Solo Gary Barlow VS Solo Geri Halliwell

kenny12kenny12 Posts: 1,310
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Both couldn't dance, both were de facto leaders of their groups yet for such a talented songwriter and performer, why is it that after leaving Take That , Our Gaz only managed to shift 5 million records whereas Geri sold in excess of 12 million?

Both are Ivor Novello Winners, Both are BRIT award Winners..

Geri is also a MTV VMA winner, Billboard Award Winner, American Music Award Winner, United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, Cult film icon, broke America, became the most Iconic pop culture image of the 90's in that Union Flag Dress and those outrageous antics etc...

Where does his air of superiority come from?

Discussion please.
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  • gpkgpk Posts: 10,206
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    ken, please.:o like with the "queen of british pop" thread, most of these achievements are from when geri was a spice girl.:rolleyes: gary is smug, which is actually rather irritating considering he was a solo flop. however, though "take that", he has managed longevity as an artist with eye watering album sales that most of the spice girls would kill for at this stage in the game.

    "take that" are far more successful in the uk than anywhere else, but there has been continued interest long after the nostalgia novelty wore off with their return and i don't think the spice girls or geri can be considered in the same context, based on their brief reunion.
  • RikScotRikScot Posts: 2,095
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    kenny12 wrote: »
    Both couldn't dance, both were de facto leaders of their groups yet for such a talented songwriter and performer, why is it that after leaving Take That , Our Gaz only managed to shift 5 million records whereas Geri sold in excess of 12 million?

    Both are Ivor Novello Winners, Both are BRIT award Winners..

    Geri is also a MTV VMA winner, Billboard Award Winner, American Music Award Winner, United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, Cult film icon, broke America, became the most Iconic pop culture image of the 90's in that Union Flag Dress and those outrageous antics etc...

    Where does his air of superiority come from?

    Discussion please.

    Can't be doing with either TBH...but anyone can see that GB has had continued success whereas GH has pretty much sunk without trace
  • konebyvaxkonebyvax Posts: 9,120
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    Barlow is smug as they come (even rivalling his sometimes best friend Williams in this regard) and can only really write hit songs for Take That but even I, one of his most ardent detractors, would put him Eons ahead of Ginger Spice in every possible category regarding musical ability. You really need to stop with these silly Ginger Spice threads.
  • kenny12kenny12 Posts: 1,310
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    RikScot wrote: »
    Can't be doing with either TBH...but anyone can see that GB has had continued success whereas GH has pretty much sunk without trace

    Gary's continued success is with Take That...

    The Spice Girls are not a regularly active group.

    So it's difficult to compare -
    Although... judging by their performances at The Olympics last year, The Spice Girls performance is officially the second most globally watched moment of the entire Olympic Games (second to Usain Bolt's 100m win)...

    Anyway, I was really talking about solo success. With Geri having sold over double the amount of records as a solo act..
  • Hollie_LouiseHollie_Louise Posts: 39,759
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    kenny12 wrote: »
    Both couldn't dance, both were de facto leaders of their groups yet for such a talented songwriter and performer, why is it that after leaving Take That , Our Gaz only managed to shift 5 million records whereas Geri sold in excess of 12 million?

    Both are Ivor Novello Winners, Both are BRIT award Winners..

    Geri is also a MTV VMA winner, Billboard Award Winner, American Music Award Winner, United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, Cult film icon, broke America, became the most Iconic pop culture image of the 90's in that Union Flag Dress and those outrageous antics etc...

    Where does his air of superiority come from?

    Discussion please.

    Probably from the fact that Take That's comeback has seen 3 UK #1 albums totalling over 9.1 million sales in the UK alone, 9 UK top twenty hits including 6 top tens and 3 #1s

    Add on the three very successful tours, the latest of which grossed $180m from 29 dates and then compare that to the Spice Girls reunion which saw a tour that cancelled towards the end, a flop single and a flop greatest hits..

    Now why do you think, if he does, he would have any air of superiority?
  • kenny12kenny12 Posts: 1,310
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    And with her superior solo success, as well as the Spice Girls being a far bigger global phenomenon, both in terms of sales and impact, I'm just curious as to why Gary comes across so smug and arrogant on The X Factor wheras Geri on Australia's Got Talent is coming across really well - warm, compassionate, funny... Her response from the Aussie audience has been fantastic.

    Just comparing the two personas on these talent shows really spoke volumes to me.
  • kenny12kenny12 Posts: 1,310
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    Probably from the fact that Take That's comeback has seen 3 UK #1 albums totalling over 9.1 million sales in the UK alone, 9 UK top twenty hits including 6 top tens and 3 #1s

    Add on the three very successful tours, the latest of which grossed $180m from 29 dates and then compare that to the Spice Girls reunion which saw a tour that cancelled towards the end, a flop single and a flop greatest hits..

    Now why do you think, if he does, he would have any air of superiority?

    The Spice Girls farewell tour saw them play to sold out venues accross the globe - places like Madison Square Gardens in New York and the Staples Centre in Los Angeles.. It was the highest grossing tour of the 2007/2008 season...
    Their first London date sold out in 38 seconds...

    As for it being cut short - they extended the original 12 dates to 47....

    The Greatest Hits was hardly a flop - yes Leona Lewis' album kept them from number one in the UK but the album sold incredibly well in paces like Australia, The USA etc - Places where Take That could only dream of getting number one albums!

    But anyway - back to their solo careers, why is it that Barlow is so smug when Geri was so much more successful?
  • RikScotRikScot Posts: 2,095
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    [QUOTE=kenny12;68483046

    She 'was'...he 'is' :rolleyes:
  • meglosmurmursmeglosmurmurs Posts: 35,104
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    Gary is a really great songwriter but without the unity and energy of Take That his music just isn't commercially-friendly. It comes across boring and dreary.

    I do like him though, well until he became a judge/mentor on X-Factor, now my opinion is on shakey ground.
  • kenny12kenny12 Posts: 1,310
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    Gary is a really great songwriter but without the unity and energy of Take That his music just isn't commercially-friendly. It comes across boring and dreary.

    I do like him though, well until he became a judge/mentor on X-Factor, now my opinion is on shakey ground.

    Whereas Geri is going down a storm on Australia's Got Talent!

    The crowd chanting "Geri Geri Geri Geri" a couple of weeks ago!
  • kenny12kenny12 Posts: 1,310
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    RikScot wrote: »
    [QUOTE=kenny12;68483046

    She 'was'...he 'is' :rolleyes:

    Gary Barlow 'is' successful as a solo artist? Ermm
  • Hollie_LouiseHollie_Louise Posts: 39,759
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    kenny12 wrote: »
    The Spice Girls farewell tour saw them play to sold out venues accross the globe - places like Madison Square Gardens in New York and the Staples Centre in Los Angeles.. It was the highest grossing tour of the 2007/2008 season...
    Their first London date sold out in 38 seconds...

    As for it being cut short - they extended the original 12 dates to 47....

    The Greatest Hits was hardly a flop - yes Leona Lewis' album kept them from number one in the UK but the album sold incredibly well in paces like Australia, The USA etc - Places where Take That could only dream of getting number one albums!

    But anyway - back to their solo careers, why is it that Barlow is so smug when Geri was so much more successful?

    So we will forget that they cancelled the South American, Asian, African and Australian legs of the tour? The album didn't sell incredibly well in America at all, it sold 600k and peaked at #90 that's not a success by any stretch of the imagination for a group that once sold 7.4 million of their debut and 4 million for their second, also just to add each of Take That's albums since 2006 have sold in excess of 2 million copies in the UK alone whilst the Spice Girls sold 2 million WORLDWIDE, who is the more successful reunion?

    I don't think he is smug, he's just happy that 20 years into his career, he is in a position that he is relevant and is having success playing his solo gigs and producing very successful music with Take That, is a very successful songwriter and actually has a career, in complete contrast to Geri who stopped being relevant about a decade ago
  • Lewi26Lewi26 Posts: 11,841
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    Kenny is hilarious. My absolute favourite poster on the music forum!
  • konebyvaxkonebyvax Posts: 9,120
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    I do think he's probably having a great big laugh our expense for responding to his threads. At least I HOPE that's his modus operandi because if it isn't that would mean he's being entirely serious :eek::D
  • RikScotRikScot Posts: 2,095
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    kenny12 wrote: »
    RikScot wrote: »

    Gary Barlow 'is' successful as a solo artist? Ermm

    Neither is the "Queen of Pop"...
  • kenny12kenny12 Posts: 1,310
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    So we will forget that they cancelled the South American, Asian, African and Australian legs of the tour? The album didn't sell incredibly well in America at all, it sold 600k and peaked at #90 that's not a success by any stretch of the imagination for a group that once sold 7.4 million of their debut and 4 million for their second, also just to add each of Take That's albums since 2006 have sold in excess of 2 million copies in the UK alone whilst the Spice Girls sold 2 million WORLDWIDE, who is the more successful reunion?

    I don't think he is smug, he's just happy that 20 years into his career, he is in a position that he is relevant and is having success playing his solo gigs and producing very successful music with Take That, is a very successful songwriter and actually has a career, in complete contrast to Geri who stopped being relevant about a decade ago

    BIB:
    They cancelled these dates to make money, sad but true. The money was in The USA, Canada, Europe and the UK. and so they made the most of where demand what the highest. The only other territory that could have been a money spinner was Australia but by the end of the 47 dates it just wasn't viable to take the huge roduction all the way to Australia without also going to Asia where demand wasn't so high.

    This 'cut short' nonsense is very ignorant. from 12 to 47 dates is an extension - the only difference is - they went where the money was! Some say greedy, some say savvy!

    BIB2:

    They released their Greatest Hits exclusively through Victoria's Secret stores in the US, and so the sales there didn't count towards the US Billboard chart, although soon after the rules were changed. And yes you're right, their firt two albums did sell incredibly well, Spice sold 28 Million and Spiceworld sold 20 Million - Their greatest hits was basically a collection of the singles from these two albums... it was never going to match those sales - everyone already owns the songs!

    BIB3:

    The Spice Girls never 'reunited' it was a farewell tour for the fans which broke records and sold out arenas around the world in places that Take That couldn't even fill out a small theater.. The Greatest Hits and Single were merely promotional tools for the tour. They were never going to release new music like Take That did.

    20 years? He was a laughing stock from circa 1996 - 2006. That's a decade in the wilderness...

    BIB4: So successful that he couldn't write himself a successful solo career - wheras Geri sold 12 million records as a solo act including four consecutive number one singles...

    BIB5:
    Well, in terms of their solo work, both are currently judges on huge prime-time talent shows...

    As for the huge demand for Take That and The Spice Girls being irrelevant, let's just remind ourselves that The Spice Girls infamous performance at the 2012 Olympics is officially the second most globally watched moment of the entire Olympics... Who even remebers Gary Barlow and his backing dancers? I don't even recall..
  • RikScotRikScot Posts: 2,095
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    kenny12 wrote: »
    BIB:
    let's just remind ourselves that The Spice Girls infamous performance at the 2012 Olympics is officially the second most globally watched moment of the entire Olympics... Who even remebers Gary Barlow and his backing dancers? I don't even recall..

    2nd....wow

    Maybe if Geri had done it on her own then she might have come 1st?
  • Hollie_LouiseHollie_Louise Posts: 39,759
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    kenny12 wrote: »
    BIB:
    They cancelled these dates to make money, sad but true. The money was in The USA, Canada, Europe and the UK. and so they made the most of where demand what the highest. The only other territory that could have been a money spinner was Australia but by the end of the 47 dates it just wasn't viable to take the huge roduction all the way to Australia without also going to Asia where demand wasn't so high.

    This 'cut short' nonsense is very ignorant. from 12 to 47 dates is an extension - the only difference is - they went where the money was! Some say greedy, some say savvy!

    BIB2:

    They released their Greatest Hits exclusively through Victoria's Secret stores in the US, and so the sales there didn't count towards the US Billboard chart, although soon after the rules were changed. And yes you're right, their firt two albums did sell incredibly well, Spice sold 28 Million and Spiceworld sold 20 Million - Their greatest hits was basically a collection of the singles from these two albums... it was never going to match those sales - everyone already owns the songs!

    BIB3:

    The Spice Girls never 'reunited' it was a farewell tour for the fans which broke records and sold out arenas around the world in places that Take That couldn't even fill out a small theater.. The Greatest Hits and Single were merely promotional tools for the tour. They were never going to release new music like Take That did.

    20 years? He was a laughing stock from circa 1996 - 2006. That's a decade in the wilderness...

    BIB4: So successful that he couldn't write himself a successful solo career - wheras Geri sold 12 million records as a solo act including four consecutive number one singles...

    BIB5:
    Well, in terms of their solo work, both are currently judges on huge prime-time talent shows...

    As for the huge demand for Take That and The Spice Girls being irrelevant, let's just remind ourselves that The Spice Girls infamous performance at the 2012 Olympics is officially the second most globally watched moment of the entire Olympics... Who even remebers Gary Barlow and his backing dancers? I don't even recall..

    Point 1 - The tour may have completed 47 dates but dates were cancelled after going on sale, therefore that is a reduction

    Point 2 - You are the one bringing up that the Greatest Hits sold "incredibly well" in the United States which is simply untrue, it reached #90 in the chart and sold 600,000 copies. Lets not pretend that greatest hits can't sell well because they can, it sold abysmally in the US

    Point 3 - It was a farewell tour "for the fans" yet they cancelled dates in South America, Australia, Asia and Africa yet, in your words, "went where the money is".. What about the fans in those places? It was nothing more than a money making exercise so let's not pretend it had anything to do with the fans if it was they would have released a DVD

    Take That have sold 50 million records around the world without breaking the biggest markets in the US and Japan, that is pretty successful. As I said, each of their albums since their 2006 comeback has sold more in the UK than the greatest hits sold worldwide

    Point 4 - So he isn't a successful songwriter? You are just making yourself look foolish.. He had written for many other artists around the world

    Point 5 - Yes they are both reality TV judges, one who got booed and mocked for her stint on the UK X Factor and one who is much respected.. There is more demand for a new Take That album and tour than there will ever be for a new Spice Girls one as proven by their "for the fans in selected countries" farewell tour and greatest hits
  • sheila bligesheila blige Posts: 8,010
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    Gary is a really great songwriter but without the unity and energy of Take That his music just isn't commercially-friendly. It comes across boring and dreary.

    I do like him though, well until he became a judge/mentor on X-Factor, now my opinion is on shakey ground.

    Whilst I agree that Gary's song-writing for Take That is quite excellent (only one or two duffers in the early days - well he was young) I find his body of work outside of Take That forgettable at best (or best forgotten even). It seems almost as if he needs those other guys as much as they need him - they're his 'muses' if you like!
  • kenny12kenny12 Posts: 1,310
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    Point 1 - The tour may have completed 47 dates but dates were cancelled after going on sale, therefore that is a reduction

    Point 2 - You are the one bringing up that the Greatest Hits sold "incredibly well" in the United States which is simply untrue, it reached #90 in the chart and sold 600,000 copies. Lets not pretend that greatest hits can't sell well because they can, it sold abysmally in the US

    Point 3 - It was a farewell tour "for the fans" yet they cancelled dates in South America, Australia, Asia and Africa yet, in your words, "went where the money is".. What about the fans in those places? It was nothing more than a money making exercise so let's not pretend it had anything to do with the fans if it was they would have released a DVD

    Take That have sold 50 million records around the world without breaking the biggest markets in the US and Japan, that is pretty successful. As I said, each of their albums since their 2006 comeback has sold more in the UK than the greatest hits sold worldwide

    Point 4 - So he isn't a successful songwriter? You are just making yourself look foolish.. He had written for many other artists around the world

    Point 5 - Yes they are both reality TV judges, one who got booed and mocked for her stint on the UK X Factor and one who is much respected.. There is more demand for a new Take That album and tour than there will ever be for a new Spice Girls one as proven by their "for the fans in selected countries" farewell tour and greatest hits

    - Their Greatest Hits has sold more than 600,000 copies in the US... It sold that amout through Victoria's Secret stores alone.. and with no promotion to speak of (the album was promotion in itself for the tour)
    That is nothing to be sniffed at.
    It was never a 'comeback album' like Gary Barlow and his dancers needed to do.
    The Chart placing in America for the Greatest hits is irrelevant as the 600,000 sold exclusively through Victoria's Secret stores was, at that time, ineligible to chart on the Billboard 200 until the recent revision to the chart meaning that records sold through exclusive stores are now able to be counted towards a chart placing.

    -I agree, A lot of fans were angry that the 'Girls appeared to cash out and sell out venues where the maximum money was to be made but that's show business I'm afraid!

    - The Spice Girls have sold 75 Million records worldwide and broke every major music market on the planet. They are iconic and will go down n history as a part of popular culture. Take That will always be one of many boy bands that have come and gone and will always be second fiddle to the likes of The Backstreet Boys and N*Sync.

    - I f Gary Barlow was such a successful song writer then why was his solo career such a car crash? :confused:

    - Gary Barlow's reputation has taken one heck of a beating since taking on The X Factor UK, wheras Geri is going down a storm on Australia's Got Talent (See the episode where the crowd are chanting "GERI, GERI, GERI, GERI!"
    I know which position I would rather be in.

    -There will always be more demand than Take That for Spice Girls related stuff, again, refer to the Olympics performance..


    Take That have been successful in the UK to frustrated housewives, wheras the hype and continued interest in the Spice Girls and will they/wont they reform, do this, do that is ongoing and on a global scale.
  • Hollie_LouiseHollie_Louise Posts: 39,759
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    Decided I can't be bothered
  • Sweet7Sweet7 Posts: 599
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    LOL he's just talking out his arse. He can't be serious. Gary Barlow is so much more credible in the UK than Geri who is pretty much irrelevant.

    Take That managed 8 nights at Wembley Stadium on their latest tour. If the Spice Girls were to match this capacity they would have to have sell out the O2 over 30 times.
  • xmel05xmel05 Posts: 8,079
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    Look at me and it's video kills anything Gary has ever done on his own.
  • gpkgpk Posts: 10,206
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    konebyvax wrote: »
    I do think he's probably having a great big laugh our expense for responding to his threads. At least I HOPE that's his modus operandi because if it isn't that would mean he's being entirely serious :eek::D

    unfortunately, i sense that the thread is somewhat meant to be serious.:D ever since geri launched her desperate attempt to become a x factor judge, relations haven't been good between the spice fans and the take that fans.

    her previous guest judging stint on the show would have put even the least self respecting celebrities off ever returning to the show, but of course, all geri could see was the potential of renewed interest.:o gary and geri had a frosty exchange of views on screen and he has subsequently made a few catty remarks following her second panned judging appearance. i suspect that some of the die hard geri fans are holding onto a grudge because of this.;)
  • barlowconnorbarlowconnor Posts: 38,120
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    Neither but I'll be pick Geri.
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