It’s time once again for more retro pop revisitations, with this week’s edition of The Story of Pop: 1998. And this week, it’s the story of how one rock legend teamed up with one fifth of one of the biggest girl groups of all time…
- Artist: Bryan Adams feat. Melanie C
- Song: When You’re Gone
- Released: 30/11/1998
- Writers / Producers: Bryan Adams / Eliot Kennedy / Bob Rock
- Highest UK Chart Position: #3
- Weeks on Chart: 21
We saw back in September on the series how Mel B became the first of the Spice Girls to have solo success with her Missy Elliott collaboration “I Want You Back“. And where she led, her Sporty colleague followed on this week’s featured hit.
Canadian rock god and singer-songwriter Bryan Adams had been writing and recording his eighth studio album, On A Day Like Today, with, amongst others, Phil Thornalley (who had been behind Natalie Imbruglia’s mega hit “Torn”), and also Eliot Kennedy, who had produced some of Take That and Spice Girls‘ biggest hits. The title track from the album had been the first single and was a top 20 hit in October.
On the second single, “When You’re Gone”, he was looking to do his first ever duet with a female artist. Although strange to relate that the soaring pop rock anthem about missing a loved one was initially going to have a very different guest vocalist, as he approached Sheryl Crow to appear on the track.
For some reason, Crow never got back in touch with him. But as chance would have it, whilst visiting Los Angeles, he bumped into Melanie C in his hotel elevator whilst she was there with the rest of the Spice Girls on the US leg of their world tour, and asked if she’d be interested in appearing on the record. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Not only did the harmonies in their voices blend incredibly well together, but it was also the first sign that under her Adidas trackies, a rock chick was waiting to emerge with Melanie. She recorded her vocals on the song with Kennedy at his Sheffield studios, which were then added to the song at Adams’ studios in Canada.
What on paper looked to be the most unlikely combo of artists known to man in practice turned out to be a winner. Following it’s release on 30th November 1998, “When You’re Gone” made a massive impression both critically and commercially, rocketing into the UK top 3, and staying inside the top 10 until well into the new year and the start of 1999, as well as hitting the top 10 in 12 other countries.
It’s current UK sales total of 921,000 copies to date means that it is by some distance the biggest selling single by any solo Spice Girl, and helped lay the groundwork for the success Melanie would enjoy with her debut solo album Northern Star the following year.
As for Bryan, he enjoyed further success from the On A Day Like Today album, as “Cloud Number Nine” hit the top 10 in May 1999, whilst a second number one as guest vocalist for Chicane on “Don’t Give Up” appeared in March 2000. Fast forward to last year, 2022, and Bryan and Mel teamed up to re-record “When You’re Gone” for his Classic Pt II album – proving just how well it has stood the test of time over the last 25 years.
Don’t forget to follow our brand new playlist on Spotify – updated weekly so you never miss a song from the story of pop in 1998. And you can leave your memories of the songs below in the comments, Tweet us or message us on Instagram, using the hashtag #StoryofPop1998.
The Niche Reference 