h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

For me, the Spice Girls were the epitome of our music scene - more evidence of the power of marketing over taste. (Fairly) talentless individuals with ambition invading the country's conciousness with their peculiar brand of feminism. arrrrrg. I often felt that Geri was the only one that could sing properly. Anyway, I hated them.

You are so right. The Spice Girls are richer than Croesus and more famous than a famous thing, while truly spectacular voices like Alison Moyet languish in obscurity. It's rather like Microsoft's massive dominance of the software market - the triumph of marketing over substance.

Scary is a talented dancer, though.

I'm sorry, but maybe living abroad I get a different slant on things, and I am happy to accept the Spice Girls. I particularly admire Mel B, who has very strong charisma and I wish I had her self-confidence and pride in myself. Her type of solo work is not quite my cuppa tea, prefer Geri Haliwell's.

However, recently they showed a TV special here with interviews with all of them and found them all a bit giggly and silly, as if it was their first interview. Victoria came over in this case as the most sensible.

They have all spent many years training to dance and learning to sing, if we are to believe the hype, and certainly look impressive. I think we should wait and see, maybe there will be a place for them in the future - look at Cilla Black, she's not forgotten yet, but not necessarily for her singing.

On our local radio they have a series where they get an opera singer or singing teacher to listen to the recordings made live by the bands when visiting the station and giving interviews - (they always sing a bit). The Spice Girls were certified as being very good singers. For quality of singing, I could add loads of names to Alison Moyet - KD Lang springs to mind, Annie Lennox, Joni Mitchell.

They (the spice girls) will grow up and mature, and time will sort the chaff from the wheat.

They should certainly not forget their position as ambassadrixes for Britain. Ambassadresses, Ambassadorettes, *wanders off, trying to remember the right word.....*

IMHO, Mel B's confidence comes across as being full of and loving herself. Just the sort of person the modern music industry creates. I think Mel C's the nicest of 'em all. I disagree with Trillian about the quality of their singing voices, as if you've heard them live (only on teevee, I hasten to add - I did not spend money buying tickets and travelling to see them. God Forbid), their voices quite clearly crack and lose tune and pitch. For the times that they don't, they're probably miming. However, they have done really well, and I admire them, sort of, for that. They've earnt more money than I'll see in my life. But I'd still rather be me than them. 8)

I only got a bit annoyed with them when they suddenly took it upon themselves to become political activists (Geri mainly). It came as a little rich when someone who has not said anything in public that has not been written down for her became a United Nations spokeswoman. The irony of the term 'Girl Power' - and their career in general - being invented by their team of male managers also bears mentioning.

But perhaps I'm just taking them a little too seriously. They churned out a half dozen catchy, harmless tunes that illuminated school discos everywhere. I've heard plenty worse.

While I have nothing against any of the Spices personally, I find their chosen pseudonyms rather inappropriate. Ergo, I am venturing some new nicks for the girls....
Victoria: Skinny Spice
Emma: Dumb Spice
Mel C/G/whatever: Ugly Spice
Mel B: Pudgy Spice
Geri : Forgotten Spice
Comments invited

"But perhaps I'm just taking them a little too seriously. They churned out a half dozen catchy, harmless tunes that illuminated school discos everywhere. I've heard plenty worse."

Yeah, that's it, precisely. The Spice Girls are a cheesy little pop group, no more, no less, no matter what their pretentions or what the press or management or anyone else says they are.

And they have some catchy, cool songs. That third album was a bit of a disappointment, though. But then, I can't see the point of wrecking a perfectly good English pop group by trying to make them sound like a crappy American "r&b" (and I do use that term *very* loosely) group.

I'd like to make a brief point about their professionalism, independent of critiques of their creativity or musical abilities.

At the height of their popularity, (in the middle of the tour, according to the article) one of their members up and quit on them. After hearing about that, I was extremely impressed by the professionalism of the remaining members to finish out the tour as planned, which I suspect not all performers would have the guts to do. A concert tour is, after all, a business venture, and cancelling the tour would have lost huge amounts of money and dis-appointed many thousands of fans.

So maybe it was not so much professionalism as self-interest? After all, if they were truly professional they wouldn't have touched Spice World, the movie, with a ten-foot bargepole.

I agree with the fact that the Spice Girls music wasn't very good but the fame they got was well deserved. They worked very hard to achieve their number ones and promote themselves. They also pulled a lot of publicity stunts to get the medias attention but then again so does every other artist. As solo artists i think only Mel C and Geri will keep on getting big hits as the other three are not very talented on their own.

I agree with the fact that the Spice Girls music wasn't very good but the fame they got was well deserved. They worked very hard to achieve their number ones and promote themselves. They also pulled a lot of publicity stunts to get the medias attention but then again so does every other artist. As solo artists i think only Mel C and Geri will keep on getting big hits as the other three are not very talented on their own.