FEATURE:
Heaven
All Saints’ Eponymous Debut Album at Twenty-Five
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ON 3rd November, 1997…
Spice Girls delivered their hugely anticipated second studio album, Spiceworld. Perhaps one of the most important second studio albums of the 1990s, it was a huge moment, not only for fans of the girl group but for other music listeners too. It was a big moment when Spiceworld was released. Perhaps not as acclaimed as their debut, Spice, 1997 was a golden year for Pop. On 24th November, when there was still buzz and excitement around Spiceworld, All Saints arrived. In some ways they were quite similar to Spice Girls. I think the slightly tougher and edgier sound, combined with a mix of British and Canadian members made them more eclectic and stronger than Spice Girls. The album was not the first shot we heard of All Saints. In August 1997, they released their iconic and number four debut single, I Know Where It’s At. All Saints reached the U.S. top forty, but it got to number two in the U.K. In its earliest iteration, All Saints (whose full name was All Saints 1.9.7.5) consisted of Melanie Blatt, Shaznay Lewis, and Simone Rainford. The early line-up struggled to find commercial success upon being signed to ZTT Records and were dropped by the label shortly after Rainford left the group. By 1996, the group were joined by Canadian sisters Nicole and Natalie Appleton. They signed to London Records under their shortened name.
I think there was a lot of condescension and doubt surrounding girl groups. Many wrote off Spice Girls as being a fad and empty. Maybe U.S. girl groups gained more respect and seemed deeper and stronger. In the U.K., it was a bit hard for girl groups to get respect across the board. They did have their own fanbase. Whereas Spice Girls distinctly had a demographic and particular message and sound, I feel All Saints’ demographic was a lot broader. I definitely connected with them in a way I had not with any other girl group. I have read 1997 reviews of All Saints’ eponymous debut. Some call in naff and feel the music is background or has no longevity. I think it is important to mark the upcoming twenty-fifth anniversary of All Saints. In 1997, with the music scene leaning away from Pop groups to an extent, All Saints definitely made an impact. Their harmonies and vocals were stronger than their peers’. The songwriting had personality and plenty of hooks. In terms of getting their debut album off the blocks, the trio of songs Never Ever, Bootie Call and I Know Where It’s At is hard to beat! Over fifteen minutes of amazing music, presented by a group who had that sisterly bond and individual talent. I also like the two covers on the album. Tackling Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Under the Bridge and the stunning Lady Marmalade is a hard task! The group add their own take and make them their own.
There is that combination of big hitters and some interesting deep cuts. I think that is the mark of an album’s quality. Not to compare All Saints heavily with Spice Girls. The latter’s singles from Spiceworld are strong, but maybe a few of the deeper cuts struggle or lack necessary appeal. On All Saints, there are four or five deeper cuts that could have been singles. Heaven, Alone and Trapped are particularly strong and stand up to repeated listens. With an excellent array of songwriters and producers on the album, tied to the fact group member Shaznay Lewis also co-wrote most of the songs makes the debut from All Saints so convincing. Some may say the album sounds dated, but I think that it is fresh and deep. The range of genres and the expertise of the songwriting means that All Saints is more contemporary and cooler than a lot of Pop from 1997. In the United Kingdom, All Saints debuted at number twelve for the week beginning 6th December 1997, before progressing to a peak of number two on 17th January, 1998. It spent a total of sixty-six weeks on the chart. I do not know whether All Saints are doing anything for the twenty-fifth anniversary. The group are still together today (though they have not toured or recorded together for years), and I know they will mark its big anniversary on 24th November. I wanted to come in early and mark such a big moment for a terrific group. Many of the reviews are quite mixed, and I cannot see features relating to the album and its legacy. That is a real shame, as All Saints is a terrific record that I still listen to now!
I am going to finish off (almost) with a positive review for All Saints. In their assessment of one of the biggest debut albums of the 1990s, this is what AllMusic had to say. All Saints definitely packs punches with its hits - and it led to plenty of critics lazily comparing All Saints to Spice Girls. All Saints proved that they very much had their own path and sound:
“As the first group of consequence to be saddled with the "new Spice Girls" tag, it would be reasonable to expect that All Saints would be cut-rate dance-pop without the weirdly magical charisma that made the Spices international phenomenons. It is true that All Saints lack the personality of the Spices, but they make up for that with musical skills. All four members have better voices than the Spices, and they all have a hand in writing at least one of the songs on their eponymous debut, with Shaznay Lewis taking the most writing credits. More importantly, they and their producers have a better sense of contemporary dance trends -- there are real hip-hop and club rhythms throughout the record, and samples of Audio Two, the Rampage, and (especially) Steely Dan are fresh and inventive.
But what really makes the record are the songs. The singles are the standouts, with the party-ready, Steely Dan-fueled "I Know Where It's At" and the extraordinary gospel-tinged "Never Ever" leading the way, but the covers are well chosen (their take on "Under the Bridge" eclipses the Red Hot Chili Peppers', boasting a better arrangement and more convincing vocals) and the lesser songs are pleasantly melodic. Sure, there's some filler, but that should be expected on any dance-pop album. What counts is that the performances are fresh, the production is funky, and there is a handful of classic pop singles on the album, and you can't ask for much better than that from a dance-pop record, especially one from a group that almost beat the Spice Girls at their own game”.
It is a shame that I could not make this feature longer, as there are not many articles around the release of the album. I hope that there is reassessment ahead of the twenty-fifth anniversary. Go and check out the group’s official site, as it is intoxicating discovering the music of All Saints.
I will end things shortly. I really love All Saints as an album. From the alluring, powerful and memorable cover, through to the spins they put on Under the Bridge and Lady Marmalade, it is those opening three songs that really signal the arrival of an incredible group. In 1998, The Remix Album was released. The fact All Saints was popular meant that producers and D.J.s were keen to do something new with the songs. As testament to the group’s quality, I don’t think any of the remixes top the incredible originals! I remember buying the album in 1997. I had heard I Know Where It’s At, and I was really excited to see what the debut album from All Saints had to offer. Maybe not expecting too much, coupled with the regency and fervour around Spice Girls, I was really surprised that I bonded with the album so instantly! Today, it still sounds brilliant. I come back to it and get a rush when hearing songs such as Bootie Call and Lady Marmalade stacked against interesting deep cuts like Take the Key. The group’s second album, Saints & Sinners, was released in 2000. Featuring big hits like Pure Shores and Black Coffee, it did get a bit more critical acclaim and attention.
Maybe feeling the production and songs were more mature and developed than what we heard on All Saints, I have a soft spot for the 1997 introduction from a brilliant group. I hope that we have not heard the last of All Saints. That combination of Canadian and British talent, the amazing vocals, and the chemistry the group had makes All Saints a legendary group! It is no surprise they have such a huge fanbase. Take a listen back to All Saints ahead of its twenty-fifth anniversary on 24th November. The hits from All Saints are still played to this day. It is a pity some of the deeper cuts are not explored, as they do show the fuller range of the group’s talents. Proving themselves to be powerhouses from the off, I listen to All Saints now, and it takes me back to a time when my exploration and curiosity of music in all its forms was at its height. I was fourteen - and discovering a group like All Saints was a bit of a revelation. Beautifully sequenced with amazing performances throughout, All Saints is going to stand up to scrutiny decades from now. It is an incredible album bustling with phenomenal songs that cross borders and genres. There is no doubt, ahead of its twenty-fifth anniversary on 24th November, that All Saints is…
AN underrated and amazing debut.