Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)

Infobox Single
Name = Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)


Artist = Spice Girls
from Album = Greatest Hits
B-side =
Released = flagicon|UK November 5, 2007 (digital)
flagicon|UK November 19, 2007 (physical)
flagicon|US December, 2007 (radio)
Format = CD single, Digital download
Recorded = 2007
Genre = Pop
Length = 3:31 (Album Version)
3:55 (Video Version)

Label = Virgin Records
Writer = Richard Stannard, Matt Rowe, Victoria Beckham, Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm, Geri Halliwell
Producer =
Certification = No certification
Last single = "Holler"/"Let Love Lead the Way"
(2000)
This single = "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)"
(2007)
Next single =
Misc = "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" is a song performed by British group the Spice Girls. It was released as the first and last single from the group's compilation album, "Greatest Hits" on November 12, 2007. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7029817.stm "Spice Girls to release new single"] . BBC. October 5, 2007. Retrieved October 5, 2007.] The song is the first commercial single release to feature the group's original lineup since Geri Halliwell left in 1998. Halliwell described the single as a "big love song" and "a Spice Girl classic".

The song was also the official Children in Need single of 2007. The five-piece performed the song especially for the telethon on 16 November 2007, live from Los Angeles. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/cinnews/news/2007/10/08/49657.shtml "Spice Girls support Pudsey with new single"] . Retrieved October 9, 2007.] They also recorded a performance of the song for the 2007 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, but the performance did not make the televised broadcast of the show.

Release information

A 30-second song clip was premiered on Amazon.com on October 21, 2007. It was premiered simultaneously by radio stations across the UK on October 23, 2007 at 7:40am. The song was leaked online on October 22, several hours before the radio premiere. According to The Sun, the group's label EMI asked online site YouTube to remove the audio recording. After only five days, the single entered the UK Airplay Chart at #26, the highest and only debut of that week. Since this debut it has gone on to peak at number sixteen.

After the physical release, the single climbed to UK Singles Chart's number 11, the first Spice Girls single to miss the Top 10. It is the lowest selling single for Children In Need to date and also the Spice Girls lowest charting single to date. The single was only available as a two-track CD, coupled with a new remix of their debut single "Wannabe".

The song was initially written by Emma Bunton and Geri Halliwell with help from producers, with the other three girls adding later on. Although gossip sites claimed that Victoria Beckham had a significantly shorter solo than the rest of the girls, a spokesperson denied the accusation, saying that the parts were divided equally. In fact, it is Melanie Brown with an almost non-existent solo part. Her lone solo can be found in the final line of the song where she sings "cause I'm giving it all, yeah, I'm giving it all to you"." Additionally, Bunton provides a harmony during the solos of Halliwell and Beckham.

Like the "Greatest Hits", this is the only Spice Girls single not to feature the girls on the cover.

Chart performance

On November 11 it reached number twenty in the UK Singles Chart on downloads alone and sold about 7,000 copies. In the second week the single fell to #23 and sold 5,900 copies. With the physical release it climbed to #11, selling 10,277 copies, becoming the first Spice single to miss the Top 2 let alone the Top 5 or 10. Its overall sales so far are 48,956, the lowest charting and selling Spice Girls single and Children in Need single to date.Meanwhile on November 14 the single entered the Hot Digital Songs in US at number 113 selling 9,717 copies. In the same week, the song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 90, due to high video/song stream and some minor airplay, alongside the digital downloads, becoming their first entry since "Goodbye" in 1998. The single was elsewhere a commercial failure, only managing to reach the Top 10 in only four countries (Italy, Russia, Sweden and Spain).

"Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" is also the first release featuring Victoria Beckham to ever enter the charts outside the top 10 in the U.K. All her previous releases, group and solo, have debuted within the top 10, excluding the 1999 charity single "It's Only Rock and Roll (But I Like It)" which featured the Spice Girls and charted at number 19.

Music video

On the October 15, 2007 episode of "Dancing With the Stars", it was confirmed that the Spice Girls would be filming a music video the following week. A world exclusive screening of the video of "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)", which launched the run up to Children in Need Night, aired on BBC One on Friday November 2. The video first shows a dark room. Then it shows Emma opening the door and coming in followed by the other girls. The music video ends with the girls combined together although they are at different places. The video was directed by Anthony Mandler and was filmed at Pinewood Studios.

Track listing

*UK CD
#"Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" [Radio Version] - 3:28
#"Wannabe" [Soul Seekerz 2007 Mix] - 6:56

Charts

References

External links

* [http://www.thespicegirls.com Official website]
* [http://www.thespicegirlsgreatesthits.com Official Greatest Hits album website]