One Spice Girl replaces another on top of the charts. Off the top of my head, this might be the only time two former band members have traded places like this, but I am open to being proven wrong…
Never Be the Same Again, by Melanie C (her 1st of two solo #1s) ft. Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopez (her 1st and only #1)
1 week, from 26th March – 2nd April 2000
Anyway, Melanie Chisolm becomes our third Solo Spice. She was, famously, the Spice Who Could Actually Sing, and so perhaps we might have expected her first #1 to be a little more full-throated? This was her fourth solo single, after the grungy ‘Goin’ Down’ and the slightly dull ‘Northern Star’ had both made #4, while her Bryan Adams country rock duet ‘When You’re Gone’ made #3.
So, Mel C had had to wait, and it took a hip-hop detour to finally score her a chart-topper. It’s slow and slinky, with some cool drum-fills, and lots of record scratches (which even in 2000 every hip-hop record apparently had to have). It’s interesting how hip-hop still hasn’t yet become the dominant chart force that it eventually will. Not that ‘Never Be the Same Again’ is proper hip-hop, with Mel breathily singing her lines, and a very hooky, pop chorus.
No, the hip-hop is brought by the guest feature, the coolest guest feature since Mel B introduced us to Missy Elliott: TLC’s Lisa Lopes, AKA ‘Left Eye’ on account of her left eye being more ‘slanted’. She delivers a proper, sustained rap, the likes of which remains few and far between in the number one slot. It’s a bit basic, compared to some of TLC’s classics – The US to UK, NYC to LA, From sidewalks to highways… – but it ticks off all the requirements of a guest rapper slot. And it’s to their credit that both Mels managed to secure such impressive features.
The only disappointing thing about this well-produced, catchy but credible record, is that Mel C isn’t tested vocally. However she’s to be congratulated for trying out different sounds and genres on her debut album, while her second number one will be something completely different again. We can assume that her label decided to release a week after Geri’s ‘Bag It Up’ to avoid the girls being in direct competition, but for the record ‘Never Be the Same Again’ debuted with thirty thousand more sales than Geri had the week before.
As for Lisa Lopes, this was her 3rd and final solo hit in the UK – all of which were features – to add to the four Top 10s that TLC had scored in the ‘90s (‘No Scrubs’ was the highest, making #3). She died in a car crash in Honduras, in 2002, while on volunteer work.
The UK Number Ones Blog 
I’m a big TLC fan – Crazysexycool and FanMail are classic 90s R&B albums – and I love that Left Eye – very talented MC (her verse on “No Scrubs” even though it’s excluded on the radio edit is a highlight – and a very beautiful woman – was featured on a UK No. 1 song before her tragic death.
I’ve never heard this song…oh wait, I have. That chorus I definitely know. This is a pretty damn good song. The chorus is fantastic – easily the best part of the song.
I’m not as up on my TLC as I should be, beyond the big hits. Four top 10s in the UK, but no chart-toppers. It is good that at least one of them belatedly featured at number one.
This one’s really good too.
Poor Lefteye seemed to have a traumatic lifestyle what with burning her exes house down and all. I’m still sad she died so young and tragically. This is a great record though, albeit her duet with Bryan Adams should have been the one to top the chart. To be honest I pretty much rated all her solo stuff beyond even her commercial peak. I like the genre-mixing-up and being unpredictable, and TLC should have had at least 2 chart-toppers, the brilliant Waterfalls and Unpretty are totally worthy. let alone No Scrubs and other tracks.
Apparently she was burning his priceless collection of trainers in the bath when she caused the fire… Not to condone arson, but that’s pretty funny.
I’ve always loved Mel C’s Bryan Adams’ duet, but I’m glad to have rediscovered ‘Goin’ Down’ too while writing this post. A very cool solo debut for a Spice Girl.
She does have a good voice…I have to say that. Oh…I found this…NOT the UK charts but the Billboard Charts:
George Harrison hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth),” from his #1 album Living in the Material World. The song actually bumped Paul McCartney & Wings’ hit “My Love” from the top spot, pushing it to down to #2.
Oh good find! I did think of the Beatles as a possible example, but it never happened in the UK, probably because they were never quite as succesful as solo acts as they were in the States.
Yea that was odd but their sound changed so I yea…I can see that.
Not many bands would do it because usually the singer is the one that goes off and does something huge.