(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone

"(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" is a rock song by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. It was first recorded by Paul Revere & the Raiders and appeared on their album Midnight Ride, released in May 1966.

The song is simple musically, with a repeating verse chord progression of E major, G major, A major and C major, and a repeating bridge in cut time of E major, G major, A major, and G major.

Monkees version

"(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone"
US single cover
Single by The Monkees
from the album More of the Monkees
A-side	"I'm a Believer"
Released	12 November 1966
Format	7"
Recorded	26 July 1966 Western Recorders Studio #1 New York City, NY
Genre	Rock
Length	2:23
Label	Colgems #1002
Writer(s)	Tommy Boyce Bobby Hart
Producer(s)	Tommy Boyce Bobby Hart
The Monkees singles chronology
"Last Train to Clarksville" (1966) "I'm a Believer" (1966) "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You" (1967)

It is best known as a hit for The Monkees (US #20), released in November 1966, (making it the first Monkees B-side to chart).^[1] Musicians featured on the Monkees recording are: Micky Dolenz (lead vocal); Tommy Boyce (backing vocal); Wayne Erwin, Gerry McGee, and Louie Shelton (guitar); Bobby Hart (organ); Larry Taylor (bass); Billy Lewis (drums); and Henry Levy (percussion).

The Monkees' version differs between the single version, stereo album version and mono album version. In the stereo version, the track's title is sung just before the second verse, whereas on the single and mono album versions, this segment is left instrumental. Additionally, the stereo version has an edit in the fadeout. The mono album version does not have this edit and therefore has a longer coda. The single also does not have the edit, but it fades the song earlier than the mono album. All Monkees hits compilations through the mid-1990s used the stereo version.

Other versions

The song has been covered by many artists, such as the Liverpool Five, Sex Pistols, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Vicious White Kids, Johnny Thunders, The Merton Parkas, Blutgräfin, Minor Threat, State of Alert, The Flies, The Farm, The Catalina Scramblers, The Feminine Complex, DS-13, Six Feet Under, Trashmen, Intruder, The Untouchables, Hi-NRG act Modern Rocketry, Hot Nasties, Per Gessle, Les Thugs, Fang, The W.C. Fields Memorial Electric String Band, The Pivots, The Rebounds, Barbi and the Kens, the Argentinian band Massacre and the UK band Scholars. It was also a hit for PJ & Duncan in 1996, when it reached number #11 on the UK Singles Chart.^[2]

References