The SPICE GIRLS are (were?)

An English girl band to rival all girl bands. They were at their height from 1996-1998, reformed in 2007-2008 for a (sorta) world tour, and haven't performed in their original line-up since. They've been credited with contributing massively to the "Cool Brittania" cultural shift in the mid-90s, as well as bringing an outspoken feminist attitude to the mainstream. Their genre is Pop (mostly), with period-typical elements of R&B. Most songs are upbeat and with a high energy, but the group doesn't shy away from ballads, either.

This shrine is mostly concerned with the first two albums - "Spice", "Spiceworld" - and the movie, "Spice World".

The Spice Girls

• Victoria Adams (Beckham) - Posh
• Victoria has less noticeable vocal presence in the music, but made up for it with visibility. Posh 'n Beck became a thing when she began dating David Beckham, having them both stand out in the public eye. Generally the vibe is that Victoria didn't put her all into the Spice Girls, but she has her highs when she gets a time to shine in the lower registers. Keep an ear out for the start of every chorus on "Love Thing", and the list on "Move Over".
• Melanie "Mel B" Brown - Scary
• Mel B is quite the wrecking ball, both in presence as in vocal presence at times. She has a very nice smooth voice that speaks out at times for an extra pop in a song. Mel B may be better known for her frequent appearances on (judge) panels of a variety of TV shows. She's been in a number of situations, but has very direct sense of humor and distinct personality that's hard to pin down. Favorite bits of Mel B are: opening lines of "If U Can't Dance" and the closing of "Viva Forever".
• Emma Bunton - Baby
• Emma joined the group last when Michelle Stevenson left/was kicked. She stands out as one of the higher registers in the group, and is easy to recognize when she has a chorus. Emma is the youngest and the one who overall has kept things on the low. She pops up on radio and sometimes a moment on TV, and is the one to most frequently attend any event by the other Spice Girls. Her voice is everywhere, but stands out in the intermission section on "Naked", and carries the chorus really well on "Denying".
• Melanie "Mel C" Chisholm - Sporty
• Melanie brings physicality to shows by doing a lot of high-kicks, jumps, and backflips on stage. She has a history in dance prior to the Spice Girls. Of the group, her voice is considered the most versatile. Melanie often does an ad-lib in a song or jumps in for a swing in another direction. She's the only one who has continued in music for a long-term solo career, and being quite successfull with it. Her voice is distinct in its rasp, but different from Geri's. Melanie pops up prominently on the last chorus of "Who Do You Think You Are" and the bridge of "Too Much".
• Geraldine "Geri" Halliwell - Ginger
• Geri is the oldest but with the least experience in the arts before the Spice Girls. She stands out with her outfits, doing a lot of lifting in interviews (and talking down sleazy reporters), and a distinct sound. Her voice has more texture than Melanie's, and though Geri may not have that many verses on her own, she has most of the rap/talking sections on songs (particularly on the debut album). Geri's currently married into the Formula 1 business, and doesn't make many more appearances outside of that. Her highlights are: The chorus on "Last Time Lover" and the rap section with Mel B on "Love Thing".

The General Timeline 1994-1998

1994

• FEBRUARY - Ad run in the The Stage, a montly magazine for the entertainment industry.
  WANTED: R.U. 18-23 with the ability to sing/dance? R.U. streetwise, outgoing, ambitious, and dedicated? Heart Management Ltd. are a widely successful music industry management consortium currently forming a choreographed, singing/dancing, all-female pop act for a recording deal. Open audition. Danceworks, 16 Balderton Street. Friday 4th March. 11.00am-5.30pm. Please bring sheet music or backing cassette.
• MARCH - First round of auditions, attendance of 400.
• APRIL - Second round of auditions with around 12. Touch is formed.
  Another Melanie C (Coloma) was initially part of these auditions. She was dropped by management after the second round of auditions, which left open a spot for Melanie Chisholm, who couldn't attend on the date due to tonsilitis. The lineup (With Michelle Stevenson and sans Emma Bunton) was made after this.
• MAY-MARCH 1995 - The group lives together in Maidenhead. Michelle is let go and Emma joins. Name changed to Spice.
  The house in Maidenhead was owned by Chic Murphy, a big financial supporter of the girl group project. The Melanies shared a room, as did Victoria and Emma. Geri had her own, but also the smallest.
  Emma was recommended by vocal coach Pepe Lemer.
• DECEMBER - Showcase performance and first contract offer by Heart Management (denied).

1995

• MARCH - Group leaves Heart Management.
  Allegedly, since they needed the master tapes of recorded material, the group went to steal them ahead of giving the notice they would leave management. Mel B and Emma were set to distract the Herberts (of Heart Management), while Victoria, Geri, and Melanie C went to the studio engineer to get the tapes. This proved succesful. They had already set up contacts within the industry to be able to write and produce more music, but needed to clear out of the house in Maidenhead.
• MARCH-MAY - Group makes demos with Richard "Biff" Stannard, Matt Rowe, and Eliot Kennedy.
• MAY - Simon Fuller of 19 Entertainment signs them on for management.
• JULY - five-album deal with Virgin Records. Name changed to The Spice Girls

1996

• JULY - "Wannabe" is released as a single.
• JULY-OCTOBER(?) - Top of the Pops Magazine coins the nicknames.
• OCTOBER - "Say You'll Be There" released as a single.
• NOVEMBER - Debut album "Spice" is released.
• DECEMBER - "2 Become 1" is released as a single.

1997

• JANUARY - "Wannabe" released in the USA.
• FEBRUARY - Group performs and wins awards at the BRITS.
  During their performance of "Who Do You Think You Are", Geri wears the Union Jack mini dress, presumably made by stitching a tea towel on a dress, spraying the boots red, and adding a peace sign on the back of the outfit.
  In their acceptance speech for Best Single, Melanie C shouts an equally iconic challenge at Liam Ghallager, who wasn't attending the show.
• MARCH - Double-side single release of "Mama" and "Who Do You Think You Are".
• MAY - First live performance in the UK for the Prince's Trust benefit.
  While meeting (then prince) Charles, Mel B and Geri breached royal protocal for kissing him on the cheek and grabbing his ass.
• JUNE-AUGUST - "Spice World" (the film) is in production.
• SEPTEMBER - The group performs at the MTV Video Music Awards.
• OCTOBER - "Spice Up Your Life" is released as a single. The group performs their first concert in Istanbul. Meeting with Nelson Mandela.
• NOVEMBER - "Spiceworld" (the album) is released. Performance and win at the MTV Europe Music Awards. Leaving 19 Entertainment. Hosting ITV's "An Audience with..."
  Simon Fuller is dropped as manager on the morning of the MTV Europe Awards. Though the group became succesful with his management, they expressed frustration at the workload and lack of input. Self-management began when Geri steals a folder and phone from Fuller's assistant to copy any important contacts.
• DECEMBER - "Too Much" is released as a single. "Spice World" premieres.

1998

• JANUARY - The group wins at the AMAs.
• FEBRUARY - The group performs and wins at the BRITS. Start of the Spiceworld tour in Dublin.
• MARCH - "Stop" is released as a single.
• MAY - TFI Friday Spice Girls Special airs. Geri leaves the band.
  The TFI Friday Special with Chris Evans happens after several unsuccesful attempts to be on the show.
  Geri leaves the band without personally informing the other members. She had withdrawn ahead of the announcement and not performed/appeared for a few concerts and TV moments, but presents her departure through a lawyer. The band fully reunites again in 2007.
• JUNE - Start of the US leg of the tour.
• JULY - "Viva Forever" is released as a single.
• NOVEMBER - "Goodbye" is released as a single.
• DECEMBER - Remaining group goes on break until August 1999.

Videos and Clips

TFI FRIDAY SPECIAL

The TFI Friday Special is 45 minutes of one-on-one interview segments between host Chris Evans and each band member, as well as some performances on the stage. It's very low-key and a lot of fun.

LINK

1997 BRITS PERFORMANCE

Likely playbacked, but one of the first big performances for the band ahead of their wins for the night. It features Geri's iconic dress.

PERFORMANCE / WIN AND SPEECH

GIRL POWER LIVE IN ISTANBUL

The entirety of the first concert in Istanbul. It has songs from both the debut and Spiceworld album. A lot of jumping around on stage, but all the singing is very much done live.

LINK