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Shona Laing

Shona Laing
Laing performing at WOMAD 2009 in New Zealand
Laing performing at WOMAD 2009 in New Zealand
Background information
Born (1955-10-09) 9 October 1955 (age 69)
New Zealand
GenresRock, new wave
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active1972–present
LabelsVertigo, Philips, Pagan Records, EMI, Virgin, Columbia, Epic
Formerly ofManfred 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[citation needed]. 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.[4] 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

Year Title Details Peak chart
positions
NZ
[9]
AUS
[10]
1972 Whispering Afraid
1974 Shooting Stars Are Only Seen at Night
  • Label: Philips/Phonogram International
  • Catalogue: 6334 012
1981 Tied to the Tracks
1985 Genre
  • Label: Pagan Records/Virgin
  • Catalogue: PAL 1004
1987 South
  • Label: Pagan Records/Virgin/TVT
  • Catalogue: PAL 1031/208 735
16 62
1992 New on Earth 4
1994 Shona
  • Label: TriStar Music/Epic
  • Catalogue: WK 66165
35
1997 Roadworks
  • Label: Columbia Records/Sony Music
  • Catalogue: 488241-2
2007 Pass 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

Year Title Details Peak chart
positions
NZ
[9]
1991 1905–1990 Retrospective 19
2002 The Essential Shona Laing
  • Label: Columbia
  • Catalogue: 5096842000
2020 Hindsight
  • Label: Frenzy
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles

Year Title Peak chart positions Album
NZ
[9]
AUS
[10]
US
Dance

[11]
US
Mod.
Rock

[12]
1972 "1905" 4 Whispering 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" 39 Whispering 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" 44 Genre
1985 "Not a Kennedy"
"One in a Million"
1987 "(Glad I'm) Not a Kennedy" 2 9 14 South
"Drive Baby Drive" 45 65
"Soviet Snow" 32
"Caught (Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea)"
1992 "Walk Away (42nd Street)" 14 New 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

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1973 Shona Laing Recording Artist of the Year Won[13]
1973 Shona Laing Best New Artist Won[13]
1985 Shona Laing – Genre Album of the Year Nominated[14]
1987 "Glad I'm Not a Kennedy" – Shona Laing Single of the Year Nominated[15]
1987 Shona Laing Best Female Vocalist Won[15]
1987 Shona Laing International Achievement Nominated[15]
1987 Kerry Brown and Bruce Sheridan – "Glad I'm Not a Kennedy" (Shona Laing) Best Video Nominated[15]
1987 Shona Laing Best Songwriter Nominated[15]
1988 Shona Laing – South Album of the Year Nominated[16]
1988 Shona Laing Best Female Vocalist Won[16]
1988 Shona Laing International Achievement Nominated[16]
1988 Stephen McCurdy, Shona Laing and Graeme Myhre – "South" Best Producer Nominated[16]
1994 Shona Laing Best Female Vocalist Nominated[17]
1995 Shona Laing – Shona Album of the Year Nominated[18]
2013 Shona Laing New Zealand Music Hall of Fame inductee[6]

References

  1. ^ "Shaker Run". IMDb.com. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  2. ^ "NZ On Screen". www.nzonscreen.com. NZ On Screen. Retrieved 11 October 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. ^ "New Zealand Music of the 60's and 70's". Sergent.com.au. Archived from the original on 2 November 2001. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Shona Laing - AudioCulture". www.audioculture.co.nz. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  5. ^ AMCOS, APRA. "APRA Silver Scroll". apraamcos.co.nz. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  6. ^ a b "VNZMA Finalists 2013". NZ Music Awards. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  7. ^ "A Lesbian Decade". 30 September 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  8. ^ "A Chronology of Homosexuality in New Zealand – Part 5 – Queer History New Zealand". Gaynz.net.nz. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  9. ^ a b c "charts.nz > Shona Laing in New Zealand Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  10. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 172. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. the Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and 19 June 1988.
  11. ^ "Billboard > Artists / Shona Laing > Chart History > Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  12. ^ "Billboard > Artists / Shona Laing > Chart History > Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  13. ^ a b "1973 Winners". NZ Music Awards. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  14. ^ "1985 Winners". NZ Music Awards. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  15. ^ a b c d e "1987 Winners". NZ Music Awards. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  16. ^ a b c d "1988 Winners". NZ Music Awards. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  17. ^ "1994 Winners". NZ Music Awards. Archived from the original on 13 May 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  18. ^ "1995 Winners". NZ Music Awards. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.