all saints
Meet Shaznay, Melanie, Nicole and Natalie-the All Saints girls. No, they're not just another Spice Girls remake. These girls from Britain are talented, with an awesome ability to attract audiences through their music rather than with cheap gimmicks.
By Vishesh Prakash
The combo sure is creating waves around the music
world with two enormously successful numbers "I Know What It's At" and
"Never Ever". All Saints seem to be on their way to the top, even though these
are not exactly the best of times to break into the music world for an all-girl-band.
After the enormous success, the world over, of the Spice Girls, all-girl bands are facing
a very big problem. There is this totally unjustifiable belief that it's no longer about
music. It's all about the packaging. Get a group of beautiful girls together, dress them
up in skimpy clothes, give them funny names, make them jump around the stage, create media
hype... and you have a product that hits the charts around the world. Any girl-band that
tries to make it to the international platform has the added task of fighting this notion,
to create an identity for themselves. And they have to thank the Spice Girls (or what's
left of them!) for this.
When All Saints, a British R & B/soul band, burst on the scene, some critics dubbed them as just another Spice Girls' clone. But the new fab four proved they wrong and started making waves with their self-titled debut album released last year. For one, they compose their own music. It's their music-their experiences, their feelings... They've shown that their music is not a PR exercise, it's real stuff. Their music combines classic funk with modern rap. That it has loads and loads of attitude is clear from tracks like "I Know What It's At", "Bootie Call", "Let's Get Started", "Beg". And from the two covers they have done-Red Hot Chilli Pepper's "Under The Bridge" and Patti LaBelle's "Lady Marmalade".
At a time when the All Saints' girls made their presence felt internationally, there was supposedly a whole new market for all-girl bands, This was because of the high-riding popularity of the Spice Girls. Most of the girl-bands would have gone the same way and taken the preferred route to success. But All Saints have demonstrated that they don't believe in riding high on gimmicks. They have shown every intention of staying true to their music and to themselves.
Some time back, they were contacted by a reputed international magazine to pose nude 'tastefully' for the cover. Now a proposal like this would mean extensive media coverage and publicity all over the world and guaranteed increase in sales. But all saints will be saints. They refused the offer point blank. And showed their determination to safeguard their individuality and image.
The group was named All Saints because Melanie R Blatt and Shaznay T Lewis
first came together and started recording in a studio on All Saints Road, Ladbroke Grove,
London. In 1995, the duo became a foursome when they invited the Canadian sisters Nicole
and Natalie Appleton to join them as singers. Melaine and Shaznay continued writing songs
for the group. These four members brought together an assortment of international
influences to the group-Shaznay has roots in Jamaica and Barbados, Melanie is part English
and part French, and Nicole and Natalie Appleton are Canadian-born but raised in New York
and London. All of them have very different musical tastes ranging from R & B and soul
to swing and pop, and it's pretty evident in their sound.
The other thing that is pretty evident is that these are girls are too street smart to be anything but themselves. They are an honest bunch of girls, who don't pretend to be anything they're not. Melanie, speaking for the group, once said, "We want everyone to appreciate us. We're not in this for a quick buck. The music is very important to us, we put our heart and soul into it, we write our own stuff."
So far these new kids on the block are going in the right direction. All Saints are proving themselves as a group with a difference and are rocketing sky-high. They're definitely not in the mood to come down from the heights just yet. But who's complaining?
all saints in profile
Melanie R Blatt: B'day: 25th March 1975 Height: 5'3" Weight: 108 lbs Eyes: Hazel Hair: Brown Nickname: Mel-odie Likes: cooking and cookery programmes on TV Hates: people who are patronising. Anyone who patronises her and thinks that she doesn't know anything because she's a girl is looking to get into a fight with her! Fave words: "No mate!" and "Blatantly!" Previous job: Session singer She is: "calm, jokey, generous"
23-year-old Melanie is the gutsiest and toughest Saint. And she has made use of every bit of her courage and determination to overcome the problems in her life. Her plans to become a dancer suffered a severe setback when she developed the back condition, scoliosis. She was told that an operation had a 50 percent chance of leaving her paralysed. She fought bravely through all that, still has metal hooks in her spine, but refuses to let her illness hold her back. She says that working in the music industry has made her tougher, because though music is a very creative profession there is a lot of politics. Melanie knows how to enjoy life.
Whenever she has the time, she loves visiting swanky London clubs such as The Complex and Browns and has "a flamin' good time with me mates!" She stays with her parents and her 10-year-old sister Jasmine in London's Ladbroke Grove. When she's home she likes to relax by watching Eastenders and Friends. Melanie is a self-confessed shopaholic and loves going on shopping sprees for expensive clothes and jewellery.
She was exposed to musical influences early. From the age of six she used to camp out at the Glastonbury Festival for three consecutive days. All that exposure to music certainly hasn't done her any harm.
Shaznay T Lewis: B'day: 14th October 1975 Height: 5'7" Weight: 120 lbs Eyes: Dark Brown Hair: Brown Nicknames: Shaz and Bart Likes: Open minded, positive people Hates: Rude people Fave phrases: 'For Real' and 'Can You Cope?' Previous jobs: Session singer, salesgirl in a men's shoe department She is: "quiet, shy and genuine"
Shaznay, at 23, is the song-writing talent and brains behind All Saints. For years, she did back-up vocals in exchange for studio time. This gave her the experience required to make the group work.
Her wide and varied musical influences contribute to her song writing which she relates to her own life. When her long-term relationship with her boyfriend ended she let her feelings out in a song that became the biggest hit-"Never Ever".
Shaznay always wanted to be a singer. As a child, she used to play at being a DJ, introducing imaginary records, which she then sang herself, imitating everyone from Madonna to Whitney Houston.
Ironically, despite being a bundle of energy which she has amply demonstrated by putting All Saints together, Shaznay is also the quietest of the band.
Half-Jamaican, half-Barbadian, she was born in Islington, North London, and still lives there with her mother. In her free time, she's more likely to be found in the house than going out clubbing.
Shaznay was raised a Catholic and had a strong moral sense instilled in her by her mum. When her mother first heard the raunchy "Bootie Call" she was like, 'Ohhh Shaznay!' But now, her mother loves all the sexy videos and the photo shoots they do. "She thinks they're hilarious." Luckily the fans don't agree with her.
Natalie J Appleton: B'day: 14 May 1973 Height: 5'5" Weight: 112 lbs Eyes: Green Hair: Blonde From: Canada Nickname: Naaatalie Likes: Reading scary, sick stories. Stephen King is her favourite novelist Hates: People who whine Pets: Two cats called Nathan and Nathana Previous jobs: Aerobics instructor She is: "very friendly, outgoing and impatient"
Natalie and her younger sister, Nicole, grew up in England, Canada and America. Perhaps all that moving around at an early age accounts for her confidence. She is the eldest member of the band. The one they all turn to when they have problems and need advice. The one who keeps them all in line-especially her wild child sister Nicole.
The mothering part comes naturally to Natalie. She is a single parent to a five-year-old daughter who has always been her prime concern. This made her think twice about joining the band as she didn't want to be unfair to her daughter. Fortunately, her parents stepped in and agreed to look after the little girl. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Natalie and Nicole, as it brought their divorced parents back together after a 15-year-split.
Natalie has actually been performing since the age of 15, when she used to persuade her mother to dress her up so she would look old enough to sing pop songs in New York hotel bars. She had originally planned to use her business skills and acumen in becoming All Saints' manager. However, once she saw that the girls were on to a winning formula, she couldn't resist joining in as a band member!
She reads horror stories in her spare time. Horror stories for relaxation? Not so surprising for someone who has been watching horror films since the age of seven. Incidentally, she is also known to shed a few tears while watching a moving scene.
Nicole M Appleton: Date of Birth: 7th December 1974 Height: 5'6" Weight: 113 lbs Eyes: Brown Hair: Blond From: Canada Nickname: Fonzie, Tequila Queen Likes: McDonalds Hates: Lies Fave phrase: 'Gooonks!' Previous jobs: Waitress, lifeguard, ice-cream vendor She is: "sweet, easy-going and mad!"
24-year-old Nicole is the 'wild child' of the group. She earned her nickname 'Tequila Queen' from her favourite drink. The rest of the band hold only one grudge against her: She's the best at getting the guys!
A far cry from the Nicole of her earlier years. The youngest of four sisters, Nicole grew up wearing family hand-me-downs, so she always looked out of fashion. She describes herself as a "a real nerd, with grim, greasy hair and rat tails. I was never chased by boys." Kinda hard to believe it now! Especially when the tabloids are filled with some news item or the other of her relationship with someone or the other. But fame has taken its toll on Nicole, She has matured faster. She learned it the hard way when her ex-fiance gave a so-called exposé about their two-year engagement to the media towards the end of last year.
No-one prays for the group's success like Nicole, because she's "not good at anything else and has been sacked from every job" she has held. But she has no cause for worry with All Saints going great guns.
