Biography
In the early 1990s All Saints joined the surge of British girl groups that followed the Spice Girls' breakthrough. Whereas Spice Girls emphasized girl power alongside a bold character-driven image, All Saints presented themselves as music enthusiasts whose softer, more refined identity was rooted in their sound rather than their appearance.
The quartet originated in 1993 when Melanie Blatt and Shaznay Lewis began writing and recording at a studio on All Saints Road in London's Ladbroke Grove. They joined forces with R&B vocalist Simone Rainford to issue a single on ZTT Records in 1995, after which Rainford departed and the label dropped the remaining members. Undeterred, Blatt and Lewis added Canadian-born Nicole Appleton and subsequently her older sister Natalie, completing All Saints as a four-piece.
With assistance from friend Karl Gordon, formerly of the British rap ensemble Outlaw Posse, the group cut a demo of “I Know Where It's At.” New manager John Benson placed them on London Records and paired them with producers Nellee Hooper (Massive Attack, Björk) and Cameron McVey (Neneh Cherry). The finished single reached number four on the British charts and gained traction across Europe and Asia.
All Saints claimed the top spot in 1997 with their second single, “Never Ever.” Their self-titled debut album arrived in November 1997 and extended their reach into America, where “I Know Where It's At” entered the Top 40. By 1998 the album had been certified platinum in the U.S. and five-times platinum in the U.K., yet reports of an impending breakup began to circulate. Melanie Blatt was pregnant with her first child by Jamiroquai's Stuart Zender, prompting speculation that she would exit. Nicole Appleton was also rumored to have left after the group skipped the Smash Hits Poll Winners' celebration that year.
Early in 2000 the William Orbit-produced single “Pure Shores” appeared on the soundtrack to Leonardo DiCaprio's film The Beach. Numerous festival dates across the U.K. underscored the group's durability despite ongoing friction. Their second album, Saints & Sinners, finally surfaced in October 2000 and lifted the follow-up single “Black Coffee” onto the charts, although further problems soon emerged. At the start of 2001 tours scheduled for Japan and Australia were canceled amid apparent jealousy: Melanie Blatt and Shaznay Lewis reportedly resented the Appleton sisters' growing celebrity, especially Natalie's relationship with the Prodigy's Liam Howlett and Nicole's with Oasis vocalist Liam Gallagher. The split was confirmed in February 2001. Blatt released her debut solo single “Twentyfourseven” that summer, while Shaznay Lewis wrote with All Saints producer K Gee. The Appleton sisters worked on new material and prepared a tell-all book. The greatest-hits collection All Hits, accompanied by a limited-edition DVD, appeared in fall 2001, seemingly closing the chapter.
In January 2006 the quartet announced their reunion and a new deal with Parlophone. Their first single in more than five years, “Rock Steady,” arrived that November and peaked at number three on the U.K. singles chart. Third album Studio 1 followed days later, debuting at number 40 in the U.K. The following year they left Parlophone and abandoned another planned tour. Adding to split speculation, the compilation Pure Shores: The Very Best of All Saints was issued in September 2010.
After four years of quiet, news of another reunion surfaced when the band scheduled a short 2014 tour supporting the Backstreet Boys plus several festival appearances. Reinvigorated, they began preparing a full return a couple of years later. Still favoring a polished brand of dance-pop, they released the single “One Strike” in February 2016. Recorded independently without label involvement, the album Red Flag appeared in April. A nationwide tour that autumn mixed older hits with new material. In early 2017 they opened for Take That on its arena trek. That same year All Saints returned to the studio to begin work on a fifth album. Titled Testament, it was released in the summer of 2018.
The quartet originated in 1993 when Melanie Blatt and Shaznay Lewis began writing and recording at a studio on All Saints Road in London's Ladbroke Grove. They joined forces with R&B vocalist Simone Rainford to issue a single on ZTT Records in 1995, after which Rainford departed and the label dropped the remaining members. Undeterred, Blatt and Lewis added Canadian-born Nicole Appleton and subsequently her older sister Natalie, completing All Saints as a four-piece.
With assistance from friend Karl Gordon, formerly of the British rap ensemble Outlaw Posse, the group cut a demo of “I Know Where It's At.” New manager John Benson placed them on London Records and paired them with producers Nellee Hooper (Massive Attack, Björk) and Cameron McVey (Neneh Cherry). The finished single reached number four on the British charts and gained traction across Europe and Asia.
All Saints claimed the top spot in 1997 with their second single, “Never Ever.” Their self-titled debut album arrived in November 1997 and extended their reach into America, where “I Know Where It's At” entered the Top 40. By 1998 the album had been certified platinum in the U.S. and five-times platinum in the U.K., yet reports of an impending breakup began to circulate. Melanie Blatt was pregnant with her first child by Jamiroquai's Stuart Zender, prompting speculation that she would exit. Nicole Appleton was also rumored to have left after the group skipped the Smash Hits Poll Winners' celebration that year.
Early in 2000 the William Orbit-produced single “Pure Shores” appeared on the soundtrack to Leonardo DiCaprio's film The Beach. Numerous festival dates across the U.K. underscored the group's durability despite ongoing friction. Their second album, Saints & Sinners, finally surfaced in October 2000 and lifted the follow-up single “Black Coffee” onto the charts, although further problems soon emerged. At the start of 2001 tours scheduled for Japan and Australia were canceled amid apparent jealousy: Melanie Blatt and Shaznay Lewis reportedly resented the Appleton sisters' growing celebrity, especially Natalie's relationship with the Prodigy's Liam Howlett and Nicole's with Oasis vocalist Liam Gallagher. The split was confirmed in February 2001. Blatt released her debut solo single “Twentyfourseven” that summer, while Shaznay Lewis wrote with All Saints producer K Gee. The Appleton sisters worked on new material and prepared a tell-all book. The greatest-hits collection All Hits, accompanied by a limited-edition DVD, appeared in fall 2001, seemingly closing the chapter.
In January 2006 the quartet announced their reunion and a new deal with Parlophone. Their first single in more than five years, “Rock Steady,” arrived that November and peaked at number three on the U.K. singles chart. Third album Studio 1 followed days later, debuting at number 40 in the U.K. The following year they left Parlophone and abandoned another planned tour. Adding to split speculation, the compilation Pure Shores: The Very Best of All Saints was issued in September 2010.
After four years of quiet, news of another reunion surfaced when the band scheduled a short 2014 tour supporting the Backstreet Boys plus several festival appearances. Reinvigorated, they began preparing a full return a couple of years later. Still favoring a polished brand of dance-pop, they released the single “One Strike” in February 2016. Recorded independently without label involvement, the album Red Flag appeared in April. A nationwide tour that autumn mixed older hits with new material. In early 2017 they opened for Take That on its arena trek. That same year All Saints returned to the studio to begin work on a fifth album. Titled Testament, it was released in the summer of 2018.
Albums
Flawless
2020
Testament
2018
Red Flag
2016
Studio 1
2006
All Hits
2001
Saints & Sinners
2000
The Remix Album
1998
All Saints
1997
Singles
