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"Goodbye" is a song by the Spice Girls' from their third studio album, Forever. It was released on 8 December 1998 by Virgin Records as a Christmas single, along with a previously unreleased song. The song was written by the Spice Girls, Richard Stannard, and Matt Rowe, and is the group's first song without the vocals of Geri Halliwell. Originally written as a tribute to the people who died in the Dunblane massacre, the song was re-written and all contributions from Geri Halliwell removed after her departure from the group.

Release

"Goodbye" was released in a two-CD format (standed single and a maxi single). The typical track listing internationally followed the UK track listing. In the U.S. the single was released as an EP and contained only the B-side, "Christmas Wrapping", and live versions of "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" and "We Are Family", which were recorded at their final concert at Wembley Stadium in September 1998. The U.S. single also included a set of four stickers of the girls, portraying them as fairies, similar to how they looked in the music video of Viva Forever. It was later included on the girls' third studio album, Forever.

Reception

A review of Sputnikmusic considered the song "very tasteful and emotionally sweeping," while Tania Kraines from BBC Music UK said "the heartbroken post-Geri 'Goodbye' provided the girls with their last really good single." Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic said, "neither the production, songs, nor performances have much life to them, with the exception of the closer, Goodbye." The song peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100, and at number three on the Hot 100 Singles Sales. In the United Kingdom, the single became the girls' eighth number-one single, topping the charts for only one week, selling 380,000 in the first week. "Goodbye" was also their third consecutive Christmas number-one single in the UK.

Music video

The music video for the song was filmed at Mentmore Towers in Mentmore, Buckinghamshire on 1 and 2 November 1998. It opens with each of the girls in four different black cars: 1957 Cadillac Fleetwood 75, 1941 Cadillac Fleetwood 75, 1955 Imperial Newport, 1958 Imperial Crown and white wolves running. They arrive at a castle and walk up the stairs arm-in-arm. When they enter there are frozen couples that the girls observe. The video also shows shots of each girl in a different setting with falling objects and then together as a group. The video ends with the ice melting off the people as they come back to life. Then it shows the shot of the girls entering in reverse to look like they are leaving.

Live performances

"Goodbye" was included on the setlist of Christmas In Spiceworld Tour in 1999. The song was performed at the 2000 BRIT Awards along with "Spice Up Your Life" and "Say You'll Be There". During the ceremony the Spice Girls received an Award for Outstanding Contribution To The British Music Industry. It was also performed on the Royal Variety Performance in October 1998. During The Return of the Spice Girls, Halliwell sang the harmony with the rest of the girls. This is the only song originally recorded without her vocals that she participated in.

Track listings

• UK CD 1

1. "Goodbye" (radio edit) – 4:20
2. "Christmas Wrapping" – 4:14
3. "Goodbye" (orchestral version) – 4:14

• UK CD 2

1. "Goodbye" (single version) – 4:44
2. "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" (live) – 4:22
3. "We Are Family" (live) – 3:35

• U.S. CD

1. "Goodbye" (single version) – 4:44
2. "Christmas Wrapping" – 4:14
3. "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" (live) – 4:35
4. "We Are Family" (live) – 3:22

Charts and certifications

Chart precession and succession

Notes

1. David Driver (22 October 2009). "Sputnikmusic Review - Spice Girls' Greatest Hits". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
2. Tania Kraines (12 November 2007). "BBC - Music - Review of Spice Girls - Greatest Hits". BBC UK. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
3. Virgin Records Us (4 May 1999). "Amazon.com: Goodbye UK CD 1: Spice Girls: Music". Amazon. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
4. Virgin Records Us (8 December 1998). "Amazon.com: Goodbye US CD: Spice Girls: Music". Amazon. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
5. "ARIA Charts - Spice Girls - Goodbye". Australian Singles Chart. 19 December 1998. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
6. "Austrian Charts - Spice Girls - Goodbye". Austrian Singles Chart. 19 December 1998. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
7. "Belgium Charts - Spice Girls - Goodbye". Belgium Flanders Singles Chart. 19 December 1998. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
8. "Belgium Charts - Spice Girls - Goodbye". Belgium Walonia Singles Chart. 19 December 1998. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
9. "Dutch Charts - Spice Girls - Goodbye". Dutch Top 40. 19 December 1998. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
10. "Finnish Charts - Spice Girls - Goodbye". Finnish Singles Chart. 19 December 1998. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
11. "French Charts - Spice Girls - Goodbye". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. 17 December 1998. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
12. "German Charts - Spice Girls - Goodbye". Music Line. 21 December 1998. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
13. "Irish Charts - Spice Girls - Goodbye". Irish Singles Chart. 24 December 1998. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
14. "Italian Charts - Spice Girls - Goodbye". Hit Parade Italia. 1999. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
15. "New Zealand Charts - Spice Girls - Goodbye". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. 20 December 1998. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
16. "Norwegian Charts - Spice Girls - Goodbye". VG-lista. Week 53, 1998. Retrieved 29 December 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
17. "Swedish Charts - Spice Girls - Goodbye". Swedish Singles Chart. 17 December 1998. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
18. "Spice Girls - Goodbye - hitparade.ch". Swiss Charts. 20 December 1998. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
19. Girls/ "Spice Girls UK Chart History". The Official Charts Company. 26 December 1998. Retrieved 29 December 1998. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
20. "Billboard Hot 100 - Spice Girls - Goodbye". Billboard Magazine. 18 December 1999. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
21. Australian Recording Industry Association (1998). "Aria 1998 Charts". aria.com.au. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
22. Australian Recording Industry Association (1999). "Aria 1999 Charts". aria.com.au. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
23. Austrian Recording Industry Association (1999). "Australian certification". aria.com.au. Retrieved 3 January 2011.

References

• Brown, Melanie (2002). Catch a Fire: The Autobiography. Headline Book Publishing. ISBN 0755310632.

• Use dmy dates from January 2012
• 1990s ballads
• 1990s pop songs
• 1998 singles
• Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
• Number-one singles in New Zealand
• UK Singles Chart number-one singles
• Pop ballads
• Spice Girls songs
• Songs written by Richard Stannard