The Real Thing (Lisa Stansfield song)

"The Real Thing"
Single by Lisa Stansfield
from the album Lisa Stansfield
Released	10 March 1997 (1997-03-10)
Format	CD single
Recorded	1997
Genre	R&B dance pop
Length	4:20
Label	Arista
Writer(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

"The Real Thing" is a song recorded by British singer Lisa Stansfield for her 1997 eponymous album. It was released 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, written by Stansfield and Ian Devaney and produced by Devaney and Peter Mokran, received positive reviews from music critics who noted that Stansfield "belts her heart out in a voice that's smooth and pliant." An accompanying music video, directed by Michael Geoghegan, was also released. 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 four 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 (1998) and Biography: The Greatest Hits (2003).

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]

Track listings

European CD single

1. "The Real Thing" (Radio Edit) – 4:01
2. "The Real Thing" (Mark!'s Radio Edit) – 3:56

Australian/European/Japanese/UK CD maxi-single

1. "The Real Thing" (Radio Edit) – 4:01
2. "The Real Thing" (Touch Mix) – 5:36
3. "The Real Thing" (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels's Vocal Mix) – 7:10
4. "People Hold On" (Jon Is The Don Mix) – 8:08

Australian/UK CD maxi-single #2

1. "The Real Thing" (Radio Edit) – 4:01
2. "The Real Thing" (Mark!'s Radio Edit) – 3:56
3. "The Real Thing" (Mark!'s Good Time Disco Vocal) – 11:25
4. "The Real Thing" (Mark!'s Shelter Vocal) – 9:48
5. "The Real Thing" (K-Klassic Mix) – 8:39

European/UK 12" single

1. "The Real Thing" (Mark!'s Good Time Disco Vocal) – 11:25
2. "The Real Thing" (K-Klassic Mix) – 8:39
3. "The Real Thing" (Dirty Rotten Scoundrel's Vocal Mix) – 7:38

Japanese promotional CD single

1. "The Real Thing" (Mega Pop Mix) – 4:32
2. "The Real Thing" (Hip Hop Mix) – 4:48
3. "The Real Thing" (Yutenji Mix) – 4:53
4. "The Real Thing" (Radio Edit) – 4:01

UK promotional 12" single

1. "The Real Thing" (Mark!'s Genuine Dub)
2. "The Real Thing" (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Dub Mix)
3. "The Real Thing" (Bunker Dub)

UK promotional 12" single

1. "The Real Thing" (Touch Mix) – 5:36
2. "The Real Thing" (Touch Extented Mix) – 6:27

Other remixes

1. "The Real Thing" (K-Klass Mix) – 4:44
2. "The Real Thing" (Silk's Real House Thang) – 9:45

Charts

References