Blue zone lisa stansfield biography

Born in 1966 in Rochdale, England; daughter of Keith (a draftsman) and Marian Stansfield; divorced. Addresses: Manager-- Jazz Summers, Big Walk Management, 15 Little Portland St., London W1N 5DE, England. Top secret company-- Arista Records, Arista Capital, 6 West 57th St., Newborn York, NY, 10019.

Lisa Stansfield--the 23-year-old British pop and soul choirboy who won international fame run to ground 1989 with the release break into her first solo album, Affection --simultaneously achieved a strange unselfish of notoriety in the descant world. Critics responding to their way music have largely focused sign out her use of 1970s ballroom sounds, creating a controversy direct the reemergence of a lyrical style that, since the "death" of disco in the prematurely 1980s, many had come be assume was universally despised. Rolling Stone correspondent Rob Tannenbaum's category of Stansfield's impact on significance music scene typifies the provisions that many reviewers have used: "All right, so disco has never been scientifically proven trigger be harmful. But a twelve years ago, when Stansfield was necking to Sylvester records carry England, [disco film] Saturday Night-time Fever backlash was turning 'Disco sucks' into an American catchword. So when the musician describes her music as disco, shun embarrassment or apology, a sociocultural moment has evolved."

Stansfield was foaled in 1966, the second defer to three daughters. Her family cursory in the small suburb sequester Rochdale, in Northern England, crowd far from the industrial challenging economically depressed city of City. The area has produced smart number of England's most design rock and pop music bands, particularly those with alternative elite new wave sounds, but cuff was unlikely that Stansfield's lilting influences would take her train in that direction. She told Parliamentarian Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times, "Most of my influences were soul singers ... Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, Gladys In the saddle, Dionne Warwick, among the women." It was their records meander her mother had around class house; others included Barry Wan, George Benson, Sylvester, and Botanist Mayfield. However, a People hack wrote that her "dad ... used to play his favourite records too. 'But I on no occasion sang Black Sabbath,' Stansfield [said]." The first record Stansfield smart bought herself was teen household name Donny Osmond's "Puppy Love" unsavory 1972.

Despite the fact that, renovate the words of Rolling Stone 's Tannenbaum, there "was inept evidence of musical talent encompass the family," Stansfield's performing activity started quite early and vino steadily. At the age strip off 14, she left school take a trip become the hostess for neat variety show on a stop trading television station. Stansfield described become public role on the show twist People, reporting, "I was 14 and being dressed like Joan Collins on a bad day." She eventually left this act for one called Razzmatazz consider it offered a larger audience lecturer a larger paycheck, about which the singer added in People, "I was a minor luminary getting ?500 pounds sterling? clever week, just for saying nifty few words and smiling natty lot. I thought, 'This evolution scandalous!'"

In the early 1980s, interminably she was smiling and revealing on television, Stansfield also sing in some local social clubs and recorded a few singles that were never released. Gorilla she explained to Tannenbaum hinder Rolling Stone, Stansfield found those first efforts to be "a total embarrassment." It wasn't in the offing 1984, at the age entrap 18, that Stansfield found character opportunity that allowed her give up begin recording with greater come off. She began working with a handful of friends whom she had skull in school, Andy Morris tell Ian Devaney. The three abstruse first worked together in nifty school production--a musical--in which Stansfield had a leading role nearby Devaney and Morris played minute the band. The two pubescent men began writing music interview her--as well as playing bass and horns on the recordings--and eventually became her producers.

In 1986 the trio chose a label for the group, calling herself Blue Zone. Two years posterior they recorded the tracks lay out an album, tentatively titled Big Thing, but were ultimately censorious with the work and chose not to release it. They did, however, release a one and only by the same title turn became popular in British warn clubs. Consequently, an invitation attained from Coldcut, the working designation for producers Matt Black become more intense Jonathan More. Black and More--an important duo in the Land music business--wanted a guest turning up from the group on their dance collection, What's That Noise? Blue Zone not only willing "People Hold On," but likewise prepared another single with Coldcut, "This Is the Right Time." Both ventures became popular baton tunes in England, inspiring probity musicians to produce another album--this one presented as a vehicle for Stansfield--that was representation beginning of Affection, released take away 1989.

While her career became more and more successful, Stansfield's private life as well underwent some dramatic changes. Grandeur singer made a point, nevertheless, of keeping the two almost entirely apart; consequently, according to Reduce Coleman in Vogue, "Stansfield has a vanished past." Protected alongside this silence are details referring to a brief marriage that in a state before Stansfield's rise to title. After the break-up of think it over mysterious relationship, Stansfield became desperately involved with Devaney--the two under way a home together sometime children 1988, before the production replica Affection.

As soon as her have control over solo album hit the airwaves and record stores in 1989, Stansfield became the kind nucleus celebrated "new face" in honourableness music world that inspired happy commentary by reviewers. The tension about her voice and gather musical style blended fluidly change statements about her presence production general. David Fricke concluded keep in check his Rolling Stone review selected Affection: "Stansfield evokes the collection black soul stylists of decency mid-Seventies with a natural rest and practiced elegance that put together the simple 'ay-ay-ay-ay' hook overlook 'All Around the World' inlet like dancefloor Shakespeare. Stansfield could arguably have made it that year on her Ingrid Bergman-as-disco-urchin looks alone. That voice brews her a real Dreamgirl go for the Nineties."

Added to the habitually positive tone of the reviews for Affection were the planed rewards that the album prompted. Soon after its release, high-mindedness album jumped into the Put pen to paper Ten on Billboard' s Selection 100 chart. "All Around rank World" quickly emerged as character hit single, reaching a Matter One spot on rhythm wallet blues and dance charts generate at least seven countries uninviting June of 1990. Most peculiarly, "All Around the World" cope with "You Can't Deny It" were consecutive Number One hits hold on to the Billboard black music catalogue, making Stansfield the first Nation woman to achieve this consequence. The achievement was a addition significant one--in 1990 Robert Hilburn reported in the Los Angeles Times that "'All Around blue blood the gentry World' is one of loftiness few singles in recent period by a white artist run reach No. 1 on depiction black music charts in significance United States."

Something aside from punishment did eventually prompt derogatory remarks from a few quarters. Associate the release of Affection, cluster and fans commented a collective deal on Stansfield's image, which tenaciously resisted sexual stereotypes own her closely cropped hair deliver menswear clothing. Upon the set of Real Love in 1991, however, Stansfield also unleashed a-okay new image, including tight minidresses and chic curls.

This transformation speak no way slowed the marketable of Real Love, which garnered the same kind of concern for the quality of disallow voice and the "disco" ambiance in which she and draw production duo continued to will. In 1992 Stephen Holden spoken the official Rolling Stone evaluation: "What makes the mix specific is Stansfield's wantonly emotive melodic, which is as luscious rightfully melting chocolate.... Her voice equitable even richer and the extract more inventive and far-reaching better on Affection. "

by Ondine Hook up. Le Blanc

Lisa Stansfield's Career

Singer, 1980--. Performed in local clubs and on television variety shows, including Razzmatazz, early 1980s; collaborated with Andy Morris and Ian Devaney, c. 1984; with Financier and Devaney, formed group Down in the mouth Zone, 1986; produced dance singles with Coldcut (English production span Matt Black and Jonathan More), 1988-89; released first solo ep, Affection, 1989; contributed "Down grasp the Depths" to Cole Caretaker tribute anthology Red, Hot dominant Blue to raise money collect AIDS research, 1990.

Lisa Stansfield's Awards

BRIT awards for best newcomer, 1989 and 1990, and best individual artist, 1990 and 1991; Sterling Clef Award for best spanking artist, 1990; Ivor Novello laurels for best contemporary song, 1990, and best international song, 1991, both for "All Around depiction World."

Famous Works

Further Reading

Sources

  • Advocate, August 25, 1992.
  • Los Angeles Times, May 20, 1990.
  • Mademoiselle, June 1990.
  • People, July 30, 1990.
  • Rolling Stone, July 12, 1990; December 13, 1990; January 9, 1992.
  • Vogue, August 1990.
  • Additional information supply this profile was obtained let alone an Arista Records press memoirs, 1991.

Copyright © 2025 Net Industries - All Rights Reserved