Shampoo (duo)

Lore & Background

Jacqui Blake and Carrie Askew were best friends at Plumstead Manor School. In the early 1990s they wrote the fanzine 'Last Exit' for the Manic Street Preachers and appeared in the video for 'Little Baby Nothing'. They also wrote a fanzine for Fabulous. They formed Shampoo, taking the name from their schoolyard nickname 'the shampoo girls', for claiming to be 'washing their hair' when turning down date requests. Their first single, 'Blisters and Bruises', co-written by Lawrence of Felt and Denim, was released in 1993 on Icerink Records, a short-lived label created by Saint Etienne's Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs. The single and its follow-up 'Bouffant Headbutt' received favourable reviews in NME and Melody Maker but sold few copies. In 1994, 'Trouble' and the album 'We Are Shampoo' displayed a more radio-friendly sound while retaining abrasiveness; the album sold over a million copies, mostly in Japan and Asia. 'Trouble' landed the duo on Top of the Pops and the cover of Smash Hits. They found fans in both mainstream and alternative scenes, boosted by links to the Manic Street Preachers fanscene. In July 1996, a week after the Spice Girls debuted with 'Wannabe', Shampoo charted with 'Girl Power', which peaked at No. 25 and was on the chart for four weeks. Their second album, also called 'Girl Power', failed to reach the UK Albums Chart, and the duo separated from Food Records. Their third album, 'Absolute Shampoo', was released solely on the Internet in 2000.

Reader's Guide

Shampoo's significance lies in their brief but notable intersection of riot grrrl energy and mainstream pop-punk, exemplified by their biggest hit 'Trouble'. Their use of the phrase 'Girl Power' predated the Spice Girls' popularisation of the slogan, though their own single of that name charted modestly. The duo's debut album 'We Are Shampoo' sold over a million copies, primarily in Japan, highlighting a strong international fanbase. Their music appeared in several films of the 1990s, including 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie', 'Foxfire', 'Barb Wire', and 'Casper: A Spirited Beginning', embedding them in pop culture of the era. After their second album underperformed, the group quietly dissolved, with members later stating they simply took time off that 'fizzed out'. Their complete discography was re-released as a box set in 2024, and their song 'Trouble' has been covered by acts such as Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, Vamps, Zebrahead, and Miley Cyrus (for a Gucci commercial). Shampoo remain a cult touchstone for 1990s pop-punk and a footnote in the pre-Spice Girls 'Girl Power' narrative.

Did You Know?

• Their debut album 'We Are Shampoo' sold over a million copies, with the majority of sales in Japan and the rest of Asia.
• The duo's song 'Girl Power' charted a week after the Spice Girls debuted with 'Wannabe'.
• Miley Cyrus recorded a cover of Shampoo's song 'Delicious' for a Gucci commercial in 2021.