Worth Another Listen - Lisa Stansfield

I had a recent suggestion/request, and I guess I just can't say no to Miss Ginger Grant. After all, I am here to deliver. In 1989, a raven-haired Brit took control of the airwaves with an amazing song that soared up charts with the second single from her debut album. Lisa Stansfield hit #1 on the R&B and Dance charts, and #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with All Around The World. The song, from the album Affection, was on the radio and in the clubs, a great dance number for those taking part in the night life. It was written by Stansfield and her producers, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris.



Stansfield embodied a a movement in British Pop to utilize R&B and Soul music to continue the magic by British phenom Rick Astley started in 1987. Unfortunately for Stansfield, her reign was much shorter than Astley's. All Around The World was her biggest hit, as she only had one more trip to the Top 20 on the Hot 100 chart with her fourth single off Affection, You Can't Deny It. The song was written by the same team, and had a great groove, but only rose to #14 on the US Pop chart, but also hit #1 on the R&B chart and #2 on the Dance chart.



The first single from the album, This Is The Right Time, reached #21 on the US Pop chart, #13 on the R&B chart, but did hit #1 on the Dance chart.



Lisa Stansfield continued to make albums, but never was able to get a foothold into the US market, although she continued to be a success in Europe. In the late 90s, she started splitting her time between acting and singing. But she will be forever remembered for her great song All Around The World, a huge hit all around the world. To learn more about Lisa Stansfield, check out her official website here.

Dark Monday - Red Hot + Blue 5

Twenty years ago, the album Red Hot + Blue was released. It featured the music of American musical theater legend Cole Porter and some of the top acts of the day, all to raise money and awareness for AIDS research. The album contained 20 cuts, and I found 17 videos for those cuts, and for the next several weeks, will be running them in this Monday night spot. This is the final installment of those videos. The album was thought of as a fundraising tool, it also allowed the artists involved great freedom with their interpretation of Porter's music, making for a wide variety of styles on the album. We shall go through the album in the order that is on my CD, which I did purchase at the time.

Singer Lisa Stansfield had used her own love of jazz and pop music to create a career with some hits, and also to join in the making of this great album. She sang Porter's Down In The Depths, written in 1936 for the Broadway musical Red, Hot And Blue, originally sung by the legendary Ethel Merman.



After topping the charts with the band Chic, Jody Watley went on to solo stardom with her own blend of Pop and Dance music. But for After You, Who?, she took a more classic approach, with a beautiful result. The song was written for the 1932 musical The Gay Divorcee, and sung by the incomparable Fred Astaire.



Jimmy Somerville topped the charts with the Bronski Beat and the Communards, and had a rather nice solo career as well. The out singer had no problem tackling Porter's From This Moment On. The song was originally heard in the MGM musical Kiss Me Kate, a classic Pop song. But Jimmy gave it a dance beat and made it his own, with his voice scaling the heights as only he could.



The Scottish New Wave band Aztec Camera had relatively little success in the US, that was not the case in the UK. They took part of the album, and ended up singing the final cut, Do I Love You?. The song was originally written for the musical DuBarry Was a Lady, where it was introduced by Ronald Graham and Ethel Merman. Aztec Camera too their own approach, and it became a wonderful closing number.



That is the end of the line for this series. I hope you enjoyed it.