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
Little Bit of Heaven
Lisa Stansfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can it be I do it for you?
Every word I say is true,
Anything I do, I do for you.
'cause when you hold me in your arms,
I feel so safe and warm,
I love you true...
[Chorus:]
Baby can't you see you will always be
My little bit of heaven
Baby can't you see you will always be
My life
Baby can't you see you were meant to be
My little bit of heaven
So it's you and me, & I can't believe my eyes
There's so little I can do,
When you put your kisses on me
I just melt into my shoes & everything I feel is due to you
'cause when you hold me in your arms,
I feel so safe and warm,
I love you true...
(Chorus)
You take me to another place,
Out of myself & into your arms
And you make me feel no other way will do,
Will do
(Chorus)
The lyrics to Lisa Stansfield's song "Little Bit of Heaven" express the depth of love and devotion the singer has for her partner. She questions herself if everything she does, and every word she says, is for him. She confesses that she feels safe and loved when he holds her in his arms. The chorus is a reminder to her partner that he is her "little bit of heaven", and she cannot imagine her life without him. Stansfield equates being in his arms as being taken to another place out of herself, and no other way will do except to be with him.
In summary, "Little Bit of Heaven" is a romantic love song that portrays the unconditional love and affection one can have for their partner. It is a confession of immense devotion and a promise of everlasting love. The song's emotional depth is heightened by the chorus's repetition, making it even more memorable and impactful.
Line by Line Meaning
Every little thing I do,
Everything I do, whether big or small, is done with you in mind.
Can it be I do it for you?
Could it be that all my actions are geared towards you?
Every word I say is true,
Every utterance that comes out of my mouth is genuine and heartfelt.
Anything I do, I do for you.
There's nothing I wouldn't do for you.
'cause when you hold me in your arms,
Whenever you embrace me,
I feel so safe and warm,
I experience a sense of security and comfort.
I love you true...
My love for you is pure and unwavering.
Baby can't you see you will always be
My dear, can't you recognize that you'll forever be
My little bit of heaven
The heaven that I have on earth.
My life
The source of my happiness and meaning in life.
Baby can't you see you were meant to be
My love, can't you see that fate intended for you to be
My little bit of heaven
The one I cherish deeply as my heaven on earth.
So it's you and me, & I can't believe my eyes
It's just us together, and it's hard to believe that this is real.
There's so little I can do,
There's not much I can offer or give.
When you put your kisses on me
But when you shower me with your affection and kisses,
I just melt into my shoes & everything I feel is due to you
I become weak and overwhelmed, and all my emotions stem from you.
You take me to another place,
Spending time with you elevates me and transports me to a different realm.
Out of myself & into your arms
Away from my troubles and struggles, and into the security of your embrace.
And you make me feel no other way will do,
You are the only one who can make me feel this way; no one else can compare.
Will do
Will suffice or be adequate.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IAN OWEN DEVANEY, LISA JANE STANSFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Colin Smith
My favourite Lisa track. A particularly good song that reminds me of getting ready for work back in the nineties, when it came on the radio most mornings. Love it.
WRiga
Wonderful song. Wonderful places. Wonderful video. Wonderful woman!
Dmitrijs Zinovjevs
Absolutely amazing! Just an ocean of HEAVEN!! Brava Lisa!!!
Lourdes Rey Murcia
I have never heard this song, but I like it a lot. Lisa stanfield has a great voice, she is even one of the best artists in the world.👏👏👏🥰🥰🥰♥️♥️♥️
Arsen Jaho
One of Lisa's best songs , not only from So natural, but generally from her whole career!
Goran Gustav
I love her music so much.
Otis Roseboro
Love this song & video classic
rugbyunionj7
in my humble opinion this lady can do no wrong,luv ya lisa
Solange Barcellos
Amooo as canções dessa DIVA!
DAVID ARROWSMITH
One of her best 👍