Spice Girls Working on New Album

B R U S S E L S, July 14, 2000 -- After branching out with theirown solo careers, the Spice Girls are back together again with anew album due out in November.

The Spice Girls, Britain’s biggest pop phenomenon since TheBeatles, have sold 36 million copies of their first two albumsaround the world and are now set to launch another assault onthe international pop charts.

“We have two more weeks in the studio. We are shooting avideo and then it will be all done and dusted. It will be out inNovember,” “Sporty Spice” Melanie Chisholm said.

Chisholm has been reveling in the success of her solocareer and was in Brussels to accept a Platinum Award for heralbum “Never Be The Same Again,” which sold more than amillion copies across Europe and topped the charts in sevencountries.

As the first Spice Girl to win a solo award, the singer witha tattoo on each arm proudly accepted it from veteran rock starPhil Collins who quipped: “Now Mel C will be able to afford afew more tattoos.”

Stronger Than Ever?

Asked if the feisty quartet were strongerafter being apart to concentrate on their solo careers, she said“Yes, hopefully.”

Anyway, she felt as though they had never been away as theyhad known each other for so long and kept constantly in touch.

But have they yet decided on a single from the album thatwill herald the relaunch of the Spice Girls?

“That is up for discussion,” she said at the glitzy awardsceremony, pausing to sign autographs on the red carpet entranceto the auditorium.

The Spice Girls have seldom been off the front pages of theBritish tabloids which cover their every move, especially thelife and times of “Posh Spice” Victoria Adams and her soccerstar husband David Beckham.

Countless pop columns recount tales of the alleged rivalrybetween the quartet and “Ginger Spice” Geri Halliwell, wholeft the group to start up permanently as a solo artist.

Struggle for No.1

Geri going head-to-head with Mel C in a battle for thenumber one slot in the pop charts provided perfect publicitymaterial.

The resilient Mel C has taken a few knocks from the fans —a Smash Hits teenage magazine poll picked her for worst dressedperson of 1999, worst video and most disastrous haircut of theyear.

Mel C’s live singing at the awards ceremony won plauditsfrom record company executives and she herself reflected on howdifferently fans react to the Spice Girls around the world.

“In Spain, Italy and France, they are very passionate. InScandinavia they are a bit more reserved. The English arereserved. But the Americans are a whole different ball game,”she said.