NEWS ARCHIVE - JUNE 1998

June 28, 1998

GERI PARTIES WITH GEORGE AND PALS

Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell looked a real angel as she flew in from Paris to join George's birthday knees-up. The busty singer wore a tight-fitting white dress with little wings which highlighted the star tattoo

on her back. It is the first time Geri, 25, has been spotted out on the town since splitting from the Spice Girls last month. She has been jetting round the world in a bid to escape the spotlight. But she looked refreshed and ready to party as she arrived with a female friend.

June 26, 1998

SPICE GIRLS TAKE OVER NEW JERSEY

The hotter than hot Spice Girls blazed into Holmdel, N.J., last night for their first area concert, to the delight of scores of fevered fans. A missing ingredient, ex-band member Ginger Spice, didn't ruin the flavor of the event as more than 8,000 concertgoers cheered, screamed and offered terms of endearment to the four remaining singers.

The crowd of mostly pre-teen girls arrived dressed in their spicy best, wearing the colorful clothes, pigtails and Chinese tattoos (rub-off, of course) favored by group members. The parking lot resembled a soccer mom convention as parents chatted about their daughters' Spicemania and compared notes. Some mothers even rented limousines for the occasion, as Rockland County's Cindy Eizikowitz, Patrice Schaffer and Wendy Garbatown did for their daughters Stacey Eizikowitz, 9, Jenna Schaffer, 7, and Carly Garbatown, 7.

"We're thrilled to be here," said Cindy. "We had as much fun coming in as we had at the show." The mothers and daughters sang the Spice Girls' greatest hit, "Wannabe," as they traveled down the Garden State Parkway. They even watched "SpiceWorld," the Spice Girls' movie, on the limousine's television.

Two burly bikers, Marc Goodman and his brother Jeff, of Queens, brought Marc's daughter Amanda, 10, to the show. "This is great for the kids," he said. "My daughter is so psyched." Dad appeared a little envious, too. "I didn't get to go to my first concert until I was 16," he said. "It was Vanilla Fudge." The recorded voice of William Shatner, Capt. James T. Kirk of "Star Trek" began the concert on an out-of-this-world note. "Spice . . . the final frontier . . . their mission, to boldly go where no woman has gone before," intoned the captain. With that, Sporty, Scary, Posh and Baby took the stage and belted out "If U Can't Dance." A dancing troupe of hunky Spice Boys frolicked around them.

"We love you, Spice Girls," shrieked Josephine Spada, 8, a student at Brooklyn's Good Shepherd School. "It's good! It's good!" The Spice Girls wore their traditional flash wardrobe. Scary flaunted yellow and black bell-bottoms with a yellow bustier; Sporty wore silver running pants with a glittery tank top. Posh, sporting a new, sleek, short haircut — very Demi Moore — was in a purple spandex suit, and Baby wore her traditional red and blue sequin ensemble. By evening's end, it appeared that the group had overcome the loss of Ginger (Geri Halliwell), who split last month to pursue a solo career. Ginger had her fans, though. "It stinks without Geri singing," said Amanda Goodman, 10. "But I think she's going to be terrific on her own."

June 23, 1998

SPICE GIRLS ENTERTAIN WORLD CUP CROWD

Clearly the place to have watched yesterday's World Cup match between England and Romania was the lounge in the Four Seasons Hotel lobby, where the Spice Girls took in the game on a giant television (and drew quite a few fans of their own). The warbling quartet, which performed at the Nissan Pavilion on Sunday night, reserved its best girl power hollering for soccer star David Beckham, the fiance of Posh Spice (Victoria Adams). At least three times, the Spice Girls burst into song, because, well, they just love life! This sent the entourage of little girls who crowded into the hotel into a squealing frenzy.

GERI ATTENDS "CABERET" PERFORMANCE

That was ex-Spice Girl Geri Halliwell at Friday night's performance of "Cabaret," the hottest ticket on Broadway right now. Some of the standees may have wondered how she got such a good seat, but the former Ginger Spice has connections.

She is an old friend of "Cabaret's" Tony-winning emcee, Alan Cumming. They dated in the days before the five girls hit it big. Cumming took her backstage after the show, where she met the soon-departing Natasha Richardson, who is so wonderful as Sally Bowles. There's no chance of Geri stepping into the role, though - she's heading home soon to launch a solo career in Britain.

Her vehicle of choice could well be the Londonproduction of Cy Coleman's "The Life." Marty Richards wants her for a leading role in the steamy musical, and they could get down to details this week.

June 22, 1998

MIAMI SPICE

Miami Spice aired tonight on BBC and it showed the girls together and talking about Geri leaving - amongst other things including David Beckham, Emma's mother and the two Mels love lives!

The girls stated they were totally shocked by Geri's departure and claimed there was no fighting leading up to the split.

The program also aired for the first time the new "Viva Forever" video with all 5 Spice Girls as fairys. I have to say I was a bit dissapointed with this video - I don't want to see cartoons - I want to see the Spice Girls! Oh, well I still love the song - and can someone please explain the concept behind the video - because I just don't get it.

And right at the end was glimpses of the girls on stage in Miami - cool!

June 21, 1998

SPICE FAIRYS

The Spice Girls are transformed into metallic fairies in their new video - along with old pal Geri. Posh, Scary, Baby and Sporty appear as animated caricatures of themselves in the video for Viva Forever, out on July 13. The video is from award-winning Aardman Animations, the studio behind Wallace and Gromit. Video director Steve Box said: "It would have been impossible to edit Geri out without doing the whole thing again, and to do them credit, nobody asked me to try."

Geri features in it because it was made before she quit the group last month. The video will be premiered in Miami Spice, an exclusive Spice Girls programme on Channel 4 next Monday at 6pm. The girls are currently touring the U.S. and Emma says of Viva Forever: "This is my favorite track on the album. The song is inspired by holiday romances we've all enjoyed." Geri will also be appearing in a new Spice Girls game for the Sony PlayStation, which should hit the stores later this month.

June 17, 1998

FIRST POST GERI INTERVIEW

Spice Girl Mel B revealed she is to record her first record without the group as the girls admitted solo projects and duets would figure largely in their future. Scary Spice disclosed she is to enter the recording studio with American star Missy Misdemeanour Elliott during the band's United States tour which kicked off in Miami last night.

In an interview with BBC Radio 1 DJ Kevin Greening, Posh Spice said: "There are things we want to do individually as well as collectively." Her colleague Mel C, speaking of future songs for the third album, said there would be "more solos and duets, to just make it more interesting for fans".

Sporty Spice Mel C has already spent time recording tracks alone in Dublin while her three colleagues stayed in the south of France to get over the departure of Geri Halliwell. Baby Spice has also done a TV performance with Rod Stewart and takes the spotlight alone during the live show.

In the interview, broadcast this morning, Mel B said would be recording with Missy Misdemeanour Elliott. "I will be doing over the next couple of weeks," she said. "Wait and see. It's the soundtrack for a very cool movie." The group - staying in Miami at the same hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, as Paul Gascoigne - were reluctant to talk about the split with Geri and sounded uncomfortable with the grilling. At one point Mel C told Greening, who was asking about details of the split: "It's none of your business. The Spice Girls are continuing and that's all you need to know." She added: "There was no bust-up, no big row. It had naturally come to an end and we're happy as we are." Mel B said: "Between the four of us we've realised that she wanted to move on. She's realised she wanted to do something else. "So I guess it's onward and forward. It's blown over now.

We've got 11 weeks in America to do now. I'm sure that Geri's got things that are more important to her now." The band, which played the first full show officially as a four-piece last night, have now altered dance routines for the 40 sell-out US concerts as well as the vocal line-up following Geri's departure. However, she is still visible as the band perform their show. During the hit single Stop, pictures of the former Ginger Spice can be seen flashed on to a giant screen in an accompanying video.

The first show of the US tour was held at the outdoor Coral Sky Amphitheatre in the middle of a record heat wave in Florida. Fans outside the show were still sticking by the band. "We love the Spice Girls and their music is so cool - and how they dress," said one fan, 15-year-old Sporty lookalike Kathy Garcia, of North Miami, outside the venue.

The group told Greening they were still friends although Mel C said she could not remember the last time they spoke to her. "We're a bit busy," she said. Given a chance to speak to their audience by Greening, Emma Bunton said: "A massive sorry to all the fans. We're still here. We've got the album coming out after Christmas and the single at Christmas, so stay behind us - come on."

June 16, 1998

US TOUR KICK OFF

The Spice Girls made their North American debut with a rendition of ``We Are Family'' - and nary a mention of the Prodigal Spice. Even without Ginger, a.k.a. Geri Halliwell, the British girl group seemed to have just the right seasoning to keep thousands of pig-tailed and glittered pre-teen fans squealing.

Monday night. ``Girl Power,'' declared 12-year-old Bailey Ebbitt of Pompano Beach, who determined that was the force which kept the other four Spice Girls together. ``They're strong-willed to go on,'' agreed Bailey's friend, 11-year-old Alexandra Hepp, who said she was disappointed when Halliwell quit the group in May, citing unspecified ``differences.''

At 25, Ginger had been the oldest and a dominant member of the group. The remaining four, Scary Spice (Melanie Brown), Posh Spice (Victoria Adams), Baby Spice (Emma Bunton), and Sporty Spice (Melanie Chisholm), appeared with opera singer Luciano Pavarotti at a charity event last week in Modena, Italy. Reporters from around the world followed the Spice Girls to Florida as they began their 40-city North American tour.

The group didn't answer any questions before the show, although they did pose for pictures. Ginger was never mentioned by the gals - but she was hardly out of sight. Videos shown on a giant screen on stage flashed several images of the former Spice. Each time, the audience shrieked with delight. ``I think they're finally going to ask her to come back because they're friends,'' predicted 9-year-old Fawn Smith, who wore her hair in pigtails, just like her favorite Spice, Baby. In addition to their hits ``Wannabe'' and ``Too Much,'' the Girls also treated fans who weathered near-100-degree heat to covers of the women-empowering ``Sisters,'' the Supremes' ``Where Did Our Love Go?'' and ``We Are Family.'' ``We love the Spice Girls and their music is so cool, and how they dress,'' said 15-year-old Kathy Garcia, of North Miami, adorned in a halter top and black athletic pants to look like her favorite Spice, Sporty.

The Spice Girls have sold 32 million albums in 2 1/2 years, putting them among the top-selling pop groups of the 1990s. But don't be fooled into thinking young girls are the only fans. Eleven-year- old Danny Nardini of Fort Lauderdale was unabashed in his assessment of the concert, which he saw with his mother and younger sister. ``It was very sexy,'' he said. ``The music, the dances. All of them.''

June 15, 1998

STOP ENTERS US CHARTS

Stop entered the US charts on Thursday at #36. You can
request the video to be played on MTV(USA) by sending email
to total@mtvmail.com telling them you want to see "Stop" by
Spice Girls.

Meanwhile, it's #5 in the Australian charts - the highest charting Spice Single since 2 Become 1 (which reached #2)

June 11, 1998

SPICE GIRLS DUET WITH PAVAROTTI

The Spice girls sang alongside tenor Luciano Pavarotti last night at a concert in Modena. They sung "Viva Forever" with "Pav" and come out later in the night and sung "Stop" - great show girls!

June 10, 1998

SPICE GIRLS SPEAK OUT IN MODENA

The Spice Girls tonight spoke for the first time about their feelings of shock and betrayal at the sudden departure of Geri Halliwell. But they said they wanted to stay friends and believed the group would carry on regardless. Just before they sang with tenor Luciano Pavarotti at his star studded War Child concert in Italy, Mel B said: "We are just gutted for the fans, because they must be thinking `they are splitting up', and we are not. No way!" Asked if they felt left in the lurch when Geri failed to join them for a National Lottery show appearance two weeks ago, outspoken Mel B said: "Yes, frankly." Baby Spice Emma said: "Legally, we can't talk about it, but we were shocked and stunned by it, yes."

Geri's non-appearance was explained as due to illness, but within four days she announced she was leaving the chart topping group. Since then she has been at a foreign hideaway considering her future career, possibly in television.

Mel B said: "She has been in contact." Victoria added: "We don't want it to be nasty. "What we always said was that if Geri feels it's time to move on, we will support her."

The group's appearance tonight at the annual Pavarotti and friends concert in Modena, with stars like Celine Dion, Stevie Wonder and Jon Bon Jovi, is their last in Europe before they embark on a crucial and massive American tour. But the girls are looking forward to it and clearly don't feel they will miss Geri on stage. They have already changed all their routines to make up for her absence. In fact, they have already performed the show as a four piece twice in Norway when Geri pleaded illness.

Tonight Emma said: "We are really proud of the fact that we had just two hours before we went on stage in Oslo and managed to pull it off." Mel C said: "We are happy doing what we're doing, and Geri's happy doing what she's doing." Emma said: "We were sitting in our backstage dressing room here with Stevie Wonder next door, Celine Dion down the corridor. "We're getting to meet all these great stars and we are the luckiest girls in the world." Mel C added pointedly: "Who would give that up? Not us."

The girls duet tonight with Pavarotti on their song Viva Forever will be one of the unique performances on a recording to raise money for a children's village in Liberia. Thousands of Italians have also paid £40 a head to see the spectacular show, which will be recorded for BBC Television and made into a film for American TV by director Spike Lee. Italian newspapers have been joking that powerful tenor Pavarotti is Cyclone Spice for the evening. Emma, who sings the main vocal on Viva Forever, said: "It's quite hard because he's such a loud singer." Mel C, the most powerful lunged of the Spice Girls, added: "He makes you feel like a mouse when you sing with him." Mel B said: "He's nice. I like Pav."

Unfortunately, Geri's picture is still in the glossy programme, which also contains messages of support from Hillary Clinton and Tony Blair. Mr Blair regretted he had to turn down an invitation to him and Cherie because of prior engagements. "I greatly admire the hard work which you and all involved put into staging these concerts and Cherie joins me in sending you our very best wishes for a successful and enjoyable concert," he wrote.

June 9, 1998

SPICE GIRLS MEET "PAV"

The Spice Girls sang in perfect harmony on stage and off when they rehearsed for their first official performance without Geri in Italy tonight. Leading tenor Luciano Pavarotti will make a five strong group with Mel C, Mel B, Emma and Victoria when they perform at his War Child concert for Liberia tomorrow. Speaking for the first time since Geri Halliwell's shock departure, the Spice Girls gave a positive message. "Girl Power isn't living in the past, it's looking to the future," Mel B said. When Geri's name was mentioned by a foreign journalist, the girls just smiled and the questions were moved on. The Spice Girls are joining Celine Dion, Jon Bon Jovi, Stevie Wonder, The Corrs and a host of other stars in duets with the great tenor for the fourth of his charity concerts. The money raised will be used to build a village for traumatised children in war torn Liberia. Already Pavarotti has raised enough to build a music centre named after him in bombed out Mostar, Bosnia.

June 8, 1998

GERI-GO-ROUND

Globe-trotting Geri Halliwell was flying to Los Angeles last night - which will mean she has clocked up 18,878 miles on planes since quitting the Spice Girls.
Geri, now dubbed Air Miles Spice, packed her bags after a weekend at superstar George Michael's villa in St Tropez, South of France. At Nice airport she caught a plane to London - then immediately boarded a flight to LA.

Geri, 25, will meet Hollywood moguls who want her to star in a movie version of '70s TV series Charlie's Angels. The two planes she caught yesterday bring her total number of flights to SIX since she sensationally quit as Ginger Spice less than a fortnight ago. Geri's first hideaway was in Paris after she refused to appear with Posh, Scary, Baby and Sporty on BBC1's Lottery show.

She flew out from Heathrow and checked into the 1,000-a-night Maurice Hotel for three nights under a false name. Then she jetted 5,859 miles to the isle of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.

Geri was determined to lie low after her decision to quit the group rocked the pop world. She spent last week holed up at the exclusive St Gerans resort. Her 1,000-a-night suite opened on to a private beach. On Friday she hopped on a private jet back to London, then flew 645 miles to Nice - where George invited her to stay at his luxury villa, Chez Nobby. As she jetted to America last night, ex-colleagues Victoria, Emma, Mel B and Mel C were preparing for a charity concert in Modena with Pavarotti.

June 7, 1998

GERI IS OK

Pictures given out from Geri's PR company, freud associates show that Geri is still alright. Sources indicate she will be starting a career as "the thinking man's sex symbol" as she reads complex books full of business literature.

June 5, 1998

NO TICKET REFUNDS

US Promoters for the Spice Girls concerts have stated that they will not be giving refunds on tickets as a result
of Geri leaving the Spice Girls. So this may mean that alot of fans who couldn't get tickets first time round, may
be able to get ones that are being sold off.

SPICE GIRLS TO PLAY EXTRA CONCERT IN LA

There is going to be a concert in Los Angeles on August 16th at a 65,000 seater stadium. This was added today, and is their biggest seater stadium concert that they will play at in the US.

June 4, 1998

SPICE GIRLS ON TOTP

Tomorrow's (Friday) Top Of The Pops on BBC 1 will show the last recording of the Spice Girls with Geri singing
together. They will sing the new single Viva Forever which is due to be released on the 13th July.

GERI'S DEPARTURE - NOT ALL BAD

Geri's departure from the group isn't all bad news.Sales of the original album, Spice, are up 10%, and sales of Spiceworld up 33%. Tickets for the New York gig are also being sold by touts at over $400.

June 3, 1998

MEL C HITS THE GYM

A subdued Melanie C surfaced in Dublin yesterday and became the first Spice Girl to appear in public since Geri Halliwell quit the band. But, although she managed a smile for our snapper, her mood quickly changed when asked about Ginger Spice's shock departure. "I don't want to discuss the split with Geri," Sporty Spice said as she left a city-centre gym after a two-hour workout. Clearly upset she added: "I can't say anything about it at the moment. I don't want to talk about it."

Sporty and band pal Baby Spice Emma Bunton jetted into Dublin from Elton John's French villa. The rock superstar - who was himself in Dublin only last week - had let the remaining four Spices use his pad as they recovered from Geri's shock exit. Melanie C, 24, and Emma, 22, are in town working on some songs at a top recording studio. They are staying at the plush Merrion Hotel. There was no sign of the two other band members, Scary Spice and Posh Spice, who appear to have taken their break elsewhere in Europe. Yesterday Sporty took Dublin keep-fit fans by surprise when she joined them at the Jackie Skelly Fitness Centre.

After her gym session, she went window shopping before visiting posh store Brown Thomas for a few bits and pieces. But later she looked downtrodden and miserable as she walked through the city streets in the teeming rain. She seemed lost and vulnerable without her Spice Girls pals. Only last Christmas, Sporty, Baby and Ginger Spice had shopped till they dropped in Dublin. But it was a different story for Mel C yesterday. And Sporty's message was clear: I Wannabe left alone.

June 2, 1998

SPICE GIRLS IN CRISIS TALKS

The Spice Girls are locked in crisis talks over the group's future at Sir Elton John's luxury villa in the South of France.

Emma, Victoria, Mel C and Mel B flew to Nice after Elton, 51, persuaded them they needed to "get away from it all", according to the Sun newspaper.

Meanwhile, Ginger Spice Geri Halliwell - whose decision to quit the group was officially announced on Sunday - is still in hiding.

June 1, 1998

VIVA FOREVER PUSHED BACK AGAIN

Virgin have now told us that Viva Forever is to be released in the 2nd week of July (13th).

On Top Of The World is also out this week.