Pure Shores - Background

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 Guardian.

"Pure Shores" was released as the first single off their second studio album Saints & Sinners (2000), which was released several months later. The song was written by William Orbit and All Saints member Shaznay Lewis, while production and composition was handled by Orbit. However, the song itself was written for the film The Beach. While writing the song, Lewis and Orbit were in Los Angeles, California 1999, while the remaining All Saints members Melanie Blatt and sisters Nicole and Natalie Appleton were shooting in the UK for their movie Honest, which was directed by former Eurythmics member Dave Stewart. Honest is a black comedy set in Swinging London in the late 1960s, in which the singers playing three street-wise, saucy sisters who head "up West" to pursue a life of crime. The film also became notable for the topless scene with both Natalie and Nicole.

The film ultimately received scathing reviews from movie critics, with one critic saying "It is the worst kind of rubbish, the kind that makes you angry you have wasted 105 minutes of your life." It was also poor at the box office, but was eventually screened at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. "Pure Shores" was released in Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom on 12 September 1999.

According to reports, American singer and songwriter Madonna was ultimately livid when Orbit gave the song to the group. Back in 1997 to '98, Orbit had produced Madonna's seventh studio album Ray of Light and according to reports, Orbit had suggested to give the song to Madonna, but did not record it.