The Big Business of the Spice Girls

Nov. 30, 2007 — -- If all you want, all you really, really want for Christmas is to see the Spice Girls on tour, it's going to cost you.

On the eve of this reunion tour's kickoff Sunday in Vancouver, Canada, several online services are hawking pricey tickets to sold-out concerts across the United States.

A front-row seat for one of three December appearances at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas can cost you as much as $2,059, according to ticket reseller stubhub.com. A premium seat could set you back $2,500 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

It's been almost a decade since the British pop sensation first stormed across the Atlantic and ushered in an era of chart-climbing success for other young pop artists including 'NSYNC, the Backstreet Boys and Brittany Spears.

"For a while radio was completely dominated by their singles," said Keith Caulfield, an analyst with Billboard magazine.

The Spices -- Posh (Victoria Beckham), Scary (Melanie Brown), Baby (Emma Bunton), Ginger (Geri Halliwell) and Sporty (Melanie Chisholm) had a string of seven consecutive Top 20 hits in the United States: "Wannabe," "Say You'll Be There," "Two Become One," "Spice of Your Life," "Too Much," "Stop" and "Goodbye."

According to Nielsen Soundscan, their first album, "Spice", sold 7.4 million copies in the United States and the follow-up CD, "Spice World," has sold 4.2 million copies.

But as 1998 drew to a close, things fizzled in the wake of Halliwell's departure from the group. By 2000 some of the members had already embarked on solo careers in music or fashion.

"There are tons and tons of British acts that have had lots of success outside of America -- they are big in Europe, but they never translated here," said Caulfield.

"The Spice Girls were really different, they sold millions and millions of albums, had Top 10 singles here unlike most of their counterparts in the U.K., and that is really unique to them."

So, why a reunion and why now?

Practically speaking the timing could never be better. This year the spotlight shined on two of the Spice Girls coming to America.

And befitting such a phenomenon, the Spice Girls' management, 19 Entertainment, is sparing no expense on the tour. 19, owned by Simon Fuller, perhaps best-known as the creator of "American Idol," has hired top stylists, choreographers and designers to prepare the girl group for criss-crossing the globe.

The animal prints, Union Jack-emblazoned spandex and athletic warm-up suits of the 1990s have given way to elegant, contemporary high fashions created by Roberto Cavalli. The Italian fashion designer has outfitted a host of models and fashion types, as well as pop stars like Jennifer Lopez and Alicia Keys.

"I think [the new look] is chic and elegant and sexy. I love the silver, silver and greys are very in this year. Their style has matured," said Hollywood stylist Phillip Bloch as he eyes the sketch of some of the Cavalli creations.