The Tangled Legacy of Spice Girls & "Wannabe" | New British Canon

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In 1996 pure-pop was dead in the water. Somewhat diluted versions of alternative rock and dance music dominated the charts. In the UK, Boy Bands like Take That and East 17 were the last vestiges of chart-pop’s once great kingdom, slowly being eroded by the Oasises and Blurs of Britpop. But then the Spice Girls barged their way in: a last hope and massive gamble. For the previous ten years, Bananarama and Eternal aside, girl groups didn’t sell. The accepted wisdom being that the main audience for chart-pop was little girls and they were only obsessed with boy bands. But kitschy, campy and fun compared to their straight-faced boy-band peers, the combination of Scary, Sporty, Baby, Posh, and Ginger were about to change everything. This is New British Canon and this is the story of “Wannabe.”
#SpiceGirls #Wannabe25 #PopDocumentary
Fact-checking by Serenity Autumn.
This video is sponsored by Skillshare.
Soundtrack:
Luar - Citrine ( / luarbeats )
Jesse Gallagher - The Golden Present
B-Side - Pen Unubis
Luar - Anchor ( / luarbeats )
0:00 Introduction
01:07 "RU 18-23 With the Ability to Sing/Dance"
04:45 "Wannabe": "Here's the Story From A to Z"
09:22 "Now Don't Go Wasting My Precious Time"
13:02 "Taking Is Too Easy But That's The Way It Is"
19:12 "Live Forever, For The Moment"
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[@TrashTheory]

The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/trashtheory06211 Trash Theory playlists - Spotify: tinyurl.com/yxp32pjf Deezer: tinyurl.com/y2mdp8h2 Also if you want to help out, here's my patreon link: patreon.com/trashtheory

[@patrickreichert1442]

Rightfully the management was upset?! No contract, signed up for unemployment and given 50 BP a week….the original managers were terrible

[@robertstone9145]

@@patrickreichert1442 ,y ju ju

[@jackstewart8406]

Surely a video about the darkness

[@brandonpage7087]

I was a HUGE Spice Girls fan, back in the day, & am not ashamed to admit it! Lol!! I even watched Spice World, when i was in junior high, lol. I'm disappointed that you didn't mention Goodbye, which was & still is my fave Spice Girls tune. I remember, for some reason, it was first released in 1998, before later, in 2000, appearing on their final album. Thanks for this one. Was a wonderful nostalgic trip,back through my early adolescence. Still waiting & hoping for that Neneh Cherry video.

[@chunellemariavictoriaespan8752]

At 20:32, you forgot 2NE1, the forerunner to Blackpink...

[@casanovafunkenstein5090]

Management: we're going to withhold the contract so that we can get rid of you whenever we want Spice Girls: - Dump management to look for someone who wouldn't piss them about - Management: 👁️👄👁️

[@KateKatastrophe]

Then they're like " it was Gerry's fault!"

[@littleblackpistol]

Seriously. Pair of arseholes, clearly shocked five 'girls' dared to make their own decisions instead of letting themselves be messed about.

[@davemiller6055]

The girls did exactly what they should have done under the circumstances. Withholding contracts is a two way street.

[@guaposneeze]

I'm surprised that I never heard about that story back in the day. Honestly, I always assumed it was just a manufactured band by some corporation. "The corporate machine tried to manufacture us. We broke free" deserved some serious punk street cred. Honestly, that back story puts quite a bit of meat on the bones of their "girl power" branding.

[@5amH45lam]

Awesome moniker! 😎👌

[@Doodlebug.]

This song has been called a 'Guilty Pleasure' all too many times, being embarrassed by what you enjoy is something I'll never understand.

[@hubey]

guilt and shame are the glue that holds capitalism together.

[@newenglisharchitecture1012]

Thom Yorke is like that old man who lives next door and won't give your ball back

[@majorapat]

Imagine idolising Margaret Thatcher though...

[@newenglisharchitecture1012]

@@majorapat Okay, they probally shouldn't have said that, lol

[@majorapat]

@@newenglisharchitecture1012 Brings to mind this video :D kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZniZg3lreM1-j7M

[@Khenfu_Cake]

@@majorapat That was only really Geri and Victoria though. I know Melanie C was quite adamant about not being a Tory (not sure about Emma and Mel B): "Little was left to the imagination in the heyday of the Spice Girls, of course. And I'm not just talking about the outfits; no, the politics. In 1996, they called then British prime minister John Major a "boring pillock". They also said that girl power was but Thatcherism in sexy underwear. Geri, in fact, told The Big Issue magazine in 1996: "Maggie Thatcher was a greengrocer's daughter and that says it all." Sporty said afterwards that she was a Labour voter. "I'm from working-class Liverpool. I think Margaret Thatcher is a complete prick after what she has done to my hometown."" - Independent Ireland, 2019

[@standinsilence]

You mean "that old dwarf that lives next door and won't give your ball back"?

[@leopie_777]

The greatest talent of the spice girls is their ability to make everything they do look like so much fun. They invite you in and make you feel like a part of the group. Five gorgeous individuals, everyone feels represented. There’s nothing wrong with kitschy, campy, pop music. Pop is important and necessary. I can’t describe the joy the spice girls have brought me over the years.

[@utubeisCensorred]

Um.. they invited you to buy their music.. that's for sure. But I'm glad you enjoyed it:D

[@horrortackleharry]

So Bob and Chris Herbert didn't put them under contract in order to 'instil insecurity'- and were then shocked when the five of them ran off. Some people deserve to fail.

[@RK-zp1cd]

I never realised the bass line similarities between Wannabe and Summer Loving. Almost exact. Blew my mind.

[@richardmoores]

Me too

[@FlameFlickers]

Same. That's part of what makes this channel so good. There are lots of little nuggets of information like that scattered throughout the videos.

[@taylorgayhart9497]

Why is this making me so emotional?! It just shows you how something “shallow” can have a major impact on someone. Honestly the “Girl Power” of the Spice Girls that got me through some really dark stuff when I was a pre-teen, it made me feel like I could stick up for myself. Maybe it’s not as deep as other feminist rhetoric, but it helped radicalize a generation of pre-teen feminists!

[@fideispears]

Thank you for taking this song as seriously as the more indie stuff you cover. It’s incredibly important/influential and the Spice Girls deserve a lot of respect for their ability to craft and deliver such brilliant pop music.

[@DDDNat]

And few people knows that they actually wrote all of their songs :(

[@mayavichy4987]

@@DDDNat and those who actually deny it

[@pinkgirl5041]

@@DDDNat I’m a huge spice girls fan and no one ever believes me when I say they wrote their own stuff

[@wellesradio]

@@pinkgirl5041 “Wrote” is a slippery word. They had a lot of input for sure, but your friends are right to be incredulous.

[@pinkgirl5041]

@@wellesradio they had songwriters with them but they also all had a hand in writing their music

[@manifestgtr]

Seeing the early footage of these guys makes you wonder….how many groups like this must’ve been formed, paid 50 a week, polished and honed, showcased, rejected then unceremoniously disbanded. It’s gotta be a staggering number. Stories we’ll never hear…

[@Lil_Angry_Bitch]

There has been endless pop groups that have been formed but didn't make it very far. In after after the Spice Girls hit it big, dozens of copycat girl groups sprang up but none of them had very much success.

[@andremarcs6924]

@@Lil_Angry_Bitch because the spice girls had something no other girl group will ever have which is true chemistry. Those ladies love each other and you can see it.

[@qsm2978]

i'm 21 and the magic of watching a girl group in their element hasn't gone away for me, i'm just as in awe as i was when i was a little girl

[@jeff__w]

From ditching their first managers to promoting themselves to breaking up, the Spice Girls knew _exactly_ how to manage their careers-that’s as impressive as their musical legacy.

[@BrokeredHeart]

To those punk girl bands complaining that their identity had been hijacked and marketed, I think they were missing the point of what made the Spice Girls so popular. It wasn't the music per say, they couldn't sing very well; it wasn't the aesthetic either, it was so kitschy; it was their personal drive and the perception that they were ultimately friends throughout their rise to fame which made them appear accessible and relatable. Girls my age were seeing positive female relationships that boosted each other's confidence, not tearing each other to shreds. Their songs were about solidarity and setting their own standards and limitations on how men saw them and treated them. For me at age 10, that was new and different to anything I'd seen or heard before, because women singers were all marketed for teenagers and young adult women, singing about very adult sexuality, and while the Spice Girls were not subtle about it either (2 Become 1, Naked), they didn't have to ooze sexuality when they performed or in interviews. They were not "role models," they were more familiar than that and every girl could pick one in the group that they could see themselves in, or even craft their own identity outside their architypes. They were a band of oxymorons and contradictions, but their target audience of pre-teens disregarded that and absorbed the message they pushed that when women lift each other up and celebrate each other's differences, you can achieve so much more than if you acted alone. That was so important, and it resonated in ways that are still impacting music culture today.

[@mayavichy4987]

Very well put, I think nowadays, though society is pushing for diversity and positive messages to women, most female acts are petty much one dimensional, kind of a feeling they are going backwards.

[@ecenbt]

This is such a great writing and exactly my thoughts on what spice girls meant for girls like me who were teens/preteens at the time. It's exactly what they represented for young girls all around the world, friendship, empowerment, solidarity and being who you are. And that's why they are so influential and so loved to this day

[@missnoneofyourbusiness]

I like this thing about contemporary feminism. Feminism should be for all women thus the more the merrier. This brand of feminism where you have to be angry 24/7 at everything and look a certain way and act only in a certain way doesn't seem to get that. Also...Isn't that band on a TV talk show in that shot? SELLOUTS!

[@Lil_Angry_Bitch]

#1 Spice Girls were good singers. They weren't Mariah Carey but they were decent. It's not easy to put 5 people together and have them harmonize abd sound well together. Just because you don't riff, trill, shout or oversing a song, doesn't mean you are a bad singer. #2 "Naked" is actually not a sexual song at all. It's about bareing and exposing your true self. It's not literally about taking your clothes off.

[@andremarcs6924]

Your like complimenting them and then insulting them. The music was the most important aspect along with individual image, personality and nickname.

[@DDDNat]

Geri may not be a great talented one in the group, but she is a mastermind and a great lyricist. And what made the Spice Girls special is they wrote all of their own songs and wear the f* they wannna wear.

[@jambon6451]

Geri had great songwriting talent. She came up with the melody for Stop and several others also. Wasn't a good vocalist or dancer, but was responsible for a lot of their hits.

[@jimjiminyjaroo300]

🤣😂🤣😂🤦

[@sp0ngeb00b7]

Great lyricism IS talent! Just not vocal talent, but that's okay :)

[@DDDNat]

@Andrew Salter Do you really ever listen to their first album besides Wannabe? Everybody knows this song is crappy but not the album.

[@DDDNat]

@Andrew Salter then don’t assume anything, learn and grow your a_s up a little bit.

[@benedictjephcote6815]

Wannabe was so vibrant and 'in your face' from the get-go of the song - then you have a really bright, saturated vid and Mel B is just off the hook in the vid - she looks like the most exciting person in Britain in the vid - and then there's Mel C pulling off backflips just because she can.

[@deniseb.4656]

I remember that I was in elementary school when I saw the music video for "Say you'll be there" and they reminded me of Sailor Moon. I really liked them and their album "Spice".

[@mayavichy4987]

Indeed, they all looked like a live action cartoon.

[@nelsiegeografo9185]

The 90s was different. At least where I am from. People talking about feminism but almost always missed because they wanted to prove that females can do what males can and in the process, made an impression that strong women had to be like men. I was in college when they hit it big. I took up architecture. And a couple of my female classmates felt they had to cut their hair short and act all tough to be able to fit in a male-dominated industry. And Spice Girls just made that concept look like BS. You dress what you want, be as girly-girl as you want and still nail it. I like that.

[@electricpurple4112]

That's wild. honestly society was too dark age until social media appeared.

[@manifestgtr]

Let’s be honest, that’s still what’s going on in mainstream feminism. Women = men, men = women… People seem to have this belief that if they just plug their ears and go “lalalallala” for long enough, they can force it into existence by sheer willpower. Meanwhile, self-reported happiness and trust keeps declining at precipitous rates and nobody seems capable of admitting failure. It’ll be interesting to see how history regards this particular place in time.

[@rg6310]

Yea feminism today makes more sense you just simply be free to do what you like even if it is just stay home and take care of kids but I think the first wave of feminism had to happen first in order for society to accept that women can do whatever men can. That reminds me I just recently saw a tiktok video of women putting down other women who say they want a man in their lives it sounds so outdated

[@rg6310]

@@StimParavane stop watching Prager U videos

[@williamherman9065]

@@electricpurple4112 ??? Are you saying that Society is somehow _better_ because of Social Media?

[@bitzbox]

Can't say I blame them for ditching their initial management. Really interesting story and whether people are fans of them or not as you rightly say, they had a massive influence on so much pop that came after them

[@FHL-Devils]

"Can't say I blame them for ditching their initial management." Not sure if I'd go that far. They seemed incredibly well supported artistically by their initial management - but they clearly made a tactical error, and it cost them BIG.

[@GeekExtremist]

@@FHL-Devils Are you saying that because (if I'm not mistaken) Halliwell is the one who somewhat ended the group and that's who their original management wanted to cut? Which I've never really understood why her leaving, if she wasn't the main singer, hurt the group so much. Unless it just hurt their unity was a whole/the way she left caused cracks between the rest of them.

[@FHL-Devils]

@@GeekExtremist ...................... I've read your post at least a dozen times, and I honestly have no idea what you're trying to say, at least in relation to what I said.

[@GeekExtremist]

@@FHL-Devils lol sorry I was half asleep when I wrote that. You said the group leaving their initial management cost them big. How so? Considering the success they had with the other management team they went to, how did leaving their initial team cost them big? The original management team wanted to cut Ginger Spice/Halliwell. From what I remember, and I could be completely wrong, her eventually leaving the group to do a failed solo run was what ultimately split the group up. I wasn't sure if that's what you meant, since had they not left the initial management team; Ginger Spice most likely wouldn't have been apart of the group when the group got famous. Though I could be wrong on the split. I liked their music, but didn't follow them religiously, and only going off what I remember reading about their split.

[@FHL-Devils]

@@GeekExtremist - Fair enough, I used 'they' too interchangeably between the two parties. Let me re-write what I wrote for clarification: Not sure if I'd go that far. The Spice Girls seemed incredibly well supported artistically by their initial management - but that management clearly made a tactical error in choosing versatility by not putting the Girls to a contract, and it cost the management company BIG. Initial management did the music side well, but completely failed the business side.

[@profile1674]

I have never been a fan of The Spice Girls, and still I found this very interesting to watch. Please continue to deliver the goods, sir.

[@SavedByGrace_CitizenEmperor]

In my opinion, if you are really into music, genres and history, you care for those musical pioneers that laid the groundwork for your favorite artists. I enjoy these videos, of couse I don't like every artist, some I cannot stand or it's simply not my cup of tea. But it's super interesting to see how music evolved, like with the synth music in the 80s that were very important for all kinds of electronic music. And though I'm not much into the 80s, I can enjoy some tunes and Chllwave is also very cool. I still enjoy many of the Spice Girls singles until 2000. Since I more or less only knew that group from the radio because I didn't have access to tv for a very long time or I simply was too young when they peaked, I didn't make that emotional connection.

[@DDDNat]

Give them another shot then.

[@LorcaLoca]

"musical pioneers that laid the groundwork" so not the spice girls

[@SavedByGrace_CitizenEmperor]

@@LorcaLoca Of course the SG didn't invent anything. But as the video mentioned, their success inspired other artists. Or as was also said at that time there was no successful girl group besides many boy bands, britpop etc.

[@reneperez2126]

I didnt like the spice girls back at the time , i was into britpop instead but i would lie if i say that i didnt listen and enjoy the hell out of that song when it came out

[@robswystun2766]

Thom York is so melodramatic. No, Thomas, the harmless girl group singing bubble gum pop isn't the anti-christ. They're a harmless girl group singing bubble gum pop. Not every song needs to have 20 layers of undecipherable meaning to it.

[@yawbyss981]

Love the guy, but I’m very glad he’s matured as he aged

[@waitin4winter]

Yeah his comment didn’t age very well

[@JohnDoe-gy5dr]

I love Radiohead but it would take a weird bunch to make their music as good as it is. Given that, his opinion on pop girl bands is probably not going to mean a whole lot. I don't know why anyone would ask him about that sort of thing anyway except to sell media.

[@embunchofnumbers]

The Spice Girls killed originality and weirdness in female-led mainstream pop - we went from Annie Lennox, Alisha’s Attic, Dubstar, Echobelly, Sleeper, Everything But The Girl to the Spice Girls Disney pop with assorted consumer goods.

[@robswystun2766]

@@embunchofnumbers That still doesn't make them the antichrist.

[@ricardobezerra2712]

I was in high school in Brazil when they first appeared, and the thing that intrigued me the most is that who presented them to me was a friend who was very into Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Sex Pistols and Ramones. It really makes sense when he says Wannabe was sort of punk in that sense.

[@TheFreakyOfficial]

I'm Brazilian too and I totally agree with the punk quote

[@ferox965]

This video is the first time I've ever heard them described as punk. That's laughable. It's all pop hooks. Then one goes and listens to something like Discharge...The Spice Girls are no different than the boy bands.

[@samiram845]

@@ferox965 have you listened to the music scene pre-Wannabe in 1996? Literally nothing quite like that on the market (This video also gives examples for that). That’s punk spirit if you ask me. Just like emo rap is to today’s trap market. Just because it’s commercially successful doesn’t mean it’s not punk. What ISN’T punk anymore is the cynicism towards the idea of “pop”, that’s so 80’s, watch the Punk Rock MBA talk about this.

[@ferox965]

@@samiram845 That's a load of crap. That's like saying New Kids on the Block are death metal. I've been a musician since the mid eighties. The Spice Girls model is NOTHING NEW. It's a manufactured pop group. The same model had had been around for decades prior to that Four or five attractive people, regardless of gender...They were put together by a team of producers. Just like ALL the others, boy or girl groups. Synchronized dance steps, generic pop sound written by a team of hit writers....With the exception of the Sex Pistols, there is nothing punk at all in that aesthetic. Go listen to Discharge if you want to hear what punk sounds like. Look...this stuff has ALWAYS existed...there's a place for pop fluff, always will be. But to call it anything more than that is laughable.

[@ricardobezerra2712]

I don't think you paid attention to what was said in the video... They went away to do their own stuff, without help or agenda. If they became a commercial machine later on, that's not the point. A lot of male rock bands ended up in the same path. However, a girl group doing their own thing in a male dominated scene, that's a hell of a punk thought. But don't worry, your punk masculinity is still intact, despite of this video. 😉

[@leonreborn1308]

lol Thom Yorke sounding like one of these old religious fanatics that call a tv station to complain about the devil when anything remotely sassy appears on tv, the irony.

[@DDDNat]

He need to take a pill and calm down.

[@SavedByGrace_CitizenEmperor]

I love Radiohead a lot. From today's perspective or at least in my opinion, Thom's talking shit. But looking back at that time, he probably had to say what he said because Alternative Rock stands for honesty and the Spice Girls for commercial fake pop and he potentially was also personally disliking the Spice Girls. I think it's good for business to elevate your own product by putting down others. Radiohead made their fortune also by beeing considered the outsider, the alternative to the mainstream and they knew how to play their role. I used to think this way. Like my taste is better, these genres are stupid, this music is good and this is bad. Today I try to only make fun of some genres but I don't take it too serious. Many artists just want to make money instead of quality or innovation. Real music and fake music, good music or bad music, my taste is great, yours is not. That's kindergarten thinking. Today I can listen to tons of genres, artists, decades. I like some Spice Girls or Backstreet Boys songs, I like Radiohead, trance, hip hop, Brit pop, low fi, some nu metal, trip hop, hands up, deep house etc. Not necessarily in one playlist, but I can switch depending on my mood.

[@mrrodriguezHLP]

@@SavedByGrace_CitizenEmperor Amen. I was the punk kid, calling other punk kids posers, and bands they liked were sellouts. Me at 15:'Yeah I like Discharge, and DRI you may have never heard of them.' What a colossal waste of time that brief period of my life was. You can like everything, it's not a sin. As I opened my mind: Oh my god the B-52's first album is the most punk album ever.

[@SavedByGrace_CitizenEmperor]

@@mrrodriguezHLP One of my favourite genres is trance. It's kind of a not so commercial genre, at least it's not for the radio and charts. There used to be these discussions among fans about "real trance" and sell outs (tracks with vocals) or those using the same sound within almost every track or 08/15 sund. I'm talking within the trance scene. But that was absolutely nothing compared to the hate from quite a lot trance fans against dance or "hands up" acts like Scooter, Blank & Jones, Brooklyn Bounce, Cascada, which reached the charts for some years quite often. It's a bit more complicated to explain. But looking back and reading some postings, it's really embarrassing for me to see how I uplifted my musical taste while putting down the taste of others in a really not polite manner. And several other fans bashing in the same direction isn't helping at all, it's enforcing the disliking.

[@mrrodriguezHLP]

@@SavedByGrace_CitizenEmperor I like to remind myself, we didn't need the internet to put each other down, we used to do it face-to-face.

[@okayno4045]

I always thought the 'girl power' thing was contrived and something that was pushed by record execs trying to pander; but holy shit, these women actually were (and are) tough as nails and outsmarted the people who were trying to hold them back. They took control of their careers the moment they met each other and drew strength from one another. That's so badass and I love them even more for it :)

[@collegeman1988]

The Spice Girls were the 1990s equivalent of 1980s girl groups like the Go-Gos and The Bangles. They were pure pop music, and I don’t see anything wrong with that.

[@EastSide-qc5oy]

True but it could probably also be argued they never would have existed if it weren’t for Madonna

[@mandu6665]

@@EastSide-qc5oy And Madonna wouldn't have existed without all the RNB female groups, Tina Turner, Leslie Gore, etc etc.

[@EastSide-qc5oy]

@@mandu6665 Oh of course. No argument there.

[@paynexkiller]

‘Be a little bit wiser baby, put it on, put it on’ Damn.

[@josephyn89]

Alright now that I've finished the video, here's my opinion. I'm 32, born and raised in Argentina, and I've been learning English since I was 4. As a true milennial I grew up with MTV, MuchMusic and The Box. I don't own many (original) CDs, but Spice was one of them. I remember explaning the name to my classmates who thought it was "Space Girls". I remember watching their movie with my dad; it's terribly kitschy but hey, that was the 90s. I feel that, even if "girl power" pop was shallow and carefully planned to sell sell sell, it also made women more visible in the music industry. I love Jarvis and Thom, but they sound like scared little boys, clutching their pearls at these "sluts". Pop music is catchy, and not to be taken too seriously. Yet the doors opened by the Spice Girls allowed other, deeper (but still catchy) singers to break through. Anyway, great vid!

[@katyp564]

You've summed up my feelings!

[@seancompton4721]

Thom's distaste for them is certainly unfounded but I have to agree with Jarvis that the margaret thatcher comment was a little scary lol

[@santiagobauza4257]

I'd also argue that the critical acclaim it garnered and the fact that it was competing with other more validated bands and genres also paved the way for the future poptimism and pop compositions being taken more seriously in general. We kind of gained an appreciation of the craft and how it works. Also Yorke was horrified about losing the Mercury Prize to the Arctic Monkeys' debut too, so it just seems like he doesn't like "modern music" in any form. PD: Argentina papá!

[@YourOasis97]

@@seancompton4721 that was Geri's opinion. Not the group's. The others were for Labour.

[@YourOasis97]

They do have some really cool, and deep songs though. Checkout Naked, Something Kinda Funny, both on their first album and the hit #1 Viva Forever. Also Stop is quite profound if you look deep into it especially now when we're transitioning into a post covid era. They also have Let Love Lead The Way, Do It, Denying and Oxygen which is a beautiful love ballad. And their amazing B-sides: Take Me Home, the reggae inspired Walk of Life, Outer Space Girls, and Baby Come Round. Also Spice Invaders which honestly showed how funny, and silly, and raw and honest they were. They really were great singers and had amazing lyrics but the hype was too much and too fast all at once it kind of went against them and imploded on them. But that was partly their manager's doing and the record label and their sponsors. Because 💸 💸💸 I know they pushed for global success quickly but they never thought it'd be that big that quickly and by the end they were burned out and thus Geri left. But they still do tours and concerts when they can. 🤗🤗🤗 And they're releasing Wannabe in July on vinyl and cassette and digital for its 25th anniversary. 🎉 🎉🎉

[@WmRike]

Me: Like I'm going to watch a video about the flippin' Spice Girls... Also me: But it's Trash Theory, maybe I'll learn something.

[@ethanprince356]

Yeah. It's educational...

[@kildogery]

I wrote essays like this at school 25 years ago. You inspire me to start again. I'd love to dig out my Beatles to manufactured pop, essay.

[@kildogery]

I don't mean the quality. I mean the subjects and themes.

[@charmaineappiah4070]

Do it.

[@kildogery]

It would be hilarious to present my earnest 15 year old self at face value, with modern editing etc... I might see if my parents can find stuff.

[@charmaineappiah4070]

@@kildogery I know, but it will be good and I will watch it. I have regretted not starting my channel and other things, you have recorded a video. just do it. I guess you can record the present now to add with the old video. now that would be great.

[@theMoporter]

Do it! This is your sign

[@LiliInSomnia]

As always... It's amazing when you cover pop acts. Revisiting these stories gives you another perspective of music some people toss aside

[@ilshyf]

As I'm South Korean, I always wonder why 90s boy-girl band eventually disappeared and that void was filled by Kpop, kind of. Was boy-girl band eventually offshored?

[@vesavius]

Not sure that the Western BG/ GG model did disappear at all... One Direction and Little Mix say that it didn't, BUT, yes, it's fair to say that KPop took the model and refined it to a science and sold the music back to the countries that spawned it.

[@brendanhendry5001]

They did the damn thing, and as a gay kid who grew up idolizing them, it was a blessing to have grown up when pop music was that unabashedly camp and truly fun.

[@edjanai]

I’m shocked the gays(TM) were not mentioned in the video. As a gay kid I was -s c r e a m i n g- the lyrics to Wannabe whenever it was on the radio/MTV.

[@jamescawthorne7557]

No matter how you feel about them, they were a MOVEMENT.

[@michelhv]

In 1996, I was « that guy » with his sophisticated taste in male britpop (ahem) and I can still remember my bewilderment at a dude who told me that he liked the SG once he finally got it. I still haven’t « gotten » it, but now it makes more sense than it did back then. And Wannabe is a greatly enjoyable pop song, that’s for sure.

[@SavedByGrace_CitizenEmperor]

Haven't we all been "that guy" to be honest? 😀 Often this attitude is connected to the scene from a certain genre. A mid 90s Thom Yorke basically has to hate or belittle the Spice Girls, because it is the opposite of what rock music stands for (not really true but the public / fans believe it is so). An intelligent and grown up man shouldn't even think this way, but music fans are not always smart when it comes to music (my music is better than, this is "real" music", I only listen to "good" songs etc.). Today, I wouldn't care for anybody's opinion when he claims to like only metal or trance or whatever genre and how his genre is better than whoever's taste. That's narrowminded! If you really like music and are open-minded, you will find gems in almost every genre. It's not cool to like the Spice Girls, but I admit I like a couple of their singles but also Radiohead, trance, hip hop and several other genres and songs from decades. And you don't have to put down anybody's taste.

[@xanbell7723]

It's so true, hindsight is 20/20. I loved them as a child but even I thought they were a total studio fabrication. Until recently, that is. I've gone through phases of musical taste of being "that guy" lol the irony of loving Spice Girls as a child and then being all pretentious with my love of Radiohead and Sleater Kinney as a teen. I've come full circle at and love them all now though ha

[@tylaratkins]

Man this mini-doc is fantastic, I enjoyed every second.

[@pinkywinky911]

I’ll always thank my late grandma for getting us cable in 1996. It only had 5 channels at the time including MTV and I kid you not, Wannabe was the first ever music video that I’ve watched. I was 10 years old and for the next 2-3 years my whole personality became a Spice Girl fan 🤣😍

[@SerialExperimentsTim]

As a teenager, I detested the Spice Girls while at the same time adoring Shampoo's first record. I'm not too proud to admit that teenage me was probably a bit of a hypocrite in that regard.

[@BrittanyAddams]

Man, this video made me feel for Halliwell. Thanks for the awesome essay! I was a young girl in the late 90s/early 2000s and adored them. I adore them still!

[@nicholasromig5506]

I still remember when Wannabe came on MTV for the first time (that I saw, anyway.) me and my brothers were sitting in my grandparents' living room and here came these 5 british maniac women starting a war with a bunch of stuffy folks and just going nuts. I liked alternative. but I loved how fun and goofy that video was. I'm not a big Spice Girls fan but holy crap Wannabe is awesome.

[@emmaolmi]

Love them or hate them, you have to agree they have changed an entire generation! I am grateful for being one of those kids that have been inspired by the spices, and their influence and philosophy will last forever to me and those that are mine.

[@clintstewart5545]

lol

[@ConnieGMK]

In my opinion girls were far stronger before the Spice girls.... getting a job don't make you a great woman... society taught women that having the most important thing to them.. children... was 2nd best to a job!

[@kildogery]

I'll tell you what. You're very good at these. I look forward to them and I am happy for them to represent the history of British pop to outsiders. Absolutely legit. Please keep going.

[@peterlittle4357]

I'm a Motorhead fan. I can still look back fondly on these girls.

[@Lil_Angry_Bitch]

Spice Girls were criticized for being too commerical, which is silly. Their genre is literally "Pop Music", the most commerical of all the music genres. That's like criticizing a Death Metal band for being too loud and telling them they need to tone down the loudness. And SG knew they wouldn't be around forever, so why not cash in on their popularity at the height of their success? Fans wanted Merchandise, why not give it to them? After the group disbanded, they would be set for life, which is what happened. Wouldn't most people do the same?

[@user-hc1bf7wo9b]

Hello Ash! Cheers from Russia! I admire your outstanding work! I remember back in 1996 Wannabe was a huge hit in Russia as well. There were a sort of popular series of cassette tapes compilations called something like Euro Dance or Euro Hits and Wannabe opened one of these compilations if I well remember! It was a must-have track for all the discotheques! No disco back then could do without a Spice Girls song! Music video was also in rotation on music channels! Only we did not know the word 'spice' and would confuse Spice Girls for Space Girls and translate the name accordingly...maybe because it seemed they were from space really! Today I've made a pleasant discovery that this hit has common features with my favourite music genre thanks to you! Viva Forever is my favourite Spice Girls song and Viva Forever the Trash Theory!

[@BringSomeNoise]

I would never have connected “Say You’ll Be There” to G-Funk but listening to those two clips, it’s so obvious. Great video again!

[@toomuchinformation]

I did as soon as I heard it.

[@miahthorpatrick1013]

@@toomuchinformation Same. The G-funk sound of Say You'll Be There immediately struck a chord with me in the late 90's as a young boy.

[@realfacthunt]

Fun fact: song writer Matt Rowe's real name is Matthew Rowebottom.

[@AI-mg3hy]

Next you're going to tell us Mel B's real name is Melon Baller.

[@pyenapple]

I keep coming back to reread this comment because of how much fun i had the first time in twenty years I’ll show my kids it’ll be great

[@wislarstud]

I absolutely LOVE that every bit of video or song sample is referenced on screen. That's how it should be done.

[@tenderizer]

when geri left the spice girls i was 8 and i lost my fucking mind

[@serahmaxy8849]

Lol i think i cried

[@djwalkerfemaledj]

I'm was 9 when Geri left and was shocked Geri had left

[@str913]

cuando se fue geri se termino las spice girls

[@djmoonbooties]

Oh man. I cried at the end of this. I was inspired by growing up watching Jem and the Holograms, listening to Riot Grrrl bands and secretly loving Spice World. Thank you!!

[@starbrite526]

I love that over the course of the month, you covered two bands pivotal to my musical journey (Depeche Mode and Spice Girls), that really show the gambit of how musically diverse the landscape really was and has been. That music and the changing tides of popularity is not a definite timeline but an interwoven story and reflection of the culture.

[@cgg2621]

The Spice Girls was my first ever favourite band, even though as soon as I hit puberty I started listening mainly to alternative rock and punk. Geri and Mel B were my favourite members as a girl because they had such anarchic, fun-loving personalities and said what was on their mind (even if it was sometimes misinformed). I'm disappointed, but I guess not surprised to hear about what people like Thom Yorke said. You can't convince me that he wasn't obsessed with some cheesy pop act when he was a kid as well.

[@eole123456789]

Remember that in the early 90s it was very important for rock bands to be "legit", ethical and not be "sellouts". Hating on big commercial pop was "de rigueur". As teenagers we absolutely hated everything about boys/girls bands because "only girls like that shit" and you absolutely could not listen to something that was too obviously catchy and commercial. Bands like Nirvana and Radiohead were obsessed with the fear of "selling out", that's why they had to struggle with the idea of achieving tremendous success and becoming hugely popular. Sounds dumb now as every teenager today wants to become popular and rich more than anything... but at the time it was more important to be "authentic". It all changed at the end of the 90s when people started to aspire to more fun/party music. That's when people turned their backs to Rock and went for Rap/RnB/Dance music or big pop machines like Britney Spears, Aguilera etc. because it was more in tune with the "millennial mood". The new generations didn't relate to angry/depressive music of the early 90s like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Radiohead.... It was more about having fun, being promiscuous, doing crazy shit (jackass generation), videos became sexier and more colourful,...

[@apararkobhattacharya1276]

He loved Queen as a kid.

[@EclecticoIconoclasta]

@@eole123456789 In a sense that was anticipated already by Britpop which was generally more exuberant , cheerful youthful than the grunge they were rebelling againts. Oasis and Blur in a way paved the way for the Spice Girls. Radiohead was more of an alt rock band with indie sensibilites who later got ultra popular ironically by swallowing IDM electronic influences into their angsty alt rock. The Spice Girls were a part of a wider late 90s trend towards commercial pop after the collapse of grunge due to drug overdoses and struggling with mass success, Britpop running out of steam, hip hop entering into a sort of crisis with the deaths of 2pac and Biggie and even rock getting more pop with trends like nu metal and ska revival. The Spice Girls came in with Britney, Christina Aguilera and boy bands like NSync and Backstreet Boys. They were just a more british form of all of that

[@rlangham801]

Another great video!. I've always loved that I was the exact right age for the Spice Girls (I was 8 in 1996) and got to love them totally and completely for the brilliant pop they made without any hang-ups about what was cool. And obviously their best song was Say You'll Be There

[@penelopevisser1441]

I was also 8 in 96, and say you'll be there is my fave as well!

[@LorchVHS]

I'm a straight dude in Australia who was 11 in 1996 and I loved Wannabe from the moment I heard it. Sang it all the time back then. I've never let outside influence get in the way of what I like or don't like for that matter and I was not in a rush to "grow up" like every other kid. Say You'll Be There is my favourite too.

[@dagfinissocool]

I was 10 in '96 and my favorite was 2 become 1 for some reason. (boy)

[@joaomarcelo742]

That's the crucial point: "without any hangups"

[@SimianScience]

this video made me have a thing for British accents. a thing that persists to this day

[@repo126]

Thank you for this. Pop perfection.

[@NiamhCreates]

As a (nearly) 37-year-old woman, I was their target audience in 1998. And ya know what? I f*cking LOVE the Spice Girls to this day. 👍 Viva forever.

[@FuchsiaPandaBear]

Spice Girls are great! They made me feel so empowered as a kid

[@alphabettical1]

Wow, I had no idea that they inspired the vocal show craze!

[@OGseoulite]

Can we talk about how Mel B was a fashion icon?

[@OrangeMagazineTV]

This documentary makes me appreciate the Spice Girls even more. Girl power! Love Thing, Spice Up Your Life, If You Can't Dance are my fave tracks!

[@richardmoores]

Yes; love thing. People often neglect this one

[@mimievee84]

Love Thing is a great song. I love it. Although it was not turns out to be the first single (if I not mistaken, that was their first song they wrote after left previous management), it is special for Spice Fan like us to appreciate their hardwork back then.

[@escritora84]

The Spice Girls were everything for me - I was in 7th grade when "Wannabe" released, and their feminist messages and focus on female friendships were the main reasons why I fell in love with them, even though "Wannabe" irritated me so much at first. They weren't "deep" by any means, but they hit a nerve that was missing, both in music and in terms of female empowerment in general. I wonder what would've happened to them if Geri hadn't left the group - despite her questionable talent, she (and Mel B, tbh) brought a lot of the fire and arguably was the soul of the group, in terms of their activism and overall drive and ambition. Her absence showed that the group was better together rather than apart - things weren't quite the same without her there. My favorites are "Wannabe", "Never Give Up on the Good Times", and "Spice Up Your Life".

[@teijaflink2226]

Even if Geri was not the most talented (I think Mel C probably was), she really had it, the star quality, she just was a star because of being Geri, so many little girls had her as their favourite and many where very dissapointed that she left. I think her star quality (though the other girls had it too) and her outgoing personality and that she was brave enough to say and do what she wanted was really missed. I suppose that kind of ruined it too because I don't doubt that they could have had longer career with more hits (even if they still perform occasionally).

[@ClarenceEwing]

I definitely am not the target demo for this group, then or now. But there's no denying when they hit, they hit big. Very interesting story of how it came together. Thanks for the video!

[@ampersand2001]

Love this series! Always so excited for a new one...thank you so much!

[@camerondavis5702]

This is easily my favorite youtube channel. Thank you so much for these.

[@86cnrs]

I used to not like them but I got older and I started to appreciate them. My favorite songs by them are "Stop" and "2 Become 1"

[@kassemir]

Damn, that Tom Yorke take did not age well :) Man, I imagine he'd have a heart attack if he came across WAP ;)

[@joeybatmania9327]

I mean, WAP goes out of its way to be as raunchy as possible, I think he’d appreciate the sheer audacity

[@Gravemind2016]

I think that this channel is a pure hidden gem. Thank you for your videos!

[@krisswatt]

Great video, as always. Very interesting to go back and examine the context around all of this after living through it. Also very happy to see a bit of Sleater-Kinney splashed in!

[@Terry_Bell]

You did it again Trash Theory, you made me shed tears of nostagia and happiness

[@hotaruhime]

I always learn so much watching your videos, and love seeing you covering more pop artists on this channel ! The Spice Girls were a huge part of my childhood, one of my earliest favorite bands when I was six years old. I loved their catchy music, their dancing and their energy. Every time I hear their songs, it still brings me joy ! Their impact on pop music today is undeniable.

[@WorldwideExperiences]

The only thing missing here it’s that they became strong icons for the gay community 🌈 and helped a whole generation of lgbtq people around the world to be strong enough to accept themselves and go trough life owning their lives. Besides that missing huge detail, this was really good and explains the point in a very smart way to those who don’t know all the important facts that make them be an important part of history. ✌🏻🧔🏻‍♂️

[@pabloni1117]

@Yongo Bazuk cringe

[@pabloni1117]

@@jesusnmarychain why

[@gardenboydon]

One of the best KZbin channels ever 🙏 thank you from Texas

[@ben.futureprimitive]

great content as always.. viva forever

[@kikilerer689]

great video. love your work!

[@Khaegar]

So I've listened to this song for nearly 25 years and I still learned something new here so thanks! That was fascinating!!

[@ninanano]

i agree that they were "simplying" feminism but by exposing it to a bigger audience they introduced feminism to a lot of people who later did their own deeper research so i guess there's a good side to it. and i really like that they emphasized friendship and sisterhood rather than "we can do anything men can" girlboss type feminism lol

[@princesskristan]

I don't know why this made me cry, but it did. I got into them when I was 7 years old and at that time, my self esteem was very, very low. And it was worse because I was also bullied alot. I remember seeing the music videos for Wannabe and Say You'll Be There, and it was love at first sight. I wanted to be Mel B so badly because she looked just like me, and I wanted to be as badass as she was. The group as a whole inspired me to work on my self esteem, and both albums are super important to me. I also had a Baby Spice and Scary Spice figures, a mini Posh Spice book that I got from KB Toys, a VHS tape of all their music videos, and of course Spice World that I got for my 8th birthday. I cried so hard when Ginger left, and listening to Goodbye broke me. I regret not seeing them when they went on a world tour, but when I saw the Headlines music video, I sobbed. It was like I was a 7 year old girl again. The Spice Girls continues to be a huge impact on my life, and I still listen and sing along to every lyric. I'm about to be 33, but these women have taught me so much about myself, and I live by the Girl Power motto every single day. I wish I could meet them so I can tell them thank you while trying not to cry

[@briero]

They were bloody good the Spice Girls. Great video as ever!

[@anthonyr.1568]

I was a fan of them back then but I had no idea they were so independent and rebellious. I thought every little detail had been fabricated (or, say, reinforced) to please their audience and the radios. But I'm happy to learn they broke free, albeit partly, from that and actually spread a message they believed in. Whether it's about the Spice Girls, the Ramones or Joy Division, your mini-docus are always fascinating. Keep up the great work!

[@rocketbackhander6280]

ohh THE BOX definitely coming in clutch!! I honestly never thought I'd hear a story where Jukebox Network actually made any kind of impactful contribution to music culture. And yet here we are.

[@Anthony-fz9ye]

Such a good video. Thank you

[@tomdulski3729]

Another well thought out and remarkable video. I end up watching your stuff even when I don't (as in this case) particularly like the music.

[@kazaloolovesgames]

I was a massive fan of the Spice Girls when I was a kid. I still listen to their music.

[@marcus8176]

M8! I would have never thought I'd find a video about Spice Girls interesting. You have an absolute knack for VO and scripts. Learned so much about a group that is so widely known

[@roadrunner5260]

Love this vid!

[@sydneybull4851]

Your vids are brilliant, so well researched. I'm on a trash theory binge whilst out walking the dog!

[@wtorules4743]

Another brilliant video. Educational and entertaining.

[@Vermiliongod22]

This was a great watch!

[@AverageToBad]

Wow this only came up in my home page. Long time follower too. Keep making this top notch content!

[@JacobW567]

Amazing episode...thank you very much! love your videos and this one in particular as I have been and still am a fan of SG.... all you said is true!

[@xavierdesousa]

This is really excellent thank you!

[@drewlovelyhell4892]

I was never a Spice Girls fan, but I love Mel C. She's adorable and has the best voice in the group. Amusing that Jarvis Cocker was "repulsed" by them. Looked in a mirror lately?

[@Doooooooooooood]

I was a punk, metal rock kid at the time but had pictures of the Spice Girls on my walls. I liked looking at them but they were definitely brilliant at what they did!!

[@VirgoVibe]

As always.....brilliant video!

[@NaomiJoyFitness]

This was really interesting! I didn’t know the backstory of the Spice Girls! Thanks so much for putting this together!

[@pumpkinpepsi]

Damn I remember the first time I saw them on topt the week wannabe went to no.1... I was 10 and it had an enormous impact on me.

[@flatandsplat]

This was really interesting. Thanks So much

[@katkatkatkat463]

Thom Yorke may be brooding and complex, but he could never fathom the depths of emotional devastation felt by a 10 year old girl the year that Geri broke up the Spice Girls.

[@barryhall7]

You have made my Friday evening :-) 👍🏻

[@pdzombie1906]

The video I didn't know I wanted to watch but ended up loving every minute of it. Great as usual, please cover industrial music!!!

[@Adam_Barrett]

Another incredibly detailed and revealing video. Had to sub 🙌

[@lxldny]

I'm so glad I subbed.