Everything about S Club totally explained
S Club, formerly known as
S Club 7, was an
English pop
group created by former
Spice Girls manager
Simon Fuller. The group—consisting of
Tina Barrett,
Paul Cattermole,
Jon Lee,
Bradley McIntosh,
Jo O'Meara,
Hannah Spearritt, and
Rachel Stevens—rose to fame by starring in their own
CBBC television series,
Miami 7, in 1999. Over the four years they were together, S Club 7 had four UK number-one singles, one UK number one-album and had a string of number-one singles throughout Europe. They recorded a total of four studio albums and released eleven singles. Their first album,
S Club, had a strong 1990s pop sound, similar of all the artists of their time. However, through the course of their career, their musical approach changed to a more
dance and
R&B sound which is seen mostly in their final album,
Seeing Double.
The concept and brand of the group was created by Simon Fuller, who was also their manager through
19 Entertainment; they were signed to
Polydor Records. Their television series went on to last four seasons, seeing the group travel across the
United States and eventually ending up in
Barcelona,
Spain. It became popular in 100 different countries where the show was watched by over 90 million viewers. The show, which was a
children's sitcom, often mirrored real life events which had occurred in the band, including the relationship of Hannah Spearritt and Paul Cattermole, as well as the eventual departure from the group of the latter.
As well as the popularity of their television series, S Club 7 won two
BRIT Awards—in 2000 for British breakthrough act and in 2002, for best British single. In 2001, the group earned the
Record of the Year award. The group's success soon changed, however, when Paul Cattermole announced he was to leave in the band, in 2002. Their penultimate single reached #5 in the UK charts, and their final studio album failed to make the top ten.
After Cattermole left the group, S Club 7 fought many rumours presuming that they were about to split. However, on
April 21,
2003, during a live onstage performance, S Club announced that they were to disband.
History
Formation
Simon Fuller claims to have chance upon the concept of
S Club 7 the day after he was fired by the Spice Girls in 1997. The group came together after auditioning from over 10,000 hopefuls; Stevens was the only member of the band who didn't audition to gain admittance into the group. Instead, two producers from
19 Management approached her and asked her to go into the studio and record a demo tape for Simon Fuller. Speaking about this first meeting, Stevens remarked that the group "felt comfortable with each other" from the beginning. The show first aired on
CBBC on
BBC One and was a children's
sitcom based on the life of the seven members living together in
Miami in search of fame in America.
Miami 7 was also launched in the United States, where it originally aired on
Fox Family, and then later on
ABC Family, where it was retitled
S Club 7 in Miami. The show was watched by 90 million viewers in over 100 different countries. In the second TV special,
Boyfriends & Birthdays, Stevens' boyfriend gave her an ultimatum of staying with him or remaining with the band.
S Club 7 released their debut single, "
Bring It All Back" on
June 9,
1999. It was the up-tempo theme music to
Miami 7, written by Eliot Kennedy, who had previously worked with the Spice Girls and
Take That. The single reached #1 in the
United Kingdom, and was made Platinum. On
September 20,
1999, the group's second single, "
S Club Party", was released. It was written and produced by
Norwegian production team
Stargate and had a peak position of #2 in the UK and reached #1 in New Zealand. Following the high charting of their first two singles, the group released their debut album,
S Club in October 1999. The album rose to #2 in the
UK charts, and then became certified Double Platinum.
In December 1999, a double A-side single was released. It featured the ballad, co-written by
Cathy Dennis, "
Two in a Million" and retro-styled, up-tempo "
You're My Number One". "Two in a Million" was the first single where O'Meara took the vocals, setting the standard for future S Club releases. The single soon peaked at #2 in the
UK charts.
Miami 7 also showcased unreleased tracks, such as "Down at Club S" and "We Can Work It Out", which went on to be included as B-sides on single releases.
The group also recorded vocals for "
It's Only Rock 'N' Roll", which raised money for
Children's Promise, an alliance of seven children's charities—
Barnardo's,
Children in Need,
ChildLine,
The Children's Society,
Comic Relief,
NCH and the
NSPCC. A cover of the
Rolling Stones song, the group contributed to the vocals alongside many popular artists, including
Mary J. Blige,
Natalie Imbruglia and the Spice Girls.
2000–2001: L.A. 7/7
2000 BRIT Awards. In April 2000, S Club's second TV series,
L.A. 7 (renamed
S Club 7 in L.A. in the US), was released. The series saw the group depart Miami and move to Los Angeles to seek a record deal. The series introduced the song "
Reach", another retro-styled uptempo track, which was again co-written by Cathy Dennis and aired as the main theme tune to the second series.
"Reach" was released as a single in May 2000 and reached #2 on the UK chart. It arguably became one of the group's most successful singles, paving the way for the group's second album,
7 which was released on
June 12,
2000. This album was a departure from overtly pop stylings of
S Club, with tracks styled more towards
R&B than the traditional
nineties pop sound of their debut album. The album reached #1 in the
UK charts and became certified Triple Platinum; it also became a certified Gold record in the USA. The second single from the album, '"
Natural", featured Stevens as lead vocalist. The single reached #3 in September 2000.
S Club 7 took an active part in promoting several different charities during their time as a band. As well as performing for Children in Need, the band launched, on
September 25,
2000, a new television series called
S Club 7 Go Wild! which saw each band member support an endangered species. Teaming up with the
World Wildlife Fund, each member travelled to different destinations worldwide with a hope to raise awareness about the seven endangered creatures, including the
Siberian Tiger and the
Hyacinth Macaw. In October 2000, the band launched the annual
Poppy Appeal Campaign with
Dame Thora Hird. S Club 7 also supported
Woolworth's Kids First Campaign throughout 1999 and 2000.
In November 2000, S Club 7 were invited to provide the official song for the UK's BBC Children in Need Campaign 2000 and so a new song, the ballad, "
Never Had a Dream Come True" was recorded. After topping the UK charts in December 2000, the song was added to a re-release of the
7 album, along with another new track, a cover of
Stevie Wonder's "Lately".
On
March 20,
2001, Cattermole, Lee and McIntosh were caught with cannabis in London's
Covent Garden. The three were cautioned by police at
Charing Cross Police Station and released without charge. After the event, they released a public apology stating they were "very stupid" and "very sorry" admitting to having made a "stupid mistake". At the time,
BT and
Cadbury, who had sponsorship deals with S Club 7, said they were "very disappointed" to learn of the caution but said they'd keep their contracts with the band. It was rumoured that merchandising company "PMS International" were to take out an £800,000 lawsuit against the band for declining sales as a direct result of the drugs scandal. However, this came to nothing and any doubts over the future of sponsorship ended when
Pepsi signed the band up less than a month after the drugs caution.
2001–2002: Hollywood 7/Sunshine
"Never Had a Dream Come True" had marked a more mature direction for the group whilst still retaining their pop sensibilities, a direction which continued into their third studio album,
Sunshine. The album contained what was to become one of S Club's most popular tracks, "
Don't Stop Movin'". The song, which was a
disco track and released in April 2001, marked a high point for the group as the single went straight to #1, went Platinum and became the seventh best selling single of
2001. McIntosh, who takes lead vocals with O'Meara in the track, said he was "nervous" about taking lead vocals and was worried how people would react. However, after the song went in at #1, he felt as though he was "supported by the fans" and his fears were alleviated. McIntosh also remarked that the single had broken new ground for the group, and Cattermole thought it to be their "best song by miles". and in February 2002, the single also won the group their second
BRIT Award for best British single. The song has since been covered by
The Beautiful South for their 2004 album
Golddiggas, Headnodders and Pholk Songs, as well as by
Starsailor who recorded it for
BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge.
By spring 2001, the group were "desperate" to start touring; something which they'd always wanted to do, but couldn't because things were "always so hectic". Their relationship, which was kept secret for six months, was well received by the band who claimed it had made them all closer as friends. The eight children who went onto form the band named themselves
S Club Juniors and had six top ten UK hits.
The effects of the group's charity single, "Never Had a Dream Come True", were felt when the group handed over £200,000 to Children in Need, from the sales of the CD after the release of "Don't Stop Movin'" in April 2001. The band felt "overjoyed" that they could, once again, contribute to the Children in Need campaign, feeling that it meant a lot to them to be involved and feeling privileged to be able to help; they also commented that it was nice for British school children to be involved in raising money for charity as well. it also became the twenty-first biggest selling single of 2001. Speaking about the tour, McIntosh described it as "older show", a change from
S Club Party 2001, which was "more like bubblegum", with Paul Cattermole comparing 2001's "theatrical" tour with the Carnival tour as a more "glitzy, concert stage". The tour was generally well received by the children's media, describing the show as "diverse" and "dazzling", Cattermole also came in for criticism when he was dubbed overweight and a "heavy-footed dancer". The single, which was described as a "candyfloss-bright, tongue-in-cheek 50s pastiche", was to be Paul Cattermole's last single with the band and led the way for a series of events that was to unravel S Club 7's time at the top of the charts, which would ultimately cause the band to split.
2002–2003: Viva S Club/Seeing Double
In March 2002, Paul Cattermole told
The Sun newspaper that it was time for him to "move on" from the group and he wanted to go back to his "rock roots", which heralded back to the time he was part of a
nu-metal band formed with his old school friends. Talking about his former musical venture three months before he left S Club 7, Cattermole described the band—who had been called
Skua—as having a "
Limp Bizkit vibe" as well as comparing their style to
Rage Against The Machine. Cattermole stayed with the band until June 2002, featuring in five out of thirteen episodes of the group's final television series,
Viva S Club, and performing his final concert with the group for
Party at the Palace, which was part of
Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee celebrations.
After Cattermole's departure, vowing to not disband, the remaining six members stayed together under the name
S Club. Despite losing a member of the group, the future remained positive as, although they were very sad to see Cattermole leave the group, they were "delighted" to have extended their contracts meaning they could look forward to new material, a new series of their television show as well as their first feature film. However, media reports of the time weren't so optimistic stating that, as neither the Spice Girls nor
Take That had survived once they lost a member of their group, it would be difficult for S Club to remain together in an industry which has a "horrible habit of leaving bands in tatters once the first member has left". After only peaking at #5 in the UK charts with their first single as a six, S Club's positivism was diminished.
Although their progressive musical style was once again furthered with the release of their fourth studio album,
Seeing Double, it failed to make an impact on the UK charts, stalling at #17. S Club's time at the top of the charts was slowly coming to an end, and when O'Meara announced that she'd an immobilising back condition which could have left her in a wheelchair, and she was unable to take part in television performances, the group was left devastated.
In April 2003, S Club released their first feature film,
Seeing Double, which was to be the last time the group would be seen on-screen together. Unlike its television predecessors, the film moved into the realm of
children's fantasy, and saw the group fighting evil scientist Victor Gaghan in his quest to clone the world's popstars. The film's release was marked by many rumours that the group were about to split, which were quickly denied by the six. Many compared the demise of the group to that of fellow pop band
Steps, as they too had denied their intentions until the moment before their split, after which they were accused of acting out of "greed and cynicism". Although confirming the split "wasn't a final straw", Spearritt has remarked that the group had felt it appropriate wanting to do their own thing; she'd constantly felt "drained" whilst with S Club. and was included on S Club's greatest hits album,, released in June 2003. This compilation brought together the group's releases with a previously unreleased track, "Everybody Get Pumped" and
7 track "Bring the House Down". The album reached #2 in the United Kingdom. S Club eventually split up after the release of "Say Goodbye" on
May 26,
2003.
On
April 27,
2003, it was reported that Spearritt's parents had hired lawyers to chase payments owed to them by Simon Fuller and his management company. They claimed that out of the
€75 million fortune the band made for Fuller, they only received €150,000 a year of it.
After the group split up, the
S Club Juniors rebranded
"S Club 8". They also went on to film
CBBC show
I Dream, releasing their third studio album under the same name. S Club 8 eventually disbanded in 2004.
Musical style
The style of music S Club 7 normally falls under is pop, or more specifically
bubblegum pop, as well as
manufactured pop. This is certainly the case for their first album,
S Club where simple lyrics, three-chord structures and danceable beats define it so. Their first two singles saw lead vocals shared equally amongst the seven members of the group, and it wasn't until their third single, "
Two in a Million" that O'Meara became known as their lead vocalist. Although the band were to progressively change their style over the four years they were together, even their first album had many tracks untypical of the pop genre: "
You're My Number One" and "Everybody Wants Ya" were
motown driven whereas "Viva La Fiesta" and "Buenos Tiempos (It's an S Club Thing)", were both "bouncy, salsa-driven Latino songs". The release of their third album,
Sunshine, gave audiences their biggest change: the album contained tracks such as the
disco-influenced, "
Don't Stop Movin'" and the R&B ballad, "Show Me Your Colours". The album marked a more mature approach for the band.
With the departure of Cattermole, S Club released their fourth and final album,
Seeing Double which contained many songs with styles not yet explored by the group. The group released "
Alive" which was a "power-packed dance floor filler", Although, in one review, referring to "Gangsta Love", "S Club's spiritual home is the suburban disco, not urban underground clubs, and their attempt to go garage on "Gangsta Love" ends up amusing rather than authentic".
Of course, throughout their releases, S Club 7 always kept their original pop roots, with songs such as "
Reach", However, Tina hasn't released any solo material. In August 2003, a doctor's son was jailed for six months after sending threatening e-mails to Barrett. She was also romantically linked to
David Schwimmer in 2004. However, this romance wasn't taken any further when he moved back to America.
Since leaving S Club 7 in June 2002, Paul Cattermole joined his high school
nu-metal band Skua. However, they broke up soon afterwards. He then joined
Charlie Bullitt but the band broke up in November 2005. Cattermole, after getting together whilst still in the band, continued to date fellow band member Spearritt in a relationship which went on to last for five years.
Jon Lee stuck to his expressed interest in theatre He played
Marius Pontmercy in the production. Lee is also set to appear as the voice of Max in an animated version of
Enid Blyton's . Lee will also appear in an updated version of James Hick's
Telstar where he'll play
Billy Fury.
Instead of wanting a solo career, Bradley McIntosh wanted to focus on production and writing.
Jo O'Meara took time out after S Club because of a serious back condition. and her album charted even more poorly at #48. After her disappointing album sales, Jo went back to her hobby of
dog breeding. In 2006, she came third place in BBC talent show
Just the Two of Us with partner
Chris Fountain. It wasn't until January 2007 that O'Meara became fully back into the public eye. She appeared on
Celebrity Big Brother and was involved in a
race row where it was alleged that she, along with
Jade Goody and
Danielle Lloyd, took part in racial bullying towards
Shilpa Shetty. After the event, it was reported that Jo had received death threats and attempted suicide. Since then, Jo has made no public appearances except at a gala performance for
Comic Relief. On
January 19,
2008, O'Meara announced to the
Daily Mail that she's six months pregnant with her first child. In the article, she explains how she feels how her
Celebrity Big Brother experience has "made her a better person" and that she's considering taking part in a future charity show organised by
Zoe Tyler. Spearritt also appeared as the murder victim, Tilly Rice, in an
ITV production of
Agatha Christie's
At Bertram's Hotel. She has expressed no interest in starting a solo career since the band split.
Rachel Stevens has perhaps carved the most successful solo career out of all the former S Club 7 members. Less than a month after the group disbanded, Stevens signed a £1 million record contract with
Polydor Records and re-signed with Simon Fuller. Her first single, "
Sweet Dreams My LA Ex", was released on
September 15,
2003 and reached #2 in the UK. Her first studio album,
Funky Dory was released on
September 29,
2003 and reached #9. Stevens went on to release six more UK singles and a second album, which only reached #28 in the charts. She has released no new material since
2005. More recently, Stevens has expressed an interest in launching an acting career after briefly appearing in and
Spider-Plant Man for the
Comic Relief 2005 campaign. More recently, Stevens has lent her voice to
BBC Scotland animated series
"Glendogie Bogey", where she'll play Patricia Ravelston. She has described her character as a "real dizzy dora, but at the same time she's really smart and doesn't miss a trick". In a recent interview with
OK! Magazine, Lee and Spearritt discussed how they've both remained friends since S Club's split. They admitted that they've lost touch with O'Meara since the
Celebrity Big Brother controversy and Stevens, except when meeting at showbiz parties. When asked about a reunion, Lee said, "Never say never—but no!".
Discography
Further Information
Get more info on 'S Club'.
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