Official Charts Flashback 2004: Victoria Beckham – Let Your Head Go/Th

It’s a decade since Victoria Beckham – the fashion designer formerly known as Posh Spice – had her very last solo hit.

The Spice Girls were a pop phenomenon like no other. Within the space of just over two years, they dominated the charts, with eight Number 1 singles between 1996 and 1998. After trying out various solo projects, they came together again (without Geri) and went on to have one more chart-topper in late 2000, before going on an unofficial hiatus.

When it came to solo careers, Ginger, Sporty, Baby and Scary all managed to bag at least Number 1, but Posh – the super stylish Victoria Beckham – was so far the only one left out in the cold. Her first attempt was a collaboration with True Steppers and Dane Bowers on Out Of Your Mind, which reached Number 2 in August 2000. Out Of Your Mind was beaten in a much-publicised chart battle with Spiller’s Groovejet, which featured Sophie Ellis-Bextor in her first solo outing. Despite missing out on Number 1, the track shifted 394,000 copies.

Victoria’s next two singles, from her self-titled debut solo album were Not Such An Innocent Girl and A Mind Of Its Own. Both tracks went Top 10, but no further singles were to come from the album, which peaked at Number 10 in 2001.

For the next couple of years, Victoria concentrated on family life with football hero hubby David Beckham and other projects, and many fans thought Posh’s singing days were over. La Beckham wasn’t done yet, however. After working with hip-hop producer Damon Dash and landing a deal to star in a documentary about her family’s move to Spain following husband David signing to Real Madrid, Posh Spice was back!

Watch the video for Let Your Head Go before we tell the story of Posh’s very last single.

Eager to show off both her pop chops and R&B credentials, Victoria released a double-A side. Let Your Head Go was a dancey number with a video which showed Victoria sending up her fashionista diva image to great effect. This Groove, on the other hand, was a sultry hip-hop jam. The tracks gained extra publicity thanks to being released in the same week as a new single from Victoria’s old chart adversary. Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s I Won’t Change You came out on the same day. Would Victoria’s double-A side suffer a similar fate to her very first solo effort? Or could she push ahead of Sophie and win back some Official Singles Chart kudos? In the end, Victoria won through – This Groove/Let Your Head Go entered the chart at Number 3 while Sophie had to settle for Number 9.

While there was interest in a full-on Victoria Beckham comeback, Posh decided she’d had enough of singing by herself, thank you very much, and quietly called it a day. But Let Your Head Go is a pretty good way to end your pop career! Of course, Posh would be back in the Official Singles Chart one more time when the Spice Girls reformed for Headlines (Friendship Never Ends) in 2007, but after that Victoria showed that all she really really wanted to be was a fashion designer, and she hung up the microphone for good… Or so we thought. She was back for one more go at being a Spice Girl at the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. But then that really was it. So far, anyway.

So if Victoria was at Number 3 this week in 2004, how was the rest of the Top 5 looking? Watch the video for This Groove before we count them down.

At the top spot for a third week was 2003’s Official Christmas Number 1, Mad World from Michael Andrews FT Gary Jules. The track was helped along by its appearance in cult hit movie Donnie Darko, starring not-entirely-ugly Jake Gyllenhaal. The track recharted in October 2010, reaching Number 26, but neither Michael nor Gary would have another Top 40 hit.

Behind them at Number 2 was Ozzy Osbourne’s duet with daughter Kelly. Changes had spent a week at Number 2 in December 2003, knocking off Will Young’s Leave Right Now.

One space behind Victoria Beckham at Number 4 was Black Eyed Peas’ second Top 10 hit, Shut Up. The track had peaked at Number 2 and was the follow-up to Number 1 smash Where Is The Love?

Rounding off the Top 5 was reality TV show finalist Alistair Griffin with Bring It On/My Lover’s Prayer. The Fame Academy contestant enjoyed two more Top 40 hits. The most recent being Just Drive from late 2010.

See the full Top 40 from this day in 2004.

Watch the video of Spice Girls appearing at the 2012 Olympics closing ceremony because it’s pretty cool.