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Pure Shores

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"Pure Shores"
Song
B-side"If You Don't Know What I Know"

"Pure Shores" is a song by British-Canadian girl group All Saints. It was released on 12 September 1999 in Australia, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom by London Records via digital download as the lead single from their second studio album Saints & Sinners (2000). This was followed by a physical worldwide release on 11 February 2000. The song was used in the film The Beach (2000).

The song was written by band member Shaznay Lewis and produced by William Orbit in Los Angeles, California. "Pure Shores" is a electronica song with elements of ambient music. The song's lyrics talk about finding a place to relax and calling it one's own. It received critical acclaim from music critics, who praised the production, lyrics and the vocals on the song. Critics praised "Pure Shores" for being a "relaxing" song, and it has featured on several best song lists.

"Pure Shores" entered the UK Singles Chart at number one, where it remained for two weeks. It achieved worldwide success, reaching the top ten in countries including Australia, Finland, France, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden. In North America, it charted on the Canadian Singles Chart but failed to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100. It became the second most successful single of 2000. It has sold a total of 815,000 copies in the UK[1] and received multiple certifications in other countries.

The music video features clips from The Beach and shows the group walking and singing on a beach at Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk. The video received positive reviews and won the Loaded Award for Best Video. "Pure Shores" was featured on All Saints' compilation albums All Hits and Pure Shores: The Very Best of All Saints. The group performed the song at the 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards, and the World Sports Awards in 2000. The single received accolades and nominations, and was awarded the 2000 Capital FM award for best song, Ivor Novello Award for Most Performed Work and was nominated for two BRIT Awards for Best British Single and Best British Video.

Background

"I was approached to write a song for The Beach, and I was taken to see this 40-second scene in the film where the song was going to go, because they hadn't finished the whole film yet. It was where Leonardo DiCaprio and the girl are swimming underwater. I had a lot of fun writing that song. It was really nice to write something you're asked to do for once, instead of writing from your own experiences."

—All Saints member Shaznay Lewis interviewed by The Observer.[2]

"Pure Shores" was released as the first single from All Saints' second studio album Saints & Sinners (2000), which was released in October 2000. The song was written by William Orbit and All Saints member Shaznay Lewis, and was composed and produced by Orbit. It was written for the film The Beach. "Pure Shores" was released in Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom on 12 September 1999.[3][unreliable source?]

According to Cameron Adams of the Herald Sun in Melbourne, American singer and songwriter Madonna "was reportedly livid when producer William Orbit gave this futuristic dream-pop to the UK girl band and not her."[4] On 24 June 2012, Orbit released an instrumental version of the song on the internet.[5]

Composition

"Pure Shores" is an electronica pop song which is set in an ambient style.[6] According to Musicnotes.com, the song is in the key Db Major and the song's lyrics talk about being in a relaxing place and a place one can call their own.[6] Cameron Adams of the Herald Sun called it "futuristic dream-pop". The Herald Sun also said that according to a survey commissioned by Radox, "Pure Shores" was among the ten most relaxing tracks.[7]

Jim Wirth of NME compared the song to Madonna's album Ray of Light, saying "[Pure Shores] is an inane enough confection of bleeps and fieldmouse rhythms which sounds so close to Madonna that it's almost indistinguishable."[8] The New Zealand Herald described the song's composition as "high-lustre" and a "dream pop single".[9] Nigel Packer from BBC Music said the song uses "deep sea bass and dolphin splash keyboards ... "[10]

Critical reception

"Pure Shores" was critically acclaimed by music critics worldwide, who praised it for its "lush, electronic soundscapes". Cameron Adams from the Herald Sun gave it four stars out of five classified it as "futuristic dream-pop" and ranked it at number 17 on the his top 100 songs of the 2000–2009 decade.[citation needed] PlayLouder.com gave it a positive review, saying; "This was the single that saw the Saints out-performing every other girl group on the planet, ditching the famous-for-being-famous tag, and finally becoming the statuesque pop goddesses they always claimed to be.[11] Russell Bailler from the New Zealand Herald highlighted the song along with "Black Coffee" and "Surrender", saying it is "a great single which is also the best thing here [on the album]."[12] Theresa Johnston from About.com listed the song in the "Top Picks for Romantic Songs".[13]

Nigel Packer from BBC Music highlighted the song from the album.[10] Amy Fleming from The Guardian added the song to her list of "songs to have babies to", calling it a "harmless, feelgood, uplifting, and a bit of ambient [song]" and "mellow [and] infectious."[14] Entertainment Weekly reviewed the soundtrack and said along with Sugar Ray's song "Spinning Away", the songs were "bright".[15] Mixmag said along with Barry Adamson's song "Business as Usual", the songs were "superb".[15] On 18 October 2011, David Gerges from The Daily Mail had listed the song on his "Most Relaxing Songs Ever Created" at number seven.[16]

The song received many nominations and accolades. It won the Ivor Novello Award for Most Performed Work[17] and was later nominated for two BRIT Award for Best British Single and Best British Video in 2001, but lost both awards to Robbie Williams' "Rock DJ". It also won the Capital FM choice for Best Song. According to BBC Radio 2, "Pure Shores" is the 14th most played song on the station since 2009.[18]

Commercial performance

"Pure Shores" debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, stayed there for two consecutive weeks and remained in the chart for sixteen weeks. It was certified Platinum on 3 March 2000, selling over 600,000 copies in the UK. The song remains the group's third best performing single in the UK. The song has sold 720,000 copies in the UK as stated by the Official Charts Company. The song became the second best-selling single of 2000 and was awarded the Capital London award for best song on 19 April 2000. In Ireland, the song debuted at number three and peaked at number one a week later, becoming the group's only chart-topper in Ireland.

The song was also successful in mainland Europe. It debuted at number sixteen in Switzerland and peaked at number six, staying in the charts for twenty-three weeks, making it the group's most successful single there. It also peaked at number six on the French Singles Chart, staying in the charts for twenty weeks. The song peaked in both the Belgium Singles Chart at number five (Flanders) and number one (Wallonia). It also reached the top five in Finland and Norway. However, the song did not reach the top ten in Austria, where it debuted at number thirty-nine and peaked at number eleven, staying in the charts for eleven weeks. It was eventually certified gold in Sweden and France, selling 10,000 copies in Sweden and 150,000 copies in France.

"Pure Shores" repeated its European success in Oceania. It debuted at number five on the Australian Singles Chart, and peaked at number four for three consecutive weeks, remaining in the charts for sixteen weeks. The song is the group's second-most successful single in that country. In New Zealand, it debuted at number forty-four, rose to number seventeen the next week, and peaked at number two for one week. It stayed in the charts for nineteen weeks. To date, it is the group's most successful single in that country. It was certified Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and Gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ), selling 70,000 and 7,500 copies respectively.

The song was eventually released in North America, where it failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 or any of the Billboard component charts, but it peaked at number thirty-five in Canada, where it was the group's last single to chart in Canada. The song was well received internationally, garnering chart success. However, many have suggested that due to the benchmark the song had created for 2000 and the following years, it underperformed commercially.[4] Combining certifications and sales, "Pure Shores" has roughly sold over one million copies to date.

Music videos and promotion

The music video for "Pure Shores" was directed by Vaughan Arnell and is set on a beach and features clips from the film The Beach. The video was filmed on Holkham beach in Norfolk, England and featured the members of All Saints walking near the beach at night, using various camera effects, with some daytime shots in front of the Wells-next-the-Sea beach huts.[19] Scenes were also filmed in a jungle house with bamboo and trees. On 8 May 2000, the video won the Loaded Award as best single of the year. Another video is similar but has clips from the band's other videos and does not feature clips from the film.

All Saints performed "Pure Shores" at the 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards, and at the World Sports Awards in 2000. It was also performed on Top of the Pops. In 2002, DJ Osymyso sampled the song on his album Intro-Inspection (2002). The band then performed a live version of the song on Later with Jools Holland with just a piano and a drum set.

It is also included in the 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V on one of the games radio stations.

Formats and track listings

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Saints & Sinners.[26]

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[57] Platinum 70,000^
Belgium (BEA)[58] Gold 25,000*
France (SNEP)[59] Gold 250,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[60] Gold 5,000*
Sweden (GLF)[61] Gold 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[62] Platinum 815,000[1]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Country Date Format Label Ref.
United Kingdom 7 February 2000 CD London [20]
Germany 14 February 2000 [23]
France 15 February 2000 [63]
United States 18 April 2000 [22]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Myers, Justin (5 November 2016). "Girlbands vs Boybands – their biggest songs of the century revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  2. ^ "1000 Number Ones". The Observer. London: Guardian News and Media Ltd. 12 December 2004. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  3. ^ "Pure Shores". iTunes Store (Apple Inc.). Retrieved 12 September 1999. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  4. ^ a b Adams, Cameron (31 December 20009). "Cameron Adams judges the hits and misses of the last decade - do you agree?". Herald Sun. Melbourne: News Ltd. Retrieved 15 August 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "William Orbit has put the instrumental version of All Saints' 'Pure Shores' on the internet". Popjustice.com. 24 June 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  6. ^ a b "Pure Shores—All Saints Digital Sheet Music". Universal Music Publishing Group. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  7. ^ Fagan, Gabrielle (31 December 2011). "Simple ways to get the good life in 2012". Herald Sun. Melbourne: News Ltd. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  8. ^ Wirth, Jim (12 February 2000). "Pure Shores". NME. IPC Media Entertainment Network. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  9. ^ "Various - The Beach soundtrack - Life & Style - NZ Herald News". Nzherald.co.nz. 6 April 2000. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  10. ^ a b Packer, Nigel (15 October 2000). "CD Review: All Saints". London: British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  11. ^ Music Week News
  12. ^ "All Saints: Saints & Sinners - Life & Style - NZ Herald News". Nzherald.co.nz. 26 October 2000. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  13. ^ "Top Picks for Romantic Songs". Orlando.about.com. 4 March 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  14. ^ Posted by Amy Fleming, Monday 2 May 2011 20.00 BST The Guardian Songs to have babies to (no, not Push It)
  15. ^ a b "Spend Nectar Points | How To Spend Nectar Points". Nectar.com. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  16. ^ Just don't play it while you're driving! Warning over 'most relaxing song ever created'. www.dailymail.co.uk.
  17. ^ Wiederhorn, Jon (24 May 2001). "Craig David, David Gray, All Saints Win At Ivor Novello Awards". MTV.com. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  18. ^ "Whiter Shade 'most played' song according to a chart compiled for BBC Radio 2". Inthe00s.com. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  19. ^ "Wells-next-the-Sea Tourist Information". Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  20. ^ a b "Pure Shores (CD 1)". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  21. ^ "Pure Shores" (European single liner notes). All Saints. London Records. 2000. 8573 81672 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  22. ^ a b "Pure Shores (CD 2)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  23. ^ a b "Pure Shores" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  24. ^ "Pure Shores" (European single liner notes). All Saints. London Records. 2000. 8573 81722 9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  25. ^ "Pure Shores" (European single liner notes). All Saints. London Records. 2000. 8573 82361 0.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  26. ^ Saints & Sinners (Media notes). All Saints. Germany: London Records. 2000. p. 8. 8573 85298 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  27. ^ "All Saints – Pure Shores". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  28. ^ "All Saints – Pure Shores" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  29. ^ "All Saints – Pure Shores" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  30. ^ "All Saints – Pure Shores" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  31. ^ "Top Singles - Volume 70, No. 18, March 06 2000". RPM. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  32. ^ Sexton, Paul (28 February 2000). "All Saints Wave Off Newcomers On U.K. Singles Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012.
  33. ^ "All Saints: Pure Shores" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  34. ^ "All Saints – Pure Shores" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  35. ^ "Chart Track: Week 8, 2000". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  36. ^ "All Saints – Pure Shores". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  37. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – All Saints" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  38. ^ "All Saints – Pure Shores". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  39. ^ "All Saints – Pure Shores". VG-lista. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  40. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  41. ^ "All Saints – Pure Shores" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  42. ^ "All Saints – Pure Shores". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  43. ^ "All Saints – Pure Shores". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
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  45. ^ "End of Year Charts - Top 100 Singles 2000". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  46. ^ "Ultratop Belgian Charts" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  47. ^ "Ultratop Belgian Charts" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  48. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 2000". Music & Media. Berverly Hills, CA: 2. 27 January 2001.
  49. ^ "Disque en France" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012.
  50. ^ "Top Annuali Single: 2000" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  51. ^ "Top 40 - De 100 Populairste Platen van 2000" (PDF) (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  52. ^ "Top Selling Singles of 2000". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  53. ^ "Årslista Singlar - År 2000" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  54. ^ "Swiss Year-End Charts 2000". Schweizer Hitparade. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  55. ^ "Yearly Best Selling Singles - 2000" (PDF). British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
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  57. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2000 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  58. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2000". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  59. ^ "French single certifications – All Saints – Pure Shores" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  60. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – All Saints – Pure Shores". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 13 July 2015.[dead link‍]
  61. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2000" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  62. ^ "British single certifications – All Saints – Pure Shores". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 13 July 2015. Select singles in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Pure Shores in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  63. ^ "Pure Shores" (in French). Amazon.fr. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
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