Cheryl Cole: Her Story - the Unauthorized Biography by Gerard Sanderson Page B
Authors: Gerard Sanderson
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Waterman’s dated boyband. ‘Being associated with One True Voice was not doing the girls any favours,’ Louis was reported as saying on the BBC news. ‘Girls Aloud are doing brilliantly and they don’t need to be supported by anyone else.’
And so the girls banished that setback from their minds andthrew themselves into what they hoped would be a spectacular first album. Based on the success of the debut single, which had surprised critics with its cool, cutting-edge sound, producers Xenomania began to piece together a collection of songs that would push the boundaries of traditional girlband music.
Brian Higgins, the brains behind the outfit, and his team of songwriters are well respected in the industry, having produced many chart hits for stars such as Dannii Minogue, the Sugababes, Cher and Saint Etienne. They were determined to ensure that Girls Aloud were not going to be one-hit wonders or sneered at for releasing tinny disco hits. Brian Higgins had loftier ideas. ‘What we stand for,’ he said in the Observer Music Monthly , ‘is everything about the interesting side of music but with tunes that the postman will whistle.’ And that’s exactly what he produced for Girls Aloud.
The album certainly wasn’t like any other pop album around at the time. The second single, ‘No Good Advice’, sounded nothing like the previous hit but was just as ground- breaking. Gone were the drum ’n’ bass beats, and in their place was a punky, attitude-filled sound. Elsewhere on the album, there was an acoustic-sounding ballad called ‘Life Got Cold’, which the tabloids would later suggest had been heavily inspired by a musical phrase in Oasis’s ‘Wonderwall’, and a Hi-NRG disco track called ‘Girls Allowed’, which came courtesy of Westlife’s Bryan McFadden. Nineties popstar Betty Boo, aka Alison Clarkson – who had penned Hear’Say’s mega-selling debut single, ‘Pure And Simple’ – was called upon to write and produce tracks called ‘Boogie Down Love’, ‘Love Bomb’ and ‘Mars Attack’, while former B*witched singer Edele Lynch had a hand in co-writing ‘Some Kind Of Miracle’.
By March 2003, the single ‘Sound Of The Underground’ had gone platinum, selling 600,000 copies, so whatever followed had a lot to live up to. But those worries were forgotten when the record label heard the finished album. They loved it and knew they were onto something big. In spite of what their critics thought, Girls Aloud would be no flash in the pan, they had that something special that previous reality stars – or most pop bands around, come to that – didn’t have: sass, style and that all-important X factor.
Impatient to get a new song into the charts, Cheryl and the girls were excited about filming their second pop promo. The last shoot had been a cold and tiring day trapped in a dank warehouse, so the girls were pleased to hear that this new video would be shot in a proper studio. Sadly, the second experience didn’t prove to be any easier than the first. Not only were they forced to dress up in space-age BacoFoil-style outfits, but they had to dance in heels around a bashed-up old pink convertible from 5 a.m. through to midnight. Worse still, Cheryl was in tears, complaining that her shoes were too tight. But ever the professional, she managed to put a brave face on her pain and discomfort, knowing that making the video look good was the most important thing. She wanted this track to be a hit and she knew that the promo had to look great if she wanted the band to be given regular air time on the music channels.
And when she saw the final product, she and the girls were not disappointed. Although they still hated the outfits with a passion, they were impressed by the pacey editing, dazzling special effects and the all-round sassiness of the song. Without a doubt, the track and the cinematic video would provide them with another top-five single.
Released on 12 May 2003, the song stormed into the
And so the girls banished that setback from their minds andthrew themselves into what they hoped would be a spectacular first album. Based on the success of the debut single, which had surprised critics with its cool, cutting-edge sound, producers Xenomania began to piece together a collection of songs that would push the boundaries of traditional girlband music.
Brian Higgins, the brains behind the outfit, and his team of songwriters are well respected in the industry, having produced many chart hits for stars such as Dannii Minogue, the Sugababes, Cher and Saint Etienne. They were determined to ensure that Girls Aloud were not going to be one-hit wonders or sneered at for releasing tinny disco hits. Brian Higgins had loftier ideas. ‘What we stand for,’ he said in the Observer Music Monthly , ‘is everything about the interesting side of music but with tunes that the postman will whistle.’ And that’s exactly what he produced for Girls Aloud.
The album certainly wasn’t like any other pop album around at the time. The second single, ‘No Good Advice’, sounded nothing like the previous hit but was just as ground- breaking. Gone were the drum ’n’ bass beats, and in their place was a punky, attitude-filled sound. Elsewhere on the album, there was an acoustic-sounding ballad called ‘Life Got Cold’, which the tabloids would later suggest had been heavily inspired by a musical phrase in Oasis’s ‘Wonderwall’, and a Hi-NRG disco track called ‘Girls Allowed’, which came courtesy of Westlife’s Bryan McFadden. Nineties popstar Betty Boo, aka Alison Clarkson – who had penned Hear’Say’s mega-selling debut single, ‘Pure And Simple’ – was called upon to write and produce tracks called ‘Boogie Down Love’, ‘Love Bomb’ and ‘Mars Attack’, while former B*witched singer Edele Lynch had a hand in co-writing ‘Some Kind Of Miracle’.
By March 2003, the single ‘Sound Of The Underground’ had gone platinum, selling 600,000 copies, so whatever followed had a lot to live up to. But those worries were forgotten when the record label heard the finished album. They loved it and knew they were onto something big. In spite of what their critics thought, Girls Aloud would be no flash in the pan, they had that something special that previous reality stars – or most pop bands around, come to that – didn’t have: sass, style and that all-important X factor.
Impatient to get a new song into the charts, Cheryl and the girls were excited about filming their second pop promo. The last shoot had been a cold and tiring day trapped in a dank warehouse, so the girls were pleased to hear that this new video would be shot in a proper studio. Sadly, the second experience didn’t prove to be any easier than the first. Not only were they forced to dress up in space-age BacoFoil-style outfits, but they had to dance in heels around a bashed-up old pink convertible from 5 a.m. through to midnight. Worse still, Cheryl was in tears, complaining that her shoes were too tight. But ever the professional, she managed to put a brave face on her pain and discomfort, knowing that making the video look good was the most important thing. She wanted this track to be a hit and she knew that the promo had to look great if she wanted the band to be given regular air time on the music channels.
And when she saw the final product, she and the girls were not disappointed. Although they still hated the outfits with a passion, they were impressed by the pacey editing, dazzling special effects and the all-round sassiness of the song. Without a doubt, the track and the cinematic video would provide them with another top-five single.
Released on 12 May 2003, the song stormed into the
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