Sugababe-y Love: A Tribute
So, you'll have all seen or heard the sad news, I expect. The last remaining original Sugababe, Keisha Buchanan, the Harry Patch of frosty popstrels, has decided to strike out on her own, and Eurovision/Â鶹Éç Myths/Vicki Lutas's own Jade Ewen has been drafted in to replace her, even though she has her own record to promote.
(You can read all about Jade's record here, if you like. It's out this week. OR IS IT?)
It's always a unsettling when a much-loved pop institution changes or splits up. On the one hand, reality as we know it has changed, there is no longer a band called Sugababes which was formed from three, no sorry, two, oh wait, ONE girls from the same area who all met at a party when they were 13. That band is gone, never to reappear (unless Siobhan and Keisha have some pretty intense group counselling).
On the other hand, it's just another Sugababe leaving the band. Wait a couple of minutes, and Heidi will fall out. They're very much the wet paper potato sack of girlbands.
The reason why this is a sad event to pop-loving people is the Sugababes had an amazingly high strike rate of great pop songs, right from the start, and Keisha is the only one who really knows how they should go. We can bicker over which song is better than which until the cow brings the other cows back for a late night party, the fact is there are a lot of them.
And it's perfectly natural, at a time like this, to look back and think fond thoughts about the past. Here are some of mine:
I was lucky enough to be there when they first appeared on Top of the Pops with 'Overload', cos we were filming an interview, in which we got them to sing some a capella versions of songs from their first album. It was amazing.
It's a long time ago now, and I think the footage is lost, but the abiding memory is of our cameraman's slightly-ripped trousers, which were torn...er...somewhere in the upper leg region, shall we say... Not that they so much as flinched. That's class.
Then there's the time Mutya gave a TOTP interviewer relationship advice, in which she concluded that his girlfriend was probably cheating on him.
These are just a few of the many precious memories which are now lost to the Sugababes. They'll be all "oh, do you remember ages ago, when we met Nick Grimshaw and he was really nice?"
or "I've been in the band for such a long time, actually, I can even remember Oasis still being together..."
They might be able to carry on the brand, so to speak, but apart from Grandma Heidi, they won't have any idea of what being a Sugababe really MEANS. Plus Jade Ewen is really NICE. She's got a nice smile and she's warm and friendly and she doesn't look you up and down like you are NOTHING and she's not remotely frosty or haughty. What kind of a Sugababe is THAT?
There aren't many precedents in popular music for bands continuing despite the loss of all of the original members. There's (Brighton-based '60s girlgroup revivalists), (folky blokies who've been together longer than Â鶹Éç2) and ('80s Puerto Rican boyband, legendary for replacing members when they became too old), but that's about it.
Mind you, all they really need in order to keep the thing going is one brilliant pop song. Sugababes #2 knew this when they released 'Freak Like Me'. Sugababes #3 knew this when they released 'Red Dress'. And lo and behold, Sugababes #4 have got 'About A Girl' ready to go. And people seem to rather like it...who knows where this crazy train is going to stop next?
Or, come to that, how many passengers it will let off before it finally reaches its destination.
Final Thoughts: Babe's First Steps
'Get Sexy' is still rubbish. And Keisha's barely in it. If you want to, you can take the view that she was halfway out of the door when they recorded it. This bodes well for her solo career.
Siobhan Donaghy's second solo album 'Ghosts' remains absolutely brilliant. Mutya had some great solo singles. These should give Keisha hope. On the other hand, no solo 'Babe is doing brilliantly sales-wise, which is a shame. Let's call this point a draw.
If you click your heels together three times and say Keisha's name over and over again, eventually you will find you're saying "a quiche, a quiche, a quiche". Let us remember her this way.
Comment number 1.
At 22nd Sep 2009, almost witty wrote:Thank goodness. I thought I was the only one who hated Get Sexy. It's so not the right brand for the Sugababes.
Then again, I still miss Mutya.
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Comment number 2.
At 22nd Sep 2009, megakizzy wrote:I'm glad keisha has gone. And Jade will be a good replacement.Go Amelle, Heidi and Jade. .
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Comment number 3.
At 22nd Sep 2009, spirit wrote:Great stuff , I was on a train to London this morning and I thought to myself , I bet by the time I get there , Fraser should have done a Sugababes tribute of sorts .
Sugababe-y love is a good name as well , must better than Bittersweet Babes that is gonna be mine .
Great posturing Sir !
It would appear Keisha has signed a solo recording deal with Island records .
The new Sugababes album SWEET 7 , is scheduled for release on November 23rd , featuring Heidi , Amelle and Jade Ewen.
I think Jade ,when faced with the choice of a solo deal and being a Babe has picked the right choice.
About a girl is a better song than My Man, and will be a bigger sales hit with a much bigger profile for longer lasting success .
Sugababes are now signed to Jay-Z'S Rock nation record label in America , and there are a lot of things going on behind the scenes to ensure success .
Get Sexy was the first act . A song written with the U.S market in mind , hence the "dime" lyric that caused some interest here.
Previous single No can do was the worst performing Sugababes single for a long time , so the brand had to change.
Enter Get sexy.
It raised their profile to a much bigger degree and it has huge international potential .
55,000 copies sold in it's first week in the UK , after the failure of No can do tells it's own story . Get sexy is a sales success .
I wish all 4 of them well. They are all immensely talented in their own ways , and all have the potential to have continued success .
Good luck girls !
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Comment number 4.
At 22nd Sep 2009, spirit wrote:Train stops , I don't know it's destination
It's a one way ticket to a mad man's destination .
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Comment number 5.
At 22nd Sep 2009, spirit wrote:Had to change the last word for obvious reasons.
You know the situation ......
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Comment number 6.
At 22nd Sep 2009, RandomEnigma wrote:Okay, I'm totally confused over this whole Sugababes incident. Does Jade record vocals on the 'Sweet 7' album? Wow, what a publicity stunt!!! So Jade must of gone over with the girls to LA, recorded all the songs except 'Get Sexy', with Heidi and Amelle. Then Jade released 'My Man' which gave her a more raunchy look than what she was like for 'It's My Time'. Keisha must have planned to leave the Sugababes before the recording of the album but to get the Sugababes back into the tabloids, she recorded 'Get Sexy'. Then Jade pretended to be recording a new album called 'Punching Out' even though she knew she was joining Sugababes. Then the Sugababes managment decided to fabricate a story that Amelle was leaving the band because she was being bullied so she disappeared in order for everyone to think she was leaving. Then the Jade Ewen rumour started circulating.
WOW! WOW! WOW! They've been really clever with this!
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Comment number 7.
At 22nd Sep 2009, spirit wrote:Welcome to the world of spin doctors , tabloids , agents , magazine deals , maximum coverage , maximum mileage , cover stories ,cross and double cross , sleeping with the enemy ,sleeping on the casting couch , not having any sleep , sleeping partners , cheating partners , tarts with hearts , black hearts and broken hearts.
Not saying any of this is going on here , but it may be going on somewhere.
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Comment number 8.
At 22nd Sep 2009, RandomEnigma wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 9.
At 22nd Sep 2009, BloggingLiam wrote:I think its a great publicity stunt on behalf of both the Sugarbabes and Jade. She was probably not getting brilliant reception to her solo stuff... they have had a flagging few months (The tragic 'Get Sexy' aside).... lets make some money here!
I dont know how planned it was though. I doubt Jade's solo stuff is a massive lie. The solo female artist genre is so saturaterd at the moment I dont imagine she was going to make much of a success out of it.
Itll be interesting to see if they have to re-record the entire album. Keisha has said on her own personal Twitter that it wasnt her choice to leave. Perhaps as she's had a reasonable degree of creative control over the group (Ive always imagined her to be the driving force behind them, post Mutya anyway), she didnt like signing away that to a new record label. The new deal was essential for their careers, but perhaps it just took too much control out of her hands, she argued, she got the boot?
They have had a string of brilliant pop songs, but have had some tripe inbetween. I expect this trend to continue.
I actually remember their first ToTP appearance too. It really stuck in my mind as I hadnt heard the song before, and remember it being simply brilliant. I was about 10 at the time I guess! On checking wikipedia it was released 2000, making me 10/11. It still remains a great song.
I hope theres more good to come, I really do. Im sick of Girls Aloud. I do think theres lots more potential in The Saturdays and The Dolly Rockers though. Lets see if Sugarbabes can keep up with their creative drive.
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Comment number 10.
At 22nd Sep 2009, BloggingLiam wrote:Looking through the list of their singles I just felt the need to register a love of 'Too lost in you'. I think its an amazing song and that was before I ever saw Love Actually (only saw it last year). Think thats my favourite of their singles.
Sugarbabes top 5, Spirit style -
1. Too lost in you
2. About you now
3. Overload
4. Freak Like Me
5. Run For Cover
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Comment number 11.
At 23rd Sep 2009, spirit wrote:Totally agree on Jade's solo stuff .
My man is a weak pop song with a weak chorus hook , and I doubt it wll go top 10 , or even top 15 . About a girl will be a bigger hit.
Love all your Babes choices Liam.
6 uk number 1 singles for the Sugababes , and a great pop legacy.
I wonder what the future holds.
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Comment number 12.
At 23rd Sep 2009, Daniel wrote:God! What a saga!
I really think this might spell the end of the Sugababes though. I always thought of Keisha as the main one. And now she's away by herself!
I don't think they can survive another reshuffle.
Time will tell.
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Comment number 13.
At 23rd Sep 2009, RandomEnigma wrote:Wow, what if the three original Sugababes form with the three current Sugababes to make the new Pussycat Dolls!
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Comment number 14.
At 23rd Sep 2009, spirit wrote:And the odds on that happening is ......
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Comment number 15.
At 23rd Sep 2009, RandomEnigma wrote:Very, very low! It would be cool if it did happen though!
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Comment number 16.
At 25th Sep 2009, SteveChartBlog wrote:Maybe Siobhan, Keisha and Mutya could get together and reform the band! Admittedly they couldn't be called the Sugababes any more because Amelle, Jade and Heidi are using that name now, but maybe they could be called something similar - like, something that's connected to sugar in a popular children's rhyme, and something that indicates that they are a trio of females. I've got it! They could be the Spice Gir----wait, hang on a minute...
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Comment number 17.
At 4th Oct 2009, Paul McCluskey wrote:Mutya and Keisha WERE the Sugababes! They may as well just call it a day, or set up a club duo a la Booty Luv - they can name themselves after a classic 1970s chart topper, Suga Baby Luv! Hehe!!
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Comment number 18.
At 4th Oct 2009, spirit wrote:Life goes on , we fall down , and the tough ones get stronger and keep going .
About a girl will be a hit , and be a good set up for the album SWEET 7.
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Comment number 19.
At 16th Oct 2009, BloggingLiam wrote:Is it wrong I lolled a little when I found out Amelles in a clinic for "nervous exhaustion"?
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Comment number 20.
At 16th Oct 2009, spirit wrote:Ah Liam " nervous exhaustion ! "
Is this one of the biggest euphemisms in the world of celebrity ?
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