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 Mel B - 'Hot', 2000 • 1st Album |
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 7th February 2023, 12:20 AM
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#221
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 BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 7 September 2017
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Appreciate you writing this, thank you!
respectfully, I gotta disagree on a couple. I think ABC 123 was so bad, and songs like Pack Your Shit and Feel Me Now feel more exciting in my opinion. I agree though that Tell Me feels dated, sadly. And yes, I agree about it sounding kind of unfinished, which is funny cos I never quite understood what was 'wrong' with the song, and that description nails it! |
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7th February 2023, 08:57 AM
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#222
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 Break the tension
Joined: 7 March 2006
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QUOTE(-Jay- @ Jan 31 2022, 04:16 AM)  I wonder how Mel felt when she saw the midweeks and the eventual #28 position? That couldn't have been her expectation, and surely she must have cared. I can't recall if she touched on this in her first book? I distinctly remember watching an interview a few months later when she was on some TV show, and she explicitly stated she had been dropped by her record label "because my album flopped" in a very matter-of-fact way - to which I thought fair play to her for not sugarcoating it! |
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7th February 2023, 10:43 AM
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#223
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 6 September 2017
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I guess after seeing both Geri and Melanie C achieve top 10s in the first week she must have surely been expecting a top 10 herself. It's not like she can even blame the high sales of 3rd quarter since she shifted 10k less than Melanie C and 24k less than Geri did in first week.
I wish she could have at least gone to #10 so all the girls could claim a top 10 album, same for Victoria not achieving a #1 single. |
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14th February 2023, 06:49 AM
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#224
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BuzzJack Regular
Joined: 25 March 2018
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QUOTE(spiceboy @ Feb 7 2023, 05:43 AM) I guess after seeing both Geri and Melanie C achieve top 10s in the first week she must have surely been expecting a top 10 herself. It's not like she can even blame the high sales of 3rd quarter since she shifted 10k less than Melanie C and 24k less than Geri did in first week. I wish she could have at least gone to #10 so all the girls could claim a top 10 album, same for Victoria not achieving a #1 single. Yeah. I wish Mel B could have managed a top 10 album too. While it's my least favorite of the solo Spices' debut albums, I still view it as three brilliant songs...another three decent album tracks...and five 'meh' songs. It's not THAT bleak a situation. And (for me at least), it deserved the top 10 just on the strength of the album's best songs. But...y'know...it was that disastrous release timing. Plus, Mel herself said in some of the promo that Forever was a better album than her own. Which. I mean. She's right. Points for honesty. But it's probably not the best thing to say when you're trying to promote a solo album. Few other thoughts. Though it's my least favorite solo Spice debut album, Hot actually is my favorite opening two songs. I think Feels So Good and Tell Me are killer (I've long accepted that I apparently like Tell Me better than the entire rest of the fanbase). However. While Hot has my favorite two opening songs...it definitely does not have my favorite three openings songs. To me, the album's momentum drops off a cliff with Hell No...a song that could have been recorded (or more likely rejected) by literally any r'n'b act in 2000. |
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14th February 2023, 12:14 PM
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#225
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 6 September 2017
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I think the opening with Feels so good is excellent one of the best openings to a solo Spice album.
1. Feels so good 9/10 An great song, the opening beats are just hypnotic. Only reason it's not a 10 is it goes on a bit too long at the end. Should definitely have opened the album campaign with this, I think the album would have charted higher off the back of it as the media really went in on the "bitter Mel" thing over Tell me. 2. Tell me 8/10 Another great upbeat track, should not have been released over FSG as first single though, not quite 9 or 10 because there is something that just feels a bit incomplete about the track. 3. Hell no 5/10 A big dip here after the first two tracks. It's ok but if she really wanted it I would have used it elsewhere on the album not as track 3. Hotter should be here a Feels so good, Tell me, Hotter opening three would have SLAYED. 4. Lullaby 7/10 A beautiful track vilified because Hotter should definitely have been released over it. Mel sounds gorgeous on it, definitely deserves it's place on the album and I think it was a decent single choice (after Hotter obs), there certainly is not anything else for a 4th single (5th if you include I want you back) 5. Hotter 10/10 Best track on the album can't believe it wasn't released they completely slept on this track, one of the biggest solo Spice mistakes for me. 6. Step Inside 6/10 Decent enough as an album track but the obvious lack of quality to Hotter is glaring. 7. ABC 123 6/10 Same as above 8. I believe 6/10 Same as above 9. I want you back 10/10 Epic no more needs to be said. It's a shame this is not more remembered it has been slept on as a bit of a forgotten 90's #1. 10. Pack your shit 7/10 I've always liked the confidence and swagger of this track. Only reason not higher is because (like tell me) it feels somewhat incomplete. 11. Feel me now 3/10 Never liked it I always turn off after Pack your shit tbh. I think the problem with the album is that there are some real highlights that show what Mel was capable of, but that makes the average tracks look worse than they are as they pale against them. Mel definitely deserved more success based on her singles run though she had a decent run (aside from the idiotic decision of not releasing Hotter after FSG) 1. Feels so good 2. Tell me 3. Hotter 4. Lullaby Would have been my singles order. This post has been edited by spiceboy: 14th February 2023, 12:17 PM |
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14th February 2023, 09:00 PM
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#226
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 7 September 2017
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QUOTE(spiceboy @ Feb 14 2023, 12:14 PM) 6. Step Inside 6/10 Decent enough as an album track but the obvious lack of quality to Hotter is glaring. 7. ABC 123 6/10 Same as above 8. I believe 6/10 Same as above Savage  QUOTE(spiceboy @ Feb 14 2023, 12:14 PM) 1. Feels so good 2. Tell me 3. Hotter 4. Lullaby Would have been my singles order. That's absolutely right! The only problem is your HATE SPEECH about Feel Me Now. It is at LEAST a solid 6 
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14th February 2023, 09:06 PM
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#227
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Buffy/Charmed
Joined: 18 April 2013
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I love Tell Me!! But yeah, it sounds a TAD unfinished.
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15th February 2023, 12:05 PM
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#228
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 "Jayrusaleminians" - Umi.
Pronouns: he/him
Joined: 4 April 2007 Posts: 41,459 User: 3,217
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I wonder why I Want You Back was kind of buried in the track list order, only track 9 of 11? I know it was 2 years old at that point, but still. I suppose one thing that can be said for where it is positioned is that it at least gives the back of the album some better quality
 I more or less agree with Spiceboy's assessment of the album! I do have a bit more of a soft spot for I Believe, but only in like a 7 out of 10 way. I feel like at least one more session with a different writer/producer was needed for Hot... ideally someone immersed in the UK music scene who specialised in R&B. Perhaps they might have brought out more of the Mel B we knew and loved, creating something fresher and more in keeping with the music scene here than what Hot offered. Sometimes I wonder if a culture clash is a reason why Mel B didn't get or wasn't able to get better work out of the American producers... like they fundamentally didn't get what exactly makes Mel B unique and couldn't tap into that musically. I guess Mel B herself didn't have a great idea or understanding of who she wanted to be as an artist either, and I never really sensed passion from her about her own debut album. I'm at least glad that it has some strong tracks, namely Feels So Good, Tell Me and Hotter. I think if Virgin had convinced Mel B to put the breaks on the album and had been able to make her more of a priority in early 2001, that it could have resulted in a stronger album than what we got. It seems she was very impatient and eager to get the album out, but it just didn't make any sense to release it in such close proximity to the Spice Girls album. She shot herself in the foot! I'm rambling but... I wonder if Virgin should have considered repackaging the Hot album for release straight after Feels So Good? Clearly the album was overlooked in October 2000, but they could have remarketed it. It could have been quite low effort, perhaps different artwork + simply include the radio edits of Tell Me and Feels So Good... and tried again to encourage album sales by making it seem like a new release. Feels So Good sold better than Tell Me, and the Q1 album market wasn't as competitive or high selling as Q4. Maybe it would have worked and put her solo career in a better position. |
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15th February 2023, 12:12 PM
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#229
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Break the tension
Joined: 7 March 2006
Posts: 89,027 User: 51
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Crazy how 'Feels So Good' being a decent-sized top 5 hit could only make the album re-enter in the 90s for two weeks.
'Feels So Good' to me feels like a classic of that time, 'Tell Me' just... isn't. |
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15th February 2023, 01:24 PM
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#230
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 6 September 2017
Posts: 11,850 User: 39,568
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QUOTE(-Jay- @ Feb 15 2023, 12:05 PM) I wonder why I Want You Back was kind of buried in the track list order, only track 9 of 11? I know it was 2 years old at that point, but still. I suppose one thing that can be said for where it is positioned is that it at least gives the back of the album some better quality I more or less agree with Spiceboy's assessment of the album! I do have a bit more of a soft spot for I Believe, but only in like a 7 out of 10 way. I feel like at least one more session with a different writer/producer was needed for Hot... ideally someone immersed in the UK music scene who specialised in R&B. Perhaps they might have brought out more of the Mel B we knew and loved, creating something fresher and more in keeping with the music scene here than what Hot offered. Sometimes I wonder if a culture clash is a reason why Mel B didn't get or wasn't able to get better work out of the American producers... like they fundamentally didn't get what exactly makes Mel B unique and couldn't tap into that musically. I guess Mel B herself didn't have a great idea or understanding of who she wanted to be as an artist either, and I never really sensed passion from her about her own debut album. I'm at least glad that it has some strong tracks, namely Feels So Good, Tell Me and Hotter. I think if Virgin had convinced Mel B to put the breaks on the album and had been able to make her more of a priority in early 2001, that it could have resulted in a stronger album than what we got. It seems she was very impatient and eager to get the album out, but it just didn't make any sense to release it in such close proximity to the Spice Girls album. She shot herself in the foot! I'm rambling but... I wonder if Virgin should have considered repackaging the Hot album for release straight after Feels So Good? Clearly the album was overlooked in October 2000, but they could have remarketed it. It could have been quite low effort, perhaps different artwork + simply include the radio edits of Tell Me and Feels So Good... and tried again to encourage album sales by making it seem like a new release. Feels So Good sold better than Tell Me, and the Q1 album market wasn't as competitive or high selling as Q4. Maybe it would have worked and put her solo career in a better position. I feel like the album itself while not the strongest should have done well enough off the back of it's singles which were all strong, I find it a bit bizarre it did not sell better. I think her flopping pretty much out of the gate did not help matters at all and she was always on an uphill battle to recover from it, although FSG did well for her as a single. If the album was already ready before the summer she really should have got it out then, I'm not sure when it was all done but even around the BRITs time would have been good as she would be high on BRITS performance but also no commitments to the group (not that they commited much lol). She really should have listened to Virgin too and launched with Feels So Good which I believe would have given the album a better head start and sometimes that encourages more success as people jump onto something that is doing well. I'll say it again Mel B does not deserve to be the only girl without a top 10 album, the fact Victoria did it (only just) off the back of NSAIG and Mel didn't is a bit sickening!  |
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15th February 2023, 02:05 PM
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#231
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BuzzJack Regular
Joined: 1 July 2021
Posts: 318 User: 132,865
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QUOTE(spiceboy @ Feb 15 2023, 01:24 PM) I'll say it again Mel B does not deserve to be the only girl without a top 10 album, the fact Victoria did it (only just) off the back of NSAIG and Mel didn't is a bit sickening! Agreed! Especially because she definitely has the talent to achieve that. The bar was set quite high after her duet with Missy Elliott, and I really think she could have achieved similar success with Hot overall. Combination of poor timing, questionable choices for songs to record, and then Virgin tossing her into a dumpster at first opportunity. I still wonder, had the girls released a follow-up to Spiceworld in 1998/1999 that included 4-piece, duets, and solo numbers -- how that would have set the stage for solo releases afterwards. 
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15th February 2023, 08:49 PM
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#232
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 7 September 2017
Posts: 5,094 User: 39,587
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I honestly believe that Mel just wasnt too confident on the album herself, and burried it behind the Spice Girls one, and it ended up f***ing up both lol or at least being a major contributing factor for the group to not be able to promote properly either.
Mel deserved much better as a pop star than the two meandering albums she put out. She had incredible singles that just didn't gell. Even I Want You Back was successful but not a smash hit either. It got to #1 but its sales are a bit low in the long run... It was clearly a hit though, but probably mostly do to the curiosity of it being the first solo Spice single at the time. Sadly the public just wsnt there for her either. I will never recover from the huge flop that was LA State of Mind, and neither has her career since then as a pop act... |
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15th February 2023, 10:17 PM
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#233
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 6 September 2017
Posts: 11,850 User: 39,568
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LA state of mind was a whole new level of floppage like I’ve never seen before or since!
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16th February 2023, 12:54 AM
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#234
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BuzzJack Climber
Joined: 28 October 2019
Posts: 100 User: 94,913
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It's a bad album! It was a bad album even by the standards of the time. I remember when I bought the album at a video store and I got home anxious and frustrated when I listened song by song and couldn't like any of them. 🤣🤣
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16th February 2023, 08:23 AM
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#235
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 7 September 2017
Posts: 5,094 User: 39,587
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QUOTE(spiceboy @ Feb 15 2023, 10:17 PM) LA state of mind was a whole new level of floppage like I’ve never seen before or since! Sadly I agree. But it is not that much worse than most of the production and level of quality of releases like My Happy Place, This Time, Stages, Passion, etc. The floppage of LA State of Mind was made even worse because it was released on an indie label that had no previous or future experience of releasing. I guess it was set up just for this release and she couldnt be arsed with promo anyway... The video is the most low quality production, even worse than Baby Please Don't Stop or Half of Me videos, or many of the Mel C videos... Its objectively the worst Spice-related video overall, in my opinion... |
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16th February 2023, 01:14 PM
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#236
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 6 September 2017
Posts: 11,850 User: 39,568
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I actually love LASOM as an album it’s such a breezy easy listening summery one.
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16th February 2023, 02:13 PM
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#237
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BuzzJack Regular
Joined: 1 July 2021
Posts: 318 User: 132,865
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QUOTE(spiceboy @ Feb 16 2023, 01:14 PM) I actually love LASOM as an album it’s such a breezy easy listening summery one. I like it for the same reasons, and I don't think Mel B created that record with the intent of it charting so I think all of this talk about cheap videos, and floppage chart positions is nonsense within the context of LASOM: it was pretty clear she just wanted to make this record. And it flows much better than 'Hot'. |
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