Steps (group)
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| Steps | |
|---|---|
| Origin | London, United Kingdom |
| Genre(s) | Pop |
| Instrument(s) | Singing |
| Years active | 1997-2001, 2008- |
| Label(s) | SonyBMG/Jive |
| Members | |
| Claire Richards Lee Latchford-Evans Faye Tozer Lisa Scott-Lee |
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| Former members | |
| Ian 'H' Watkins (1997-2001) | |
Steps were a pop group that achieved a series of charted singles between 1997 and 2001. Their name was based around a simple marketing gimmick: each of their music videos were choreographed, and the dance steps were included with most of their single releases. Steps formed on 7 May 1997 and disbanded on 26 December 2001. In total Steps have sold over 25 million records, including 15 million albums worldwide.
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[edit] History
[edit] 1997—1999: Step One
Steps were formed by band manager Tim Byrne together with Barry Upton and Steve Crosby (writers of "5,6,7,8") after auditioning hopefuls who answered an ad in The Stage newspaper.
Their first single "5,6,7,8" was a techno line dance song. Though not typical of what would become their style, it became their first hit both in the UK and internationally. Despite only peaking at #14, the single achieved considerable longevity in the fast-paced singles climate of 1998, racking up over four months on the UK chart. The track remains one of the highest selling singles never to reach the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart.
The group were signed by Jive Records and following the success of their debut single, songwriter Pete Waterman became involved in the project. Waterman's stated intention was to try to recreate the sound of ABBA and blend it with a more modern style.[citation needed] He would often refer to the group as "ABBA on speed". In April 1998, Steps launched their second single, a cover version of Bananarama's "Last Thing on My Mind", which became their first UK top ten peaking at #6.
By August 1998, Steps continued to build momentum with their third single "One for Sorrow" which peaked at #2, and began an unbroken chain of 14 consecutive Top 5 hits on the UK singles chart. Unlike many other pop acts of the era, Steps' singles success translated into impressive album sales as their debut album Step One entered the chart at #2. It went on to become certified 5x Platinum following a run of 50 weeks in the Top 20 alone.
The next single release was a double A-side which provided Steps with their signature song and biggest career seller. The single comprised of a cover version of the Bee Gees "Tragedy" and an original track "Heartbeat". The single was released in November 1998 when it charted at #2. However, following enduring popularity over the Christmas period, the single rebounded up the chart and became their first #1 hit in January 1999, seven weeks after it initially charted, a feat almost unheard of during the pre- and post-millennium era. The single eventually sold over a million copies and occupied the chart for 30 weeks.
The final track to be released from Step One was "Better Best Forgotten". Due to the continued success of the previous single, the CD release was delayed by nearly two months. Nonetheless, Better Best Forgotten could do no wrong and entered the chart at #2 despite surrendering a midweek lead over the official "Comic Relief" song by "Boyzone".
Steps were part of the ensemble that released "Thank ABBA for the Music" (a medley of ABBA's "Take A Chance On Me", "Dancing Queen", "Mamma Mia" and "Thank You for the Music") in March 1999, as performed at the BRIT Awards. The other artists singing were Tina Cousins, Cleopatra, B*Witched, and Billie, known collectively as the Supertroupers. The single later peaked at #4. The group was also nominated for Best Newcomer. Pete Waterman claimed to have been told days before the ceremony that STEPS had won the award, as voted for by listeners of BBC Radio 1. However, on the night the award was handed to the Scottish band Belle & Sebastian, who were assumed to be rank outsiders. Despite the allegation that a significant number of votes for Belle & Sebastian were traced to one location (two computers sited in a particular UK university campus), the band held onto their award as foul-play was denied by organisers of the BRIT Awards.
[edit] 1999—2000: Steptacular
In July 1999, Steps released the first single from an all-new album, "Love's Got a Hold on My Heart". Once again they narrowly missed the #1 spot following a last minute surge by Ricky Martin. After the single's release, Steps went to America to support Britney Spears on her 1999 ...Baby One More Time Tour. A remixed version of "One for Sorrow" was included in the film Drive Me Crazy and released as their debut American single. They were also successful in Europe and Australasia.
Steps returned home to release their second album, Steptacular, which was accompanied by "After the Love Has Gone". The album charted at #1 and was eventually certified 4x Platinum, thus becoming their second UK million selling album. The group subsequently released an album in North America which was titled Step One and was an amalgation of their first two albums. The group's next two singles "Say You'll Be Mine / Better the Devil You Know" and "Deeper Shade of Blue" both continued their top five run.
In July 2000, Steps released another double-A-side, consisting of the Steptacular track "When I Said Goodbye" and an entirely new song "Summer of Love". The latter was a Latino-flavoured pop song, which later appeared on their third album.
Steps were also awarded the BRIT Award for Best Selling Live Act of the year in 2000.[1]
[edit] 2000—2001: Buzz
In October 2000, "Stomp" became their second and final number one single. The third album Buzz followed shortly and whilst it was less successful than their first two albums, went on to achieve double platinum status and contains five UK Top 5 singles. The group worked with many American and Swedish producers who had created hits for other Jive artists such as Britney Spears, 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys.
The following single "It's the Way You Make Me Feel" reached #2 upon it's January 2001 release. Steps promoted the Buzz album worldwide and did not return to the UK until May, when they released "Here and Now / You'll Be Sorry".
[edit] 2001: Gold & split
Split rumours started circulating after it was announced that Steps would be releasing a greatest hits album. The group continuously denied this in their interviews.
"Chain Reaction", a cover of the popular Diana Ross song, was released as the first single from Gold - The Greatest Hits. The single became their biggest in almost two years. The second single, "Words Are Not Enough / I Know Him So Well", was another top five hit. It would become their final single as a group.
In 2001, following their Boxing Day split, the group were heavily criticised by their own fans. Many UK tabloid papers published the fans' disgust on their front pages, displaying quotes taken from Steps message boards. After the group spent much of 2001 strongly dismissing claims of a split, fans were furious and accused the group of capitalising off the success of a host of merchandise released in the lucrative pre-Christmas market. However, it has since come to light that both H and Claire left the group on the last night of the Steps "Gold: Greatest Hits" tour, due to their ongoing unhappiness within the band, although Steps' official statement stated that the split was caused by their belief that they should end on a high, while they were at their best and could be remembered for being the best of their kind. H and Claire went on to form a duo and signed to Warners for a reputed £4 million (over 5 albums).
Jive released a remix and b-side compilation in 2002. The Last Dance featured previously released remixes, b-sides and rarities. The album did not fare well and charted at a poor #57 without any promotion. A planned release for the track Baby Don't Dance was scrapped in November 2002, however promotional copies were pressed and a video based upon their live Gold tour briefly aired on MTV.
[edit] 2008: "Reunion"
On 8 June 2008, the Sunday Mirror revealed Steps were planning a nationwide tour.[2] However, "H" would not be taking part in the tour due to West End commitments.[2]
[edit] Steps to the Stars
Steps also had their own talent show named "Steps to the Stars", in which 3 acts, consisting of young people, performed for the public vote. It was revealed on the next show who would go through to final. This was shown on CBBC1 in 1999/2000. It aired for 2 series' and was presented by H and Claire although the group performed one of their classics at the end of every show. The show featured a young Danny Jones (McFly) in a band called Y2K in which he played guitar with his sister and their friend, Joss Stone who eventually won the show and is now one of the world's biggest solo artists, and also Gareth Gates, before he found fame on Pop Idol.
[edit] Criticisms
Lee Latchford Evans was criticised for the following, allegedly racist, remarks in an interview: "Foreign people and people from ethnic minorities should all go home so that there can be more jobs for proper English people." Steps responded that the quote was taken out of context.[3]
[edit] After split
[edit] H & Claire
H & Claire were a pop duo, consisting of former Steps members Claire Richards and Ian 'H' Watkins. They released one low-charting album and three mildly successful singles in 2002 before disbanding.
Following the split of Steps on December 26, 2001, H & Claire formed a duo. The pair released their debut single "DJ" on WEA Records on May 6, 2002. Peaking at #1 on various club charts, the single debuted and peaked on the UK Singles Chart at #3, spending a mere one week in the Top 10.
Their second single, "Half a Heart" followed on August 12, 2002, peaking and debuting at #8. Unfortunately, the single dropped to #29 in its second week of release and fell from the chart the following week. Their third and final single release was a double-A-side of an original song entitled "All Out of Love" and a cover of the Disney song "Beauty and the Beast". The single was released in November 2002 and peaked at #10, spending 3 weeks on the UK Top 40. Their debut album, Another You Another Me, followed. However, it peaked at a low #58 in the UK, and WEA Records soon dropped the pair.
Taking a break from singing to plan her wedding (a marriage which subsequently failed), Richards never recorded again with Watkins, and the duo dissolved in 2003. More recently, Richards has left a message on a website dedicated to her, stating that she is planning a return to a singing career in the near future. [1] In December 2006, she announced that she would be expecting her first child in the Spring of 2007. On 8 May 2007, she gave birth to a baby boy, named Charlie. Claire has also taken part in BBC's Celebrity Masterchef, which airs in May 2008.
Watkins decided to take a musical theatre course at the Royal Academy of Music. He was filmed through the course and it was broadcast as a reality TV series, H-side Story, which followed him as he tries to make a new career in acting. At the end of the course Watkins passed his exam and graduated from the academy. Ian has since appeared in stage productions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Cinderella, and Fame. On 3 January 2007, Ian Watkins came out as gay in an interview with The Sun newspaper. [2] His interview was published the same day he entered the Celebrity Big Brother house. He finished in fourth place on Celebrity Big Brother 2007 and was the first contestant to be cheered on exit that season.
The duo appeared at number 36 in Chantelles Top 50 Reality Tv Stars on music channel Smash Hits. The video for "DJ" was shown.
[edit] Faye Tozer
Faye Tozer reached #10 in the UK with Russell Watson on the track "Someone Like You". In the same year she married her Danish boyfriend Jesper Irn, and a year later toured the UK in the theatre production of Tell Me On A Sunday. She also toured the UK as a cast member of the musical Love Shack with Noel Sullivan from Hear'Say and Jon Lee from S Club 7. Faye then joined the cast of Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens, which is a futuristic musical, the show began touring on November 24th 2005. Faye and Jesper have now spilt up. In 2006, Faye took the role of Sally in the UK tour of Me And My Girl, then went on to play the female lead in the tour of the play Dial M of Murder. She stars as the title role in the movie Lady Godiva, Back in the saddle, which premiered November 2007. At Christmas 2007, she played Scheherazade in the pantomime Aladdin. She has recently finished playing songstress Eva Cassidy in the musical Over the Rainbow, which started in late 2007.
[edit] Lee Latchford-Evans
Lee Latchford-Evans has appeared on UK reality shows The Games, The Match and Celebrity Fear Factor. He is also in a low-key rock band called The Latch, whose sound deviates greatly from the sound of Steps. In July 2006, MTV UK announced a new TV programme called "Totally Boyband" would involve Lee, the TV programme is based on fellow Step's star Lisa Scott-Lee's "Totally Scott-Lee". Due to disagreements with the other band members, Lee was sacked from the group.
[edit] Lisa Scott-Lee
Lisa Scott-Lee has released four singles as a solo dance artist. Lisa was dropped from her initial record contract in 2003 after just two singles, with a third single and album consequently cancelled. In 2004, she signed a new record deal, married boyfriend Johnny Shentall, and released the single "Get It On" as a guest vocalist for the dance act Intenso Project.
In 2006 she competed in the Tv programme Dancing on Ice. In November 2004, it was confirmed that MTV had commissioned a reality show following Lisa in the same vein as The Osbournes and Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica. It was called Totally Scott-Lee & it aired in the UK in October 2005. In 2006, Lisa was also prosecuted with accusations of naked photographs being exposed on the internet. This turned out to be in fact, true. As one of the premises of the show, she was challenged to have her next single, "Electric" debut in the UK top ten. If she did not accomplish this, then she would have to quit the music business. Unfortunately, "Electric" peaked at #13, falling to #47 the second week and by the third week it had dropped out of the top 75 UK Singles Chart. Lisa nevertheless reneged on this televised promise and resumed singing and promoting her music in countries such as Japan, Australia, and South Africa. Her debut album, Never Or Now, was finally released in June 2007. It received a digital release in the UK. Lisa is starred alongside husband Johnny in the pantomime 'Jack and the Beanstalk' at Derby Assembly Rooms over the Christmas period of 2007 - 2008, and also appeared in the final episode of Ricky Gervais show Extras.
In late February 2008, Lisa gave birth to her first child, a boy named Jaden Anthony Scott-Lee.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | BEL | PHI | ||
| 1998 | Step One | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| 1999 | Steptacular | 1 | 24 | 2 | 1 |
| 2000 | Buzz | 4 | 7 | 11 | 3 |
| 2001 | Gold - The Greatest Hits | 1 | 88 | — | — |
| 2002 | The Last Dance | 57 | — | — | — |
[edit] Number-one singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||||
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| UK | AUS | BEL | NZ | PHI | LEB | |||
| 1997 | "5,6,7,8" |
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Step One |
| 1998 | "Last Thing on My Mind" |
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| "One for Sorrow" |
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| "Heartbeat / Tragedy" |
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| 2000 | "Stomp" |
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Buzz |
[edit] Tours
- Step One Tour (1999)
- Next Step Tour (1999)
- Steptacular Tour (2000)
- Steps Christmas Tour (2000)
- Gold Tour (2001)
- Steps Reunion Tour (2008)
[edit] References
- ^ BRIT Award Winners
- ^ a b "Steps reunite for UK tour", Sunday Mirror, 2008-06-08. Retrieved on 2008-06-08.
- ^ Steps upset by 'racist' claims BBC News
[edit] See also
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