SPAIN: THE SPICE GIRLS CLASH AGAIN WITH THE SPANISH MEDIA AT THE MADRID PREMIERE OF "SPICEWORLD - THE MOVIE"

Record ID: 387380

  • Title: SPAIN: THE SPICE GIRLS CLASH AGAIN WITH THE SPANISH MEDIA AT THE MADRID PREMIERE OF "SPICEWORLD - THE MOVIE"
  • Date: 18th December 1997
  • Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (DECEMBER 18, 1997) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) NEWS CONFERENCE - (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) "POSH" SPICE SAYING, "AT THE END OF THE DAY WE REALLY LIKE SPAIN. WE'RE HERE TO SEE OUR FANS, THEY'RE THE PEOPLE THAT WE COME TO SEE AND IT'S GREAT. WE COME HERE AND WE ALWAYS HAVE A GREAT RECEPTION FROM THE FANS OUTSIDE THE HOTEL, AND EVERYBODY ELSE, THAT'S JUST WHAT THEY WANT
  • Embargoed: 2nd January 1998 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MADRID, SPAIN
  • Country: Spain
  • Reuters ID: LVA21WCQJHO5SQ8C68NLCCMM991X
  • Story Text: - Britain's girl power pop sensation, the Spice Girls, confounded their critics on Monday (December 22) with their latest single grabbing the coveted Christmas number one spot on the nation's hit parade.

    The feisty five, written off in some sections of the media only weeks ago, became the first band in 32 years to have two top Christmas hits in a row. Their new single, "Too Much", was the girl band's sixth number one in a row. Last year, "2 Become 1" was their Christmas hit.

    The record for consecutive British Christmas number ones is held by the Beatles with "I Want To Hold Your Hand" (1963), "I Feel Fine" (1964) and "Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out" (1965).

    There were predictions that the Spice Girls would soon be history when they sacked their manager, Simon Fuller, and recently, the band have had a number of clashes with their harshest critics - the media.

    The Spanish press has been particularly scathing, booing the group during a photocall for the premiere of their film "Spiceworld" last Thursday (December 18).

    As they walked up a staircase, away from the assembled reporters, Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice) answered their catcalls, calling "Shut Up" and "Queer." "Callate...Maricon," Halliwell shouted.

    The photographers and journalists were angered after being forced to sign documents giving the band all rights to pictures or video footage taken at the news conference.

    This is the second time in as many months that the all-girl band has clashed with the Spanish media.

    They were booed off the stage at an entertainment award gala in Barcelona last month after telling a waiting press they could not take pictures of them for contractual reasons.

    "We came here to see our fans, we always have a fantastic reception from fans in Spain and that's what matters to us," Victoria Adams (Posh Spice) declared at a news conference following the photocall in Madrid.

    "We have a lot of people who don't like us. That's life, you know what I mean? Not everybody likes the same thing,"Mel C (Sporty Spice) said. "We're to do with staying power. We are stronger and more determined as a band than we've ever ever been", she added.

    Ginger Spice jumped up and started to plant kisses on the cheeks of the nearest journalists, saying the world needed love.

    "That's how wars are started when people don't love each other," she said.
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