S Club 7
Encyclopedia
S Club, formerly known as S Club 7, were a pop
group created by former Spice Girls
manager Simon Fuller
, consisting of members Tina Barrett
, Paul Cattermole
, Jon Lee
, Bradley McIntosh
, de facto
lead singer Jo O'Meara
, Hannah Spearritt
and Rachel Stevens
. The group rose to fame by starring in their own BBC
television series, Miami 7
, in 1999. Over the five years they were together, S Club 7 had 4 UK No.1 singles, 1 UK No.1 album, a string of hits throughout Europe, including a top-ten single in the United States, Asia, Latin America
, and Africa. They recorded a total of four studio albums, released eleven singles and went on to sell over seventeen million albums worldwide. Their first album, S Club
, had a strong 1990s pop sound, similar to many artists of their time. However, through the course of their career, their musical approach changed to a more dance
and R&B
sound which is heard mostly in their final album, Seeing Double
.
The concept and brand of the group was created by Simon Fuller, who was also their manager through 19 Entertainment; they were signed to Polydor Records
. Their television series went on to last four series, seeing the group travel across the United States and eventually ending up in Barcelona
, Spain. It became popular in 100 different countries where the show was watched by over 90 million viewers. The show, which was a children's
sitcom, often mirrored real life events which had occurred in S Club, including the relationship of Hannah Spearritt and Paul Cattermole, as well as the eventual departure from the group of the latter.
As well as the popularity of their television series, S Club 7 won two BRIT Awards
—in 2000 for British breakthrough act and in 2002, for best British single. In 2001, the group earned the Record of the Year
award. Their song "Reach" was used in the arcade dance game EZ2Dancer
in "EZ 2 Dancer UK Move". Group member Paul Cattermole departed the group in 2002, and the group changed its name from S Club 7 to simply S Club. Their penultimate single reached number-five in the UK charts, and their final studio album failed to make the top ten.
After Cattermole's departure, the group fought many rumours presuming that they were about to split. However, on April 21, 2003, during a live onstage performance, S Club announced that they were to disband. After a five year split, it was announced in October 2008 that O'Meara, Cattermole and McIntosh are to perform a mini-reunion tour. The tour currently consists of a series of university and nightclub gigs, where they perform a setlist consisting of a selection of songs from their Greatest Hits album.
claims to have chanced upon the concept of S Club 7 the day after he was fired by the Spice Girls in 1997. The group came together after auditioning from over 10,000 hopefuls; Stevens was the only member of the band who did not audition to gain admittance into the group. Instead, two producers from 19 Management approached her and asked her to go into the studio to record a demo tape for Fuller. Both O'Meara and Cattermole were spotted by producers from 19 and asked to audition. After the auditions had been advertised in The Stage
, Lee, Spearritt, Barrett and McIntosh auditioned. After some final adjustments, including the removal of three original members, S Club 7 were formed.
Once the final line-up was decided, they flew to Italy to become acquainted with each other. Speaking about this first meeting, Stevens remarked that the group "felt comfortable with each other from the beginning". Several members of the band have since stated that the 'S' in S Club 7 stands for Simon, after the band's creator, although the official line has always been ambiguous.
. The show first aired on CBBC
on BBC One
and was a children's sitcom based on the lives of the group who had moved to Miami
in search of fame in America. The show was also launched in the United States, airing on Fox Family, and later on ABC Family
; it was retitled S Club 7 in Miami for American audiences. The show eventually celebrated worldwide success and was watched by 90 million viewers in over 100 different countries. The group also filmed two specials between the first two series of their show. The first, Back to the '50s
—which aired on CITV
, instead of CBBC—told the story of how the group found themselves back in 1959. In the second TV special, Boyfriends & Birthdays, Stevens' boyfriend gave her an ultimatum of staying with him or remaining with the band.
Within the television series, and the parallel branding, each member of S Club 7 had their own character, which contained exaggerated forms of their real life counterparts as well as their own identifiable "S Club colour". Hannah Spearritt, for example, had an "S Club colour" of yellow which, as Spearritt describes, mirrors her own personality: "bright and happy". Similar characterisation, and format for their show, was more notably seen in the American series The Monkees
and US media reported that S Club 7 were "The Monkees for the next generation". However, Joel Andryc—the vice president of the Fox Family Channel—stated that Miami 7 is "far more relationship driven" than The Monkees, and that "kids today are more sophisticated". In 2007, Canadian network TVtropolis
aired a series called "TV Match Up" which pitted classic television shows against each other; one particular episode featured The Monkees versus S Club 7.
Following on from Miami 7, S Club 7 released the theme music to the show as their debut single on 9 June 1999. The up-tempo "Bring It All Back
" reached number-one in the United Kingdom
singles charts, and after selling more than 300,000 copies, was made BPI
certified Platinum. Commenting on the chart position of "Bring It All Back", the group felt "nervous and on-edge" before they discovered they had reached number one. Once they had received the phone call from the record company, the band celebrated the news with "cheers, shouting and crying".
The group's success escalated and much like Fuller's marketing campaign for the Spice Girls, they were set to become a "marketable commodity". As evidence for this, global toy manufacturer Hasbro
agreed upon an exclusive licensing agreement with 19 Management which included worldwide rights in the fashion doll category; singing S Club 7 dolls were later released onto the market. An official magazine, fan club, and accompanying Miami 7 scrapbook were also launched furthering 19 Management's corporate aim.
Over the course of the year, the group enjoyed more success in the charts after their second single, "S Club Party
", entered the UK charts at number-two and went straight to number-one in New Zealand. Their third single was a double A-side and featured the ballad, co-written by Cathy Dennis
, "Two in a Million
" and retro-styled, up-tempo "You're My Number One
". The former was the first single where O'Meara took leads vocals, setting the standard for future S Club 7 releases; the single also reached number-two in the UK charts
. Following the success of their television show and released singles, the group released their debut album S Club
in October 1999. The album quickly rose to number-two in the UK charts
, and then became certified Double Platinum. The album consisted of a variety of styles including motown and salsa
tracks.
Due to the increasing demand for the group with gruelling schedules including spending over thirteen weeks in America filming the first series of their show and their subsequent television specials, the members often felt that the travelling back and forth from the UK and the US was "perhaps more tiring than what we were actually going out to America to do". Paul Cattermole once commented that the speed of the schedule sometimes caused a "kind of dreamscape in your head", as the group often felt "jetlagged and tired". On top of the filming schedules, the group often performed at high profile pop music festivals such as Party in the Park
where they performed for 100,000 fans. The intensity of the schedule would be a constant battle for the group and was going to continue to take its toll for all the years S Club 7 were together. In spite of this, the group always remained in solidarity that they were all good friends, "cared for each other a lot" and supported each other through difficult times in the group.
(renamed S Club 7 in L.A. in the US), was released. The series saw the group depart from Miami and move to Los Angeles to seek a record deal. It introduced the song "Reach
", another retro-styled uptempo track, which was co-written by Cathy Dennis and aired as the main theme tune to the second series.
"Reach" was released as a single in May 2000 and reached number-two in the UK charts. It arguably became one of the group's most successful singles, paving the way for the group's second album, 7
which was released on 12 June 2000. This album was a departure from the overtly pop stylings of S Club
, with tracks styled more towards R&B
than the traditional nineties pop sound of their debut album. It reached number-one in the UK charts
becoming certified Triple Platinum, and a certified Gold record in the US. The second single from the album, '"Natural
", featured Stevens as lead vocalist. It reached number-three in September 2000.
S Club 7 took an active part in promoting several different charities during their time as a band. As well as performing for Children in Need
, the band launched, on 25 September 2000, a new television series called S Club 7 Go Wild! which saw each band member support an endangered species. Teaming up with the World Wildlife Fund
, each member travelled to different destinations worldwide with a hope to raise awareness about the seven endangered creatures, including the Siberian Tiger and the Hyacinth Macaw
. In October 2000, they launched the annual Poppy Appeal Campaign with Dame Thora Hird
and supported Woolworth's
Kids First Campaign throughout 1999 and 2000. The group also recorded vocals for "It's Only Rock 'N' Roll", which raised money for Children's Promise, an alliance of seven children's charities: Barnardo's
, Children in Need
, ChildLine
, The Children's Society
, Comic Relief
, NCH
and the NSPCC
. A cover of the Rolling Stones song, the group contributed to the vocals alongside many popular artists, including Mary J. Blige
, Natalie Imbruglia
and the Spice Girls; it entered the UK charts at number-nineteen.
In November 2000, S Club 7 were invited to provide the official song for the UK's BBC Children in Need Campaign 2000, so a new song, the ballad "Never Had a Dream Come True
", was recorded. After topping the UK charts in December 2000, the song was added to a re-release of the 7
album, along with another new track, a cover of Stevie Wonder
's "Lately".
". The song was released in April 2001, marked a high point for the group as the single went straight to number-one, went Platinum and became the seventh best selling single of 2001
. McIntosh, who takes lead vocals with O'Meara in the track, said he was "nervous" about taking lead vocals and was worried how people would react. However, after the song went in at number-one, he felt as though he was "supported by the fans" and his fears were alleviated. McIntosh also remarked that the single had broken new ground for the group, and Cattermole thought it to be their "best song by miles". The group won the Record of the Year
award for the song, and in February 2002, the single won the group their second BRIT Award for best British single. The song has since been covered by The Beautiful South
for their 2004 album Golddiggas, Headnodders and Pholk Songs
, as well as by Starsailor
who recorded it for BBC Radio 1's
Live Lounge
.
By spring 2001, the group were "desperate" to start touring; it was something which they had always wanted to do, but couldn't because things were "always so hectic". After spending most of early 2001 rehearsing, the S Club Party 2001 tour began on 19 May 2001. Describing the tour, Stevens remarked that seeing a crowd of over 13,000 fans each night coming to see them was "such an unbelievable feeling", and the other members of the group shared an "adrenaline rush" as well as a wave of emotion before going on stage. Once the tour was over, the group had to fly back to the United States in order to film the third series of their television show, Hollywood 7
. This third series, which was still set in Los Angeles, was the group's favourite to film because they had more acting experience and could "drop their shoulders" and start to enjoy themselves. The group, however, had to continuously cope with intense schedules and early starts whilst recording for the programme, something which, although the group felt "laid back" about it at the time, was to eventually take its toll and lead to the demise of the band.
Hollywood 7 began airing in September 2001 and dealt with the issue of an on-screen kiss between Spearritt and Cattermole, who had begun dating in real life. Their relationship, which was kept secret for six months, was well received by the band who claimed it had made them all closer as friends. Hollywood 7 aired alongside a new CBBC
reality show, S Club Search, which invited children to extend the S Club brand and audition to form a younger version of the band. The new group were to be chosen to sing and dance on tour with S Club 7 on their future S Club 7 Carnival 2002 tour. The eight children who went on to form the band named themselves S Club Juniors
and had six top ten UK hits.
The effects of the group's charity single, "Never Had a Dream Come True", were felt when the group handed over £200,000 to Children in Need, from the sales of the CD after the release of "Don't Stop Movin'" in April 2001. As a result, S Club 7 were invited back and asked to record a second consecutive Children in Need single, in November 2001. It was decided that "Have You Ever
", a song co-written by Chris Braide
and Cathy Dennis, was to be released for the charity campaign. After the success of the previous year's single, the performance on the night featured many primary school children who had pre-recorded their own versions of the chorus. The band felt "overjoyed" that they could, once again, contribute to the Children in Need campaign, feeling that it meant a lot to them to be involved and feeling privileged to be able to help; they also commented that it was nice for British school children to be involved in raising money for charity. The single was another success for the group and became their fourth number-one, as well as the 21st biggest selling single of 2001.
In January 2002, S Club 7 embarked upon their second arena tour, S Club 7 Carnival 2002, which aimed to please fans by stylising their songs to fit with a carnival
-like theme with music styles from different countries of the world. Speaking about the tour, McIntosh described it as "older show", a change from S Club Party 2001, which was "more like bubblegum", with Paul Cattermole comparing 2001's "theatrical" tour with the Carnival tour as a more "glitzy, concert stage". The tour was generally well received by the children's media, describing the show as "diverse" and "dazzling", whereas the group was criticised by the broadsheets as being "like a compilation of toddler-friendly Eurovision entries" although conceding that it was a "slick, decent-value show". Cattermole was also criticised when he was dubbed overweight and a "heavy-footed dancer".
After the success of their last three singles, all of which had made it to number-one, S Club 7 failed to top the charts when they released their ninth single, "You
"; it reached number-two in the UK. The single, which was described as a "candyfloss-bright, tongue-in-cheek 50s pastiche", was to be Paul Cattermole's last single with the band and led the way for a series of events that was to unravel S Club 7's time at the top of the charts, which would ultimately cause the band to split.
newspaper that it was time for him to "move on" from the group and he wanted to go back to his "rock roots", which heralded back to the time he was part of a nu metal
band formed with his old school friends. Talking about his former musical venture three months before he left S Club 7, Cattermole described the band—who had been called Skua—as having a "Limp Bizkit
vibe" as well as comparing their style to Rage Against The Machine
. Cattermole's resignation came as Skua had decided to reform, and he found it a perfect time to make the transition back from pop to rock as S Club 7's record contracts were up for renewal. Cattermole stayed with the band until June 2002, featuring in five out of thirteen episodes of the group's final television series, Viva S Club, and performing his final concert with the group for Party at the Palace
, which was part of Queen Elizabeth II's
Golden Jubilee
celebrations.
After Cattermole's departure, vowing to not disband, the remaining six members stayed together under the name S Club. Despite losing a member of the group, the future remained positive as, although they were very sad to see Cattermole leave the group, they were "delighted" to have extended their contracts meaning they could look forward to new material, a new series of their television show as well as their first feature film. However, media reports of the time weren't so optimistic stating that, as neither the Spice Girls nor Take That
had survived once they lost a member of their group, it would be difficult for S Club to remain together in an industry which has a "horrible habit of leaving bands in tatters once the first member has left". After only peaking at number-five in the UK charts with their first single as a six, S Club's positivism was diminished.
Although their progressive musical style was once again furthered with the release of their fourth studio album, Seeing Double
, it failed to make an impact on the UK charts, stalling at number-seventeen. S Club's time at the top of the charts was slowly coming to an end, and when O'Meara announced that she had an immobilising back condition which could have left her in a wheelchair, and she was unable to take part in television performances, the group was left devastated.
In April 2003, S Club released their first feature film, Seeing Double, directed by music-video director Nigel Dick
, which was to be the last time the group would be seen on-screen together. Unlike its television predecessors, the film moved into the realm of children's
fantasy
, and saw the group fighting evil scientist Victor Gaghan in his quest to clone the world's pop stars. The film's release was marked by many rumours that the group were about to split, which were quickly denied by the six. However, ten days after the release of their movie, the rumours were confirmed when it was announced live on stage—during their S Club United tour on 21 April 2003 — that, after a final single and greatest hits album, S Club would part ways. The band cited a mutual split, expressing it was simply a time "to move on and face new challenges". Many fans felt "betrayed" and "disappointed" by the breakup, as well as "angry" due to the group denying rumours only two weeks before at the Seeing Double premiere. Many compared the demise of the group to that of fellow pop band Steps, as they too had denied their intentions until the moment before their split, after which they were accused of acting out of "greed and cynicism". Since the split, the members of S Club have commented on how exhausting being in the band was, due to hectic schedules and long filming days. Although confirming the split "wasn't a final straw", Spearritt has remarked that the group had felt it appropriate wanting to do their own thing; she had constantly felt "drained" whilst with S Club.
The final single was a double A-side, coupling "Love Ain't Gonna Wait for You", from their fourth album Seeing Double, with a new ballad, "Say Goodbye". Returning to the style of their first single, "Say Goodbye" saw vocals shared around the group. The single reached number-two in the UK, beaten to the top spot by R. Kelly
's "Ignition (Remix)", and was included on S Club's greatest hits album, Best: The Greatest Hits of S Club 7, released in June 2003. This compilation brought together the group's releases with a previously unreleased track, "Everybody Get Pumped" and 7
track "Bring the House Down". The album reached number-two in the United Kingdom. S Club eventually disbanded after the release of "Say Goodbye" on 26 May 2003.
On 27 April 2003, it was reported that Spearritt's parents had hired lawyers to chase payments owed to them by Simon Fuller and his management company. They claimed that out of the €
75 million fortune the band made for Fuller, they only received €150,000 a year of it. There was also controversy when the band had to travel economy class to America and when Fuller did not turn up for the premiere of Seeing Double. The criticism put to Fuller was similar of that in 1997 when the Spice Girls fired him for being too controlling.
After the group split up, the S Club Juniors
rebranded to "S Club 8", and went on to film CBBC
show I Dream
, releasing their third studio album under the same name. The group disbanded in 2005.
. Rachel Stevens and Jo O'Meara were photographed together during 2005 university tours, while Bradley McIntosh and Paul Cattermole have been nightclub DJs together and even performed renditions of "Reach".
In March 2011 Jo stated on Facebook
that all seven members would be reunited for the first time since 2002. On 29 March 2011 the group all went to see Jon play in Jersey Boys
on stage. They posed for photos afterwards.
On November 29, 2011 it was revealed by several publications, that S Club had hopes to reunite in 2012 for a possible tour.
in London's Covent Garden
; they were cautioned by police at Charing Cross Police Station
and released without charge. After the event, they released a public apology stating they were "very stupid" and "very sorry", admitting to having made a "stupid mistake". At the time, BT
and Cadbury
, who had sponsorship deals with S Club 7, said they were "very disappointed" to learn of the caution but said they would keep their contracts with the band. However, cereal firm Quaker Oats
ended talks with 19 Entertainment after learning of the police caution. It was rumoured that merchandising company PMS International were to take out an £800,000 lawsuit against the band for declining sales as a direct result of the drugs scandal. However, this came to nothing and any doubts over the future of sponsorship ended when Pepsi
signed the band up less than a month after the drugs caution.
, as well as manufactured pop. This is certainly the case for their first album, S Club
where simple lyrics, three-chord structures and danceable beats define it so. Their first two singles saw vocals shared equally amongst the seven members of the group, and it was not until their third single, "Two in a Million
" that O'Meara became known as their lead vocalist. Although the band were to progressively change their style over the four years they were together, even their first album had many tracks atypical of the pop genre: "You're My Number One
" and "Everybody Wants Ya" were motown driven whereas "Viva La Fiesta" and "It's A Feel Good Thing", were both "bouncy, salsa-driven Latino songs".
Over the years, their style and direction changed progressively with each new album. Their second album 7
, had songs which had styles far removed from the traditional pop songs rival pop bands of the nineties were releasing. With the release of "Natural
" in 2000, S Club 7 showcased a new, R&B-lite sound. The release of their third album, Sunshine, gave audiences their biggest change: the album contained tracks such as the disco-influenced, "Don't Stop Movin'
" and the R&B ballad, "Show Me Your Colours". The album marked a more mature approach for the band.
With the departure of Cattermole, S Club released their fourth and final album, Seeing Double
which contained many songs with styles not yet explored by the group. The group released "Alive" which was a "power-packed dance floor filler", a style which matched that of their final single "Love Ain't Gonna Wait for You". The album also contained many other dance tracks and songs far removed from their original bubblegum pop stylings, such as the "sex for the CBBC generation" in "Hey Kitty Kitty". Although, in one review, referring to "Gangsta Love", "S Club's spiritual home is the suburban disco, not urban underground clubs, and their attempt to go garage on "Gangsta Love" ends up amusing rather than authentic".
Throughout their releases, S Club 7 always kept their original pop roots, with songs such as "Reach
", "You
" and "Say Goodbye"
Four series of their TV show (Miami 7
, LA 7, Hollywood 7
and Viva S Club
) depicted the group and their quest for stardom. There were also 4 specials: Back to the 50's, Boyfriends & Birthdays, Artistic Differences and "Christmas Special".
S Club TV was an S Club 7 spin-off that broadcast on CITV
. The show followed a magazine-style format with interactive elements and launched the careers of some now famous celebrities: Holly Willoughby
, Kelly Beckett
and Ben Barnes
.
S Club Juniors, which later became S Club 8
, was formed in 2001 by the program S Club Search
on CBBC
.
In 2003, Columbia Pictures
released a feature film starring S Club 7. Originally slated for a Christmas 2002 release, Cattermole's departure necessitated a rewrite and delayed the film's production.
S Club 8 split up in 2005, ending the S Club Franchise.
; it left her with a severe cut to the head, requiring treatment at a nearby Hospital. A 20-year old man was arrested, and the attack was thought to have something to do with her performance on Celebrity Big Brother
where nearly 50,000 complaints were received about her and two other female contestants' alleged racist bullying toward Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty
.
In late 2008, some sources stated that former S Club 7 bandmates, Tina Barrett
and Jon Lee
were to start touring with the group sometime in the following year. It was also stated that a new greatest hits album, Ain’t No Party: The Ultimate Collection of S Club 7 was set for release later the following year. Both of these rumours turned out to be false. Paul was absent from a gig at the Plug Club in Sheffield
in February 2009. On 12 November, S Club 3 turned on the Mansfield
Christmas Lights. In early 2010, the group decided to take their gigs further. They booked some venues in Egypt
for April. On 19 April 2010, S Club 3 were the headlining act at the Tottenham Carnival.
The group made an appearance at Gay Pride
s in Doncaster
and Yorkshire
on the 21st August.
In January 2011, Jo and Bradley made several performances in Dublin without Paul. On 2 February 2011, Jo, Bradley and Paul played at Keele University
, followed by a guest appearance at Aberystwyth University on 20 February 2011. On 18 March 2011 they played to a sellout crowd at the University of Hull
. A move which saw local media refer to the show as "the comeback of the century" and "the best thing to happen to Hull since John Prescott
starred in the Moneysupermarket.com Adverts"
On 1 April 2011, S Club 3 performed at Butlins, Bognor Regis to a crowd of over 3000.. Jo and Bradley performed without Paul, despite headlining as S Club 3, at Gay Pride in Belfast as part of the Union Street Party.
On 15 September Paul and Bradley performed at the University of Limerick Freshers Week, Jo was absent for this gig. On 19 September S Club 3 performed at the University of Leeds Freshers Week in addition to the Freshers Week at Glyndwr University, Wrexham on 30 September. All three were present.
On 13th October, S Club 3 performed at K2 Nightclub in Plymouth as part of the University of Plymouth student union. All three were present. They are scheduled to play at the University of Leicester
on 19 October.
On 26th October all three preformed at the Box Night Club in Belfast.
Compilation albums
International only albums
Introducing
1.Don't Stop Moving
2.You're My Number One
3.Friday Night
4.Our Time Has Come
5.Stand By You
6.Two In A Million
7.I Really Miss You
8.She's Out Of My Life (Cover Of Micheal Jackson Performing By Jon Lee)
9.You
10.Natural
11.Bring It All Back
12.Viva La Fiesta
13.Never Had A Dream Come True
Band Introduction
14.Bring The House Down
15.Love Train
16.Reach
17.S Club Party
S Club Party Rock Final
Overture
1.S Club Party
2.Bring It All Back (Carnival Remix)
3.Good Times
4.You're My Number One
5.Friday Night
Thunderstrom Dancer Break
6.Sunshine
7.Show Me Your Colors
8.Never Had A Dream Come True
In The Club Interlude
9.Stronger
10.Bring The House Down
11.Dance Dance Dance
12.The Long and Winding Road (Cover Of The Beatles Performed By Jon Lee)
13.Have You Ever
14.Right Guy (Performing By S Club Boy)
Carnival Intro
15.Viva La Fiesta (Remix Tour)
16.You
17.Reach
ENCORE
18.Don't Stop Moving
19.Carnival Medley: Jamin'/Shake Your Body Down To The Ground/Hot Hot Hot
Introduction
1.Alive
2.Do It Till We Drop
3.S Club Party (with S Club Juniors)
4.Never Had A Dream Come True
5.Dance
6.Bittersweet
7.Stuck On You (Jon Lee)
8.Have You Ever
9.Love Ain't Gonna Wait For You
10.Medley:Bring It All Back/You/Reach
11.Two In A Million
12.Who Do You Think You Are
13.Don't Stop Moving
14.Say Goodbye (After their split was announced)
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
group created by former Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
manager Simon Fuller
Simon Fuller
Simon Fuller is a British artist manager, television producer and creator of the Idol franchise, first seen as Pop Idol in the UK. Fuller is also the co-creator and executive producer of the Fox TV reality show So You Think You Can Dance and other U.S...
, consisting of members Tina Barrett
Tina Barrett
Tina Ann Barrett is a London based singer-songwriter and actress. Her major breakthrough came in 1999, at the age of 22 when she became a member of the pop group/band, S Club 7 where she enjoyed five years of hit singles, arena tours and awards.Barrett was born to an English father and Guyanese...
, Paul Cattermole
Paul Cattermole
Paul Gerald Cattermole , St Albans, Hertfordshire, England) is an English singer and actor. He was previously a member of S Club 7, and was the lead singer of the band Skua and latterly Charlie Bullitt until he left in October 2005....
, Jon Lee
Jon Lee (entertainer)
Jonathan "Jon" Lee is an English singer and actor. Lee is best known as a former member of pop group S Club 7 who split in April 2003. He was the youngest member...
, Bradley McIntosh
Bradley McIntosh
Bradley John McIntosh is a British singer, best known for being part of the band S Club, who had several hits.-1998–2003: S Club and Breakthrough:...
, de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
lead singer Jo O'Meara
Jo O'Meara
Joanne Valda O'Meara is an English singer-songwriter, television personality and actress. Formerly one of the lead singers of pop group S Club, she launched a solo single after the group's split in 2003, which cut short the production of a proposed album following an appearance on Celebrity Big...
, Hannah Spearritt
Hannah Spearritt
Hannah Louise Spearritt is an English actress and singer. She was previously a member of the pop group S Club 7. She is also known for playing the role of Abby Maitland in the British drama Primeval....
and Rachel Stevens
Rachel Stevens
Rachel Lauren Stevens is an English singer-songwriter, actress, presenter, dancer, television personality and model. She is a former member of the successful pop group S Club, and launched a solo recording career in 2003, releasing seven singles and two albums in the UK between 2003 and 2005...
. The group rose to fame by starring in their own BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television series, Miami 7
Miami 7
Miami 7 is a television series starring British pop group S Club 7. Thirteen episodes were produced and aired on CBBC from 8 April 1999 to 1 July 1999 During each episode, the members would perform one of the songs from their album S Club. All seven members of the band starred as themselves...
, in 1999. Over the five years they were together, S Club 7 had 4 UK No.1 singles, 1 UK No.1 album, a string of hits throughout Europe, including a top-ten single in the United States, Asia, Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, and Africa. They recorded a total of four studio albums, released eleven singles and went on to sell over seventeen million albums worldwide. Their first album, S Club
S Club (album)
S Club is the debut album by British pop group S Club 7. It was released by Polydor Records on October 4, 1999 worldwide. The album was primarily produced by StarGate, Absolute, Dufflebag Boys, Eliot Kennedy and Mike Percy...
, had a strong 1990s pop sound, similar to many artists of their time. However, through the course of their career, their musical approach changed to a more dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
and R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
sound which is heard mostly in their final album, Seeing Double
Seeing Double (album)
# Featured in the film Seeing Double# Love Ain't Gonna Wait for You was later covered by the group American Juniors.# The Greatest was originally sung by the group Scene 23...
.
The concept and brand of the group was created by Simon Fuller, who was also their manager through 19 Entertainment; they were signed to Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
. Their television series went on to last four series, seeing the group travel across the United States and eventually ending up in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain. It became popular in 100 different countries where the show was watched by over 90 million viewers. The show, which was a children's
Children's television series
Children's television series, are commercial television programs designed for, and marketed to children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run in the early evening, for the children that go to school...
sitcom, often mirrored real life events which had occurred in S Club, including the relationship of Hannah Spearritt and Paul Cattermole, as well as the eventual departure from the group of the latter.
As well as the popularity of their television series, S Club 7 won two BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
—in 2000 for British breakthrough act and in 2002, for best British single. In 2001, the group earned the Record of the Year
The Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is an award voted by the UK public. For many years it was given in conjunction with television programmes of the same name...
award. Their song "Reach" was used in the arcade dance game EZ2Dancer
EZ2Dancer
EZ2Dancer is a series of dance video games developed by the Korean video game company Amuseworld. The gameplay of the series is similar to other dance simulation games, but unlike most games of their genre, EZ2Dancer incorporates both hand sensors and foot sensors into gameplay.-Gameplay:The core...
in "EZ 2 Dancer UK Move". Group member Paul Cattermole departed the group in 2002, and the group changed its name from S Club 7 to simply S Club. Their penultimate single reached number-five in the UK charts, and their final studio album failed to make the top ten.
After Cattermole's departure, the group fought many rumours presuming that they were about to split. However, on April 21, 2003, during a live onstage performance, S Club announced that they were to disband. After a five year split, it was announced in October 2008 that O'Meara, Cattermole and McIntosh are to perform a mini-reunion tour. The tour currently consists of a series of university and nightclub gigs, where they perform a setlist consisting of a selection of songs from their Greatest Hits album.
Formation (1997–98)
Simon FullerSimon Fuller
Simon Fuller is a British artist manager, television producer and creator of the Idol franchise, first seen as Pop Idol in the UK. Fuller is also the co-creator and executive producer of the Fox TV reality show So You Think You Can Dance and other U.S...
claims to have chanced upon the concept of S Club 7 the day after he was fired by the Spice Girls in 1997. The group came together after auditioning from over 10,000 hopefuls; Stevens was the only member of the band who did not audition to gain admittance into the group. Instead, two producers from 19 Management approached her and asked her to go into the studio to record a demo tape for Fuller. Both O'Meara and Cattermole were spotted by producers from 19 and asked to audition. After the auditions had been advertised in The Stage
The Stage
The Stage is a weekly British newspaper founded in 1880, available nationally and published on Thursdays. Covering all areas of the entertainment industry but focused primarily on theatre, it contains news, reviews, opinion, features and other items of interest, mainly to those who work within the...
, Lee, Spearritt, Barrett and McIntosh auditioned. After some final adjustments, including the removal of three original members, S Club 7 were formed.
Once the final line-up was decided, they flew to Italy to become acquainted with each other. Speaking about this first meeting, Stevens remarked that the group "felt comfortable with each other from the beginning". Several members of the band have since stated that the 'S' in S Club 7 stands for Simon, after the band's creator, although the official line has always been ambiguous.
S Club and Miami 7 (1999–2000)
S Club 7 first came to public attention in 1999, when they starred in their own television series, Miami 7Miami 7
Miami 7 is a television series starring British pop group S Club 7. Thirteen episodes were produced and aired on CBBC from 8 April 1999 to 1 July 1999 During each episode, the members would perform one of the songs from their album S Club. All seven members of the band starred as themselves...
. The show first aired on CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
and was a children's sitcom based on the lives of the group who had moved to Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
in search of fame in America. The show was also launched in the United States, airing on Fox Family, and later on ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
; it was retitled S Club 7 in Miami for American audiences. The show eventually celebrated worldwide success and was watched by 90 million viewers in over 100 different countries. The group also filmed two specials between the first two series of their show. The first, Back to the '50s
Back to the '50s
Back to the '50s was the first TV movie from the British pop group S Club 7. It first aired 1999 and was produced for CITV. In this movie, the cast proceeds with their long drive from Miami to Los Angeles - when they suddenly find themselves in the 1950s, having travelled back in time.-Plot:When...
—which aired on CITV
CITV
CITV is a British television channel from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive, as well as commissions and acquisitions. CITV itself is the programming block on the main ITV Network .The CITV channel broadcasts from 06:00 to 18:00...
, instead of CBBC—told the story of how the group found themselves back in 1959. In the second TV special, Boyfriends & Birthdays, Stevens' boyfriend gave her an ultimatum of staying with him or remaining with the band.
Within the television series, and the parallel branding, each member of S Club 7 had their own character, which contained exaggerated forms of their real life counterparts as well as their own identifiable "S Club colour". Hannah Spearritt, for example, had an "S Club colour" of yellow which, as Spearritt describes, mirrors her own personality: "bright and happy". Similar characterisation, and format for their show, was more notably seen in the American series The Monkees
The Monkees (TV series)
The Monkees is an American situation comedy that aired on NBC from September 1966 to March 1968. The series follows the adventures of four young men trying to make a name for themselves as rock 'n roll singers. The show introduced a number of innovative new-wave film techniques to series...
and US media reported that S Club 7 were "The Monkees for the next generation". However, Joel Andryc—the vice president of the Fox Family Channel—stated that Miami 7 is "far more relationship driven" than The Monkees, and that "kids today are more sophisticated". In 2007, Canadian network TVtropolis
TVtropolis
TVtropolis is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Shaw Media and Rogers Media.The channel operates two time shifted feeds: East and West .-Programming:...
aired a series called "TV Match Up" which pitted classic television shows against each other; one particular episode featured The Monkees versus S Club 7.
Following on from Miami 7, S Club 7 released the theme music to the show as their debut single on 9 June 1999. The up-tempo "Bring It All Back
Bring it All Back
"Bring It All Back" is the debut single by British pop group S Club 7. It was co-written by S Club 7, Eliot Kennedy, Mike Percy and Tim Lever for the group's debut album S Club, which was released in 1999. Kennedy, Percy and Lever also produced the song, which received a mixed reception from music...
" reached number-one in the United Kingdom
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
singles charts, and after selling more than 300,000 copies, was made BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
certified Platinum. Commenting on the chart position of "Bring It All Back", the group felt "nervous and on-edge" before they discovered they had reached number one. Once they had received the phone call from the record company, the band celebrated the news with "cheers, shouting and crying".
The group's success escalated and much like Fuller's marketing campaign for the Spice Girls, they were set to become a "marketable commodity". As evidence for this, global toy manufacturer Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
agreed upon an exclusive licensing agreement with 19 Management which included worldwide rights in the fashion doll category; singing S Club 7 dolls were later released onto the market. An official magazine, fan club, and accompanying Miami 7 scrapbook were also launched furthering 19 Management's corporate aim.
Over the course of the year, the group enjoyed more success in the charts after their second single, "S Club Party
S Club Party
"S Club Party" is a dance-pop song written by Mikkel Eriksen, Hallgeir Rustan and Tor Erik Hermansen for S Club 7's debut album S Club . Released in the UK on 20 September 1999, the song was produced and written by Stargate and received a mixed reception from music critics...
", entered the UK charts at number-two and went straight to number-one in New Zealand. Their third single was a double A-side and featured the ballad, co-written by Cathy Dennis
Cathy Dennis
Cathy Dennis is a British dance-oriented pop singer-songwriter, record producer and actress...
, "Two in a Million
Two in a Million/You're My Number One
"Two in a Million/"You're My Number One" is a double-A-side single, released as the third single by S Club 7. It was first released on 13 December 1999. It made its debut at number 5 in the run up to Christmas selling almost 100,000 and peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart the following year...
" and retro-styled, up-tempo "You're My Number One
Two in a Million/You're My Number One
"Two in a Million/"You're My Number One" is a double-A-side single, released as the third single by S Club 7. It was first released on 13 December 1999. It made its debut at number 5 in the run up to Christmas selling almost 100,000 and peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart the following year...
". The former was the first single where O'Meara took leads vocals, setting the standard for future S Club 7 releases; the single also reached number-two in the UK charts
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. Following the success of their television show and released singles, the group released their debut album S Club
S Club (album)
S Club is the debut album by British pop group S Club 7. It was released by Polydor Records on October 4, 1999 worldwide. The album was primarily produced by StarGate, Absolute, Dufflebag Boys, Eliot Kennedy and Mike Percy...
in October 1999. The album quickly rose to number-two in the UK charts
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, and then became certified Double Platinum. The album consisted of a variety of styles including motown and salsa
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
tracks.
Due to the increasing demand for the group with gruelling schedules including spending over thirteen weeks in America filming the first series of their show and their subsequent television specials, the members often felt that the travelling back and forth from the UK and the US was "perhaps more tiring than what we were actually going out to America to do". Paul Cattermole once commented that the speed of the schedule sometimes caused a "kind of dreamscape in your head", as the group often felt "jetlagged and tired". On top of the filming schedules, the group often performed at high profile pop music festivals such as Party in the Park
Party in the Park
Party in the Park is the generic name given to music concerts organised by various radio stations and local authorities in England and Wales, typically in large parks during the summer.-Leeds' Party in the Park:...
where they performed for 100,000 fans. The intensity of the schedule would be a constant battle for the group and was going to continue to take its toll for all the years S Club 7 were together. In spite of this, the group always remained in solidarity that they were all good friends, "cared for each other a lot" and supported each other through difficult times in the group.
7 and L.A. 7 (2000–01)
In February 2000, the group won the 'British Breakthrough Act' award at the 2000 BRIT Awards. In April 2000, S Club's second TV series, L.A. 7L.A. 7
L.A. 7 was the second series in the BBC television series starring British pop group S Club 7. The programme was shown every week on CBBC from April 6, 2000 to July 6, 2000 and starred all seven members of the band as themselves...
(renamed S Club 7 in L.A. in the US), was released. The series saw the group depart from Miami and move to Los Angeles to seek a record deal. It introduced the song "Reach
Reach (S Club 7 song)
"Reach" is a song by S Club 7, released as a single on 22 May 2000. "Reach" is an up-tempo track co-written by Cathy Dennis and Andrew Todd .. The lyrics were probably inspired by a Shirley Bassey double A-side of "Reach For The Stars" and "Climb Every Mountain" although the song itself sounds...
", another retro-styled uptempo track, which was co-written by Cathy Dennis and aired as the main theme tune to the second series.
"Reach" was released as a single in May 2000 and reached number-two in the UK charts. It arguably became one of the group's most successful singles, paving the way for the group's second album, 7
7 (S Club 7 album)
7 is the second album by British pop group S Club 7. It was released by Polydor Records on 12 June 2000, and 14 November 2000 in North America. The album was primarily produced by Cathy Dennis and Simon Ellis...
which was released on 12 June 2000. This album was a departure from the overtly pop stylings of S Club
S Club (album)
S Club is the debut album by British pop group S Club 7. It was released by Polydor Records on October 4, 1999 worldwide. The album was primarily produced by StarGate, Absolute, Dufflebag Boys, Eliot Kennedy and Mike Percy...
, with tracks styled more towards R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
than the traditional nineties pop sound of their debut album. It reached number-one in the UK charts
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
becoming certified Triple Platinum, and a certified Gold record in the US. The second single from the album, '"Natural
Natural (S Club 7 song)
"Natural" by S Club 7, was released as a single on 11 September 2000. It is a slow R&B oriented ballad with Rachel Stevens singing lead vocals. The track was written by Cathy Dennis and A. Todd...
", featured Stevens as lead vocalist. It reached number-three in September 2000.
S Club 7 took an active part in promoting several different charities during their time as a band. As well as performing for Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
, the band launched, on 25 September 2000, a new television series called S Club 7 Go Wild! which saw each band member support an endangered species. Teaming up with the World Wildlife Fund
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
, each member travelled to different destinations worldwide with a hope to raise awareness about the seven endangered creatures, including the Siberian Tiger and the Hyacinth Macaw
Hyacinth Macaw
The Hyacinth Macaw , or Hyacinthine Macaw, is a parrot native to central and eastern South America. With a length of about 100 cm it is longer than any other species of parrot...
. In October 2000, they launched the annual Poppy Appeal Campaign with Dame Thora Hird
Thora Hird
Dame Thora Hird DBE was an English actress.-Early life and career:Hird was born in the Lancashire seaside town of Morecambe. She first appeared on stage at the age of two months in a play her father was managing...
and supported Woolworth's
Woolworths Group
Woolworths Group plc was a listed British company that owned the high-street retail chain, Woolworths, as well as other brands such as the entertainment distributor Entertainment UK and book and resource distributor Bertram Books...
Kids First Campaign throughout 1999 and 2000. The group also recorded vocals for "It's Only Rock 'N' Roll", which raised money for Children's Promise, an alliance of seven children's charities: Barnardo's
Barnardo's
Barnardo's is a British charity founded by Thomas John Barnardo in 1866, to care for vulnerable children and young people. As of 2010, it spends over £190 million each year on more than 400 local services aimed at helping these same groups...
, Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
, ChildLine
ChildLine
ChildLine is a free 24 hour counselling service for children and young people up to 18 in the UK provided by the NSPCC. ChildLine deals with any issue which causes distress or concern, common issues dealt with include child abuse, bullying, parental separation or divorce, pregnancy and substance...
, The Children's Society
The Children's Society
The Children's Society, formally The Church of England Children's Society, is a UK charity allied to the Church of England and driven by a belief that all children deserve a good childhood.-History:...
, Comic Relief
Comic Relief
Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
, NCH
NCH
Action for Children is a national children’s charity in the United Kingdom that supports and speaks out for the most vulnerable and neglected children, young people, families and their communities....
and the NSPCC
NSPCC
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children is a United Kingdom charity campaigning and working in child protection.-History:...
. A cover of the Rolling Stones song, the group contributed to the vocals alongside many popular artists, including Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
, Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Jane Imbruglia is an Australian singer-songwriter, model and actress. In the early 1990s, Imbruglia was known to audiences as Beth Brennan in the popular Australian soap Neighbours. Three years after leaving the programme, Imbruglia launched a singing career with the international hit,...
and the Spice Girls; it entered the UK charts at number-nineteen.
In November 2000, S Club 7 were invited to provide the official song for the UK's BBC Children in Need Campaign 2000, so a new song, the ballad "Never Had a Dream Come True
Never Had a Dream Come True
"Never Had a Dream Come True" is a song by S Club 7, released as a single on 27 November 2000. It was chosen to be the official 2000 BBC Children in Need song. The song was a great success in the UK, where it became the group's second #1 single on the UK Singles Chart and becoming the ninth...
", was recorded. After topping the UK charts in December 2000, the song was added to a re-release of the 7
7 (S Club 7 album)
7 is the second album by British pop group S Club 7. It was released by Polydor Records on 12 June 2000, and 14 November 2000 in North America. The album was primarily produced by Cathy Dennis and Simon Ellis...
album, along with another new track, a cover of Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
's "Lately".
Sunshine and Hollywood 7 (2001–02)
"Never Had a Dream Come True" had marked a more mature direction for the group whilst still retaining their pop sensibilities, a direction which continued into their third studio album, Sunshine. The album contained what was to become one of S Club's most popular tracks, "Don't Stop Movin'Don't Stop Movin' (S Club 7 song)
"Don't Stop Movin" is a song by S Club 7, released as a single on 23 April 2001.S Club 7 recorded the song in early 2001 after they finished making their second album, 7, with their regular songwriter, Simon Ellis, and Shep Solomon, who had worked on hits in the 90s by Eternal, Michelle Gayle etc...
". The song was released in April 2001, marked a high point for the group as the single went straight to number-one, went Platinum and became the seventh best selling single of 2001
2001 in music
See also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band....
. McIntosh, who takes lead vocals with O'Meara in the track, said he was "nervous" about taking lead vocals and was worried how people would react. However, after the song went in at number-one, he felt as though he was "supported by the fans" and his fears were alleviated. McIntosh also remarked that the single had broken new ground for the group, and Cattermole thought it to be their "best song by miles". The group won the Record of the Year
The Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is an award voted by the UK public. For many years it was given in conjunction with television programmes of the same name...
award for the song, and in February 2002, the single won the group their second BRIT Award for best British single. The song has since been covered by The Beautiful South
The Beautiful South
The Beautiful South were an English alternative rock group formed at the end of the 1980s by two former members of Hull group The Housemartins, Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway. The duo were initially joined by Sean Welch , Dave Stead and Dave Rotheray , all of whom stayed with the group throughout...
for their 2004 album Golddiggas, Headnodders and Pholk Songs
Golddiggas, Headnodders and Pholk Songs
Golddiggas, Headnodders and Pholk Songs is the ninth and penultimate album by The Beautiful South released in 2004. It is almost entirely a covers album; the track "This Old Skin" was originally claimed to be by an obscure band called The Heppelbaums but was in fact the only original track on the...
, as well as by Starsailor
Starsailor (band)
Starsailor is an English post-britpop band, formed in Leigh, Warrington and Greater Manchester. By 2009, they had four charting albums and ten Top 40 singles in the UK since 2001.-Early history:...
who recorded it for BBC Radio 1's
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
Live Lounge
Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio station BBC Radio 1. Originally hosted by Jo Whiley on her mid-morning radio show and now hosted by Fearne Cotton, it exhibits well-known artists usually performing one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format...
.
By spring 2001, the group were "desperate" to start touring; it was something which they had always wanted to do, but couldn't because things were "always so hectic". After spending most of early 2001 rehearsing, the S Club Party 2001 tour began on 19 May 2001. Describing the tour, Stevens remarked that seeing a crowd of over 13,000 fans each night coming to see them was "such an unbelievable feeling", and the other members of the group shared an "adrenaline rush" as well as a wave of emotion before going on stage. Once the tour was over, the group had to fly back to the United States in order to film the third series of their television show, Hollywood 7
Hollywood 7
Hollywood 7 was the third series in the BBC television series starring British pop group S Club 7 and the second television series shot in California. The programme was shown every week on CBBC from September 25, 2001 and December 20, 2001 and starred all seven members of the band as themselves...
. This third series, which was still set in Los Angeles, was the group's favourite to film because they had more acting experience and could "drop their shoulders" and start to enjoy themselves. The group, however, had to continuously cope with intense schedules and early starts whilst recording for the programme, something which, although the group felt "laid back" about it at the time, was to eventually take its toll and lead to the demise of the band.
Hollywood 7 began airing in September 2001 and dealt with the issue of an on-screen kiss between Spearritt and Cattermole, who had begun dating in real life. Their relationship, which was kept secret for six months, was well received by the band who claimed it had made them all closer as friends. Hollywood 7 aired alongside a new CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
reality show, S Club Search, which invited children to extend the S Club brand and audition to form a younger version of the band. The new group were to be chosen to sing and dance on tour with S Club 7 on their future S Club 7 Carnival 2002 tour. The eight children who went on to form the band named themselves S Club Juniors
S Club 8
S Club 8, previously known as S Club Juniors, was a spin-off of the UK pop group S Club 7. The group's members, Jay Asforis, Daisy Evans, Calvin Goldspink, Stacey McClean, Aaron Renfree, Hannah Richings, Rochelle Wiseman and Frankie Sandford, were all in their early teens or younger when they were...
and had six top ten UK hits.
The effects of the group's charity single, "Never Had a Dream Come True", were felt when the group handed over £200,000 to Children in Need, from the sales of the CD after the release of "Don't Stop Movin'" in April 2001. As a result, S Club 7 were invited back and asked to record a second consecutive Children in Need single, in November 2001. It was decided that "Have You Ever
Have You Ever (S Club 7 song)
"Have You Ever" was a single released by UK pop group, S Club 7 on 19 November 2001. Following the success of the 2000 Children in Need track, "Never Had a Dream Come True", the BBC asked S Club 7 to perform the 2001 track for the charity too. "Have You Ever" was co-written by Cathy Dennis, A....
", a song co-written by Chris Braide
Chris Braide
Christopher Braide is an English singer, songwriter, record producer published by Sony/ATV worldwide based in Los Angeles.Producer, Songwriter and Ivor Novello ASCAP and Billboard award winner Christopher Braide has achieved considerable success as a songwriter in the UK and the US. His songs have...
and Cathy Dennis, was to be released for the charity campaign. After the success of the previous year's single, the performance on the night featured many primary school children who had pre-recorded their own versions of the chorus. The band felt "overjoyed" that they could, once again, contribute to the Children in Need campaign, feeling that it meant a lot to them to be involved and feeling privileged to be able to help; they also commented that it was nice for British school children to be involved in raising money for charity. The single was another success for the group and became their fourth number-one, as well as the 21st biggest selling single of 2001.
In January 2002, S Club 7 embarked upon their second arena tour, S Club 7 Carnival 2002, which aimed to please fans by stylising their songs to fit with a carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
-like theme with music styles from different countries of the world. Speaking about the tour, McIntosh described it as "older show", a change from S Club Party 2001, which was "more like bubblegum", with Paul Cattermole comparing 2001's "theatrical" tour with the Carnival tour as a more "glitzy, concert stage". The tour was generally well received by the children's media, describing the show as "diverse" and "dazzling", whereas the group was criticised by the broadsheets as being "like a compilation of toddler-friendly Eurovision entries" although conceding that it was a "slick, decent-value show". Cattermole was also criticised when he was dubbed overweight and a "heavy-footed dancer".
After the success of their last three singles, all of which had made it to number-one, S Club 7 failed to top the charts when they released their ninth single, "You
You (S Club 7 song)
"You" was the 9th single released by UK pop group, S Club 7 on 11 February 2002. The track was a very uptempo-retro number reminiscent of the group's third single "You're My Number One". The video was set in the 1950s and is described in the BeSt CD booklet as the "candyfloss-bright,...
"; it reached number-two in the UK. The single, which was described as a "candyfloss-bright, tongue-in-cheek 50s pastiche", was to be Paul Cattermole's last single with the band and led the way for a series of events that was to unravel S Club 7's time at the top of the charts, which would ultimately cause the band to split.
Seeing Double, Viva S Club, Movie and Split (2002–03)
In March 2002, Paul Cattermole told The SunThe Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
newspaper that it was time for him to "move on" from the group and he wanted to go back to his "rock roots", which heralded back to the time he was part of a nu metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
band formed with his old school friends. Talking about his former musical venture three months before he left S Club 7, Cattermole described the band—who had been called Skua—as having a "Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
vibe" as well as comparing their style to Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
. Cattermole's resignation came as Skua had decided to reform, and he found it a perfect time to make the transition back from pop to rock as S Club 7's record contracts were up for renewal. Cattermole stayed with the band until June 2002, featuring in five out of thirteen episodes of the group's final television series, Viva S Club, and performing his final concert with the group for Party at the Palace
Party at the Palace
The Party at the Palace was a pop concert held in London in 2002. The event was in commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II held over the Golden Jubilee Weekend 1 -4 June 2002. The concert itself was held at Buckingham Palace Garden on 3 June 2002...
, which was part of Queen Elizabeth II's
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II
The Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II was the international celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Elizabeth II to the thrones of seven countries, upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, and was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50...
celebrations.
After Cattermole's departure, vowing to not disband, the remaining six members stayed together under the name S Club. Despite losing a member of the group, the future remained positive as, although they were very sad to see Cattermole leave the group, they were "delighted" to have extended their contracts meaning they could look forward to new material, a new series of their television show as well as their first feature film. However, media reports of the time weren't so optimistic stating that, as neither the Spice Girls nor Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
had survived once they lost a member of their group, it would be difficult for S Club to remain together in an industry which has a "horrible habit of leaving bands in tatters once the first member has left". After only peaking at number-five in the UK charts with their first single as a six, S Club's positivism was diminished.
Although their progressive musical style was once again furthered with the release of their fourth studio album, Seeing Double
Seeing Double (album)
# Featured in the film Seeing Double# Love Ain't Gonna Wait for You was later covered by the group American Juniors.# The Greatest was originally sung by the group Scene 23...
, it failed to make an impact on the UK charts, stalling at number-seventeen. S Club's time at the top of the charts was slowly coming to an end, and when O'Meara announced that she had an immobilising back condition which could have left her in a wheelchair, and she was unable to take part in television performances, the group was left devastated.
In April 2003, S Club released their first feature film, Seeing Double, directed by music-video director Nigel Dick
Nigel Dick
Nigel Dick is an English music video and film director, writer and musician based in Los Angeles, California. He directed the Band Aid video "Do They Know It's Christmas?", as well as over 300 other music videos.Nigel Dick should not be confused with the Australian Dr...
, which was to be the last time the group would be seen on-screen together. Unlike its television predecessors, the film moved into the realm of children's
Children's film
A children's film is a film aimed for children as its audience. As opposed to a family film, no special effort is made to make the film attractive for other audiences. The film may or may not be about children. In Unshrinking the Kids: Children's Cinema and the Family Film which is a chapter in In...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
, and saw the group fighting evil scientist Victor Gaghan in his quest to clone the world's pop stars. The film's release was marked by many rumours that the group were about to split, which were quickly denied by the six. However, ten days after the release of their movie, the rumours were confirmed when it was announced live on stage—during their S Club United tour on 21 April 2003 — that, after a final single and greatest hits album, S Club would part ways. The band cited a mutual split, expressing it was simply a time "to move on and face new challenges". Many fans felt "betrayed" and "disappointed" by the breakup, as well as "angry" due to the group denying rumours only two weeks before at the Seeing Double premiere. Many compared the demise of the group to that of fellow pop band Steps, as they too had denied their intentions until the moment before their split, after which they were accused of acting out of "greed and cynicism". Since the split, the members of S Club have commented on how exhausting being in the band was, due to hectic schedules and long filming days. Although confirming the split "wasn't a final straw", Spearritt has remarked that the group had felt it appropriate wanting to do their own thing; she had constantly felt "drained" whilst with S Club.
The final single was a double A-side, coupling "Love Ain't Gonna Wait for You", from their fourth album Seeing Double, with a new ballad, "Say Goodbye". Returning to the style of their first single, "Say Goodbye" saw vocals shared around the group. The single reached number-two in the UK, beaten to the top spot by R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
's "Ignition (Remix)", and was included on S Club's greatest hits album, Best: The Greatest Hits of S Club 7, released in June 2003. This compilation brought together the group's releases with a previously unreleased track, "Everybody Get Pumped" and 7
7 (S Club 7 album)
7 is the second album by British pop group S Club 7. It was released by Polydor Records on 12 June 2000, and 14 November 2000 in North America. The album was primarily produced by Cathy Dennis and Simon Ellis...
track "Bring the House Down". The album reached number-two in the United Kingdom. S Club eventually disbanded after the release of "Say Goodbye" on 26 May 2003.
On 27 April 2003, it was reported that Spearritt's parents had hired lawyers to chase payments owed to them by Simon Fuller and his management company. They claimed that out of the €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
75 million fortune the band made for Fuller, they only received €150,000 a year of it. There was also controversy when the band had to travel economy class to America and when Fuller did not turn up for the premiere of Seeing Double. The criticism put to Fuller was similar of that in 1997 when the Spice Girls fired him for being too controlling.
After the group split up, the S Club Juniors
S Club 8
S Club 8, previously known as S Club Juniors, was a spin-off of the UK pop group S Club 7. The group's members, Jay Asforis, Daisy Evans, Calvin Goldspink, Stacey McClean, Aaron Renfree, Hannah Richings, Rochelle Wiseman and Frankie Sandford, were all in their early teens or younger when they were...
rebranded to "S Club 8", and went on to film CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
show I Dream
I Dream
I Dream is a British children's musical television comedy programme aimed at and mostly about teenagers, which aired in 2004 . It was set at an esteemed performing arts college near Barcelona, Spain, and focuses on thirteen youths who are invited to enrol at the college, Avalon Heights, over the...
, releasing their third studio album under the same name. The group disbanded in 2005.
Post 2003 appearances and Rumored 2012 reunion
Although all seven members have never been on stage together since their breakup, the group have been seen to support each other throughout their later careers, such as to support Jon Lee in Les MisérablesLes Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
. Rachel Stevens and Jo O'Meara were photographed together during 2005 university tours, while Bradley McIntosh and Paul Cattermole have been nightclub DJs together and even performed renditions of "Reach".
In March 2011 Jo stated on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
that all seven members would be reunited for the first time since 2002. On 29 March 2011 the group all went to see Jon play in Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is a documentary-style musical, based on one of the most successful 1960s rock 'n roll groups, the Four Seasons...
on stage. They posed for photos afterwards.
On November 29, 2011 it was revealed by several publications, that S Club had hopes to reunite in 2012 for a possible tour.
Controversy
On 20 March 2001, Cattermole, Lee and McIntosh were caught with cannabisCannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
in London's Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
; they were cautioned by police at Charing Cross Police Station
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
and released without charge. After the event, they released a public apology stating they were "very stupid" and "very sorry", admitting to having made a "stupid mistake". At the time, BT
BT Group
BT Group plc is a global telecommunications services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is one of the largest telecommunications services companies in the world and has operations in more than 170 countries. Through its BT Global Services division it is a major supplier of...
and Cadbury
Cadbury Schweppes
Cadbury is a confectionery company owned by Kraft Foods and is the industry's second-largest globally after Mars, Incorporated. Headquartered in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom, the company operates in more than 50 countries worldwide....
, who had sponsorship deals with S Club 7, said they were "very disappointed" to learn of the caution but said they would keep their contracts with the band. However, cereal firm Quaker Oats
Quaker Oats Company
The Quaker Oats Company is an American food conglomerate based in Chicago. It has been owned by Pepsico since 2001.-History:Quaker Oats was founded in 1901 by the merger of four oat mills:...
ended talks with 19 Entertainment after learning of the police caution. It was rumoured that merchandising company PMS International were to take out an £800,000 lawsuit against the band for declining sales as a direct result of the drugs scandal. However, this came to nothing and any doubts over the future of sponsorship ended when Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
signed the band up less than a month after the drugs caution.
Musical style
The style of music S Club 7 normally falls under is pop, or more specifically bubblegum popBubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
, as well as manufactured pop. This is certainly the case for their first album, S Club
S Club (album)
S Club is the debut album by British pop group S Club 7. It was released by Polydor Records on October 4, 1999 worldwide. The album was primarily produced by StarGate, Absolute, Dufflebag Boys, Eliot Kennedy and Mike Percy...
where simple lyrics, three-chord structures and danceable beats define it so. Their first two singles saw vocals shared equally amongst the seven members of the group, and it was not until their third single, "Two in a Million
Two in a Million/You're My Number One
"Two in a Million/"You're My Number One" is a double-A-side single, released as the third single by S Club 7. It was first released on 13 December 1999. It made its debut at number 5 in the run up to Christmas selling almost 100,000 and peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart the following year...
" that O'Meara became known as their lead vocalist. Although the band were to progressively change their style over the four years they were together, even their first album had many tracks atypical of the pop genre: "You're My Number One
Two in a Million/You're My Number One
"Two in a Million/"You're My Number One" is a double-A-side single, released as the third single by S Club 7. It was first released on 13 December 1999. It made its debut at number 5 in the run up to Christmas selling almost 100,000 and peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart the following year...
" and "Everybody Wants Ya" were motown driven whereas "Viva La Fiesta" and "It's A Feel Good Thing", were both "bouncy, salsa-driven Latino songs".
Over the years, their style and direction changed progressively with each new album. Their second album 7
7 (S Club 7 album)
7 is the second album by British pop group S Club 7. It was released by Polydor Records on 12 June 2000, and 14 November 2000 in North America. The album was primarily produced by Cathy Dennis and Simon Ellis...
, had songs which had styles far removed from the traditional pop songs rival pop bands of the nineties were releasing. With the release of "Natural
Natural (S Club 7 song)
"Natural" by S Club 7, was released as a single on 11 September 2000. It is a slow R&B oriented ballad with Rachel Stevens singing lead vocals. The track was written by Cathy Dennis and A. Todd...
" in 2000, S Club 7 showcased a new, R&B-lite sound. The release of their third album, Sunshine, gave audiences their biggest change: the album contained tracks such as the disco-influenced, "Don't Stop Movin'
Don't Stop Movin' (S Club 7 song)
"Don't Stop Movin" is a song by S Club 7, released as a single on 23 April 2001.S Club 7 recorded the song in early 2001 after they finished making their second album, 7, with their regular songwriter, Simon Ellis, and Shep Solomon, who had worked on hits in the 90s by Eternal, Michelle Gayle etc...
" and the R&B ballad, "Show Me Your Colours". The album marked a more mature approach for the band.
With the departure of Cattermole, S Club released their fourth and final album, Seeing Double
Seeing Double (album)
# Featured in the film Seeing Double# Love Ain't Gonna Wait for You was later covered by the group American Juniors.# The Greatest was originally sung by the group Scene 23...
which contained many songs with styles not yet explored by the group. The group released "Alive" which was a "power-packed dance floor filler", a style which matched that of their final single "Love Ain't Gonna Wait for You". The album also contained many other dance tracks and songs far removed from their original bubblegum pop stylings, such as the "sex for the CBBC generation" in "Hey Kitty Kitty". Although, in one review, referring to "Gangsta Love", "S Club's spiritual home is the suburban disco, not urban underground clubs, and their attempt to go garage on "Gangsta Love" ends up amusing rather than authentic".
Throughout their releases, S Club 7 always kept their original pop roots, with songs such as "Reach
Reach (S Club 7 song)
"Reach" is a song by S Club 7, released as a single on 22 May 2000. "Reach" is an up-tempo track co-written by Cathy Dennis and Andrew Todd .. The lyrics were probably inspired by a Shirley Bassey double A-side of "Reach For The Stars" and "Climb Every Mountain" although the song itself sounds...
", "You
You (S Club 7 song)
"You" was the 9th single released by UK pop group, S Club 7 on 11 February 2002. The track was a very uptempo-retro number reminiscent of the group's third single "You're My Number One". The video was set in the 1950s and is described in the BeSt CD booklet as the "candyfloss-bright,...
" and "Say Goodbye"
S Club franchise
Fuller has created several S Club 7 spin-offs since the group's official disbandment. "S Club Limited" appeared as a credit on the TV series.Four series of their TV show (Miami 7
Miami 7
Miami 7 is a television series starring British pop group S Club 7. Thirteen episodes were produced and aired on CBBC from 8 April 1999 to 1 July 1999 During each episode, the members would perform one of the songs from their album S Club. All seven members of the band starred as themselves...
, LA 7, Hollywood 7
Hollywood 7
Hollywood 7 was the third series in the BBC television series starring British pop group S Club 7 and the second television series shot in California. The programme was shown every week on CBBC from September 25, 2001 and December 20, 2001 and starred all seven members of the band as themselves...
and Viva S Club
Viva S Club
Viva S Club was the fourth and final series in the BBC television series starring British pop group S Club. This was the only series that was not filmed in America, filming, instead, in Barcelona, Spain. The programme was shown every week on CBBC from 20 September 2002 to 27 December 2002 and...
) depicted the group and their quest for stardom. There were also 4 specials: Back to the 50's, Boyfriends & Birthdays, Artistic Differences and "Christmas Special".
S Club TV was an S Club 7 spin-off that broadcast on CITV
CITV
CITV is a British television channel from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive, as well as commissions and acquisitions. CITV itself is the programming block on the main ITV Network .The CITV channel broadcasts from 06:00 to 18:00...
. The show followed a magazine-style format with interactive elements and launched the careers of some now famous celebrities: Holly Willoughby
Holly Willoughby
Holly Marie Willoughby is an English television presenter and model, known for her work in presenting children's TV and entertainment shows. In her early career she modelled underwear and went on to present CD:UK...
, Kelly Beckett
Kelly Beckett
Kelly Beckett is an English professional actress, musician, host, model, dancer and DJ. She is best known as a member of the musical group Paradiso Girls.-Early life:Beckett was born in Nottingham, England, of Barbadian heritage...
and Ben Barnes
Ben Barnes (actor)
Benjamin Thomas "Ben" Barnes is an English actor, best known for his portrayal of Caspian X in The Chronicles of Narnia films Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.-Early life and education:...
.
S Club Juniors, which later became S Club 8
S Club 8
S Club 8, previously known as S Club Juniors, was a spin-off of the UK pop group S Club 7. The group's members, Jay Asforis, Daisy Evans, Calvin Goldspink, Stacey McClean, Aaron Renfree, Hannah Richings, Rochelle Wiseman and Frankie Sandford, were all in their early teens or younger when they were...
, was formed in 2001 by the program S Club Search
S Club Search
S Club Search is a CBBC reality television show that documents the audition process and formation for the pop group S Club Juniors in 2001. The original concept was that the children would perform at Wembley as a support act to S Club 7 on their S Club 7 Carnival 2002 tour, but their appearance at...
on CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
.
In 2003, Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
released a feature film starring S Club 7. Originally slated for a Christmas 2002 release, Cattermole's departure necessitated a rewrite and delayed the film's production.
S Club 8 split up in 2005, ending the S Club Franchise.
S Club 3 2008–2012
From October 2008, the group started performing in pubs and clubs across Britain. This was shortly after Jo's son, Lenny was born. On 12 November 2008, a bottle was thrown at lead vocalist Jo during an S Club 3 performance in BradfordBradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
; it left her with a severe cut to the head, requiring treatment at a nearby Hospital. A 20-year old man was arrested, and the attack was thought to have something to do with her performance on Celebrity Big Brother
Celebrity Big Brother 2007 (UK)
Celebrity Big Brother 2007 was the highly controversial fifth series of the United Kingdom reality television series Celebrity Big Brother, a spin-off of Big Brother. The series was broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK , and involved a number of celebrities referred to as 'housemates', who live in the...
where nearly 50,000 complaints were received about her and two other female contestants' alleged racist bullying toward Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty
Shilpa Shetty
Shilpa Shetty is an Indian film actress and model. Since making her debut in the film Baazigar , she has appeared in nearly 40 Bollywood, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films, her first leading role being in the 1994 Aag. Although she has been through years of decline during her career, Shetty has been...
.
In late 2008, some sources stated that former S Club 7 bandmates, Tina Barrett
Tina Barrett
Tina Ann Barrett is a London based singer-songwriter and actress. Her major breakthrough came in 1999, at the age of 22 when she became a member of the pop group/band, S Club 7 where she enjoyed five years of hit singles, arena tours and awards.Barrett was born to an English father and Guyanese...
and Jon Lee
Jon Lee (entertainer)
Jonathan "Jon" Lee is an English singer and actor. Lee is best known as a former member of pop group S Club 7 who split in April 2003. He was the youngest member...
were to start touring with the group sometime in the following year. It was also stated that a new greatest hits album, Ain’t No Party: The Ultimate Collection of S Club 7 was set for release later the following year. Both of these rumours turned out to be false. Paul was absent from a gig at the Plug Club in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
in February 2009. On 12 November, S Club 3 turned on the Mansfield
Mansfield
Mansfield is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the main town in the Mansfield local government district. Mansfield is a part of the Mansfield Urban Area....
Christmas Lights. In early 2010, the group decided to take their gigs further. They booked some venues in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
for April. On 19 April 2010, S Club 3 were the headlining act at the Tottenham Carnival.
The group made an appearance at Gay Pride
Gay pride
LGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity...
s in Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
and Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
on the 21st August.
In January 2011, Jo and Bradley made several performances in Dublin without Paul. On 2 February 2011, Jo, Bradley and Paul played at Keele University
Keele University
Keele University is a campus university near Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as an experimental college dedicated to a broad curriculum and interdisciplinary study, Keele is most notable for pioneering the dual honours degree in Britain...
, followed by a guest appearance at Aberystwyth University on 20 February 2011. On 18 March 2011 they played to a sellout crowd at the University of Hull
University of Hull
The University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire...
. A move which saw local media refer to the show as "the comeback of the century" and "the best thing to happen to Hull since John Prescott
John Prescott
John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
starred in the Moneysupermarket.com Adverts"
On 1 April 2011, S Club 3 performed at Butlins, Bognor Regis to a crowd of over 3000.. Jo and Bradley performed without Paul, despite headlining as S Club 3, at Gay Pride in Belfast as part of the Union Street Party.
On 15 September Paul and Bradley performed at the University of Limerick Freshers Week, Jo was absent for this gig. On 19 September S Club 3 performed at the University of Leeds Freshers Week in addition to the Freshers Week at Glyndwr University, Wrexham on 30 September. All three were present.
On 13th October, S Club 3 performed at K2 Nightclub in Plymouth as part of the University of Plymouth student union. All three were present. They are scheduled to play at the University of Leicester
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....
on 19 October.
On 26th October all three preformed at the Box Night Club in Belfast.
Discography
Studio albums- S ClubS Club (album)S Club is the debut album by British pop group S Club 7. It was released by Polydor Records on October 4, 1999 worldwide. The album was primarily produced by StarGate, Absolute, Dufflebag Boys, Eliot Kennedy and Mike Percy...
(1999) - '7'7 (S Club 7 album)7 is the second album by British pop group S Club 7. It was released by Polydor Records on 12 June 2000, and 14 November 2000 in North America. The album was primarily produced by Cathy Dennis and Simon Ellis...
(2000) - Sunshine (2001)
- Seeing DoubleSeeing Double (album)# Featured in the film Seeing Double# Love Ain't Gonna Wait for You was later covered by the group American Juniors.# The Greatest was originally sung by the group Scene 23...
(2002)
Compilation albums
- Best: The Greatest Hits of S Club 7 (2003)
International only albums
- Don't Stop Movin'Don't Stop Movin' (album)Don't Stop Movin' is a US-only release from S Club. The album contains a combination of tracks from Sunshine and Seeing Double. It was released in December 2002. It failed to chart or produce any hit singles, following the top 10 success of "Never Had a Dream Come True"...
(2002)
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Miami 7 Miami 7 Miami 7 is a television series starring British pop group S Club 7. Thirteen episodes were produced and aired on CBBC from 8 April 1999 to 1 July 1999 During each episode, the members would perform one of the songs from their album S Club. All seven members of the band starred as themselves... |
Themselves | Series One |
| Back to the '50s Back to the '50s Back to the '50s was the first TV movie from the British pop group S Club 7. It first aired 1999 and was produced for CITV. In this movie, the cast proceeds with their long drive from Miami to Los Angeles - when they suddenly find themselves in the 1950s, having travelled back in time.-Plot:When... |
First special, shown on CITV CITV CITV is a British television channel from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive, as well as commissions and acquisitions. CITV itself is the programming block on the main ITV Network .The CITV channel broadcasts from 06:00 to 18:00... |
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| Boyfriends & Birthdays | Second special | ||
| The Greatest Store in the World The Greatest Store in the World The Greatest Store in the World is a book by Alex Shearer and later made into a telemovie which was broadcast on 24 December 1999. The story is told in flashback by Livvie , a bright young girl who is in police custody on Christmas Day... |
CBBC CBBC CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14... fantasy drama movie |
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| 2000 | L.A.7 | Second series | |
| S Club 7 Go Wild! S Club 7 Go Wild! S Club 7 Go Wild! was a television series starring British pop group S Club 7, who teamed up with the World Wildlife Fund to help raise awareness of the threats facing wildlife around the world. Each member adopted an endangered animal and travelled to their respective natural habitat in different... |
Documentary series | ||
| Artistic Differences | Third special | ||
| Christmas Special | Fourth special | ||
| 2001 | Hollywood 7 Hollywood 7 Hollywood 7 was the third series in the BBC television series starring British pop group S Club 7 and the second television series shot in California. The programme was shown every week on CBBC from September 25, 2001 and December 20, 2001 and starred all seven members of the band as themselves... |
Third series | |
| S Club Search S Club Search S Club Search is a CBBC reality television show that documents the audition process and formation for the pop group S Club Juniors in 2001. The original concept was that the children would perform at Wembley as a support act to S Club 7 on their S Club 7 Carnival 2002 tour, but their appearance at... |
Judges | Talent contest | |
| 2002 | Viva S Club Viva S Club Viva S Club was the fourth and final series in the BBC television series starring British pop group S Club. This was the only series that was not filmed in America, filming, instead, in Barcelona, Spain. The programme was shown every week on CBBC from 20 September 2002 to 27 December 2002 and... |
Themselves | Fourth and final series |
| 2002 | Don't Stop Moving | Interview and preparation of Carnival Tour (2002) | |
| 2003 | Seeing Double | Debute cinema movie | |
Tours
- S Club Party Tour (2001)
Introducing
1.Don't Stop Moving
2.You're My Number One
3.Friday Night
4.Our Time Has Come
5.Stand By You
6.Two In A Million
7.I Really Miss You
8.She's Out Of My Life (Cover Of Micheal Jackson Performing By Jon Lee)
9.You
10.Natural
11.Bring It All Back
12.Viva La Fiesta
13.Never Had A Dream Come True
Band Introduction
14.Bring The House Down
15.Love Train
16.Reach
17.S Club Party
S Club Party Rock Final
- Carnival Tour (2002)
Overture
1.S Club Party
2.Bring It All Back (Carnival Remix)
3.Good Times
4.You're My Number One
5.Friday Night
Thunderstrom Dancer Break
6.Sunshine
7.Show Me Your Colors
8.Never Had A Dream Come True
In The Club Interlude
9.Stronger
10.Bring The House Down
11.Dance Dance Dance
12.The Long and Winding Road (Cover Of The Beatles Performed By Jon Lee)
13.Have You Ever
14.Right Guy (Performing By S Club Boy)
Carnival Intro
15.Viva La Fiesta (Remix Tour)
16.You
17.Reach
ENCORE
18.Don't Stop Moving
19.Carnival Medley: Jamin'/Shake Your Body Down To The Ground/Hot Hot Hot
- S Club United (2003) - double-headlining tour with S Club 8S Club 8S Club 8, previously known as S Club Juniors, was a spin-off of the UK pop group S Club 7. The group's members, Jay Asforis, Daisy Evans, Calvin Goldspink, Stacey McClean, Aaron Renfree, Hannah Richings, Rochelle Wiseman and Frankie Sandford, were all in their early teens or younger when they were...
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Introduction
1.Alive
2.Do It Till We Drop
3.S Club Party (with S Club Juniors)
4.Never Had A Dream Come True
5.Dance
6.Bittersweet
7.Stuck On You (Jon Lee)
8.Have You Ever
9.Love Ain't Gonna Wait For You
10.Medley:Bring It All Back/You/Reach
11.Two In A Million
12.Who Do You Think You Are
13.Don't Stop Moving
14.Say Goodbye (After their split was announced)