Lisa Stansfield appreciation

[disco_che]

"All Around The World" was one of that songs I recorded to cassette from the radio as a twelve year old when my interest in popmusic started again. Out of nostalgia I picked the album "Affection" up on a flea years later but didn't really listen to it. Today I put in on in the kitchen while preparing lunch and was surprised how well it has aged. Fits much better in the 80s-Britsoul-Jazzfunk aesthetics than I expected.

Question for the british dudes: Was she regarded as a maintream pop phenomenon back in the days or did she gain respect from the dance crowd and souldudes as well. Prodution credits by Coldcut did point me in the direction that she may have had some club/underground relevancy as well but I might be wrong.
Any later stuff of Lisa Stansfield worth listening?

I really happen to like that album and will re-play for breakfast tomorrow.

 

[skel]

Unashamedly dig the Stansfield.





Ske was some way after golden-era Britfunk days, and definitely not part of that scene, which was much more an underground movement grounded in enthusiastic fans who could write and play.





No, Lisa was a pop act trading on a club-lite sound, but her stuff still sounds great today.





She had an implied validity based on clear vocal talent that didn't need a stunning look to help sell it. Personally, I thought she was hot.





She also benefitted from coming from a grim northern industrial town which played into a general move against London-centric media and culture, championed by the likes of the Housemartins.





At least that's how I remember it.





Other briddish dudes will no doubt chime in and have a different take on it.

 

[Jimster]

disco_che said:Was she regarded as a maintream pop phenomenon back in the days or did she gain respect from the dance crowd and souldudes as well?




Both, in Manchester, at least. She's a local, so there was that factor in her favour. Back when she was blowing up I was surprised at how well-liked she was amongst The Local Black Experience, but I guess a good tune is a good tune. And she can certainly sing.





To be honest, for me there's only a handful of memorable tunes in her repetiore ("All Woman", "This Is The Right Time", "Can't Deny It") but she made her coin in her 15 minutes. Last I heard she was living in Dalkey (posh end of Dublin) and could be spotted on the reg riding the LUAS into town. She has maintained her down-to-earth reputation apparently.





Good on her. Mildly hot too, St*eve, yes.





Cathy Dennis / Betty Boo were bringing it for me, doe.





:caveman noise:

 

[batmon]

Does a good version of Marvin Gaye's Just To Keep You Satisfied.

 

[disco_che]

I forgot that I got hooked on "The Real Thing" many years later. Probably that was the last CD-Single I ever bought in my life.

 

[Downstroke]

She was also a presenter of kids music show Razzmatazz in the early 80's (see begining of video):











As far as I recall, she was pretty firmly footed in the pop mainstream, despite having a great set of lungs. I remember hearing about how well she went over across the pond to much bemusement (kinda like Simply Red). The Coldcut connection gave her some credibilty, but they had already outstayed their welcome after inflicting Yazz's 'Only Way Is Up' on us (this was pre-Ninja Tune). I'm sure she was embraced in the North but the London based underground music press had definately written her off.

 

[Junior]

Yeah sadly cannot ride in any kind of sense for the Stansfield. Mark it down to her hitting the big time just as I hit adolescence/rejection of all popular music.

 

[Jimster]

Junior said:Yeah sadly cannot ride in any kind of sense for the Stansfield. Mark it down to her hitting the big time just as I hit adolescence/rejection of all popular music.




The Smiths phase, yeah?

 

[skel]

Wiki says born in Heywood, grew up in Rochdale. You claiming that for Manchester, J*m?





Also that she moved out of Ireland in 2008. I can't call it, where's our resident paddies Mick A, Boy Chizzle and them?





Revealed as one of the biggest private donors to the Labour Party in 1998.





Right on, Lise.

 

[Junior]

J i m s t e r said:Junior said:Yeah sadly cannot ride in any kind of sense for the Stansfield. Mark it down to her hitting the big time just as I hit adolescence/rejection of all popular music.




The Smiths phase, yeah?




Good lord no, at the tender age of 11/12 and already street savy I was far too busy pulling a Buffalo Stance to Every Little Step I Took to deal with fop haired whiners.


It was also the year I had my eyes opened through the mono signal I could pick up of Kiss FM (a simple process of connecting two coat hangers to the aerial cable of my Matsui Hi-Fi with inbuilt graphic equaliser and blue-tacking it round the walls) allowing me my first experience of musical snobbery when my brother returned home with the Jive Bunny 7".





The self pitying introspection didn't come till later.

 

[Flomotion]

skel said:Wiki says born in Heywood, grew up in Rochdale. You claiming that for Manchester, J*m?





Also that she moved out of Ireland in 2008. I can't call it, where's our resident paddies Mick A, Boy Chizzle and them?





Revealed as one of the biggest private donors to the Labour Party in 1998.





Right on, Lise.




She has been minted from the early days but even her last big tour grossed around ??30m. Always too poppy for my tastes but getting picked up by manager Jazz Summers at Big Life was the real secret of her success.

 

[Jimster]

skel said:Rochdale/Manchster




I think Manchester was the media's choice at the time. As it was circa the blow up of Madchester.





I just read that wiki harticle. ???6M yard. Nice. Me and wifey used to ride down to Bray, drank in her local along the way the odd time. Must be cracking on 10 years since I left Bank of Ireland. Good times (poor-but-happy-R).

 

[DJBombjack]

She had nice elbows

 

[DocMcCoy]

disco_che said:Question for the british dudes: Was she regarded as a maintream pop phenomenon back in the days or did she gain respect from the dance crowd and souldudes as well.




For a while she actually managed to do both. She came up via talent contests and kids TV, but she was firmly in the same blue-eyed soul tradition as Dusty Springfield, Lulu, Elkie Brooks and Kiki Dee, and it soon became not so much a case of whether she could hang with them as they with her (yep, he went there).





Her first serious band, Blue Zone, chased that 80s pop-soul/Swing Out Sister paper, but they did have a couple of great tunes which can conventiently be found on the one single. Thinking About His Baby is probably the great lost ersatz-Motown British pop stomper of the decade, but the b-side, Big Thing (can't embed the vid, sorry), a kind of Loose Ends street-soul joint that became a huge underground hit as the rave era loomed, was the song that brought her into Coldcut's orbit.





She seemed to move from the Coldcut period into a kind of English Anita Baker niche, while trying to hold onto the pop appeal that brought her the hits. She still gets a lot of airplay on what I suppose is the UK equivalent of AC radio in the States, but her first few albums have all got joints, and there are some solid house remixes on the 12" singles.

 

[sticky_dojah]

"so don't boost the flex I know the deal


cause I've been around the world like that girl Lisa Stansfield


next time you diss I just might say


play like Johnny Gill cause you don't rub me the right way."

 

[Dubious]

i just have to reiterate - CATHY DENNIS





fak that chic k was HOT - esp when yer 15!!!

 

[badder_than_evil]

Always like Lisa Stansfield.





Searched for years for a remix of Live Together that Westwood would rinse in his Capital Days..never found it.





Cathy Dennis was a little too Make-Up crazy for me. Preferred Lisa.

 

[batmon]

Ive always like her but Been Around The World was like I Will Survive. Fuckin' chicks anthem that was played way too much.





I borrowed a copy of her '97 S/T album and it was all kinda mediocre.





Did she ever cross the pond and overpay some R&B Producer of the month?


She already had her Black Pass but i just wondered if she ever thought of pairing up after her peak.





One day I would really like to sit w/ her discography. I thought she had the potential to be going strong past the 00's.





It would have been cool to see her try a "Retro-Soul" project ala Nicole Willis or even a more early 70's Side Effects type joint.

 

[disco_che]

batmon said:





It would have been cool to see her try a early 70's Side Effects type joint.




That would be great or a retro nineties brit-soul act as this is what will be big soon.





I listenend to soundclips from her last album (2004 according to discogs) and they all sucked.

 

[batmon]

disco_che said:batmon said:





It would have been cool to see her try a early 70's Side Effects type joint.




That would be great or a retro nineties brit-soul act as this is what will be big soon..




Wouldnt "Retro" 90's Brit-Soul be redundant for her?