Discussion: Spice Girls Rate | #1 - Fin. - Page 13

superben

I'm OK with the eliminations so far.

supaspaz

I won't really miss any of these, but "One of These Girls" was cute.

arkl

Step To Me and Oxygen are so low

Bad Wolf

"Step to Me" was robbed, that song is great.

Rhythm

Let's shake that small bit of dust off.

Rhythm

Backtracking a bit... (I hadn't revealed #42.)

SPICE INVADERS

Lowest rate: superben, ClassicMainstream, dinorel - 0

Highest rate: Bad Wolf - 10

Average score: 4.75

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Background:

"Spice Up Your Life" was already finished and ready to be released, but nothing was recorded for the B-side. Every other song available had been used in the Spice album, and the group needed a new track for their next single. A session with Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins—the songwriters and production duo known as Absolute—was booked. Because of the limited time and the scarce creative inspiration at that point, Virgin told the duo to make anything they like.

The duo created "Spice Invaders" by placing four microphones and telling the group to just talk about anything they wanted, the conversation was recorded and as Wilson described it, a "hideous bubblegum" backing track was added behind the voices. After the group left, Watkins and the mix engineer finished the track during the night.

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Just... no.

2/10

Duca

It's alive.

Duca

Quote:

The duo created "Spice Invaders" by placing four microphones and telling the group to just talk about anything they wanted, the conversation was recorded and as Wilson described it, a "hideous bubblegum" backing track was added behind the voices. After the group left, Watkins and the mix engineer finished the track during the night.

No wonder it's bad.

Rhythm

I played around with the idea of revealing every participant's score for this one. You'd probably gag on saliva by how divided the scores were.

Rhythm

RIGHT BACK AT YA

Forever

"There's been tears along the way
But we never cried alone
The four of us have grown
And our friendship never ends"

Lowest rate: 2 - madonnas

Highest rate: 8 - adrianbeane, Ace Reject, arkl, Bad Wolf, ClassicMainstream, dinorel

Average score: 5.73 (Tied with #31)

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Song Meaning/Interpretation:

Their 'authoritative' return to the industry after a short hiatus and unforeseen falling-out with Geri.

Background:

The song was written by Eliot Kennedy with Melanie B, Emma and Melanie C. The song was worked on at the Steelworks Studios in Sheffield in mid-August 1999, and the main track to emerge was "Right Back At Ya" – which was showcased in the Christmas tour and eventually made it onto the third album Forever. The song was worked as a pop song produced by Kennedy.

With a new direction that the third album was taking, many of the tracks already done with Richard Stannard and Matt Rowe were shelved. However, "Right Back At Ya" was kept but was later heavily remixed by Rodney Jerkins, which insulted original producer Eliot Kennedy. They had taken one of the best pop tracks he had ever done and turned it into a "plodding, boring, bottom drawer R&B song", in his opinion.

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I'm with Kennedy on this one.

4/10

Track standout: Emma

Duca

I think I gave it a 5. The majority of "Forever" is forgettable and laughingly bad. I'm glad to see it leave.

arkl

Quote:

Originally posted by Rhythm

I played around with the idea of revealing every participant's score for this one. You'd probably gag on saliva by how divided the scores were.

YAS please

arkl

The pop version on the Christmas Tour is just not as good as Kennedy is claiming.

Rhythm

WASTING MY TIME

Forever

"Now you know that I can't live without you
You should see that it's not all about you this time
You played too many games. Now it's time to see that I won't waste my life...
No, not me"

Lowest rate: 1 - Duca

Highest rate: 9 - arkl

Average score: 5.73 (Tied with "Right Back At Ya")

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Footnotes:

Despite being written mostly by Mel B, she provides no solo vocals on the track.

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Sometimes I wonder if it was an intentional decision on part of whomever's job it was to place this song immediately after "Get Down With Me"on the tracklist. It seems more of a detriment than anything, considering both songs are essentially one and the same. I'd even go so far as to say it exposes how one-dimensional and half-baked the production of the record as a whole is. Slick production on this song, nonetheless. Rather droll, but not completely terrible.

6/10

Track standout: Melanie C

arkl

Duca

Quote:

Despite being written mostly by Mel B, she provides no solo vocals on the track.

madonnas

Glad to see the Forever tracks go!

arkl

I love Victoria's bits here, especially in the bridge.

Rhythm

WALK OF LIFE

"Night-crawlers morning dew
People watchin' - is it you?
Jump the bus and fell hoppin'
London Town is still buzzin'"

Lowest rate: 0 - madonnas, dinorel

Highest rate: 10 - ClassicMainstream, Great Username, supaspaz

Average score: 5.76

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Now obviously I'm not going to use this one track as grounds to cry, "See! The Spice Gurlz' music is diversseee!". However, this particular song is, like, the perfect representation in showing how unpretentious they were, where it regards their music. The way their voices mesh so well, both with the melody and with each other, is . Not try-hard in the slightest. I'm not sure how congenial it would be with the most casual of listeners, but it certainly is arresting.

6/10

Track standout: Emma, Victoria (that range!)

Rhythm

...and that's us for the night. Until tomorrow.