"Say You'll Be There" is a song recorded by the English girl group
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and Vict ...
for their debut studio album ''
Spice
A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices a ...
'' (1996). The Spice Girls co-wrote the song with
Eliot Kennedy
Eliot Kennedy (born 29 March 1969) is an English songwriter and record producer based in Sheffield. He has worked with artists such as Billie Piper, The Spice Girls, Mary J. Blige, Donny Osmond, Bryan Adams, Lulu, S Club 7, Five, Gary Barlow, D ...
after the group left Heart Management in 1995. Later,
Jonathan Buck received a songwriting credit as well. A mix of
dance-pop
Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
and
R&B influences were incorporated into the song by the production duo
Absolute. It also includes a
harmonica
The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...
solo
Solo or SOLO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Comics
* ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series
* Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics
Characters
* Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character
* Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...
played by
Judd Lander
Judd Lander (born 1 March 1948) is an English harmonicist. Originally from Liverpool, Lander was previously a member of the band The Hideaways. He has experienced success as a prolific session musician, record industry executive, and company direc ...
. Originally intended by the group's record label
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...
to be their debut single, it was released as the second single from ''Spice'' on 26 September 1996.
Some inspiration for the song came from the things the group went through together and how they always supported one
other. The lyrics provide a female-first perspective on relationships. The song received mixed reviews from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
, many of whom praised it for its catchiness, while others were critical of its production. Nonetheless, the song became the Spice Girls' second number-one in the United Kingdom, and was certified
platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver".
Platinu ...
by the
British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...
(BPI). It was a commercial success across Europe, reaching the top ten in most of the charts that it entered. As a result of its popularity, the song was released in 1997 in Australia, receiving a gold certification by the
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA). In the United States, it debuted at number five on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, setting, at the time, a record for the highest entry by a British act on the chart.
The music video was inspired by the films ''
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
''Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!'' is a 1965 American exploitation film directed by Russ Meyer and co-written by Meyer and Jack Moran. It follows three go-go dancers who embark on a spree of kidnapping and murder in the California desert.
The fi ...
'' (1965) and ''
Pulp Fiction
''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Vin ...
'' (1994), and features the group as a band of female techno-warriors who use martial arts and high-tech ninja-influenced weapons to capture a hapless male. It includes symbols of male ''disempowerment'', and serves as an example of solidarity and the group's bonding. It received positive reactions and was nominated for numerous awards including the 1996
''Smash Hits'' Poll Winners Party, the
1997 MTV Video Music Awards, and the
1997 Brit Awards.
Background
In March 1994, father-and-son team
Bob
Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to:
Places
* Mount Bob, New York, United States
*Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica
People, fictional characters, and named animals
*Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
*Bob (surname ...
and
Chris Herbert
Chris Herbert (born 22 February 1971 in Hillingdon, Middlesex) is a British talent manager who has helped oversee the careers of the Spice Girls, Five, Stephen Gately and Hear'Say, B*Witched, The Honeyz, Ben's Brother. He is the son of talent ma ...
, together with financer Chic Murphy, working under the business name of Heart Management, decided to create a girl group to compete with the
boy bands
A boy band is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform love songs marketed towards girls and young women. Man ...
that dominated the British pop music scene of the time. They placed an advertisement in ''
The Stage
''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at those wh ...
'', which asked the question: "Are you street smart, extrovert, ambitious, and able to sing and dance?" After receiving hundreds of replies, the management had narrowed their search to a group of five girls:
Victoria Adams,
Melanie Brown
Melanie Janine Brown (born 29 May 1975), commonly known as Melanie B or Mel B, is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the girl group Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed S ...
,
Melanie C
Melanie Jayne Chisholm (12 January 1974 - 25 December 2022), better known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer-songwriter and media personality. She is best known as one of the five members of the Spice Girls, during which time she was ni ...
hisholm,
Geri Halliwell
Geraldine Estelle Horner (née Halliwell; born 6 August 1972) is an English singer, songwriter, author, and actress. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls. With over 100 million records ...
, and
Michelle Stephenson
Michelle Stephenson (born 3 January 1977) is a British pop singer and television presenter. At the age of 17, she was briefly a member of the girl group that would go on to become the Spice Girls.
Touch (Spice Girls)
Alongside Melanie Brown ...
. The group moved to a house in
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a market town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the county of Berkshire, England, on the southwestern bank of the River Thames. It had an estimated population of 70,374 and forms part of the border with southern Bu ...
and received the name Touch. Stephenson was eventually fired because she lacked the drive of the other group members. She was replaced by
Emma Bunton
Emma Lee Bunton (born 21 January 1976) is an English singer, songwriter, actress, and media personality. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the girl group Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Baby Spice. With over 100 million recor ...
. In November, the group—now named Spice—persuaded their managers to set up a
showcase
Showcase or vitrine may refer to:
*Cabinet (furniture)
*Display case
Music
* ''Showcase'' (Bill Anderson album), 1964
* ''Showcase'' (Patsy Cline album), 1961
* ''Showcase'' (Buddy Holly album), 1964
* ''Showcase'' (Philly Joe Jones album), 1959 ...
in front of industry writers, producers, and
A&R men at the Nomis Studios in
Shepherd's Bush
Shepherd's Bush is a district of West London, England, within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham west of Charing Cross, and identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan.
Although primarily residential in character, i ...
, London, where they received an "overwhelmingly positive" reaction.
Due to the large interest in the group, the Herberts quickly set about creating a binding contract for them. Encouraged by the reaction they had received at the showcase, all five members delayed signing contracts on the legal advice from, amongst others, Victoria Beckham's father, Anthony Adams.
In late March 1995,
because of the group's frustration at their management's unwillingness to listen to their visions and ideas, they parted from Heart Management. In order to ensure they kept control of their own work, the group retrieved the
master recording
Mastering, a form of audio post production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the master), the source from which all copies will be produced (via met ...
s of their discography from the management offices.
The next week they were supposed to meet with
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
-based songwriter and record producer
Eliot Kennedy
Eliot Kennedy (born 29 March 1969) is an English songwriter and record producer based in Sheffield. He has worked with artists such as Billie Piper, The Spice Girls, Mary J. Blige, Donny Osmond, Bryan Adams, Lulu, S Club 7, Five, Gary Barlow, D ...
. Chris Herbert arranged the session weeks before the group's departure.
Writing and recording
Without access to Herbert's address book, the only information the group had about Kennedy was that he lived in Sheffield. Brown and Halliwell drove there the day after their departure from Heart Management, then looked for a phone book in a service station, and called recording studios in the area, Eliot was the third Kennedy they called. That evening they went to his house and persuaded him to work with them, the rest of the group travelled to Sheffield the next day.
Kennedy commented about the session:
None of them played instruments
Instrument may refer to:
Science and technology
* Flight instruments, the devices used to measure the speed, altitude, and pertinent flight angles of various kinds of aircraft
* Laboratory equipment, the measuring tools used in a scientific lab ...
, so I was left to do the music and get that vibe together. What I said to them was, 'Look, I've got a chorus
Chorus may refer to:
Music
* Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse
* Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound
* Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
—check this out.' And I'd sing them the chorus and the melody—no lyrics or anything—and straight away five pads and pencils came out and they were throwing lines at us. Ten minutes later, the song was written. Then you go through and refine it. Then later, as you were recording it you might change a few things here and there. But pretty much it was a real quick process. They were confident in what they were doing, throwing it out there.
The group stayed at Kennedy's house for the most part of the week.
He named his studio Spice, after the group, because it had never been used before.
Together, they composed their first two songs without Heart Management, "Love Thing", and "Say You'll Be There". The girls met with
artist manager Simon Fuller
Simon Fuller (born 17 May 1960) is a British entrepreneur, artist manager, and film and television producer renowned for nurturing and inspiring world class entertainment talent. He is the creator of the ''Idols'' TV format, including the UK s ...
, who signed them with
19 Entertainment
19 Entertainment is a producer of entertainment properties for television with a focus on music. Founded by Simon Fuller in London in 1985, the company co-produced ''Pop Idol'' in the United Kingdom with Thames Television in 2001. The ''Idol serie ...
in May 1995. The group considered a variety of record labels, and signed a deal with
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...
in July.
Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins—the songwriters and production duo known as
Absolute—would later produce the song and recorded it at
Olympic Studios
Olympic Studios was a renowned British independent commercial recording studio based in Barnes, London. It is best known for its recordings of many artists throughout the late 1960s to the first decade of the 21st century, including Jimi Hendr ...
in
Barnes
Barnes may refer to:
People
* Barnes (name), a family name and a given name (includes lists of people with that name)
Places
United Kingdom
*Barnes, London, England
**Barnes railway station
** Barnes Bridge railway station
** Barnes Railway Bri ...
, London. Fuller then sent the song, to audio engineer
Mark "Spike" Stent
Mark "Spike" Stent (born 3 August 1965) is an English record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with many international artists including Madonna, Marshmello, U2, Beyoncé, Björk, Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, Grimes, Ed She ...
to be remixed.
In December 1996, while charting across Europe, "Say You'll Be There" became the focus of a controversy when Israeli soldier Idit Shechtman accused the group of copying her song (, "Come to Me"), an alleged similar song released two years earlier in Israel. Shechtman hired lawyers and threatened to sue. A spokesman of the group later declared: "Where there's a hit, there's a writ. There's always someone who crawls out of the woodwork claiming to have written a hit song. We look forward to seeing her in court."
The chorus of "Say You'll Be There" use a highly similar melody to the song "What U R 2 Me", performed by
R&B group
After 7.
American singer-songwriter
Jonathan David Buck (Jon B.), wrote and produced the track for After 7's third album ''
Reflections'', released in July 1995. Buck was later added to the songwriting credits of the song in the group's ''
Greatest Hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
'' album, and the reissue of ''
Girl Power! Live in Istanbul'' on DVD, both released in 2007. He is not credited in previous releases of the song, including the single and the ''
Spice
A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices a ...
'' album.
[(1996) CD for '']Spice
A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices a ...
'' by the Spice Girls, UK Edition D Booklet London: Virgin Records. (CDV 2812).
Composition and lyrics
"Say You'll Be There" is a midtempo
dance-pop
Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
song, with influences from
R&B.
It is written in the key of
D major
D major (or the key of D) is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor.
The D major scale is:
:
Ch ...
, with a
time signature
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...
set in common time, and moves at a moderate tempo of 108
beats per minute
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery ( ...
.
The song is constructed in
strophic form
Strophic form – also called verse-repeating form, chorus form, AAA song form, or one-part song form – is a song structure in which all verses or stanzas of the text are sung to the same music. Contrasting song forms include through-composed, w ...
,
using the sequence Bm–E–Gm–D as its
chord progression
In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...
during the
verses and the
chorus
Chorus may refer to:
Music
* Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse
* Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound
* Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
.
Musically, many critics noted the
West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop is a regional genre of hip hop music that encompasses any artists or music that originated in the West Coast region of the United States. West Coast hip hop began to dominate from a radio play and sales standpoint during the ea ...
inspired synth-sounds,
and the
G-funk
G-funk, short for gangsta funk, is a sub-genre of gangsta rap that emerged from the West Coast scene in the late 1980s. The genre is heavily influenced by 1970s psychedelic funk (P-funk) sound of artists such as Parliament-Funkadelic.
Characte ...
-infused production.
The track incorporates sound effects from
turntablism
Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating new music, sound effects, mixes and other creative sounds and beats, typically by using two or more turntables and a cross fader-equipped DJ mixer. The mixer is plugged into a PA system ...
during the song's
introduction
Introduction, The Introduction, Intro, or The Intro may refer to:
General use
* Introduction (music), an opening section of a piece of music
* Introduction (writing), a beginning section to a book, article or essay which states its purpose and g ...
and the verses.
The verses are divided in two sections, the first one is sung in a declamatory-style by Bunton and Brown in the first verse and by Halliwell during the second verse. Beckham sings the lyrical half of each verse with a "more seductive" and
"breathy" vocal
timbre
In music, timbre ( ), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound quality of a musical note, sound or musical tone, tone. Timbre distinguishes different types of sound production, such as choir voice ...
.
A
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
follows after the second chorus.
It includes an
instrumental
An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...
interlude from a
harmonica
The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...
, which some critics compared it to the work of
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...
,
and a two-bar
rapped section.
The song closes with a
coda
Coda or CODA may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* Movie coda, a post-credits scene
* ''Coda'' (1987 film), an Australian horror film about a serial killer, made for television
*''Coda'', a 2017 American experimental film from Na ...
, which consists of the group singing the chorus repeatedly until the song gradually
fades out, while Chisholm adds the
ad libs between the other girls'
harmonies
In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However ...
.
The
instrumentation
Instrumentation a collective term for measuring instruments that are used for indicating, measuring and recording physical quantities. The term has its origins in the art and science of scientific instrument-making.
Instrumentation can refer to ...
includes a
drum kit
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player ( drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsti ...
with
syncopated handclaps
A clap is the percussive sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often quickly and repeatedly to express appreciation or approval (see applause), b ...
and a prominent
synthesizer
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
sound, sparse use of
rhythm guitar
In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar ...
and
funk bass, string
glissando
In music, a glissando (; plural: ''glissandi'', abbreviated ''gliss.'') is a glide from one pitch to another (). It is an Italianized musical term derived from the French ''glisser'', "to glide". In some contexts, it is distinguished from the co ...
s and a
vibraphone
The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist,' ...
.
Production duo Absolute played all the instruments,
except for the harmonica, which was played by
Judd Lander
Judd Lander (born 1 March 1948) is an English harmonicist. Originally from Liverpool, Lander was previously a member of the band The Hideaways. He has experienced success as a prolific session musician, record industry executive, and company direc ...
, who also played it on
Culture Club
Culture Club are an English pop band formed in London in 1981. The band comprises Boy George (lead vocals), Roy Hay (guitar and keyboards), Mikey Craig (bass guitar) and formerly included Jon Moss (drums and percussion). Emerging in the New ...
's "
Karma Chameleon
"Karma Chameleon" is a song by English band Culture Club, featured on the group's 1983 album ''Colour by Numbers''. The single was released in the United Kingdom in September 1983 and became the second Culture Club single to reach the top of th ...
" (1983).
The main
melody
A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...
and lyrical rhythm of the song is highly similar to After 7's song "What U R 2 Me".
As a result,
Jon B
Jonathan David Buck (born November 11, 1974) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer. His debut album, ''Bonafide'' (1995), went platinum.
Early life
Born in Providence, Rhode Island, United States and raised in Altadena, ...
—the song's composer and producer, later received songwriting credits on "Say You'll be There".
The lyrics of the song, according to Brown, are about relationships—whether friendship or romantic—and to be there for each other.
She commented, "you don't have to give them all the 'I love you' bit, because what's important is if you're there for each other".
Chisholm commented that the inspiration for the song came from their own experiences as a group, and how they have been there for each other.
According to musicologist
Sheila Whiteley, the group presented an image that "exuded a brash confidence that was attractive to their teenage fans" and added that they made "an emphasis on stating where they come from and what they stand for". She commented that in the song's narrative, the Spice Girls opted for friendship over love, and the clear message is that "the relationship can be channelled and controlled by the girl".
Author Juan de Ribera Berenguer, said that "love was a constant theme" in the group's songs, but added that "Say You'll Be There" holds a different approach to the subject, as it "highlights the female perspective". Tom Ewing from the
e-zine
An online magazine is a magazine published on the Internet, through bulletin board systems and other forms of public computer networks. One of the first magazines to convert from a print magazine format to being online only was the computer mag ...
''
Freaky Trigger'', believed that "Say You'll be There" has a common theme with other pop songs, but pointed out the opening lines "Last time that we had this conversation / I decided we should be friends", as what sets it apart from their counterparts, as the song's main idea is that the choice is made by the female.
Anna Louise Golden wrote in her book ''The Spice Girls'', that the lyrics were another example of the group's
Girl Power
Girl power is a slogan that encourages and celebrates women's empowerment, independence, confidence and strength. The slogan's invention is credited to the US punk band Bikini Kill, who published a zine called ''Bikini Kill #2: Girl Power'' i ...
philosophy, as it mixed "interpersonal romance and personal strength".
Release and promotion
![Spice Girls live West MacLaren 1997](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Spice_Girls_live_West_MacLaren_1997.jpg)
Virgin Records planned a major campaign for the group's debut to promote them as their new high-profile act.
Ashley Newton, the label's head of
A&R and other executives preferred "Say You'll Be There" to be released as the first single, as they considered it a "much cooler" track than the group's choice, "
Wannabe
"Wannabe" is the debut single by English girl group the Spice Girls. Written and composed by the group members in collaboration with Matt Rowe and Richard "Biff" Stannard during the group's first professional songwriting session, it was produ ...
".
Fuller agreed with the label, but the group was adamant with their decision and refused. After a period of indecision about the release, Fuller and the executives at Virgin relented, and "Wannabe" was chosen as their first single. Brown mentions in her autobiography that the group was also indecisive about the choice for the second single; as "Love Thing" was considered at one point to be released instead.
At the end of September 1996, "Say You'll Be There" was sent to British radio, and the accompanying music video added to the programming of
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
and
The Box,
while the Spice Girls were in Hong Kong doing a promotional tour in the Far East.
At the beginning of October, the song started to receive intensive airplay across the UK, appearing on the playlists of 46
ILR stations—including
Capital FM,
and
Radio 1 Radio 1 or Radio One most commonly refers to:
*BBC Radio 1, a music radio station from the BBC
** BBC Radio 1Xtra, a digital radio station broadcasting black music
*CBC Radio One, a talk radio station operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporatio ...
A-list.
On 11 October 1996, the group performed the song on ''
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
'' and during the following week, did interviews and appeared on British television programmes that included ''
The Chart Show
''The Chart Show'' (also known as ''The ITV Chart Show'' between 1989 and 1998) was a popular weekly syndicated music video programme which ran in the United Kingdom from April 1986 until August 1998, with revivals in 2003 and 2008–2009.
''Th ...
'', ''
The Big Breakfast
''The Big Breakfast'' is a British breakfast light entertainment television programme that was broadcast on Channel 4. Originally presented by Chris Evans and Gaby Roslin, the show was latterly presented by Mo Gilligan and AJ Odudu.
The pro ...
'', ''
The Noise
''the Noise'' was a monthly newspaper serving the cities of Flagstaff, Prescott, Sedona, Cottonwood, Jerome, Clarkdale, and Winslow in northern Arizona. Founded in 1993 by four high school seniors whose rural hometown's budget cuts lead t ...
'', ''
Live & Kicking
''Live & Kicking'' is a British children's television series that originally aired on BBC1 from 2 October 1993 to 15 September 2001. It was the replacement for ''Going Live!'', and took many of its features from it, such as phone-ins, games, c ...
'', ''
The O-Zone
''The O-Zone'' is a weekly music magazine show broadcast on BBC from 1989 to 2000 made by BBC Children's Presentation. The first series was presented by Andy Crane on BBC One as a ten-minute filler each weekday morning during the summer sch ...
'', ''
Newsround
''Newsround'' (stylised as ''newsround'', and originally called ''John Craven's Newsround'' before his departure in 1989) is a BBC children's news programme, which has run continuously since 4 April 1972. It was one of the world's first televi ...
'', ''
The Disney Club'', ''After 5'', ''
WOW!
WideOpenWest (doing business as WOW!) is the sixth largest cable operator in the United States with their network passing 3,248,600 homes and businesses. The company offers landline telephone, cable television, and broadband Internet services ...
'', and ''
GMTV
GMTV (an acronym for Good Morning Television), now legally known as ITV Breakfast Broadcasting Limited, was the name of the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor/licensee, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 ...
''.
The single was commercially released in the UK on 14 October 1996 in three single versions.
The first one, a
CD maxi single
A maxi single or maxi-single (sometimes abbreviated to MCD or CDM) is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an A-side song and a B-side song.
The first maxi singles
Mungo Jerry's first single, "In the Summertime" was the ...
included the single mix of the track, a remix by record producer
Junior Vasquez
Junior Vasquez (born Donald Gregory Mattern, August 24, 1949) is an American DJ, record producer and remixer. He has been referred to as one of the only DJs of his time to gain international attention.
Career
Mattern moved to New York City a ...
, an instrumental take, and the B-side "Take Me Home", written by the group with
Absolute. The second version, released in a
digipak
Optical disc packaging is the packaging that accompanies CDs, DVDs, and other formats of optical discs. Most packaging is rigid or semi-rigid and designed to protect the media from scratches and other types of exposure damage.
Jewel case
A ...
, came with a signed poster and included the single mix, and three club remixes of the track produced by Vasquez,
D Mob
D Mob (or D-Mob), also known as Dancin' Danny D or simply Danny D, is a British music producer and remixer. His most notable track was "C'mon and Get My Love" with Cathy Dennis on the vocals, which peaked at number 10 on the U.S. Hot 100 char ...
, and Linslee Campbell. The third version was a
cassette single
A cassette single (CS), also known by the trademark cassingle, or capitalised as the trademark Cassette Single, is a music single supplied in the form of a Compact Cassette. The cassette single was first introduced in 1980.
History
The debu ...
, featuring the single mix, the B-side "Take Me Home", and the Junior's Main Pass remix.
Following the physical release of the single, the group did a promotional tour across Europe for both, the song and their debut album ''
Spice
A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices a ...
'', set to be released at the beginning of November.
During the last week of the month, they recorded two additional performances for ''Top of the Pops'' on 23 and 30 October,
and visited France, Italy, Norway, and Sweden, where they did a series of interviews and appearances on television shows.
The first week of November, the group did a televised performance in Germany, and a photo shoot for teen magazine ''
Bravo
Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels
*Bravo (band), a Russian rock band
* Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984
*Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing company ...
''.
For the US release of the single, which occurred on 6 May 1997,
the group did a week of promotion in North America. They made televised appearances on the ''
Late Show with David Letterman
The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...
'', ''
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
''The Rosie O'Donnell Show'' is an American daytime variety television talk show created, hosted, and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. It premiered on June 10, 1996, and concluded after six seasons on May 22, 2002.
This talk sh ...
'' and ''
Live with Regis and Kathie Lee
''Live with Kelly and Ryan'' (or simply ''Live'') is an American syndicated morning talk show hosted by Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. Executive produced by Michael Gelman, the ''Live with...'' show formula has aired under various hosts since ...
'', and then traveled to
Acapulco, Mexico
Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...
, to perform on the television show ''
Siempre en Domingo
''Siempre en Domingo'' (translated ''Always on Sunday'') is a Mexican variety show created and hosted by Raúl Velasco. The show aired on Televisa from December 14, 1969 until April 19, 1998 when Velasco retired.
''Siempre en Domingo'' became one ...
''.
Critical reception
The song received mixed reviews from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
; many of whom praised "Say You'll Be There" for its catchiness, while others were critical of its production. Alan Jones from ''
Music Week
''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future.
History
Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...
'' wrote, "After a tinkly cocktail bar piano intro, it moves through a Zapp-like phase right into
Eternal
Eternal(s) or The Eternal may refer to:
* Eternity, an infinite amount of time, or a timeless state
* Immortality or eternal life
* God, the supreme being, creator deity, and principal object of faith in monotheism
Comics, film and television
* ...
territory. It's somewhat more sophisticated than
Wannabe
"Wannabe" is the debut single by English girl group the Spice Girls. Written and composed by the group members in collaboration with Matt Rowe and Richard "Biff" Stannard during the group's first professional songwriting session, it was produ ...
and is likely to further their career, though some who liked the quirkiness of the first hit may pass."
Dele Fadele
Ayodele Fadele (8 August 1962 – March 2018) was an English musician and music journalist who was active from the mid-1980s. He wrote for the '' NME'' in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and was one of the first music critics to introduce then em ...
of ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' dubbed it as a "monstrously catchy tune", and lauded it as "state-of-the-art pop music for '96". ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine's
Christopher John Farley
Christopher John Farley (born July 28, 1966) is a Jamaican-born American journalist, columnist, and author.
Early life
Farley was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and grew up in New York. He is a graduate of Brockport High School and Harvard Unive ...
was mixed on the track, although he called the song's
groove
Groove or Grooves may refer to:
Music
* Groove (music)
* Groove (drumming)
* The Groove (band), an Australian rock/pop band of the 1960s
* The Groove (Sirius XM), a US radio station
* Groove 101.7FM, a former Perth, Australia, radio station
...
"penetrating", he believed that it resembled too close to the work of
Earth, Wind and Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million ...
. ''
Richmond Times-Dispatch
The ''Richmond Times-Dispatch'' (''RTD'' or ''TD'' for short) is the primary daily newspaper in Richmond, Virginia, Richmond, the capital of Virginia, and the primary newspaper of record for the state of Virginia.
Circulation
The ''Times-Dispatc ...
'' critic Melissa Ruggieri, considered the song "a harmless, mid-tempo foot-tapper" that was made for
Top 40 radio
Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
.
Edna Gundersen
Edna Gundersen is an American journalist who was a longtime music writer and critic for ''USA Today''.
Gundersen grew up in El Paso, Texas. She attained a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at El Paso and then wrote features and en ...
of the ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' dismissed the group's
debut
Debut or début (the first public appearance of a person or thing) may refer to:
* Debut (society), the formal introduction of young upper-class women to society
* Debut novel, an author's first published novel
Film and television
* ''The Debu ...
as "assembly-line dance-pop", but singled out "Say You'll Be There" as one of the album's highlights. ''
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...
'' writer Steve Dollar criticized the song, describing it as "pure confection more sugar really than spice", he also noted influences of
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...
in the harmonica solo.
Greg Kot
Greg Kot (born March 3, 1957) is an American music journalist and author. From 1990 until 2020, Kot was the rock music critic at the ''Chicago Tribune'', where he covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and busines ...
of the ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' was unimpressed with their debut album, he considered the song's "
G-funk
G-funk, short for gangsta funk, is a sub-genre of gangsta rap that emerged from the West Coast scene in the late 1980s. The genre is heavily influenced by 1970s psychedelic funk (P-funk) sound of artists such as Parliament-Funkadelic.
Characte ...
synth" as simply part of "a compendium of slick secondhand urban pop".
When comparing the song to "Wannabe", ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''s critic
Larry Flick
Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...
thought it was as "immediately infectious" but "not nearly as silly and novelty-driven".
Barry Walters of ''
The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
'' also compared the two songs. He found "Say You'll Be There" to be "even catchier" than "Wannabe". Reviewing the single,
David Browne of ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' rated it a B+, describing the melody as "delectably frothy", but was at the same time confused by the song's lyrical content.
Ken Tucker from the same publication, was more negative calling its
P-Funk
Parliament-Funkadelic (abbreviated as P-Funk) is an American music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic, both active since the 1960s. Their distinctive ...
production "a bid for street cred".
Retrospective reviews from critics have been generally positive. Reviewing their debut album ''Spice'',
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
from
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
was surprised at how the song's "sultry soul" was "more than just a guilty pleasure", while Brian Grosz from Albumism called it a "a great
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
track". In a review of the group's 2007 compilation album ''
Greatest Hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
'', the ''NME'' said that it is a "fine song in any age".
Alexis Petridis of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' felt it was more polished than "Wannabe" and described the melody as "instantly memorable".
The ''
Evening Standard
The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format.
In October 2009, after be ...
'' reviewer Jessie Thompson deemed the song as one of the group's best, praising the song's lyrical content and the harmonica solo. Writing for ''Billboard'', Jason Lipshutz complimented the song's production, calling the
hook
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...
"enormously catchy" and the instrumental arrangement "smart-but-simple". Anne T. Donahue of
Vulture.com depicted it as "the perfect middle-ground" between the group's slower ballads and their upbeat singles, she added that "over 20 years later, we still remember the words to 'Say You'll Be There'". On a 2018 ranking of the group's songs, the ''NME'' writer El Hunt placed it at the top of the group's whole catalog, and characterized it as the "essence of everything that
girl power
Girl power is a slogan that encourages and celebrates women's empowerment, independence, confidence and strength. The slogan's invention is credited to the US punk band Bikini Kill, who published a zine called ''Bikini Kill #2: Girl Power'' i ...
stood for". ''
Q magazine
''Q'' was a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1986 by broadcast journalists Mark Ellen and David Hepworth, who were presenters of the BBC television music series ''The Old Grey Whistle Test''. '' ...
'' ranked "Say You'll Be There" at number 93 in their 2003 list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever". ''
Time Out'' placed the song at number 39 on their 2015 list of "The 50 best '90s songs". Laura Richards felt that the song epitomized the group's musical style of blending pop with
R&B, considering it "pure genius". On ''Billboard''s 2017 list of the "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time", it ranked at number 25.
Commercial performance
![HalliwellSybt cropped](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/HalliwellSybt_cropped.jpg)
"Say You'll Be There" was released in the UK once the popularity of "Wannabe" began to fade. The high anticipation for their second single assured its commercial success. A week before the release, reports gave the single advanced sales of 334,000 copies—the highest Virgin Records had ever recorded for a single, while the song entered the top ten of the UK Airplay Chart. It debuted on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
at number one,
selling 349,000 copies.
It was the group's first single to debut at number one, staying at the top position for two weeks, 12 weeks inside the top 40, and 17 weeks inside the top 75.
By the end of October 1996, the single had sold 750,000 copies, receiving a platinum certification from the
British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...
(BPI).
The song has sold 968,244 copies in the UK as of June 2020.
"Say You'll Be There" was commercially successful in the rest of Europe. On 16 November 1996 it reached the top of the
Eurochart Hot 100
The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by '' Billboard'' and ''Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately ...
, remaining there for two weeks.
It topped the singles chart in Finland,
peaked inside the top ten in Austria, Belgium (both the Flemish and Walloon charts), Denmark, France, Ireland,
the Netherlands,
Norway, Spain,
Sweden, and Switzerland,
and the top 20 in Germany and Iceland.
The song was also a radio hit across the continent, reaching the top position of the European Hit Radio Top 40 for six weeks, topping the airplay charts in the
Benelux
The Benelux Union ( nl, Benelux Unie; french: Union Benelux; lb, Benelux-Unioun), also known as simply Benelux, is a politico-economic union and formal international intergovernmental cooperation of three neighboring states in western Europe: B ...
region, France, and
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
, peaking inside the top five in the German-speaking countries, Hungary, and the UK, and inside the top 20 in Italy, Poland, and Spain.
The song debuted on the
Official New Zealand Music Chart
The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Musi ...
at number two on 10 November 1996 (the same week "Wannabe" reached the top spot), stayed 10 weeks inside the top 10, and spent 23 weeks on the chart in total.
In Australia, the single debuted in January 1997 on the
ARIA Singles Chart at number 23, peaking 13 weeks later at number 12. It remained on the chart for five months,
and was certified gold by the
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA) for selling 35,000 units in 1997.
In March 1997, "Say You'll Be There" debuted on the Canadian ''
RPM
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...
'' singles chart at number 90, reaching a peak of number five in its 12th week.
It ended at the 35th position on the year-end chart.
In the United States, the song started to receive airplay from 15 radio stations in March 1997, when "Wannabe" was topping the
''Billboard'' Hot 100. It debuted on the
Hot 100 Airplay
The Radio Songs chart (previously named Hot 100 Airplay until 2014 and Top 40 Radio Monitor until 1991) is released weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine and measures the airplay of songs being played on radio stations throughout ...
chart at number 65 on 5 April 1997, a month before it was commercially released.
The song set a record on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, when it debuted on 24 May 1997 at number five, with sales of nearly 60,000 copies. At the time, this was the highest entry by a British act on the Hot 100. "Say You'll Be There" peaked at number six on the Hot 100 Airplay and at number four on the
Hot Singles Sales
This is a compendium of the best-selling music singles. The criterion for inclusion is to sell at least ten million copies worldwide. The singles listed here were cited by reliable sources from various media, such as digital journalism, news ...
, peaking at number three on the Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks. It ended at the 28th position on the year-end chart,
selling 900,000 copies by December 1997,
and was
certified gold
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA).
The song peaked at number two on the
Mainstream Top 40
Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...
, and had
crossover
Crossover may refer to:
Entertainment
Albums and songs
* ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album)
* ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987
* ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album)
* ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album)
* ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
success, reaching number three on the
Rhythmic Top 40
The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and previously named Rhythmic Songs, Rhythmic Top 40 and CHR/Rhythmic) is an airplay chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine.
The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on ...
, number nine on the
Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales
In the issue dated March 16, 1985, '' Billboard'' magazine debuted its first chart devoted exclusively to 12-inch Singles Sales. The 50-position weekly ranking joined ''Billboard''s established Club Songs chart, reduced to the same 50 positions, ...
chart, and number 12 on the
Latin Pop Airplay
Latin Pop Airplay (also referred to as Latin Pop Songs) is a record chart published on ''Billboard'' magazine and a subchart of the Latin Airplay chart. The chart focuses on Latin pop music, namely Spanish-language pop music. It was established b ...
chart.
Music video
The
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
for "Say You'll Be There" was directed by
Vaughan Arnell
Vaughan Arnell (born 31 May 1961, in Chertsey, Surrey) is a British music video and television commercial director. Although having done films for high-profile clients in the TV commercial field, including Nestlé and Levi's, he is best known for ...
, produced by Adam Saward and filmed on 7–8 September 1996, in the
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily in ...
, located in
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
.
It was inspired by the films ''
Pulp Fiction
''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Vin ...
'' and ''
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
''Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!'' is a 1965 American exploitation film directed by Russ Meyer and co-written by Meyer and Jack Moran. It follows three go-go dancers who embark on a spree of kidnapping and murder in the California desert.
The fi ...
'',
the latter in which led the girls to adopt fictional identities, an idea that Halliwell came up with.
The video features the group as a band of female
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
-warriors, who use martial arts and
high-tech
High technology (high tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, is technology that is at the cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. It can be defined as either the most complex or the newest te ...
ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enem ...
influenced weapons to capture a hapless male, played by American model
Tony Ward, who happens to appear in a
Petty blue Dodge Charger Daytona
Dodge produced three separate models with the name Dodge Charger Daytona, all of which were modified Dodge Chargers. The name was taken from Daytona Beach, Florida, which was an early center for auto racing and still hosts the Daytona 500, NASC ...
. The clip is presented as a narrative, with movie credits at the start introducing the Spice Girls as fantastic characters.
Chisholm played "Katrina Highkick", Halliwell's
alter ego
An alter ego (Latin for "other I", " doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a differen ...
was "Trixie Firecracker", Bunton took on the role of "Kung Fu Candy", Adams played "Midnight Miss Suki", and "Blazin' Bad Zula" was Brown's alter ego.
The shots of male bondage are unexplained, and function as symbols of male disempowerment, just as the rest of the clip serves to assert the power and fighting abilities of the women. At the end the group captures a confused ice cream man who appears in his pick-up truck. He is carried off on the roof of the car as a trophy.
An alternate version of the video exists that removes the male bondage scenes and replaces them with other shots of the girls.
The video won for Best Pop Video at the 1996
''Smash Hits'' Poll Winners Party,
for
British Video of the Year
The Brit Award for British Video of the Year was an award given by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), an organisation which represents record companies and artists in the United Kingdom. The accolade is presented at the Brit Awards, an annua ...
at the
1997 Brit Awards, and was nominated for the
Viewer's Choice at the
1997 MTV Video Music Awards.
It won the Fan.tastic Video honour—given by online ''Billboard'' readers—at the
1997 ''Billboard'' Music Video Awards, and was also nominated for Best New Artist in a Video and Best Pop/Rock Clip. In January 1999, the music video was ranked number eight in
VH1's "All-Time Greatest Music Videos in History".
Live performances
![SpiceWorldTour2019-09](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/SpiceWorldTour2019-09.png)
The song was performed many times on television programmes, in both Europe and North America, such as ''
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
'', ''
Live & Kicking
''Live & Kicking'' is a British children's television series that originally aired on BBC1 from 2 October 1993 to 15 September 2001. It was the replacement for ''Going Live!'', and took many of its features from it, such as phone-ins, games, c ...
'', ''
The Noise
''the Noise'' was a monthly newspaper serving the cities of Flagstaff, Prescott, Sedona, Cottonwood, Jerome, Clarkdale, and Winslow in northern Arizona. Founded in 1993 by four high school seniors whose rural hometown's budget cuts lead t ...
'',
''
An Audience with...'', MTV's ''
The Grind'', ''
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
''The Rosie O'Donnell Show'' is an American daytime variety television talk show created, hosted, and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. It premiered on June 10, 1996, and concluded after six seasons on May 22, 2002.
This talk sh ...
'', and
MuchMusic
Much (an abbreviation for its full name MuchMusic) is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults.
MuchMusic launched on August 31 ...
s ''
Intimate and Interactive
''Intimate and Interactive'' is a television program which aired on the Canadian channel MuchMusic. The show was not a regularly scheduled program, but aired on average three or four times a year, and featured contemporary artists live in concert ...
''. Their appearance at ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' on 12 April 1997, was the first time "Say You'll Be There" was performed with a live band—their previous performances have all been either
lip-synched
Lip sync or lip synch (pronounced , the same as the word ''sink'', short for lip synchronization) is a technical term for matching a speaking or singing person's lip movements with sung or spoken vocals.
Audio for lip syncing is generated th ...
or sung to a recorded
backing track
A backing track is an audio recording on audiotape, CD or a digital recording medium or a MIDI recording of synthesized instruments, sometimes of purely rhythmic accompaniment, often of a rhythm section or other accompaniment parts that live music ...
. The group have performed the song at the 1996 ''Smash Hits'' Poll Winners Party,
the 1997
Prince's Trust Gala, the
1997 San Remo Festival, and the
1997 MTV Video Music Awards.
In October 1997, the group performed it as the fifth song of the Spice Girls' first live concert at the
Abdi İpekçi Arena
Abdi İpekçi Arena, formerly known as Abdi İpekçi Sports Complex, was a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul, Turkey, situated just outside the ancient city walls, in Yedikule.
History
Designed in 1979 ...
in
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
. The performance was broadcast on
Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
in a pay-per-view event titled ''Spice Girls in Concert Wild!'', and was later included in the VHS and DVD release ''
Girl Power! Live in Istanbul''. The Spice Girls performed the song in November 1997, as part of their setlist for the ''Two Nations in Concert'' charity event held in
Johannesburg, South Africa
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...
, presented by the Nations Trust foundation. At the
2000 Brit Awards, the group performed "Say You'll Be There" at the end of the show as part of their setlist for winning the award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.
The Spice Girls have performed the song on their four tours, the
Spiceworld Tour
The Spiceworld Tour (also known as Spice Girls in Concert and the Girl Power Tour '98) was the debut concert tour by British girl group the Spice Girls. It was launched in support of their second studio album '' Spiceworld'' (1997). The sell-out ...
, the
Christmas in Spiceworld Tour
Christmas in Spiceworld Tour was the second concert tour by British girl group the Spice Girls. The eight-show tour was launched following "solo projects, marriages, motherhood and another round of slagging in the press", as a reunion for the gi ...
, the
Return of the Spice Girls Tour
The Return of the Spice Girls Tour was the third concert tour by British girl group the Spice Girls. It was the group's first tour since Christmas in Spiceworld in 1999, and their first with all five members since the Spiceworld Tour in May ...
, and the
Spice World – 2019 Tour
Spice World – 2019 Tour was the fourth concert tour by English girl-group the Spice Girls. It was the group's first tour as a four-piece without Victoria Beckham, and included performances in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Spice World commen ...
. For the Spiceworld Tour, during their performance of "Say You'll Be There", the group dressed in costumes with
tailcoat
A tailcoat is a knee-length coat characterised by a rear section of the skirt, known as the ''tails'', with the front of the skirt cut away.
The tailcoat shares its historical origins in clothes cut for convenient horse riding in the Early Mode ...
shapes designed by British stylist
Kenny Ho
Kenny Ho Kar-king (born 29 December 1959) is a Hong Kong actor and Cantopop/Mandopop singer. He was best known for his role as Zhan Zhao in the Taiwanese and Mainland Chinese television series '' Justice Bao'' from 1993 to 2012, and is also known ...
. They danced using walking sticks, in a segment inspired by
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...
's performance in the 1972 movie ''
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...
''. The performance at the Spiceworld Tour's final concert can be found on the video: ''
Spice Girls Live at Wembley Stadium
''Spice Girls Live at Wembley Stadium'' is the third video album by English girl group the Spice Girls. It was released on VHS on 24 November 1998 by Virgin Records, and was filmed at Wembley Stadium in London on 20 September 1998 during the Spi ...
'', filmed in London, on 20 September 1998, and released on
VHS around two months later. For the Return of the Spice Girls Tour, it was performed as the third song from the show's opening segment. The group dressed in tight bronze and copper-coloured outfits made by Italian fashion designer
Roberto Cavalli
Roberto Cavalli (; born 15 November 1940) is an Italian fashion designer and inventor. He is known for exotic prints and for creating the sand-blasted look for jeans. The high-end Italian fashion house Roberto Cavalli sells luxury clothing, per ...
. For the Spice World – 2019 Tour, the group performed the song dressed in gold and silver outfits designed by Gabriella Slade.
Formats and track listings
UK CD1; Australian, Brazilian, European, Japanese, South African, and Thai CD; digital EP 1
[Citations regarding the CD single releases of "Say You'll Be There":
* Spice Girls (1996) "Say You'll Be There" (UK CD single 1) Printed in the UK. EMI Swindon. VSCDT1601.
* Spice Girls (1996) "Say You'll Be There" (UK CD single 2) Printed in the UK. EMI Swindon. VSCDG1601.
* Spice Girls (1996) "Say You'll Be There" (Australian CD single) Printed in Australia. EMI Music Group Australasia. VSCDT1601.
* Spice Girls (2000) "Say You'll Be There" (Brazilian CD single) Printed in Brazil. ]Sonopress
Sonopress (known as Arvato Entertainment from 2008-2015), is the CD and DVD replication business of Bertelsmann. Founded in 1958 to supply gramophone record for Bertelsmann's music club and music label businesses, Sonopress became the world's se ...
. 3108938102.
* Spice Girls (1996) "Say You'll Be There" (European CD single) Printed in Holland. EMI Uden. VSCDT1601.
* Spice Girls (1996) "Say You'll Be There" (European 2-track CD) Printed in the EU. EMI Uden. VSCDE1601.
* Spice Girls (1996) "Say You'll Be There" (French CD single) Printed in the EU. SNA. VSCDE1601.
* Spice Girls (1996) "Say You'll Be There" (Japanese CD single) Printed in Japan. Toshiba EMI
, formerly , was one of Japan's leading music companies. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of British music company EMI Group Ltd. on June 30, 2007, after Toshiba sold off its previous 45% stake. Its CEO and president was Kazuhiko Koike. Whe ...
. VJCP-12044.
* Spice Girls (1996) "Say You'll Be There" (South African CD single) Printed in RSA. EMI Music South Africa. CDVIS (WS) 67.
* Spice Girls (1996) "Say You'll Be There" (Thai CD single) Printed in Asia. Virgin Records. VSCDT1601.
* Spice Girls (1997) "Say You'll Be There" (US CD single) Printed in the USA. Virgin Records America. V25D-38592.
# "Say You'll Be There" – 3:56
# "Take Me Home" – 4:07
# "Say You'll Be There" – 8:33
# "Say You'll Be There" – 3:56
UK CD2
# "Say You'll Be There" – 3:56
# "Say You'll Be There" – 7:01
# "Say You'll Be There" – 4:09
# "Say You'll Be There" – 8:29
European and French 2-track CD
# "Say You'll Be There" – 3:56
# "Say You'll Be There" – 8:33
US CD
# "Say You'll Be There" – 3:56
# "Take Me Home" – 4:07
Digital EP 2
# "Say You'll Be There" – 7:01
# "Say You'll Be There" – 4:09
# "Say You'll Be There" – 8:29
Italian 12-inch
[Citations regarding the Vinyl Single releases of "Say You'll Be There":
* Spice Girls (1996) "Say You'll Be There" (Italian 12" Vinyl Single) Printed in the EU. Virgin Records. 8938116.
* Spice Girls (1997) "Say You'll Be There" (US 12" Vinyl Single) Printed in the USA. Virgin Records America. Y-38592.
]
:A1. "Say You'll Be There" – 3:56
:A2. "Say You'll Be There" – 8:29
:B1. "Say You'll Be There" – 4:09
:B2. "Say You'll Be There" – 8:30
US 12-inch
:A1. "Say You'll Be There" – 3:56
:A2. "Say You'll Be There" – 8:33
:A3. "Say You'll Be There" – 4:09
:B1. "Say You'll Be There" – 8:29
:B2. "Say You'll Be There" – 8:30
UK and Australian cassette
[Citations regarding the Cassette single releases of "Say You'll Be There":
* Spice Girls (1996) "Say You'll Be There" (UK Cassette single) Printed in the UK. Virgin Records. VSC1601.
* Spice Girls (1996) "Say You'll Be There" (Australian Cassette single) Printed in Australia. EMI Music Group Australasia. 8938104.
* Spice Girls (1997) "Say You'll Be There" (US Cassette single) Printed in the USA. Virgin Records America. 4KM-38592.
]
# "Say You'll Be There" – 3:56
# "Take Me Home" – 4:07
# "Say You'll Be There" – 8:33
US cassette
# "Say You'll Be There" – 3:56
# "Take Me Home" – 4:07
Credits and personnel
Credits of "Say You'll Be There" adapted from the booklet of ''Spice'':
*Spice Girls
lyrics
Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, a ...
,
vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
*
Eliot Kennedy
Eliot Kennedy (born 29 March 1969) is an English songwriter and record producer based in Sheffield. He has worked with artists such as Billie Piper, The Spice Girls, Mary J. Blige, Donny Osmond, Bryan Adams, Lulu, S Club 7, Five, Gary Barlow, D ...
lyrics
*
Jon B. lyrics
*
Absolute all instruments,
production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
*
Judd Lander
Judd Lander (born 1 March 1948) is an English harmonicist. Originally from Liverpool, Lander was previously a member of the band The Hideaways. He has experienced success as a prolific session musician, record industry executive, and company direc ...
harmonica
The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...
*
Mark "Spike" Stent
Mark "Spike" Stent (born 3 August 1965) is an English record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with many international artists including Madonna, Marshmello, U2, Beyoncé, Björk, Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, Grimes, Ed She ...
audio mixing
Audio mixing is the process by which multiple sounds are combined into one or more channels. In the process, a source's volume level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated or enhanced. This practical, aesthetic, ...
*Jeremy Wheatley
recording engineer
An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproduction, ...
*Adam Brown assistant
Credits of the B-side and the remixes adapted from the
liner notes
Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes.
Origin
Liner notes are desce ...
of the "Say You'll Be There"
CD single
A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...
s UK CD1 and UK CD2:
"Take Me Home"
*Spice Girls lyrics, vocals
*Absolute lyrics, production, audio mixing
"Junior's Main Pass", "Junior's Dub Girls" , and "Junior's X-Beats"
*
Junior Vasquez
Junior Vasquez (born Donald Gregory Mattern, August 24, 1949) is an American DJ, record producer and remixer. He has been referred to as one of the only DJs of his time to gain international attention.
Career
Mattern moved to New York City a ...
remix
A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
ing,
post-production
Post-production is part of the process of filmmaking, video production, audio production, and photography. Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording individual program segments.
The ...
*
Curt Frasca
Curtis Frasca is an American entrepreneur, real estate investor, record label owner, music publisher, and former multi-platinum award-winning record producer, songwriter, musician, studio owner and recording engineer.
Career
Frasca is a former mu ...
audio mixing
*Joe Moskowitz
keyboards
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Musi ...
,
programming
"Spice of Life Mix"
*
Dancin' Danny D
D Mob (or D-Mob), also known as Dancin' Danny D or simply Danny D, is a British music producer and remixer. His most notable track was "C'mon and Get My Love" with Cathy Dennis on the vocals, which peaked at number 10 on the U.S. Hot 100 char ...
remixing, additional production
*Roger King programming
*Dave Burnham recording engineer
"Linslee's Extended Mix"
*Linslee Campbell remixing, additional production
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
Release history
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{Authority control
1996 singles
1996 songs
European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles
MØ songs
Music videos directed by Vaughan Arnell
Number-one singles in Finland
Number-one singles in Scotland
Song recordings produced by Absolute (production team)
Songs about friendship
Songs with feminist themes
Songs written by Eliot Kennedy
Songs written by Emma Bunton
Songs written by Geri Halliwell
Songs written by Jon B.
Songs written by Mel B
Songs written by Melanie C
Songs written by Victoria Beckham
Spice Girls songs
UK Singles Chart number-one singles
Virgin Records singles