Almost 25 years ago, the Spice Girls released their third album Forever. It’s the one everyone forgets, even though it produced two UK #1 singles. ‘Goodbye’ was fabulous, but that had been a hit back in 1998, so no-one really associates it with this album.
I remember hearing the other hit single, the double-sided ‘Holler’/’Let Love Lead The Way’ and thinking “OK, this whole Spice project has gone off the boil a bit”. By this stage Geri was entirely gone, solo careers were paramount and the novelty had died down a lot. That happens in pop.
The two previous Spice Girls albums, 1996’s Spice and 1997’s Spiceworld, were both honoured with deluxe double CD reissues on their anniversaries. Naturally, I own them both.
These releases certainly aren’t perfect. B-sides from the era were skipped entirely, in favour of newer remixes no-one really needed. Where’s ‘Bumper To Bumper’? Where’s ‘Spice Invaders’?
But a pattern had been set. However, there’s no similar release happening with Forever.
Instead, we’re getting a marbled-red-and-black vinyl reissue with “four exclusive art prints”. Very much not my thing.
So why no CD? The email from the Spice Girls store sounds an apologetic note, while also hinting that maybe something’s in the offing:
We know you wanted B-Sides, demos and lots more besides but unfortunately, even though we are industry players, we just aren’t able to give you that. But Christmas is coming so watch this space….
So cynically, the CD has been delayed in production and we’re getting the vinyl first. But I wonder. Maybe the gals just don’t see the money in it and will just stick to digital releases.
Admittedly, there are a lot fewer B-sides from this era for the band to wilfully ignore. The excellent cover of ‘Christmas Wrapping’ that was on the flip of ‘Goodbye’ would seem an obvious inclusion, even though it actually only features two of the girls (Mel C and Emma).
I suspect that access to any demos would be trickier as they’re likely owned by the Darkchild and Jam/Lewis production teams who worked on much of the album. But they could always fill out the second disc with live tracks and remixes, of which there would be no shortage. That’s largely what happened on Spiceworld 25.
The Spice Girls are far from the first band to stop a reissue project before it is finished (hi Paul McCartney!) or to annoyingly change the physical format mid-stream (hi Donna Summer!). That doesn’t make it right. Fingers crossed something actually does happen in December.
For more Spice Girls merchandising madness, check out the overpriced Spice Girls Rubik’s Cube or the even worse holiday ornament.
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