Spice Girls

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Biography

Recent Role:
Performance on Strictly Come Dancing
Gender:
Female
Born:
3-1-1994
Birthplace:
England
Birth Name:
Touch
AKA:
The Spice Girls
The Spice Girls are a pop phenomenon which started in the mid nineties and went on to influence more artists and groups who became part of the same genre. They formed back in 1994, released their first single in 1996, and from then they would become one of the biggest recording acts of all time.

It was March of 1993 and auditions were being held for an all girl group. The ads asked for girls between the ages of 18-23 who were streetwise, outgoing, ambitious and determined, and also possessed the ability to sing and dance. There were hundreds of girls who responded to the

… More ads, but after it all, the applicants were cut down to five girls: Geri Halliwell, Victoria Adams, Melanie Brown, Melanie Chisholm, and Michelle Stephenson. They would form the new all girl group Touch. Due to commitment issues, Michelle had to leave during the first recording sessions that the group had in June. She was replaced by Emma Bunton, recommended by her singing tutor. From that point until March 1994, the girls lived in a small house in Maidenhead where they worked on demos and practiced their dance routines. After successful performances and showcases, they decided to drop their management and seeked the help of Sheffield based producer Eliot Kennedy. By this point, they had already named themselves the Spice Girls. In March of 1995 they signed with Simon Fuller of 19 Management, and in September of 1995, they signed with Virgin Records.

On July 8th, 1996, their first single was released. It was the song Wannabe, and the video for the song would be released weeks later. The song and video found great success in the U.K The song entered the charts at #3, and moved to the top spot the following week. (The song also debuted on the difficult US charts at #11) In November of 1996, their first album Spice was released in Europe. In the first 7 weeks, the album sold 1.8 million copies in Britain alone, and sold in total 8 million copies. In the US, Spice sold 7 million copies, and was the biggest selling album of 1997. It peaked at #1 on the charts. They followed up their first single with Say You’ll Be There in October and 2 Become 1 in December. They soon became the biggest pop act on the planet.

In November 1997, the group released their follow up album Spiceworld, which also served as the soundtrack to their movie. The first single was the song Spice Up Your Life, and after that was released, the album hit stores and became a huge hit. It was an instant global bestseller. Spiceworld set a new record for the fastest selling album when it shipped 7 million copies in just 2 weeks. Spiceworld went to sell over 10 million copies in Europe, Canada, and America alone, though it failed to match the success of their first album Spice. The album was criticized for being released only nine months after the first album. Not to mention the girls were suffering from over-exposure at home. The group was suffering from media backlash and suffered decrease on the international charts. But the Spice Girls were still the biggest selling act of 1997 and 1998.

Besides being huge pop stars, the girls became movie stars in their own right. In June 1997, the girls first, and only, movie, Spiceworld, directed by Fawlty Towers director Bob Spiers, began filming. It was released in January 1998. While it did not find success or recognition with the critics, the movie itself went on to gross over $70 million worldwide. However, it was nominated for 7 Golden Raspberry Awards in 1999.

The Spice Girls fired manager Simon Fuller in November 7, 1997, and began to manage themselves by splitting duties throughout the group. Unable to handle this, they later build their own team to deal with their affairs. It was headed by Nancy Phillips. And only 3 months after firing Fuller, the girls embarked on their 97 world date tour covering Europe and North America. The Spiceworld Tour kicked off in Dublin, Ireland on February 24, 1998. But Geri Halliwell failed to make appearances at a few of the shows and other appearances. Rumors began to spread that she had left the band.

But it was on May 31, 1998 that Ginger Spice announced that she was leaving the Spice Girls. She went on to pursue a solo career. She said she was suffering from exhaustion, but rumors went around saying that she had a falling out with one of the other girls (said to be Melanie B, aka Scary Spice). The departure of Geri Halliwell became a shocking international story and one of the biggest entertainment stories of the year. After her leave, the four remaining girls had to carry on. But plans for the group were falling through. The remaining went on to record one last album.

In November 2000, the Spice Girl’s last album, Forever, was released. It received a lukewarm response, and it failed to match the success of its predecessors. The poor success of the album is credited to the fact that the girls did little to promote the album, and they made very few appearances. The girl’s last appearance together was in November 2000, though never actually formally disbanded. The all went their separate ways to work towards their own solo careers. Since their breakup, there has been speculation on the girls getting back together, but nothing has come to.

The Spice Girls remain one of the biggest icons of the 1990’s, and their message of “Girl Power!” has been stated to define the decade. The group has been credited with bringing music to a younger marker, mostly pre-teen girls. Since the split, media coverage has said that since none of the girls found as much success as with the group, reports say that they will get back together. With their 10th anniversary, there are rumors for a comeback for a tour or maybe a greatest hits album. Only time will tell.

From the Forums

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  • Who's your favorite Spice Girl?

    Take the poll and post the name of the one you chose... :P Please and Thank You!!! :)

    purplerae
    16 comments, last one Jul 27, 2011

  • Conflict in the Spice Girls

    I have watched documentaries about the Spice Girls and in all of them they mentioned fights between Mel B and Geri and Mel B against Mel C. I was wondering what the true story is if anyone in the world really knows. I think this was all old stuff from the 90's but I was just curious. Any… More information or opinions will be greatly appreciated!:D

    cactusjack39
    1 comments, last one Nov 13, 2008

  • Favorite Band of ALL TIME!!

    Okay, so a lot of times people make fun of me for loving the Spice Girls, especially since it's been eight years since they've been together, but seriously, I know like one person that doesn't secretly love them.  I miss them so much!  I wish they would get back together, though it probably will… More never happen :( My fave Spice Girl was Baby, but now I love them all (well, almost).  Posh and Ginger (yes, I am aware that those are not their real names) are also really cool.  I don't know much about Sporty or Scary, but I'm sure that they are pretty cool, too.  Spice World, in all of its cornyness, is still my favorite movie.  Yeah, it was cheesy but I've seen it probably at least a few dozen times.  I love their music, and trust me, I don't usually go for pop music.  I love the Spice Girls and always will.  Girl Power!!!

    treehillbabe_xo
    8 comments, last one Jun 1, 2008

  • Spice girls tickets woohoo!

    Just recieved my spice girls email conformation for tickets for the london date!!.. so excited. is anyone else going?

    JackBauerHero
    4 comments, last one May 28, 2008

  • Welcome to the TV.com Forums for Spice Girls

    Welcome to the TV.com Forums for Spice Girls. Here is your area to discuss, dissect and debate all things about this person.

    1 comments, last one Oct 30, 2006
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Fans' Reviews

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  •  
    10 Perfect
    Spice Girls: The best female band ever. hide show

    Before I begin, I want to say that I am a straight guy who has been a fan of the Spice Girls ever since the beginning. Now that that's out of the way, I will give you my opinions on the Spice Girls. They have accomplished so much and have had such an impact on the music industry that their music has become some of the most unique with their catchy lyrics and great beats. I respect all they have done and they have had so much success as a 5 piece band. Geri Halliwell, Victoria Beckham, Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton, and Melanie Brown have gained my attention and respect as being dedicated music artists and determined individuals. They're better known as Ginger, Posh, Sporty, Baby, and Scary. Many people treat them as some kind of joke whenever they are mentioned in a sentence related to music, but that is an exaggeration to the very fullest. They've collected too many awards and have earned so much money that it pretty much puts any of their doubters to bed. Personally, my favorite use to be Geri, as I could look at her all day, but now my favorite is Mel C. She has had such a successful solo career and seems like a really nice person. I still like them all, but some more than others. In closing, the Spice Girls are so much more than just another female band. There will never be another female band, or any band, that will be like the Spice Girls. In the music business, you have to be "special" in order to make it. They all had that "special" part to them and made their mark in music. A thank you to God and the Spice Girls.

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    cactusjack39 Added Jan 11, 2009 All my reviews
  •  
    10 Perfect
    I love the Spice Girls! hide show

    I really love the Spice Girls especially in 1997/8-2000, and now... They are one of the all-time greats for they were original... They were the ones who started Girl Power and they were known worldwide... They are so great... When I was younger I really loved Emma... Now, it's a tie between Emma and Mel C. I love pop music especially theirs... I don't really have any Spice Girls merchandise except for their albums and some of the Chupa Chups stickers... :lol: I wish I have almost all of the merchandise... :( In order from my most favorite to the least: Emma/Mel C., Geri, Victoria, and Mel B. I like all of them... :P It's a sad thing when Geri was the first one to leave the band and to think that she was like the leader of the Spice Girls and mostly because of her the Spice Girls got known and she was the one who introduced "Girl Power!" :( But now, they all have their solo careers... I wish that they'd reunite because I want to see them live in a concert together...

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    purplerae Added Dec 1, 2006 All my reviews
  •  
    10 Perfect
    The Spice Girls were an amazing British band in the nineteen-nineties, and they definately continue to have fans to this day. hide show

    I first heard music from the Spice Girls the summer before my seventh birthday. I fell in love with their hit "Wannabe" when my older sister played it at her twelth birthday party. My best friends and I became huge fans. We would repeatedly play their tapes, never getting tired of singing along to the perky lyrics. We had a kind of competition to see who could get the most Spice merchandise...I won. By far. I had everything Spice, from backpacks and lunchbags to hats and t-shirts. I had their Barbie dolls and make up sets. I wouldn't even chew gum or suck lollipops if they weren't endorsed by the Spice Girls. Yes, I was obsessed. Though I am definately not as obsessed as I once was, I still love the Spice Girls. I am not a fan of pop music, I will never get sick of listening to their songs. I've seen Spice World dozens of times, at least, and if by chance they get back together and come to a theater anywhere near me, I WILL be the first in line for tickets. I've changed a lot over the years, but I still say that the Spice Girls are my favorite band. I cannot even describe how much I love this band. <3 Girl Power!

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    treehillbabe_xo Added Oct 30, 2006 All my reviews
 

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