Spice Girls: 30 Years of Reunion Drama | POP 101 Part 3 · CCTV: The Nonstop Pop Show · Radar

Post-Geri Direction & Early Forever Sessions0:01 – 3:26

Chantel NicoleHost

0:01

[bell ringing] Geri left, and now she's solo, and she launched Schizophonic and q- started quickly racking up UK number ones on her own.

Chantel NicoleHost

0:12

And Mel C also put out solo material and was becoming quite successful on her own as well.

Chantel NicoleHost

0:17

And then Mel B and Victoria were raising newborns.

ChrisHost

0:20

Yeah

Chantel NicoleHost

0:20

And in the middle of all that, the four-piece that was Mel B, Mel C, Victoria, and Emma promptly began preparations for album number three.

ChrisHost

0:31

Yes, and the sessions began in summer 1999 at Abbey Road with their day ones, Richard Biff Stannard and Matt Rowe, and then continued with Eliot Kennedy.

ChrisHost

0:40

And then came new collaborators, the American heavyweights, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, the man behind Brandy and Monica's The Boy Is Mine, Des'ree child Say My Name, to name a few, plus the legendary Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who we love 'cause we love Janet.

Chantel NicoleHost

0:56

Mm-hmm.

ChrisHost

0:57

Um, and this was a real swing.

ChrisHost

0:59

The Spice Girls were pivoting to slick contemporary American R&B, and Geri mentioned in her book that she knew the girls were heading in this direction artistically prior to her departure as well, and she did not agree with it.

Chantel NicoleHost

1:11

Mm.

ChrisHost

1:11

But it does sound like that this little pivot in music direction was also encouraged by the execs at the label.

Chantel NicoleHost

1:18

Mm, which is a little wack.

Chantel NicoleHost

1:19

I mean, I forgot what I said about this album, but I remember being a little surprised with the sonics of it all.

ChrisHost

1:25

Yeah

Chantel NicoleHost

1:25

Um, the spunk was missing.

ChrisHost

1:27

Yeah

Chantel NicoleHost

1:28

Um, and then they always had, like, the flirty kind of vibe, but the spice was just gone.

Chantel NicoleHost

1:33

And I guess if you wanted to go back to the concept that they were created with in mind is kind of like the way that they wanted to go, question mark? I don't know.

Chantel NicoleHost

1:42

Um, but when you're missing the cheek-

ChrisHost

1:46

That's what it was

Chantel NicoleHost

1:46

... you know, eh, the cheek has already gone off and made her own album.

Chantel NicoleHost

1:50

[laughs] Like it's just-

ChrisHost

1:51

I know.

ChrisHost

1:51

I know some fans who actually say Schizophonic sounds more like the Spice Girls than Forever does.

Post-Geri Direction & Early Forever Sessions0:01 – 3:26

Chantel NicoleHost

0:01

[bell ringing] Geri left, and now she's solo, and she launched Schizophonic and q- started quickly racking up UK number ones on her own.

Chantel NicoleHost

0:12

And Mel C also put out solo material and was becoming quite successful on her own as well.

Chantel NicoleHost

0:17

And then Mel B and Victoria were raising newborns.

ChrisHost

0:20

Yeah

Chantel NicoleHost

0:20

And in the middle of all that, the four-piece that was Mel B, Mel C, Victoria, and Emma promptly began preparations for album number three.

ChrisHost

0:31

Yes, and the sessions began in summer 1999 at Abbey Road with their day ones, Richard Biff Stannard and Matt Rowe, and then continued with Eliot Kennedy.

ChrisHost

0:40

And then came new collaborators, the American heavyweights, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, the man behind Brandy and Monica's The Boy Is Mine, Des'ree child Say My Name, to name a few, plus the legendary Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who we love 'cause we love Janet.

Chantel NicoleHost

0:56

Mm-hmm.

ChrisHost

0:57

Um, and this was a real swing.

ChrisHost

0:59

The Spice Girls were pivoting to slick contemporary American R&B, and Geri mentioned in her book that she knew the girls were heading in this direction artistically prior to her departure as well, and she did not agree with it.

Chantel NicoleHost

1:11

Mm.

ChrisHost

1:11

But it does sound like that this little pivot in music direction was also encouraged by the execs at the label.

Chantel NicoleHost

1:18

Mm, which is a little wack.

Chantel NicoleHost

1:19

I mean, I forgot what I said about this album, but I remember being a little surprised with the sonics of it all.

ChrisHost

1:25

Yeah

Chantel NicoleHost

1:25

Um, the spunk was missing.

ChrisHost

1:27

Yeah

Chantel NicoleHost

1:28

Um, and then they always had, like, the flirty kind of vibe, but the spice was just gone.

Chantel NicoleHost

1:33

And I guess if you wanted to go back to the concept that they were created with in mind is kind of like the way that they wanted to go, question mark? I don't know.

Chantel NicoleHost

1:42

Um, but when you're missing the cheek-

ChrisHost

1:46

That's what it was

Chantel NicoleHost

1:46

... you know, eh, the cheek has already gone off and made her own album.

Chantel NicoleHost

1:50

[laughs] Like it's just-

ChrisHost

1:51

I know.

ChrisHost

1:51

I know some fans who actually say Schizophonic sounds more like the Spice Girls than Forever does.