Once the frontwoman of UK band Blue Zone, which saw modest success with their single "Jackie", she became a major international star beginning with her guest vocal stint on Coldcut's record People Hold On.
Stansfield is probably best known for her first UK #1 single, All Around the World (1989), which also peaked at #3 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 the following year. Other worldwide hits from her debut solo album Affection include This is the Right Time (featuring a house music-styled production by Coldcut with Mark Saunders), Live Together, What Did I Do To You? and You Can't Deny It. "All Around the World" was the second song by a white female soloist to hit #1 on the Billboard R&B chart (the first being "Ooo La La La" by Teena Marie in 1988). "You Can't Deny It" also topped that chart. Affection went platinum in the U.S., and sold a total of five million copies worldwide.
In 1990, Stansfield was among a handful of high-profile artists to participate in the Red Hot + Blue charity album, which honored the songwriting career of Cole Porter, and benefitted AIDS research at a time when funding from government agencies was insufficient for those in need. She was given the chance to show her swing and jazz chops on the song "Down in the Depths" (video), which was one of a few throwback renditions to appear on the album. This likely won her the female lead in the independent film Swing (1999), for which soundtrack she also performed most of the songs. Thus began an illustrious and respected tradition of Stansfield offering jazz and torch songs to outside projects (she also sang I've Got the World on a String in the original movie soundtrack of 2003's Mona Lisa Smile).
In 1992, Stansfield won a BRIT Award as best British female solo artist. Her second album Real Love did not quite live up to the success of Affection, despite selling very well. However, it did spawn four Top 40 singles on the European charts: Change, All Woman, Time to Make You Mine and Set Your Loving Free. "Change" has since become one of her signature classics, and still receives regular air-play to this day. "All Woman" became Stansfield's third #1 single on the Billboard R&B chart, and due to the success of that song, the album went gold in the U.S. Filled with pathos and emotion, it is "kitchen sink soul", from the viewpoint of a woman taken for granted. Like "All Around the World", many critics initially believed that it had been performed by a black singer.
Stansfield continued recording disco-influenced soul throughout the 1990s. Her third album So Natural (1993) spawned three Top 40 European singles including the title track So Natural, In All the Right Places and Little Bit of Heaven, but the album was never released in the U.S. She had continued success throughout Europe, but her popularity in America had diminished.
sidenote: "In All The Right Places" was featured on the soundtrack of the movie Indecent Proposal (1993), for which Stansfield was shortlisted as the lead that eventually went to Demi Moore. You can catch her talking about it in this YouTube interview clip (@ 1:30).
Her self-titled fourth album Lisa Stansfield (1997) was a hit in Europe with two Top Ten singles - People Hold On (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Mix) (a re-released dance mix by The Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and The Real Thing, and the Top 40 track Never, Never Gonna Give You Up (a remake of the late Barry White's 1973 hit). Upon being released in the U.S., the album scored some mainstream attention, but fared much better in the dance clubs where remixes were very successful; an astonishing four singles - "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up", Never Gonna Fall, I'm Leavin', and "People Hold On" reached #1 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. It charted modestly, peaking at #30 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and #55 on the Billboard 200. Subsequently, The Remix Album was released due to revived interest in Stansfield within the dance community. The music video for "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" (video) was an eye-catcher featuring her strolling nude down a city street, acquiring a few items of clothing along the way. VH1 featured the clip and even gave it the Pop-Up Video treatment. During the promotion for the single, Stansfield appeared on the RuPaul Show, but inexplicably, did not sing the song (or any others, for that matter).
Her 2001 album Face Up was less successful, barely charting through a lack of publicity, but featured the singles Let's Just Call It Love and 8-3-1, which found her experimenting with newer styles of R&B such as 2-step while continuing with her established sound. Stansfield's husband, Ian Devaney, delivered an arrangement for the ballad How Could You?, which displayed his love of Burt Bacharach's legacy. Only one single was officially released in the UK.
Following the release of Face Up, a 2-CD greatest hits collection titled Biography: The Greatest Hits was released in 2003, which sold well in the UK and Europe. Stansfield then parted ways with Arista/BMG, ending an 18-year association with the label.
Stansfield signed with ZTT Records from the UK, and her 2004 release The Moment was produced by Trevor Horn, well-known for his work with Seal, Grace Jones, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood, among others. The album was distributed in Europe by Edel, featuring the singles Treat Me Like a Woman (released as a double A-side with Easier) and If I Hadn't Got You, a song written by Chris Braide with ex-Squeeze songwriter Chris Difford. The album found her exploring more pop-oriented material, and focusing on lush ballads.
Despite this, as with her previous release, the album and supporting singles were not a success. At the time of the project's release, ZTT was directing large amounts of its resources into re-marketing its back catalogue, and producing the Trevor Horn concert for The Prince's Trust and its accompanying double CD Produced by Trevor Horn. The release of "Treat Me Like a Woman" was twice delayed, and the label eventually paired it with "Easier". While ZTT did erect a billboard to advertise the album in Stansfield's home area of Greater Manchester, print advertising and in-store displays were reportedly absent. Later that year ZTT dropped her from their label.
Stansfield's talents also extended into acting; she starred in the 1999 film Swing with actor Hugo Speer, and recorded covers of swing classics and a few original songs written in the style for the soundtrack. She later appeared on a London stage in The Vagina Monologues. In 2006, she guest-starred in the series Goldplated. In 2007, she starred in an episode of Marple: Ordeal by Innocence, and later joined the cast of The Edge of Love.
On June 2012, Lisa told the UK newspaper, The Sunday Mirror that she's working on her seventh studio album, her first in nine years, and that it is going to be released in spring 2013. Lisa announced in November 2012 that the album will be titled 'Seven'.
Official website: http://www.lisa-stansfield.com
A Little More Love
Lisa Stansfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your love's so much pleasure
Like a haunting melody
It came inside and captured me
And I'm so happy
You're the rhythm of my life
You and I together will stand the test of time
(You know how to love me)
Give me more love, give me more time
I can't understand it
Maybe you've found someone new
Tell me what did I do wrong
What did I do
Looking into your eyes now
I don't see the love we had
I don't see compassion
I don't see anything
[Chorus]
Give me just a little more love
Some more to tide me over
Give me just a little more passion
Give me just a little more love
And a little more time
I don't see the reason
Why you should be so unfair
But I have seen it coming
Seen it hanging in the air
Baby when you hold me
You don't touch me like you did
But still I want you by my side
Baby I'll do anything
[Chorus]
I can see you're slipping away from me
But I still feel the magic sometimes
When we touch
You and me, it has to be
'Cause baby without you I don't think that I can carry on
[Chorus x4]
The song "A Little More Love" by Lisa Stansfield is a ballad about a woman who feels unsure and insecure about the state of her relationship with her partner. The first two stanzas of the song paint a picture of a love that is so pleasurable and captivating, that the singer cannot help but be happy and hopeful about her future. She sees her partner as the rhythm of her life, the one she can rely on to stand the test of time. However, as the song progresses, the tone changes to one of desperation, heartache, and confusion. The singer feels like her partner's love is diminishing, and he might have found someone new. She pleads with him to give her more love, and more time, hoping that they could work things out. She seems to realize that her partner is slipping away from her, but still, she wants to hold onto the magic that they had.
In essence, the song is a plea for more love, passion, and time in a relationship. The singer feels that the love she's been receiving is not enough, and she seeks reassurance from her partner. She is afraid that she will lose him soon and is desperate to hold onto what they have. Overall, "A Little More Love" is an emotional and heartfelt ode to the ups and downs of romantic relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Measure for measure
Your love is equal to the pleasure it brings me. It is a fair and just exchange.
Your love's so much pleasure
Your love brings me great joy and satisfaction.
Like a haunting melody
Your love is powerful and unforgettable, just like a haunting melody that sticks in your head.
It came inside and captured me
Your love enveloped me completely and captured my heart.
And I'm so happy
I am filled with joy and contentment because of the love you give me.
You're the rhythm of my life
Your love is the driving force in my life, just like how rhythm drives a song.
You and I together will stand the test of time
Our love will endure through any challenges and will last forever.
(You know how to love me)
You understand how to love me and fulfill my needs.
Give me more love, give me more time
I need more of your love and attention to feel fulfilled and secure in our relationship.
I can't understand it
I am confused and don't know why you're behaving this way.
Maybe you've found someone new
Perhaps you have found someone else to love.
Tell me what did I do wrong
Please tell me if I have done something to upset you and drive you away.
Looking into your eyes now
I am observing your expression and body language to try to understand how you feel.
I don't see the love we had
I don't see the same affection and warmth that we used to have in our relationship.
I don't see compassion
I don't see the same empathy and care that you used to give me.
I don't see anything
I don't see any signs that our relationship is still strong and healthy.
Give me just a little more love
Please give me more affection and love to help sustain our relationship.
Some more to tide me over
I need more love to sustain me until our relationship gets back to where it was.
Give me just a little more passion
Please bring back the romance and passion we used to have.
And a little more time
I need more time to work through our issues and rebuild our relationship.
I don't see the reason
I don't understand why you're treating me this way.
Why you should be so unfair
It seems unfair that you would distance yourself from me without explaining why.
But I have seen it coming
I have sensed that there were problems in our relationship before things got to this point.
Seen it hanging in the air
I could sense that something was off between us but I didn't know what it was.
Baby when you hold me
When we are physically close, I am reminded of how much I love and miss you.
You don't touch me like you did
You don't show the same physical affection as before, which is making me feel less loved and less secure in our relationship.
But still I want you by my side
Despite our issues, I still love you and want to be with you.
Baby I'll do anything
I am willing to do anything to save our relationship and get back to where we used to be.
I can see you're slipping away from me
I can observe that you are becoming more distant and disengaged from our relationship.
But I still feel the magic sometimes
Occasionally, I can still sense the spark of our love and how special it can be.
When we touch
Physical touch and intimacy are the moments where I feel most in love with you.
You and me, it has to be
We are meant to be together, and I believe our love is strong enough to overcome our current issues.
'Cause baby without you I don't think that I can carry on
You are essential to my life and my happiness, and I don't think I can move forward without you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDY MORRIS, IAN OWEN DEVANEY, LISA JANE STANSFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ece Özüduru
I have the studio version of this song in my iTunes library but I come here to listen to this live one because it’s even better ❤ Love you Lisa
Raisa Cherry's Universe 🍒
Mainstream music of today can't live up to classy singers like Lisa Stansfield,let those trashy songs get awards and recognitions but still can't touch my heart the way old music do ❤❤❤❤❤😍
My Life
best response
MrWierchawsky
What a pretty breathtaking woman ,hello my Sweety
Peter White
I agree with you, this angel is class from head to toe. Stunning voice.
Sherlyn McDonald
One of my FAVES !!! Sooo smooth and beautiful !! I Love this song ! A #1 Classic !!!
Lisa's voice is Amazing !! 🥰👏🏆
Ricardo Costa
I Love him too só much
Andre Lloyd
One of the most glorious and most beautifully emotive female singers of all time - without any doubt at all !
Steve Woodson
Second John 5
Revelation 12%1.2
Tweak Tweek
We still need a little more passion in 2022 still jamming 🥰🥰