S Club, formerly known as S Club 7, were a pop group created by former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller, consisting of members Tina Barrett, Paul Cattermole, Jon Lee, Bradley McIntosh, de facto lead singer Jo O'Meara, Hannah Spearritt and Rachel Stevens. The group rose to fame by starring in their own BBC television series, Miami 7, in 1999. Over the five years they were together, S Club 7 had four UK No.1 singles, one UK No.1 album, a string of hits throughout Europe, including a top-ten single in the United States, Asia, Latin America, and Africa. They recorded a total of four studio albums, released eleven singles and went on to sell over fourteen million albums worldwide.^[1] Their first album, S Club, had a strong 1990s pop sound, similar to many 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 heard mostly in their final album, Seeing Double.

The concept and brand of the group was created by Simon Fuller, also their manager through 19 Entertainment; they were signed to Polydor Records. Their television series went on to last four series, 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.^[2] The show, which was a children's sitcom, often mirrored real life events which had occurred in S Club, 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. Their song "Reach" was used in the arcade dance game EZ2Dancer in "EZ 2 Dancer UK Move". Group member Paul Cattermole departed the group in 2002, and the group changed its name from S Club 7 to simply S Club. Their second to last single reached number-five in the UK charts, and their final studio album failed to make the top ten.

After Cattermole's departure, the group fought many rumours presuming that they were about to split.^[3][4] However, on 21 April 2003, during a live onstage performance, S Club announced that they were to disband.^[5] After a five year split, it was announced in October 2008 that O'Meara, Cattermole and McIntosh are to perform a mini-reunion tour. The tour currently consists of a series of university and nightclub gigs, where they perform a setlist consisting of a selection of songs from their Greatest Hits album.^[6][7]

History[link]

Formation (1997–98)[link]

Simon Fuller claims to have chanced upon the concept of S Club 7 the day after he was fired by the Spice Girls in 1997.^[8] The group came together after auditioning from over 10,000 hopefuls;^[9] Stevens was the only member of the band who did not audition to gain admittance into the group.^[10] Instead, two producers from 19 Management approached her and asked her to go into the studio to record a demo tape for Fuller.^[10] Both O'Meara and Cattermole were spotted by producers from 19 and asked to audition.^[10] After the auditions had been advertised in The Stage,^[10] Lee, Spearritt, Barrett and McIntosh auditioned.^[10] After some final adjustments, including the removal of three original members, S Club 7 were formed.

Once the final line-up was decided, they flew to Italy to become acquainted with each other.^[11] Speaking about this first meeting, Stevens remarked that the group "felt comfortable with each other from the beginning".^[11] Several members of the band have since stated that the 'S' in S Club 7 stands for Simon, after the band's creator, although the official line has always been ambiguous.^[9]

[edit] S Club and Miami 7 (1999–2000)

S Club 7 first came to public attention in 1999, when they starred in their own television series, Miami 7.^[12] The show first aired on CBBC on BBC One and was a children's sitcom based on the lives of the group who had moved to Miami in search of fame in America. The show was also launched in the United States,^[13] 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.^[2] 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.^[14] In the second TV special, Boyfriends & Birthdays, Stevens' boyfriend gave her an ultimatum of staying with him or remaining with the band.^[15]

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".^[16] Similar characterisation, and format for their show, was more notably seen in the American series The Monkees and US media reported that S Club 7 were "The Monkees for the next generation".^[13] However, 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".^[13] In 2007, Canadian network TVtropolis aired a series called "TV Match Up" which pitted classic television shows against each other; one particular episode featured The Monkees versus S Club 7.^[17]

	"Bring It All Back" (1999) noicon S Club 7's debut single and theme music to Miami 7.
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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 in the United Kingdom singles charts,^[18] and after selling more than 600,000 copies, was made BPI certified Platinum.^[19] 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".^[11]

The group's success escalated and much like Fuller's marketing campaign for the Spice Girls, they were set to become a "marketable commodity".^[12] 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.^[20] An official magazine, fan club, and accompanying Miami 7 scrapbook were also launched furthering 19 Management's corporate aim.^[16]

Over the course of the year, the group enjoyed more success in the charts after their second single, "S Club Party", entered the UK charts at number-two and went straight to number-one in New Zealand.^[21][22] Their third single was a double A-side and featured the ballad, co-written by Cathy Dennis, "Two in a Million" and retro-styled, up-tempo "You're My Number One". The former was the first single where O'Meara took leads vocals, setting the standard for future S Club 7 releases; the single also reached number-two in the UK charts.^[23] 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 in the UK charts,^[24] and then became certified Double Platinum.^[25] The album consisted of a variety of styles including motown and salsa tracks.

Due to the increasing demand for the group with gruelling schedules including spending over thirteen weeks in 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".^[11] 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.^[11] 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.^[11]

[edit] 7 and L.A. 7 (2000–01)

	"Reach" (2000) noicon S Club 7's first single from 7 and theme tune to L.A. 7. "Never Had a Dream Come True" (2000) noicon S Club 7's 2000 Children in Need song and second UK number one.
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In February 2000, the group won the 'British Breakthrough Act' award at the 2000 BRIT Awards.^[26] 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 from Miami and move to Los Angeles to seek a record deal. It introduced the song "Reach", another retro-styled uptempo track, which was 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 number-two in the UK charts.^[27] 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 12 June 2000. This album was a departure from the overtly pop stylings of S Club, with tracks styled more towards R&B than the traditional nineties pop sound of their debut album. It reached number-one in the UK charts^[2][28] becoming certified Triple Platinum,^[29] and a certified Gold record in the US.^[30] The second single from the album, '"Natural", featured Stevens as lead vocalist. It reached number-three in September 2000.^[31]

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 25 September 2000,^[32] 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^[33] and the Hyacinth Macaw.^[34] In October 2000, they launched the annual Poppy Appeal Campaign with Dame Thora Hird^[35] and supported Woolworth's Kids First Campaign throughout 1999 and 2000.^[36] 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.^[37] 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;^[37] it entered the UK charts at number-nineteen.^[38]

In November 2000, S Club 7 were invited to provide the official song for the UK's BBC Children in Need Campaign 2000, so a new song, the ballad "Never Had a Dream Come True", was recorded. After topping the UK charts in December 2000,^[39] the song was added to a re-release of the 7 album, along with another new track, a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Lately".

[edit] Sunshine and Hollywood 7 (2001–02)

	"Don't Stop Movin'" (2001) noicon "Don't Stop Movin'" went straight to number one and was Q's #3 Guilty Pleasure in 2006.[40]
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"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 was released in April 2001, marked a high point for the group as the single went straight to number-one,^[41] went Platinum^[42] and became the seventh best selling single of 2001.^[43] 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 number-one, he felt as though he was "supported by the fans" and his fears were alleviated.^[44] McIntosh also remarked that the single had broken new ground for the group, and Cattermole thought it to be their "best song by miles".^[10] The group won the Record of the Year award for the song,^[45] and in February 2002, the single won the group their second BRIT Award for best British single.^[46] 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; it was something which they had always wanted to do, but couldn't because things were "always so hectic".^[10] After spending most of early 2001 rehearsing, the S Club Party 2001 tour began on 19 May 2001. Describing the tour, Stevens remarked that seeing a crowd of over 13,000 fans each night coming to see them was "such an unbelievable feeling", and the other members of the group shared an "adrenaline rush" as well as a wave of emotion before going on stage.^[10] Once the tour was over, the group had to fly back to the United States in order to film the third series of their television show, Hollywood 7. This third series, which was still set in Los Angeles, was the group's favourite to film because they had more acting experience and could "drop their shoulders" and start to enjoy themselves.^[10] The group, however, had to continuously cope with intense schedules and early starts whilst recording for the programme, something which, although the group felt "laid back" about it at the time,^[10] was to eventually take its toll and lead to the demise of the band.^[47]

Hollywood 7 began airing in September 2001 and dealt with the issue of an on-screen kiss between Spearritt and Cattermole, who had begun dating in real life.^[48] 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.^[48] Hollywood 7 aired alongside a new CBBC reality show, S Club Search, which invited children to extend the S Club brand and audition to form a younger version of the band. The new group were to be chosen to sing and dance on tour with S Club 7 on their future S Club 7 Carnival 2002 tour.^[49] The eight children who went on to form the band named themselves S Club Juniors and had six top ten UK hits.^[50]

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.^[44] As a result, S Club 7 were invited back and asked to record a second consecutive Children in Need single, in November 2001. It was decided that "Have You Ever", a song co-written by Chris Braide and Cathy Dennis, was to be released for the charity campaign. After the success of the previous year's single, the performance on the night featured many primary school children who had pre-recorded their own versions of the chorus.^[51] 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.^[10] The single was another success for the group and became their fourth number-one,^[52] as well as the 21st biggest selling single of 2001.^[43]

In January 2002, S Club 7 embarked upon their second arena tour, S Club 7 Carnival 2002, which aimed to please fans by stylising their songs to fit with a carnival-like theme with music styles from different countries of the world.^[53] Speaking about the tour, McIntosh described it as "older show", a change from S Club Party 2001, which was "more like bubblegum",^[54] with Paul Cattermole comparing 2001's "theatrical" tour with the Carnival tour as a more "glitzy, concert stage".^[55] The tour was generally well received by the children's media, describing the show as "diverse" and "dazzling",^[53] whereas the group was criticised by the broadsheets as being "like a compilation of toddler-friendly Eurovision entries" although conceding that it was a "slick, decent-value show".^[56] Cattermole was also criticised when he was dubbed overweight and a "heavy-footed dancer".^[57]

After the success of their last three singles, all of which had made it to number-one, S Club 7 failed to top the charts when they released their ninth single, "You"; it reached number-two in the UK.^[58] The single, which was described as a "candyfloss-bright, tongue-in-cheek 50s pastiche",^[59] 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.

[edit] Seeing Double, Viva S Club, Movie and Split (2002–03)

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",^[60] 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.^[55] Cattermole's resignation came as Skua had decided to reform, and he found it a perfect time to make the transition back from pop to rock as S Club 7's record contracts were up for renewal.^[61] 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.^[62]

	"Alive" (2002) noicon S Club's first single as S Club and theme tune to Viva S Club. "Say Goodbye" (2003) noicon The group's final single.
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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.^[63] 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".^[57] After only peaking at number-five in the UK charts with their first single as a six,^[64] 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 number-seventeen.^[65] S Club's time at the top of the charts was slowly coming to an end, and when O'Meara announced that she had an immobilising back condition which could have left her in a wheelchair,^[5][66] 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, directed by music-video director Nigel Dick, 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 pop stars. The film's release was marked by many rumours that the group were about to split, which were quickly denied by the six.^[4] However, ten days after the release of their movie, the rumours were confirmed when it was announced live on stage—during their S Club United tour on 21 April 2003 — that, after a final single and greatest hits album, S Club would part ways.^[5] The band cited a mutual split, expressing it was simply a time "to move on and face new challenges".^[5] Many fans felt "betrayed" and "disappointed" by the breakup, as well as "angry" due to the group denying rumours only two weeks before at the Seeing Double premiere.^[67] 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".^[67] Since the split, the members of S Club have commented on how exhausting being in the band was, due to hectic schedules and long filming days.^[47] 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 had constantly felt "drained" whilst with S Club.^[47]

The final single was a double A-side, coupling "Love Ain't Gonna Wait for You", from their fourth album Seeing Double, with a new ballad, "Say Goodbye". Returning to the style of their first single, "Say Goodbye" saw vocals shared around the group. The single reached number-two in the UK, beaten to the top spot by R. Kelly's "Ignition (Remix)",^[68] and was included on S Club's greatest hits album, Best: The Greatest Hits of S Club 7, 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 number-two in the United Kingdom.^[59] S Club eventually disbanded after the release of "Say Goodbye" on 26 May 2003.

On 27 April 2003, it was reported that Spearritt's parents had hired lawyers to chase payments owed to them by Simon Fuller and his management company.^[69] They claimed that out of the €75 million fortune the band made for Fuller, they only received €150,000 a year of it.^[69] There was also controversy when the band had to travel economy class to America and when Fuller did not turn up for the premiere of Seeing Double.^[69] The criticism put to Fuller was similar of that in 1997 when the Spice Girls fired him for being too controlling.^[70]

After the group split up, the S Club Juniors rebranded to "S Club 8", and went on to film CBBC show I Dream, releasing their third studio album under the same name.^[71] The group disbanded in 2005.^[72]

Small public appearances and reunion rumours (2011–)[link]

Although all seven members have never been on stage together since their breakup, the group have been seen to support each other throughout their later careers, such as to support Lee as Marius Pontmercy in Les Misérables.^[73] Stevens and O'Meara were photographed together during 2005 university tours, while McIntosh and Cattermole have been nightclub DJs together and even performed renditions of "Reach".

In March 2011 O'Meara stated on Facebook that all seven members would be reunited for the first time since 2002. On 29 March 2011 the group all went to see Lee perform as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys on stage. They posed for photos afterwards.^[74][75]

On 29 November 2011 it was revealed by several publications, that S Club had hopes to reunite in 2012 for a possible tour, following on the success from Steps.^[76][77] However, Barrett confirmed through her Twitter page that the rumors of a reunion were completely fabricated. However, on 12 December 2011, she announced on Twitter in response to a fan: "right now i'll just say anythings possible so we'll see!! x" In an interview on ITV's This Morning Spearritt stated that her and her former bandmates are just "too busy" for a reunion.^[78]

In March 2012, it was speculated that all seven members would reform for seven one-off gigs and appearances, with possibility of a two-album record deal.^[79] In April 30, Barrett spoke out about the speculations on Radio 5. She revieled that the group had been "talking about it" and stated that a reunion is likely to happen if they come up with a "good plan".^[80]

Controversy[link]

On 20 March 2001, Cattermole, Lee and McIntosh were caught with cannabis in London's Covent Garden; they were cautioned by police at Charing Cross Police Station and released without charge.^[81] After the event, they released a public apology stating they were "very stupid" and "very sorry", admitting to having made a "stupid mistake".^[82] 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 would keep their contracts with the band.^[82] However, cereal firm Quaker Oats ended talks with 19 Entertainment after learning of the police caution.^[83] 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.^[84] 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.^[85]

Musical style[link]

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.^{[citation needed]} Their first two singles saw vocals shared equally amongst the seven members of the group, and it was not 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 atypical of the pop genre: "You're My Number One" and "Everybody Wants Ya" were motown driven^[86] whereas "Viva La Fiesta" and "It's A Feel Good Thing", were both "bouncy, salsa-driven Latino songs".^[86]

Over the years, their style and direction changed progressively with each new album. Their second album 7, had songs which had styles far removed from the traditional pop songs rival pop bands of the nineties were releasing. With the release of "Natural" in 2000, S Club 7 showcased a new, R&B-lite sound.^[87] 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.^[88]

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",^[59] a style which matched that of their final single "Love Ain't Gonna Wait for You". The album also contained many other dance tracks and songs far removed from their original bubblegum pop stylings, such as the "sex for the CBBC generation" in "Hey Kitty Kitty".^[89] 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".^[90]

Throughout their releases, S Club 7 always kept their original pop roots, with songs such as "Reach",^[87] "You"^[88] and "Say Goodbye"

S Club franchise[link]

Fuller has created several S Club 7 spin-offs since the group's official disbandment. "S Club Limited" appeared as a credit on the TV series.

Four series of their TV show (Miami 7, L.A. 7, Hollywood 7 and Viva S Club) depicted the group and their quest for stardom. There were also 4 specials: Back to the 50's, Boyfriends & Birthdays, Artistic Differences and "Christmas Special".

S Club TV was an S Club 7 spin-off that broadcast on CITV. The show followed a magazine-style format with interactive elements and launched the careers of some now famous celebrities: Holly Willoughby, Kelly Beckett and Ben Barnes.^{[citation needed]}

S Club Juniors, which later became S Club 8, was formed in 2001 by the program S Club Search on CBBC.

In 2003, Columbia Pictures released a feature film starring S Club 7. Originally slated for a Christmas 2002 release, Cattermole's departure necessitated a rewrite and delayed the film's production.

S Club 8 split up in 2005, ending the S Club Franchise.

S Club 3: 2008–12[link]

From October 2008, the group started performing in pubs and clubs across Britain.^[91] This was shortly after O'Meara's son Lenny was born. On 12 November 2008, a bottle was thrown at O'Meara during an S Club 3 performance in Bradford; it left her with a severe cut to the head, requiring treatment at a nearby Hospital. A 20-year old man was arrested, and the attack was thought to have something to do with her performance on Celebrity Big Brother where nearly 50,000 complaints were received about her and two other female contestants' apparent racist bullying toward Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty.^[92]

In late 2008, some sources stated that Barrett and Lee were to start touring with the group sometime in the following year. It was also stated that a new greatest hits album, Ain’t No Party: The Ultimate Collection of S Club 7 was set for release later the following year.^[93] Both of these rumours turned out to be false. Paul was absent from a gig at the Plug Club in Sheffield in February 2009. On 12 November, S Club 3 turned on the Mansfield Christmas Lights.^[94] In early 2010, the group decided to take their gigs further. They booked some venues in Egypt for April. On 19 April 2010, S Club 3 were the headlining act at the Tottenham Carnival.^[95] The group made an appearance at Gay Prides in Doncaster and Yorkshire on 21 August.^[96]

In January 2011, O'Meara and McIntosh made several performances in Dublin without Cattermole.^[97] On 2 February 2011, O'Meara, McIntosh and Cattermole played at Keele University,^[98] followed by a guest appearance at Aberystwyth University on 20 February 2011. On 18 March 2011 they played to a sellout crowd at the University of Hull, a move which saw local media refer to the show as "the comeback of the century". The group subsequently performed at Butlin's in Bognor Regis and various university Freshers' Week events, with a scheduled tour of Australia in May 2012.^[99]

On May 30, 2012, S Club featured on Australia's Channel 7 The Morning Show, announcing they are in the country for a national tour from May 23-June 2 2012.^[100] Subsequent to this appearance, a video of the performance was uploaded to YouTube, where the reaction was largely negative with many viewers expressing the opinion that the performance was uncomfortable to watch, with the absence of the four other members of the original band causing some disillusionment among childhood fans of the group.^[101]

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• S Club (1999)
• '7' (2000)
• Sunshine (2001)
• Seeing Double (2002)

Compilation albums

• Best: The Greatest Hits of S Club 7 (2003)

International only albums

• Don't Stop Movin' (2002)

Filmography[link]

Tours[link]

• S Club Party Tour (2001)

Introducing
1.Don't Stop Moving
2.You're My Number One
3.Friday Night
4.Our Time Has Come
5.Stand By You
6.Two In A Million
7.I Really Miss You
8.She's Out Of My Life (Cover Of Micheal Jackson Performing By Jon Lee)
9.You
10.Natural
11.Bring It All Back
12.Viva La Fiesta
13.Never Had A Dream Come True
Band Introduction
14.Bring The House Down
15.Love Train
16.Reach
17.S Club Party
S Club Party Rock Final

• Carnival Tour (2002)

Overture
1.S Club Party
2.Bring It All Back (Carnival Remix)
3.Good Times
4.You're My Number One
5.Friday Night
Thunderstrom Dancer Break
6.Sunshine
7.Show Me Your Colors
8.Never Had A Dream Come True
In The Club Interlude
9.Stronger
10.Bring The House Down
11.Dance Dance Dance
12.The Long and Winding Road (Cover Of The Beatles Performed By Jon Lee)
13.Have You Ever
14.Right Guy (Performing By S Club Boy)
Carnival Intro
15.Viva La Fiesta (Remix Tour)
16.You
17.Reach
ENCORE
18.Don't Stop Moving
19.Carnival Medley: Jamin'/Shake Your Body Down To The Ground/Hot Hot Hot

• S Club United (2003) - double-headlining tour with S Club 8.

Introduction
1.Alive
2.Do It Till We Drop
3.S Club Party (with S Club Juniors)
4.Never Had A Dream Come True
5.Dance
6.Bittersweet
7.Stuck On You (Jon Lee)
8.Have You Ever
9.Love Ain't Gonna Wait For You
10.Medley:Bring It All Back/You/Reach
11.Two In A Million
12.Who Do You Think You Are
13.Don't Stop Moving
14.Say Goodbye (After their split was announced)

References[link]

Rachel Stevens
Stevens attending London Fashion Week 2010 on 19 February 2010
Background information
Birth name	Rachel Lauren Stevens
Born	(1978-04-09) 9 April 1978 (age 34) Southgate,London, England
Genres	Pop, dance
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, actress, presenter model, dancer, television personality
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Polydor
Associated acts	S Club, Vincent Simone
Website	rachelstevensofficial.com

Rachel Lauren Stevens (born 9 April 1978) is an English singer-songwriter, actress, presenter, dancer, television personality and model. She is a former member of the successful pop group S Club, and launched a solo recording career in 2003, releasing seven singles and two albums in the UK between 2003 and 2005. In 2008, she came second in the sixth series of the BBC One series Strictly Come Dancing with her dance partner Vincent Simone.

Early life[link]

Born in Southgate, London, she attended Osidge JMI School and Ashmole School in London.^[1] Stevens has two brothers, Jason and Leigh. Stevens is Jewish, and has stated that she "observe[s] some of the holidays and I’ll go to the synagogue on special occasions".^[2]

In 1993 she first caught attention while beating out 5,000 competitors and winning a modelling contest sponsored by UK teen magazine Just 17.^{[citation needed]} Following her first modelling jobs, she decided to study at the London College of Fashion, where she achieved a diploma in business. During that time she also worked in a film company and later ended up working in public relations, but began to lose interest and decided to pursue a career in singing instead.^[3]

S Club 7[link]

At the age of twenty Stevens became a member of the British pop group S Club 7, which were a BRIT Award-winning British pop group created by former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller. The group rose to fame via their own BBC television programme and by selling 16 million records worldwide^[4] and launching four number one hit singles in the United Kingdom. S Club eventually split up in 2003.^[5]

In both 2001 and 2002 she was voted the number two Sexiest Woman in the World by UK's FHM readers.^[6]

S -Club 7 have reported on the 21st of March 2012 that they will be getting back together for a reunion in the Summer of 2012 source

Solo career[link]

[edit] 2003–2004: Funky Dory

After S Club were disbanded Stevens signed a £1.5 million solo four-album deal with Polydor Records and re-signed with Fuller.^[7] Stevens said that breaking out on her own after success with S Club was difficult: "I think we [S Club] ended up conforming to what people's perceptions were. This one was the ditzy one, this one was the singer, this one was the dancer. And to come out of that and be a whole person has been a real challenge for me. I didn't have my say, really, in the group. None of us did."^[4]

Her first solo single, written by Cathy Dennis and produced by Bloodshy & Avant, "Sweet Dreams My LA Ex", was released in September 2003.^[8] Taking inspiration from R&B and adult-style pop music, Stevens's debut solo album, Funky Dory, was released later that month. The album was a minor hit, reaching number 9 on the UK albums chart.^[9] Although it was not a huge commercial success, it gained praise from pop critics; Jamie Gill, in a review for Yahoo! Launch, said that Stevens "eschews the cheap and cheerful approach of her old band for a slinky adult confidence and musical eclecticism."^[10]

Stevens performing in 2004

That December the album's title track "Funky Dory", featuring a sample of the David Bowie song "Andy Warhol" from his album Hunky Dory, was released as its second single and failed to match the success of "Sweet Dreams My LA Ex", peaking at number twenty-four.^[11] MusicOMH called it "musically better than "Sweet Dreams My LA Ex" with a hybrid of pop, Latin and even a hint of jazz infusion" but not a good single choice as a single as it lacked anything special and different.^[1]

In July 2004 Stevens released the BBC Sport Relief charity single, "Some Girls", which was produced by Richard X. It became a hit across Europe, and reached number two in the UK. HMV.co.uk called the song Stevens's "finest song to date",^[2] and Yahoo! Launch commented that "she came to save her career. She ended up saving pop."^[3]

Stevens then signed a lucrative deal with Matalan reportedly worth £1 million and had her hit song "More More More" as the title song for Matalan's advertising campaign.

Following the success of "Some Girls", Funky Dory was re-released to include "Some Girls" and another new track, a cover of Andrea True Connection's "More More More". "More More More" was issued as a single and peaked at number 3 in the UK, giving Stevens her third top ten solo single in the UK.^[12] At this point, Stevens and her management stepped up promotion, earning her a Guinness World Record for "Most Public Appearances by a Pop Star in 24 Hours in Different Cities" (seven on 8–9 September 2004).^[13]

[edit] 2004–2005: Come and Get It

In late 2004 Stevens began working on her second solo album, Come and Get It, with producers and songwriters Richard X, Alexis Strum and Xenomania.^[14] The following March, its first single, "Negotiate with Love", was a top ten hit in the UK.^[15] "So Good" was released in July 2005 and also peaked at number 10,^[16] being hailed as "tastily produced and sassily delivered."^[17] In mid 2005, Channel 4 broadcast a documentary which followed Stevens through the summer as she promoted "So Good".

Stevens released Come and Get It in October 2005. The album was less successful than her debut, peaking at number 28 in the UK.^[16] Its third and final single was "I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)", which peaked at number 12 in the UK^[16] and was commended by HMV.co.uk for its "astonishingly flawless vocal performance" and as Stevens's "most commercially accessible and quirky single since "Some Girls"."^[4] It has the song "Je m'appelle Rachel" on it, which was originally written by Shelly Poole as "Je m'appelle Michelle".

2006–2010: music break[link]

In 2007 The Guardian included Come and Get It in their "1,000 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" list.^[18]

In August 2008 it was announced that Stevens would take part in the 2008 series of Strictly Come Dancing, which started on 20 September. She was partnered with professional dancer Vincent Simone, and together they hold the record for the most perfect 10s ever achieved in any series of Strictly Come Dancing after achieving second place in the 2008 series. Stevens appeared on the Live Tour 2009, reunited with Simone. They danced the Tango and Rumba and achieved a record 26 victories out of 40, meaning that they were the overall winners. Stevens and Simone also competed in the 2009 Christmas special alongside Austin Healey, Chris Hollins, Gethin Jones, Ali Bastian and Ricky Whittle.

[edit] 2011-present: return to music & Tasty Tunes

In early 2010 Stevens announced that she would be returning to the recording studio to begin work on her third album. She is believed to be working with one half of Jewels & Stone who wrote and produced her last single "I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)".

In July 2011 a demo track entitled "Nothing in Common", which was recorded for Come and Get It, was uploaded online.^[19]

In October 2011 Stevens promoted Seven Seas Health Oils, and did live interviews for various radio stations

In November 2011 Stevens's official website posted a message that they have to close the site and forum, there will be a new website and forum soon. It has also been said Stevens is to release an album for toddlers titled Tasty Tunes in a project with toddlers food company Ella's Kitchen. "Rachel Stevens has a new album out - "Tasty Tunes – a unique collection of songs aimed at encouraging toddlers to try new healthy foods". On 15 November 2011 Stevens made a guest appearance on ITV1 Lorraine to chat to Lorraine Kelly about being a mother and recording an album for toddlers. You can download the free album through Ella's Kitchen's official website.

Stevens has also revealed in various interviews recently that she is currently back in the studio recording her third studio album.

On 31 January 2012, a 14 second clip of a new Stevens' track entitled "Suckerpunch" emerged via SoundCloud and Twitter. On the 06th May the Original Instrumental Demo track "SuckerPunch" emerged via Youtube and Twitter "Suckerpunch" Is written and produced by R. Parisi of Black Melody Productions.

Acting career[link]

While Stevens was a member of S Club 7, she appeared in five series of S Club shows: S Club 7 Go Wild!! Miami 7, L.A. 7, Hollywood 7, and Viva S Club. The group also starred in the feature film, Seeing Double. In 2004, Stevens briefly appeared in Suzie Gold, followed by a minor cameo role in Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005).

In 2005 Stevens played a character called "Jane-Mary" in a Spider-Man charity spoof called Spider-Plant Man for the BBC appearing opposite Rowan Atkinson. In December 2007 it was announced that Stevens would be transformed into a 9-inch-high (230 mm) plasticine character for Glendogie Bogey, a new animated comedy for BBC Scotland.^[20] Later in 2005, Stevens also played a minor role in Dominic Veall's ITV television drama Flawless playing Lucy Carlts, the sister of Rodger Carlts.

Filmography[link]

[edit] Strictly Come Dancing

In August 2008 it was announced that Stevens would take part in the 2008 series of Strictly Come Dancing, which started on 20 September. She was partnered with professional dancer Vincent Simone, and together they hold the record for the most perfect 10s ever achieved in any series of Strictly Come Dancing, thus beating out other contestants including 2007 winner Alesha Dixon and 2008 winner Tom Chambers. They also hold the record for the Foxtrot, Tango and Rumba and even though Stevens is perhaps the most successful contestant in Strictly history, she finished in second place.^[21][22]

Performances[link]

Stevens and Vincent Simone also took part in the 2008 Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special on Christmas Day which saw a four way tie at the top of the leader board by four couples getting 39 points each. Head judge Len made the final decision and decided to put them in order which left Stevens in third place in the leader board.

Stevens appeared on the Live Tour 2009, reunited with Simone. They danced the Tango and Rumba and achieved a record 26 victories out of 40, meaning that they were the overall winners.

Stevens and Simone also competed in the 2009 Christmas Special alongside Austin Healey, Chris Hollins, Gethin Jones, Ali Bastian and Ricky Whittle. Stevens and Simone did not win the Christmas Special, however, they did match their score for the rumba (39/40), still the highest score for the dance to date and thus ending the special as runners up.^[23]

Personal life[link]

In her earlier years in S Club Stevens dated property developer Daniel Cohen for about two years. Following the split, Cohen stated he met Stevens socially a few times after their break-up, adding "she's an absolute darling, someone I haven't a bad word to say about".^[24]

On Valentine's Day in 2002 Stevens became engaged to actor Jeremy Edwards.^[25] The couple broke up in early 2004.^[26]

After the breakup she dated Gavin Dein, son of former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein.^[27] The relationship did not last long, with the couple splitting up in August 2005.^[28]

In September and October 2006 Stevens was linked to actor Stephen Dorff^[29] and American-based British singer Oliver Trevena, known professionally as Oli T.^[30]

In June 2008 Stevens became engaged to boyfriend Alex Bourne in Italy (who had changed his surname from Leigh) after 18 months of dating.^[31] The couple were planning to get married in the autumn of 2008 but decided to postpone their wedding until August 2009 due to Stevens's busy autumn schedule training and performing on Strictly Come Dancing.^[32] Stevens married Bourne on 2 August 2009.^[33]

On 19 May 2010 the couple announced that Stevens was expecting their first child.^[34]

On 16 November 2010, she gave birth to a baby girl, Amelie.^[35]

Awareness campaigns[link]

In 2005 Stevens fronted the Everyman Testicular Cancer Awareness campaign. Stevens's role was notable as she was the first woman to represent this campaign. Her television commercial raised eyebrows with its suggestive content that included her telling men to "put one hand down their trousers and give their testicles a good feel". On the commercial, Stevens commented, "Sometimes men need a little encouragement to think about their health. This is a funny way of raising awareness about a serious subject."^[5]

In 2005 Stevens also took part in the Make Poverty History campaign, which aims to eliminate poverty in developing countries by cancelling old debts, improving the way aid is given and removing barriers, so these countries can trade more effectively with the rest of the world. Stevens donated an undisclosed amount of money to the campaign, and also starred in television and magazine advertisements supporting the cause. Her official website also displayed the campaign's official online banner.^[6]

On 15 November 2011 it was reported that Stevens had recorded a collection of songs about fruit and vegetables as a way of helping to encourage children to eat five portions of fruit and veg per day. The songs were for an album titled Tasty Tunes and were made available as free downloads from the website of children's food firm Ella's Kitchen and Stevens launched the songs with a one-off performance at a nursery in Streatham, South London. The songs include food-themed versions of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "The Hokey-Cokey", and Stevens said of the project; "As a new mum, I'm always looking for exciting ways to encourage my daughter to try new foods, especially greens. I hope tasty tunes help lots of parents sing about fruit and vegetables as part of their little one's everyday playtime."^[36][37]

Endorsement deals[link]

Whilst in S Club 7 Stevens fronted the World Wide Fund for Nature. More recently, she has been the front woman for Pretty Polly,^[38] Sky Sports, Marks & Spencer,^[39] and Focus Dailies.^[40] In 2009, Stevens became the new ambassador for Schwarzkopf Gliss hair products.^[41] Rachel is currently fronting the launch of Seven Seas Health Oils

Discography[link]

• 2003: Funky Dory
• 2005: Come and Get It

Awards[link]

Notes[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rachel Stevens

• Official website
• Rachel Stevens at the Internet Movie Database
• Rachel Stevens Gallery
• Rachel Stevens at Allmusic
• Rachel Stevens discography at Discogs
• FHM's Rachel Stevens Special