What is ¨If Ya Do¨ and where can i hear it?

I already mentioned in the girls UK Chart thread when reading through old Music Week magazines they were on shaky ground with the press, radio & TV in 2000. They were playlisting 'Holler' but didn't throw full support behind it like their previous releases. Once the single went in at #1, airplay shot up by quite a margin. It was #1 on MTV UK. But once Forever underperformed, they were all too happy to drop them. 'Holler' began to experience one of the speediest declines on the radio airplay, slipping 2-7-26-23-40-84. It departed the Top 50 3x quicker than any other Top 5 Airplay Hit of that year.

 

This is why I think had the girls done a bit more extensive promo, the era would have been more successful and at least reached 2x Platinum.

 

I also think the Forever era proves the Spice Girls were no puppets and had full creative control, to their detriment in some ways. Who at Virgin Records was approving Mel B to release 'Hotter' one month before 'Forever' and Melanie C to release 'If That Were Me' a couple of weeks after the album release? The label should've put their foot down and known this was no strategy for a major pop act. But I think there was an almost arrogance that demand would be there for Forever, promotion or not.

Edited November 22, 20222 yr by colinn

I think Forever doesn’t work for the Spice Girls at that time. It was a new sound & they split during the era. I mean mel b was mid promoting solo efforts lol as i think mel c was? Holler is a great song but for a group who werent interested the whole sound is like a dark stain on their discography. Its kinda weird to have two albums in line sonically & then this v. American sounding album.

 

Contradicting myself slightly here buf it does make sense why they didnt continue their sound as withouf Geri it would be deemed weaker & parts missing wheras noone misses Geri in Holler.

I already mentioned in the girls UK Chart thread when reading through old Music Week magazines they were on shaky ground with the press, radio & TV in 2000. They were playlisting 'Holler' but didn't throw full support behind it like their previous releases. Once the single went in at #1, airplay shot up by quite a margin. It was #1 on MTV UK. But once Forever underperformed, they were all too happy to drop them. 'Holler' began to experience one of the speediest declines on the radio airplay, slipping 2-7-26-23-40-84. It departed the Top 50 3x quicker than any other Top 5 Airplay Hit of that year.

 

This is why I think had the girls done a bit more extensive promo, the era would have been more successful and at least reached 2x Platinum.

 

I also think the Forever era proves the Spice Girls were no puppets and had full creative control, to their detriment in some ways. Who at Virgin Records was approving Mel B to release 'Hotter' one month before 'Forever' and Melanie C to release 'If That Were Me' a couple of weeks after the album release? The label should've put their foot down and known this was no strategy for a major pop act. But I think there was an almost arrogance that demand would be there for Forever, promotion or not.

 

I think the label were probably worried the album would never come out unless the girls were allowed to continue their solo releases too. I think if Virgin had said all solo releases were to stop during X period for Forever Melanie C for sure wouldn't have let it be released.

 

I think the label were probably worried the album would never come out unless the girls were allowed to continue their solo releases too. I think if Virgin had said all solo releases were to stop during X period for Forever Melanie C for sure wouldn't have let it be released.

 

I agree with this, and they obviously thought the album would sell on name alone. Which it did to an extent I mean going platinum with just one single was pretty good going and shows that had they invested properly in the campaign with multiple singles and proper promotion it would have sold a decent amount, 2x platinum was easily obtainable possibly 3x platinum.

 

They had so much potential in the US had there been a proper push there too, but no wonder they were not invested why would their us label pay for radio play when they couldn’t even be arsed doing a single group showing there? Utterly stupid tbh they might as well have not bothered.

So Eric just posted this, which I think it is the first time it is uploaded in full like this :heart:

 

 

Some interesting tid bits about Forever:

 

- They all seemingly love Time Goes By. Both Mels and Emma reference it as one their faves :P

 

- When recording in Miami with Rodney Jerkins, he was playing them demos he had made and they rejected them and demanded a brand new song made with their ideas. That made him stay up all night producing a song. Sadly they never specify which track though.

 

- Victoria's favourite songs are If You Wanna Have Some Fun and Wasting My Time :wub: TASTE :cheer:

 

- Let Love Lead The Way was originally about a homeless person (this is new to me, so interesting)

 

- At first they had different opinions on which song should be the first single but it was Emma who had the last decision!

 

- They were pretty dismissive of Tell Me Why being a single. Victoria went straight to 'they could all be singles'

 

- Mel B's mum's favourite is If You Wanna Have Some Fun :wub:

 

I do find it ridiculous they couldn't be in the same room for these interviews. Like, why. The strategy of that was so off... You get the feeling they were in the next room doing the same interview separately. Do them together for god's sake :huh:

 

These interviews were cute and all, but there is no reason to not have them all doing them together. This was was so disjointed, and crappy.

Edited November 30, 20222 yr by Mr.X

So Eric just posted this, which I think it is the first time it is uploaded in full like this :heart:

 

 

Some interesting tid bits about Forever:

 

- They all seemingly love Time Goes By. Both Mels and Emma reference it as one their faves :P

 

- When recording in Miami with Rodney Jerkins, he was playing them demos he had made and they rejected them and demanded a brand new song made with their ideas. That made him stay up all night producing a song. Sadly they never specify which track though.

 

- Victoria's favourite songs are If You Wanna Have Some Fun and Wasting My Time :wub: TASTE :cheer:

 

- Let Love Lead The Way was originally about a homeless person (this is new to me, so interesting)

 

- At first they had different opinions on which song should be the first single but it was Emma who had the last decision!

 

- They were pretty dismissive of Tell Me Why being a single. Victoria went straight to 'they could all be singles'

 

- Mel B's mum's favourite is If You Wanna Have Some Fun :wub:

 

I do find it ridiculous they couldn't be in the same room for these interviews. Like, why. The strategy of that was so off... You get the feeling they were in the next room doing the same interview separately. Do them together for god's sake :huh:

 

These interviews were cute and all, but there is no reason to not have them all doing them together. This was was so disjointed, and crappy.

 

Oh, cool! I've always seen little bits and pieces of this interview, but this is the first time I've watched it all the way through.

 

I think they claimed on several occasions they struggled to pick the first single...and it came down to Emma choosing Holler. I've always thought this was odd as with the Forever material that actually made the album...Holler is the obvious first single choice. I'd say If You Wanna Have Some Fun is also very strong. Personally, I like it almost as much. But IYWHSF isn't as indicative of the album as Holler...and Holler is also a bolder statement. What other song could they possibly be talking about?

 

So. Here's where my theory comes in...which isn't based on much. But...could the other song they were considering to launch the era be one of the Stannard/Rowe songs?...probably one we haven't heard? I've always carried the belief that the pop tracks were dumped from the lineup much later than people generally think...namely in the summer of 2000. Why? There was an interview where one of the girls said they needed that last recording session (the one that yielded Wasting My Time) because they suddenly realized they didn't have enough to complete the album. I think that's when the pop tracks got dumped. That unheard material is Stannard/Rowe in 1999 working with their top priority group. I find it hard to believe that nothing they came up with at that time was any good. That makes me wonder if the group's big decision was actually to launch the album with a Stannard/Rowe track and include all their collaborators...or lead with Holler and only use the work of the American producers. Might be a crackpot theory. But. Anyway. Maybe?

 

Last thought. I am the last person to criticize someone for their clothes...but...urgh. Mel C is sitting there next to Victoria Beckham of all people...while wearing a 'Trailer Trash' shirt that looks like its sold at some gas station from hell.

I think by Dec 1999, they decided to scrape all their pop tracks and handed over the producer tasks to Rodney Jerkins. At that point, they weren’t sure which direction they wanted to pursue and was convinced by someone at the label to go with the American sound. So they only had five tracks (3 with Rodney and 2 Jam/ Lewis) by then.

 

They already had done 5 tracks with Matt/ Rowe and 4 tracks with Eiliot Kennedy by that point. They could have released an album by them but Mel C was focused on promoting her solo album by then.

 

Suck cuz they could have at least gone for a forth Xmas number one in 1999 and probably still could have achieved it then.

I think by Dec 1999, they decided to scrape all their pop tracks and handed over the producer tasks to Rodney Jerkins. At that point, they weren’t sure which direction they wanted to pursue and was convinced by someone at the label to go with the American sound. So they only had five tracks (3 with Rodney and 2 Jam/ Lewis) by then.

 

They already had done 5 tracks with Matt/ Rowe and 4 tracks with Eiliot Kennedy by that point. They could have released an album by them but Mel C was focused on promoting her solo album by then.

 

Suck cuz they could have at least gone for a forth Xmas number one in 1999 and probably still could have achieved it then.

 

I don't know for sure when the pop tracks got dumped...but I tend to think it was in the summer of 2000 because of the last minute recording session...and also because Emma was still talking about WOMAN in July of 2000. I know she famously has a bad memory...but my guess is she would know if something was or wasn't on her current album project. Other group members also said in July of 2000 that they hadn't picked the first single yet...so...I tend to think there were still some moving parts. Rodney Jerkins had already been made the album EP long before all of this...but I don't think that automatically meant nearly everything that wasn't his would be removed.

Other group members also said in July of 2000 that they hadn't picked the first single yet...

The Holler music video was filmed in July. I very much doubt they didn't know it was going to be the first single.

Right Back At Ya original Eliot Kennedy mix seemed like the logical original comeback single.

 

That track literally is a comeback song lyrically and I'm sure that's why they performed it at Earls Court aswell.

Didn't they perform Holler at the Brits in 2000?

Didn't they perform Holler at the Brits in 2000?

Yes and only a bad radio rip is out there, where they do sound quite bad on.

Right Back At Ya original Eliot Kennedy mix seemed like the logical original comeback single.

 

That track literally is a comeback song lyrically and I'm sure that's why they performed it at Earls Court aswell.

 

and the pop version of the RBAY would have been a great single to launch the campaign, in Spring 2000 as it should have been! <_<

 

I wouldn't have minded, AT ALL, a campaign like this:

 

Right Back At Ya (pop) release video in March 2000, single in April

 

Holler, released on it's own, video in July single in August

 

If You Wanna Have Some Fun single mix, video out in September, single out October

 

Forever the album, out November

 

Let Love Lead The Way for early December (avoiding Christmas week)

 

Tour in Feb - May 2001

 

then call it quits and go solo until 2007 for the Greatest Hits...

 

GOSH I would swap every single solo project (inc Free Me and Life in Mono), for a proper Forever campaign.

 

B-)

Edited December 6, 20222 yr by Mr.X

24 years ago:

 

@1602237282987147265

My next review will be Spice Girls 'Forever', just to round off the group's discography.

Looking forward to the review on Forever, I’ve only heard the singles from that one.

I’ve only heard the singles from that one.

Great review Nina, also looking forward to the one on Forever, I’ve only heard the singles from that one.

 

Get your ass to your nearest Spotify app and listen to these immediately:

 

1. Wasting My Time

2. Tell Me Why

3. If You Wanna Have Some Fun

4. Get Down With Me

5. Oxygen

 

It will change your life :teresa:

The next review will be Spice Girls 'Forever', just to round off the group's discography.

 

Prepares popcorns for the drama.