Spice Girls Release Deluxe Edition of Debut Album ‘SPICE’

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of SPICE, the debut album by one of the biggest girl bands of all time, the Spice Girls has released an expanded deluxe edition that will include not only the album’s original hits, but some of the girls’ favorite bonus tracks, previously unreleased recordings from the Virgin archives, and a variety of remixes.

Initially released on November 4, 1996, SPICE spent 15 weeks at number one on the Official UK Album Charts across four separate spells, spending more than a year in the Top 40. The album also topped the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart, was number one in 13 other countries around the world, and has sold more than 23 million copies.

Additionally, to further celebrate the 25th anniversary, the video for the band’s smash debut single “Wannabe” has been reimagined to highlight the unforgettable lyrics from the song by creating, what is much more than, a lyric video. Going back to the original location of the ‘Wannabe’ music video, London’s St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, the video features unique fonts for each of the five girls to symbolize their nicknames—Baby, Ginger, Posh, Scary, and Sporty.

From the beginning of the 25th anniversary campaign, the band have wanted to celebrate Spice Girls fans all around the world. Fans have been encouraged to tell their stories about how much the band have meant to them from 1996 to present day, and in homage to their loyalty, a selection of fans will appear in the official SPICE 25 online ads, bearing the personalized Spice mantra of their choosing.

In an official statement, the girls said:

“From the first ‘Wannabe’ baby steps to conquering the whole world with a team of Spices, thank you doesn’t seem enough to all of you who have supported us, followed in our footsteps, walked in our great big shoes, and who have shared our dreams. It’s been 25 years of pure magic. Spice Girls forever!!!” – Emma

“To our diehard and loyal fans; without you there is no us—sending endless love and gratitude. Whoever you are, whatever your dreams—live them, be them. The Spice Girls motto is testament to that.” – Geri

“All I ever wanted was to be accepted and to make everyone around me—gay, straight, Brown, Black, shy or loud like me – to feel they can celebrate who they are and to be free to be themselves. All I hope—25 years on—is that message has been heard loud and clear. It’s true that in the end, love IS all you need so I thank everyone who has ever bought a Spice Girls record or stood in the rain to greet us or got dressed up in pink, in a tracksuit, a ginger wig, a leopard print catsuit or put on Vic’s iconic pout!” – Mel B

“Twenty-five years, wow! I have so many wonderful memories of writing, recording, promoting, and touring this album and so many people to thank. This is the record that set us off on our incredible journey. A huge thank you to our fans and family all around the world. Thank you for always being there with your unrelenting support and making our dreams come true. My love and gratitude always.” – Mel C

“We couldn’t let 25 years pass without thanking the fans for their incredible support. There are so many people who have played a part in the success of the Spice Girls throughout the years, you know who you are and we thank you.” – Victoria

SPICE 25 comes in an A5 hardback booklet with a collection of images and brand new messages from the girls. The album is available in a number of other formats, including a Zoetrope picture disc and limited-edition, colored vinyl and cassettes (containing the audio from the original album only), with each girl having a specific color that corresponds across both vinyl and cassette editions.

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Photos Courtesy of Francessca Sorrenti