It took me way to long to figure out to do that!! :lol:

Beyond a lot of the photos being unflattering, it's still super weird to me how much the Terry Richardson shoot does not reflect the vibe of the album. The cover of that album doesn't make me expect Holler and Tell Me Why. It makes me expect...rich wives at a dinner party singing jazz standards around a piano?

 

I remember reading an article years ago that dealt with the Virgin executives being confused and concerned over Richardson ditching professional equipment for the shoot to take many of the shots on dozens of cheap disposable cameras. This is one of those moments, you'd think someone at Virgin or one of the girls themselves would step in and course correct things...instead of just throwing the single worst shot on the album cover.

 

Anyway. The orange couch photo IS the best thing to come out of Richardson's photo series. But if we're talking about photos not by Richardson...maybe the vinyl cover could be a shot by their longtime photog Dean Freeman? Did he take their Christmas tour program shots? There again...the pics don't reflect the content of the album...and they predate Forever by a year...but at least they're pretty shots. There was another really pretty shot taken of them on the set of Let Love Lead the Way. Not clear on if that was by Richardson...but I'm sure someone in here would know.

That looks more modern and sleek, and I like that it has them in the letters :wub: I wonder if they decided they couldn't do the 'in the letters' theme as a 4 piece, or if they didn't think that deeply about it, they just wanted a change? I think them in the letters still looks effective, even though the 'I' is unfilled.

 

 

It makes me expect...rich wives at a dinner party singing jazz standards around a piano?

:lol:

 

I agree with you both that the 'orange chair' was probably the best picture they could have used, from their sessions with him, although I'm not keen on Victoria's look in that picture. Here it is for anyone who doesn't know the picture we're talking about:

 

 

When it comes to the actual cover, I'll never understand how the 4 of them and everyone at Virgin thought... "yep, that's the one!" :drama: I wonder if any of them dislike it now, or if they don't see what we see when it comes to that artwork?

 

I found this fan made version using the Holler picture, and I find it better than the actual album cover (pretty much anything would be, lol). I think the white background and the Spice Girls logo / FOREVER font (which I've never particularly liked) is bland looking. It needs more colour!

 

That is already so much better just with a different image :o

I agree about using the Holler cover only a non blurry version. That shot was spicy.

 

I wonder how Mel C felt about being barely in that shot on the single cover or was she past caring? Probably.

I wonder! :lol: More of Melanie C was included on the French CD, at least. :kink:

 

 

I do quite like the Holler cover, it's rather striking...

 

 

...but sometimes I wonder why the designers didn't include 'Let Love Lead the Way' on the cover. Or 'Holler' on the other one!

 

 

I suppose the idea was to make them seem like separate singles at a glance, but I always found that a bit strange. Another aspect of these singles that I found weird was that one spine said "HOLLER (RADIO EDIT) LET LOVE LEAD THE WAY (RADIO EDIT)", while the other simply said "LET LOVE LEAD THE WAY".

 

I probably shouldn't overthink the designs of singles from 20 years ago. :kink: It just seemed a bit sloppy to me.

 

The aforementioned French CD referenced both Holler and Let Love Lead the Way, while having more emphasis on the Spice Girls logo:

 

 

While this Australian CD also included both song titles:

 

 

^ I think I prefer this picture to the blurry picture used for Holler/Let Love Lead the Way CD2!

That Let Love Lead The Way cover is shocking... probably worse than the Forever cover itself.

 

I liked the new logo in pink actually!

Personally though, I never thought that orange S picture was good for a album cover. It feels more like a back cover type of picture, and I agree about Victoria - she looks very odd there.

 

There were some lovely shots from that session though:

 

 

 

but even those don't seem to make justice to either Holler or the album as a whole.

 

More colour was needed. The album is so vibrant!

I do love that second picture, think that could have made quite a beautiful album cover.

^ I do actually like that side profile shot from their Interactive CD-ROM. It's a pretty shot...though I don't think it's dynamic enough for an album cover. It would have made a decent single cover, though.

 

And yes, I agree about the Let Love Lead the Way cover too. It's a nice enough picture of Emma. But the rest of them are so naturally beautiful that's it's puzzling Richardson managed to take such 'off' shots of them. Victoria practically looks like she's cast in shadow for the witness protection program.

 

It's got the harsh lighting and shadowed faces of a picture taken outside with a disposable camera...which, I suppose, is exactly what it is. I guess Richardson was going for a particular aesthetic. But. What can I say? Back when I was in high school, we went into a wooded area to take my prom pictures...and my mom did a better job with a disposable camera than Terry Richardson. I would have been glad to have loaned her to the Spice Girls for their album shoot. She's very nice and provides cookies.

It's got the harsh lighting and shadowed faces of a picture taken outside with a disposable camera...which, I suppose, is exactly what it is. I guess Richardson was going for a particular aesthetic. But. What can I say? Back when I was in high school, we went into a wooded area to take my prom pictures...and my mom did a better job with a disposable camera than Terry Richardson. I would have been glad to have loaned her to the Spice Girls for their album shoot. She's very nice and provides cookies.

 

:lol: Should have got your mum to do my wedding photography my photographer didn't provide cookies!

I listened to the album again today and I didn't actually dislike it as much as I sometimes think I'm going too :lol:

 

Apart from Goodbye (1998) and a few of the tracks from the 2000 sessions, a majority of the album was written/recorded in 1999, so it's still technically a 90s album to me :D I just wish they'd taken a few away and made it a bit more diverse like the other albums were.

 

I mean Holler, LLLTW, Tell Me Why and IYWHSF are all great and fun but there's too much Darkchild Production on there and it gets a little but samey in the middle.

 

I have to admit I was never a fan of Time Goes By, but I definitely don't think it's the worst album it just wasn't Spice/Spiceworld.

Edited May 4, 20205 yr by Spice Girls Net

I am the same as you! I think it's because it tends to be spoken of quite negatively, so we're almost conditioned into thinking that it's something we shouldn't enjoy lol. Yet when I play it, I enjoy it a lot. Maybe not what the general public wanted, and maybe an album that lacked some of the spiciness~ we were used to. It's a good album!

 

Sometimes I think it would have been better received had it been their fourth album. They needed something to bridge the gap between Spiceworld and Forever, make that transition seem more natural.

 

 

I do find it funny to think at times that Holler was written, produced, recorded and even performed in 1999, meaning that its certainly has roots in the 90s. Yet they didn't get around to releasing it until October 2000! :lol: I suppose they must have done some production tweaks in 2000... like I assume 'Spice Girls Darkchild 2000' at the start was a late addition to the production hmm.

 

 

I always find this time line quite fascinating to look at:

 

2nd August 1999 - Abbey Road Studios - Stannard/Rowe

1 "Woman"

2 "Treasure"

3 "Go, Go, Go"

4 "Overnight"

5 "Too Hot"

 

16th August 1999 - Steelworks Studios - Kennedy/Lever

5 "Right Back At Ya"

6 "A Day In Your Life"

7 "Give You What You Want" (Also known as "If It's Lovin' On Your Mind")

8 "Pain Proof"

 

25th August 1999 - Whitfield Street Studios - Rodney/Fred Jerkins

9 "Holler"

10 "Let Love Lead The Way"

11 "Weekend Love"

 

21st September 1999 - Whitfield Street Studios - Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis

12 "Oxygen"

13 "If You Wanna Have Some Fun"

(They didn't start working on the album again until April 2000, recording more tracks with Rodney/Fred Jerkins. It would have been around this time that a decision was made regarding the album's direction (i.e. scrapping the pop sessions & going fully R&B).

 

10th April 2000 - Miami - Rodney/Fred Jerkins

14 "Tell Me Why"

15 "Get Down With Me"

16 "Time Goes By"

 

17th July 2000 - Whitfield Street Studios - Fred Jerkins

17 "Wasting My Time"

("Right Back At Ya" re-worked with new vocals and production. Eliot wasn't happy with his song being reproduced, referring to the new version as being a "plodding, boring, bottom drawer R&B song")

 

 

 

Can't believe it's 5 years since Right Back at Ya [Pop Version], A Day In Your Life, Give You What You Want and Pain Proof leaked! I'm really glad they did because it offered an interesting insight into the initial direction of the album. I am sure we'll never hear those first 5 songs listed, which is a real shame.

Erm can we have more appreciation for the Forever I posted :lol: :P :o

I definitely agree Jay with the gap between the two albums. 3 years was too big and the sound was a jump too far.

 

If the third album had been released in November, 1999 they could have brought out the double A side Holler/LLLTW followed by the album, do a full UK tour over Xmas and January and then release another single just before the BRITs which would have also kept the album afloat. Then the Spring 2000 sessions could have gone towards a fourth album in late 2000 before going into the solo careers.

Edited May 4, 20205 yr by Spice Girls Net

Erm can we have more appreciation for the Forever I posted :lol: :P :o

 

I love your version of the cover :wub:

 

That empty 'I' would've been so painful at the time though. Haha!

 

Still a million times better than what we got. I particularly like your evolution of the "SPICE" typography.

Edited May 7, 20205 yr by Michael Andrew

I love your version of the cover :wub:

 

That empty 'I' would've been so painful at the time though. Haha!

 

Still a million times better than what we got. I particularly like your evolution of the "SPICE" typography.

 

 

Ok I should clarify I just meant that I shared it, I can't in anyway whatsoever take credit for designing it I do not have anywhere near that talent :lol:

 

Thanks for the kind words though I'm sure whoever made it will appreciate them :wub:

I am the same as you! I think it's because it tends to be spoken of quite negatively, so we're almost conditioned into thinking that it's something we shouldn't enjoy lol. Yet when I play it, I enjoy it a lot. Maybe not what the general public wanted, and maybe an album that lacked some of the spiciness~ we were used to. It's a good album!

 

Sometimes I think it would have been better received had it been their fourth album. They needed something to bridge the gap between Spiceworld and Forever, make that transition seem more natural.

I do find it funny to think at times that Holler was written, produced, recorded and even performed in 1999, meaning that its certainly has roots in the 90s. Yet they didn't get around to releasing it until October 2000! :lol: I suppose they must have done some production tweaks in 2000... like I assume 'Spice Girls Darkchild 2000' at the start was a late addition to the production hmm.

I always find this time line quite fascinating to look at:

 

2nd August 1999 - Abbey Road Studios - Stannard/Rowe

1 "Woman"

2 "Treasure"

3 "Go, Go, Go"

4 "Overnight"

5 "Too Hot"

 

16th August 1999 - Steelworks Studios - Kennedy/Lever

5 "Right Back At Ya"

6 "A Day In Your Life"

7 "Give You What You Want" (Also known as "If It's Lovin' On Your Mind")

8 "Pain Proof"

 

25th August 1999 - Whitfield Street Studios - Rodney/Fred Jerkins

9 "Holler"

10 "Let Love Lead The Way"

11 "Weekend Love"

 

21st September 1999 - Whitfield Street Studios - Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis

12 "Oxygen"

13 "If You Wanna Have Some Fun"

(They didn't start working on the album again until April 2000, recording more tracks with Rodney/Fred Jerkins. It would have been around this time that a decision was made regarding the album's direction (i.e. scrapping the pop sessions & going fully R&B).

 

10th April 2000 - Miami - Rodney/Fred Jerkins

14 "Tell Me Why"

15 "Get Down With Me"

16 "Time Goes By"

 

17th July 2000 - Whitfield Street Studios - Fred Jerkins

17 "Wasting My Time"

("Right Back At Ya" re-worked with new vocals and production. Eliot wasn't happy with his song being reproduced, referring to the new version as being a "plodding, boring, bottom drawer R&B song")

Can't believe it's 5 years since Right Back at Ya [Pop Version], A Day In Your Life, Give You What You Want and Pain Proof leaked! I'm really glad they did because it offered an interesting insight into the initial direction of the album. I am sure we'll never hear those first 5 songs listed, which is a real shame.

 

 

GOD I forgot about some of those unreleased tracks... Hopefully one day they will surface!

 

How sad that no singles/albums were released in 1999. What a wasted opportunity. They had Right Back At Ya (pop version) right there which would go really well in 1999 and maybe a couple more across Christmas 1999 and Spring 2000.

 

Hopefully one day these will leake or - GHASP - show up on a future release :cheer:

 

 

I like it but I think this would be better as a Holler cover since the pictures come from that. The design is also cool but very 2000s, which I think is an issue for an album cover which is meant to be more timeless than single ones.