Real Love (Lisa Stansfield album)

Real Love
Studio album by Lisa Stansfield
Released 11 November 1991 (1991-11-11)
Recorded 1991
Genre
Length 62:25
Label Arista
Producer
  • Ian Devaney
  • Andy Morris
Lisa Stansfield chronology
Affection
(1989)		 Real Love
(1991)		 So Natural
(1993)
Alternative cover
Japanese cover
Singles from Real Love
  1. "Change"
    Released: 7 October 1991
  2. "All Woman"
    Released: 9 December 1991
  3. "Time to Make You Mine"
    Released: 2 March 1992
  4. "Set Your Loving Free"
    Released: 25 May 1992
  5. "A Little More Love"
    Released: 30 June 1992

Real Love is the second studio album by British singer Lisa Stansfield, released by Arista Records on 11 November 1991. Stansfield co-wrote all songs with Ian Devaney and Andy Morris. Devaney and Morris also produced the album. Real Love received positive reviews from music critics and reached top ten on the charts in various countries, including number three in the United Kingdom. Five singles were released from the album, including "Change" (number one on the US Hot Dance Club Songs) and "All Woman" (number one on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs). Real Love was re-released as a deluxe 2CD + DVD set in the United Kingdom on 10 November 2014 and in Europe on 21 November 2014.

Background

Between her very successful debut album Affection and her next album Real Love, Stansfield recorded "Down in the Depths" which was written by Cole Porter in 1936. This track was included on the AIDS charity compilation Red Hot + Blue, released in September 1990. The music video was also filmed and directed by Philippe Gautier. In 2003, "Down in the Depths" was included on Stansfield's album, Biography: The Greatest Hits. The singer recorded songs for Real Love in 1991.

Content

The album was entirely written by Stansfield, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, and produced by Devaney and Morris. It includes thirteen songs except for Japan where Real Love was issued with a bonus track, "Whenever You're Gone." The Japanese edition has also a different cover art. The LP version of the album does not contain "First Joy," "Tenderly" and "A Little More Love." In North America, Real Love was released with different sequence of the tracks. In 2003, the album was remastered and re-released as limited edition digipak with three bonus songs: "Whenever You're Gone," "Everything Will Get Better" (from the single "All Woman") and "Change" remixed by Frankie Knuckles.

Real Love was remastered and expanded, and was re-released as a deluxe 2CD + DVD set in November 2014. It was expanded to feature rare tracks and 12" mixes plus videos, live footage and a specially recorded interview with Stansfield. The twenty-eight-page booklet features photos, memorabilia, lyrics and brand new sleeve notes. The set was issued in the United Kingdom on 10 November 2014 and in Europe on 21 November 2014. It was also released as a part of The Collection 1989–2003 at the same time. The 2014 reissue of Real Love includes previously unreleased track, "Time to Make You Mine" (Bomb Squad Remix). Additionally, People Hold On ... The Remix Anthology features another previously unreleased remix of "Time to Make You Mine," called Sunship Mix.

Singles

The first single, "Change" was released on 7 October 1991. In Europe, it became a hit reaching top ten in Italy, Belgium, Spain, Netherlands and the United Kingdom. In the United States, "Change" peaked at number one on the Hot Dance Club Songs, number twelve on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, number thirteen on the Adult Contemporary Singles and number twenty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached number ten in Canada. The second single, "All Woman" was issued on 9 December 1991. The song peaked inside top forty in the European countries, including Italy, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden. "All Woman" was successful on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in the United States and topped this chart for one week. On the Billboard Hot 100, it reached number fifty-six and on the Adult Contemporary Singles, "All Woman peaked at number twenty-one. The single's B-side, "Everything Will Get Better" reached number thirty-six on the Hot Dance Club Songs. The third European single, "Time to Make You Mine" was released on 2 March 1992 and peaked inside top forty in the United Kingdom (number fourteen) and Switzerland (number thirty-three). "Set Your Loving Free" was issued as the fourth and last single in Europe and became another top forty hit, reaching number twenty-eight in the United Kingdom and number thirty-six in the Netherlands. The third US single, "A Little More Love" was released on 30 June 1992 and peaked at number thirty on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Its B-side, "Set Your Loving Free" reached number twenty on the Hot Dance Club Songs. In 2003, "Change," "All Woman," "Time to Make You Mine" and "Set Your Loving Free" were included on Biography: The Greatest Hits.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Robert Christgau[2]
Entertainment WeeklyA[3]
MusicianFavorable[4]
The New York TimesFavorable[4]
Q[4]
Rolling Stone[5]

Real Love received positive reviews from music critics. Alex Henderson from AllMusic wrote that the album contains definite gems, including the poigant and heartbreaking ballad "All Woman," the spunky "Soul Deep" and the sleek "Set Your Loving Free." He added that Real Love is far superior to most '90s R&B and Stansfield is a major talent.[1] Marisa Fox from Entertainment Weekly stated that with Real Love, Stansfield proved she isn't just another "soul crooner with robust vocals and an air of longing." The aptly titled Real Love is a collection of steamy love songs, accented with flutes, horns, and sometimes, lush, Barry White-like orchestration. Stansfield has cut out slogans in favor of meaty personal politics, taking a more clinical look at what triggers her emotions. On '"Symptoms of Loneliness and Heartache," she reaches deep down in her heart (and throat) to tell an ex: "I don't see emotion or quality of life/Just symptoms of loneliness and heartache." And yet she isn't afraid to cut loose, as on "It's Got to Be Real." Ultimately, Stansfield comes off as a hopeless romantic who has all the strength and determination to convert even the worst cynic.[3] Stephen Holden from the Rolling Stone wrote that Stansfield is one of the first British stars to redo American pop-soul styles of the Seventies. Shaped with the help of her songwriting and producing collaborators Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, her retro disco crossbreeds the harmonic vocabulary of mid-Seventies Philly soul with the lush, cheesy textures of Barry White and his Love Unlimited Orchestra. Up-to-the-minute electronic dance beats make it all sound contemporary. What makes the mix special is Stansfield's wantonly emotive singing, which is "as luscious as melting chocolate." On her second album, her voice is even richer and the arrangements more inventive and far-reaching than on Affection, her 1989 debut. The new album's gem, "All Woman" is an almost overripe ballad about a long-suffering wife that sounds tailor-made for Gladys Knight, although Knight would have a hard time topping Stansfield's version. Like everything else on the album, from the trancelike disco prayer of the title track to the inspirational lover's promise "Set Your Loving Free," Real Love turns the world into a "gold-and-velvet-trimmed valentine box in which romantic dreams are all that matter."[5] Accordong to Q, the album is excellent and Musician stated that it is a knockout with shrewd and heartfelt music.[4] The New York Times wrote that Stansfield brings danceable mid-1970's-style pop to a "pinnacle of musical sophistication and emotional heat."[4] Robert Christgau chose "All Woman" as the best track on the album.[2] According to CD Universe, Real Love features a number of top-notch tunes, most notably the hit singles "Change" and "All Woman." While the former song plays up the energetic, club-oriented aspect of Stansfield's aesthetic, the latter number is a R&B ballad that reinforces the vocalist's reputation as one of England's finest blue-eyed-soul acts. The album's true charm, however, lies in its underrated album cuts, particularly the celebratory "Soul Deep," which includes funky Stevie Wonder-like keyboard lines, and the emotive string-tinged title track.[4]

Commercial reception

The album was commercially successful and reached top ten in the following European countries: United Kingdom (number three), Netherlands (number five), Germany (number nine) and Belgium (number ten). In other parts of Europe, it peaked inside top forty. Real Love also reached number twenty-five in New Zealand, number thirty-eight in Japan and number forty in Australia. In the United States, it peaked at number six on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number forty-three on the Billboard 200. It also reached number thirty-one in Canada. Real Love was certified 2× Platinum in the United Kingdom and Gold in the United States, Canada, Germany and Switzerland.

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "Change"  Lisa Stansfield, Ian Devaney, Andy MorrisDevaney, Morris 5:39
2. "Real Love"  Stansfield, Devaney, MorrisDevaney, Morris 5:01
3. "Set Your Loving Free"  Stansfield, Devaney, MorrisDevaney, Morris 5:03
4. "I Will Be Waiting"  Stansfield, Devaney, MorrisDevaney, Morris 5:03
5. "All Woman"  Stansfield, Devaney, MorrisDevaney, Morris 5:17
6. "Soul Deep"  Stansfield, Devaney, MorrisDevaney, Morris 4:10
7. "Make Love to Ya"  Stansfield, Devaney, MorrisDevaney, Morris 4:54
8. "Time to Make You Mine"  Stansfield, Devaney, MorrisDevaney, Morris 4:55
9. "Symptoms of Loneliness & Heartache"  Stansfield, Devaney, MorrisDevaney, Morris 4:43
10. "It's Got to Be Real"  Stansfield, Devaney, MorrisDevaney, Morris 5:17
11. "First Joy"  Stansfield, Devaney, MorrisDevaney, Morris 4:25
12. "Tenderly"  Stansfield, Devaney, MorrisDevaney, Morris 3:20
13. "A Little More Love"  Stansfield, Devaney, MorrisDevaney, Morris 4:35

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (1991) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[6] 40
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[7] 21
Canadian Albums (RPM)[8] 31
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[9] 5
European Albums (Top 100)[10] 9
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[11] 25
French Albums (SNEP)[12] 23
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[13] 9
Italian Albums (Hit Parade Italia)[14] 17
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[15] 38
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[16] 25
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[17] 41
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 16
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 18
UK Albums (OCC)[20] 3
US Billboard 200[21] 43
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[22] 6

Year-end charts

Chart (1991) Position
UK Albums (OCC)[23] 28
Italian Albums (Hit Parade Italia)[14] 79
Chart (1992) Position
French Albums (SNEP)[24] 40
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[25] 48
UK Albums (OCC)[26] 17
US Billboard 200[27] 97
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[28] 18

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)[29] Gold 50,000
Germany (BVMI)[30] Gold 250,000
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[31] Gold 25,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[32] 2× Platinum 600,000
United States (RIAA)[33] Gold 500,000

^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Credits and personnel

Credits taken from AllMusic.[34]

  • Yak Bondy – keyboards, programming, harmonica
  • Bobby Boughton – engineer, mixing
  • Snake Davis – saxophones, flutes, horn arrangements
  • Ian Devaney – producer, arranger, keyboards, guitars, programming, trombone, engineer, mixing
  • Andy Gangadeen – drums, rhythm arrangements
  • Stephen Gibson – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Rebecca Gilliver – strings
  • Gary Grant – trumpets, flugelhorns
  • Drusilla Harris – strings
  • Jerry Hey – trumpets, flugelhorns, horn and string arrangements
  • Dan Higgins – saxophones, flutes
  • Benedict Holland – strings
  • Aileen McLaughlin – background vocals
  • Andy Morris – producer, arranger, keyboards, programming, trumpet, flugelhorn, engineer, mixing
  • Berend Mulder – strings
  • Jane Nossek – strings
  • Tim Parry – executive producer
  • John Price – strings
  • Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombones
  • Annie Ross – background vocals
  • Juliet Snell – strings
  • Snowboy – percussion, rhythm arrangements
  • Lisa Stansfield – vocals
  • Jazz Summers – executive producer
  • Winkie Thin – strings
  • Richard Thirlwell – strings
  • Rebecca Thompson – strings
  • Jenny Turner – strings
  • Max Vadukul – photography
  • Simon Vance – strings, string arrangements
  • Andrew Walton – strings
  • Marcus Williams – bass
  • Richard Williamson – strings

Release history

Region Date Label Format Catalog
Europe 11 November 1991 Arista CD, cassette, LP 262 300
Japan[15] 15 November 1991 BVCA-124
North America 19 November 1991 07822-18679-2
Europe[35] 2 June 2003 Remastered CD 82876 522252
United Kingdom[36] 10 November 2014 Edsel 2CD+DVD 7 40155 80543 2
Europe 21 November 2014

References

  1. 1 2 Alex Henderson. "Lisa Stansfield - Real Love - Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  2. 1 2 Robert Christgau. "Consumer Guide Reviews: Real Love". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  3. 1 2 Marisa Fox (1991-11-08). "Music Review - Real Love (1991)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Lisa Stansfield - Real Love CD". CD Universe. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  5. 1 2 Stephen Holden (1992-01-09). "Album Reviews - Lisa Stansfield - Real Love". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  6. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Lisa Stansfield – Real Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  7. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Lisa Stansfield – Real Love" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  8. ↑ "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 55, No. 7, February 08 1992". RPM. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  9. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Lisa Stansfield – Real Love" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  10. ↑ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  11. ↑ "Albumit 1992-02 helmikuu" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  12. ↑ "Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  13. ↑ "Lisa Stansfield - Real Love" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  14. 1 2 "Gli album più venduti del 1991". Hit Parade Italia. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  15. 1 2 リサ・スタンスフィールドのアルバム売り上げランキング (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  16. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Lisa Stansfield – Real Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  17. ↑ "Listas de Afyve: 1991 Albumes". PROMUSICAE. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  18. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Lisa Stansfield – Real Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  19. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Lisa Stansfield – Real Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  20. ↑ "Lisa Stansfield | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  21. ↑ "Lisa Stansfield – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Lisa Stansfield. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  22. ↑ "Lisa Stansfield – Chart history" Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums for Lisa Stansfield. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  23. ↑ "Najlepiej sprzedające się albumy w W.Brytanii w 1991r". uktop40.republika.pl. Z archiwum...rocka. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  24. ↑ "Les Albums (CD) de 1992 par InfoDisc" (in French). InfoDisc. Archived from the original on 11 July 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  25. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  26. ↑ "Najlepiej sprzedające się albumy w W.Brytanii w 1992r". uktop40.republika.pl. Z archiwum...rocka. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  27. ↑ "1992: Billboard 200 Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  28. ↑ "1992: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  29. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Lisa Stansfield – Real Love". Music Canada.
  30. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Lisa Stansfield; 'Real Love')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  31. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Lisa Stansfield; 'Real Love')". Hung Medien.
  32. ↑ "British album certifications – Lisa Stansfield – Real Love". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Real Love in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
  33. ↑ "American album certifications – Lisa Stansfield – Real Love". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  34. ↑ "Real Love > Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  35. ↑ "Real Love (Limited Edition)". Amazon UK. Amazon Inc. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  36. ↑ "Real Love CD+DVD, Box set". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
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