(electronic music)
- Welcome back to The Week in Rock.
The No. 1 single in the country on Monday
will be an English teen-pop hit called 'Wannabe'
by five explosively perky characters
known as the Spice Girls.
As a group, they're frankly manufactured,
but having such a major good time
that it's hard to hold that against them.
"Gee, they seem harmless enough," we thought.
That was our first mistake.
The second was thinking how cute it would be
to meet them during a quick New York press visit,
at a Chinatown karaoke bar
to see if they could actually sing.
The resulting chaos was like being put through a spin cycle
with a washer full of parakeets.
Don't let this happen to you.
- Hello, I'm Emma.
- Hi, I'm Victoria.
- Hello, I'm Geri.
- Hi, I'm Melanie C.
- Hello, MTV people. I'm Melanie B,
and we're looking for Kirk.
- [All] We're the Spice Girls.
- Oh yeah, we're the Spice Girls.
- We're freezing! Let's go in.
- We've gotta chat.
We're going to get him to sing.
- Follow us!
- Kirk! Captain Kirk!
Captain Kirk!
- Captain Kirk, where are you?
- [Melanie B] He's there!
- [Victoria] We found him!
- [Kurt] OK, say when.
- Say when.
- OK, so: Spice Girls.
Why Spice Girls?
- Why Spice Girls?
- Why?
- Well, we're all different,
you know, we're very different,
like different spices.
That's one explanation for it.
- Variety is the spice of life.
- Yeah and this, you know, that's it.
- We are spicy.
- You are serious, aren't you today?
- [Kurt] Of course I'm serious.
- Yeah, you are.
- So do each of you identify with a particular spice?
- Yeah, I'm black pepper.
- [Kurt] All right.
- I'm paprika.
- I'm cinnamon,
'cause it's sweet
but leaves a horrible aftertaste.
(laughing)
- And it's sandy too,
like her hair.
- Like me hair.
- [Kurt] Do you all pretty much live up to your images?
I mean, are you really like the fitness person?
- Ah, now that's one thing, you see.
The image, it's not an image,
it's natural.
That's the way we are.
- [Melanie B] What you see is what you get.
- [Kurt] That's what I meant to say.
- Yeah, exactly.
That's the way we've always been.
It's just that,
because we didn't want to suppress anyone's image,
you know what I mean?
'Cause everyone, that's what we stand for--
- [Kurt] Well, that would be wrong.
- Yeah, you don't need to fit into any category,
so that's why we're all so,
well, you know, we're different,
and we never try to change anything.
- Really, I think Melanie B's really shy,
and this is just an image.
(laughing)
- [Kurt] Yeah, this is just an off night for her.
- We said to her, "You shout and scream, please,
"'cause that's your image."
- And punch the air and shout "Girl Power!"
- [Spice Girls] Girl power!
- You'll be fine.
- Oh look, there is a beer.
- And what about them?
- Am I allowed to drink beer on MTV?
- [Kirk] Certainly.
- They've got an MTV thing
- [Kurt] This is the beer network you can have whatever.
- Cheers everybody!
- [All] Cheers!
- Do a cheers.
- What spice would you be?
- Kurt's drinking water.
- This is to Kurt doing a smile. I just saw it.
- He's like you, Vicki. You could understand that.
- We are here today
because Kirk is the karaoke king.
And this is his regular hangout bar,
and we thought, "Yeah, we'll join him."
- So-
(all laugh)
In England, who are, who are your fans?
You hear from them, I suppose.
- Girls.
- Our fans are girls 'cause we like girl power, man.
- Yeah.
- We want all the girls to join our gang.
You can too, though.
- [Kurt] Well-
- And have fun.
- Now, we can actually- - Perhaps!
You could!
- [Kurt] Would I fit in?
(Spice Girls agreeing)
- Anybody could fit in.
- You want to have fun don't you?
- Yeah?
- Yeah, be positive and have fun.
- I'm doing it for the girlies out there.
So, if you want to join our gang,
and if you wanna have fun and join our adventure,
then-
- Join Kirk's gang! - Get in the karaoke bar!
- You got to look at the camera, right,
and do that, and go, "girl power."
(Kurt laughs)
- [Spice Girls] Go on! Go on! Go on! Go on!
- [Kurt] Girl, girl power.
(Spice Girls cheer)
- You did it!
(Kurt clears throat)
- Now, that wasn't too painful, was it, Kurt?
- No, it wasn't. It was very enjoyable.
- You're really long-winding this so you don't have to sing, eh?
Innit, Kirk?
- (laughs) That's true. I'm out of breath already.
- Have you decided what song you're gonna sing?
(Spice Girls aw)
- Well, you know, I don't really have a favorite song.
- "Like a Virgin?"
- You have any suggestions? "Like a Virgin?"
- You like "I Will Survive," because I've heard
you're very good at that.
- I think "Walk This Way." I reckon rock.
- [Kurt] Have you, have you-
- Let's all give Kirk a round of applause.
(Spice Girls cheering and clapping)
- [Spice Girls] Kirk, Kirk, Kirk!
- Yeah!
- (inaudible) he has a secret one
but he doesn't want to admit it.
- [Kurt] Right.
- You've got two drinks, you devil.
(Kurt laughs)
- He's trying to get drunk- - Water and Coke!
- So he doesn't feel so embarrassed,
that's what it is.
- It's Dutch courage isn't it, Kirk?
- Yeah.
- [Kurt] Yeah, I think they're in for the karaoke thing.
- You are.
- You sing, you sing beautifully.
- And you!
- You have beautiful voices.
(Victoria laughs)
- [Kurt] OK, so have we decided on a song?
- [Emma] Yeah, we've decided on "A Hard Day's Night."
- "A Hard Day's Night."
- [Kurt] All right, all right.
Well this will, this will fix you up,
just right this night.
(all chattering)
- This is just a test run.
- [Melanie B] No, we want to do it for real.
- [Geri] Then we need to test-
We need to test the music.
- [Cameraman] Go ahead. Go ahead on the fly.
- Kurt and the Spice Girls-
“A Hard Day’s Night.”
- In club style.
- Go! Go! Take it away!
- Well, everybody please be quiet.
Ready?
- Words by John Lennon, Paul McCartney.
(rock music)
- Go Kirk!
- Woo!
Kirk solo!
(Spice Girls cheer)
(clapping)
- Kirk is definitely a Spice Boy.
- [Melanie B] No pictures, no press, no comment!
OK?
- No comment.
- Kurt wants a record deal, you see?
All right? You sign him. Sign him up.
Talent. - Thank you very much.
- Thank you.
- [Melanie B] Thank you, very much.
It was a pleasure singing with you, Kirk.
Thank you.