"Little Bit of Heaven" is a song by British singer-songwriter and actress
Lisa Stansfield from her third album, ''
So Natural'' (1993). It was released as the second proper single in the United Kingdom on 29 November 1993 and in other European countries in March 1994. The song was written by Stansfield and her husband, Ian Devaney, and produced by Devaney.
An accompanying
music video, directed by
Marcus Raboy, was also released. The CD single included "Gonna Try It Anyway," which was available on the Japanese edition of ''So Natural'' only, and remixes of "Little Bit of Heaven" created by
David Morales,
Pete Heller
Pete Heller is an English electronic and house music producer from Brighton, England.
Biography
He is recognised in the dance community for his solo work, and his remixes with frequent collaborator Terry Farley. As a duo, they have release ...
,
Terry Farley Terry Farley is a British DJ, remixer and producer from London, active since the mid-1980s.
Career
Farley started out going to clubs in the late 1970s and first visited Ibiza in 1982. He then started working as a DJ, performing at the same clubs ...
, Roach Motel, Paul Waller and
Seamus Haji. The song reached number thirty-two in the United Kingdom.
In 1994,
Arista Records
Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...
released in Japan a special
CD maxi single "
Marvellous & Mine Natural Selection" which included remixes form the ''So Natural'' era. In 2003, "Little Bit of Heaven" was included on ''
Biography: The Greatest Hits''. In 2014, the remixes of "Little Bit of Heaven" were included on the deluxe 2CD + DVD re-release of ''So Natural'' (also on ''
The Collection 1989–2003'').
Critical reception
In an 2018 retrospective review, Quentin Harrison from Albumism described "Little Bit of Heaven" as "breezy", with "its flavor deepened with some chirpy
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
widgetry."
AllMusic editor William Cooper deemed it a "bland, dated-sounding
synth pop throwback". In his weekly UK chart commentary,
James Masterton
James Masterton (born 2 September 1973) is a music writer and columnist, his work focusing on the UK Singles Chart having been an online fixture on various sites since the 1990s. Masterton is also a producer for talkSPORT, and has worked on air ...
noted that here, Stansfield "eases back onto the dancefloor for her third hit of the year". Pan-European magazine ''
Music & Media
''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later ...
'' wrote, "What would the entire heaven be like, is the question that arises on hearing this danceable
soul song. May it turn the world into paradise for the four minutes that it takes." Alan Jones from ''
Music Week'' gave it three out of five, commenting, "In isolation, this classily delivered song is pleasant enough, but it would be nice to hear Stansfield ringing the changes. A selection of
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
mixes vary the tempo a bit, but not much."
James Hamilton James Hamilton may refer to:
Dukes
*James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton (1606–1649), heir to the throne of Scotland
* James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton (1658–1712), Scottish nobleman
* James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton (1703–1743), S ...
from the ''
RM'' Dance Update called it a "pleasantly melodic light-weight mellow lurching loper". In an 2015 retrospective review, Pop Rescue remarked that "there's some nice vocal harmonies in the chorus, with some funky brass sections and disco 'pops'."
Music video
A
music video was produced to promote the single, directed by American film and music video director
Marcus Raboy. It was filmed in
Rome, Italy and depicts Stansfield alone in an old apartment, performing the song. In between, there are clips of a young boy running around in the streets of the district and of female dancers performing. In the beginning, Stansfield sits on a bed while she sings. Other times she is seen by a large round table or looking at herself in a dusty mirror. By a window, the curtains slowly blows in the wind. The boy passes an elderly man who puts up advertisements on the walls and stops by a newspaper kiosk where he runs off with a magazine. He tears out a page and then appears at the door of Stansfield's apartment, peeking at the singer while she sings and dances. Towards the end, there are some scenes with her performing outdoors, obviously standing on top of the building, overlooking the other old buildings.
Track listings
* European 7-inch single and Japanese CD single
#"Little Bit of Heaven" (radio mix) – 4:16
#"Gonna Try It Anyway" – 3:53
* European 12-inch single
#"Little Bit of Heaven" (
Bad Yard Club 12-inch mix) – 7:27
#"Little Bit of Heaven" (Bad Yard dub) – 5:44
#"Little Bit of Heaven" (radio mix) – 4:16
#"Little Bit of Heaven" (
Junior vocal mix) – 6:39
#"Little Bit of Heaven" (Roach Motel dub) – 9:06
#"Little Bit of Heaven" (
Seventh Heaven vocal mix) – 6:21
* European CD single
#"Little Bit of Heaven" (radio mix) – 4:16
#"Gonna Try It Anyway" – 3:53
#"Little Bit of Heaven" (Bad Yard Club 12-inch mix) – 7:27
#"Little Bit of Heaven" (Junior vocal mix) – 6:39
Charts
References
{{Authority control
Lisa Stansfield songs
1993 singles
1993 songs
Arista Records singles
British synth-pop songs
Music videos directed by Marcus Raboy
Songs written by Ian Devaney
Songs written by Lisa Stansfield