All Saints (group)
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All Saints are an English
girl group A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of wh ...
formed in London in 1993. They were founded as All Saints 1.9.7.5 by music manager Ron Tom, who later also founded
Sugababes Sugababes are a British girl group composed of Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy. The lineup changed three times before returning to the original lineup in 2011. Formed in 1998 by All Saints manager Ron Tom, Sugababes releas ...
, with members
Melanie Blatt Melanie Ruth Blatt (born 25 March 1975) is an English singer. She rose to fame in 1997 as a member of the girl group All Saints. The group have gained five number one singles, two multi-platinum albums, two BRIT Awards and have sold over 10 mil ...
,
Shaznay Lewis Tricia Marie "Shaznay" Lewis (born 14 October 1975) is an English singer, songwriter and a member of the girl group All Saints. She has co-written most of the group's songs, including number one singles: "Bootie Call", "Pure Shores" and internat ...
, and Simone Rainford. The group struggled to find commercial success upon being signed to
ZTT Records ZTT Records is a British record label founded in 1983 by record producer Trevor Horn, Horn's wife and businesswoman Jill Sinclair, and ''New Musical Express'' (NME) journalist Paul Morley. The label's name was also stylised as ZANG TUMB TUUM and ...
and were dropped by the label shortly after Rainford left the group. In 1996, the group were joined by Canadian-born sisters
Nicole Nicole may refer to: People * Nicole (name) * Nicole (American singer) (born 1958), a contestant in season 3 of the American ''The X Factor'' * Nicole (Chilean singer) (born 1977) * Nicole (German singer) (born 1964), winner of the 1982 Eurovi ...
and
Natalie Appleton Natalie Jane Appleton Howlett (born 14 May 1973) is a Canadian singer. She is a member of the British girl group All Saints and the duo Appleton with her younger sister Nicole Appleton. Appleton joined All Saints in 1996, becoming the fourth ...
and signed to
London Records London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...
under their shortened name. Part of the 1990s wave of British girl groups, their debut album, '' All Saints'' (1997), peaked at number two on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
and went on to become the UK's third-best-selling girl group album of all time. The album contained three UK number one singles: " Never Ever", "
Under the Bridge "Under the Bridge" is a song by the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers and the eleventh track on their fifth studio album, ''Blood Sugar Sex Magik'' (1991). Vocalist Anthony Kiedis wrote the lyrics while reflecting on loneliness and the s ...
"/"
Lady Marmalade "Lady Marmalade" is a song written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan, originally for Nolan's disco group. The song is famous for the repeated refrain of " ''Voulez-vous coucher avec moi''?" in French as part of the chorus, a sexually suggestive line t ...
" and "
Bootie Call "Bootie Call" is a song performed by English-Canadian girl group All Saints from their debut album, '' All Saints'' (1998). The song was co-written by group member Shaznay Lewis in collaboration with its producer, Karl Gordon. "Bootie Call" ...
". "Never Ever" is the third-best-selling girl group single of all-time in the UK, behind the
Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and ...
' "
Wannabe "Wannabe" is the debut single by English girl group the Spice Girls. Written and composed by the group members in collaboration with Matt Rowe and Richard "Biff" Stannard during the group's first professional songwriting session, it was produ ...
" and " Shout Out to My Ex" by
Little Mix Little Mix are a British girl group, composed of group members Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, and Perrie Edwards. Jesy Nelson was originally part of the group before she left in 2020. After becoming the first group to win the British v ...
. It also won two
Brit Awards The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
: Best British Single and Best British Video, and the group were nominated for Best British Breakthrough Act. Their second album, '' Saints & Sinners'' (2000), became their first UK number-one album and achieved multi-platinum success. It included the UK number-one singles "
Pure Shores "Pure Shores" is a song by English-Canadian girl group All Saints, released by London Records on 14 February 2000 as the lead single from '' The Beach: Motion Picture Soundtrack'' and the group's second studio album, '' Saints & Sinners'' (2000 ...
" and " Black Coffee". Amid in-fighting among the group members, All Saints split the following year. The group later reformed after signing to
Parlophone Records Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 1 ...
to release their third album, '' Studio 1'' (2006). However, the album bowed at number 40 in the United Kingdom and All Saints were dropped by their label shortly afterwards. Following a second split in 2009, the group reunited in 2014 for a series of live performances, prompting the group to release of '' Red Flag'' (2016), and '' Testament'' (2018). As of January 2016, All Saints have sold 12 million records. Musicians including
Jessy Lanza Jessy Lanza is a Canadian electronic songwriter, producer, and vocalist from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. She has released three albums, '' Pull My Hair Back'' (2013), ''Oh No'' (2016) and '' All the Time'' (2020), to critical praise on UK label H ...
and
Charli XCX Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery ...
have cited All Saints as an influence on their work. The group's influence on
British fashion British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
in the late 1990s has been noted, particularly their signature style of
cargo pants Cargo pants or cargo trousers, also sometimes called combat pants or combat trousers after their original purpose as military workwear, are loosely cut pants originally designed for rough work environments and outdoor activities, distinguished b ...
in promotional imagery and live appearances. On 14 April 2020, the group recorded a duet cover of " Message in a Bottle" with
Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-earth ...
.


History


1993–1996: Formation and line-up changes

Melanie Blatt Melanie Ruth Blatt (born 25 March 1975) is an English singer. She rose to fame in 1997 as a member of the girl group All Saints. The group have gained five number one singles, two multi-platinum albums, two BRIT Awards and have sold over 10 mil ...
and
Shaznay Lewis Tricia Marie "Shaznay" Lewis (born 14 October 1975) is an English singer, songwriter and a member of the girl group All Saints. She has co-written most of the group's songs, including number one singles: "Bootie Call", "Pure Shores" and internat ...
started their career by singing backing vocals at
Sarm West Studios Sarm Studios is an independent recording studio in London. Originally founded in east London in 1973, the studio's original location was renamed Sarm East Studios in 1982 when Jill Sinclair and Trevor Horn purchased Basing Street Studios from Isl ...
, the ZTT recording studios near All Saints Road, London. In 1993, Blatt, Lewis and Simone Rainford were signed to
ZTT Records ZTT Records is a British record label founded in 1983 by record producer Trevor Horn, Horn's wife and businesswoman Jill Sinclair, and ''New Musical Express'' (NME) journalist Paul Morley. The label's name was also stylised as ZANG TUMB TUUM and ...
, and
Sugababes Sugababes are a British girl group composed of Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy. The lineup changed three times before returning to the original lineup in 2011. Formed in 1998 by All Saints manager Ron Tom, Sugababes releas ...
music manager Ron Tom decided the trio should become a group. "One of the names was Spice, but we didn't think it was good enough" admitted Simone. Some of the others names they considered included Slinky and Shifty, but ended up calling themselves All Saints 1.9.7.5. after the recording studio and the year of their births. They were launched as a trio for their first time at the ''Touch'' Magazine stage at the
Notting Hill Carnival The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual Caribbean festival event that has taken place in London since 1966
. But the problems started when the trio could not decide on what kind of music they wanted to make. They released their first single in 1994, " Silver Shadow", but it only peaked in the lower regions of the charts. Additionally, Rainford was not getting along very well with the other girls, and subsequently left the group in 1995. After one more release, the remaining duo was dropped by ZTT Records. Regardless, Blatt and Lewis set out to find a replacement for Rainford. Conducting many auditions, Blatt's father, a taxi driver at the time, met
Nicole Appleton Nicole Marie Appleton (born 7 December 1974) is a Canadian singer and television presenter. She is a member of the British girl group All Saints and Canadian duo Appleton with her elder sister Natalie Appleton. Early life Appleton was born i ...
in May 1996 whom Blatt knew from her days at the
Sylvia Young Theatre School Sylvia Young Theatre School is an independent school in Marble Arch, London, England. It is a specialist performing arts school named after its founder and principal, Sylvia Young OBE. Outline The Sylvia Young Theatre School was founded in ...
. However, Blatt was too embarrassed to ask Appleton to join the band, so she left it to the normally shy Lewis to ask her. "We gave her the low-down on everything and played her some demos, which she loved", she said. "She sang to me in the bathroom of a restaurant and we knew right away she'd be perfect. I was like, 'Cool! She can join!' And that was that". Nicole's older sister,
Natalie Appleton Natalie Jane Appleton Howlett (born 14 May 1973) is a Canadian singer. She is a member of the British girl group All Saints and the duo Appleton with her younger sister Nicole Appleton. Appleton joined All Saints in 1996, becoming the fourth ...
, at first pondered with the idea of becoming the band's manager. However, it seemed natural that she should be a part of it, according to Lewis. Natalie had to be persuaded to join the band, because she did not want to leave her daughter Rachel whilst she was overseas. Then, her parents stepped in and offered to look after their granddaughter for her.


1996–1999: ''All Saints''

After forming a new group in May 1996, the four singers met with Karl "K-Gee" Gordon, a former band member of
Outlaw Posse Outlaw Posse was a British hip hop group formed by Bello B (real name Isaac Bello) and K-Gee (real name Karl Gordon). They also recorded together as Outlaw and Brothers Like Outlaw, before the group finally split in 1992. Biography K-Gee started o ...
. The band began looking for a new record deal, but most record labels wanted to model them after the
Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and ...
, who had become an international sensation by that time. The group relocated to
London Records London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...
, where John Benson finalised the recording deal in November 1996. All Saints recorded their debut album, ''All Saints'', with producers such as
Cameron McVey Cameron Andrew McVey (born 11 March 1957) is an English singer, songwriter and music producer. He worked with the bands Massive Attack, Portishead, All Saints, Sugababes/Mutya Keisha Siobhan and his wife Neneh Cherry. He is the father of ...
,
Magnus Fiennes Magnus Hubert Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes (born 21 November 1965) is an English composer, record producer and songwriter. He has worked with artists such as Shakira, Pulp, Tom Jones and Morcheeba. In 1997 he produced the million-selling All ...
, Karl "K-Gee" Gordon, John Benson, Johnny Douglas, and
Nellee Hooper Nellee Hooper (born Paul Andrew Hooper on 15 March 1963) is a British record producer, remixer and songwriter known for his work with many major recording artists beginning in the late 1980s. He also debuted as a motion picture music composer w ...
. In mid-1997, the group's debut single "
I Know Where It's At "I Know Where It's At" is a song by English-Canadian girl group All Saints, released in August 1997 as their debut single from their first album, '' All Saints'' (1997). The song debuted on the National Lottery Live 9 August 1997 and was first ...
" broke them into the mainstream, reaching number four on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. Their second single, " Never Ever", was issued in November 1997 and launched them worldwide, peaking at number one in the UK and Australia. The single sold 1.2 million copies in the UK alone (receiving a double platinum certification from the
British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with ...
) and won the group two
BRIT Awards The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
in 1998: Best British Single and Best British Video. The album ''All Saints'' was released in October 1997, reached number two on the
UK Album Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
, and was BPI-certified five times platinum in the UK for sales of 1.5 million. The third single from the album was the double A-side "
Under the Bridge / Lady Marmalade "Under the Bridge" is a song by the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers and the eleventh track on their fifth studio album, ''Blood Sugar Sex Magik'' (1991). Vocalist Anthony Kiedis wrote the lyrics while reflecting on loneliness and the st ...
", which became their second UK number-one single in May 1998, earning a gold certification for 400,000 copies sold. The same month, the album was re-released with a slightly different track listing. "
Bootie Call "Bootie Call" is a song performed by English-Canadian girl group All Saints from their debut album, '' All Saints'' (1998). The song was co-written by group member Shaznay Lewis in collaboration with its producer, Karl Gordon. "Bootie Call" ...
", the fourth single, also went to number one, and the silver-certified " War of Nerves" (the fifth and final release) peaked at number seven, selling 200,000 copies. The album achieved success in countries such as Australia (
double platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
, selling 140,000 copies), Canada (
triple platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
, 300,000 copies), and the United States, where ''All Saints'' was certified platinum by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
for sales of one million and produced two top forty singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100: "I Know Where It's At" and "Never Ever". In November 1998, All Saints received the
MTV Europe Music Award The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...
for Best Breakthrough Artist and performed at the ceremony, although Blatt was absent due to her pregnancy.


2000–2001: ''Saints and Sinners'' and break-up

In February 2000, All Saints released the single "
Pure Shores "Pure Shores" is a song by English-Canadian girl group All Saints, released by London Records on 14 February 2000 as the lead single from '' The Beach: Motion Picture Soundtrack'' and the group's second studio album, '' Saints & Sinners'' (2000 ...
" as the soundtrack for the film '' The Beach'', written by
Shaznay Lewis Tricia Marie "Shaznay" Lewis (born 14 October 1975) is an English singer, songwriter and a member of the girl group All Saints. She has co-written most of the group's songs, including number one singles: "Bootie Call", "Pure Shores" and internat ...
and
William Orbit William Mark Wainwright (born 15 December 1956),"William Orbit." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 30. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2000. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, 7 May 2017. Available onlinvia ''Encyclopedia.com'' known ...
, with the latter also producing the song. "Pure Shores" became their fourth number-one single in the United Kingdom and the second best-selling single of 2000, with 824,000 copies sold; The song won an
Ivor Novello Award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been ...
for Most Performed Work. Also in 2000, the Appleton sisters and Blatt made their film debut with '' Honest'', which was directed by former
Eurythmics Eurythmics were a British Pop music, pop duo consisting of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart (musician and producer), Dave Stewart. They were both previously in The Tourists, a band which broke up in 1980. The duo released their first studio alb ...
member Dave Stewart. ''Honest'' is a black comedy set in
Swinging London The Swinging Sixties was a youth-driven cultural revolution that took place in the United Kingdom during the mid-to-late 1960s, emphasising modernity and fun-loving hedonism, with Swinging London as its centre. It saw a flourishing in art, mu ...
in the late 1960s, in which the singers playing three saucy streetwise sisters who head "up West" to pursue a life of crime. The film received attention for the Appleton sisters topless scenes. Their performances were widely panned; one critic remarked, "It is the worst kind of rubbish, the kind that makes you angry you have wasted 105 minutes of your life watching it". In October 2000, All Saints released the single " Black Coffee", which became their fifth and final number-one single in the United Kingdom, selling 230,000 copies. This preceded the release of their second studio album, '' Saints & Sinners'', which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, eventually reaching double platinum certification in the United Kingdom for sales of more than 600,000 copies. The third and final single was "
All Hooked Up "All Hooked Up" is a song by English-Canadian girl group All Saints from their second album, '' Saints & Sinners'' (2000). London Records released the song as the third and last single from the album on 15 January 2001. Composition and lyrical ...
" in January 2001, which peaked at number seven. The following month, All Saints announced that they were to take a break so that they "could clear the air between themselves". Melanie Blatt said later that year that it was uncertain if they would reform, citing their difficulties with the financial and business aspects of the group. Shaznay Lewis later explained that the catalyst for the break-up was a disagreement over who would wear a certain jacket for a photoshoot: "I would never in a million years have put money on the group ending over a jacket incident. But when that incident happened, it fired up so strong, it had to be over. And the way I was then, the state we'd got into then, there was no way she was getting that stupid jacket." In November 2001, London Records released a
greatest hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
compilation entitled '' All Hits''. It contains the group's hit singles and Blatt's first solo single, "
TwentyFourSeven ''Twentyfourseven'' is a documentary-style reality show on MTV that documented the lives of seven male friends seeking fame and fortune in Hollywood. The show was described as a "real" version of ''Entourage'', in the same manner that ''Laguna B ...
", a collaboration with
Artful Dodger Jack Dawkins, better known as the Artful Dodger, is a character in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist''. The Dodger is a pickpocket, so called for his skill and cunning in that occupation. He is the leader of the gang of child criminal ...
. The album peaked at number eighteen on the UK Albums Chart and was later certified gold, selling 100,000 copies. In 2008, a slightly altered edition of the album was given away for free as part of a promotion with ''
The Mail on Sunday ''The Mail on Sunday'' is a British conservative newspaper, published in a tabloid format. It is the biggest-selling Sunday newspaper in the UK and was launched in 1982 by Lord Rothermere. Its sister paper, the ''Daily Mail'', was first pub ...
''.


2006–2008: First reunion and ''Studio 1''

On 24 January 2006, it was announced that the band had reformed and signed a record deal with
Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 192 ...
. They then began work on their third studio album, '' Studio 1''. Its first single, " Rock Steady", released in November 2006, reached number three on the UK Singles Chart. ''Studio 1'' entered the albums chart at number forty, falling significantly short of the success of "Rock Steady" and the group's previous releases; it received a Gold certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). A second single, " Chick Fit", followed in February 2007, but promotional appearances and a physical release were cancelled and it failed to reach the top 200. It was subsequently reported that All Saints and Parlophone had parted ways and the group cancelled their planned UK tour. Blatt discussed the reunion's failure in an interview with ''
i-D ''i-D'' is a British bimonthly magazine published by Vice Media, dedicated to fashion, music, art and youth culture. ''i-D'' was founded by designer and former '' Vogue'' art director Terry Jones in 1980. The first issue was published in the fo ...
'' magazine in 2012: "I don't think it was done for the right reasons... I know that I did it for the money. We got signed before we had even made music again, it wasn't like we felt we had something to give back to the world... we were given an opportunity and took it, without really thinking about it too hard". She also said she never felt comfortable with the success the band had and that "it was not necessarily the plan at the beginning; there was a lot of compromise involved". In January 2008, Nicole Appleton and Melanie Blatt served as "hijackers" on E4's '' Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack'', during which Blatt said that they had a record deal with an undisclosed company in a conversation with housemate Nathan Fagan-Gayle. The following month, in a press release for the
Wideboys The Wideboys are an English electronic music duo known for club remixes and for their own song " Sambuca", featuring Dennis G on vocals, which reached number 15 in the UK in October 2001. Another top 40 single, "Daddy-O" featuring Shaznay Lewi ...
' single with Shaznay Lewis, titled "Daddy O", posted on the official website of All Around the World, it was stated that All Saints were recording in the studio and would be back with new material before the end of 2008. In September 2008, All Around the World discredited claims that All Saints had been signed with them with a post at their official website. In 2009, Melanie Blatt told the ''
London Lite ''London Lite'' was the trading name of a British free daily newspaper, published by Associated Newspapers (part of Daily Mail and General Trust), and now defunct. It was available Monday to Friday afternoons and evenings from street distributors ...
'' in 2009 that "All Saints are never getting back together again". Three months later, a second compilation album called '' Pure Shores: The Very Best of All Saints'', was released. This two-disc collection features the group's hit singles alongside a selection of album tracks and B-sides.


2013–2016: Second reunion and ''Red Flag''

On 25 May 2013, original All Saints member Simone Rainford died from
kidney cancer Kidney cancer, also known as renal cancer, is a group of cancers that starts in the kidney. Symptoms may include blood in the urine, lump in the abdomen, or back pain. Fever, weight loss, and tiredness may also occur. Complications can include sp ...
a month after her 38th birthday in her home in
Greenwich Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...
. In November 2013, it was announced that the group would be officially reforming for a second time to support the
Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. Lou Pearlman formed the group in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. The ...
for five dates across the UK and Ireland in 2014. The same year, they performed at
G-A-Y G-A-Y is a long-running gay nightclub, based at Heaven in Charing Cross, London. It started in 1976, and for many years was based at the London Astoria. History G-A-Y started in 1976 in the Sundown club in the basement of the London Astoria (l ...
and V Festival. Blatt said in an interview that the group had no plans to record new material and were "just taking each day as it comes and doing it for pure enjoyment". On 27 January 2016, it was confirmed that All Saints would release their fourth studio album ''Red Flag'' on 8 April 2016. The lead single from the album, "
One Strike "One Strike" is a song recorded by English-Canadian girl group All Saints for their fourth studio album, '' Red Flag'' (2016). The track was written by group member Shaznay Lewis and its producer Hutch, inspired by the breakdown of group membe ...
", preceded the album on 26 February 2016. On 22 February 2016, All Saints announced their first headlining show in over a decade at London's KOKO. On 15 March 2016, the group announced their first headlining tour in 15 years in support of their 2016 comeback album, '' Red Flag''. The Red Flag Tour would visit 10 British cities throughout October 2016, beginning in
Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
and ending in
Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the Episcopal see, See of ...
. The group revealed that the tour
set list A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance. A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...
would comprise all of their successful singles as well as some tracks from ''Red Flag''. Red Flag debuted at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart. The group confirmed the second single from the album would be "This Is A War" and third would be "One Woman Man". On 22 October 2016, it was announced that All Saints will support
Take That Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer ...
on their UK & Ireland tour in May and June 2017.


2017–present: ''Testament'' and current projects

On 19 March 2017, the group confirmed that recording had begun on their fifth studio album. As with their previous albums, Karl "K-Gee" Gordon was involved in the production, as well as
William Orbit William Mark Wainwright (born 15 December 1956),"William Orbit." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 30. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2000. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, 7 May 2017. Available onlinvia ''Encyclopedia.com'' known ...
, who produced "Pure Shores" and "Black Coffee". On 29 May 2018, the group announced via their official Instagram account the name of their fifth album, '' Testament'', along with its release date of 11 July 2018. The group's first single from the album, titled " Love Lasts Forever", debuted on BBC Radio 2 on 31 May. On 14 April 2020, the group released a cover of " Message in a Bottle" with
Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-earth ...
. An "Official Studio Video" was released on 20 April 2020.


Solo careers

Melanie Blatt Melanie Ruth Blatt (born 25 March 1975) is an English singer. She rose to fame in 1997 as a member of the girl group All Saints. The group have gained five number one singles, two multi-platinum albums, two BRIT Awards and have sold over 10 mil ...
was the first member to record after the group disbanded. In September 2001, she collaborated with
Artful Dodger Jack Dawkins, better known as the Artful Dodger, is a character in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist''. The Dodger is a pickpocket, so called for his skill and cunning in that occupation. He is the leader of the gang of child criminal ...
on the track "
TwentyFourSeven ''Twentyfourseven'' is a documentary-style reality show on MTV that documented the lives of seven male friends seeking fame and fortune in Hollywood. The show was described as a "real" version of ''Entourage'', in the same manner that ''Laguna B ...
", which peaked at number six in the UK. In February 2002, Blatt replaced
Kelis Kelis Rogers-Mora (; born August 21, 1979), known mononymously as Kelis, is an American singer, songwriter and a professionally trained chef. At age 14, she was admitted to New York's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Perform ...
's vocals on the UK release of the track "I'm Leavin'" by
Outsidaz The Outsidaz were an American hip hop collective from Newark, New Jersey, perhaps best known through their affiliation with fellow New York-area, New Jersey rappers the Fugees and Detroit-area rappers D12. History The group formed in 1991 ...
and
Rah Digga Rashia Tashan Fisher (born December 18, 1974), known professionally as Rah Digga, is an American rapper and actress. She is best known as a longtime member of the Flipmode Squad, a hip hop group led by Busta Rhymes. Her debut album, ''Dirty H ...
; the single reached number 42. Her third single, "
Do Me Wrong "Do Me Wrong" is the debut solo single by Melanie Blatt of All Saints, credited as (Mel Blatt on the single cover). It peaked at #18 in the UK charts. Track list Charts Video The video, directed by Si&Ad (that is Simon Atkinson and Adam ...
", was released in August 2003 through
London Records London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...
and peaked at number 18. Blatt was dropped by the label due to low sales, and the album she was working on at the time never materialised. In April 2005, Blatt returned to the music industry with a new single, "
See Me "See Me" is a single by Melanie Blatt written for the ''Robots'' movie. It peaked at #78 in the UK charts.''Music Week'', 17 April 2005linkRetrieved: October 20, 2006 The single was not released on the ''Robots'' soundtrack (making it a nonalbum ...
", which was included on the ''
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'' film soundtrack and peaked at number 78 in the UK. The single was released through Swollen Ankle Ltd, with whom Blatt began working on an album. During mid-2005, she played small venues in the UK and performed material from the album, which was shelved when All Saints reunited in early 2006. In 2013 and 2015, she was a judge and mentor on ''The X Factor'' in New Zealand. Natalie and
Nicole Appleton Nicole Marie Appleton (born 7 December 1974) is a Canadian singer and television presenter. She is a member of the British girl group All Saints and Canadian duo Appleton with her elder sister Natalie Appleton. Early life Appleton was born i ...
wrote and recorded their own album, formed the duo Appleton and signed a contract with
Polydor Records Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
. In September 2002, the Appleton sisters launched their first single, "
Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
", which reached number two in the UK. Their autobiography, ''Together'', was published the following month. Their second single, " Don't Worry", was released in March 2003 and reached number five in the UK before the release of their first album, ''
Everything's Eventual ''Everything's Eventual'' is a collection of 11 short stories and 3 novellas by American writer Stephen King, published in 2002. Stories "The Little Sisters of Eluria" is part of '' The Dark Tower'' series. Story order In the introduction t ...
'', the same month. The album peaked at number nine; its final single was " Everything Eventually", which was released in July 2003 and peaked at number 38. Appleton and Polydor subsequently parted ways.
Shaznay Lewis Tricia Marie "Shaznay" Lewis (born 14 October 1975) is an English singer, songwriter and a member of the girl group All Saints. She has co-written most of the group's songs, including number one singles: "Bootie Call", "Pure Shores" and internat ...
released her first solo single, " Never Felt Like This Before", in July 2004; it reached number eight in the UK. Her album ''
Open Open or OPEN may refer to: Music * Open (band), Australian pop/rock band * The Open (band), English indie rock band * Open (Blues Image album), ''Open'' (Blues Image album), 1969 * Open (Gotthard album), ''Open'' (Gotthard album), 1999 * Open (C ...
'' followed two weeks later via London Records and peaked at number 22, although the second single, " You", charted only at number 56. In November 2004, Lewis was one of the artists involved in the
Band Aid 20 Band Aid 20 was the 2004 incarnation of the charity supergroup Band Aid. The group, which included Daniel Bedingfield, Dido, Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, Chris Martin of Coldplay, Bono of U2, and ...
re-recording of " Do They Know It's Christmas?". In early 2008, Lewis collaborated with
Wideboys The Wideboys are an English electronic music duo known for club remixes and for their own song " Sambuca", featuring Dennis G on vocals, which reached number 15 in the UK in October 2001. Another top 40 single, "Daddy-O" featuring Shaznay Lewi ...
on the UK top forty hit "Daddy O".


Discography

* '' All Saints'' (1997) * '' Saints & Sinners'' (2000) * '' Studio 1'' (2006) * '' Red Flag'' (2016) * '' Testament'' (2018)


Tours

Headlining * All Saints Tour (1998) * Saints & Sinners Tour (cancelled) (2001) * Red Flag Tour (2016) * Testament Tour (2018) As supporting act *
In a World Like This Tour The In a World Like This Tour (also known as the 20th Anniversary Tour) was the ninth concert tour by American boy band, the Backstreet Boys. Supporting their eighth studio album, ''In a World Like This (2013)'', the tour consisted of over 150 ...
– Backstreet Boys Tour (2014) *
Wonderland Live 2017 Tour ''Wonderland'' is the eighth studio album by English band Take That. It was released on 24 March 2017 through Polydor Records. Background On 22 October 2016 Take That announced the album and its release date along with the tour dates in suppor ...
– Take That Tour (2017) *
Craig David Craig Ashley David (born 5 May 1981) is a British singer and songwriter who rose to fame in 1999, featuring on the single " Re-Rewind" by Artful Dodger. David's debut studio album, ''Born to Do It'', was released in 2000, after which he has re ...
and All Saints Tour – Craig David and All Saints (2019) *
The Wild Dreams Tour The Wild Dreams Tour, originally known as the Stadiums in the Summer Tour, is the current concert tour by Irish pop vocal group, Westlife. It was first scheduled to begin on 17 June 2020 in Scarborough, England at the Scarborough Open Air The ...
Westlife Westlife is an Irish pop vocal group formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1998. The group currently consists of members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne. Brian McFadden was a member, until he left in 2004. The group temporar ...
Tour (2022)


Awards and nominations

, - , rowspan="10", 1998 , rowspan="4", "Never Ever" , ,
MOBO Awards The MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin, also known as the MOBOs) are an annual British music award presentation honouring achievements in " music of black origin", including hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and ...
for Best Video , , , - , The Record of the Year , , , - , BRIT Award for Best British Single , , , - , BRIT Award for Best British Video , , , - , rowspan=2, All Saints , , BRIT Award for Best British Breakthrough Act , , , - , Viva Comet Award for Best International Newcomer , , , - , "Never Ever" , ,
MTV Europe Music Award The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...
for Best Song , , , - , ''All Saints'' , , MTV Europe Music Award for Best Album , , , - , rowspan="2", All Saints , MTV Europe Music Award for Best Group , , , - , MTV Europe Music Award for Best New Act , , , - , rowspan="4", 1999 , "Under the Bridge" / "Lady Marmalade" , , BRIT Award for Best British Video , , , - , "Never Ever" , APRA Music Award for Most Performed Foreign Work , , - , rowspan="3", All Saints , BRIT Award for Best British Dance Act , , , - ,
Edison Award The Edison Award is an annual Dutch music prize awarded for outstanding achievements in the music industry. It is comparable to the American Grammy Award. The Edison award itself is a bronze replica of a statuette of Thomas Edison, designed b ...
for Best International Newcomer , , , - , rowspan=2, 2000 , , MTV Europe Music Award for Best Pop , , , - , rowspan="3", "Pure Shores" , The Record of the Year , , , - , rowspan="6", 2001 , BRIT Award for Best British Single , , , - , BRIT Award for Best British Video , , , - , All Saints , , BRIT Award for Best British Group , , , - , rowspan=2, "Pure Shores" , ,
Ivor Novello Award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been ...
for Most Performed Work , , , - , APRA Music Award for Most Performed Foreign Work , , - , rowspan="2" , All Saints , ,
NME Award The ''NME'' Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine '' NME'' (''New Musical Express''). The first awards show was held in 1953 as the ''NME'' Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding ...
for Best Pop Act , , , - , 2007 ,
Virgin Media Virgin Media is a British telecommunications company which provides telephone, television and internet services in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are at Green Park in Reading, England. It is owned by Virgin Media O2, a 50:50 joint ventu ...
Music Awards for Disaster of the Year , , - , 2018 , rowspan=2, "Love Lasts Forever" ,
Popjustice £20 Music Prize The Popjustice £20 Music Prize, also known as the Popjustice Twenty Quid Prize, is an annual prize awarded by music website Popjustice to recognise the best British pop single of the previous year. The prize was conceived by Popjustice founder ...
for Best British Pop Single , , - , rowspan=3, 2019 , Classic Pop Reader Award for Single of the Year , , - , '' Testament'' , Classic Pop Reader Award for Album of the Year , , - , All Saints , Classic Pop Reader Award for Group of the Year ,


See also

*
List of best-selling girl groups A girl group is a popular music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. Girl groups have been popular at least since the heyday of the Boswell Sisters beginning in the 1930s, but the term "girl group" also denot ...


References


External links


Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:All Saints Brit Award winners MTV Europe Music Award winners British contemporary R&B musical groups English dance music groups English pop music groups English pop girl groups Teen pop groups Feminist musicians Musical groups established in 1993 Musical groups disestablished in 2001 Musical groups reestablished in 2006 Musical groups disestablished in 2009 Musical groups reestablished in 2013 Vocal quartets 1993 establishments in England 2001 disestablishments in England 2006 establishments in England 2009 disestablishments in England 2013 establishments in England London Records artists Parlophone artists ZTT Records artists