EXCLUSIVE: An award-winning songwriter who has worked with the likes of Gary Barlow, Boyzone, Celine Dion and Aretha Franklin has admitted ‘nothing compares’ to the Spice Girls
Spice Girls fever was at its peak in the nineties, and there was one person right in the middle of it all. Step forward songwriter Elliot Kennedy.
The writer who is best pals with Gary Barlow and has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Celine Dion, was on hand when the iconic girl group took the world by storm. The co-writer of their hit tune Say You’ll Be There from their debut album, Spice, has admitted there was one thing he sometimes struggled with with the group – containing them.
However, he admitted this wasn’t a bad thing and simply showed the true personality of a band destined for success. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Elliot said “nothing compares” to the Spice Girls, made up of Melanie B, Victoria Beckham, Melanie C, Emma Bunton and Geri Halliwell.
“They literally crashed at my house,” Elliot said. “This was before they had a manager and they were transitioning from the guy that put them together, who was obviously a visionary in his own right, and then we helped connect him to Simon Fuller.
“But they were amazing and fantastic girls. Their energy was off the scale and the most difficult thing was containing the energy because they were a million miles an hour.
“They had so many ideas that, for a songwriter, was just fantastic. I have nothing but amazing memories from working with them. As I say, they crashed at my house and we just became like family and it’s lovely that they went out and changed the world. Being a part of that wave was remarkable and life changing and life affirming in all kinds of ways.
“They were just fantastic people and still are and I have a great deal of respect for them all. They worked really bloody hard and deserved everything they got. It was charming and funny and crazy and it was brilliant to be a part of it.”
Elliot also opened up on his tight connection with Gary Barlow, with the pair currently working on theatrical shows. He said: “We speak every day and we work together all the time. He’s my closest friend and collaborator and we’re still doing it, you know? We’re still cracking on and having a laugh and we’re best of friends first and foremost.”
Elliot admitted the duo have a very similar way of thinking. But he also confessed that there’s more to Gary than meets the eye, saying he’s simply “just a big, regular guy”. “He’s a great dad and a solid husband. And he’s a really great friend outside of music and everything else,” he gushed.
Elliot also revealed that Robbie Williams was also supposed to sing the Relight My Fire vocals but claimed the producer got the key wrong, leading to Gary singing it. And he says it was this that then led to him co-writing Everything Changes for the boys, to be sang by Robbie, which went to number one on the writer’s 25th birthday, fulfiling his own dream.
After reminiscing, Elliot also praised exciting rising band Apollo Junction after they approached him for their latest tune titled Entangled. The Yorkshire-based band who have also had a hit with Beautiful South singer Briana Corrigan wrote the song with the award-winning hitmaker and Elliot praised them for what he called was a “clever move”.
“Apollo Junction is a perfect example of how random my life goes,” he admitted. “I’m working on records with The Overtones, or Alfie Boe, or whatever and writing musicals and then completely out of the left field, Jamie from the band contacts me.
“I knew who they were because they’re only from down the road but seldom do I do this. But for whatever reason, I thought I should give this a go.”
He explained the instant connection he go after meeting them and said: “What I thought was really quite clever was when they said to me that the last time they came off the Isle of Wight stage they realised they needed their songs to be better. ‘We need a signature’ they said.
“And I just said, you know what, a lot of bands don’t work that out.” He revealed how he is proud of being a songwriter who can help others get that unique sound, explaining his eclectic range of stars he has worked with, which also includes Bryan Adams, Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin and Boyzone.
“But for a band who write their own material and suddenly realise they need the skills of someone who does this for a living, it was really a clever move, a really adept move, I thought.”
Apollo Junction’s latest album is set to be released on August 22, with Elliot also releasing a number of other exciting tunes as well as his stage play.
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