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
Gonna Try It Anyway
Lisa Stansfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would it be outrageous to you?
Could I make you happy,
With a smile?
Could I take one moment of your time?
Well this feelin` is so strong,
And I don't even know your name,
I've never been so sure,
And I'm not playing games,
I'm gonna dive in at the deep end...
Maybe your shy but, what can I say?
I'm gonna try it anyway,
I don't wanna hurt you, or be in the way,
But I`m gonna try it anyway.
I feel so inspired,
Just looking at you,
I've got the fire,
To see it through,
'Cos this feelin' is so strong,
And I'm not playing games,
I'm gonna dive in at the deep end...
Maybe your shy but, what can I say?
I'm gonna try it anyway,
I don't wanna hurt you, or be in the way,
But I`m gonna try it anyway.
I don't wanna hurt you...
Maybe your shy but, what can I say?
I'm gonna try it anyway,
I don't wanna hurt you, or be in the way,
But I`m gonna try it anyway.
The lyrics of Lisa Stansfield's "Gonna Try It Anyway"are an expression of courage and hope in the face of uncertainty. The song is about taking a chance on a stranger and asking them out, despite the risk of rejection. The first verse asks if it would be daring to approach a person and make a move. The second verse expresses the singer's deep desire to try, as the feeling of attraction is so strong.
Throughout the song, the singer expresses their willingness to take a risk and try their luck, even though they don't know what will happen. The fear of hurting or being rejected by the person is acknowledged, but the excitement and possibility of what could happen is too great to ignore. The message is about seizing the moment and taking a chance on love, even if it seems daunting.
Overall, "Gonna Try It Anyway" is an empowering song that encourages listeners to take risks in life and have the courage to pursue their dreams and desires, even if it feels scary or uncertain.
Line by Line Meaning
Could I be courageous and make a move,
Is it possible for me to gather the courage to make a move towards you?
Would it be outrageous to you?
Will you find my actions excessive if I make a move?
Could I make you happy, with a smile?
Can a simple smile from me make you happy?
Could I take one moment of your time?
Can I ask for a brief moment of your time to express my feelings?
Well this feelin` is so strong,
I'm overwhelmed with strong emotions towards you
And I don't even know your name,
Despite not knowing your name, my feelings remain the same
I've waited for so long, so long,
I've been waiting for the right moment to express my feelings for a long time
I've never been so sure,
I've never been more confident about anything in my life
And I'm not playing games,
I'm being genuine and sincere about my feelings towards you
I'm gonna dive in at the deep end...
I'm taking a big risk and putting myself out there
Maybe your shy but, what can I say?
Even if you're shy, I still want to take a chance
I'm gonna try it anyway,
I'm going to take action despite the uncertainty
I don't wanna hurt you, or be in the way,
I don't want to cause you any pain or inconvenience
But I'm gonna try it anyway...
But I'm still going to take a chance because I can't ignore my feelings
I feel so inspired,
Being around you is giving me a sense of inspiration
Just looking at you,
Merely gazing at you fills me with emotion
I've got the fire,
I'm filled with passion and determination
To see it through,
To see this through despite the risks and uncertainty
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IAN OWEN DEVANEY, LISA JANE STANSFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind