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
These Are The Days Of Our Lives
Lisa Stansfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was back in the old days - long ago
When we were kids, when we were young
Things seemed so perfect - you know ?
The days were endless, we were crazy - we were young
The sun was always shinin' - we just lived for fun
Sometimes it seems like lately - I just don't know
The rest of my life's been - just a show
The bad things in life were so few
Those days are all gone now but one thing is true
When I look and I find I still love you
You can't turn back the clock, you can't turn back the tide
Ain't that a shame ?
Ooh, I'd like to go back one time on a roller coaster ride
When life was just a game
No use in sitting and thinkin' on what you did
When you can lay back and enjoy it through your kids
Sometimes it seems like lately - I just don't know
Better sit back and go - with the flow
'Cos these are the days of our lives
They've flown in the swiftness of time
These days are all gone now but some things remain
When I look and I find - no change
Those were the days of our lives yeah
The bad things in life were so few
Those days are all gone now but one thing's still true
When I look and I find, I still love you
I still love you
The song "These Are the Days of Our Lives" by Lisa Stansfield is a nostalgic reflection on the innocence of youth and a reminder to cherish the present moment. The lyrics express the singer's longing to return to the carefree days of her childhood, when life was full of adventure and joy. The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song, as the singer laments the passing of time and the loss of her youth. She recalls the endless summer days of her childhood, when the sun was always shining and life was just one big game.
As the song progresses, the singer muses on the transience of time and the inevitability of change. She acknowledges that life has its ups and downs, but insists that the bad times were few and far between. She looks back on her past with gratitude and affection, recognizing that those memories will always be a part of her.
The final verse is a loving testament to the enduring power of relationships. The singer declares that, despite the passage of time and the changes it brings, her love for the people in her life remains constant. She acknowledges the impossibility of turning back time or undoing the mistakes of the past, but insists that it is possible to find joy in the present moment and appreciate the good things that remain.
Overall, "These Are the Days of Our Lives" is a poignant reminder to cherish the present moment and hold tight to the relationships and memories that are most dear to us.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I get to feelin'
At times, I begin to feel
I was back in the old days - long ago
I had time-traveled to the past memories of my youth
When we were kids, when we were young
In our childhood and teenage years
Things seemed so perfect - you know ?
Life appeared ideal, you get me?
The days were endless, we were crazy - we were young
Our youthful days felt never-ending, and we were wild and carefree
The sun was always shinin' - we just lived for fun
It always seemed sunny, and pleasure was all we lived for
Sometimes it seems like lately - I just don't know
At times, I'm unsure if things are the same currently
The rest of my life's been - just a show
Everything else feels superficial and staged
Those were the days of our lives
Those days were the prime of our lives
The bad things in life were so few
Negative experiences in life were rare
Those days are all gone now but one thing is true
Those days have elapsed, but one thing still remains accurate
When I look and I find I still love you
When I examine my heart, I still have affection for you
You can't turn back the clock, you can't turn back the tide
It's impossible to reverse time or change the outcome of events
Ain't that a shame ?
Isn't it unfortunate?
Ooh, I'd like to go back one time on a roller coaster ride
Oh, I yearn to revisit a rollercoaster ride once again
When life was just a game
Back when life was all play and no worries
No use in sitting and thinkin' on what you did
Reflecting on past actions won't change anything
When you can lay back and enjoy it through your kids
Instead, you should relax and revel in experiencing life through your children
Sometimes it seems like lately - I just don't know
At times, I'm unsure if things are the same currently
Better sit back and go - with the flow
It's wiser to just relax and accept life's currents
'Cos these are the days of our lives
Because these are the days that we're living now
They've flown in the swiftness of time
Time has rapidly passed by
These days are all gone now but some things remain
Those days are long gone, but some things haven't changed
When I look and I find - no change
Upon introspection, everything seems unchanged
Those were the days of our lives yeah
Those were indeed the high points of our existence
The bad things in life were so few
Negative experiences in life were rare
Those days are all gone now but one thing's still true
Those days have passed, but one thing is still accurate
When I look and I find, I still love you
When I examine my heart, I still have affection for you
I still love you
I still have love for you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN MAY, FREDDIE MERCURY, JOHN DEACON, ROGER TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ahmed Alani
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Perfection
Rob
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