Spice Girls: The Story of the World’s Greatest Girl Band
'A compelling new book' Daily Express Intimate and revealing, Spice Girls is the definitive story of the world’s most iconic girl group. Through compelling new research and interviews, Sunday Times best-selling biographer Sean Smith reveals what life was really like for five fiercely independent and ambitious young women who were propelled to international fame in the 90s with unstoppable momentum. Quickly establishing themselves as the biggest success in British pop music since The Beatles, they were adored and admired in equal measure: the Spice Girls made a connection with millions of young women across the globe who were inspired by their enthusiasm for life and their famous Girl Power philosophy. The fab five became one of the most successful music acts in history, with more than 85 million record sales world-wide and nine UK number one singles. Throughout the years, their lives have garnered unprecedented levels of media interest and fans have keenly followed their ups and downs – the personal conflicts, celebrity break-ups, controversies and parenthood. One thing’s for sure: they are never boring. In 2019, the prospect of their reunion tour has led to an outpouring of adoration and excitement, proving that the Spice Girls truly are an enduring cultural phenomenon.
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First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2019
FIRST EDITION
Text © Sean Smith 2019
Jacket design by Claire Ward © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2019
Jacket photograph © Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images
A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library
Sean Smith asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
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Source ISBN: 9780008267568
Ebook Edition © November 2019 ISBN: 9780008267599
Version: 2019-10-29
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Page numbers taken from the following print edition: ISBN 9780008267568
Ed Sheeran
George
Adele
Kim
Tom Jones: The Life
Kylie
Gary
Alesha
Tulisa
Kate
Robbie
Cheryl
Victoria
Justin: The Biography
Britney: The Biography
J.K. Rowling: A Biography
Jennifer: The Unauthorized Biography
Royal Racing
The Union Game
Sophie’s Kiss (with Garth Gibbs)
Stone Me! (with Dale Lawrence)
To Megan
Contents
1 Cover
2 Title Page
3 Copyright
4 Note to Readers
5 Also by Sean Smith
6 Dedication
7 Contents
8 PART ONE: THE WANNABES
9 1 Irrepressible
10 2 Casting the Net
11 3 Mein Herr
12 4 In Search of the Magical Key
13 5 Melanie Chisholm Superstar
14 6 A Model Girl
15 PART TWO: HERE COME THE SPICE GIRLS
16 7 The Student House
17 8 Making It Happen
18 9 The Big Fight
19 10 Hang On to Your Knickers
20 11 The Power of Girls
21 12 The Genius of Geri
22 13 Spice All Over the World
23 14 A Schedule Not a Life
24 15 Stop Right Now
25 PART THREE: SPICE WOMEN
26 16 Nightmares and Fairytales
27 17 Dark Clouds
28 18 Baby Love
29 19 Look at Me
30 20 Reasonable Doubt
31 21 The Return of the Spice Girls
32 22 Olympic Gold
33 23 Spice World Again
34 Last Thoughts
35 Spice Stars
36 Acknowledgements
37 Select Bibliography
38 List of Searchable Terms
39 Picture Section
40 About the Publisher
LandmarksCoverFrontmatterStart of ContentBackmatter
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The five young women who would become the Spice Girls didn’t need to be outstanding singers. Nor was proven dancing ability essential. They didn’t have to possess supermodel looks or have the wit of a stand-up comedian. They needed to be ordinary girls with a sparkle that could turn them into something extraordinary. They were not easy to find.
Melanie Brown, an irrepressible eighteen-year-old from Leeds, was the first name on the Spice Girls team sheet. She had a spark and exuberance that could poke your eye out. She had no idea that she had the ideal profile to become a member of a new five-piece girl group when she left her parents’ house in Kirkstall at the crack of dawn to catch the early coach to London.
