In a world post Spice Girls and mid-Steps/S Club, record labels were scrambling about all over the place trying to sign the next big pop group.
Before Girls Aloud came along in 2002, there were two other Girl... groups - who tried their very best to fill the gap, but ultimately failed. Like much good pop that fails, it doesn't mean their songs were the problem.
The first of these were Girl Thing who burst onto the pop scene in 2001. Looking colourful, lively and not afraid to speak their minds, these were girls who were 14 when Geri and co. appeared and were put together by the men who the Spiceys famously quit in their early days - Chris and Bob Herbert. And my couldn't you tell. There was one with blonde bunches and puppy dog eyes, a shouty Yorkshire one and they all had distinct styles and personalities that liked to be looooud.
They were great because:
1. One of their members was Jodi Albert - Hollyoaks brilliant Debbie Dean and superior Nadine-a-like.
2. One of them was from Blackpool and went to Hodgson High.
3. One of them had pink hair.
[I wrote this post in July but never finished it. Now I see Del has posted his own blog about Girl Thing. Seriously, what are the chances someone else I know would both about a random, defunct girl band. Grrrh. If I write anymore it will copy his so just er read his.]
This is the video to their first single - the still ace Last One Standing which charted at #8 in July 2000. Only one more song, Girls On Top, would follow until they were carted off to the dumper after a really, not too bad chart of #25. They would 'famously' go on to be the band who got pissed off when Hear'Say released Pure and Simple as they recorded it first. The other 'Girl...' group I was going to mention was Girls@Play but I can't seem to find anything about them, or even my own Mp3 to mention them. Anyone got them out there?
You know, I don't know whether I remember that song, or if it just sounds so generically like a lot of stuff from late 90s/early 00s. There's a fairly obvious nod to Billie around 29s (the hook from 'Girlfriend'), and the rap around 16s puts me in mind of nothing more than the Tweenies.
ReplyDeleteThat's not necessarily a bad thing -- I still think that the Tweenies were dramatically underrated as a musical force. The first time I heard one of their songs (could have been Number 1 or Best Friends Forever), I was sure it was S Club 7. This was just after Don't Stop Movin'. That's the quality of the tunes and lyrics. Could have done with a little less of the helium influenced singing style, though.
Oh, and I'd forgotten that they covered the awesome "Have Fun, Go Mad". I should really track that down.
Hmmm I can't say I know a Tweenie's song. Have I dramatically missed out on an amazing piece of pop!
ReplyDeleteGreat minds think alike, of course. Girl Thing deserve, nay, DEMAND 2 posts. Great video!
ReplyDeleteWow, Girls@Play. One of them was a cop, one was a cowgirl, one was an airhostess... um... one was a mechanic and one was a business woman. Or a high class hooker. Anyway, they rocked. Not a dry eye in the house when they split... after 1 single.
there was also a band called deluxe, a 5 piece girl band but cant remember what their song was
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