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
You can't deny it
Lisa Stansfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You see I'm smilin'
Hmm we've got the people talkin', they know how we feel
And it's no big deal
And we're not playin' games and we're not playin' lovers
We mean a lot more than that
Hear what I'm sayin' boy, let go and be my joy
[Chorus]
You can't deny it baby, we drive each other crazy
You can't deny it, no two people ever felt this way
You can't deny it baby, we drive each other crazy
We've just got to let it out
Let it out
Let it out
Let it out
The more we're with each other, it's so exciting
And it's getting stronger
The way you touch me darlin', I've never been
Touched like that before
And we're not playin' games and we're not playin' lovers
We mean a lot more than that
You're all I need my love, you're there to push me on
I have to love you
[Chorus]
We can shout let it out
We can shout let it out
We can shout let it out
We can shout let it out
And we're not playin' games and we're not playin' lovers
We mean a lot more than that
Hear what I'm sayin' boy, let go and be my joy
I have to love you
[Chorus]
In the song "You Can't Deny It" by Lisa Stansfield, the singer expresses the excitement and passion she feels for her lover. They've got it together, and she's smiling because they're ready for whatever comes their way. People are talking about their relationship, but to the couple, it's no big deal. They're not just playing games or pretending to be in love; their feelings are real, and they mean a lot more than that. The singer urges her lover to let go and be her joy because she has to love him.
As the song progresses, the singer describes how their relationship is getting stronger and more exciting with each passing day. She's touched in a way she's never been touched before, and their love is more than just a physical attraction - it's deep and meaningful. They shout and let it all out, expressing the intensity of their emotions.
Overall, "You Can't Deny It" is a passionate love song that celebrates the strength and depth of a true romantic connection. It's a declaration of love that urges the listener to let go and embrace their feelings, no matter how intense they may be.
Line by Line Meaning
We've got it together darlin', we're ready for it
We are in a mature, stable relationship and ready to take things to the next level
You see I'm smilin'
I am happy and content in this relationship
Hmm we've got the people talkin', they know how we feel
Others can see that we are in love
And it's no big deal
Our love is not controversial or unusual
And we're not playin' games and we're not playin' lovers
Our relationship is serious and committed
We mean a lot more than that
Our relationship has depth and significance beyond just physical attraction
Hear what I'm sayin' boy, let go and be my joy
I want you to open up and let our love flourish
I have to love you
My love for you is a natural, necessary part of who I am
You can't deny it baby, we drive each other crazy
Our love is intense and undeniable
You can't deny it, no two people ever felt this way
Our love is unique and special
We've just got to let it out
We need to express our love openly and honestly
The more we're with each other, it's so exciting
Our love grows stronger and more thrilling over time
And it's getting stronger
Our love is deepening and becoming more meaningful
The way you touch me darlin', I've never been
Touched like that before
Your touch is new and exciting to me
You're all I need my love, you're there to push me on
You are my source of strength and motivation
We can shout let it out
We are unashamed and proud of our love
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDY MORRIS, IAN OWEN DEVANEY, LISA JANE STANSFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@GregCooperJr.
Blue Eyed Soul at its best!!!!! Damn this music feels good.
@speedyhairyson
This woman has the best voice in the world. I love music of all genre's. She's the best of the best. I love you, Lisa. ❤
@robl7057
Who's listening in 2023?
@CarlaLinton-pj5jn
Carla Linton. I'm listening to this in.2023.
@edwardhill1279
Lisa Stansfield was so talented she could just flat out sing..I'm sorry that I never got the chance to see her perform live
@tate333666
still is talented
@lequitasharrock8872
Lisa Stansfield has a lifetime pass to the cookout.
@mongoslade277
😂😂😂
@user-ow3dg1xh8e
Beautiful blue eyed soul singer!! Legendary!!!
@lourdesreymurcia4061
Lisa Stanfield has a great voice, she is also one of the best artists in the world, all her songs are very good. It was difficult for her to have a successful career, but she did it.😌🥰😊😊👏👏❤️❤️❤️❤️