Spicing it up again

KARACHI: The British pop band Spice Girls is set to make a comeback. Four of its members, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown and Melanie Chisholm, reportedly met recently to finalise the details of their upcoming gig and album.

But the band’s Posh Spice, Victoria Beckham, is reluctant to rejoin the group, given that she now has a successful career as a designer. The other girls are reportedly convincing her to join in.

The group, which spawned a spate of female pop bands and made the Union Jack minidress and platform heels famous worldwide, is also set to be the subject of a musical.

Judy Craymer, the woman who created and produced the global smash hit Mamma Mia!, was planning to incorporate the band’s music in Viva Forever, a new musical.

The Spice Girls sold 55 million records during their heyday - will they be able to replicate their success?

Flashback

Spice Girls, the girl band that started in 1994, was a global sensation. Its members had an influence on everything from the music charts to street style.

With songs such as the hit “Wannabe”, “Mama” and “2 Become 1”, Spice Girls continued to dominate the world with their band of cheeky, synthesised pop music. They also starred in a film, Spiceworld, which flopped at the box office.

Geri Halliwell later left the group, which led to the girls eventually disbanding before coming together years later for a final tour.

How the Spice Girls fared after disbanding

Melanie Chisholm/Mel C/Sporty Spice

When the band parted ways in 1998, Mel C started her solo career. She released four albums which sold 10 million copies worldwide. Her singles “Never Be the Same Again” and “I Turn To You” made it to the top position on the UK music charts.

Melanie Brown/Mel B/Scary Spice

Unlike Chisholm, Melanie Brown worked for two years to launch her first album in 2000. The album sold 700,000 records and the artist moved to working for television shows. She also featured on the soundtrack of an Austin Powers film.

Geri Halliwell/Ginger Spice

Being the first to launch her solo album, Geri Halliwell’s singles “Mi Chico Latino”, “Lift Me Up”, and “Bag It Up” occupied the top five positions in the UK top charts.  Halliwell also sang “It’s Raining Men” for the Bridget Jones’ Diary soundtrack, which became a massive hit worldwide.

Emma Bunton/Baby Spice

Emma Bunton did not fare very well musically, and sold a total of two million records worldwide with her two albums, which were released in 2001 and 2003. Like her other band members, Bunton also gave up on her musical aspirations to start a career in television.

Victoria Beckham/Posh Spice

Known more for her sense of style, Victoria Beckham was the last to launch her debut album. Although one of her singles did well in the top charts, she abandoned music to start a career as a fashion designer. Beckham’s design business is worth millions.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 2nd, 2010.