"The Real Thing" | ||||
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Single by Lisa Stansfield | ||||
from the album Lisa Stansfield and Money Talks soundtrack | ||||
Released | 10 March 1997 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:20 | |||
Label | Arista | |||
Songwriter(s) | Lisa Stansfield, Ian Devaney | |||
Producer(s) |
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Lisa Stansfield singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"The Real Thing" on YouTube |
"The Real Thing" is a song recorded by British singer, songwriter and actress Lisa Stansfield for her 1997 eponymous album. It was released by Arista as the first proper single from Lisa Stansfield in Europe, Australia and Japan on 10 March 1997, after "People Hold On" (The Bootleg Mixes). The song is written by Stansfield and Ian Devaney, and produced by Devaney and Peter Mokran. The CD single included remixes created by prominent US and UK producers: Mark Picchiotti, K-Klass and the Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. "The Real Thing" reached number ten in Italy and number nine on the UK Singles Chart. In August 1997, it was featured on the Money Talks soundtrack. Later, it was included on The Remix Album and Biography: The Greatest Hits . Michael Geoghegan directed the music video for the song.
In 2014, remixes of "The Real Thing" were included on the deluxe 2CD + DVD re-release of Lisa Stansfield. Additional remixes were featured on People Hold On ... The Remix Anthology (2014). The previously unreleased remix, Silk's Real House Thang was also included. All was included on The Collection 1989–2003 . [1] [2]
"The Real Thing sums up what I'm all about and I think it's what people expect of me. It's very much going back to the very first album and it's a good dance thing as well."
—Stansfield talking to Music & Media about the song. [3]
"The Real Thing" received positive reviews from many music critics. Swedish Aftonbladet praised the song as a "real hit". [4] George Bowie from Evening Times declared it a "stunning" new single. [5] Caroline Sullivan for The Guardian complimented "those lush cellos and saxes [that] envelop [it]", describing it as a song about "adultery". [6] Irish Independent named it one of the "moments" of the Lisa Stansfield album, calling it "superb". [7] Kevin Courtney from Irish Times said, "The Lancashire Lassie still knows how to funk it oop, and this another typical sample of classic Stansfield soul." He also named it "another sure fire hit for the Black Country diva." [8]
Dominic Pride from Music & Media noted that it has "sharp horns and an anthemic chorus." [9] Ralph Tee from Music Week's RM wrote, "Vocally she's as great as ever, the song melodic and chirpy if not particularly ground breaking." [10] A reviewer from People Magazine remarked that Stansfield is "singing circles around the wah-wah-spiked melodies" of "Never Gonna Fall" and "The Real Thing", "without resorting to gut-busting theatrics." [11] Press of Atlantic City opined that the singer "shines" on "the horn-spiced" song. [12] Natasha Stovall from Rolling Stone constated, "The heat comes from Stansfield, who belts her heart out in a voice that's smooth and pliant when she's falling in love again." [13]
"The Real Thing" was a major hit on the charts in Europe, peaking at number-one in Spain. It was a top 5 hit in Hungary, peaking at number four, while peaking at number nine in the UK and number ten in Italy. In the UK, the single peaked in its first week at the UK Singles Chart, on 16 March 1997. [14] It is Stansfield's last top 10 hit in the UK to date. On the UK R&B Chart, it was an even bigger hit, reaching number three. Additionally, "The Real Thing" was a top 20 hit in Scotland (18), a top 30 hit in Belgium (29) and Poland, and a top 40 hit in Iceland (32). Outside Europe, it charted in Australia, peaking at number 124.
An accompanying music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Irish filmmaker Michael Geoghegan. It was later made available on Stansfield's official YouTube channel in 2014 and had generated more than ten million views as of October 2023. [15]
In the video, we follow three different young people. Stansfield appears as a mysterious figure with magical abilities, watching and singing to them. The first scene is at the home of a young woman, who are apparently upset and hiding in her bedroom. As Stansfield sings, magic dust appears on a phone. After taking the call, the woman is smiling and on her way out. The next scene is at a hair salon, where a female hairdresser are closing. With Stansfield there, magic dust appears so the door sign turns from 'Closed' to 'Open' again. A man then enters and after the woman is persuaded, she starts shaving off his hair. Magic dust appears on the machine cutter, and in the next moment they are embracing and kissing each other. In the last scene, the singer is in a nightclub. A gay man is sitting by himself, watching another man who is talking to his friends. Clearly down, he is getting ready to leave. After Stansfield walks up to him and singing to him, magic dust then appears over him. Couraged by this, he gets in touch with the other man, who willingly leaves his friends to join the man. As the video ends, people in the club are watching the couple leaving while Stansfield sings the last stanzas.
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Lisa Jane Stansfield is a British singer, songwriter, and actress. Her career began in 1980 when she won the singing competition Search for a Star. After appearances in various television shows and releasing her first singles, Stansfield, along with Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, formed Blue Zone in 1983. The band released several singles and one album, but after the success of Coldcut's "People Hold On" in 1989, on which Stansfield was featured, the focus was placed on her solo career.
Biography: The Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits compilation album by British recording artist Lisa Stansfield. Released by Arista Records on 3 February 2003, it features seventeen tracks, hits and rare songs, including: "All Around the World", "This Is the Right Time" "Change", "All Woman", "The Real Thing" and "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up". The album, which garnered positive reviews from music critics, peaked at number three in the United Kingdom and was certified Gold.
"All Woman" is a song recorded by British singer, songwriter and actress Lisa Stansfield for her second album, Real Love (1991). The song was written by Stansfield, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, and produced by Devaney and Morris. It was released by Arista as the second single on 9 December 1991 in the United Kingdom and in early 1992 in the rest of the world. The song reached number twenty in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it peaked at number fifty-six on the Billboard Hot 100, number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number twenty-one on the Adult Contemporary Singles chart. The music video was directed by Nick Brandt. The single's B-side included previously unreleased track, "Everything Will Get Better." The latter was remixed by Danny Tenaglia and reached number thirty-six on the Hot Dance Club Songs.
"Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up" is a song written, produced and recorded by American singer and songwriter Barry White for his second album, Stone Gon' (1973). In October 1973, it was released as the first single in the United States and reached number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. It became a gold record. In Europe, it was issued in early 1974 and peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart.
"All Around the World" is a song by English singer, songwriter and actress Lisa Stansfield from her debut studio album, Affection (1989). It was released as the album's second single on 16 October 1989 by Arista Records. It was written by Stansfield, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, and produced by Devaney and Morris. The song received favorable reviews from music critics. Songwriters, Stansfield, Devaney and Morris, received the 1989 Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. "All Around the World" was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards. Additionally, Stansfield was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. The song became the first of two UK number-one singles for Stansfield and the first of eight top-ten hits she would achieve in that country.
British singer and songwriter Lisa Stansfield has released eight solo studio albums and one with her band Blue Zone, four compilation albums, three remix albums, one soundtrack album, one extended play and forty-four singles. As of 2004, Stansfield has sold over 20 million records worldwide, including 5 million of Affection.
"Change" is a song by British singer-songwriter and actress Lisa Stansfield from her second album, Real Love (1991). The song was written by Stansfield, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, and produced by Devaney and Morris. It was released as the lead single on 7 October 1991. "Change" was remixed by Frankie Knuckles and Driza Bone.
"Time to Make You Mine" is a song recorded by British singer, songwriter and actress Lisa Stansfield for her second album, Real Love (1991). It was written by her with Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, and produced by Devaney and Morris. The song was released as the third single from the album in Europe on 2 March 1992 and in Japan on 3 June 1992. It also included "All Around the World" recorded as a duet with Barry White. All artist royalties from this single were donated to the charity Trading Places. "Time to Make You Mine" was remixed by Masters at Work, Martin Glover and The Orb. The John Lindauer-directed music video was also released. The song reached number fourteen in the United Kingdom.
"Set Your Loving Free" is a song by British singer, songwriter and actress Lisa Stansfield from her second album, Real Love (1991). It was written by her with Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, and produced by Devaney and Morris. The song was released as the fourth European single on 25 May 1992. It included "Whenever You're Gone", featured on the Japanese edition of Real Love only. The Nick Brandt-directed music video, starring Linus Roache, was also released. The song reached number 28 in the United Kingdom and number 20 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart, where it was released as B-side of "A Little More Love." "Set Your Loving Free" was remixed by Masters at Work.
"This Is the Right Time" is a song by English singer-songwriter and actress Lisa Stansfield from her debut solo studio album, Affection (1989). It was written by Stansfield, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, and produced by Coldcut. The song was released as the album's first European single on 31 July 1989, by Arista Records and received positive reviews from music critics. One year later in North America, "This Is the Right Time" was released as the third single from Affection on 30 July 1990.
Lisa Stansfield is the fourth solo studio album by British singer Lisa Stansfield, released by Arista Records on 21 March 1997. It was her first new studio album since 1993's So Natural. Stansfield co-wrote most songs for the album with her husband Ian Devaney. The tracks were produced by Devaney and Peter Mokran. Lisa Stansfield garnered favourable reviews from music critics and was commercially successful, reaching number two in the United Kingdom and receiving Gold certification. In the United States, it spawned four number-one singles on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs. Lisa Stansfield was rereleased as a deluxe 2CD + DVD set in Europe in November 2014.
"People Hold On" is a song by British band Coldcut and singer-songwriter Lisa Stansfield, released as the first single from the band's debut album, What's That Noise? (1989). It was written by Matt Black, Jonathan More and Stansfield, and produced by Coldcut. The song received positive reviews from music critics and became a commercial success. It was released as a single on 13 March 1989 and reached number eleven on the UK Singles Chart and number six on the US Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The song was remixed by Blaze, Juan Atkins, Dimitri from Paris, Mark Saunders, Eric Kupper, Tyrone Perkins and Masters At Work.
"Someday (I'm Coming Back)" is a song recorded by British singer, songwriter and actress Lisa Stansfield for the 1992 American romantic thriller film The Bodyguard, starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. It was released as a single in the United Kingdom on 7 December 1992 and in other European countries in early 1993. "Someday (I'm Coming Back)" was written by Stansfield, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, and produced by Devaney and Morris. The single was released from the soundtrack album. An accompanying music video, directed by Marcus Nispel, was also released. The single reached number ten in Portugal and the United Kingdom. "Someday (I'm Coming Back)" was remixed by Absolute and the "Classic" remixes were created by Frankie Knuckles and David Morales.
"Live Together" is a song recorded by British singer, songwriter and actress Lisa Stansfield for her debut album, Affection (1989). It was written by Stansfield, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, and produced by Devaney and Morris. It was released as the third European single on 29 January 1990, and included previously unreleased song "Sing It" and remixes of "Live Together" created by Massive Attack and Steve Anderson. It became a hit in Europe, reaching top ten in the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK and Italy, and top forty in other European countries.
"The Line" is a song recorded by British singer, songwriter and actress Lisa Stansfield, released as the third European single from her eponymous album (1997). It was written by Stansfield, Ian Devaney and Terry Gamwell, and produced by Devaney and Peter Mokran. Released as a single in Europe on 22 September 1997, it reached number sixty-four in the United Kingdom. The song also received positive reviews from music critics.
"I'm Leavin'" is a song recorded by British singer Lisa Stansfield for her 1997 eponymous album. It was written by Crayge Lindesay and Taura Stinson, and produced by Ian Devaney and Peter Mokran. The song was released as the last promotional single from Lisa Stansfield in the United States on 9 February 1998. The track was remixed by Grammy Award-winning American dance producer, Hex Hector. In April 1998, it became Stansfield's seventh song to top the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart and fourth from Lisa Stansfield to do so.
"In All the Right Places" is a song by British singer-songwriter and actress Lisa Stansfield for the 1993 drama film Indecent Proposal, starring Robert Redford and Demi Moore. It was released as a lead single in the United Kingdom on 24 May 1993 and in other European countries in July 1993. The lyrics were written by Lisa Stansfield, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, and the music was composed by John Barry, who created the soundtrack for the film. Devaney and Morris also produced the song which received positive reviews from music critics. It reached number eight in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
"So Natural" is a song by British singer, songwriter and actress Lisa Stansfield from her third album, So Natural (1993). It was released as the first proper single in the United Kingdom on 11 October 1993. The song was written by Stansfield and her husband Ian Devaney, and produced by Devaney. It received remixes by Roger Sanchez, DJ Duro, Frankie Foncett and Vassal Benford. The single peaked at number fifteen on the UK Singles Chart. Its music video was directed by Marcus Nispel.
"Little Bit of Heaven" is a song by British singer-songwriter and actress Lisa Stansfield from her third album, So Natural (1993). It was released by Arista as the second proper single in the United Kingdom on 29 November 1993 and in other European countries in March 1994. The song was written by Stansfield and her husband, Ian Devaney, and produced by Devaney.
"What Did I Do to You?" is a song by British singer-songwriter and actress Lisa Stansfield from her debut album, Affection (1989). It was written by Stansfield, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, and produced by Devaney and Morris. The song was released as the fourth European single on 30 April 1990. It included three previously unreleased songs written by Stansfield, Devaney and Morris: "My Apple Heart," "Lay Me Down" and "Something's Happenin'." "What Did I Do to You?" was remixed by Mark Saunders and by the Grammy Award-winning American house music DJ and producer, David Morales. The single became a top forty hit in the European countries, reaching number fifteen in Italy, number eighteen in Finland, number twenty in Ireland and number twenty-five in the United Kingdom. "What Did I Do to You?" was also released in Japan.