The Spice Girls announced on Wednesday (Sept. 1) that they will celebrate the 25th anniversary of their debut album, Spice, with a deluxe edition of the collection.
Due out on Oct. 29, Spice25 will come as a two-CD set inside a hardback book, as well as in cassette and vinyl versions and an exclusive remastered Apple music edition of the original in Dolby Atmos.
The best-selling girl band of all time primed the pump on Wednesday with an instant grat 7″ Radio Mix of “Say You’ll Be There” with Judd Lander’s harmonica riff replaced by a saxophone solo (listen to it below).
In a statement, member Emma (Baby Spice) Bunton said, “From the first wannabe baby steps to conquering the whole world with a team of Spices, thank you doesn’t seem enough to all of you who have supported us, followed in our footsteps, walked in our great big shoes and who have shared our dreams. It’s been 25 years of pure magic. Spice Girls forever!!!”
Fellow Spice Geri “Ginger Spice” Halliwell seconded that emotion, writing, “To our diehard and loyal fans; without you there is no us – sending endless love and gratitude. Whoever you are, whatever your dreams – live them, be them. The Spice Girls motto is testament to that.”
The collection curated by the group will feature bonus tracks, b-sides and previously unheard recordings including a Dave Way alternative mix of breakthrough hit “Wannabe,” a 7-inch radio mix of “Say You’ll Be There,” an orchestral take on “2 Become 1” and the 12-inch Unlimited Groove mix of “Love Thing.”
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In a statement Mel “Sporty Spice” C said, “25 years, wow! I have so many wonderful memories of writing, recording, promoting and touring this album and so many people to thank. This is the record that set us off on our incredible journey. A huge thank you to our fans and family all around the World. Thank you for always being there with your unrelenting support and making our dreams come true. My love and gratitude always.”
Mel “Scary Spice” B added, “All I ever wanted was to be accepted and to make everyone around me – gay, straight, brown, black, shy or loud like me – to feel they can celebrate who they are and to be free to be themselves. All I hope – 25 years on – is that message has been heard loud and clear.
It’s true that in the end love IS all you need so I thank everyone who has ever bought a Spice Girls record or stood in the rain to greet us or got dressed up in pink, in a tracksuit, a ginger wig, a leopard print catsuit or put on Vic’s iconic pout!”
Speaking of Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham — who has sat out most of the group’s recent reunion activities — the singer-turned-fashion icon weighed in as well, saying, “We couldn’t let 25 years pass without thanking the fans for their incredible support. There are so many people who have played a part in the success of the Spice Girls throughout the years, you know who you are and we thank you.”
Spice was originally released on Nov. 4, 1996 and went on to spend 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Official UK Album charts and more than a year in the top 40, while also hitting No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album charts on its way to selling more than 31 million copies worldwide.
The anniversary edition of the CD — which is the best-selling album of all-time by a female group — will feature six Spice Girls postcards with photos by Tim Roney taken in Paris in Sept. 1996. The collection will also come in a Zeotrope picture disc and limited-edition colored vinyl and cassettes (containing the audio from the original album only), with each Girl having a specific color that corresponds across the vinyl and cassette editions.
