| Lyrics: Spice Up Your Life |
Performed by: Spice Girls
Written by: Victoria Aadams; Melanie Brown; Emma Burton; Melanie Chesholm; Geri Halliwell; Matt Rowe; Richard Stannard
Credits: Aadams, Victoria (Songwriter); Brown, Melanie (Songwriter); Burton, Emma (Songwriter); Chesholm, Melanie (Songwriter); Halliwell, Geri (Songwriter); Rowe, Matt (Songwriter); Stannard, Richard (Songwriter); POLYGRAM MUSIC PUBG LTD (Publisher); WINDSWEPT HOLDINGS LLC (Publisher)
| Wikipedia: Spice Up Your Life |
| "Spice Up Your Life" | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Single by Spice Girls | |||||||||||||||||||||
| from the album Spiceworld | |||||||||||||||||||||
| B-side | "Spice Invaders" | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Released | 13 October 1997 (UK) 21 October 1997 (US) 22 October 1997 (Japan) |
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| Format | Vinyl record (12"), cassette, CD single |
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| Recorded | 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Genre | Latin pop, Dance-pop | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 2:53 (album version) 2:55 (Stent Radio Mix) 3:01 (music video) |
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| Label | Virgin Records | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Richard Stannard, Matt Rowe, Spice Girls | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Producer | Richard Stannard, Matt Rowe | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Certification | Platinum (BPI) Platinum (ARIA) Gold (RIAA) |
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"Spice Up Your Life" is a pop–samba song by the Spice Girls. It was released as the first single from their second album Spiceworld in October 1997. After its first appearance on British radio, the song received an overwhelmingly positive initial reaction.
It became the girls' fifth consecutive number-one single in the UK and was very successful in Europe, reaching the top five in most countries.
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The song was written by Richard Stannard, Matt Rowe, and the Spice Girls. Stannard and Rowe, who had previously collaborated with the girls on their debut album, Spice, also produced the track. "Spice Up Your Life" is known as the first track of the Spice Girls to further their sound, from bubblegum pop to a more samba/Spanish-influenced rhythm.
The song is also known for the girls having a single-line solo in the third verse, whereas the rest of the track is sung by all five of them (however, Colours of the world...Every boy and every girl...People of the world is sung by Mel B alone and If you're having a good time...If you know how to feel fine is sung by Melanie C alone). This song is considered to be their second signature song along with "Wannabe".
"Spice Up Your Life" received mixed reviews from music critics. Sputnikmusic referred to the song as "one of the least entertaining songs on the album" and that it "sounds rather cacophonous and attempts to combine too many layers and the whole thing ends up sounding overblown", adding "try not to pay attention to the background or you will want to throw your CD player out the window every time the referee whistle comes in".[1] Rolling Stone called the song "a global call to arms and legs with a distinct carnivallike flavor and a message of Up With Spice People positivity".[2] Entertainment Weekly describe the song as "a ha-cha-cha slice of tropical-boat-cruise frivolity",[3] and Allmusic said that the song "consolidates and expands the group's style, adding Latin flourishes".[4]
The video itself is one that the girls themselves were far from happy with (in Melanie B's biography it was stated they wished it had a carnival theme but were too tired to fight this theme at the time).
It was directed by Marcus Nispel who also directed music videos for No Doubt, Gloria Estefan and Elton John.[5] With a multi-million dollar budget, the self-aggrandising promo sees the group in a futuristic setting possibly inspired by the 1982 film Blade Runner, controlling every aspect of society.
The group stated that the video was a reaction to the press who criticized the group for selling out to a number of worldwide brands in the Summer of 1997, including Pepsi, Walkers, Cadbury's, Chupa Chups, Impulse, Asda, Polaroid, and Channel 5.
The video has a futuristic vibe and shows the girls in a spaceship going through the city, looking at themselves on the various billboards. There are also shots of rooms and bars where there is a television showing the videos for "Say You'll Be There" and "Wannabe". The girls then zoom aimlessly around the city on flying surfboards.
Melanie C once stated that she almost ruined the filming of the video, since it was filmed during two days, and in the second day she forgot to put the glasses she was wearing on her head during the first day. So in some scenes she is with the glasses and in others she isn't.
The original release date of "Spice Up Your Life" was delayed for seven days to attempt to displace Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997". The tribute to Princess Diana, who had died two months before, subsequently went on to become the world's biggest-selling single of all time. "Spice Up Your Life" reached the top spot the following week, with sales of 321,000 in its first week, although it only spent one week on the top spot - the first Spice Girls single to do so, spending 15 weeks inside the UK Top 75, and became the girls' fifth consecutive UK number-one single.
Across Europe, "Spice Up Your Life" was largely successful, reaching the top five in most countries, but was unable to top the charts, being blocked off the number one spot by Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997" and Aqua's "Barbie Girl"; this was the case on the Euro Hot 100, and in France, where the song debuted at thirteen, reaching a peak position of three (the group's last top ten single) and stayed seventeen weeks on the chart.[6]
In Italy the song debuted at four, reaching a peak of number two for two weeks, being blocked off the number-one position by "Barbie Girl"[7]. In Norway the song stayed ten weeks on the chart, reaching a peak position of three.[8] In Sweden the single debuted at number two, but was unable to reach the top, being blocked by "Candle in the Wind 1997", and stayed in the charts for fourteen weeks.[9]
In Australia it debuted at number seventeen, peaked at number eight two weeks later, spent twenty weeks on the chart,[10] and was certified Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association.[11]
In New Zealand the song debuted at number two, staying in that position for four consecutive weeks, (held off by "Candle in the Wind 1997") and spend fifteen weeks on the chart.[12]
The track added another U.S. top twenty to the group's already impressive list. "Spice Up Your Life" also helped the Spiceworld LP debut on the Billboard 200 albums chart at number eight (it would eventually climb to a peak of number three after the release of the group's first film, Spice World). However, despite the track's weak airplay, the CD single sold well, peaking at number eleven on the Hot 100 Singles Sales chart,[13] and eventually received a Gold certification by the RIAA.[14]
It was also a dance hit, reaching number four on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart,[15] but did not succeed on the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart, reaching number twenty-two.[16] The song barely cracked the Top 40 Mainstream chart, climbing to number thirty-seven,[17] and reached number twenty-seven on the Rhythmic Top 40.[18]
Overall, despite not being as popular as the Spice Girls' first three releases ("Who Do You Think You Are" couldn't be counted, since it was only released in the United Kingdom), the song was still an international hit, peaking within the top twenty of the majority of the charts it charted on in the world.
Like much of their second album Spiceworld, "Spice Up Your Life" had its premiere during the group's first concert on 13 October 1997 at the Abdi Ipekci Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. The song was included in the set list for both the Spiceworld Tour and the Christmas in Spiceworld tour. After Geri Halliwell left the group her line "Flamenco" went to Melanie C.
"Spice Up Your Life" was performed many times on different British television programmes like Top of the Pops and the National Lottery. They also performed the song on All That and various programmes of Germany, Italy, Spain and other European countries.
It was also used in award ceremonies like the 1997 Smash Hits! Awards, the 1997 MTV European Music Awards, the 1997 Billboard Music Awards and the 2000 Brit Awards.
It was also used during the end of the Spice Girls movie Spice World (1997), where the girls performed at the Albert Hall surrounded by media and thousands of fans, there are also scenes of the rest of the supporting cast dancing and singing while the girls performed the song. This was one of two songs that was shown as a full-length performance in the film, the other being "Too Much".
It was also used as the opening and closing act on the Spice Girls Reunion Tour in 2007 with the opening having the lyrics upon the screen in masses of colours and sped up in a remix for the closing act displaying flags of the world.
Though not sung by the girls themselves, Mel B. used this song for week 4 on Dancing the with the Stars.
There is a huge expectation from fans inside the UK for this song to be performed sometime during the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games, despite the fact there is 3 years until the opening of the games.[citation needed]
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Spice Up Your Life".[19]
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"Spice Invaders" is the B-side to "Spice Up Your Life". It is different from many of their songs in that it is mostly spoken. It also appears to be improvised and unscripted. The girls talk to each other throughout the song about topics such as how Geri is "hugging" a tree, Mel B having ear rot from always talking on the phone, and how Mel C has never been very good at whistling.
1Ralphi Rosario Remixes Certifications
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| Preceded by "Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" by Elton John |
UK Singles Chart number-one single October 19, 1997 (1 week) |
Succeeded by "Barbie Girl" by Aqua |
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