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
real thing
Lisa Stansfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never mind the when and the why
Got a feeling higher than high
This is the real thing
This is the real thing
No more living in shame
And I'm not gonna run or gonna hide away
It's been too long
No more living in chains
No, I don't give a damn what the people say
There's no use holding back desire
We've burnt our fingers now lets jump into the flames
Never mind the stars in the sky
Never mind the when and the why
Got a feeling higher than high
This is the real thing
Never mind the rain and the storm
We'll keep each other warm
We got something stronger than strong
This is the real thing
Gonna walk out hand in hand
So let them criticise 'cos they don't understand
We've got nothing to hide
It's just love
I've had enough of shy
So let's go out and show them what we have inside
There's no use holding back desire
We've burnt our fingers now let's jump into tho fire
Never mind the stars in the sky
Never mind the when and the why
Got a feeling higher than high
This is the real thing
Never mind the rain and the storm
We'll keep each other warm
We got something stronger than strong
This is the real thing
(Never mind the stars in the sky) Never mind them baby
(Never mind the when and the why) Never mind, never mind
(Never mind the stars in the sky) Oh hoo baby
'Cause I've got a feeling that's higher than high
Oh, what you do to me, baby
Oh, what you do to me, baby
This is the real thing
Never mind the stars in the sky
Never mind the when and the why
Got a feeling higher than high
This is the real thing
Never mind the rain and the storm
We'll keep each other warm
We got something stronger than strong
This is the real thing
(Never mind the stars in the sky)
(Never mind the when and the why) What you do, what yo do
(Never mind the stars in the sky) Keep doing it, doing it
'Cause I've got a feeling that's higher than high
Never mind the stars in the sky
Never mind the when and the why
Got a feeling higher than high
Never mind what people may say
They can't take this away
Let them try, I say hey
This is the real thing
The song "Real Thing" by Lisa Stansfield is about experiencing true love and being ready to embrace it without caring about what others might think or say. The lyrics convey a sense of liberation from past mistakes and insecurities, as the singer proclaims her newfound confidence and commitment to her partner. The chorus echoes this sentiment, declaring that their love is the "real thing," a tangible and undeniable force that transcends any doubts or obstacles they might encounter.
The first verse sets the tone with an image of the stars in the sky, which the singer urges the listener to ignore. This suggests that she is not concerned with lofty ideals or romantic notions, but rather the substance of the relationship itself. She then declares that she is no longer willing to live in shame or deception, and is ready to face the world with her partner by her side. The second verse reinforces this idea, emphasizing that they are not bound by societal norms or expectations, but are free to pursue their desires even if it means risking getting hurt.
Overall, "Real Thing" is a powerful anthem of love and self-discovery that encourages listeners to embrace their true selves and pursue their passions without fear or reservation.
Line by Line Meaning
Never mind the stars in the sky
Don't worry about external circumstances or distractions
Never mind the when and the why
Don't overthink the situation, just go with the flow
Got a feeling higher than high
Feeling of being completely in love and exhilarated
This is the real thing
The love being experienced is true and genuine
No more living in shame
No longer ashamed of the love being experienced
And I'm not gonna run or gonna hide away
No longer afraid to express love and be seen in public
No more telling all those lies
No more hiding the love being experienced
It's been too long
The love has been kept hidden for a long time
No more living in chains
No longer feeling trapped or restricted
No, I don't give a damn what the people say
Not worried about the opinions of others
There's no use holding back desire
No point in suppressing feelings of love anymore
We've burnt our fingers now lets jump into the flames
Been hurt before, but still willing to take a risk and pursue love
Never mind the rain and the storm
Don't let adversity deter the love being experienced
We'll keep each other warm
Support each other through any challenges
We got something stronger than strong
The love being experienced is extremely powerful
Gonna walk out hand in hand
Publicly display the love being experienced
So let them criticise 'cos they don't understand
Not worried about criticism from those who don't understand the love
We've got nothing to hide
Proud of the love being experienced and not afraid to show it
It's just love
The love being experienced is simple and beautiful
I've had enough of shy
Tired of hiding love and being shy about it
So let's go out and show them what we have inside
Ready to publicly express the love being experienced despite criticism
Never mind what people may say
Don't let criticism or judgment affect the love being experienced
They can't take this away
The love being experienced is too strong to be taken away
Let them try, I say hey
Challenging those who try to criticize or take away the love being experienced
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: IAN OWEN DEVANEY, LISA JANE STANSFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@seth1455
All around the world
All Woman
Change
Give me just a little more love
Set your loving free
So natural
The real thing
This is the right time
Time to make you mine
What did I do to you
You can't deny it
Someday i'm coming back
People hold on
There are probably more, that I can't recall
The "best ever" is subjective, but it's a pretty good list of quality music
@n7st591
OUT.OF.THE.BOX.ROBOT :
I think you miss the point.
Tina (Teena) Marie, DID NOT sing Northern Soul genre.
Lisa Stansfield, put Northern Soul on the map in the United States and made it sound authentic and true. You can’t vocally riff Northern Soul the same way you could Motown Soul. It would not come out right if you tried. Northern Soul, is its own unique signature with its own tonal dialect.
Nobody epitomizes Northern Soul the way Lisa Stansfield has over the decades.
Whitney Houston, Anita Baker, Mariah Carey, Stephanie Mills and Heather Headley, are just four (4) of the highest quality female pop vocals ever recorded. Yet absolutely NONE OF THEM could ever do Northern Soul justice, the way Lisa Stansfield did it.
Lisa Stansfield WAS Northern Soul defined. She made it popular in the United States. She redefined it as something unique and only Lisa Stansfield makes Northern Soul “cool” to listen to.
You can’t sing this like American Soul. I won’t come out right. It would come off over cooked and over baked. If you brought full blown Motown Soul annunciation and articulation to Northern Soul, it would simply be too much for the vessel.
Northern Soul requires smoother transitions and a continuous flowing connection between words and phrases that full blown American Soul would overheat and smoke out with its slower transitions and highly variable inflections. You can’t do that. It would be like trying to output Beethoven’s 5th in G using a 4:4 beat and then varying the Time Signature in the middle of the of the melody.
@JohnJoannou-xq5rq
Who's listening to this 24K gold classic in 2024?
@pauljackson7319
Absolutely ❤️❤️
@nurima.a
💓 February 2024
@mistergroove3041
Me march 2024
@user-eh8zq1vi4e
I saw her in concert in the eighties. She is my girl forever. She is smoke and heat. She is sultry blonde. I have had a thing for her since I first heard her in the eighties. She is sexy cool. Canadian Grandma Lori. C.
@nickhaswell6011
This girl dominated the 90s and boy was she good, hit after hit
And what a voice
Queen of the 90s
@raymondthomas1574
Lies Whitney Houston did that not her
@Fat_Dragon_84
@@raymondthomas1574 Whitney smokes crack
@user-eh8zq1vi4e
She was my sister in the 80s as well. Check out "Been around the world" her first cross over hit we all went crazy for in the 80s on the dance floor at the clubs Canadian Grandma. Lori. C.
@nickhaswell6011
@@user-eh8zq1vi4e i will check that out thanks