Face Up (album)

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Face Up
Faceupalbum.jpg
Studio album by Lisa Stansfield
Released 20 June 2001 (2001-06-20)
Recorded 2001
Genre
Length 73:54
Label Arista
Producer Ian Devaney
Lisa Stansfield chronology
Swing
(1999)Swing1999		 Face Up
(2001)		 Biography: The Greatest Hits
(2003)Biography: The Greatest Hits2003
Alternative cover
2003 remastered edition
Singles from Face Up
  1. "Let's Just Call It Love"
    Released: 11 June 2001
  2. "8-3-1"
    Released: 17 September 2001

Face Up is the fifth album by British singer Lisa Stansfield, released by Arista Records on 20 June 2001. It was her first new studio album since 1997's Lisa Stansfield. Stansfield co-wrote songs for the album with her husband Ian Devaney and Richard Darbyshire. Devaney also produced all the tracks. Face Up garnered favorable reviews from music critics who praised the funky and soul songs and also the adventurous usage of 2-step garage beats in the first single, "Let's Just Call It Love." The disco-flavored "8-3-1," selected as the second single, was withdrawn at the last minute. Face Up was released in Europe and Japan, and performed moderately on the charts reaching top forty in the European countries. Face Up 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

Lisa Stansfield released Face Up in June 2001, four years after her previous studio album, Lisa Stansfield. In the meantime, she starred in the musical comedy Swing (1999) and also recorded ten songs for the Swing: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. In 1999, Stansfield recorded "The Longer We Make Love," duet with Barry White, included on his album, Staying Power, and in 2000, she recorded "You Keep Me Hangin' On" for the Motown Mania compilation. Face Up was Stansfield's last studio album released by Arista Records.

Content

Face Up was recorded in 2001. "We really enjoyed making that album," Stansfield said. "I was feeling good and I was very positive about everything. And that definitely comes out in the mood of the album." She co-wrote most songs with her husband Ian Devaney and Richard Darbyshire from the 80's band Living in a Box. Devaney also produced the entire album. "You Can Do That" and "When the Last Sun Goes Down" were co-written by Frank Musker, and "8-3-1" and "Can't Wait to" were co-written by Charlotte Kelly. "Boyfriend" was written by Stansfield and Devaney alone. The title track contains a sample from "First Come, First Serve" by Ramon Morris, and "8-3-1" starts off with a classic cinema line from Audrey Hepburn, "Oh I love you." On Face Up, Stansfield showcases her approach to classic funk and soul music and also tries out the contemporary urban beats of modern R&B. The album was released with thirteen songs in Europe and fourteen in the United Kingdom, including "All over Me." The Japanese edition included two bonus tracks: remix of "Let's Just Call It Love" and "Can't Wait to." In 2003, the album was remastered and re-released as limited edition digipak with "All over Me" and two other bonus songs: "Can't Wait to" and "You Get Me" (from the 1997 single "Don't Cry for Me"). Four songs were performed during Stansfield's concert at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club which was released on DVD in 2005 titled simply Live at Ronnie Scott's.

Face Up 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 including 2003 remixes of "All Around the World," 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 previously unreleased tracks on the 2014 reissue of Face Up include: "I've Got Something Better" (Trackmasters Remix), and three remixes of "8-3-1" by David Morales (Morales Radio Mix, Morales Alternative Club Mix and Morales Dub). Additionally, People Hold On ... The Remix Anthology features previously unreleased remix of "Let's Just Call It Love," called Feel It Mix, by Ian Devaney.

Singles

The first single, "Let's Just Call It Love" was issued in Europe on 11 June 2001. It included club remixes and one new track, "More Than Sex." An accompanying music video, directed by Howard Greenhalgh, was also released. "Let's Just Call It Love" peaked at number forty-eight in the United Kingdom. Later, Arista Records created CD singles for "8-3-1" and set the European release date for 17 September 2001. However, the single which included previously unreleased track "Can't Wait to," was withdrawn at the last minute. In 2003, "Let's Just Call It Love" and "8-3-1" remixed by David Morales were included on Biography: The Greatest Hits. In the United States, Arista earmarked "I've Got Something Better" as the likely lead single, and commissioned a hip-hop remix from Trackmasters. However, after the modest commercial performance of Face Up elsewhere, these plans were abandoned. This Trackmasters remix of "I've Got Something Better," and other previously unreleased tracks (remixes of "8-3-1" and "Let's Just Call It Love") were included in 2014 on The Collection 1989–2003, Face Up 2CD + DVD set and People Hold On ... The Remix Anthology.

Reception

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 3/5 stars[1]
Huddersfield Daily Examiner Positive[2]

Face Up received positive reviews from music critics. According to Jose F. Promis from AllMusic, this album is similar to Lisa Stansfield, except for a few more adventurous tracks. "Let's Just Call It Love" incorporates the British 2-step garage beats which makes it an unusual but interesting leadoff single." The album's opener, "I've Got Something Better," is classic, funky Lisa Stansfield at her best, and the song gets more and more fun with each repeated listening. Other standouts include the Burt Bacharach-ish show-stopping ballad "How Could You?," the pleading "Don't Leave Now I'm in Love," and the set's most obvious hit, the breezy, disco-laced anthem "8-3-1." The title track is the album's requisite Barry White tribute, and the album's irresistibly funky closer, "All Over Me," is this set's answer to "The Line" from 1997. Promis also praised two ballads: the gritty "Didn't I" and the sensitive and acoustic "Wish on Me." He also called Face Up a high-quality set.[1] According to the Huddersfield Daily Examiner, the album is a fine mix of uplifting dance, sugar-coated harmonies, strings, brass and songwriting that's as strong as ever. The top track is "8-3-1." The newspaper also wrote that this is Stansfield at her best, who said herself: "I think it is only fair to put a record out once you have a great collection of songs together, which is exactly what I feel about Face Up."[2]

Commercial reception

In Europe, the album reached number nineteen in Switzerland, number twenty-six in Austria, number twenty-nine in Germany and number thirty-seven in Italy. In the United Kingdom "Face Up" peaked at number thirty-eight.[3]

Track listing

No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length
1. "I've Got Something Better"   Lisa Stansfield, Ian Devaney, Richard Darbyshire Devaney 4:25
2. "Let's Just Call It Love"   Stansfield, Devaney, Darbyshire Devaney 4:17
3. "You Can Do That"   Stansfield, Devaney, Darbyshire, Frank Musker Devaney 4:30
4. "How Could You?"   Stansfield, Devaney, Darbyshire Devaney 4:34
5. "Candy"   Stansfield, Devaney, Darbyshire Devaney 5:06
6. "I'm Coming to Get You"   Stansfield, Devaney, Darbyshire Devaney 3:54
7. "8-3-1"   Stansfield, Devaney, Darbyshire, Charlotte Kelly Devaney 4:31
8. "Wish on Me"   Stansfield, Devaney, Darbyshire Devaney 4:49
9. "Boyfriend"   Stansfield, Devaney Devaney 4:44
10. "Don't Leave Now I'm in Love"   Stansfield, Devaney, Darbyshire Devaney 4:17
11. "Didn't I"   Stansfield, Devaney, Darbyshire Devaney 4:51
12. "Face Up"   Stansfield, Devaney, Darbyshire Devaney 4:52
13. "When the Last Sun Goes Down"   Stansfield, Devaney, Darbyshire, Musker Devaney 3:57

Charts

Chart (2001) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[4] 26
European Albums (Top 100)[5] 35
French Albums (SNEP)[6] 102
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[7] 29
Italian Albums (FIMI)[8] 37
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[9] 86
Scottish Albums (OCC)[10] 74
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[11] 19
UK Albums (OCC)[12] 38
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[13] 18

Credits and personnel

Credits taken from AllMusic.[14]

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  • Richie Buckley - saxophone, horn arrangement
  • Brian Byrne - orchestra conductor, string arrangement, piano
  • Richard Darbyshire - arranger, guitar, background vocals
  • Ian Devaney - producer, arranger, string arrangement, horn arrangement, mix, keyboards, guitar, programming
  • Shay Dooher - technical assistant
  • Emma Jane Lennon - assistant engineer
  • Kieron Lynch - assistant engineer
  • Stephen McDonnell - trumpet
  • Aidan McGovern - engineer, mix
  • Joanne Morris - digipak design
  • Eva Mueller - photography
  • Carl Ronan - trombone
  • Jimmy Smyth - acoustic guitar
  • Lisa Stansfield - lead vocals, background vocals, arranger
  • Stylorouge - art direction and original package design
  • The Irish Film Orchestra - strings
  • Caitriona Walsh - orchestral management
  • Tim Young - mastering

Release history

Region Date Label Format Catalog
Japan[9] 20 June 2001 Arista CD BVCA-21087
Europe[15] 25 June 2001 74321 86632 2
United Kingdom[16] 74321 86346 2
2 June 2003 Remastered CD 82876 54377 2
Europe[17] 2 August 2004
United Kingdom[18] 10 November 2014 Edsel 2CD+DVD EDSG 8057
Europe 21 November 2014

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Lisa Stansfield – Face Up" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Lisa Stansfield – Face Up". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Lisa Stansfield – Face Up". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  11. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Lisa Stansfield – Face Up". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  12. ↑ "Lisa Stansfield | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  13. ↑ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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