Shona Laing Explained

Shona Laing
Background:solo_singer
Birth Date:1955 10, df=yes
Birth Place:New Zealand
Instrument:Vocals, guitar
Genre:Rock, new wave
Years Active:1972–present
Label:Vertigo, Philips, Pagan Records, EMI, Virgin, Columbia, Epic
Past Member Of:Manfred Mann's Earth Band

Shona Laing (born 9 October 1955) is a New Zealand musician. Laing had several folk hits in her native country and in the 1980s became internationally popular for her alternative music, most notably "(Glad I'm) Not a Kennedy" and "Soviet Snow" which was based on the Chernobyl disaster. Various alternative radio stations in the US such as WLIR played songs from her "South" album and she became internationally known. Laing contributed to Manfred Mann's Earth Band album Somewhere in Afrika and contributed music to, and appeared in, the 1985 action film Shaker Run.[1]

Musical career

Laing first came to prominence in 1972 as a 17-year-old schoolgirl, coming runner-up in the television talent show New Faces with her song "1905".[2] She signed a recording contract with Phonogram. Her first two singles, "1905" and "Show Your Love" were both certified gold and each peaked at number 4 on the New Zealand charts. In 1973, she won two RATA awards: Best New Artist and Recording Artist Of The Year.[3] Laing twice represented New Zealand at the Tokyo Music Festival, in 1973 (with the song "Masquerade") and 1974. In 1975, she relocated to Britain and was based there for the next seven years during which time she released a number of singles and an album, Tied to the Tracks in 1981. She joined Manfred Mann's Earth Band for two years, working alongside English musician Chris Thompson for the album Somewhere in Afrika.[4]

Laing returned to New Zealand in 1983, and released her album Genre two years later, in 1985. The song "(Glad I'm) Not a Kennedy" eventually charted in Australia, and was re-released as part of her next album, South. The song reached No. 2 on the NZ Singles Chart in August 1987. Laing won the APRA Silver Scroll in 1988 for "Soviet Snow" and in 1992 for "Mercy of Love".[5]

Laing was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame as the Legacy Award recipient at the 2013 New Zealand Music Awards in November 2013.[6]

Personal life

During a concert on 18 July 1996, Laing said she was bisexual and in a relationship with another woman.[7] [8]

Discography

Albums

YearTitleDetailsPeak chart
positions
NZ
[9]
AUS
[10]
1972Whispering Afraid
1974Shooting Stars Are Only Seen at Night
  • Label: Philips/Phonogram International
  • Catalogue: 6334 012
1981Tied to the Tracks
1985Genre
  • Label: Pagan Records/Virgin
  • Catalogue: PAL 1004
1987South
  • Label: Pagan Records/Virgin/TVT
  • Catalogue: PAL 1031/208 735
1662
1992New on Earth 4
1994Shona
  • Label: TriStar Music/Epic
  • Catalogue: WK 66165
35
1997Roadworks
  • Label: Columbia Records/Sony Music
  • Catalogue: 488241-2
2007Pass the Whisper
  • Released: 1 November 2007
  • Label: Independent label
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Compilation albums

YearTitleDetailsPeak chart
positions
NZ
19911905–1990 Retrospective19
2002The Essential Shona Laing
  • Label: Columbia
  • Catalogue: 5096842000
2020Hindsight
  • Label: Frenzy
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles

YearTitlePeak chart positionsAlbum
NZ
AUS
US
Dance

[11]
US
Mod.
Rock

[12]
1972"1905"4Whispering Afraid
1973"Show Your Love"4
"Masquerade"11
"Someone to Be With"Non-album single
1974"I'm Crying Too"Shooting Stars Are Only Seen at Night
1975"Don't You Think It's Time"Non-album single
"I Love My Feet"39Whispering Afraid
1980"Whistling Waltzes"Tied to the Tracks
"Don't Tell Me"
1981"Overboard"Tied to the Tracks
1981"Bundle of Nerves"Non-album single
1984"America"44Genre
1985"Not a Kennedy"
"One in a Million"
1987"(Glad I'm) Not a Kennedy"2914South
"Drive Baby Drive"4565
"Soviet Snow"32
"Caught (Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea)"
1992"Walk Away (42nd Street)"14New on Earth
"Fear of Falling"26
"Thief to Silver"35
1993"Mercy of Love"
1994"Kick Back"Shona
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Awards

New Zealand Music Awards

|-| 1973| Shona Laing| Recording Artist of the Year| [13] |-| 1973| Shona Laing| Best New Artist| [13] |-| 1985| Shona Laing – Genre| Album of the Year| [14] |-| 1987| "Glad I'm Not a Kennedy" – Shona Laing| Single of the Year| [15] |-| 1987| Shona Laing| Best Female Vocalist| [15] |-| 1987| Shona Laing| International Achievement| [15] |-| 1987| Kerry Brown and Bruce Sheridan – "Glad I'm Not a Kennedy" (Shona Laing)| Best Video| [15] |-| 1987| Shona Laing| Best Songwriter| [15] |-| 1988| Shona Laing – South| Album of the Year| [16] |-| 1988| Shona Laing| Best Female Vocalist| [16] |-| 1988| Shona Laing| International Achievement| [16] |-| 1988| Stephen McCurdy, Shona Laing and Graeme Myhre – "South"| Best Producer| [16] |-| 1994| Shona Laing| Best Female Vocalist| [17] |-| 1995| Shona Laing – Shona| Album of the Year| [18] |-| 2013| Shona Laing| New Zealand Music Hall of Fame| |}

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Shaker Run. IMDb.com. 17 June 2013.
  2. Web site: NZ On Screen. www.nzonscreen.com. en. NZ On Screen. 2018-10-11.
  3. Web site: New Zealand Music of the 60's and 70's . Sergent.com.au . 17 June 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20011102153140/http://www.sergent.com.au/shonalaing.html . 2 November 2001 . dmy-all .
  4. Web site: Shona Laing - AudioCulture. www.audioculture.co.nz. en. 2018-10-11.
  5. Web site: APRA Silver Scroll. AMCOS. APRA. apraamcos.co.nz. 2018-10-11.
  6. Web site: VNZMA Finalists 2013. NZ Music Awards. 23 October 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131029202426/http://www.nzmusicawards.co.nz/2013/10/22/vnzma-finalists-2013/. 29 October 2013. dmy-all.
  7. Web site: A Lesbian Decade . 30 September 2007 . 17 June 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070930040513/http://www.womenz.org.nz/tmln/a_lesbian_decade90-2k.htm . 30 September 2007 .
  8. Web site: A Chronology of Homosexuality in New Zealand – Part 5 – Queer History New Zealand . Gaynz.net.nz . 17 June 2013.
  9. Web site: charts.nz > Shona Laing in New Zealand Charts. Hung Medien. 23 October 2013.
  10. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. St. Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. Illustrated. 172. 0-646-11917-6. N.B. the Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and 19 June 1988.
  11. Web site: Billboard > Artists / Shona Laing > Chart History > Dance Club Songs. Billboard. 23 October 2013.
  12. Web site: Billboard > Artists / Shona Laing > Chart History > Alternative Songs. Billboard. 23 October 2013.
  13. Web site: 1973 Winners. NZ Music Awards. 23 October 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131029201413/http://www.nzmusicawards.co.nz/2009/10/29/1973-winners/. 29 October 2013. dmy-all.
  14. Web site: 1985 Winners. NZ Music Awards. 23 October 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121030144148/http://www.nzmusicawards.co.nz/2009/10/29/1985-winners/. 30 October 2012. dmy-all.
  15. Web site: 1987 Winners. NZ Music Awards. 23 October 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121030145938/http://www.nzmusicawards.co.nz/2009/10/29/1987-winners/. 30 October 2012. dmy-all.
  16. Web site: 1988 Winners. NZ Music Awards. 23 October 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121030145758/http://www.nzmusicawards.co.nz/2009/10/29/1988-winners/. 30 October 2012. dmy-all.
  17. Web site: 1994 Winners. NZ Music Awards. 23 October 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120513045746/http://www.nzmusicawards.co.nz/2009/10/29/1994-winners/. 13 May 2012. dmy-all.
  18. Web site: 1995 Winners. NZ Music Awards. 23 October 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131016004941/http://www.nzmusicawards.co.nz/2009/10/29/1995-winners/. 16 October 2013. dmy-all.