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スパイス・ガールブーム
英国の人気女性グループ、スパイス・ガールズ。デビューシングル『ワナビー』以下、連続4曲が国内チャート1位を獲得し、ブームはとどまるところを知らない。人気の秘密は何か、また、ブームはどんな影響を及ぼしているのだろうか―。
The Spice Girls Create a Record-Making Sensation
By STEVE HILL
Try as you might, there's simply no escaping the Spice Girls these days.
Britain's latest popular music export is breaking records as fast as the girls' record company can manufacture copies ― and making more headlines than a publicist could dream about.
It's an astonishing phenomenon and one that seems destined to run for a while yet.
So, why have these girls been so successful that they have managed to sell more than 10 million copies worldwide of their debut album, "Spice"? How have they managed to top the chart in over 30 countries and become the first group in the U.K. to have four number one hits with their first four releases?
Don't forget, that's something not even the Rolling Stones or the Beatles managed.
An inkling of how deep the girls have burrowed into the national conscience was apparent in the recent general election. Tony Blair, our new prime minister and a man keen to relate to younger voters, included the hit single "Wannabe" among his choices of records to take to a desert island, when interviewed on a famous radio program.
A pop music group must be doing something right when the top politician of the day tries to grab some of the reflected glory.
It's hard for a cynic like myself to understand what all the fuss is about. They're hardly the first all-girl band to have a hit, and I personally think that Bananarama was far more interesting.
I have to admit, though, that I'm a lone voice in the wilderness. A friend of mine, spotted carrying a copy of "Spice" in his car, summed it all up quite well when he said: "They've cleverly cornered the whole market: Young girls like them because of the whole `Girl Power' scenario, while most men like them for the obvious fact that they're very attractive. Teenagers like them because the music is bright and poppy, and the gay audience is also there because of the dance factor in the music."
So, everyone loves the Spice Girls and no one will hear a word against them. Well, not quite. Noel Gallagher, the outspoken leader of BritPop band Oasis, dared to speak out at last month's Capital FM Music Awards night in London. He asked, sarcastically, "When are the Spice Girls going to do a gig?" referring to the band's lack of live performances. He had a point as, at that time, they had only appeared on stage miming to their records.
But now even Noel has had to eat his words. The girls recently appeared on the American TV program "Saturday Night Live" and, watched by millions of viewers, went through hit singles "Say You'll Be There" and "Wannabe."
There was tumultuous applause at the unmistakably live, raw performance, and even rock critic Dan Aquilamte, of the New York Daily News, joined in the praise.
He said: "A lot of people over here thought they weren't real and that they were manufactured. I think this may go some way to cracking that nut and proving that they are not just a novelty."
While the lucrative American market awaits, the publicity bandwagon rolls on for the Spice Girls.
An innocuous trip to the Indonesian island of Bali hit the headlines when the band presented its own version of the New Zealand Maoris' "Kamate Kamate."
The girls were shown the dance, famously performed by the All Blacks rugby team before matches, by two players staying at the same hotel.
But while the Spice Girls' version left their fans cheering, a minor diplomatic incident erupted with Maori leaders complaining of being insulted.
Back here in England, there's now talk of the girls singing the theme tune for a new TV series, a remake of a string of classic British films from the 1950s.
Meanwhile, the Spice Girls' book "Girl Power" continues to disappear faster off the shelves than Donovan Bailey out of the blocks.
But how much longer can it all last? How many more "Who's your favorite Spice Girl?" competitions can people be bothered to vote in (mine's Gerry, by the way)?
Looming is the recording of the girls' second album, a notoriously difficult step for bands that produce a hugely successful debut. It's due to be released at the end of the year, by which time it is possible the frail winds of fashion may have blown the Spice Girls off the airwaves and front pages.
New York band Luscious Jackson is just one of any number of all-girl bands waiting to take their place ― and become the hot, really, really hot, new flavor.
Try as you might, there's simply no escaping the Spice Girls these days.
Britain's latest popular music export is breaking records as fast as the girls' record company can manufacture copies ― and making more headlines than a publicist could dream about.
It's an astonishing phenomenon and one that seems destined to run for a while yet.
So, why have these girls been so successful that they have managed to sell more than 10 million copies worldwide of their debut album, "Spice"? How have they managed to top the chart in over 30 countries and become the first group in the U.K. to have four number one hits with their first four releases?
Don't forget, that's something not even the Rolling Stones or the Beatles managed.
An inkling of how deep the girls have burrowed into the national conscience was apparent in the recent general election. Tony Blair, our new prime minister and a man keen to relate to younger voters, included the hit single "Wannabe" among his choices of records to take to a desert island, when interviewed on a famous radio program.
A pop music group must be doing something right when the top politician of the day tries to grab some of the reflected glory.
It's hard for a cynic like myself to understand what all the fuss is about. They're hardly the first all-girl band to have a hit, and I personally think that Bananarama was far more interesting.
I have to admit, though, that I'm a lone voice in the wilderness. A friend of mine, spotted carrying a copy of "Spice" in his car, summed it all up quite well when he said: "They've cleverly cornered the whole market: Young girls like them because of the whole `Girl Power' scenario, while most men like them for the obvious fact that they're very attractive. Teenagers like them because the music is bright and poppy, and the gay audience is also there because of the dance factor in the music."
So, everyone loves the Spice Girls and no one will hear a word against them. Well, not quite. Noel Gallagher, the outspoken leader of BritPop band Oasis, dared to speak out at last month's Capital FM Music Awards night in London. He asked, sarcastically, "When are the Spice Girls going to do a gig?" referring to the band's lack of live performances. He had a point as, at that time, they had only appeared on stage miming to their records.
But now even Noel has had to eat his words. The girls recently appeared on the American TV program "Saturday Night Live" and, watched by millions of viewers, went through hit singles "Say You'll Be There" and "Wannabe."
There was tumultuous applause at the unmistakably live, raw performance, and even rock critic Dan Aquilamte, of the New York Daily News, joined in the praise.
He said: "A lot of people over here thought they weren't real and that they were manufactured. I think this may go some way to cracking that nut and proving that they are not just a novelty."
While the lucrative American market awaits, the publicity bandwagon rolls on for the Spice Girls.
An innocuous trip to the Indonesian island of Bali hit the headlines when the band presented its own version of the New Zealand Maoris' "Kamate Kamate."
The girls were shown the dance, famously performed by the All Blacks rugby team before matches, by two players staying at the same hotel.
But while the Spice Girls' version left their fans cheering, a minor diplomatic incident erupted with Maori leaders complaining of being insulted.
Back here in England, there's now talk of the girls singing the theme tune for a new TV series, a remake of a string of classic British films from the 1950s.
Meanwhile, the Spice Girls' book "Girl Power" continues to disappear faster off the shelves than Donovan Bailey out of the blocks.
But how much longer can it all last? How many more "Who's your favorite Spice Girl?" competitions can people be bothered to vote in (mine's Gerry, by the way)?
Looming is the recording of the girls' second album, a notoriously difficult step for bands that produce a hugely successful debut. It's due to be released at the end of the year, by which time it is possible the frail winds of fashion may have blown the Spice Girls off the airwaves and front pages.
New York band Luscious Jackson is just one of any number of all-girl bands waiting to take their place ― and become the hot, really, really hot, new flavor.
Shukan ST: May 23, 1997
(C) All rights reserved
- Try as you might
- がんばっても
- there's simply no escaping 〜
- 〜 を避けては通れない
- latest
- 最新の
- is breaking records
- 記録破りのヒットを続けている
- manufacture
- 生産する
- (is making)headlines
- ニュースになっている
- publicist
- 広報係
- astonishing phenomenon
- 驚くべき現象
- seems destined to run for a while yet
- もうしばらく続くよう運命づけられているようだ
- with their first four releases
- 初めの4枚の発売で
- inkling of
- 〜
- 〜 を感じさせるもの
- have burrowed into the national conscience
- 国民の意識に根付いている
- general election
- 総選挙
- prime minister
- 首相
- keen to relate to younger voters
- 若い有権者層の心をつかみたがっている
- desert island
- 無人島
- grab
- もらう
- reflected glory
- 栄光のおすそわけ
- cynic
- 皮肉屋
- fuss
- さわぎ
- Bananarama
- イギリスの女性バンド
- admit
- 認める
- lone voice in the wilderness
- 孤立した考えの持ち主
- spotted 〜
- 〜 を目撃された
- summed it all up quite well
- うまくまとめた
- (have)cornered the whole market
- 市場をまるごととりこにした
- whole'Girl Power'senario
- ガールパワー(若くてパワフルな女性)という設定
- obvious
- 明らかな
- poppy
- (俗)ポップス的な
- gay audience
- 同性愛者のファン
- factor
- 要素
- word against 〜
- 〜 の悪口
- outspoken
- 率直な
- dared to speak out
- あえて口にした
- sarcastically
- いやみたっぷりに
- gig
- コンサート
- referring to 〜
- 〜 に言及しながら
- miming to 〜
- 〜 に合わせて口パクで歌うふりをしながら
- eat his words
- 前言を撤回する
- went through 〜
- 〜 を歌った
- tumultuous applause
- あらしのような拍手
- raw
- ありのままの
- cracking that nut
- その難しい問題を解決する
- novelty
- 目新しいだけの存在
- lucrative
- もうかる
- publicity bandwagon rolls on for 〜
- マスコミが競って 〜 を話題に取り上げて宣伝に一役かっている
- innocuous
- 退屈な
- Maoris' "Kamate Kamate"
- マオリ族の有名な戦いの歌とダンス
- All Blacks
- ニュージーランド代表チームの名
- diplomatic incident
- 外交上の事件
- erupted
- 起こった
- complaining of being insulted
- 侮辱されたと文句を言って
- theme tune for 〜
- 〜 のテーマソング
- a string of 〜
- 〜 のシリーズ
- disappear faster off the shelves than 〜
- 〜 より速く売れる
- Donovan Bailey
- 陸上男子100メートルの世界記録保持者
- blocks
- スタート台
- last
- 続く
- competitions
- コンテスト
- be bothered to vote in
- わざわざ投票する
- Looming is 〜
- 〜 が前途に控えている
- notoriously
- よく知られた
- (is)due to 〜
- 〜 する予定である
- frail winds
- 気まぐれな流れ
- airwaves
- テレビやラジオ
- take their place
- 彼女らにとって代わる
- really, really hot
- 『ワナビー』の歌詞の一部、really, really wantのもじり