S Club (album)

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S Club
Studio album by
Released4 October 1999 (1999-10-04)
Recorded1998–1999
StudioLondon, England
GenreTeen pop
Length39:08
Label
Producer
  • StarGate
  • Eliot Kennedy
  • Mike Percy
  • Tim Lever
  • Absolute
  • Angela Lupino
  • Simon Franglen
  • Tim Laws
  • Dufflebag Boys
S Club 7 chronology
S Club
(1999)
7
(2000)
Singles from S Club
  1. "Bring It All Back"
    Released: 7 June 1999
  2. "S Club Party"
    Released: 20 September 1999
  3. "Two in a Million" / "You're My Number One"
    Released: 13 December 1999
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

S Club is the debut studio album by British pop group S Club 7. It was released by Polydor Records on 4 October 1999. The album was primarily produced by StarGate, Absolute, Dufflebag Boys, Eliot Kennedy and Mike Percy.

S Club became one of the group's most successful album releases, and reached number two in the United Kingdom, where it was certified double platinum. S Club was released in North America on 11 April 2000 after their television show S Club 7 in Miami was aired in the United States, where it peaked outside the top 100. In Canada, the album charted within the top 10 and became the group's most successful album release on the Canadian albums chart.

Background[edit]

S Club 7 first came to public attention in 1999, when they starred in their own television series, Miami 7.[2] The show aired on CBBC on BBC One and was a children's sitcom based on the lives of the group who had moved to Miami, Florida in search of fame in America. The show was also launched in the United States,[3] airing on Fox Family, and later on ABC Family; it was retitled S Club 7 in Miami for American audiences. The show eventually celebrated worldwide success and was watched by 90 million viewers in over 100 different countries. The group also filmed two specials between the first two series of their show. The first, Back to the '50s—which aired on CITV, instead of CBBC—told the story of how the group found themselves back in 1959.[4] In the second TV special, Boyfriends & Birthdays, Stevens' boyfriend gave her an ultimatum of staying with him or remaining with the band.[5]

Within the television series, and the parallel branding, each member of S Club 7 had their own character, which contained exaggerated forms of their real life counterparts as well as their own identifiable "S Club colour". Hannah Spearritt, for example, had an "S Club colour" of yellow which, as Spearritt describes, mirrors her own personality: "bright and happy".[6] The show copied characterisations and format of the American series The Monkees; US media reported that S Club 7 were "The Monkees for the next generation".[3] Joel Andryc, the vice president of the Fox Family Channel, stated that Miami 7 is "far more relationship driven" than The Monkees, and that "kids today are more sophisticated".[3]

Following on from Miami 7, S Club 7 released the theme music to the show as their debut single on 9 June 1999. The up-tempo "Bring It All Back" reached number-one on the UK Singles Chart,[7] and after selling more than 600,000 copies, was certified Platinum by the BPI.[8] Commenting on the chart position of "Bring It All Back", the group felt "nervous and on-edge" before they discovered they had reached number one. Once they had received the phone call from the record company, the band celebrated the news with "cheers, shouting and crying". The group's success escalated and much like Fuller's marketing campaign for the Spice Girls, they were set to become a "marketable commodity".[2] As evidence for this, global toy manufacturer Hasbro agreed upon an exclusive licensing agreement with 19 Management, which included worldwide rights in the fashion doll category; singing S Club 7 dolls were later released onto the market.[9] An official magazine, fan club, and accompanying Miami 7 scrapbook were also launched furthering 19 Management's corporate aim.[6]

Over the course of the year, the group enjoyed more success in the charts after their second single, "S Club Party", entered the UK chart at number two and went straight to number-one in New Zealand.[10][11] Their third single was a double A-side and featured the ballad "Two in a Million", co-written by Cathy Dennis, and retro-styled, up-tempo "You're My Number One". The former was the first single where O'Meara took lead vocals, setting the standard for future S Club 7 releases; the single also reached number two on the UK Singles Chart.[12] Following the success of their television show and released singles, the group released their debut album S Club in October 1999. The album quickly rose to number two on the UK Albums Chart,[13] and then became certified Double Platinum.[14] The album consisted of a variety of styles including Motown and salsa tracks. Many non-single tracks, like Friday Night and Everybody Wants Ya became fan-favourites, with the latter also being featured in the soundtrack of Disney comedy series, Lizzie McGuire.

Due to the increasing demand for the group with gruelling schedules including spending over thirteen weeks in North America filming the first series of their show and their subsequent television specials, the members often felt that the travelling back and forth from the UK and the US was "perhaps more tiring than what we were actually going out to America to do". Paul Cattermole once commented that the speed of the schedule sometimes caused a "kind of dreamscape in your head", as the group often felt "jetlagged and tired". On top of the filming schedules, the group often performed at high-profile pop music festivals such as Party in the Park where they performed for 100,000 fans. The intensity of the schedule would be a constant battle for the group and was going to continue to take its toll for all the years S Club 7 were together. In spite of this, the group always remained in solidarity that they were all good friends, "cared for each other a lot" and supported each other through difficult times in the group.[citation needed]

Track listing[edit]

S Club track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Bring It All Back"
  • Kennedy
  • Lever
  • Percy
3:33
2."You're My Number One"Absolute3:35
3."Two in a Million"Stargate3:31
4."S Club Party"
  • Mikkel Storleer Eriksen
  • Tor Erik Hermansen
  • Hallegir Rustan
Stargate3:30
5."Everybody Wants Ya"
  • Andy Watkins
  • Paul Wilson
  • Tracy Ackerman
Absolute3:09
6."Viva La Fiesta"
  • Eriksen
  • Hermansen
  • Rustan
  • Dennis
Stargate3:08
7."Gonna Change the World"
  • Simon Franglen
  • Angela Lupino
  • Franglen
  • Lupino
4:06
8."I Really Miss You"
  • Dennis
  • Kennedy
  • Patrick Lincoln
  • Kennedy
  • Lever
  • Percy
3:54
9."Friday Night"Laws3:49
10."It's a Feel Good Thing"
  • Rose
  • Foster
  • Kim Fuller
Dufflebag Boys2:58
11."Hope for the Future"
  • Dennis
  • Danny Poku
Stargate3:55
B-side songs
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
12."So Right"
  • Dennis
  • Poku
Stargate3:45
13."Hello Friend"
  • Kennedy
  • Lever
  • Percy
  • S Club 7
  • Kennedy
  • Lever
  • Percy
3:01
14."Our Time Has Come"
  • Kennedy
  • Lever
  • Percy
  • S Club 7
  • Kennedy
  • Lever
  • Percy
4:21
15."We Can Work It Out"Dufflebag BoysDufflebag Boys3:11
16."Down At Club S"
  • Franglen
  • Lupino
  • Franglen
  • Lupino
4:03

Charts[edit]

Certifications and sales[edit]

‹See Tfd›‹See Tfd›
Certifications and sales for S Club
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[39] Platinum 70,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[40] 2× Platinum 200,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[41] 3× Platinum 45,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[44] 2× Platinum 736,008[42][43]
United States 311,000[45]
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[46] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r461236
  2. ^ a b "Seven up for pop fame". BBC News. 8 April 1999. Retrieved 4 September 2007.
  3. ^ a b c Neal, Victoria (November 1999). "Daydream Relivers – British import, 'S Club 7' television program, about a performing group by the same name, is coming to the US". Entrepreneur. CNET Networks, Inc. Archived from the original on 26 November 2007. Retrieved 4 September 2007.
  4. ^ S Club 7 (as Themselves) / Simon Fuller, Nigel Lythgoe (Producers) / Paul Alexander, Simon Braithwaite, Paul Dorman, Kim Fuller, Georgia Pritchett (Writers). "Back to the '50s". S Club 7 TV movie. Season Special. 1:24, 1:52 minutes in. ITV. CITV.
  5. ^ S Club 7 (as Themselves) / Simon Fuller, Andrew Margetson, Stephen Brierley (Producers) / Kim Fuller, Georgia Pritchett (Writers) (12 December 1999). "Boyfriends & Birthdays". S Club 7 TV movie. Season Special. 2:28 minutes in. BBC. CBBC on BBC One.
  6. ^ a b "S Club 7 Fanzine 2 – fanclub press booklet" (Press release). Polydor Ltd. 20 September 1999.
  7. ^ "United Kingdom Singles Charts – Week Ending 19/06/1999". Official Charts Company. 19 June 1999. Retrieved 19 January 2008.
  8. ^ "BPI Entry – Bring It All Back". BPI Certified Awards Database. British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 20 February 2008. Retrieved 23 January 2008.
  9. ^ "Hasbro to Unveil Products Based on Television and Recording Phenomenon S Club 7". AllBusiness.com. Business Wire. 2 February 2000. Archived from the original on 21 December 2008. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  10. ^ "United Kingdom Singles Charts – Week Ending 02/10/1999". Official Charts Company. 2 October 1999. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  11. ^ "New Zealand Singles Charts – Week Ending 26/12/1999". charts.nz. 26 December 1999. Retrieved 20 January 2008.
  12. ^ "United Kingdom Singles Charts – Week Ending 08/01/2000". Official Charts Company. 8 January 2000. Retrieved 19 January 2008.
  13. ^ "United Kingdom Albums Charts – Week Ending 09/10/1999". Official Charts Company. 9 October 1999. Retrieved 19 January 2008.
  14. ^ "BPI Entry – S Club". BPI Certified Awards Database. British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 23 January 2008.
  15. ^ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 43. 23 October 1999. p. 12. Retrieved 8 April 2023 – via World Radio History.
  16. ^ "Charts.nz – S Club 7 – S Club". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  17. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  18. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  19. ^ "Australiancharts.com – S Club 7 – S Club". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  20. ^ "Austriancharts.at – S Club 7 – S Club" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  21. ^ "Ultratop.be – S Club 7 – S Club" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  22. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 9757". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  23. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – S Club 7 – S Club" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  24. ^ "S Club 7: S Club" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  25. ^ "Lescharts.com – S Club 7 – S Club". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  26. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – S Club 7 – S Club" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  27. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2000. 18. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  28. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography S Club 7". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  29. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – S Club 7 – S Club". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  30. ^ "Swisscharts.com – S Club 7 – S Club". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  31. ^ "S Club 7 Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  32. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – S Club 7 – S Club". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  33. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1999". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  34. ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1999". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  35. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 2000". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  36. ^ "Canada's Top 200 Albums of 2000". Jam!. Archived from the original on 12 August 2004. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  37. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2000". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  38. ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2000". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  39. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2000 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  40. ^ "Canadian album certifications – S Club 7 – S Club". Music Canada. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  41. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – S Club 7 – S Club". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  42. ^ "Najlepiej sprzedające się albumy w W.Brytanii w 1999r" (in Polish). Z archiwum...rocka. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  43. ^ "Najlepiej sprzedające się albumy w W.Brytanii w 2000r" (in Polish). Z archiwum...rocka. Archived from the original on 20 February 2007. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  44. ^ "British album certifications – S Club 7 – S Club". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 July 2012. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type S Club in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  45. ^ Taylor, Chuck (12 May 2001). "Preteens a lucrative, if vulnerable, market". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 5. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  46. ^ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2000". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 July 2012.

References[edit]

  • "AllMusicGuide". Track listings, formats and North American chart positions. Retrieved 29 April 2006.
  • "Discogs". Worldwide track listings and formats. 1999. Retrieved 29 April 2006.