The Spice Girls have been honoured with a set of Royal Mail stamps to mark the 30th anniversary of the British band’s formation – the first time the postal service has dedicated an entire stamp collection to a female pop group.
The 10 main stamps feature performance images from the 1997 Brit awards – including Geri Horner’s union jack dress, fashioned from a tea towel – as well as various headlining shows and their reunion for the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics.
A further collection features portraits taken on the set of the 1997 film Spice World.
The Spice Girls were formed in 1994 by the father-and-son duo Bob and Chris Herbert, who sought to create a girl band to rival the charts’ prevailing boybands. They posted an advert in the Stage asking: “R.U. 18–23 with the ability to sing/dance?” A five-piece was assembled featuring Michelle Stephenson, who was soon replaced by Emma Bunton.
The band were hothoused in Maidenhead and gradually began to overpower their management, becoming frustrated at their slow progress and refusing to sign a contract on the advice of Victoria Beckham’s father. In March 1995, they claimed to have done a bunk from their residence in the middle of the night, stolen their master recordings from the management offices, and used the phone book to track down a songwriting collaborator, Eliot Kennedy, who had seen them perform at a showcase.
By July 1995, the band had found new management with Simon Fuller and signed with Virgin Records. A year later, they would release Wannabe, a global chart-topping smash that became the bestselling debut single by an all-female group, and the first of nine UK No 1s for the band, including three Christmas No 1s.
An information sheet given with the stamps says they “spearheaded their own rise to chart dominance at a time when girl groups were not considered to be commercially viable. Their infectious pop sound and bold ‘Girl Power’ philosophy changed the face of music and inspired a generation of artists.”
The group unofficially split around 2001, but reunited for live tours in 2007 and 2019. Rumours remain rife of future shows, but Melanie C and Horner have said that while the members are interested in performing again, nothing has been confirmed.
The stamps go on sale on 11 January, available in various collectors’ editions.
