Hugglescote Working Men's Club, North West Leicestershire

Working men's clubs are a type of private social club founded in the 19th century in industrial areas of the United Kingdom, particularly the North of England, the Midlands and many parts of the South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education for working class men and their families.

Purpose[link]

Despite the educational ambitions, most working men's clubs are recreational. Typically, clubs have a bar for the sale and consumption of alcohol, snooker, pool or bar billiards tables, and many provide food. They often provide entertainment such as bingo, raffles, live music and comedy. They are also known for their charitable works. In recent years, declining membership has seen many clubs close down and others struggle to remain open. Some groups try to raise the profile of clubs, pointing to their historical legacies and their community roles.

Streethouse working men's club, West Yorkshire

Membership and structure[link]

A working men's club is a non-profit organisation run by members through a committee, usually elected annually. Each club has rules which tend to be vigorously enforced. The committee will discipline members (common punishments being a warning, or a ban for a period) for violations. Despite the name, women are allowed to be members in many clubs, and virtually all clubs allow entry to women. Non-members are not allowed entry unless signed in by a member.

While all members pay an annual fee, the primary income comes from alcohol. A club will retain paid staff, such as barmen, stewards, caretakers and cleaners.

Club and Institute Union[link]

Most clubs affiliate to the Working Men's Club and Institute Union (commonly known as the CIU or C&IU). The CIU is affiliated to the Committee of Registered Clubs Associations or CORCA. A member of one affiliated club is entitled to use the facilities of other clubs. There are 2,200 affiliated working men's clubs in the UK.^[1]

The CIU has two purposes; to provide a national voice for clubs, and to provide discounted products and services for clubs.

Brewery[link]

Until 2004, the CIU ran a brewery at Dunston, Tyne and Wear. This brewed ales and lagers under the Federation brand. The brewery and brands were sold to Scottish & Newcastle for £16.2 million,^[2] although CIU clubs still receive discounted beer. These discounts are passed to members.

Impact of July 2007 smoking ban[link]

In December 2007 a poll by the British Institute of Innkeeping and the Federation of Licensed Victuallers' Associations found that overall revenue was 7.3% down as more men opted to drink at home where they could also smoke.^[3]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Club Historians website
• Media related to Working men's clubs at Wikimedia Commons

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2010)

The Reform Club, set up in the early 19th century in London

A gentlemen's club is a members-only private club of a type originally set up by and for British upper class men in the 18th century, and popularised by English upper-middle class men and women in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Today, some are more open about the gender and social status of members. Many countries outside the United Kingdom have prominent gentlemen's clubs.

In the United States, a great variety of gentlemen's clubs were formed, in the same manner as the UK. In the 1990s the term gentlemen's club began to be used as a promotional euphemism for strip clubs, a trend also increasingly common in the UK, with chains such as Stringfellows and Spearmint Rhino using the term in this way.

History[link]

The original clubs were established in the West End of London. Today, the area of St James's is still sometimes called "clubland". Clubs took over the role occupied by coffee houses in 18th century London to some degree, and reached the height of their influence in the late 19th century. The first clubs, such as White's, Brooks's and Boodle's, were aristocratic in flavour, and provided an environment for gambling, which was illegal outside of members-only establishments.

The 19th century brought an explosion in the popularity of clubs, particularly around the decade of the 1880s. At their height, London had over 400 such establishments. This expansion can be explained in part by the large extensions of the franchise in the Reform Acts of 1832, 1867, and 1885. Each time, hundreds of thousands more men were qualified to vote, and it was common for them to feel that they had been elevated to the status of a gentleman, thus they sought a club. The existing clubs, with strict limits on membership numbers and long waiting lists, were generally wary of such newly-enfranchised potential members, and so these people began forming their own clubs. Each of the three great Reform Acts corresponded with a further expansion of clubs, as did a further extension of the franchise in 1918.

Many of these new, more 'inclusive' clubs proved just as reluctant as their forebears to admit new members when the franchise was further extended.

An increasing number of clubs were characterised by their members' interest in politics, literature, sport, art, automobiles, travel, particular countries, or some other pursuit. In other cases, the connection between the members was membership of the same branch of the armed forces, or the same school or university. Thus the growth of clubs provides an indicator as to what was considered a respectable part of the 'Establishment' at the time.

By the late 19th century, any man with a credible claim to the status of "gentleman" was eventually able to find a club willing to admit him, unless his character was objectionable in some way or he was "unclubbable" (incidentally, a word first used by Samuel Johnson).^[1] This came to include professionals who had to earn their income, such as doctors and lawyers.

Most gentlemen had only one club, which closely corresponded with the trade or social / political identity he felt most defined him, but a few people belonged to several. Members of the aristocracy and politicians were likely to have several clubs. The record number of memberships is believed to have been with Earl Mountbatten, who had nineteen in the 1960s.

Public entertainments, such as musical performances and the like, were not a feature of this sort of club. The clubs were, in effect, "second homes" in the centre of London where men could relax, mix with their friends, play parlour games, get a meal, and in some clubs stay overnight. Expatriates, when staying in England, could use their clubs, as the East India Club or the Oriental Club, as a base. They allowed upper- and upper-middle-class men with modest incomes to spend their time in grand surroundings. The richer clubs were built by the same architects as the finest country houses of the time, and had similar types of interiors. They were a convenient retreat for men who wished to get away from female relations. Many men spent much of their lives in their club, and it was common for young newly-graduated men who had moved to London for the first time to live at their club for two or three years before they could afford to rent a house or flat.

Women also set about establishing their own clubs in the late nineteenth century, such as the Ladies' Institute, and the Ladies' Athenaeum. They proved quite popular at the time, but only one, The University Women's Club, has survived to this day as a single-sex establishment.

Until the 1950s, clubs were also heavily regulated in the rooms open to non-members. Most clubs contained just one room where members could dine and entertain non-members; it was often assumed that one's entire social circle should be within the same club. Harold Macmillan was said to have taken "refuge in West End clubs ...: Pratt's, Athenaeum, Buck’s, Guards, the Beefsteak, the Turf, [and] the Carlton".^[2]

The class requirements relaxed gradually throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. From the 1970s onwards some single-sex clubs opened to both sexes as guests and as members, partly to maintain membership levels.

Current status[link]

Although traditional gentlemen's clubs are no longer as popular or influential as they originally were, many have seen a significant resurgence in popularity and status in recent years. Some top clubs still maintain distinctions which are often undefined and rarely explained to those who do not satisfy their membership requirements. After reaching the top of a long waiting list, there is a possibility of being blackballed. In these circumstances, the proposer of such a person may be expected to resign, as he failed to withdraw his undesirable candidate. More often, the member who proposes an unsuitable candidate will be "spoken to" at a much earlier stage than this, and he will withdraw his candidate to avoid embarrassment for all concerned.

Today gentlemen's clubs exist throughout the world, predominantly in Commonwealth countries and the US. Many clubs offer reciprocal hospitality to other clubs' members when travelling abroad.

In Britain and particularly London, there is a continuum between the original gentlemen's clubs and the more modern but otherwise similar private members' clubs such the Groucho Club, Soho House and Home House. All offer similar facilities such as food, drink, comfortable surroundings, venue hire and in many cases accommodation. In recent years the advent of mobile working (using phone and email) has placed pressures on the traditional London clubs which frown on, and often ban, the use of mobiles and discourage laptops. A new breed of business-oriented private members' clubs, exemplified by One Alfred Place and Eight in London or the Gild in Barcelona, combines the style, food and drink of a contemporary private members' club with the business facilities of an office.

United Kingdom[link]

There are perhaps some 25 traditional London gentlemen's clubs of particular note, from The Arts Club to White's. Many other estimable clubs (such as the yacht clubs) have a specific character which places them outside the mainstream, or may have sacrificed their individuality for the commercial interest of attracting enough members regardless of their common interests. (See article at club for a further discussion of these distinctions.) The oldest gentleman's club in London is White's, which was founded in 1693.^[3]

Discussion of trade or business is usually not allowed in traditional gentlemen's clubs, but increasingly politicians and businesspeople hire club premises for debates and conferences on current affairs. For example, the Commonwealth Club in London counts former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, and former Australian Prime Minister John Howard as influential people who have spoken there. The use of such establishments for public discussion and debate is in its infancy, as many of the larger and more established clubs strictly enforce their rules on such matters.

Similar clubs exist in other large UK cities, such as New Club in Edinburgh, The St James's Club in Manchester, and the Ulster Reform Club in Belfast. The Liverpool Athenaeum was founded in 1797 by art collector and social reformer William Roscoe and friends, and contains a notable library of rare books^{[citation needed]}. The Clifton Club in Bristol was founded in 1818 and occupies an imposing building. St Paul's Club was formed in 1859 in Birmingham, the first in the Midlands. Jersey and Guernsey in the Channel Islands, although outside the UK proper, each have their own The United Club, founded, respectively, in 1848 and in 1870.

United States[link]

The Houston Club in Downtown Houston

Most major cities in the US have at least one traditional gentlemen's club. They are more prevalent, however, in older cities such as New Orleans and around the East Coast, for example New York City (which has the largest number of prominent clubs), Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington, D.C. Some American clubs have reciprocal relationships with the older clubs in London, with each other, and with other clubs . The oldest existing American clubs date to the 18th century; the State in Schuylkill in Philadelphia, founded in 1732, is arguably the oldest club in North America,^[3] the Old Colony Club in Plymouth, Massachusetts founded in 1769, is also one of oldest gentlemen's club in North America. The Yale Club of New York City, comprising a clubhouse of 22 stories and a worldwide membership of over 11,000, is the largest gentlemen's club in the world.^[4]

Australia[link]

Australia has several gentlemen's clubs. Sydney has the Union, University & Schools Club and the Royal Automobile Club of Australia. Melbourne has the Melbourne Club, the Savage Club and the Athenaeum Club (named after its counterpart in London). The Australian Club exists a separate club in each of Sydney and Melbourne. Adelaide has the Adelaide Club and the Naval, Military and Air Force Club of South Australia. Brisbane has Tattersalls Club and the Brisbane Polo Club (housed in the heritage listed Naldham House in the centre of the central business district). Perth has the Weld Club and the WA Club. Canberra has the Commonwealth Club; Hobart, The Tasmania Club; Newcastle, the Newcastle Club. The Commonwealth Club, Canberra Club, Newcastle Club, Brisbane Polo Club, the Kelvin Club in Melbourne, and both Royal Automobile Clubs mentioned above allow women to enjoy full membership.

South Africa[link]

South Africa is home to the Rand Club in downtown Johannesburg, the Cape Town Club and the Owl Club in Cape Town, the Durban Club in Durban, founded in 1852 and the Kimberley Clib in Kimberley, founded in 1881. .

South America[link]

Buenos Aires-Argentina Jockey Club

Lima-Peru: Lima have several traditional gentlemen clubs still in functions such as the National Club (1855), the Union Club (1868), the Phoenix Club (1879), and the Bank and Commerce Club (1951).

Quirks of membership[link]

Some clubs have highly specific membership requirements. For example, the Caledonian Club in London requires "being of direct Scottish descent, that is to say, tracing descent from a Scottish father or mother, grandfather or grandmother" or "having, in the opinion of the Committee, the closest association with Scotland." The Travellers Club, from its foundation in 1819, has excluded from membership anyone who has not met a very specific travelling requirement. Rule 6 of the club's constitution states that "no person be considered eligible to the Travellers' Club, who shall not have travelled out of the British islands to a distance of at least 500 miles from London in a direct line".^[5] The Yale Club is typical of university clubs: is open to all who have a connection with its university, in this case Yale University. The Reform Club requires its potential members to attest that they would have supported the 1832 Reform Act, whilst certain members of the East India Club must have attended one of its affiliated public schools.

See also[link]

• Social club
• Country club
• Dining club
• List of American gentlemen's clubs
• List of India's gentlemen's clubs
• List of London's gentlemen's clubs
• Freemasonry
• Membership discrimination in California social clubs

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• "Club men of New York: their occupations, and business and home addresses", New York : The Republic press [etc.], 1893. Cf. starting at p. 39.
• The Gentleman's Gazette provides more information about Gentlemen's Clubs Of London.
• Lejeune, Anthony (1979). The Gentlemen's Clubs of London. London: Wh Smith Pub. ISBN 0-8317-3800-6. 
• Amy Milne-Smith, London Clubland: A Cultural History of Gender and Class in Late-Victorian Britain, Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.

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]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Working Men is a live compilation album by Canadian progressive rock band Rush. The compilation documents a shortlist of career-spanning material pulled from the band's three tours during the 2000s. The selections are from the Vapor Trails Tour, the R30: 30th Anniversary Tour and the Snakes & Arrows Tour. Each of those tours were already documented on CD and DVD in the form of Rush in Rio at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2002, R30 at the Festhalle Frankfurt in Frankfurt, Germany in 2004 and Snakes & Arrows Live at the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam, Netherlands in 2007, making this compilation possible. It is available in both CD and DVD formats like the previous releases. Both formats were released on November 13, 2009, in Europe and November 17, 2009, in North America.

Songs[link]

All lyrics written by Neil Peart except where noted, all music composed by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson except where noted.

References[link]