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Track List
01) Viva Forever (radio edit)
02) Viva Forever (Tony Rich remix)
03) Viva Forever (Tony Rich instrumental)
01) Viva Forever (radio edit)
02) Viva Forever (Tony Rich remix)
03) Viva Forever (Tony Rich instrumental)
4:14
5:21
5:44
Data Complete
100%
Total Rating
100%Total Rating
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Back Cover
CD Art
3D Case
3D Thumb
3D Flat
3D Face
3D Spine
First Released
1998
Pop
Gentle
Rock/Pop
Breakup
Medium
Single
1,185,000 copies
Album Description
Available in:
"Viva Forever" is a song by the Spice Girls from their second album, Spiceworld. Originally set to be released alongside the track "Never Give Up on the Good Times" the double A-Side was then pulled as member Geri Halliwell left the group. The song was released on 20 July 1998 in the United Kingdom and gained positive reviews from critics. The song also charted fairly well becoming the band’s seventh UK number one single gaining a Platinum certification whilst also topping the charts in New Zealand. The single was a commercial success despite the poor promotion.
An accompanying music video directed by Steve Box was released featuring the five band members as animated fairies that interact with two friends in a forest. The four remaining members performed the track on shows Top of the Pops and on the National Lottery television show. An adapted duet version was performed with Pavarotti at his annual charity event Pavarotti and Friends. The song was also performed live as a five-piece on their return concert tour, Return of the Spice Girls. "Viva Forever" is widely considered as the best work of the Spice Girls in their career. In the book "The Spice Girls Revisited" by David Sinclair it was confirmed by the co-writers/producers of the song Matthew Rowe & Richard Stannard that Geri Halliwell was the main songwriter of "Viva Forever".
In late March, the single was first revealed as "Never Give Up on the Good Times"/"Viva Forever". Smash Hits' famous "Bandwatch" section provided a close watch on the status of the single, and the first piece of news it gave was that one of the songs was to have a cartoon-based video. Originally, the single was going to be released on 11 May 1998. Soon after, it was pushed back, in this first case to 25 May. The release date was then pushed back to 8 June in late April, and at this point a promotional cassette for "Viva Forever" appeared on the internet with no sight of "Never Give Up on the Good Times". In early May the release date changed again to 29 June. A competition appeared in the Evening Mail (19 May 1998) saying the following: "10 copies of the video to be won. Each prize winner will also receive a Spice Girls T-Shirt and a copy of the new double A-side single Viva Forever/Never Give Up on the Good Times, released on 29 June."
On 27 May, the Spice Girls were due to appear on the National Lottery, and they were due to perform two songs on the show, believed to be "Viva Forever" and "Never Give Up on the Good Times". On that night, the Spice Girls performed "Viva Forever" and "Spice Up Your Life" without Geri Halliwell, the excuse being that she was ill. "Spice Up Your Life" was chosen to be performed because it only featured one solo line by Halliwell. "Stop" was scrapped from the performance due to Halliwell singing the opening lines. The lines in the song were impossible to be covered by any of the other four girls because it was not a 'live' performance and it was being lip-synced. In early June, the single was confirmed to be "Viva Forever", with no explanation given for its missing partner on the double A-side front. Most believing that the single was dropped because there was no time to produce a music video, the Spice Girls were touring in America at the time, and Halliwell's vocals being in the opening lines to the song: "She used to be a chancer, sparkle in the rain, Told me she needed a friend". The single was to be released on 13 July, over two months after the original release date of 11 May. Even though posters were printed showcasing the 13 July release date, it was not long before the release dates started changing again. On the day of release, stores around the United Kingdom received a notice saying that the single was not going to be released on 13 July, and it would be released in a week or two. After the constant delays, the single was finally released on 20 July.
"Viva Forever" was poorly promoted, due to the four remaining girls touring in America. Its only real driving promotional force behind the release was the hype from Geri's departure. The song was released on 20 July 1998, selling 100,000 in the first three days and 277,000 copies in its first week. It stayed at number one for two weeks in the UK, spending nine weeks in the top 40, and thirteen weeks inside the top 75; it went on to be certified platinum, and sold 675,000 copies in the UK as of August 2013. In Italy the single debuted at number three, reaching number two for five non-consecutive weeks, being blocked from the first position by Des'ree's "Life" and Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", and stayed sixteen weeks in the charts. In Switzerland the single debuted on 9 August 1998 at number six, reaching a peak position of three two weeks later. It stayed thirteen weeks in the top ten, twenty-two weeks in total, and was eventually certified Gold by the IFPI. In Austria the single debuted at number fifteen, reaching a peak position of four for two weeks (their highest peak position since May 1997 when "Mama" reached the top of the chart), staying ten weeks in the top ten and fifteen weeks in total. In New Zealand the song debuted at the top, staying at number-one for two weeks, and eleven weeks in total on the chart. In Australia, it debuted at number fifty-nine, peaking at number two for two weeks (held off by "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing"), spending thirty-one weeks on the chart, and receiving a Platinum certification by ARIA.
User Album Review
"Viva Forever" received critical acclaim from most of the critics. Sputnikmusic called it "a genuinely great song" adding that it is "sincerely moving" and that "never would I have imagined the Spice Girls could pull off a song like this". Rolling Stone called it "a big ballad that is about as convincing as the Spices' Spanish accents". Yahoo! Music compared the song with "Mama", and added "a tear-jerking flamenco guitar and lush strings weave into this break-your-heart, 'I Will Always Love You' ballad with a touch of Madonna about it [...] inspired".
External Album Reviews
None...
User Comments
Available in:
"Viva Forever" is a song by the Spice Girls from their second album, Spiceworld. Originally set to be released alongside the track "Never Give Up on the Good Times" the double A-Side was then pulled as member Geri Halliwell left the group. The song was released on 20 July 1998 in the United Kingdom and gained positive reviews from critics. The song also charted fairly well becoming the band’s seventh UK number one single gaining a Platinum certification whilst also topping the charts in New Zealand. The single was a commercial success despite the poor promotion.
An accompanying music video directed by Steve Box was released featuring the five band members as animated fairies that interact with two friends in a forest. The four remaining members performed the track on shows Top of the Pops and on the National Lottery television show. An adapted duet version was performed with Pavarotti at his annual charity event Pavarotti and Friends. The song was also performed live as a five-piece on their return concert tour, Return of the Spice Girls. "Viva Forever" is widely considered as the best work of the Spice Girls in their career. In the book "The Spice Girls Revisited" by David Sinclair it was confirmed by the co-writers/producers of the song Matthew Rowe & Richard Stannard that Geri Halliwell was the main songwriter of "Viva Forever".
In late March, the single was first revealed as "Never Give Up on the Good Times"/"Viva Forever". Smash Hits' famous "Bandwatch" section provided a close watch on the status of the single, and the first piece of news it gave was that one of the songs was to have a cartoon-based video. Originally, the single was going to be released on 11 May 1998. Soon after, it was pushed back, in this first case to 25 May. The release date was then pushed back to 8 June in late April, and at this point a promotional cassette for "Viva Forever" appeared on the internet with no sight of "Never Give Up on the Good Times". In early May the release date changed again to 29 June. A competition appeared in the Evening Mail (19 May 1998) saying the following: "10 copies of the video to be won. Each prize winner will also receive a Spice Girls T-Shirt and a copy of the new double A-side single Viva Forever/Never Give Up on the Good Times, released on 29 June."
On 27 May, the Spice Girls were due to appear on the National Lottery, and they were due to perform two songs on the show, believed to be "Viva Forever" and "Never Give Up on the Good Times". On that night, the Spice Girls performed "Viva Forever" and "Spice Up Your Life" without Geri Halliwell, the excuse being that she was ill. "Spice Up Your Life" was chosen to be performed because it only featured one solo line by Halliwell. "Stop" was scrapped from the performance due to Halliwell singing the opening lines. The lines in the song were impossible to be covered by any of the other four girls because it was not a 'live' performance and it was being lip-synced. In early June, the single was confirmed to be "Viva Forever", with no explanation given for its missing partner on the double A-side front. Most believing that the single was dropped because there was no time to produce a music video, the Spice Girls were touring in America at the time, and Halliwell's vocals being in the opening lines to the song: "She used to be a chancer, sparkle in the rain, Told me she needed a friend". The single was to be released on 13 July, over two months after the original release date of 11 May. Even though posters were printed showcasing the 13 July release date, it was not long before the release dates started changing again. On the day of release, stores around the United Kingdom received a notice saying that the single was not going to be released on 13 July, and it would be released in a week or two. After the constant delays, the single was finally released on 20 July.
"Viva Forever" was poorly promoted, due to the four remaining girls touring in America. Its only real driving promotional force behind the release was the hype from Geri's departure. The song was released on 20 July 1998, selling 100,000 in the first three days and 277,000 copies in its first week. It stayed at number one for two weeks in the UK, spending nine weeks in the top 40, and thirteen weeks inside the top 75; it went on to be certified platinum, and sold 675,000 copies in the UK as of August 2013. In Italy the single debuted at number three, reaching number two for five non-consecutive weeks, being blocked from the first position by Des'ree's "Life" and Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", and stayed sixteen weeks in the charts. In Switzerland the single debuted on 9 August 1998 at number six, reaching a peak position of three two weeks later. It stayed thirteen weeks in the top ten, twenty-two weeks in total, and was eventually certified Gold by the IFPI. In Austria the single debuted at number fifteen, reaching a peak position of four for two weeks (their highest peak position since May 1997 when "Mama" reached the top of the chart), staying ten weeks in the top ten and fifteen weeks in total. In New Zealand the song debuted at the top, staying at number-one for two weeks, and eleven weeks in total on the chart. In Australia, it debuted at number fifty-nine, peaking at number two for two weeks (held off by "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing"), spending thirty-one weeks on the chart, and receiving a Platinum certification by ARIA.
User Album Review
"Viva Forever" received critical acclaim from most of the critics. Sputnikmusic called it "a genuinely great song" adding that it is "sincerely moving" and that "never would I have imagined the Spice Girls could pull off a song like this". Rolling Stone called it "a big ballad that is about as convincing as the Spices' Spanish accents". Yahoo! Music compared the song with "Mama", and added "a tear-jerking flamenco guitar and lush strings weave into this break-your-heart, 'I Will Always Love You' ballad with a touch of Madonna about it [...] inspired".
External Album Reviews
None...
User Comments
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