They drove through the night to a stranger’s house with no money and knocked anyway.

0:00 Tanner Everyone is. Everyone is half right. They started out as a inside of a manufacture group. These girls hijacked this manufactured group and took it and left with it. The girls sit down and they go. We're leaving these losers and we're going to do our own thing.

0:18 Eva Welcome to, you know, too much a bite sized trip down the rabbit hole with people who know way too much about one very specific thing. I'm Eva McCloskey.

0:27 Pamala And I'm Pamela Busick Kim. Let's get to know too much.

0:32 Eva Pamala, tell me what you want. What you really, really want?

0:37 Pamala Are you about to.

0:38 Eva I really, really, really want to zig zag. I.

0:43 Pamala What is that? Me? No one knows what that means. Yeah. It's life. Oh my gosh.

0:52 Eva I love that they were spice, but then it just became the Spice Girls from the Just the spice rack. That's good.

1:01 Pamala Yeah, I also loved that they were like, no, this is what we're doing. Yeah, this is the hit. This is it. Yeah.

1:09 Eva So powering the story ask. But I'm just so curious how Jerry had the innate confidence or conviction or not giving a fuck or whatever it was to be their leader in that way. Just seems like such a hard thing to do, is it?

1:29 Pamala Yeah. I think she's also a little bit older.

1:32 Eva She a little older than the rest.

1:34 Pamala I think she's a little older than them also. So that might maybe contribute to it. But also who knows. You know it's I think it's also just street smarts. You know like I think it's just a lot of like seeing it ahead and just saying, like like fuck that. You know, where the power sits. Yeah. Welcome to Hannah.

1:52 Tanner What's going on, guys?

1:55 Eva I'm like, well, the Spice Girls. Where do we start? Spice girls, I mean, Spice Girls.

2:01 Tanner Where do we start? I appreciate the enthusiasm already. Especially the scrunchie. I've. I've also come prepared. Yes. Is that custom? It is custom. Yeah, I made I made this, I made this one, and it was a it was a good seller. Do you do you know my friend Madeline D.G?

2:25 Pamala Yeah, sure you do.

2:26 Tanner Yeah. Yes. Okay. Great. Great. I was having a conversation, Madeline, once, and it was like, right around the time everyone started wearing, like, you know, like the death metal t shirts. And I remember, like, I got worried. She was like, God, everyone's is such posers with these shirts. Like, nobody likes these bands. They're just wearing them because they're cool.

2:45 Tanner And I was like, she's totally right. I should make one for the Spice Girls. And so I just copied the formula and made one that I could feel proud of. So yeah, that's that's stunning.

2:56 Pamala So good. Yeah. So, Tanner. So what what do you know too much about exactly?

3:02 Tanner I know, I know way too much about the Spice Girls. And particularly the story that I know way too much about is the origin story, which I think is the most interesting part of their lore that a lot of people like. Don't know.

3:17 Pamala I don't know, I think a lot of this.

3:19 Tanner Yeah, a lot of people just assume like manufactured pop band, they were putting the thing in the machine and then go and it was just, you know, global domination because that was how it was planned and what everyone was cool. Everyone is wrong. Everyone. Everyone is. Everyone is half right. Because. Because yes, they started out as, inside of a manufactured group.

3:48 Tanner But the coolest thing that happened was these girls hijacked this manufactured group and took it and left with it. And then that became what we now know as the Spice Girls, which is.

4:01 Eva Having.

4:02 Tanner Happened like this. So these five girls existed. They were all in performing arts schools. They did not know each other. And then one day an ad appeared in local English newspapers, which I have pulled up here, which I'll read to you. And the ad in the local papers said wanted are you 18 to 23, by the way, the are you is our period.

4:27 Tanner You period. I mean so 90s and cool.

4:30 Eva Classic.

4:31 Tanner Are you 18 to 23 with the ability to sing dance. Are you streetwise, outgoing, ambitious and dedicated? And it says something about a management team, currently forming choreograph singing, dancing, all female pop act four. Record recording deal, record recording deal is weird. They should have known their, but open audition. Yeah. So who comes to this audition?

4:53 Tanner Hundreds of young women, including Mel B, Mel C, Victoria Adams, not yet. Victoria Beckham. And they they try out along with these hundreds of women. My favorite little note here is that Victoria Beckham, in addition, brought the sheet music for mine, hair from cabaret, and that was her song to get into this cool pop act like.

5:20 Eva That's not real.

5:21 Tanner If that is, you can see it on YouTube. It is very real. So okay, so the three of them are there with all these other girls. Geri Halliwell, ginger spice is away in Spain with her grandmother. She's half Spanish. And when she comes back, her mum's flipped up this little thing for her, and she's like, oh, I thought you might be into this.

5:43 Tanner She calls and says, hey, are you still putting this girl group together? And they say, yeah, we're down to the last 12. Come, come down. So she bypasses hundreds. Yeah. Get Down was also like, if you know a little bit about them, Geri is very charismatic, very persuasive. So it makes sense that like immediately she just gets this course.

6:04 Tanner So they got five girls. There's this one girl, Michelle, who's one of the five. Michelle is not working out. So Michelle gets kicked out. In comes Emma Bunton. We know it's Baby Spice. Yeah. And it's the five that we know now. So the father and son management team, they have their five girls, right? They immediately move the girls into a small house in Maidenhead which is the outside of London.

6:30 Tanner It's two bedrooms and like a cupboard, they say Gerry sleeps in the cupboard. It's like tiny at it. They are rehearsing daily. They're just rehearsing. Rehearsing this during this time that like they form the gang, like they fall in love with each other. Essentially. They're like they're they're sisters. They're like. It just occurs during that time. Like, you know, it's interesting, like the dad and son, they manufacture the, the conditions, but the chemistry you can't manufacture.

6:58 Tanner Right, right. Like that. That's real.

7:00 Eva Yes. Real. Yeah.

7:02 Tanner So they're polishing up their act. They start meeting with a couple label extracts here and there and and, they have this showcase and the showcase is first showcase with label. Exactly. It's pivotal because it's at this showcase that Jerry realizes a couple things. One, that they have the power that people are into. Then they put all all the hard work, their vibe.

7:26 Tanner She she cites as positivity is contagious, which becomes like a core, like building brick of the Spice Girl philosophy. Right? Like all you need is positivity. Like that is core. She recognizes that and she's like, we've got a special sauce, and maybe we don't need these two random men who were already getting in fights with them, like, yeah, the sass.

7:50 Tanner They're like, they're like, wait a second. Also, the father and son BRB. And Herbert later, yeah, they they want them all to dress the same. And that was like a point of contention where they were like, we don't want all dressed the same. We like the way we like. I like the way she looks like per second core philosophy to the Spice Girls, as we all know, is the individuality thing, right?

8:12 Tanner Being posh, sporty like that was that was getting baked during that time, like part of their ethos. So they're having problems, they know they got things. And then the father and son, no one signed a contract yet. The father and son, this is months down the road, so there's no contract signed. And at some point the father and son say we're coming over tomorrow with the contracts for you guys.

8:40 Tanner And then later on the day you guys are going to go drive to Sheffield. You have a meeting with the writer, you're going to go meet them. That night is where Girl power actually comes into play in like this awesome way, which the girls sit down and they go, we're leaving these losers and we're going to do our own thing.

8:59 Tanner We we're the ones with the power. Like we're going to do this, that we don't owe them anything. We're the ones putting in all the work.

9:05 Eva And we'll be right back after this. 12 to started. Because when co-founder Ryan's wife got pregnant, it was hard to find a healthy and delicious snack. Now available on Amazon and continuing to grow through wellness, lifestyle events. 12 Viacom. And now back to the show.

9:23 Tanner So they packed up their little belongings into Geri's car. They left in the middle of the night. What they they drove to Sheffield to meet with this writer. Yeah, they didn't even know who the guy where he lived. They looked in the phone book under every Elliot Kennedy in the phone book called. Everyone finally got the right one, went to his house, showed up at his doorstep, said, hey, we have no money.

9:48 Tanner We just left our manager. But would you be willing to work with us? He goes, hey, and that day, one of the three songs they write with him, by the way they write all their own songs is, oh yeah, a lot of people think that their songs were just written for them, you know? No, no, they wrote they wrote everything.

10:06 Tanner But one of the three songs they write that day is Say You'll Be There. Ever hear of it? Like the second giant single they write that day? And so from there then it's like 1996. They they find a manager that now works for them. They get signed by Virgin Records. And the last little bit of like, girl power that needed to happen before they get introduced into the world is Virgin is like the Spice Girls are adamant like wannabe is their lead single.

10:36 Tanner They're like, this has this has to be our lead single. And Virgin is like, absolutely not that song. It's crazy. It'll be a B-side. No, we're not doing that. Say you'll be there will be your song. That's it. End of discussion. And the girls were so adamant they fought with the record company. They won. And wannabe becomes, you know, it's like it's a song that best encapsulates their vibe.

11:01 Tanner Yeah. Totally. Right. It went to number 1 in 37 countries, which is unheard of. As you well know, there's only 39 countries in the globe. So, you know, almost all of them. Yeah.

11:12 Pamala And like how they get Spice Girls. Was that already like the touring by the the creeps.

11:17 Eva Burnt burning.

11:18 Tanner So yeah. Burnt burning herb earlier called the band touch, which is all the good guys. Weird and.

11:28 Eva Like.

11:29 Tanner No. And it the the Spice Girls. It's interesting because it was Geri. Say she was in a workout class, and she was like, I was in a workout class, and all the sudden I thought spice, like spice would be cool. We're all kind of different. Like, that's cool. And then so they called themselves spice and like, I think their name was spice for a second, but the industry people kept calling them, oh, the Spice Girls, oh, the Spice Girls.

11:51 Tanner And so that had like a better ring to it. Oh no. If that's how Spice Girls came to be.

11:56 Eva More girl power co-opting it. Yeah. Love that. Absolutely. And then their their own personal like Baby spice Scary Spice. Sporty was that.

12:07 Tanner Man that was from.

12:08 Eva Virgin. Was that from them.

12:10 Tanner How did that that was from it was smash hits. So there's two like or there were two big like pop music publications in the UK. There were smash hits and there was top of the pops. Top of the pops was also a big TV show. But I think it was Smash Hits magazine where they had a spread and it was called like The Spice Rack, and they were just talking about the five girls, and they're like, this one, sporty.

12:32 Tanner She's Sporty Spice because she's like this. And so that magazine gave them those names, and then those names just stuck. And they I mean, they very smartly, from a into perspective, like turning your personality into a character that you're okay with and that you lean into just allowed everyone to go, oh, I'm a baby spice. I'm a ginger, you know what I mean?

12:55 Tanner Like.

12:55 Eva Totally brilliant.

12:58 Tanner Like literally brilliant like that. That hadn't been done before, you know. So.

13:01 Eva No. So the biggest surprise is that they the the origin of. Yeah, they're being is so oppositional to what I think of them that it really feels like it kind of affects everything. I mean, everything I thought I knew about the Spice Girls was wrong, although I didn't know that I knew anything to begin with.

13:24 Tanner But yeah.

13:25 Eva Yeah, my options.

13:28 Tanner Yeah. I think it's the coolest part of their story is that they, they, they hijacked someone else's project that concerned them. And they're like, no, actually, this is Mars.

13:40 Pamala Yeah, they knew that they were going to get exploited. And that's usually what this sad story usually ends up being. And you hear it on like, you know, VH1 Behind the Music, like 25 Years Later, how they were screwed, you know? So I think it's incredible that they got ahead of it.

13:53 Eva Yeah.

13:54 Tanner Yeah.

13:55 Pamala If somebody is like, I don't like if let's say they don't really know anything about the Spice Girls or they never really heard their music, where would you start them? Like how do they get into this rabbit hole of passion and obsession with you?

14:10 Tanner Love that question. God, it's like a you almost kind of want to start them with wannabe because you're either going to go grow or run for the hills. Yeah. Or you're going to be like, this is funny. Like what? Zig Zag are what what is what? You know. Yeah, yeah. Like there's something here. So I think I think the music is definitely a way in, but I also think like in tandem with the music, it was their personalities that were just such the draw.

14:44 Tanner Like they have two videos that came out during like the height of that spice mania. One is called One Hour of Girl Power, and there's another one that's called like The Girls Talk or something, but like it's just them sitting down shooting the shit and like, you're eating just every word, like it is so unhinged and crazy. And it's just like these young women in this crazy on this crazy roller coaster ride that they're on.

15:08 Tanner Just like talking shit. Like, I don't know, it's like it's heaven to watch. I watch one of them, like, every Christmas time. I consider, like, a Christmas video. I'm like, oh, it's fun to, like, kick back for 30 minutes, hear the girls talk. It's great.

15:21 Eva All right, watch that. That's good.

15:23 Tanner Yeah, yeah, I think it's serious.

15:25 Pamala They do really serious though, is there? You know, if they were to watch this, is there something that you'd like to say to them to camera that you would like in the future or that you wish for what what would you like to tell them?

15:39 Tanner Do another reunion show A.s.a.p.. The world's a dark place. We could use some light just for the sake of being light. Just, you know, just light. Light the way a little bit with that, spicy goodness.

15:54 Eva I love that Spice Tour 2027. That would be delicious.

15:59 Tanner Do it. I mean, I highly doubt Victoria Beckham wants anything anymore, but I say think the other four are, like, well-equipped to, to put on another show.

16:09 Eva Do you, Tanner, identify with any of.

16:11 Pamala The rules.

16:13 Tanner Which. Oh, you had to pick.

16:15 Pamala Great question.

16:16 Tanner For sure. For sure. It's ginger all the way. It's always ginger like always been ginger. I don't know what it is. I think you know what it is like. There's something about her where she was always the one that. And she. She knows this. I'm not talking shit, but she's the one with, like, a little bit less of the talent she like the greens.

16:37 Tanner She's she's kind of the brains behind the other operation. Also, she wrote most of the melodies, like, it's well known that she was the one who came up with a lot of like, the melodic structure for the songs. She was she was heavy in the writing, so she's not. I shouldn't say she's. She doesn't have talent. She has nostalgia.

16:53 Tanner You big songs. But a different type. She was less the performer and more like the operational behind. And I, for some reason, I relate to that. I don't know why. I also just like that she was kind of like, just very in your face, like I sounded inspirational.

17:11 Eva I have so much more reverence and respect for her now that I know that she was really the driver of of them just taking it.

17:21 Pamala Literally in her.

17:22 Eva Car. Yes. Right. She was in her whatever.

17:26 Tanner She was the driver of. Oh yeah. Oh yeah, oh yeah. Until that little, you know, a thousand cc little, you know. Yeah. Golf cart. But yeah, I mean, and like, along with that, it's like I have an agency now with my partners. Small, small little shop. But like this is, this is my most nerdy Spice Girl thing.

17:48 Tanner And this is going to make me seem very unhinged. But like our color palette, I have named them after our. We have five colors that I've name them after the fire spices. Yes, because I wanted to when we were like making this agency and when I'm in the design trenches of what this is going to be, I'm like, I want to imbue this with positivity.

18:11 Tanner I like want this to feel like the beginning of something, like anything is possible. Those are five girls who used to be literal nobodies, who dominated the world for two years. Like, that's the energy I want to bring to project, especially something I care about. So. So yeah. So they're they're also imbued in my in my work life.

18:30 Pamala I realize that's also there's such a.

18:32 Eva Joyful designer in your life and work that actually doesn't make you sound unhinged though, I don't think.

18:39 Tanner Okay, well thank you, I love it.

18:42 Pamala Well, that's all for today's episode of You Know Too Much. Thank you so much to Tanner. Now, we know way too much about the Spice Girls.

18:51 Eva Yeah, and if you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe. Leave us a glowing five star review. Share this with someone who'd love it or needs to learn more about the Spice Girls. You can explore more episodes and behind the scenes content at You Know Too Much. Stop media.

19:08 Pamala Follow us wherever you get your podcasts to keep the obsession going. Thank thanks so much, Tanner. That was a big.

19:16 Tanner You know, so it's so much fun.