After announcing a new album earlier this week, From The Vault salutes one of UK’s most gifted girl groups.

This week’s pick is All Saints’ ‘Pure Shores.’

At a time when their chart rivals the Spice Girls were venturing out for solo project, the coast was clear for the Saints to release ‘Shores’, the first single from their sophomore effort ‘Saints & Sinners.’ It was also the official single from the soundtrack of the Leonardo DiCaprio-led blockbuster ‘The Beach.’

Produced by William Orbit and written by band-member Shaznay Lewis, the track was met with universal acclaim upon its release in early 2000, with many comparing it to Madonna’s latest project ‘Ray Of Light’ – also produced by Orbit.

The Electronica-Pop tune was a worldwide hit, hitting #1 on home-soil and charting inside the Top 100 in Australia, New Zealand and France among many other countries.

Intercut with scenes from the motion picture, its trippy video, directed by Vaughan Arnell, featured infrared shots of the girls walking on the beach, in Norfolk, England. Other scenes show quad in a jungle setting, a nod perhaps to the movie’s plot.

A public and ugly breakup followed soon after, however the the ladies buried the hatchet and regrouped in 2016 to release critically acclaimed ‘Red Flag’ album (which also opened at #3 on the UK tally).

And we’re glad they did.

Because, as talented as they are individually, the magic is principally activated when the four are together on record or a stage. A reality for many a group.

Ironically, nowadays it feels like such groups are only considered a stepping stone before the big – or not so big – solo takeover.

We say, the current crop of groups ought to learn from their predecessors and never burn that bridge. After all, there are no guarantees about what tomorrow may bring.

It begs the question, though: can groups really thrive and survive for the long haul or is the stepping stone factor now the unchangeable norm?

Your thoughts?