All Around The World – Lisa Stansfield | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning

Chart Performance: Pop (#3) & R&B (#1 for 2 weeks); 1990

Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne

While performing in a school musical, Lisa Stansfield met Andy Morris and Ian Devaney, with whom she’d later form the band, Blue Zone U.K.. In 1989, Blue Zone U.K. brought Lisa her the first taste of chart success when the group’s Jackie rose to #54 in the U.S.

The following year Lisa’s vocals fronted People Hold On, a single by DJs Matt Black and Jonathan Moore, a.k.a. Coldcut, which became a U.S. Top 10 dance club track. The three former members of Blue Zone next crafted a song specifically for Lisa’s soulful singing, and incorporated a Barry White-style intro.

Lisa laid down her vocal track for All Around The World in one take in a small studio behind her parents’ house, the same take heard on the finished master. Although World proved to be Lisa’s only Top 10 Pop hit, it triggered a run of five Top 10 Hot Dance singles of which three topped the R&B chart.

Lisa’s Barry White influences came full circle when she scored a #1 Dance Club hit with Never, Never Gonna Give You Up in 1997.

This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.

Produced by:

• Ian Devaney
• Andy Morris

Lyrics Written by:

• Lisa Stansfield
• Ian Devaney
• Andy Morris

Awards:

• “All Around The World” was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards