Goodbye (Spice Girls song)

"Goodbye"
Single by Spice Girls
B-side "Christmas Wrapping"
Released 11 December 1998
Format
Recorded 15-18 July 1998
(Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre Pop
Length 4:44 (single version)
4:35 (album version)
4:20 (radio version)
4:14 (orchestral version)
Label Virgin
Writer(s)
Producer(s)
  • Richard Stannard
  • Matt Rowe
Spice Girls singles chronology
"Viva Forever"
(1998)		 "Goodbye"
(1998)		 "Holler"/"Let Love Lead the Way"
(2000)

"Goodbye" is a song recorded by British girl group Spice Girls. It was written by the Spice Girls, Richard Stannard and Matt Rowe, while it was produced by the latter two. The song became the group's first song without the vocals of Geri Halliwell. It was released by Virgin Records on 11 December 1998 as a Christmas single, along with the B-side, "Christmas Wrapping".

"Goodbye" was a commercial success, peaking at number one on the UK Singles Chart, and making the Spice Girls the first act to have three consecutive Christmas number-one singles since The Beatles.[1]

Background

"Goodbye" was originally written in 1997 with both Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard intending it to be on the Spiceworld album. However, due to time constraints it was not recorded by the Spice Girls at the time. While touring in America after the departure of Geri Halliwell, Stannard and Rowe flew to Nashville, Tennessee to meet the group and rewrite the song. The group put input on the song and recorded it.[2]

Release

"Goodbye" was released in a two-CD format (a standard single and a maxi single). The typical track listing internationally followed the UK track listing. In the U.S., the single was released as an EP and contained only the B-side, "Christmas Wrapping", which only featured vocals from Melanie C and Emma Bunton, and live versions of "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" and "We Are Family", which were recorded at their final concert at Wembley Stadium on September 20, 1998. The U.S. single also included a set of four stickers of the girls, portraying them as fairies, similar to their appearance in the music video of "Viva Forever". In November 2000, it was included on the group's third studio album, Forever.

Reception

Critical response
"Goodbye"
A sample of the song. This is the first song without Halliwell's vocals.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

A review of Sputnikmusic considered the song "very tasteful and emotionally sweeping,"[3] while Tania Kraines from BBC Music said "the heartbroken post-Geri 'Goodbye' provided the girls with their last really good single."[4] Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic said, "neither the production, songs, nor performances [of Forever] have much life to them, with the exception of the closer, Goodbye."

Chart performance

In the United Kingdom, the single became the group's eighth number-one single, topping the charts for one week, selling 380,000 in the first week. "Goodbye" got them into the records as the first act to have three consecutive Christmas number-one singles since the Beatles. As of December 2013, the song has sold 884,000 copies in the UK alone, becoming their fourth best-selling single.[1] In New Zealand, it debuted and peaked at number one for two weeks, their second consecutive number one after "Viva Forever", which also debuted and peaked at number one for two weeks. "Goodbye" was their third and final number one hit in New Zealand, with "Wannabe" in 1996 being the first. It was also their ninth consecutive top ten hit for the girls in that country. "Holler" would be their tenth.

The song debuted and peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100, with sales of 74,000 copies[5] at number four on the Hot 100 Singles Sales, and certified Gold for shipments of 600,000 copies[5]

Music video

The group as a four-piece, in the music video for "Goodbye".

The music video for the song was filmed at Mentmore Towers in Mentmore, Buckinghamshire on 1 and 2 November 1998. It opens with each of the girls in four different black cars: 1957 Cadillac Fleetwood 75, 1941 Cadillac Fleetwood 75, 1955 Imperial Newport, 1958 Imperial Crown, and white wolves running. They arrive at a castle and walk up the stairs arm-in-arm. When they enter there are frozen couples that the girls observe. The video also shows shots of each girl in a different setting with falling objects and then together as a group. The video ends with the ice melting off the people as they come back to life, then shows the shot of the girls entering in reverse to look like they are leaving.

Live performances

"Goodbye" was included on the setlist of Christmas In Spiceworld Tour in 1999. The song was performed at the 2000 BRIT Awards along with "Spice Up Your Life", "Say You'll Be There" and forthcoming single "Holler". During the ceremony the Spice Girls received an Award for Outstanding Contribution To The British Music Industry. It was also performed on the Royal Variety Performance, Live & Kicking, Pepsi Chart and Top of the Pops in 1998 to promote the single. Mel B and Victoria also appeared on TFI Friday to promote the single.

In 2007 and 2008, the song was performed on Return of the Spice Girls tour. Geri Halliwell sang the harmony with the rest of the girls. It was the only song recorded without her vocals that she participated in.

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Goodbye".

  1. "Goodbye" (radio edit) – 4:20
  2. "Christmas Wrapping" – 4:14
  3. "Goodbye" (orchestral version) – 4:14
  • U.S CD/Australian CD/Japanese CD single[7]
  1. "Goodbye" (full single version) – 4:47
  2. "Christmas Wrapping" – 4:14
  3. "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" (live) – 4:35
  4. "We Are Family" (live) – 3:22
  • UK CD 2
  1. "Goodbye" (single version) – 4:47
  2. "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" (live) – 4:22
  3. "We Are Family" (live) – 3:35
  • Malaysia, Indonesia & Taiwan EP
  1. "Goodbye" (full single version) – 4:47
  2. "Christmas Wrapping" – 4:14
  3. "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" (live) – 4:22
  4. "We Are Family" (live) – 3:35
  5. "Goodbye" (orchestral version) – 4:14
  6. "Goodbye" (music video - enhanced interactive element)

Credits and personnel

Published by EMI Music Publishing (WP) Ltd., Universal Music Publishing.[8]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1998–99) Peak
position
scope="row" Australia (ARIA)[9] 1
scope="row" Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[10] 2
scope="row" Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[11] 4
scope="row" Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[12] 7
Canada (RPM) 1
scope="row" Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[13] 1
scope="row" France (SNEP)[14] 3
scope="row" Germany (Media Control Charts)[15] 2
Ireland (IRMA)[16] 1
scope="row" Italy (FIMI)[17] 1
scope="row" New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[18] 1
scope="row" Netherlands (Single Top 100)[19] 1
scope="row" Norway (VG-lista)[20] 2
Scottish Singles Chart[21] 1
Spain (AFYVE)[22] 2
scope="row" Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[23] 1
scope="row" Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[24] 1
scope="row" UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[25] 1
scope="row" US Billboard Hot 100[26] 2

Year-end charts

Country Year Peak
position
Australia[27] 1998 99
Australia[28] 1999 45

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Australia (ARIA)[29] Platinum 70,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[30] 4× Platinum 400,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[31] 2× Platinum 30,000*
Sweden (GLF)[32] Gold 15,000x
United Kingdom (BPI)[33] Platinum 920,000[1]
United States (RIAA)[34] Gold 900,000[5]

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Release history

Country Date Format Label
United Kingdom[35] 11 December 1998 CD single (CD1) Virgin
United Kingdom[36] 14 December 1998 CD single (CD2)
Japan[37][38] 22 December 1998 CD single (CD1, CD2) EMI

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Justin Myers (20 December 2013). "Official Charts Flashback 1998: Spice Girls – Goodbye". Official Charts. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  2. ↑ Biff, Stannard, Autobiography Spice Girls 1997. p. 156
  3. ↑ David Driver (22 October 2009). "Sputnikmusic Review - Spice Girls' Greatest Hits". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  4. ↑ Tania Kraines (12 November 2007). "BBC - Music - Review of Spice Girls - Greatest Hits". BBC UK. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Jeffrey, Don (26 December 1998). Hot Singles Spotligth. Billboard. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
  6. ↑ Virgin Records Us (4 May 1999). "Amazon.com: Goodbye UK CD 1: Spice Girls: Music". Amazon. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  7. ↑ Virgin Records Us (8 December 1998). "Amazon.com: Goodbye US CD: Spice Girls: Music". Amazon. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  8. ↑ Forever (CD Album liner). Spice Girls. Virgin Records. 2000. 7243 8 50467 42.
  9. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Spice Girls – Goodbye". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  10. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Spice Girls – Goodbye" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  11. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Spice Girls – Goodbye" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  12. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Spice Girls – Goodbye" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  13. ↑ "Spice Girls: Goodbye" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  14. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Spice Girls – Goodbye" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  15. ↑ "Chartverfulgong > Spice Girls > Goodbye – musicline.de" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  16. ↑ "Irish Charts - Spice Girls - Goodbye". Irish Singles Chart. 24 December 1998. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  17. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Spice Girls – Goodbye". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  18. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Spice Girls – Goodbye". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  19. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Spice Girls – Goodbye" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  20. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Spice Girls – Goodbye". VG-lista. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  21. ↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-singles-chart/19981220/41
  22. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  23. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Spice Girls – Goodbye". Singles Top 60. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  24. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Spice Girls – Goodbye". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  25. ↑ "Archive Chart: 1998-12-26" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  26. ↑ "Spice Girls Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot 100 for Spice Girls. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  27. ↑ Australian Recording Industry Association (1998). "Aria 1998 Charts". aria.com.au. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
  28. ↑ Australian Recording Industry Association (1999). "Aria 1999 Charts". aria.com.au. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
  29. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1999 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
  30. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Spice Girls". Music Canada. Retrieved 2011-09-02.
  31. ↑ "Top 50 Singles Chart, 10 January 1999". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
  32. ↑ "IFPI Swedish Awards 1987-1998" (PDF). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
  33. ↑ "British single certifications – Spice Girls". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Spice Girls in the field Search. Select Artist in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
  34. ↑ "American single certifications – Spice Girls". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2011-09-28. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  35. ↑ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Goodbye-CD-1-Spice-Girls/dp/B00000I2NN
  36. ↑ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Goodbye-CD-2-Spice-Girls/dp/B00000I2NO
  37. ↑ http://www.amazon.co.jp/Goodbye-Spice-Girls/dp/B00000FDH4
  38. ↑ http://www.amazon.co.jp/Goodbye-Spice-Girls/dp/B00000FDH5

References

  • Brown, Melanie (2002). Catch a Fire: The Autobiography. Headline Book Publishing. ISBN 0-7553-1063-2.

External links