The Real Thing (Lisa Stansfield song)

"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.

"The Real Thing"
Single by Lisa Stansfield
from the album Lisa Stansfield and Money Talks soundtrack
Released	10 March 1997 (1997-03-10)
Genre	R&B dance-pop
Length	4:20
Label	Arista
Songwriter(s)	Lisa Stansfield, Ian Devaney
Producer(s)	Ian Devaney Peter Mokran
Lisa Stansfield singles chronology
""People Hold On" (The Bootleg Mixes)" (1997) "The Real Thing" (1997) "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" (1997)
Music video
"The Real Thing" on YouTube

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]

Critical reception

"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]

Chart performance

"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 a 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.

Music video

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.

Track listings

European CD single "The Real Thing" (Radio Edit) – 4:01 "The Real Thing" (Mark!'s Radio Edit) – 3:56 Australian/European/Japanese/UK CD maxi-single "The Real Thing" (Radio Edit) – 4:01 "The Real Thing" (Touch Mix) – 5:36 "The Real Thing" (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels's Vocal Mix) – 7:10 "People Hold On" (Jon Is The Don Mix) – 8:08 Australian/UK CD maxi-single #2 "The Real Thing" (Radio Edit) – 4:01 "The Real Thing" (Mark!'s Radio Edit) – 3:56 "The Real Thing" (Mark!'s Good Time Disco Vocal) – 11:25 "The Real Thing" (Mark!'s Shelter Vocal) – 9:48 "The Real Thing" (K-Klassic Mix) – 8:39 European/UK 12" single "The Real Thing" (Mark!'s Good Time Disco Vocal) – 11:25 "The Real Thing" (K-Klassic Mix) – 8:39 "The Real Thing" (Dirty Rotten Scoundrel's Vocal Mix) – 7:38

Japanese promotional CD single "The Real Thing" (Mega Pop Mix) – 4:32 "The Real Thing" (Hip Hop Mix) – 4:48 "The Real Thing" (Yutenji Mix) – 4:53 "The Real Thing" (Radio Edit) – 4:01 UK promotional 12" single "The Real Thing" (Mark!'s Genuine Dub) "The Real Thing" (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Dub Mix) "The Real Thing" (Bunker Dub) UK promotional 12" single "The Real Thing" (Touch Mix) – 5:36 "The Real Thing" (Touch Extended Mix) – 6:27 Other remixes "The Real Thing" (K-Klass Mix) – 4:44 "The Real Thing" (Silk's Real House Thang) – 9:45

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "The Real Thing" Chart (1997) Peak position Australia (ARIA)^[16] 124 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[17] 38 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)^[18] 29 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)^[19] 29 Europe Radio Top 50 (Music & Media)^[20] 1 France Airplay (Music & Media)^[21] 12 Germany (Official German Charts)^[22] 57 Hungary (MAHASZ)^[23] 4 Hungary Airplay (Music & Media)^[24] 11 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)^[25] 32 Italy (Musica e dischi)^[26] 10 Italy Airplay (Music & Media)^[27] 1 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)^[28] 7 Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[29] 61 Poland Airplay (Music & Media)^[30] 1 Scotland (OCC)^[31] 18 Spain Radio (PROMUSICAE)^[32] 1 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[33] 49 UK Singles (OCC)^[34] 9 UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)^[35] 3

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for "The Real Thing" Chart (1997) Position Europe Radio Top 50 (Music & Media)^[36] 7 UK Singles (OCC)^[37] 174

References

1. . lisa-stansfield.com. 2 October 2014. Archived from the original on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
2. "Exclusive: First pictures takes you inside the reissues 'The Collection 1989–2003'". lisastansfield.net. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
3. "'Dirty Rotten' tricks pays off for Stansfield" (PDF). Music & Media. 1 February 1997. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
4. Aftonbladet. 4 April 1997.
5. Bowie, George (26 February 1997). "Lisa's Back For Real". Evening Times.
6. Sullivan, Caroline (28 March 1997). "Music: This week's pop CD releases". The Guardian.
7. "Wet Wet Wet". Irish Independent. 2 April 1997. page 28.
8. Courtney, Kevin (21 March 1997). "Single File". Irish Times.
9. Pride, Dominic (8 March 1997). "Reviews: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. p. 18. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
10. Tee, Ralph (22 February 1997). "Hot Vinyl" (PDF). Music Week, in RM. p. 10. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
11. "Picks and Pans Review: Lisa Stansfield". People. 1 September 1997. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
12. "Lisa Stansfield Focused With Her Latest Release". Press of Atlantic City. 10 August 1997.
13. Stovall, Narasha (23 June 1997). . Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 10 September 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
14. "Official Singles Chart Top 100 16 March 1997 - 22 March 1997". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
15. "Lisa Stansfield - The Real Thing (Official Music Video)". YouTube. 20 January 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
16. "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 15 July 2015". imgur.com. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
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18. "Lisa Stansfield – The Real Thing" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
19. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 5 April 1997. p. 16. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
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21. "Major Market Airplay" (PDF). Music & Media. 24 May 1997. p. 23. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
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26. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 14. 5 April 1997. p. 19. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
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29. "Lisa Stansfield – The Real Thing" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
30. "Major Market Airplay: Poland" (PDF). Music & Media. 22 March 1997. p. 27. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
31. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
32. Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
33. "Lisa Stansfield – The Real Thing". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
34. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
35. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
36. "European Hot Radio Top 50 1997" (PDF). Music & Media. 27 December 1997. p. 16. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
37. "Official Singles Chart 1993". Retrieved 20 May 2015.