Spice Girls Revisited

by David Sinclair

The Spice Girls phenomenon was a genuine pop music landmark. No group since The Beatles had commanded as much media attention.

Genres: Nonfiction

360 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2008

Reviews

[Heather Larocchia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saved this to read during the Spice World 2019 tour and found a lot of truth in what David Sinclair writes about the reputation of the Spice Girls. While traveling from NYC to different parts of the UK in order to attend this tour, I was constantly stopped by strangers who noticed my tour shirt and wanted to offer their opinions on the band. Almost everyone (outside of the shows) had something negative to say about the credibility of the Spice Girls ("They can't sing!" "Sellouts!") and yet in these conversations it was obvious that despite the many flaws they did/do have, they also had fantastic success and are by all accounts, wildly popular. You don't sell out multiple dates at huge stadiums 20+ years after releasing popular material without being talented and loved. This read as the biggest takeaway from this book, although of course the final chapter was published several years before their last reunion in 2007/2008. The legacy seems to hold strong over time, ignoring the criticism of straight, middle aged men.

As someone with zero knowledge about the pop/music industry, I found many parts of this book to be informative, although at times, dry. I am not interested in learning the ins and outs of celebrity management, but I got a lot of that in this book. There are also many moments of repetition. I suppose I enjoyed learning a more in depth history of the Spice Girls, but what this book really left me craving is an autobiography by Melanie C. One day!

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this book some months ago, I didn't know it existed, and I immediately knew I had to read it! I was a fan of the Spice Girls in my teens, so reading this book has been really insightful to me. I didn't know much about their backstory, and didn't get much news about the reasons behind their split - the Internet wasn't a thing back then, after all.

Reading this book has brought me so many memories, and also infuriated me because of all the attacks they had to endure just for being successful women.

Thanks to David Sinclair for taking the time to document their story. The only thing I regret is that the text ends in 2004, I want to know what happened later! :)

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so I mistakenly assumed that this book was updated to include details of their 2007/2008 Return of the Spice Girls tour, which I never attended; nevertheless, it was a well-written, comprehensive book; however, I felt it was a bit too detailed at times and could have been made shorter.

[Felix Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will never get tired of the Spice Girls.

[Mari Biella · Rating 4 out of 5]

All right, I'm just going to come straight out and admit it: I kind of like the Spice Girls. I didn't like them back in their heyday, when they were everywhere all the time, when you seemingly couldn't do anything at all without reference to the band. Now, though, I sort of like them. Perhaps it's nostalgia. I miss the 90s. It was a more innocent time.

Actually, I read this by way of a bit of research. Yes, research! That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Anyway... it's good. In fact, it's a thoroughly entertaining book. Sinclair doesn't hide the fact that he's very pro-Spice, so it's not exactly the most objective overview of the group, but it's fun and informative. And it left me kind of liking the Spice Girls, not just as a band but as individuals. I never would have foreseen that back in the 90s. I must be mellowing with age...

[Knobby · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5 stars) I was in middle/high school when the Spice Girls phenomenon went down, and to be honest I didn't realize what a juggernaut this group was at the time. They were popular and everywhere, but I wasn't aware of their entire cultural impact. This book is really good -- biased as all get out, since the author is half in love with the ladies of the group -- but still incredibly informative. Sinclair describes facets of the Girls' story, from how they got together, the machine behind their management, dispelling rumors, explaining what went wrong, and a "where are they now" look several years after the group's breakup (this book was published in 2004, so that's as far as it goes). Extremely helpful if you're interested in how the music industry may have worked around the turn of the millennium, and how it was changing at the time as well. Interesting! Absorbing!