As for the Headlines campaign it was so silly to release the physical cd two weeks after the digital release and one week after the GH came out. Bizarre

I'll forever be baffled by that scheduling :( It didn't make any sense at all!!

 

I feel like they should have done this instead:

 

5th Nov - Headlines digital

12th Nov - Headlines physical (Children in Need telethon aired on the 16th)

19th Nov - Greatest Hits (would still have made it to #2)

 

(Ideally I'd have preferred if they'd coordinated the digital and physical in the same week, but back then labels were keen on having at least 1 week as digital only)

I'll forever be baffled by that scheduling :( It didn't make any sense at all!!

 

I feel like they should have done this instead:

 

5th Nov - Headlines digital

12th Nov - Headlines physical (Children in Need telethon aired on the 16th)

19th Nov - Greatest Hits (would still have made it to #2)

 

(Ideally I'd have preferred if they'd coordinated the digital and physical in the same week, but back then labels were keen on having at least 1 week as digital only)

 

Well that would have been better than the original order.

 

Also, I use to hate the mid to late 2000s era when there was a digital and physical date for singles rather than just one date.

Problem for the GH is people wanted a new album in 2007 not a GH.

 

 

Thats an interesting comment to be honest. I feel the same - an actual album could have faired better at the time. It certainly would do well now, I think.

But ultimately, they would have come back with the same sound and the type of music they showed then, with Headlines and Voodoo, really killed the momentum.

 

Had they released an actual great song, with a good video and promoted it, we would have seen them getting much better success, I think... Oh well, we shall never know :arrr:

I really want to hear Spice Is Back that they recorded for the GH. Melanie C said it was great in a fan interview from a few years ago. The song has the same vibe as Wannabe and Spice Up Your Life. It was written by all 5 girls and Mel C's guitarist, Greg Hatwell.

 

Its actually good that they even got a greatest hits out when they did pre streaming. There seems less motivation to put out Greatest Hits CDs nowadays which is sad, I'm glad they have one out there that will continue to clock up sales over time.

The GH should pass 700k next year especially if we actually get something to celebrate Wannabe's 25th anniversary.

I actually really like 'Headlines'! :blush: I can see why the record label chose it given the girls had achieved three huge wintry ballads in the 90s, but I can also appreciate that fans at the time must have been really hyped for another 'Spice Up Your Life'. Perhaps if 'Headlines' was left as an album track to close the greatest hits with (or even released as a second single), it would be better appreciated? I also think they look great in the music video, but again it's not what I imagine fans were wanting.

I really want to hear Spice Is Back that they recorded for the GH. Melanie C said it was great in a fan interview from a few years ago. The song has the same vibe as Wannabe and Spice Up Your Life. It was written by all 5 girls and Mel C's guitarist, Greg Hatwell.

 

Interesting. But that title... cringes. No more self-referential stuff, girls, please.

Interesting. But that title... cringes. No more self-referential stuff, girls, please.

Here's the video where Mel C talks about Spice Is Back. @ 9:30 mark

 

Thats an interesting comment to be honest. I feel the same - an actual album could have faired better at the time. It certainly would do well now, I think.

But ultimately, they would have come back with the same sound and the type of music they showed then, with Headlines and Voodoo, really killed the momentum.

 

Had they released an actual great song, with a good video and promoted it, we would have seen them getting much better success, I think... Oh well, we shall never know :arrr:

 

I agree that 2007 seemed like the prime time for a new album.

 

Though. I've always been of the opinion that if they were making a genuine comeback attempt, the music might not have actually sounded like Headlines and Voodoo. The five girls in their solo careers...and Stannard/Rowe as writers and producers...had all evolved in their sound. To me, Headlines and Voodoo sounded like a pretty clear attempt to try and recreate their 1997 sound...just so they could slot in comfortably with the old hits.

 

If they were truly trying to return as a contemporary act, I think they might have ended up sounding more like, say, Stannard's work on the Kylie X album from around that time. Actually having all five girls work on the material probably would have produced something a bit different too. I don't know all the particulars, but I've always been under the understanding that only Geri and Emma took part in the creation of Headlines/Voodoo...and the others just kinda got to have credit under some agreement. I remember an interview from around that time with Victoria...where she made it sound like she just showed up in front of a mic...and she just sang what they gave her.

I dont believe we have any information on the writing of Voodoo and who was most or least involved.

 

Emma and Geri were indeed the main ones behind Headlines though I recall Mel C wrote her verse.

I dont believe we have any information on the writing of Voodoo and who was most or least involved.

 

Emma and Geri were indeed the main ones behind Headlines though I recall Mel C wrote her verse.

 

 

Not Mel writing the only good bit of the whole song :lol:

Not Mel writing the only good bit of the whole song :lol:

 

Ha I think the entire song is pretty good.

 

Definitely would've blown up in the 90s. :wub:

If they really wanted to record two Biff Stannard songs for the GH, they should have used the scrapped songs he did for Victoria's unreleased 2nd album. All of them are much better songs than Headlines and Voodoo.

 

Hustler

Flow

Be With You

Bittersweet

Give It All Away

I Should've Known Better

Edited November 15, 20204 yr by Sideout

To me, Headlines and Voodoo sounded like a pretty clear attempt to try and recreate their 1997 sound...just so they could slot in comfortably with the old hits.

 

Yeah, for all the criticism Headlines tend to get I do think it pretty flawlessly slots into next to the other hits - and I'm guessing that was the goal of the song and maybe that's why Spice Is Back didn't get used despite Mel C really liking it.

 

If they really wanted to record two Biff Stannard songs for the GH, they should have used the scrapped songs he did for Victoria's unreleased 2nd album. All of them are much better songs than Headlines and Voodoo.

 

Hustler

Flow

Be With You

Bittersweet

Give It All Away

I Should've Known Better

 

I always forget Stannard wrote that much for Victoria. Honestly, I think he's the single best collaborator she ever had as a solo artist. He kinda cracked the code for what her solo material should be. His songs play into her posh persona...cool pop. The songs he created were developing a solid new sound for her. Shame it never got a release...and I guess we don't have much idea about how complete these are either...(I guess they're demos, but they largely sound releasable to me...)

 

As to them being repurposed for the Spice Girls...in some alternate universe, I could see them making for good additions to the middle of a comeback album. The cool fits Victoria like a glove, though for the group as a whole, I think there'd also have to be material to accompany this that's a bit louder and more lively.

I never understood the reason of the inclusion of the Move Over album version in the GH.

Shouldn't Move Over Live in Istanbul be considered the true single version? Does anyone knows if the album version was included in some editions of the Pepsi single CD?

I never understood the reason of the inclusion of the Move Over album version in the GH.

Shouldn't Move Over Live in Istanbul be considered the true single version? Does anyone knows if the album version was included in some editions of the Pepsi single CD?

 

It's because the song was used in the Pepsi commercials, which were shown across the world and are still quite iconic ads nowadays. They certainly should have released it as a proper single back then, together with Step To Me.

 

I think Step To Me should have DEFINITELY been included in the Greatest Hits too, as well as performed on the tour.

It's because the song was used in the Pepsi commercials, which were shown across the world and are still quite iconic ads nowadays. They certainly should have released it as a proper single back then, together with Step To Me.

 

I think Step To Me should have DEFINITELY been included in the Greatest Hits too, as well as performed on the tour.

 

I completely agree with you about Step To Me!

How many "missed singles" the girls have! But this is another topic 😅

 

Yeah Move Over was included to bump up the track list and it was probably the most well known non single to the average Joe as it had the Pepsi commercials.