Spice Girls and Redmond, Washington: Difference between pages

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Revision as of 06:40, 7 December 2005

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{{Infobox Community |

[[Image:Spice Girls Gallery.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Victoria, Emma, Mel B, Geri, Mel C; The Spice Girls at the [[MTV]] Europe Video Awards 1997]]

official_name = City of Redmond, Washington |

The '''Spice Girls''' were a [[United Kingdom|British]] vocal [[girl band]]. They enjoyed substantial commercial success through the late [[1990s]] and are currently the biggest selling girl group of all time, having sold in excess of 46 million albums and 30 million singles. They are also famous for popularizing the term "[[Girl Power]]".

image_seal = Seal of Redmond, Washington.png |

image_map = Redmond in King County.png |

map_caption = Location of Redmond within [[King County, Washington]], and King County within [[Washington]]. |

subdivision_type = [[Countries of the world|Country]]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Political divisions of the United States|State]]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[[List of counties in California|County]] |

subdivision_name = [[United States]]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Washington]]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[[King County, Washington|King]] |

leader_title = [[Mayor]] |

leader_name = [[Rosemarie Ives]] |

incorporation_date = [[December 31]], [[1912]] |

area_total = 42.9 |

area_land = 41.2 |

area_water = 1.7 |

population_year = 2000 |

population_total = 46,391 |

population_density = 492.0 |

timezone = [[Pacific]] |

utc_offset = &minus;8 |

timezone_DST = [[Pacific]] |

utc_offset_DST = &minus;7 |

latitude = 47°40'10" N |

longitude = 122°7'26" W |

website = [http://www.ci.redmond.wa.us/ http://www.ci.redmond.wa.us/] |

other = |

}}

'''Redmond''' is a city located in [[King County, Washington]]. It is situated on the eastern edge of the [[Seattle, Washington|Seattle]] urban area, in what is known as the [[Eastside]]. In [[2003]] the [[United States Census Bureau|Census Bureau]] estimated the city had a total population of 46,391. Redmond is best known as the home of [[Microsoft]] and [[Nintendo|Nintendo of America]]. With an annual bike race on city streets and the state's only [[velodrome]], Redmond is also known as "the bicycle capital of the Northwest". The city has many parks and is known for its wooded beauty.

==In the beginning==

[[Image:Channel 5.jpg|198px|thumb|left|The Spice Girls in the British [[Channel 5]] commercial, 1996]]

The group was formed in [[1994]] when [[Bob Herbert]] and his son Chris advertised through ''[[The Stage]]'' newspaper. Of those who responded to the advertisement, five girls were picked: [[Geri Halliwell]], Victoria Adams (later to become [[Victoria Beckham]]), [[Melanie Chisholm]], [[Melanie Brown]], and [[Michelle Stephenson]]. They formed a group called Touch. Later, Michelle Stephenson left to pursue her education and was replaced by [[Emma Bunton]].

Based on [[Washington locations by per capita income|per capita income]], one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Redmond ranks 20th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.

The five girls were placed in a house together so they could become friends before they would hopefully go on and become a successful girl group. Times became tough, as many arguments broke out and the tension was only further increased by the hanging promises of a record contract that never seemed to come true. Despite constant rehearsals and even a visit from a few record executives, the girls were still never given a contract and one night eventually walked out with no money. They hoped to find a record contract.

==History==

After some convincing, the girls were able to show record producer and successful manager of various groups, [[Simon Fuller]], their talent. They managed to win him over and later they were signed to [[Virgin Records]].

Although [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] had settled in the Redmond area 3,000 years prior, the first white settlers arrived in the 1870s. [[Luke McRedmond]] filed a [[homestead]] claim for land next to the [[Sammamish River]] on [[September 9]], [[1870]], and the following year [[Warren Perrigo]] took up land adjacent to him. The rivers and streams had so many [[salmon]] that the settlement was initially named Salmonberg. More settlers came, and with the establishment of the first [[post office]] in [[1881]], the name of the community was changed to Melrose. The new name was taken from the Perrigos' successful inn, Melrose House, which upset McRedmond. After becoming [[postmaster]], he successfully petitioned to have the name changed to Redmond in [[1883]].

The abundant forests and fish of Redmond provided jobs for loggers and fishermen, and with those jobs came demand for goods and services, bringing in merchants. The [[logging]] industry expanded significantly with the building of a [[railroad]] through town. The first [[plat]] for Redmond was filed on [[May 11]], [[1891]], encompassing much of the area now known as downtown. After reaching the necessary population of 300, Redmond was incorporated on [[December 31]], [[1912]].

In [[1996]] they changed their name to Spice Girls, and they quickly caught on with the public. A factor in the group's success was the ability of individual members to appeal to different types of teenage fans. The five members were dubbed "Ginger", "Baby", "Scary", "Posh", and "Sporty" Spice by a British pop music magazine aimed at teenage girls. Though not invented by the band, the nicknames caught-on with the public so the band continued to exploit the nicknames and the suggested personas for each band member. Their diverse appearance and cultural backgrounds ensured broad demographic appeal.

Redmond faced an economic downturn in the 1920s. [[Prohibition]] forced saloons to close, cutting off a large portion of the city's tax base. The forests were dwindling after heavy logging, causing [[Sawmill|lumber mills]] to shut down. Fortunately, the deforested land was suitable for [[farming]]. Agriculture became Redmond's primary business, keeping residents fed during the [[Great Depression]]. When the U.S. entered [[World War II]], [[shipyard]] jobs and other wartime work came to Redmond.

A cleverly constructed image combined sex appeal with post-feminist self-confidence ("Girl Power", as they labelled it) guaranteed them success with a massive female fanbase, at least.

After the war, Redmond's growth began in earnest. The city grew over thirty times larger in area through [[annexation]]s between [[1951]] and [[1967]]. The completion of the [[Evergreen Point Floating Bridge]] across [[Lake Washington]] in [[1963]] allowed Redmond to flourish as a suburb of Seattle. In [[1978]], the [[U.S. Census Bureau]] proclaimed Redmond the fastest growing city in the state. Many technology companies made the city their home, and the increasing population demanded more retail shops. Redmond underwent a commercial boom during the 1990s, culminating in [[1997]] with the opening of Redmond Town Center, a major regional shopping center on the site of a long-defunct golf course. In recent years the city has been experiencing growing pains as a result of its strong growth, mostly in the areas of urban sprawl and traffic congestion. These problems are being mitigated by the expansion of SR520 and the [[Evergreen Point Floating Bridge]], as well as eventual light rail service from Seattle to Redmond during the second phase of [[Sound Transit]].

==Birth of ''Spice''==

[[Image:Spice (album).jpg|204px|right|thumb|''Spice'' CD cover]]

In the middle of July, the Spice Girls released their debut single, "[[Wannabe (song)|Wannabe]]" (which contained the memorable hook "I wanna really, really, really, wanna Zig-A-Zig Ah"), in the UK. Quickly gaining regular airplay and video play, it entered the UK singles chart at number three and reached number one the following week. It topped the charts for seven weeks and became one of the biggest selling singles of the decade, and also the second best selling of the year. By the following year, the song had reached number one in thirty-one countries including the [[United States]], where it spent four weeks at the top, [[Canada]], where it spent five weeks at the top, and [[Australia]], where it spent eleven weeks at the top. The Spice Girls became one of the few British acts not only to break America, but gain huge fame there from the earliest stages of their career.

== Geography ==

Along with songwriters [[Richard Stannard]] and [[Matt Rowe]], the girls were able to score many other hits, such as the slightly more mellow follow up single to their massive debut, "[[Say You'll Be There]]", which entered at number one on the UK charts, was another global success and hit the top three in the United States. However, by the time "Wannabe" and "Say You'll Be There" were released in the US, the girls had released their fourth single in the UK. The third single, "[[2 Become 1]]", became the first of three consecutive Christmas number one singles for the girls in the UK, and their debut album, ''[[Spice (album)|Spice]]'', topped the charts for fifteen weeks during late 1996 and early 1997, selling more than three million copies and becoming the thirteenth biggest selling album of all time in the UK. When released in the U.S. the following year, it sold eight million copies, and "2 Become 1" was also able to hit the top five there.

[[Image:Redmond bicycle sign.jpg|right|thumb|Bicycle capital of the Northwest]]

Redmond is bordered by [[Kirkland, Washington|Kirkland]] to the west, [[Bellevue, Washington|Bellevue]] to the southwest, and [[Sammamish, Washington|Sammamish]] to the southeast. Unincorporated King County lies to the north and east. The city is situated on the north end of [[Lake Sammamish]], with the [[Sammamish River]] running through its center.

Redmond is located at {{Coor dms|47|40|10|N|122|7|26|W|}} ({{Coor d|47.669414|N|122.123875|W|}}){{GR|1}}.

In early 1997, "[[Who Do You Think You Are]]"/"[[Mama (1997 song)|Mama]]" became the official [[Comic Relief]] song of the year and sold 672,577 copies, from which many charities benefitted. It topped the UK charts for three weeks, making them the first act to have their first four singles make number one on the UK charts, breaking the record set by [[Gerry & the Pacemakers]] thirty-four years earlier. The single had no American release because, according to the Spice Girls, the American singles market is slower moving than most other nations' singles markets and songs remain popular in America longer than they do in other countries. Nevertheless, the Spice Girls were so huge in 1997 and 1998 that American MTV and [[MTV2]] played the "Who Do You Think You Are" video occasionally. While "2 Become 1" was big in America during the summer and early fall of 1997, it (as well as "Mama" and "Who Do You Think You Are") had long run its course in Europe.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of 42.9 [[square kilometre|km&sup2;]] (16.6 [[square mile|mi&sup2;]]). 41.2 km&sup2; (15.9 mi&sup2;) of it is land and 1.7 km&sup2; (0.7 mi&sup2;) of it is water. The total area is 4.05% water.

== ''Spiceworld'' released internationally ==

In the autumn of [[1997]], "[[Spice Up Your Life]]" was released internationally and was hailed as the return of the Spice Girls, since it marked the debut single from their to-be-released second album. With this single, the Spice Girls corrected the lag that had existed between European and American singles from their previous album. Americans did not understand why the music industry was touting "Spice Up Your Life" as the group's "return", since it hit the airwaves while "2 Become 1" was still quite popular there. However, internationally, the single marked the Spice Girls' first since March. Its release date was put forward by a week to allow [[Elton John]]'s "[[Candle in the Wind]]" some further time at the top of the UK charts, which it then overtook at the top upon release.

==Government and politics==

"Spice Up Your Life" was an international hit, topping the Canadian, Australian, [[Spain|Spanish]], and UK charts, making the girls the first act to have their first five singles make number one in their home nation. However, it peaked quite quickly in the top twenty (number eighteen) of the [[Billboard Hot 100]] and did not succeed in America on the massive level that its three predecessors had. Despite not being as successful as predicted, it did show some evolution in the girls' music, with a more latin/samba flare than any of their previous songs. The second single taken from the album was a [[ballad]] in a slightly similar style to "2 Become 1". "[[Too Much]]" became the girls' second Christmas number one single in the UK and also made them the first act to have their first six singles make number one there. It was fairly successful in the U.S., peaking at number eight, and receiving quite the amount of airplay, however once again, it did not (like "Spice Up Your Life") receive the massive airplay that ''Spice'''s singles had received.

Redmond has a non-partisan [[Mayor-council government|mayor-council]] form of government, with the mayor and the seven council members elected at large for staggered four-year terms. The current mayor, [[Rosemarie Ives]], has been in office since [[1992]]. The city council authorized a ballot measure in [[2003]] that would have changed Redmond to a [[Council-manager government|council-manager]] government, but over 70 percent of voters voted against it.

==Education==

[[Image:Spice World (DVD).jpg|170px|thumb|left|''Spiceworld'' DVD cover]]

Redmond is part of the [[Lake Washington School District]]. The [[public school]]s in Redmond include nine elementary schools, three junior high schools, and Redmond High School. Three [[private school]]s offer secondary education: the Overlake School (secular), the Bear Creek School (Christian), and the Conservatory High School (for [[performing arts]] students).

The group's second album, ''[[Spiceworld]]'', was released towards the end of 1997. Despite selling seven million copies in only two weeks (the highest ever for a follow-up release in two weeks), it only made number three on the [[Billboard 200]] and was not as successful as ''Spice'', topping the UK charts for only three weeks, when ''Spice'' had managed fifteen. Although they were still global stars, ''Spiceworld'' wasn't the massively successful follow up people had expected, with sales plummeting and chart positions slowly dropping. However, the album did produce one massive success, which no one expected: their very own movie, which was released in January of 1998. The film was in the same vein as some of the Beatles' films, a factor deliberately played on by director [[Bob Spiers]] (the director of [[The Goodies]], [[Absolutely Fabulous]], and [[Press Gang]] among other, notable British comedy successes) and was a commercial success. The critics hated it, however, and the girls won a [[Golden Raspberry Award]] each for their efforts. They actually hold a world record documented in the [[Guinness Book of Records]] for receiving the most [[Razzies]] (five) at one time.

[[DigiPen|DigiPen Institute of Technology]] (a college for students in the field of [[video games]]) and the secondary campus of [[Lake Washington Technical College]] are also located in Redmond.

The girls still celebrated "Girl Power" and after the release of their film, they fired their manager Simon Fuller, showing that ultimately, there was no stopping them. Problems would soon arise out of this, because Simon was able to contain the arguments between the girls and with him gone, one of them would have to take control, which would obviously create controversy. Next, "[[Stop (Spice Girls song)|Stop]]", the third single taken from ''Spiceworld'' was released and was their least successful song in terms of chart performance. It peaked at number sixteen in the U.S. and quickly dropped out of the top forty of the airplay charts with very minimal radio airplay. It also became their first single to fail to top the UK charts, ending their run at six, despite being the only single of theirs that incorporated a dance routine, and being the majority of younger listeners' favourite song.

The city is home to Redmond Regional Library, the second-largest library in the [[King County Library System]].

==Five become four==

Geri Halliwell announced her desire to quit the group shortly after the release of "Stop". She claimed she was tired, fed up, and wanted to pursue a solo career. This was not a huge surprise, as she had always wanted to do her own thing and the Spice Girls were simply a stepping stone to a successful solo career. She did agree with the girls that she would only leave after the completion of the American Tour which began in June 1998, because "you couldn't get any better than that". However, events quickly spun out of control when [[Playboy]] Magazine published nude pictures of Geri. This was a shock and Geri was extremely frustrated and only added to her desires of leaving the group. She then began missing concerts in [[Oslo]], due to what she claimed was [[gastroenteritis]]. The final strike came when the girls were due to appear on the [[National Lottery]] and only four of them showed up. This stirred more "Geri Quits" headlines in the papers than ever before. Then, right before the start of the American tour, on [[May 30]], [[1998]], Geri Halliwell announced her departure from the group. Here is a portion of the statement read by her lawyer:

==Economy==

''"Sadly I would like to confirm that I have left the Spice Girls. This is because of differences between us. I'm sure the group will continue to be successful and I wish them all the best. P.S. I'll be back."''

[[Image:Microsoft sign closeup.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Microsoft campus entrance]]

A number of companies in the [[High tech|high-tech]] industry are based in Redmond. The largest employer in the city by far is [[Microsoft|Microsoft Corporation]], with over 22,000 full-time workers and more than 8 million square feet (750,000 square meters) of office space. Other companies with headquarters in Redmond include [[Nintendo|Nintendo of America]], [[Eddie Bauer]], [[Data I/O Corporation]], [[SpaceLabs]], [[Genie Industries]], and [[Medtronic]] Emergency Response Systems. Redmond was also the home of [[AT&T Wireless]], which has since become a part of [[Cingular Wireless|Cingular]].

[[Safeco Corporation]], one of the city's major employers, announced in April [[2005]] that it would be consolidating its offices in Seattle's [[University District, Seattle, Washington|University District]].

The four remaining girls decided to continue their career as the Spice Girls and said this in response to Geri's statement; "we are upset and saddened by Geri's departure but we are very supportive in whatever she wants to do. The Spice Girls are here to say &mdash; see you at the stadiums!" They then went on to complete the American tour without Geri.

==Parks and recreation==

After Geri's departure, a fourth single from ''Spiceworld'', "[[Viva Forever]]", was released in Australia and Europe (not in North America due to fan reduction and an uncertainty in the video's theme). It was pretty successful in the UK topping the charts for two weeks and becoming their 7th UK chart topper. Over two million copies were sold across Europe as well. The animated music video received some limited airplay on American [[VH1]], as part of a special on Ginger Spice's departure from the group. Her vocals did feature on the song as she had recorded the entire album with them the previous year, however, as she couldn't feature in the video, an animated version using tin puppets of all five girls were placed in it. This was the last of the group's singles on which Geri was featured.

[[Image:Marymoor Park climbing rock.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Climbing rock in Marymoor Park]]

Redmond has 23 developed public parks, totaling over a thousand acres (4 km&sup2;). Many of these are neighborhood parks with picnic tables and sports fields or courts. Redmond's largest park is 560 acre (2.3 km&sup2;) [[Marymoor Park]], one of the most popular in King County. It features a [[climbing]] rock, a [[Model aircraft|model airplane]] flying field, a large off-leash [[dog park]], an outdoor theater, and a [[velodrome]].

The city also offers 17 miles of developed trails for hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding. The [[Sammamish River Trail]] connects to the [[Burke-Gilman Trail]] in [[Bothell, Washington|Bothell]] and can be followed all the way to Seattle's [[Ballard, Seattle, Washington|Ballard]] neighborhood.

==Further decline - last attempt with ''Forever''==

[[Image:Forever (album).jpg|207px|thumb|left|''Forever'' CD cover]]

The remaining members continued as a foursome, releasing "[[Goodbye]]", a single from a four-song CD they released in late 1998. The song's lyrics paid tribute to Halliwell and talked about how the rest of them would persevere. The video went on to become a [[Total Request Live|TRL]] and [[MuchMusic]] regular, but barely received any other video or airplay. In the UK, the song topped the charts during the Christmas week of 1998, giving them 3 consecutive Christmas number-one singles there, and eight in total. It made the top twenty in the U.S. (reaching number eleven), and was their last single to do so over there. In Canada, the single now ranks as the third highest selling song of the 1990s, but despite this, it seemed the career of the Spice Girls as a group had come to an end, as during the following year there were no single releases, no talk of a third album, and both of the Melanies started solo careers.

==Culture==

However, the girls made one last attempt at resurrecting their career with the single "[[Holler]]" in [[2000]], a much more [[urban]] and [[soulful]] offering than any of their previous songs. "Holler" was released with the ballad, "[[Let Love Lead the Way]]", making it a double-A side, from their third album, ''[[Forever]]''. It topped the UK charts for a week in 2000, giving them nine chart toppers in total.

[[Redmond Derby Days]] is an annual community festival held every July. It began as a race around Lake Sammamish called the Redmond Bicycle Derby in [[1939]], and since then has become a multi-day event including a bicycle [[criterium]], parade, carnival, and entertainment stage.

[[Performing arts]] in Redmond include the Eastside Symphony, the SecondStory Repertory theater company, and the Washington Academy of Performing Arts. Redmond has an extensive collection of high quality outdoor sculptures throughout its streets and parks.

Their album was more successful in the UK than expected, making number two and selling quite well. Worldwide, it was a massive flop, peaking at number thirty-nine in the United States, and selling only a fragment of what its predecessors had. Many blame the poor performance of the album in the U.S. on there being no lead single released to promote it. Geri's departure had evidently destroyed the "Girl Power" movement, and the prospects of a comeback third album were dashed.

Redmond is home to the largest church in the state, [[Overlake Christian Church]]. The so-called [[megachurch]] moved to the city in [[1997]] after outgrowing its [[Kirkland, Washington|Kirkland]] ___location.

==Current status==

Though the group is technically still together, they are currently ([[as of 2005]]) in the middle of a long hiatus from recording and touring as a group, and each has released solo albums (with respectable commercial success, though generally not in the same class as their group efforts). Though formerly successful internationally, each of the girls' solo popularity has waned over the past four years in North America.

== Demographics ==

* '''Melanie Brown''' was successful initially in the UK, with her debut single making number one but her popularity quickly fizzled out. Since then, she has also starred as Mimi in Rent on Broadway, and written a book entitled ''Catch a Fire''. She has one daughter, Phoenix.

As of the [[census]]{{GR|2}} of [[2000]], there are 45,256 people, 19,102 households, and 11,346 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] is 1,099.7/km&sup2; (2,848.8/mi&sup2;). There are 20,248 housing units at an average density of 492.0/km&sup2; (1,274.6/mi&sup2;). The racial makeup of the city is 79.26% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.52% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.45% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 13.02% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.18% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 2.46% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 3.11% from two or more races. 5.61% of the population are [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race.

* '''Melanie Chisholm''' was successful worldwide with her debut album, ''[[Northern Star]]'', scoring two UK number-one singles and charting on the Billboard Hot 100 with dance remixes of "I Turn to You". However, her second album, ''[[Reason (album)|Reason]]'', was a massive flop, after which she was dropped by Virgin Records. She is currently promoting her third album, ''[[Beautiful Intentions]]'', on her own record label, Red Girl.

* '''Geri Halliwell''' scored great success as a solo artist in Europe, especially in the UK, where she hit the top spot four consecutive times, and to date, has scored eight top ten hits. Her two top selling albums were ''[[Schizophonic (Geri Halliwell)|Schizophonic]]'' and ''[[Scream If You Wanna Go Faster]]''. She's also written two autobiographies, ''If Only'' and ''Just for the Record.'' Currently, she is working on promoting her third album ''[[Passion (Geri Halliwell album)|Passion]]''. A cover she did of "[[It's Raining Men]]" was added to the dance music game ''[[DDRMAX2: Dance Dance Revolution 7thMIX]]''.

* '''Emma Bunton''' has scored a solo chart topper and has become moderately successful in Europe. Her second album, ''[[Free Me]]'', was a fairly large success, with sales much higher than her first. ''Free Me'' was also released in the U.S., early in 2005 and is now a big hit. Emma is currently working on her third album.

* '''Victoria Beckham''' is still married to David, and is currently the wealthiest Spice Girl, but has the least successful music career. To date, she is the only Spice Girl not to score a solo chart topper in the UK, though she has hit the top three twice. However, she is responsible for writing ''Learning to Fly'', her autobiography. She has three sons, Brooklyn, Romeo, and Cruz.

There are 19,102 households out of which 28.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% are [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% are non-families. 30.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.33 and the average family size is 2.95.

As their layoff extends, speculation grows that the group will not perform or record again. In January [[2003]], a meeting between all five members spawned rumours of a reunion, but no announcements have been made. To date, such rumours still circulate, as well as, more recently, speculation about a possible Spice Girls greatest hits album and/or reunion tour. Towards the end of 2003, the Spice Girls were featured on an episode of VH1's [[Behind the Music]], and implied that such rumours might end up coming true sometime in the future.

In the city the population is spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 37.9% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 99.5 males.

In May [[2005]], Mel B stated in an interview in Britain that the Spice Girls were to going to reunite in [[2006]] to mark the tenth anniversary of their first single, "Wannabe". Though this wasn't completely certain, other sources indicated that the four were indeed planning a reunion. In an article on the [[Top of the Pops]] website, it was stated that Mel B had been in contact with all of the girls, including Geri, and that all were eager to reunite at some point in the future. A greatest-hits album will definitely be released in 2006, and possibly a tour or a single concert. [http://www.sky.com/showbiz/article/0,,50002-1181764,00.html]

The median income for a household in the city is $66,735, and the median income for a family is $78,430. Males have a median income of $58,112 versus $37,200 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city is $36,233. 5.3% of the population and 3.3% of families are below the [[poverty line]]. Out of the total population, 6.3% of those under the age of 18 and 6.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Rumours of a full reunion intensified as it became known that they wanted to perform together at the [[Live 8]] concert. This was confirmed when organisers excluded them from the schedule. According to the ''[[Daily Mirror]]'', organisers were quoted as having said "their style of music did not fit in with the serious political message about world poverty the transatlantic event hopes to portray". [[Live Aid]] founder [[Bob Geldof]], when making the official announcement for the concerts on [[May 31]], 2005, said that they were reconsidering allowing the Spice Girls to perform.

==Members of the group==

*[[Geri Halliwell]] aka "Ginger Spice" (left 1998)

*[[Emma Bunton]] aka "Baby Spice"

*[[Victoria Beckham]] (née Adams) aka "Posh Spice"

*[[Melanie Chisholm]] aka "Mel C" or "Sporty Spice"

*[[Melanie Brown]] aka "Mel B" or "Scary Spice"

Geri was initially referred to as "Sexy Spice" in the United States, but it reverted to "Ginger Spice" by the release of ''Spiceworld''.

==Discography References ==

* Malowney, Georgeann (2002). ''Redmond (Images of America: Washington).'' Chicago: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738520713.

===Studio albums===

* Way, Nancy (1989). ''Our Town Redmond.'' Redmond, Washington: Marymoor Museum. ISBN 0962458724.

* [[1996]]: ''[[Spice (album)|Spice]]'' &mdash; '''#1''' UK; '''#1''' CAN; '''#1''' US &mdash; Worldwide sales: 23 million

* [[1997]]: ''[[Spiceworld]]'' &mdash; '''#1''' UK; '''#1''' CAN; #3 US &mdash; Worldwide sales: 19 million

* [[2000]]: ''[[Forever]]'' &mdash; #2 UK; #6 CAN; #39 US &mdash; Worldwide sales: 4 million

== External links ==

===Singles===

*[http://www.ci.redmond.wa.us/ City of Redmond Home]

* from ''Spice''

*[http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=304 Redmond - Thumbnail History]

** 1996: "[[Wannabe (song)|Wannabe]]" &mdash; '''#1''' (7 weeks) UK; '''#1''' (5 weeks) CAN; '''#1''' (4 weeks) US; '''#1''' (11 weeks) AU

*[http://marymoor.velodrome.org Marymoor Velodrome]

** 1996: "[[Say You'll Be There]]" &mdash; '''#1''' (2 weeks) UK; '''#1''' (2 weeks) CAN; #3 US

{{Geolinks-US-cityscale|47.669414|-122.123875}}

** 1996: "[[2 Become 1]]" &mdash; '''#1''' (3 weeks) UK; '''#1''' (3 weeks) CAN; #4 US; #2 AU

** 1997: "[[Who Do You Think You Are]]"/"[[Mama (1997 song)|Mama]]" &mdash; '''#1''' (3 weeks) UK

{{Washington}}

* from ''Spiceworld''

** 1997: "[[Spice Up Your Life]]" &mdash; '''#1''' (1 week) UK; '''#1''' (2 weeks) CAN; #18 US; '''#1''' (1 week) AU

** 1997: "[[Too Much]]" &mdash; '''#1''' (2 weeks) UK; '''#1''' (1 week) CAN; #8 US

** 1998: "[[Stop (Spice Girls song)|Stop]]" &mdash; #2 UK; #3 CAN; #16 US; #5 AU

** 1998: "[[Viva Forever]]" &mdash; '''#1''' (2 weeks) UK; #2 AU

[[Category:Cities in Washington]]

* from ''Goodbye'' (1998 four-song CD)

[[Category:Cities in King County, Washington]]

** 1998: "[[Goodbye (song)|Goodbye]]" &mdash; '''#1''' (1 week) UK; '''#1''' (6 weeks) CAN; #11 US; #3 AU

[[Category:King County, Washington]]

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* from ''Forever''

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** 2000: "[[Holler]]"/"[[Let Love Lead the Way]]" &mdash; '''#1''' (1 week) UK; #4 CAN

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==Career records and achievements==

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* Biggest selling girl group of all time, selling in excess of 46 million albums. They have also sold in excess of 30 million singles, the most ever for a female group.

* First (and only female) act to have their first six singles ("Wannabe", "Say You'll Be There", "2 Become 1", "Who Do You Think You Are"/"Mama", "Spice Up Your Life", and "Too Much") make number one on the UK charts. (Their run was broken by "Stop", which peaked at number two in February 1998.)

* Female group with the most chart toppers in the UK (9). (The aforementioned six number-ones plus "Viva Forever", "Goodbye" and "Holler"/"Let Love Lead the Way".)

* Tied with [[ABBA]] in sixth place for most number one singles in the UK, behind [[Elvis Presley]] (21), [[The Beatles]] (17), [[Cliff Richard]] (14), [[Westlife]] (12), and [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]] (10).

* Female group with the most consecutive number one singles in the UK (6).

* ''Spice'' is the thirteenth biggest selling album of all time in the UK with over three million copies sold. It topped the charts for fifteen weeks (non-consecutive), the most by a female group in the UK.

* ''Spiceworld'' sold seven million copies in just two weeks, the highest sales ever for an LP in fourteen days.

* Though the group has never won any [[Grammy Award|Grammy Awards]], they have garnered over thirty awards from around the world, including [[Brit Awards]] and multiple [[MTV Video Music Award|MTV Video Music Awards]].

==See also==

*[[Musical ensemble]]

*[[Girl group]]

*[[Spice World (game)|Spice World: the Game]]

*[[List of best selling music artists]] - World's top selling music artists chart.

==External links==

*[http://www.spicediscography.tk/ Spice Girls Discography]

*[http://www.denden-forums.com/ Fan forum]

*[http://www.biggerthanjesus.co.uk/beatlemaniagirlpower.html Article comparing the Spice Girls to The Beatles]

[[Category:British musical groups]]

[[Category:1990s music groups]]

[[Category:All-women bands]]

[[Category:Girl groups]]

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