Spice Girls | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Spice Girls were the first major British pop music phenomenon of the mid-90s to not have a debt to independent pop/rock. Instead, the all-female quintet derived from the dance-pop tradition that made Take That the most popular British group of the early 90s, but there was one crucial difference. Spice Girls used dance-pop as a musical base, but they infused the music with a fiercely independent, feminist stance that was equal parts Madonna, post-riot grrrl alternative rock feminism, and a co-opting of the good-times-all-the-time stance of Englands new lad culture. Their proud, all-girl image and catchy dance-pop appealed to younger listeners, while their colorful, sexy personalities and sense of humor appealed to older music fans, making Spice Girls a cross-generational success. The group also became chart-toppers throughout Europe in 1996, before concentrating in America in early 1997. Every member of Spice Girls was given a specific identity by the British press from the outset, and each label was as much an extension of their own personality as it was a marketing tool, since each name derived from their debut single and video, "Wannabe." Geri Estelle Halliwell was the "sexy Spice"; Melanie Janine Brown was the "scary Spice"; Victoria Adams was "the posh Spice"; Melanie Jayne Chisholm was "the sporty Spice"; Emma Lee Bunton was "the baby Spice." Each persona was exploited in the groups press articles and videos, which helped send "Wannabe" to the top of the charts upon its summer release in 1996. If all of the invented personalities made Spice Girls seem manufactured, thats because they were to a certain extent. Every member of the group was active in Englands theatrical, film, and modeling circuit before the groups formation, and they all responded to an advertisement requesting five "lively girls" for a musical group in the summer of 1993. The manager who placed the ad chose all five members of Spice Girls, yet the women rejected his plans for their career and set out on their own two months after forming. For the next two years, the Girls fought to get a record contract, since most record labels insisted that the band pick one member as a clear leader, which is something the group refused. Eventually, Spice Girls signed a contract to Virgin Records. They were without a manager, though, which made recording a debut album nearly impossible. All five members moved into a house and went on the dole as they searched for a manager. By the end of 1995, the group had signed with Annie Lennoxs manager Simon Fuller, and began writing songs with Elliot Kennedy. "Wannabe," Spice Girls first single, was released in the summer of 1996 and became the first debut single by an all-female band to enter the British charts at number one. It remained there for seven weeks, and by the end of the year, "Wannabe" had hit number one in 21 other countries. Immediately following the success of "Wannabe," Spice Girls became media icons in Britain as stories of their encounters with other celebrities became fodder for numerous tabloids, as did nude photos of Halliwell that she posed for earlier in her career. All of this added to the groups momentum, and their second single, "Say Youll Be There," entered the charts at number one in the fall, selling 200,000 copies a week. Spice, their debut album, was released at the end of the year, accompanied by their first ballad, "2 Become 1." Both the album and single went directly to number one, staying there for several weeks; both records were at number one over the Christmas week, making Spice Girls one of three artists to achieve that feat. Having topped the charts in virtually every other country in the Western world, Spice Girls concentrated on America in early 1997, releasing "Wannabe" in January and Spice in February. They became massive stars in the U.S. as well, also scoring the hits "Say Youll Be There" and "2 Become 1"; Spiceworld, their second LP, appeared later in the year in conjunction with their feature film of the same name. In May 1998, Geri Halliwell departed from the band, not citing major reasons for leaving the group. She did release a solo album, Schizophonic, a year later, but nothing chart-topping to match the success of her former band. Still not deterred by the absence of Ginger Spice, Spice Girls trudged on -- Melanie B. married Spice Girls dancer Jimmy Gulzar and released the solo single, a duet with Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot called "I Want You Back." By Christmas, Spice Girls scored a number one hit with Goodbye and with a career floating high, their personal lives were moving as well. Melanie B. gave birth to a daughter named Phoenix Chi in February 1999, and Adams followed a month later with a son, Brooklyn Joseph. And now only known as Victoria Beckham, Posh Spice married Manchester United soccer star David Beckham later that summer. Becoming now more noticeable for their social status than their singing, Spice Girls took a well-deserved break while Melanie C. took over the English charts with her successful solo effort Northern Star, which was released in the U.S. in fall 1999. The following year, the girls headed back into the studio with high-profile producers Rodney Jerkins, Terry Lewis, and Jimmy Jam (Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige) to record a follow-up to their pop-friendly Spiceworld. In the middle of recording, Melanie B. divorced Gulzar and endured a bitter custody battle throughout the remainder of 2000. Spice Girls creative power overruled media scrutiny so that they could fully focus on the new R&B; sound they were trying for and a the new collaboration united the foursome once again to release the third album Forever, which hit American shores in fall 2000. The group began to splinter not long after the release of Forever, which made little impact outside of the UK where it only had one hit single -- the chart-topping double-sided single “Holler”/”Let Love Lead the Way” -- before the Spice Girls stopped promoting the album. Just three months after the albums November 2000 release, the band announced that they were separating in February of 2001. Over the next few years, the Spice Girls may not have existed as a group, but they were never out of various taboild headlines in the UK and America. As the wife of football superstar David Beckham, Victoria got the most attention, but Mel B wasnt far behind thanks to her ill-fated romance with actor Eddie Murphy, which resulted in an out-of-wedlock child. Mel Chisholm had a steady career as a pop singer while Emma Bunton had some chart success of her own with her 2001 album A Girl Like Me and its 2004 successor, Free Me. Meanwhile, Geri Halliwell split her time between recording and TV projects. After years of persistent rumors of a reunion -- peaking heavily yet never materializing for Bob Geldolfs 2005 charity event Live 8 -- the Spice Girls announced in June 2007 that they would be reuniting for an eleven-concert tour beginning that December, which would be accompanied by a new greatest hits album and documentary. In 2010, it was announced that the Spice Girls had joined forces with Simon Fuller to develop a musical based on their songs. Viva Forever: The Musical - penned by British comedienne Jennifer Saunders - was announced at a press conference in June 2012. After much speculation in the British press, the Spice Girls reformed once more for the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 4 Title: Spice Released: 1996-10-29 Tracks: 10 Duration: 39:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wannabe (02:52) 2 Say Youll Be There (03:57) 3 2 Become 1 (03:59) 4 Love Thing (03:35) 5 Last Time Lover (04:08) 6 Mama (05:03) 7 Who Do You Think You Are (04:00) 8 Something Kinda Funny (04:02) 9 Naked (04:20) 10 If U Can’t Dance (03:46) |
| Spice : Allmusic album Review : Spice doesnt need to be original to be entertaining, nor do the Spice Girls need to be good singers. It just has to be executed well, and the innocuous dance-pop of Spice is infectious. None of the Girls have great voices, but they do exude personality and charisma, which is what drives bouncy dance-pop like "Wannabe," with its ridiculous "zig-a-zig-ahhh" hook, into pure pop guilty pleasure. What is surprising is how the sultry soul of "Say Youll Be There" is more than just a guilty pleasure, and how ballads like "2 Become 1" are perfect adult contemporary confections. The rest of the album isnt quite as catchy as those first three singles, but it is still irresistible, immaculately crafted pop that gets by on the skills of the producer and the charisma of the five Spices. Sure, the last half of the album is forgettable, but it sounds good while its on, which is the key to a good dance-pop record. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 4 Title: Spiceworld Released: 1997-10-31 Tracks: 10 Duration: 38:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Spice Up Your Life (Stent radio mix) (02:53) 2 Stop (03:25) 3 Too Much (04:31) 4 Saturday Night Divas (04:25) 5 Never Give Up on the Good Times (04:30) 6 Move Over (02:43) 7 Do It (04:04) 8 Denying (03:46) 9 Viva Forever (05:10) 10 The Lady Is a Vamp (03:09) |
| Spiceworld : Allmusic album Review : The Spice Girls, as well as their managers and songwriters, are nothing if not clever, and Spiceworld, the groups second album, illustrates exactly how sharp they are. Conventional wisdom dictates that Spiceworld should be a weak facsimile of Spice, which itself featured a handful of great singles surrounded by filler. Conventional wisdom, in this case, is wrong -- Spiceworld is a better record than its predecessor, boasting a more consistent (and catchier) set of songs and an intoxicating sense of fun. Instead of merely rewriting Spice, Spiceworld consolidates and expands the groups style, adding Latin flourishes ("Spice Up Your Life"), kitschy blues ("The Lady Is a Vamp"), and stomping, neo-Motown blue-eyed soul in the vein of Culture Club ("Stop"). The girls -- Mel C. in particular -- are actually turning into good vocalists, and each song plays to their strengths, giving each Spice a chance to shine. Best of all, each song has a strong melody and a strong, solid beat, whether its a ballad or a dance number. Its a pure, unadulterated guilty pleasure and some of the best manufactured mainstream dance-pop of the late 90s. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 4 Title: Forever Released: 2000-11-01 Tracks: 11 Duration: 49:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Holler (04:15) 2 Tell Me Why (04:14) 3 Let Love Lead the Way (04:58) 4 Right Back at Ya (04:11) 5 Get Down With Me (03:46) 6 Wasting My Time (04:14) 7 Weekend Love (04:06) 8 Time Goes By (04:51) 9 If You Wanna Have Some Fun (05:26) 10 Oxygen (04:57) 11 Goodbye (04:35) |
| Forever : Allmusic album Review : The Spice Girls waited three years to deliver their third album, Forever. While they were away, a number of things changed -- things have that tendency -- but the pop scene didnt shift so drastically that it was chilly to a Spice comeback. Many pundits argued, fairly accurately, that they were the trailblazers for the resurgence of frothy, unabashed teen pop in the last two years of the 20th century. But, just like there was a decade separating the ages of the Spices and Britney Spears, theres a huge difference between the cheery, featherweight "Wannabe" and the calculated sex and shock of "...Baby One More Time" -- ironically, the older girls made music that was lighter and more innocent. With Forever, they continue to follow that path, with a sleek, stylish attempt at maturity, but they seem lost because they just dont sound interested any more. Sure, they make all the right moves, hiring superstar producer Rodney Jerkins to helm most of the tracks, but the record is curiously self-conscious and flat. Neither the production, songs, nor performances have much life to them, with the exception of the closer, "Goodbye," which significantly was released as a Christmas single back in 1999. Theres little of the giddy sense of friendship that marked their first two records, and the ballads arent as sweetly sentimental; theres little of the charm that made the Spice Girls so irresistible. Often, Forever plays like the Girls realized that its their final album, and they put in just enough effort to make it palatable, but not enough to make it appetizing. Thats not the best way to go out, but it seems like the best the Spice Girls could do in 2000, considering that their hearts and minds were clearly on their ever-increasing solo projects. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 4 Title: Greatest Hits Released: 2007-11-09 Tracks: 15 Duration: 54:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wannabe (02:52) 2 Say Youll Be There (03:57) 3 2 Become 1 (single version) (04:04) 4 Mama (03:41) 5 Who Do You Think You Are (03:43) 6 Move Over (02:43) 7 Spice Up Your Life (Stent radio mix) (02:53) 8 Too Much (03:53) 9 Stop (03:25) 10 Viva for Ever (04:13) 11 Let Love Lead the Way (radio edit) (04:16) 12 Holler (03:55) 13 Headlines (Friendship Never Ends) (03:30) 14 Voodoo (03:11) 15 Goodbye (04:20) |
| Greatest Hits : Allmusic album Review : Well, of course the Spice Girls needed a greatest-hits album. Theyd need one even if they werent reuniting for a world tour that is as heavily hyped if not as anticipated as Led Zeppelins (which of course is just a one-time shot, right?), as they were a singles-oriented group without a singles album in their catalog. And so, 2007s Greatest Hits, which has everything you know plus a few songs you dont and no left-field choices (if you were hoping that "Bumper to Bumper" would gain its rightful place as one of their finest, youre out of luck!). The songs have aged exactly as you thought they might: "Wannabe" is still too familiar, "2 Become 1" too drippy, "Spice Up Your Life" plain ridiculous, but "Say Youll Be There" is still sexy, "Stop" is as awesome a slice of obligatory British Tamla/Motown as youll get, and "Goodbye" is actually a pretty good finale, while the rest is forgettable, as are the two new songs, the sleepy "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" -- which isnt as self-referential or clever as its title suggests -- and the peppy "Voodoo." But music was always secondary to the Spice Girls girl power image: they had enough great singles to be huge for a couple years but not enough to be more than a quicksilver pop culture phenomenon and that brief moment in time is documented better on this Greatest Hits than any of their three albums. [Like any big-budget release in the late 2000s, Greatest Hits was available in a variety of formats all over the world upon the time of its release. First, the set was available in three incarnations in the U.K. and Europe: as a single CD, as a set including a DVD with all their videos -- which, frankly, is as tempting a collection as the CD, if not more -- then a box set containing those two discs, plus a karaoke CD and a disc of remixes. In the U.S., this Greatest Hits was initially available only at Victorias Secret, then was available at other retailers in early 2008.] | ||