WHAT?! :w00t:

Time Goes By :P

Time Goes By :P

 

OMG :P

The only salvageable songs from Forever, beside the singles, are If You Wanna Have Some Fun and at an absolute stretch, Tell Me Why - that remix being my preferred version.

 

 

100% THIS!!!

 

The Tell Me Why remix is actually pretty good ... but again, thw attwmpt at rnb vocals brings it down, as does the structure. There is just something so off with the whole album, even if you overlook the awful quality.

Talking about remixes, you know a really good one? THIS ONE

 

 

Holler is such a BOP you can do anything with it!! :teresa: :cheer:

 

Other mix of Holler that totally slaps is its 2019 live mix :w00t: Probably my favourite performance of the whole tour!!

 

 

I would love it if someone creates new mixes of the album a la the Trace Adams version!

That first mix is good, but the 2019 mix is awful. Made it too rnb.

I loved Holler 2019! Feeling the bass in the stadium during that performance :cheeseblock:

 

Who would have thought prior to that comeback that Geri would ever perform Holler? *.* (Granted she didn't do a verse, but still)

I loved Holler 2019! Feeling the bass in the stadium during that performance :cheeseblock:

 

Who would have thought prior to that comeback that Geri would ever perform Holler? *.* (Granted she didn't do a verse, but still)

 

I know Geri got a lot of stick for that Holler routine but Emma didn’t exactly look comfortable with it either. It was definitely the two Mel’s show during that number!

Which is a spain, as she was always really into Hollier - probably the most our of ANY of them... except maybe Mel B!

Been listening to ‘Forever’ so much recently - such a great album and the only SG that I listen to now, it really deserved so much more.

I know Geri got a lot of stick for that Holler routine but Emma didn’t exactly look comfortable with it either. It was definitely the two Mel’s show during that number!

 

 

It was definitely the Mels who carried that performance! Emma sadly had to tone down her performance there to match Gerita's.

 

The 'tea break' moment was stupid though, specially when it happened in the center and the Mels were in the sides. Always wished Emma and Geri would have done something better than that awful union-jack tea cup number

 

NONETHELESS, it is one of the best moments of that whole tour! The remix, the costumes, the vibe, the Mels choreo, the ad libs!!!! all perfect!

Talking about remixes, you know a really good one? THIS ONE

 

 

Holler is such a BOP you can do anything with it!! :teresa: :cheer:

 

Other mix of Holler that totally slaps is its 2019 live mix :w00t: Probably my favourite performance of the whole tour!!

 

 

I would love it if someone creates new mixes of the album a la the Trace Adams version!

 

Watching back that 2019 stadium performance of Holler -- Melanie, Mel and Emma are great dancers, but it's a reminder of Mel B's prowess in this category. She just naturally oozes energy when she's dancing -- like she's in charge of the music, and not the other way around.

 

Gerita. :blink:

 

"Ok, so Geri ... the other three are going to have some specific choreo, you're just going to stand in once place and stomp your feet and raise an arm occasionally."

 

And tea. Drink tea in the middle.

 

Yeah Mel B rocks that stage, specially when choreo is involved. Mel C said in one of her instagram Q&As during the pandemic that Mel B was instrumental at getting that remix and that choreo together :wub:

 

I say, for the next tour let Mel B take charge of a whole R&B-contemporary section with Holler and a few other songs and it will SLAP!!

 

I could see a Holler + Step To Me + If You Wanna Have Some Fun section that would be dancing&choreo heavy and it would smash.

 

Emma and Mel C would back her up and smash it :P

 

Gerita can nod and wave along, I dont mind :coffee:

Edited September 4, 20231 yr by Mr.X

I mean. It's not a big deal...but with Geri and Emma not taking part in the Holler dance battle, I probably would have preferred they just stand in superwoman poses for that section. I know it's just meant to be a quirky little moment...but with the Mels doing the most rigorous choreography of the whole show, I'd rather the other two not do anything distracting. I just imagine the audience thinking..."Wow, the Mels are on fire-wait...uh...are Geri and Emma sipping tea right now...?...no, really...are they...sipping tea?..."

 

I've got no idea how the tea idea came about...but my guess is someone at rehearsals said..."and what will Geri and Emma do during the dance break?" "Oh, we'll just have a spot of tea!" *everyone laughs* And then it somehow made it into the show.

 

 

It is also funny cos Mel B and Emma did say (in the Forever interviews they did together) that at one point they were thinking of going with other tracks as the lead single but eventually landed on Holler.

 

Going back to an earlier convo...I've always wondered what other track they could possibly be referring to that they were considering to launch the album. Holler is the obvious choice...as the best of the Darkchild material...and the song that'd make the strongest statement about their new musical direction. Right Back At Ya, I guess, would have made sense as a comeback song...but the pop version (if they were still using it at the time) wouldn't have grabbed attention like Holler...and the r'n'b version is flat-out not good enough to be the lead single. Now, midway through 2000, the Spice fan sites were claiming Let Love Lead The Way alone was the comeback single. Was that ever actually true? Granted, that's a song the girls always seemed to appreciate more deeply than the fanbase. But there again, it's no match for Holler...

 

So. Here's how I see it. With the version of Forever we got, I can't imagine the girls/Virgin/whoever deciding on any lead but Holler. However. I do believe they could have considered a different lead when the Biffco/Elliot Kennedy tracks were still in play. Even though we've got some bits and pieces, we really don't know the true strength of the Biffco songs. And if the album was to feature more pop AND r'n'b sounds...could If You Wanna Have Some Fun have been in consideration for the lead...just because it's kinda at the midway point of the pop and r'n'b sides of the group? But then, Mel C doesn't like that song for whatever reason...sooo...

 

Anyway. There's a whole lot of speculation from me...based on knowing absolutely nothing on what was happening behind the scenes....

Edited September 5, 20231 yr by Piers

Although I’m ultimately thankful that Holler was a Double A side with Let Love Lead the Way, simply for bumping up their overall number of songs released as singles/music videos, I do think it was somewhat unnecessary and that Holler could have stood by itself.

 

The above discussion point does make me wonder whether they did seriously consider at one point to come back with Let Love Lead the Way all by itself? That would have been… well, certainly a decision!

 

I do wonder why a Double A Side happened and if it’s the case that the girls felt more attached to/passionate about LLLTW, but the label wanted Holler, and they ended up comprising with releasing both? Or maybe Virgin wasn’t confident about just one song.

 

Who knows but it does seem unusual to launch an era with a Double A, and perhaps gave off an air of under confidence in either song by itself. I can’t really think of any other examples of artists kicking off an era with a Double A… other than Victoria! :thinking:

I can’t really think of any other examples of artists kicking off an era with a Double A… other than Victoria! :thinking:

Shayne Ward. ;)

True!

 

(Not that this is the right place to talk about this, apologies, but I can't help myself x) - that Shayne single was initially meant to be If That's OK With You as a standalone single. The song premiered on 6th July 2007, and the CD was scheduled for a 20th August release. However on 2nd August they announced plans that it would be released as a Double A Side instead - No U Hang Up/If That's OK With You, as well as pushing it back to 24th September. When that was finally released, his label made it so that If That's OK With You couldn't be downloaded by itself, only No U Hang Up could be downloaded. However when his album was released a couple of months later, ITOWY was able to be downloaded and it charted by itself after all. An interestingly handled single. I wonder how ITOWY would have done if they'd stuck to releasing it by itself. The label must have got spooked by something to make those changes.

 

Back to Forever! :kink:

Wasn't it said that Holler was originally supposed to be released on its own with LLLTW scheduled for later, and it was only made a double A side closer to the announcements?

 

Yeah I think Holler was always going to be the lead single once they settled on Darkchild being the main direction of the album. Maybe before they had thought of If You Wanna Have Some Fun or one of the pop songs that were scrapped...

 

I could imagine the pop version of Right Back At Ya also being in contention before Spring 2000, although they did do Holler at the Brits that year right after they did Holler + Right Bact At Ya + WOMAN at the Christmas tour before.

 

Who knows?... It would be amazing to find out a bit more of the recording and decision processes of this era, as so much changed constantly.

I recall Mel C saying the double A side was a gift to the fans after such a long wait.

 

In reality I wonder if she only agreed to promoting one single and thats it so they made it a double A side to push as much out as they could at one time. I'm sure Mel C had a lot to say about what she would and wouldn't do in regards to Forever during 2000.

I recall Mel C saying the double A side was a gift to the fans after such a long wait.

 

In reality I wonder if she only agreed to promoting one single and thats it so they made it a double A side to push as much out as they could at one time. I'm sure Mel C had a lot to say about what she would and wouldn't do in regards to Forever during 2000.

 

Yeah Mel C admitted on her book that she told the group she wasnt up for promoting much. Hence why they did only ONE WEEK of promo based in the UK :(

 

It is probably why Mel B also felt like 'f*** it' and released Hot during that time as well, since the group wasnt going to promote much anyway, so she had the freer time and could also try and benefit from the extra exposure around the group's album?....

Edited September 5, 20231 yr by Mr.X