess that photoshoot and o2 press conference look was.
I'd love to hear Geri's reasoning behind wearing what she did especially when the code was to wear black. Victoria was well on her way to being a social influencer the way her look and career was going. Mel B looks like your average council estate mum dressed up for her birthday, Emma was very heavily pregnant.
Mel C looked great though but her fringe looked rubbish on tour with a ponytail.
I won't hear a word against that fringe. Melanie looked absolutely smoking hot.
I'm not a huge fan of what Geri wore but wearing all black would've looked so boring and un Spice Girls for their first public appearance as five in 9 years.
I'm pretty sure the reasoning for Geri wearing that was to stand out and there was no way she couldn't be put in the middle then.
It is no wonder the 2007 reunion didn't bring them as close together as 2019 when Geri pulls a stunt like that first day. Mel C must have literally thought here we f***ing go again with the attention seeking and antics nothing has changed.
As Jay says, I think it’s crazy that the 2007 reunion is basically halfway between Emma joining in Summer 1994 and right now in 2020 😫
I reckon Emma was looking at Geri thinking, "I wish someone had told the pregnant lady that we were allowed to wear a moo moo." Haha
The problem with 2007 was it was far too serious, grown up and trying to be slick. The Spice Girls work best when they are being fun and poking fun at themselves. The only time the 2007 reunion struck the perfect tone was the Tesco adverts which were fun and them poking fun at themselves. Signing the side of a plane, Cavalli, Victoria Secret etc are just not really spice girls. I'm pretty certain it was Victoria's influence and her not being involved in 2019 meant they could be fun and less slick.
The 2018 announcement had them poking fun at Geri not wearing the dress code from 2007, Emma poking fun at their ages 'Girls am I too old for bunches' and them playing off the always constant they have fallen out tabloid stuff. The tour was joyous, fun and inclusive. Little Miss was much more on brand than Virgin 1 planes and the Walkers advert was again a laugh.
I'm confident of the 4 going forward striking the right tone. You only have to look at VB over the musical and her looking like she was being forced at gunpoint to endorse something that should have been fun and a celebration.
It does make me worry for the annimated movie which she will be involved in too, it really needs to be fun and almost self parodying like Spiceworld the movie.
I had no idea what the 2007 photoshoot was that's being referred to here but having Googled it I'm guessing it's this:
Yes that is the one, the brief was to wear black.
A very Geri thing to do - you hit the nail on the head perfectly when you say it meant she would have to be in the middle of the group photos.
Tbf Mel B also strayed from the black with the red!
Screaming at Geri, idk if I love her hogging the limelight accidentally on purpose or not :') Compared to the 2018-19 reunion, the styling for 2007...wasn't it
TBH if the memo is DRESS ALL BLACK, im glad at least a couple of them went against that.
Who the hell thought it was a good idea to have THE SPICE GIRLS in full black?!
The real crime of 2007 is THIS Geri outfit
Looking back tho the clothes were horrid !!
Poor Emma with her injury aside I liked how they looked here (yes Geri was always a fan of white )
They certainly had some interesting looks for 2007! Re: the press conference look, at the time it was only Geri’s dress that struck me as being an odd choice, but over the years I came to think that it’s only Melanie C who fit the brief with an outfit that looks great, she’s styled really well.
Did this photo occur on the same day? Or just within the same week?
I wonder whether Geri’s outfit there was one she’d considered for the press conference before she deviated? Can’t say for certain because Victoria, Emma & Melanie C have different black outfits on here. Anyway this photo shows what an “all in black” Spice Girls could have looked like on the reunion day.
They look nice... but it’s not very Spicy. I guess none of them were in the frame of mind of wanting to recreate/update their 90s looks at that point. That seems like a bit of an odd choice for a nostalgic reunion tour & Greatest Hits album. Sometimes I wonder if 2007 was just too early for it all to be happening (even though the fans had been desperate for a reunion for many years already, and it really did feel like it had been a long time coming!).
The press conference was June 28th and the photoshoot was the following day (June 29) 😊
Looking back at the 2007 reunion there were so many things that were better about the 2019 reunion. Like you say, maybe 2007 was a bit ‘too early’. The 90s nostalgia thing hadn’t kicked in yet, but generally for the Spice fans we were all ready.
Oh and today marks 20 years since the release of Out of Your Mind, Victoria's first single
Here's all the recent anniversaries that I didn't mention since I had last updated this thread (some were mentioned in other threads):
24 years ago: 08/07/96 - Spice Girls - Wannabe
22 years ago: 20/07/98 - Spice Girls - Viva Forever
20 years ago: 07/08/00 - Melanie C - I Turn to You
19 years ago: 30/07/01 - Geri Halliwell - Scream If You Wanna Go Faster
17 years ago: 06/08/03 - Melanie C - Let's Love
15 years ago: 01/08/05 - Melanie C - Better Alone
12 years ago: 25/07/08 - Melanie C - Understand
4 years ago: 29/07/16 - Melanie C - Numb (with Sons of Sonix)
Such an iconic month (August 2000) getting ‘I Turn To You’ and ‘Out of Your Mind’. Both iconic in their own right for me. ITTY has aged better but OOYM was and still is very underrated.
*we won’t talk about the #1 and #2 positions and how she was robbed by Sophie Ellis Bextor. We won’t go there*
It still seems odd to me that Victoria was midweek #1 throughout the week, but then ended up a rather significant 20,000 copies behind after Saturday.
An interesting thing to note about Spiller - Groovejet is that it was included on the Now 46 compilation album, which was released on 24th July 2000 - three whole weeks before it was released as a single. Now 46 sold 458,000 copies in those 3 weeks, and a further 58,000 copies in the week the Spiller single became available - so over half a million people owned the song via that album. Yet Groovejet still managed to sell 200,000+ in its first week on sale!
If only the label that released Out of Your Mind had felt brave enough to release it a week later instead, and go head to head with Madonna... because it seems likely that Victoria would have won that battle, and that would have been major!
Imagine if she had held Madonna's comeback off the top how iconic would that have been
Melanie C, Sophie, Madonna and Victoria all battling for the #1 in the same month, talk about iconic, especially considering the fact now they (would) struggle to even hit the top 100. Take me back to those times, please!
It's a shame she ended up at #2 in the end (even though I do prefer Groovejet), but this still did so, so well sales wise. People always make fun of her solo career and just don't realise what a moment this was. The 21th best selling single of the year 2000 is no joke.
Yeah I agree If this ain’t love is the better song I love it ❤️
21 years since the release of Mi Chico Latino
Also 21 years ago today, Spice Girls recorded these tracks:
Right Back At Ya
A Day In Your Like
Give You What You Want
Pain Proof
... which leaked 5 and a half years ago!
One of the ultimate summer bops and definitely one of the, if not the, best solo Spice songs.
Mi Chico Latino is timeless.
I've noticed it seems to be her single that gets the most respect aswell.
Respect ? I love it but her spanish pronunciation has always been panned.
Wonderful video tho.
Some pan it most in my experience dont have a problem with it.
They just enjoy it for the incredible pop song it is.
Im going to be quiet on Chico Latino and let you girlies have some fun reminiscing without me remind you of how trully awful it is, for once
Hopefully it will go Gold sometime next year. My favourite Geri single
A little late to the party to discuss this one...but had a few memories about Out of Your Mind. I remember back when an audio clip first showed up on the Spice fan sites. I totally didn't get it. The mix was a bit different. More chaotic. My reaction was completely...what...is...this...? But. I caught her Party In the Park performance...and I started to come around to the song. Then the video came out and was gorgeous. The rough edges of the song seemed to have been smoothed out, and I ended up really liking it.
The chart battle was always a curious thing to me. While I like the song, OOYM didn't necessarily sound like a huge hit to me. Not a #1 contender, anyway. That may be my US perspective creeping in. That style of music never totally took hold of the music charts here. So. To me...it always seemed like an interesting little track...taking on something that sounded hugely commercial (Groovejet). On the flip side, I *did* think Not Such An Innocent Girl sounded like a big hit. So. What do I know?
Mi Chico Latino is my favourite Geri single I love it 🥰
I remember buying her debut album and being excited. I listened to it once and thought she was crazy to leave the Spice Girls ti produce such predictable stuff. No live performances, the dancing was cheesy and it made me cringe. That’s when I realize Geri Halliwell aka Ginger Spice only worked when she had the other four to compensate her lack of talent. Mi Chico Latino is so average. Geri best song remains Viva Forever, as she was the one really behind the idea for the song.. irony, she doesn’t have any solo verses.
Melanie C's duet with Matt Cardle - Loving You - was released 7 years ago today!
The last solo hit. A respectable #14.
I really like loving you, i was surprised it got so high at the time.
Very likely the last ever solo top 20 hit... top 100 even
It's annoying that they didn't do more to promote on release week and instead went to Germany to promote it wtf!? Also that a physical single wasn't released I mean they could have shifted another 5-10k in physicals between their fanbases easily. Would have easily made top 10 with the extra push.
I saw them both perform that at G-A-Y on release week, ahhh the memories!
I remember at the time due to pre-orders I was expecting it to be a huge top 10 hit, but that didn't happen and dropped heavily. Still a good song!
I think loving you was number 7 in the first midweeks, and i was like is this a mistake as neither matt or mel were having hits, i really liked them working together as im a big fan of matts material and mels aswell so it was an ideal duet for me.
I saw them at g-a-y and collapsed the next morning when the song was in the I tunes top 10 !!
Released 19 years ago this week
I have grown to appreciate TMBA so much more over the years it's quite a beautiful song. At the time I wasn't hugely impressed with it, I think coming off the back of WTYSL it felt quite weak.
'The Sea', Melanie's fifth album, was released 9 years ago today! 'Think About It' was released alongside it.
These anniversaries continually make me feel so " ", can't believe this era is so close to being a decade ago.
Happy anniversary to Melanie's amazing masterpiece! The album and the entire era felt so magical. Everything connected beautifully. It really was a labor of love. Motherhood has definitely changed Melanie for the better.
One of her worst singles in my opinion
Think About It is one of my fav from Mel. Also the album is really good.
'Burn' is obviously the clear highlight.
Also I really like 'Take My Breath Away' from Emma!
I really liked Emma's first three singles. I think the quality is there. But at the time, I did think it strange how TMBA sounded so much like a Corrs song, which was a bit off-brand for a spice girl.
Thinking back to Geri's very successful, very Ginger Spice debut album, and Mel B's successful early singles being intrinsically Scary Spice (her being the most like her character anyway)... I wonder if Emma would've had more longevity if she'd gone a bit pop in the beginning. I mean, Britney is basically dressed as Baby Spice in 'Baby One More Time' video. I can imagine quite a different debut for her.
Obviously 'Free Me' would've smashed, had it been Emma's debut. So I know that would have been the ideal.
Melanie C's album Stages was released 8 years ago this week (and I've still not heard it in full )
I like stages , I don’t love all of it but I’m pleased it got a release.
Add me to one of those who never even listened to Stages and really has no interest to; then again I don't think I'm the target audience.
I like Stages. My highlights from it are the opener Maybe This Time, the duet I Know Him So Well, the mesmerizing I Don't Know How to Love Him, the beautiful Both Sides Now, the classic I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself and the dreamy I Only Have Eyes for You.
I only have eyes for you is my fav .
The first ever solo Spice single was released 22 years ago today! 😨
Still one of the absolute best. It's still sounds super fresh and should have been bigger. I know it went to 1 but it seems quite forgotten by now.
Best solo Spice debut, by 100 miles!
It is a perfect song, with a perfect video. There were reports that Missy was going to produce Mel's album and I could totally imagine that. I wonder if that was just a rumour or if it was going to happen and then didnt?!
A shame that the single isnt on iTunes, it is only available as part of that soundtrack and even then, you can only get it if you buy the whole album
Stages is absolutely woeful, her voice, the tracklisting, the artwork. It is all trash.
I want you back is one of the best solo spice offerings. It feels like an extension of scary spice but ramped up including the video.
19 years since Not Such an Innocent Girl was released (Monday 17th September 2001), also meaning that it's 19 years since Kylie's Can't Get You Out of My Head!
I want you back is a stunner it has aged so well. While I know it went to #1 and was a silver seller it deserves to be bigger and more remembered. Such a shame it didn't get a US push aswell with Missy on it, could have been a good introduction to solo Mel over there. The same goes for Melanie C on When you're gone with Bryan Adams, both those songs sound made for US radio!
That was such a memorable time for pop. All the solo spice stuff was happening, Victoria and Kylie’s releases that week really stand out and I was obsessed with Hear’Say at the time too 🤭
Victoria deserved so much more as a solo artist, the press and public gave her a hard time..
Mel B released her single For Once in My Life 7 years ago today!
Will this be the last single we ever see of Mel?? Quite a catchy track really.
£23.50 I mean everyone says that back then it was a lot more money than it is today but it’s still not a patch on what they charged this time round! Miss the days when it wasn’t ridiculously expensive to go to concerts, I only go see my favourites now where’s I would see so many more were the prices more reasonable.
My tickets were £50 each!
Although my Mum bought them
Mel B released ‘Tell Me’ 20 years ago today 😱
UK chart position - #4
Sales - 110,000
I still have my cd single ☺️
She was so stunning!
Tell Me is a total BOP and completely underrated. Is it her best song? No. But it was funky and cool, I think.
The video was excellent too. In fact when it comes to videos, Mel (almost) never dissapointed.
Wish she had done it live a few times, instead of miming it all. But otherwise, an underrated Spice classic.
20 years Definitely one of her best songs
Tell Me is OK but all wrong as album launcher.
Feels So Good definitely was the right choice to launch, Virgin felt the same Mel B however wanted Tell Me.
I did really like 'Tell Me' at the time briefly, but it's not something that I've paid any real attention to since the year 2000.
'Feels So Good' on the other hand though...
Mel B released her debut solo album ‘HOT’ in the UK 20 years ago today and included
the #1 single ‘I Want You Back’, the Top 5 hits ‘Tell Me’, ‘Feels So Good’ and the Top 20
hit ‘Lullaby’.
The album was certified Silver by the BPI and has sold over 53,000 copies
Happy 20th Anniversary!!
I wonder what up-to-date UK figures are for Hot.
It would be great if a few of us could stream the album or download this week to celebrate?
**wrong thread
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