Emma Bunton

[Carol Baynes]

I've just got Emma Bunton's latest album "Life in mono" today (along with a few presents for other people ) and it's surprisingly good. I was tempted by the previous album as the cover art was very '60s, and hinted at what was whithin.
"Life in mono" is a bit too fluffy and lightweight, perhaps, but it's a direction that not many artistes are persuing at the moment so it's refreshing (and right up my Carnaby street). It's a homage to an era and a sound that I adore, and she's not made a complete mess of it. On the contrary, aside from a few misteps, it's a great album. Her voice isn't he strongest, but it's warm and endearing, and whan the material is right, she's in her niche.

Emma is the only ex-Spice girl to still have a record contract too. Now I know why!

[Simon R]

Melanie C is still releasing music on her own record label and although she's given up music, Geri came to the end of a contract rather than being dropped half way through like Mel C and Emma were from Virgin.

The album is ok but a bit too down tempo and bland for me. I think it lacks the strong songs that the previous sixties flavoured album had. Her voice has got a little deeper over the years I've noticed.

I like "Take Me To Another Town" and "Mischevious" but I'm struggling to find much else to get excitied about. It's a grower though and I like it more each time I listen to it. I'd love to see Emma do a tour next year. She's never done a solo one and with three albums plus selected Spice hits (she often does an accoustic 2 Become 1 at her PAs) she's more than enough material. She could even do some ballroom dancing!

Apparantly the album is being deleted in a few weeks, presumably so it can be re-released with additional or less tracks in the New Year. Bit of an odd thing to do but they did something similar with Rachel Steven's debut solo album.

[Carol Baynes]

I'm no Spice girls fan, so I forget how keen some of you are on here...no offence meant on the record contracts front there I prefer all the Spice solo stuff to the actual group work, personally. I don't find they've dated very well, but that's just one opinion and they were certainly very successful at the time.

Emma's stuff isn't the kind of thing I usually buy to be honest...not sure why, but I do like this.

[Simon R]

I think the group stuff has dated ok in ten years. It's dated better than alot of Kylie's PWL stuff. Bubblegum pop (such as it is) always dates. It's of the the time and then it has nostalgic appeal but I genuienly think "2 Become 1", "Viva Forever" and others stand up well today as good, strong pop songs.

[Carol Baynes]

Hmmmmmm....now there's an interesting topic for debate, because I don't entirely agree. "2 become 1" is...um...1 particular exception. It's a good song that. However, in an alternative reality, where I'm prone to violence, I suspect "Spice up your life" would make me want to hunt all five of them down with a dangerous weapon.
I'm thinking more of early Madonna stuff and the like, which still sounds incredibly good to me.

"Wannabe" is going to be an interesting song to see them singing if they ever reform. I want to be around to see that.

But, back on the subject of Emma, is her last album better than "Life in mono" do you think? I've forgotten it's title, but it has a very ncie pink cover with some nice retro graphics.

[Simon R]

The last album was "Free Me" and I would recommend. It yielded four top twenty singles - the lush Bond-esque title track, the bossa-nova-esque classic "Maybe", my personal favourite "I'll Be There" and the latino salsary "Crickets Sing For Ana-Maria" which is an obscure cover, perhaps you know the original?

There's at least two other really good tracks on the album in the form of "Breathing" and "No Sign Of Life" which is again quite Bond-themey. So that's about 7 great songs and the rest is ok if a little non-descript.

If they ever did get back together they could perform a re-mixed version of "Wannabe" though I hope they'd steer clear of the jazz style version that Geri once performed solo!

I can see why people would dislike "Spice Up Your Life" but it was quite ahead of it's time. The structure of the song is not unlike the style of some of Girls Aloud's output. For example, "Something Kinda Ooh" - both have rather silly lyrics and rather "bitty" structures with shouty chorus making them seem like several different songs in one. And the Spice Girls did "la la la" four years before Kylie!

[Pip Madeley]

A little Bunton of joy on the way...

Emma Bunton announces pregnancy

Former Spice Girl Emma Bunton has announced she is expecting a baby with her partner, Jade Jones, a former member of boy band Damage.

Bunton, commonly known as Baby Spice, said: "I guess I will be handing over the 'Baby' tag now to a deserving little new owner." In a statement, the couple said: "We are so happy, it's unbelievable news. What a great start to the New Year."

Bunton recently revealed she been had diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition which can make it difficult to conceive. In a recent interview, she said: "I went back to my doctors recently, and they seemed to think it was easing off, which would make it hopeful for me to have children."

It is thought the baby is due sometime in the summer.

Aww

[Simon R]

Congratulations to Bunton and Jade.

I think it'll take more than this to make her new single a hit alas...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xto-D0LmRwA