Who Do You Think You Are

"Who Do You Think You Are" is a dance-pop song performed by British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the group members with Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins,—also known as Absolute—for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996. The song is heavily influenced by early 1990s europop, and has a disco–style beat that resembles the music of the late 1970s. Its lyrics are about the superstar life, and how someone can get trapped in the world of fame.

In February 1997, the group opened the BRIT Awards with "Who Do You Think You Are". The Union Jack dress that Geri Halliwell wore during the performance made the front page of various newspapers, and is now remembered as one of the most iconic symbols of Cool Britannia. "Who Do You Think You Are" became the official single of the 1997 Comic Relief, a video with the Sugar Lumps,—a satirical version of the group—was released to help raise money for charitable causes and donated all the proceedings from the single.

"Who Do You Think You Are" was a commercial and critical success, with Melanie Chisholm's vocals receiving praise from pop music critics. Released with "Mama" as a double A-side single in March 1997, it became the group's fourth consecutive number-one single in the United Kingdom, making them the first act in UK chart history to have its first four singles reach number one. Additionally, it was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), and performed well internationally, reaching the top ten in many European countries and New Zealand, and the top twenty in Australia, France, and Norway.

Background

In December 1994, the Spice Girls persuaded their former managers—father-and-son team Bob and Chris Herbert—to set up a showcase in front of industry writers, producers and A&R; men at the Nomis Studios in Shepherd's Bush, London. Among the attendees was BMG Publishing's Mark Fox, former percussionist of New wave '80s band, Haircut 100. Since the showcase, Fox was unofficially helping the group to get contacts in the business. In May 1995, he introduced the group to Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins—the songwriters and production duo known as Absolute. Fox phoned the duo and told them: "You won't believe it, but I' ve got your act. They've just walked in the door. They're beatiful, everything you've been looking for. I'll bring them down straight away." "Who Do You Think You Are" and three other tracks written by the group and Absolute appeared on the Spice album. The songs were produced and recorded for the most part at Olympic Studios in Barnes, London.

Composition

"Who Do You Think You Are" is an uptempo dance-pop song, with influences of the early '90s Europop, and a disco–style beat that resembles the music of the late '70s. It is written in the key of F minor, with a time signature set on common time, and moves at a fast tempo of 120 beats per minute.

The song is constructed in a verse-pre-chorus-chorus form, with a bridge before the third and final chorus. much like the Temptations' 1971 classic "Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)". Daniel Incognito of Sputnikmusic said that with a "dynamite chorus harmonising the girls voices, 'Who Do You Think You Are' still feels relevant today", he added that "each girl excels in their solo-lines", and believed that Chisholm "provides [a] delicious contrast with her loud and spirited lines". The Daily Mirror called the song "a full-on disco number which would get to No. 1 even if it wasn't by Spice Girls and even if they weren't giving all the money to Comic Relief".

Melissa Ruggieri of the Richmond Times-Dispatch criticized the track, referring to it as "a quick blast of vapid fluff". Allmusic's Jason Elias complimented Chisholm's vocals and called her "the star of the show". He also said that "Who Do You Think You Are" is "one of their strongest and underrated songs", adding that it "is proof that the Spice Girls often had more savvy distilling different genres and styles than their American counterparts".

Chart performance

in Toronto, during the Return of the Spice Girls tour, wearing remakes of their signature outfits.]] "Who Do You Think You Are" was released in the UK as a double A-side single with "Mama" on 3 March 1997. It debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number one, becoming the group's fourth consecutive chart-topper. It spend three weeks at number one, nine weeks in the top forty, fifteen weeks in the top seventy-five, In July 1997, it debuted on the singles chart at number thirteen, but was unable to reach a higher position and dropped off the chart after fourteen weeks.

A second version of the video (known as the Sugar Lumps version), which adds the Sugar Lumps—a satirical version of the Spice Girls played by Kathy Burke, Dawn French, Llewella Gideon, Lulu, and Jennifer Saunders—was filmed for the "Red Nose Day" of the 1997 Comic Relief, one of the two high profile telethon events held in the United Kingdom. The video starts with the Sugar Lumps as schoolgirls dreaming of becoming Spice Girls, and ends with them joining the group on stage, while dancing and lip-synching the song. Halliwell commented about the shoot: "The women were all really warm and funny and nice. The freakiest thing about it was seeing Jennifer Saunders. She looked just like me and everyone said they thought she was me. It was alsolutely bizarre–the make-up, everything. It was scary–like, do I really do that?".

In February 1997, the group performed it at the 1997 BRIT Awards. They started rehearsals a few days after they returned to the UK from a promotional tour in the U.S, with choreographer Priscilla Samuels, who worked with the group on Fuller's recommendation. On 24 February 1997, in front of a thousand VIPs at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, the group opened the show with a lip-synched rendition of "Who Do You Think You Are". Halliwell's oufit, a black coloured mini dress emblazoned with an Union Jack on the front and a white peace symbol on the back, made the front page of various newspapers, and is now remembered as one of the most iconic symbols of Cool Britannia. For the Return of the Spice Girls, Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli designed Halliwell a new Union Jack dress modelled on the original. The new version appeared slightly longer and the flag was made out of rhinestones and Swarovski crystals. Thirteen years later, at the 2010 BRIT Awards, the group's "Who Do You Think You Are" performance won the Most Memorable Performance award of the BRITS last thirty years.

In October 1997, the group performed it as the second song of their first live concert at the Abdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. The performance was broadcast on Showtime in a pay-per-view event titled Spice Girls In Concert Wild!, and was later included in the VHS and DVD release Girl Power! Live in Istanbul. The Spice Girls have performed the song on their three tours, the Spiceworld Tour, the Christmas In Spiceworld Tour, and the Return of the Spice Girls. The performance at the Spiceworld Tour's final concert can be found on the video: Spice Girls Live at Wembley Stadium, filmed in London, on 20 September 1998. It remained in the group's live set after Halliwell's departure. The first verse had originally been sung by Halliwell with Bunton. After Halliwell's departure, her parts were taken by Chisholm on the Spiceworld Tour, and by Brown on the Christmas In Spiceworld Tour. #"Who Do You Think You Are" (Radio Version) – 3:44 #"Mama" – 3:40 #"Who Do You Think You Are" (Morales Club Mix) – 9:30 #"Who Do You Think You Are" (Morales Club Dub) – 7:00

French CD #"Who Do You Think You Are" (Radio Version) – 3:44 #"Who Do You Think You Are" (Instrumental) – 3:44 UK 12" Promo Vinyl Single #A1: "Who Do You Think You Are" (Morales Club Mix) – 9:30 #B1: "Who Do You Think You Are" (Morales Club Dub) – 7:00 #B2: "Who Do You Think You Are" (Morales Bonus Mix) – 4:40

Italian 12" Vinyl Single #A1: "Who Do You Think You Are" (Morales Club Mix) – 9:30 #A2: "Who Do You Think You Are" (Morales Bonus Mix) – 4:40 #B1: "Mama" (Album Version) – 5:03 #B2: "Who Do You Think You Are" (Morales Club Dub) – 7:00

Credits and personnel

Spice Girls – lead vocals, lyrics

Absolute – lyrics, production, all instruments

Dave Way – audio mixing

Jeremy Wheatley – recording engineer

Adam Brown – assistant

Mary Pearce – additional background vocals

Published by Windswept Pacific Music Ltd/19 Music/BMG Music Publishing Ltd.

Charts, peaks and certifications

Chart positions

{| class="wikitable sortable" !|Chart (1997) !|Peakposition |- |Australian Singles Chart |align="center"|13 |- |Belgian Ultratop 50 (Flanders) |align="center"|10 |- |Belgian Ultratop 40 (Wallonia) |align="center"|7 |- |Dutch Top 40 |align="center"|2 |- |European Hot 100 Singles |align="center"|3 |- |French Singles Chart |align="center"|16 |- |German Singles Chart |align="center"|4 |- |Irish Singles Chart |align="center"|26 |- |New Zealand Singles Chart |align="center"|6 |- |Norwegian Singles Chart |align="center"|12 |- |Swedish Singles Chart |align="center"|5 |- |Swiss Singles Chart |align="center"|6 |- |UK Singles Chart |align="center"|1 |}

Certifications

Notes

References

External links

"Who Do You Think You Are" audio

Category:1997 singles Category:Comic Relief singles Category:Disco revival songs Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Category:Spice Girls songs Category:UK Singles Chart number-one singles Category:Songs written by Absolute (production team)