I agree with the sentiments that it was styled in a way that too closely resembled Destiny's Child and TLC for sure. But I dont agree with the lack of individuality from the members at all. They were all still very much their own characters, just in a different way.

 

There is plenty of the brash/in your face Spice attitude in the record, just in a differnt way. They still sing about girl power, friendship, being too good for some men and sex like they did before. Just that there are no 'Do It's or 'Wannabe's in the record and that is part of growth.

 

The main issues for me were the styling and the timing of the releases. I will mantain that had they kept the styling that we saw from around the Brits 2000 era, it would have been much more appealing as an era. In fact, they should have come out with Holler right there and then, before another couple of singles and a full album launch in the autum, in my opinion... Would have changed the game.

 

They had already performed Holler both at the Christmas shows and the Brits, so it was obviously going to be their first single. However, Mel C had to finish her touring or something like that -_-

Here is some facts about the recording & production of this era.

During the Spiceworld Tour in early 1998, the group took on an initial project to write and record songs for a possible third album and a live album. The original concept for this "3rd Album" was to showcase solos songs, duets, and songs featuring all five members, in order to promote the idea that the Spice Girl were all individuals, yet could come together as one.

In 1998, it was announced that the third album would be full of covers and new songs including covers of Celebration by Kool and the Gang, Where Did Our Love Go by The Supremes, We Are Family by Sister Sledge, Sisters are Doin' It For Themselves by Annie Lennox, and Holiday by Madonna. Which were all later dropped due to Geri Halliwell's departure.

In July 1998, during the Spiceworld Tour, the girls headed to Nashville to record their new Christmas single "Goodbye". They also recorded "My Strongest Suit" for the musical "Aida".

Mel B commented on the rumors of the new Spice Girls album not being released until the year 2000 saying "That's a bunch of bullshit, we are in the studios now recording our second single, and our album is due out as soon as Vicky and I get a weeks break for our babies."

On August 2, 1999, the Spice Girls officially began work on their third studio album. Together with Richard Stannard and Matt Rowe, the girls began writing for the album at Abbey Road Studios in London. Several tracks emerged, including the songs "W.O.M.A.N.", "Treasure", "Go, Go, Go", and "Too Hot") but none of the tracks made it onto the final album and none, (with the exception of "W.O.M.A.N" – which was performed live on the Christmas In Spiceworld Tour in 1999), have been heard.

The group also recorded with Eliot Kennedy at the Steelworks Studios in Sheffield on August 16, 1999, and the tracks they recorded were "Right Back At Ya", "A Day In Your Life", "Give You What You Want", and "Pain Proof". "Right Back At Ya" was showcased in the Christmas tour and eventually made it onto the third album, while the other three songs were cut off the album.

On August 25, 1999, the group returned to London and began work with American R&B producer, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins – who had also worked with Whitney Houston, Destiny's Child, and Jennifer Lopez. – at the Whitfield Street Studios. Eager to develop their sound and image the group wanted a more American and urban edge in a desire to stay fresh and connect with a maturing fanbase. The tracks that emerged included the songs "Holler", (originally known as "Holler Holler") "Let Love Lead The Way" and "Weekend Love" – all of which made it onto the final cut.

On September 21, 1999, the girls returned to the Whitfield Street Studios, this time to hook up with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis – the men who turned Prince and Janet Jackson into global megastars, and who had worked with Mariah Carey, Usher, TLC, and Mary J. Blige. The result was the two most critically acclaimed tracks on the album – "If You Wanna Have Some Fun" and "Oxygen".

In October 1999, work on "Forever" ceased; Melanie C embarked on a solo tour in an effort to promote Northern Star, and Emma Bunton, Victoria Beckham, and Mel B began recording their solo material.

In December 1999 they performed live for a UK-only tour, named Christmas in Spiceworld, in the Manchester Arena and Earl's Court, also showcasing new songs from the third album. At their Christmas concerts, the Spice Girls performed "Right Back At Ya", "W.O.M.A.N" and "Holler".

As the album was further delayed to "late 2000", the Spice Girls previewed "Holler" at the Brit Awards on March 3, 2000, where they also accepted their "Outstanding Contribution to Music Award", and rumours flew around that the song would be their next single. The next recording session for the album kept being pushed back due to either the Spice Girls or Rodney Jerkins not being available. If it was absolutely necessary, the girls would fly out to Miami to work with him.

It wasn’t until April 10, 2000 – seven months after the London Sessions and nearly two years since Geri’s departure, that work resumed on the album at the Hit Factory in Miami, USA. It was late nights all round as the Spice Girls fought to complete their album. "Tell Me Why", "Get Down With Me" and "Time Goes By" (originally known as "When You're With Me") were all written with Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins – but Melanie C isn’t featured on the writing credits. At the time she was still concentrating on her solo career so the material was written without her, and she put her vocals on afterwards.

In April 2000, the group decided that the material recorded with Matt & Rowe and Kennedy the previous year would be shelved because it didn’t fit in with the R&B dominated material they had recorded with Darkchild and Jam&Lewis. The only song to survive to cut was "Right Back At Ya" – but only after it was heavily remixed by Darkchild, something which original producer Eliot Kennedy found very insulting. They had turned one of the best pop tracks he had ever done and turned it into a "plodding, boring, bottom drawer R&B song", in his opinion. The three other songs produced by Kennedy were leaked online in 2015.

On July 17, 2000, they returned to Whitfield Street Studios and recorded "Wasting My Time" with Fred Jerkins (which doesn’t feature vocals by Mel B and writing credits by Victoria Beckham) and they also remixed and re-recorded "Right Back At Ya".

Here's a list of the recording sessions

August 2nd 1999 (Richard Stannard & Matt Rowe), Abbey Road Studios, London
W.O.M.A.N.
Treasure
Go, Go, Go
Too Hot
Overnight

August 16th 1999 (Elliot Kennedy) Steelworks Studios, Sheffield
Right Back At Ya [Pop Version]
A Day In Your Life
Give You What You Want
Pain Proof

August 25th 1999 (Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins), Whitfield Street Studios
Holler (originally known as "Holler, Holler")
Let Love Lead The Way
Weekend Love

September 21st 1999 (Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis), (same studio as above)
If You Wanna Have Some Fun
Oxygen

April 10th 2000 (Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins) Hit Factory, Miami USA)
Tell Me Why
Get Down With Me
Time Goes By (originally known as "When You're With Me")

July 17th 2000 (Fred Jerkins) Whitfield Street Studios
Wasting My Time
Right Back At Ya (remix)

Edited February 27, 20214 yr by Nina West

Here is some facts about the recording & production of this era.

 

During the Spiceworld Tour in early 1998, the group took on an initial project to write and record songs for a possible third album and a live album. The original concept for this "3rd Album" was to showcase solos songs, duets, and songs featuring all five members, in order to promote the idea that the Spice Girl were all individuals, yet could come together as one.

I wonder if Image & Likeness and Seven Days are from this Recording session. They are the only registered unreleased songs in which we don't know what era they are from.

 

Image & Likeness only has the 5 girls as writers. Seven Days is written by the 5 girls along with Mark Taylor. Taylor's earliest writing credit is Cher's Believe, which was released in October 1998.

I wonder if Image & Likeness and Seven Days are from this Recording session. They are the only registered unreleased songs in which we don't know what era they are from.

 

Image & Likeness only has the 5 girls as writers. Seven Days is written by the 5 girls along with Mark Taylor. Taylor's earliest writing credit is Cher's Believe, which was released in October 1998.

 

'Image & Likeness' is listed from 97/98 & has all 5 girls as co-writers & it was probably from one the earliest recording sessions before Geri left & was probably scrapped before the proper sessions began.

 

'Seven Days' is dated from 1997 & has Sheppard Solomon & Mark Taylor as co-writers, but as for this, I'd guess its either a 'Spiceworld' outtake or like 'I&L', just a very early 3rd album session recording that got scrapped when Geri left.

 

Also there's another song from the 1999 Richard Stannard sessions called 'Overnight' which could have been recorded as well during that time, alongside 'W.O.M.A.N.', 'Treasure', 'Too Hot' & 'Go, Go, Go" & etc..

 

There's also another track listed from 1997 called 'Power of 5' which again could have been a 'Spiceworld' outtake or a very early third album outtake before Geri's departure.

 

'Image & Likeness' is listed from 97/98 & has all 5 girls as co-writers & it was probably from one the earliest recording sessions before Geri left & was probably scrapped before the proper sessions began.

 

'Seven Days' is dated from 1997 & has Sheppard Solomon & Mark Taylor as co-writers, but as for this, I'd guess its either a 'Spiceworld' outtake or like 'I&L', just a very early 3rd album session recording that got scrapped when Geri left.

 

Also there's another song from the 1999 Richard Stannard sessions called 'Overnight' which could have been recorded as well during that time, alongside 'W.O.M.A.N.', 'Treasure', 'Too Hot' & 'Go, Go, Go" & etc..

 

There's also another track listed from 1997 called 'Power of 5' which again could have been a 'Spiceworld' outtake or a very early third album outtake before Geri's departure.

 

Isn't Power of 5 from that Channel 5 advert? "1,2,3,4,5"

Yeah I think that's the Channel 5 advert song. Glad they never released it cos... well... it isn't that great is it :teresa:

interesting about the schedules of the recording sessions. It seems like maybe a couple of tracks from 1998, 1999 and 2000 might be laying about that we never heard of before.

 

Remember that we never even KNEW about the A Day In Your Life, Pain Proof and Get What You Want until they were leaked! Who knows what more is out there?!... I seriously doubt that only those songs were around.

 

Maybe they recorded a couple more but never got to go past the demo stage. WHO KNOWS?! Yet again, we need a fan to sleep with Biff (mE! I will do it!) or Simon Fuller (not me, thanks) to get our mints on THE TRUTH!

 

Totally forgot about Image & Likeness and Seven Days! Always thought that those were from earlier sessions

I'm sure there are so many songs sat in the vaults we don't even know exist.

They just really lost without Geri, the way they decided to change the direction along the way, it's not that easy. Darkchild pretty much killed the spice flavour and the spice girls there. Eliot was right his pop version was much better. Basically, they left their kid and teen fanbase and also failed to connect with the maturing one. The original concept was brilliant, had Geri stayed they would have gone with that idea, the thrid would have been another spice classic and a very nice build up to their solo careers. Sob.

I'm sure there are so many songs sat in the vaults we don't even know exist.

 

Well, it is HIGH TIME someone open the bloody Spice Vaults and gift us all with some much needed unheard spice :teresa:

Well, it is HIGH TIME someone open the bloody Spice Vaults and gift us all with some much needed unheard spice :teresa:

 

I don’t know but I've always assumed Victoria is probably the sticking point on that. I know Mel C says stuff like b sides are b sides for a reason but she isn't going to openly say we can't release anything without all 5 giving a yes and Victoria is a big no.

 

I just can't ever see Victoria agreeing to have those songs out there now as 'new' songs.

Oh that is a point I never considered actually... I seriously hope that is not the case otherwise... well...

 

Yeah I think that's the Channel 5 advert song. Glad they never released it cos... well... it isn't that great is it :teresa:

 

 

 

It would do as a pop album track!

Here's a list of the recording sessions

 

August 2nd 1999 (Richard Stannard & Matt Rowe), Abbey Road Studios, London

W.O.M.A.N.

Treasure

Go, Go, Go

Too Hot

 

August 16th 1999 (Elliot Kennedy) Steelworks Studios, Sheffield

Right Back At Ya [Pop Version]

A Day In Your Life

Give You What You Want

Pain Proof

 

August 25th 1999 (Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins), Whitfield Street Studios

Holler (originally known as "Holler, Holler")

Let Love Lead The Way

Weekend Love

 

September 21st 1999 (Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis), (same studio as above)

If You Wanna Have Some Fun

Oxygen

 

April 10th 2000 (Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins) Hit Factory, Miami USA)

Tell Me Why

Get Down With Me

Time Goes By (originally known as "When You're With Me")

 

July 17th 2000 (Fred Jerkins) Whitfield Street Studios

Wasting My Time

Right Back At Ya (remix)

 

 

I think the Miami session from April 2000 have "depersonalized" Forever.

Tell Me Why, Get Down With Me and Time Goes By (the ones I like the least) objectively are not bad songs but they're not enough spicey...

In my opinion, with the remaining tracks and a few more from the remaining sessions (not W.O.M.A.N.) it could have been an album at the same level of the previous two

But we will never know :lol: so I enjoy it equally :wub:

 

I would have loved this tracklist:

 

Holler

Give You What You Want

Let Love Lead The Way

Right Back At Ya

A Day In Your Life

Wasting My Time

Weekend Love

Pain Proof

If You Wanna Have Some Fun

Oxygen

Goodbye

 

I'd be so curious to hear Treasure, Go, Go, Go and Too Hot :mellow:

 

PS. photos from Forever Spice (I love that book) were taken during the recording sessions of August 2, 1999 :wub:

 

I think the Miami session from April 2000 have "depersonalized" Forever.

Tell Me Why, Get Down With Me and Time Goes By (the ones I like the least) objectively are not bad songs but they're not enough spicey...

In my opinion, with the remaining tracks and a few more from the remaining sessions (not W.O.M.A.N.) it could have been an album at the same level of the previous two

But we will never know :lol: so I enjoy it equally :wub:

 

I would have loved this tracklist:

 

Holler

Give You What You Want

Let Love Lead The Way

Right Back At Ya

A Day In Your Life

Wasting My Time

Weekend Love

Pain Proof

If You Wanna Have Some Fun

Oxygen

Goodbye

 

I'd be so curious to hear Treasure, Go, Go, Go and Too Hot :mellow:

 

PS. photos from Forever Spice (I love that book) were taken during the recording sessions of August 2, 1999 :wub:

 

That would have been a great tracklist, here's mine only with a few alterations =

 

01. Holler

02. Tell Me Why

03. Let Love Lead the Way

04. Right Back at Ya [pop version]

05. Give You What You Want

06. A Day in Your Life

07. Pain Proof

08. Weekend Love

09. If You Wanna Have Some Fun

10. W.O.M.A.N.

11. Oxygen

12. Goodbye

Edited February 27, 20214 yr by Nina West

The entire album needed to be scrapped. Nothing could have saved it as is.

Anyone not including Get Down With Me, Tell Me Why or Wasting My Time in their lists, whilst including the horrible 5ive-b-side tripe that is Give You What You Want is WRONG!!

It's not gonna be great as the previous two but the better tracklist would have made it a better album and given them better sales.

 

Here's mine,

 

01. Holler

02. Let Love Lead the Way

03. Right Back at Ya [pop version]

04. Wasting My Time

05. Give You What You Want (no one cares about 5ive outside the UK so it's fine, Mr.X :P )

05. A Day in Your Life

06. If You Wanna Have Some Fun

07. Pain Proof

08. Weekend Love

09. W.O.M.A.N.

10. Goodbye

 

W.O.M.A.N alone would have added a million more sale for them at the time, such a great and universal melody not to mention the girl empowering theme.

Give You What You Want is awful either in the UK or anywhere else. Glad it never got released ah