The Five Stairsteps

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The Five Stairsteps, known as The First Family of Soul, were an American Chicago soul group made up five of Betty and Clarence Burke Sr.'s six children: Alohe, Jean, Clarence Jr., James, Dennis, and Kenneth "Keni", and briefly, Cubie. They are best known for the 1970 song Ooh Child, listed #392 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

[edit] History

The Chicago-based group was dubbed "the First Family of Soul" because of their successful five-year chart run; the moniker was later passed on to the Jackson 5. Initially a teenage five-member brothers and sister vocal group made up of the offspring of Betty and Clarence Burke, the Five Stairsteps (named by Mrs. Burke who thought her kids looked like stair steps when lined up according to their age) featured lead singer Clarence Jr., Alohe, James, Dennis, and 13-year-old Kenneth ("Keni"). Most of the members attended Harlan High School. Clarence Jr. was in love with a classmate name Ponchita Martinez. She was the daughter of Cubie Coleman. The Burkes named their last child after her father Cubie. He owned a bar in Chicago. Clarence Sr. was a detective for the Chicago Police Department and a strict and loving father. Like the Jackson 5's father Joe Jackson, "Papa Burke," as he was called, had a passion for music and honed his children into a talented singing and dancing group. He backed the group on bass guitar, managed them, and co-wrote songs with Clarence Jr. and Gregory Fowler.

After winning first prize in a talent contest at the legendary Regal Theater, the Five Stairsteps were beset with recording contract offers. A close neighbor and family friend was Fred Cash of the Impressions, who introduced the group to Curtis Mayfield. Signed to Mayfield's Windy City imprint, which was distributed by Philadelphia-based Cameo Parkway Records, their first single was the Burkes-written ballad You Waited Too Long b/w the upbeat Don't Waste Your Time, a Mayfield song. A double-sided hit in Chicago, the A-side, You Waited Too Long, charted number 16 R&B in spring of 1966, and the hits kept coming. Around the end of 1967, Cameo-Parkway folded and Windy C switched to Art Kass' New York-based Buddah Records through former Cameo-Parkway executive Neil Bogart, who joined the new label as co-president. The group's second album, Family Portrait (complete with a montage of Burke family photos), was recorded and produced in Chicago by Clarence Jr. With the addition of their three-year-old brother, the group became the Five Stairsteps & Cubie. "Family Portrait" yielded two hit singles, Something's Missing and a cover of Jimmy Charles and the Revelletts' hit A Million to One. The group often toured with the Impressions. Signing with Buddah Records, the group was once again known as the Five Stairsteps.

In the spring of 1970, the group released their sole certified million-seller and biggest pop hit, Ooh Child (written by Stan Vincent), which hit number 14 R&B and number eight pop. The falsetto bridge and ending ad-libs of the song are sung by the Stairsteps' cousin, Charles "Chaz" Simmons. The flip side of the single, a cover of the Beatles Lennon/McCartney's Dear Prudence, charted number 49 R&B. The following year, the group resurfaced as the Stairsteps with two charting Buddah singles: Didn't It Look So Easy and I Love You-Stop. The group appeared in the 1970 movie The Isley Brothers Live At Yankee Stadium, a documentary of a benefit concert filmed at the famous home of the New York Yankees featuring The Isley Brothers, the Brooklyn Bridge and various other Buddah Records-affiliated artists. In the early '70s, the group was known as Stairsteps. Alohe was still with the group. Cubie never really sang with the group, but would grow up to be a popular dancer with the Dance Theater of Harlem etc. Billy Preston introduced the Stairsteps to the Beatles, and the group signed with George Harrison's Dark Horse label distributed by A&M Records. Alohe left the group in 1972 to begin a spiritual journey, and later would attend college, graduate and work at Emory University. She also was a guest speaker there. An album, 'Second Resurrection', was released in February 1976, produced by Preston, Robert Margouleff, and the Stairsteps. From Us to You, written by Clarence Jr. and Keni Burke, was the group's biggest hit since Ooh Child, peaking at number ten R&B in early 1976. The follow-up single, Passado, also covered by the group Pockets, received airplay in Chicago, New York, and other markets. Keni sang, played bass, and wrote both songs on the third single, "Tell Me Why" b/w "Salaam." They made two additional albums under the moniker The Invisible Man's Band, scoring with the disco hit, All Night Thang, which reached number 9 on the charts, before disbanding. It is reported they used the new name to not offend their loyal fans who had not associated the Stairsteps with disco.

[edit] Disbanding

After the Stairsteps disbanded, Keni remained with Dark Horse as a solo artist. His self-produced debut solo LP, Keni Burke, was released in August 1977. The singles were Keep on Singing and From Me to You, an instrumental remake of "From Us to You." Becoming an in-demand session bass player, he can be heard on everyone from Sly & the Family Stone, Natalie Cole, Billy Preston, Les McCann, the Emotions, Raffi, and the Four Tops to Redman, Terry Callier, Stargard, Curtis Mayfield, Bill Withers, D.J. Rogers, Linda Clifford, Silk, Narada Michael Walden, Ramsey Lewis, Dusty Springfield, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, and Larry John McNally. He appeared as part of Bill Withers' band for around this time and co-produced his album, Menagarie, which included huge hit Lovely Day. In 1981, Burke got a new solo album deal with RCA Records. The self-produced LP You're the Best included the singles, the jubilant Let Somebody Love You and the title track You're the Best. Both became post-release 12" collectibles. His next RCA album, 1982's Changes, yielded his biggest solo hit. Though the inspiring Risin' to the Top peaked at number 63 R&B in late summer 1982, it was a huge hit in his native Chicago and has been sampled ad nauseam by a myriad of hip-hop/rap and urban artists. First by Doug E. Fresh (Keep Risin' to the Top), then by Mary J. Blige ("Love No Limit") and Ali's "Feelin' You." The second Changes single, the pumpin' Shakin', also had DJs and dance/funk music collectors scouring used record bins. Changes is also notable because it includes one of the last songs by Philly songwriter Linda Creed (co-written with Thom Bell), the mid-tempo ballad One Minute More. Burke worked as a writer/producer (frequently with keyboardist Dean Gant and former Average White Band drummer Steve Ferrone) with the O'Jays, the Jones Girls, the Whispers, the Whitehead Brothers, Keith Sweat, George Howard, Peabo Bryson, Bill Withers, and Perri, among others. After meeting Expansion Records executive Ralph Tee at a Berwick Soul Weekender, Burke signed with the Sony-distributed UK label. Nothin' But Love was his first album for the label and was released March 1998. The first 12" single was I Need Your Love with vocals by Burke's son, Osaze "Ozzie" Burke, but the flip side, the mellow Indigenous Love, became a hit with the steppers crowd.

Update for the Five Stairsteps: This is 2006 December 6th. Alohe (Ramijimar S. Habeeb-Ullah) changed her name in 1980 in Oneonta, New York. She is enjoying her retirement. She likes Sci-Fi, science, technology, and exotic animals. She helps with social causes for all people including American Indians and Black Americans. She worked as an archaeologist, Atlanta Zoo with the Pandas. She is a scientist.

Clarence Newton Jr. still writes and produces. He is a self-taught genius. He also knows how build homes as well as a host of other talents. He recently married.

James M. is still drawing and painting. He enjoys singing and entertaining his friends.

Dennis R. Is married and still has his own business as a Cosmetologist. He and his wife have a successful business. Dennis has his recording studio in his home and he still loves playing his guitar and sings often.

Kenneth (Keni) is still writing and producing also. He is a clever businessman and he is enjoying the "fruits of his labors". He is married also.

Cubie E. is dancing and teaching dance. He is very gifted and has written songs and sings very very well. Cubie has a daughter, who is following in his footsteps. She is 14.

Clarence N. Burke Sr (Pappa Stairstep) is a property manager. Everyone loves him. He was recently in a play called, "Driving Miss Daisy".

Betty J. Burke is home but loves to socialize and shop. She is very popular and a lot of fun. Mom can really sing in the choir with her daughter, Alohe(Rami).

For more about The Five Stairsteps and other Chicago R'n'B artists, please read the book Chicago Soul by Robert Pruter, published in 1992.