Shona Laing

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Shona Laing
Shona Laing.jpg
Laing performing at WOMAD 2009 in New Zealand
Background information
Born (1955-10-09) 9 October 1955 (age 69)
New Zealand
Genres Rock, new wave
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active1972–present
Labels Vertigo, Philips, Pagan Records, EMI, Virgin, Columbia, Epic
Formerly of Manfred Mann's Earth Band

Shona Laing (born 9 October 1955) is a New Zealand musician. She was raised in Eastbourne, a suburb of Lower Hutt, and was a student at Hutt Valley High School when her musical talents first came to public notice. [1] [2] Laing had several folk hits in her native country and in the 1980s became internationally popular for her alternative music, most notably "(Glad I'm) Not a Kennedy" and "Soviet Snow" which was based on the Chernobyl disaster. Various alternative radio stations in the US such as WLIR played songs from her "South" album and she became internationally known. Laing contributed to Manfred Mann's Earth Band album Somewhere in Afrika and contributed music to, and appeared in, the 1985 action film Shaker Run . [3]

Contents

Musical career

Laing first came to prominence in 1972 as a 17-year-old schoolgirl, coming runner-up in the television talent show New Faces with her song "1905". [4] She signed a recording contract with Phonogram. Her first two singles, "1905" and "Show Your Love" were both certified gold and each peaked at number 4 on the New Zealand charts [ citation needed ]. In 1973, she won two RATA awards: Best New Artist and Recording Artist Of The Year. [5] Laing twice represented New Zealand at the Tokyo Music Festival, in 1973 (with the song "Masquerade") and 1974. In 1975, she relocated to Britain and was based there for the next seven years during which time she released a number of singles and an album, Tied to the Tracks in 1981. She joined Manfred Mann's Earth Band for two years, working alongside English musician Chris Thompson for the album Somewhere in Afrika . [6]

Laing returned to New Zealand in 1983, and released her album Genre two years later, in 1985. The song "(Glad I'm) Not a Kennedy" eventually charted in Australia, and was re-released as part of her next album, South . The song reached No. 2 on the NZ Singles Chart in August 1987. [6] Laing won the APRA Silver Scroll in 1988 for "Soviet Snow" and in 1992 for "Mercy of Love". [7]

Laing was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame as the Legacy Award recipient at the 2013 New Zealand Music Awards in November 2013. [8]

Personal life

During a concert on 18 July 1996, Laing said she was bisexual and in a relationship with another woman. [9] [10]

Discography

Albums

YearTitleDetailsPeak chart
positions
NZ
[11] 		AUS
[12]
1972 Whispering Afraid ——
1974Shooting Stars Are Only Seen at Night
  • Label: Philips/Phonogram International
  • Catalogue: 6334 012
——
1981Tied to the Tracks——
1985Genre
  • Label: Pagan Records/Virgin
  • Catalogue: PAL 1004
——
1987 South
  • Label: Pagan Records/Virgin/TVT
  • Catalogue: PAL 1031/208 735
1662
1992New on Earth4—
1994Shona
  • Label: TriStar Music/Epic
  • Catalogue: WK 66165
35—
1997Roadworks
  • Label: Columbia Records/Sony Music
  • Catalogue: 488241-2
——
2007Pass the Whisper
  • Released: 1 November 2007
  • Label: Independent label
——
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Compilation albums

YearTitleDetailsPeak chart
positions
NZ
[11]
19911905–1990 Retrospective19
2002The Essential Shona Laing
  • Label: Columbia
  • Catalogue: 5096842000
—
2020Hindsight
  • Label: Frenzy
—
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles

YearTitlePeak chart positionsAlbum
NZ
[11] 		AUS
[12] 		US
Dance
[13] 		US
Mod.
Rock
[14]
1972"1905"4———Whispering Afraid
1973"Show Your Love"4———
"Masquerade"11———
"Someone to Be With"————Non-album single
1974"I'm Crying Too"————Shooting Stars Are Only Seen at Night
1975"Don't You Think It's Time"————Non-album single
"I Love My Feet"39———Whispering Afraid
1980"Whistling Waltzes"————Tied to the Tracks
"Don't Tell Me"————
1981"Overboard"————Tied to the Tracks
1981"Bundle of Nerves"————Non-album single
1984"America"44———Genre
1985"Not a Kennedy"————
"One in a Million"————
1987"(Glad I'm) Not a Kennedy"29—14South
"Drive Baby Drive"4565——
"Soviet Snow"——32—
"Caught (Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea)"————
1992"Walk Away (42nd Street)"14———New on Earth
"Fear of Falling"26———
"Thief to Silver"35———
1993"Mercy of Love"————
1994"Kick Back"————Shona
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Awards

New Zealand Music Awards

YearNominee / workAwardResult
1973Shona LaingRecording Artist of the YearWon [15]
1973Shona LaingBest New ArtistWon [15]
1985Shona Laing – GenreAlbum of the YearNominated [16]
1987"Glad I'm Not a Kennedy" – Shona LaingSingle of the YearNominated [17]
1987Shona LaingBest Female VocalistWon [17]
1987Shona LaingInternational AchievementNominated [17]
1987Kerry Brown and Bruce Sheridan – "Glad I'm Not a Kennedy" (Shona Laing)Best VideoNominated [17]
1987Shona LaingBest SongwriterNominated [17]
1988Shona Laing – SouthAlbum of the YearNominated [18]
1988Shona LaingBest Female VocalistWon [18]
1988Shona LaingInternational AchievementNominated [18]
1988Stephen McCurdy, Shona Laing and Graeme Myhre – "South"Best ProducerNominated [18]
1994Shona LaingBest Female VocalistNominated [19]
1995Shona Laing – ShonaAlbum of the YearNominated [20]
2013Shona Laing New Zealand Music Hall of Fame inductee [8]

References

  1. ↑ Spittle, Gordon (1997). Counting the Beat: A History of New Zealand Song. Wellington: GP Publications. p. 111. ISBN   1-86956-213-5.
  2. ↑ "Newsview - Shona Laing profile". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  3. ↑ "Shaker Run". IMDb.com. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  4. ↑ "NZ On Screen". www.nzonscreen.com. NZ On Screen. Retrieved 11 October 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  5. ↑ "New Zealand Music of the 60's and 70's". Sergent.com.au. Archived from the original on 2 November 2001. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  6. 1 2 "Shona Laing - AudioCulture". www.audioculture.co.nz. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  7. ↑ AMCOS, APRA. "APRA Silver Scroll". apraamcos.co.nz. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  8. 1 2 "VNZMA Finalists 2013". NZ Music Awards. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  9. ↑ "A Lesbian Decade". 30 September 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  10. ↑ "A Chronology of Homosexuality in New Zealand – Part 5 – Queer History New Zealand". Gaynz.net.nz. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  11. 1 2 3 "charts.nz > Shona Laing in New Zealand Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  12. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 172. ISBN   0-646-11917-6. N.B. the Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and 19 June 1988.
  13. ↑ "Billboard > Artists / Shona Laing > Chart History > Dance Club Songs". Billboard . Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  14. ↑ "Billboard > Artists / Shona Laing > Chart History > Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  15. 1 2 "1973 Winners". NZ Music Awards. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  16. ↑ "1985 Winners". NZ Music Awards. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 "1987 Winners". NZ Music Awards. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  18. 1 2 3 4 "1988 Winners". NZ Music Awards. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  19. ↑ "1994 Winners". NZ Music Awards. Archived from the original on 13 May 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  20. ↑ "1995 Winners". NZ Music Awards. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
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