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.

Edited June 29, 20205 yr by sammy01

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

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.

 

So true :lol:

 

I remember watching the livestream of the press conference and it being SUCH a moment, properly excited. Looking back, it does feel the 2019 reunion was planned way better and the girls also seemed to enjoy themselves (and each other) a lot more.

 

VB her blonde bob really was a choice, as was Geri's outfit.

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.

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.

 

 

:lol: :lol: :lol: Why do I totally believe this!

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 :lol:

Yes that is the one, the brief was to wear black.

 

Victoria ✅

Melanie C ✅

Emma ✅

Mel B - Halfway There

Geri - NO! 😆

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?!