STEPS

 

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Steps, who formed on May 7, 1997 and disbanded on December 26, 2001, were a highly successful British pop group who achieved a series of top hit singles during the late nineties and into the third millennium. Their name was based around a simple marketing gimmick. Each of their music videos were carefully choreographed, and the dance steps were included with most of their single releases.

 

 

 

Cover of 'Better Best Forgotten - from left to right, 

Claire, Lee, H, Faye, Lisa

 

 

Band members

 

The group, consisting of Claire Richards, Faye Tozer, Ian Watkins (known as H), Lee Latchford-Evans and Lisa Scott-Lee, formed on May 7, 1997. They were seen performing by the producer Pete Waterman (formerly of Stock Aitken Waterman) and signed to a recording contract on his EBUL label.

History

 

Waterman's stated intention was to try to recreate the sound of ABBA and blend it with a more modern style, however their first single "5,6,7,8" was a techno line dance and though not typical of what would become their style, it became their first hit, and later found its way onto a video game, "Dancing Stage Euromix 2," the European version of the popular Dance Dance Revolution Series. The single then went on to become one of the highest selling singles to never actually reach the top 10.

 

The hit singles continued, with their cover version of Bananarama's "Last Thing On My Mind", and the most ABBA flavoured of their singles, "One For Sorrow", reaching the UK Top 10, peaking at No. 2. Their next single, a double A-side, with a cover version of the Bee Gees "Tragedy" and original track "Heartbeat" became their first number one single in January 1999, although released in November 1998.

 

Over the next year they hit the top 10 several times, with songs such as "Better Best Forgotten", "Love's Got A Hold On My Heart", "Deeper Shade of Blue" (originally intended for Tina Cousins) and a double A sided single of "Say You'll Be Mine" with their version of Kylie Minogue's "Better The Devil You Know". Their second and final number one single "Stomp" reached the number one position in October 2000. They continued releasing singles and reached number two with both "It's The Way You Make Me Feel" and "Chain Reaction" (originally recorded by Diana Ross) before disbanding on December 26, 2001.

 

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 perfomed at the Brit Awards. The other artists singing were Tina Cousins, Cleopatra, B*Witched, and Billie. In the same year, Steps were at the centre of a controversy surrounding the 'Best Newcomer' gong at the Brit Awards. Pete Waterman, the mastermind behind the group, 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 amount 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. In 2000, Steps were handed a special Brit Award for being the both the best selling tour act and albums act of all-time.

 

 

Criticisms

 

Steps received some criticism for their tendency to cover other bands' tracks rather than develop original scores. They were also frequently criticized by fans, critics, and other musicians for their very frequent lip-syncing, and were sometimes accused of being marginally - or non-talented singers because of this fact.

 

More seriously, 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.

 

In 2001, following their shock Boxing Day split, the group were heavily criticised by their own fans. Many UK tabloid papers published the fans' disgust on their frontpages, displaying quotes taken from Steps messageboards. 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.

 

 

 

Cover of H & Claire's 1st Single

 

 

After split

 

Since disbanding, Ian Watkins and Claire Richards (billed as "H and Claire") released three top 10 UK singles and a poorly performing album, which led to the duo being dropped from their record label in 2002.

 

Ian Watkins subsequently took the lead role in the 2003 London production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and has since gained his own reality programme, "H Side Story".

 

Claire Richards married former Steps dancer and fiance Mark Webb, but the couple have since split.

 

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 just finished touring 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 has now joined the cast of "Queen Of The Space Vixens", which is a futuristic musical, the show began touring on November 24th 2005.

 

Lee Latchford-Evans has appeared on UK reality shows The Games, The Match and Celebrity Fear Factor. He is also in a low-key band called The Latch, whose sound deviates greatly from the sound of Steps. It has been confirmed he shall appear in ITV1's Celebrity Love Island.

 

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 November 2004, it was confirmed that MTV had commissioned a reality show following Lisa in the same vein as The Osbournes and Newlyweds. It was called Totally Scott Lee & it aired in the UK in October 2005. As one of the premises of the show, she was challenged to have her next single, 'Electric' debut in the British Top 10 after her previous singles peaked at 6, 11, and 23 respectively. 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. According to her manager, Nathan Moore, Lisa will continue singing and promoting her music in countries such as Japan, Australia, and South Africa.

 

In 2006, Lisa revealed in an interview with an Australian radio station that earlier rumours of a Steps reunion offer are true. She states that at the end of 2005, they were given such an offer, but "the time didn't feel right". Countering arguments that other 90s groups, such as Take That and East 17 were reuniting for tours in the near future, Lisa says that Steps have only been separated for 4 years, while the two forementioned groups have been separated for nearly a decade.

 

 

 

Lisa Scott-Lee's Album

 

 

Discography

 

Albums

 

These are the Codes used in the Tables: UK- United Kingdom, AUS- Australia, NED- Netherlands, GER- Germany, BEL- Belguim, PHI- Philippines, USA- United States.

 

 

Album

UK

AUS

NED

GER

PHI

"Step One" (Jive/Sony-BMG1998)

2

5

28

-

1

"Steptacular" (Jive/Sony-BMG1999)

1

35

48

-

1

"Buzz" (Jive/Sony-BMG2000)

4

-

-

-

3

"Gold - The Greatest Hits" (Jive/Sony-BMG2001)

1

128

-

-

-

"The Last Dance" (Jive/Sony-BMG2002)

57

-

-

-

-

 

 

US Albums

  • Step One

  • Buzz

  • Best Of Steps

 

 

Singles

 

align="left"|"When I Said Goodbye(song)|Summer Of Love" (200)

 

 

Single

UK

AUS

NED

BEL

USA

GER

PHI

"5,6,7,8" (1997)

14

1

22

2

-

-

1

"Last Thing On My Mind" (1998)

6

5

11

1

-

73

7

"One For Sorrow" (1998)

2

31

24

1

-

-

1

"Heartbeat/Tragedy" (1998)

1

10

22

1

18

-

1

"Better Best Forgotten" (1999)

2

-

79

-

-

-

-

"Thank Abba For The Music" (1999)

4

9

-

-

-

-

-

"Love's Got A Hold On My Heart" (1999)

2

25

57

-

-

-

-

"After The Love Has Gone" (1999)

5

47

63

-

-

-

-

"Say You'll Be Mine" (1999)

4

21

47

-

-

-

10

"Deeper Shade Of Blue" (2000)

4

-

-

-

-

-

5

"Stomp" (2000)

1

66

-

-

-

-

-

"It's The Way You Make Me Feel" (2001)

2

-

-

-

-

-

3

"Here And Now/You'll Be Sorry" (2001)

4

71

-

-

-

-

6

"Chain Reaction" (2001)

2

41

-

-

-

-

9

"Words Are Not Enough / I Know Him So Well" (2001)

5

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

 

US Singles

  • "One For Sorrow (US Remix)" (1999)

  • "Tragedy" (2000)

  • Mars & Venus (We Fall in Love Again)" (2001)

In total Steps have sold over 25 million records, including 15 million albums worldwide.

 

B-Sides, Bonus Tracks and Other

  • Words of Wisdom (B-Side - 5,6,7,8)

  • A Love To Last (B-Side - Last Thing On My Mind)

  • Why? (B-Side - Better Best Forgotten)

  • To Be Your Hero (B-Side - Love's Got A Hold On My Heart)

  • In It For Love (B-Side - It's The Way You Make Me Feel)

  • Just Like The First Time (B-Side - You'll Be Sorry Bonus Track - Buzz (Australian Version))

  • Too Busy Thinking About My Baby (A-Side - It's The Way You Make Me Feel Motown Mania)

  • Stop Me From Loving You (B-Side - Chain Reaction)

  • Bittersweet (B-Side - Words Are Not Enough)

  • Human Touch (Bonus Track - Buzz (Asian Version))

  • I Know Him So Well (B-Side - Words Are Not Enough ABBAmania)

  • Lay All Your Love On Me (ABBAmania)

  • Merry Christmas Everybody (Platinum Christmas)

  • Thank ABBA For The Music (Steps, Tina Cousins, Cleopatra, B*witched and Billie - Performed Brits 99) ABBAmania

 

 

LINKS

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

MUSIC INDEX A - Z

 

 

Abba

AC-DC

Aerosmith

A H Rahman

A-ha

Alabama

Alanis Morisette

Alison Kraus

All Saints

American Idol

American Music Awards

Amy Macdonald

Amy Winehouse

Andrew Lloyd Webber

Annie Lennox

Aqua

Arctic Monkeys

Atomic Kitten

Avril Lavigne - Girlfriend Wedding

Bananarama

Band Aid

Backstreet Boys

Babra Streisand

Barry Manilow

Barry White

Bay City Rollers

Beach Boys

Beyonce

Billy Joel

Bing Crosby

Black Sabbath - Ozzy Osbourne

Blondie

Bob Dylan

Bob Geldof

Bob Marley & Wailers

Bon Jovi

Boney M

Boyz II Men

Brenda Lee

Britney Spears - Shaved

Bruce Springsteen

Bryan Adams

Bucks Fizz

Buddy Holly

B'z

Cascada

Celine Dion

Charles Aznavour

Charlotte Church

Chacago

Cheeky Girls

Chemical Brothers

Childrens Songs

Christina Aguilera - Basics

Christina Milian

Chuck Berry

Cindy Lauper

Cliff Richard

Coldplay

Comic Relief

David Bowie

Def Leoppard

Depeche Mode

Destiny's Child

Dire Straits

Dixie Chicks

Dolly Parton

Donna Summer

Duran Duran

Earth Wind and Fire

East Magazine - Eastbounre

Eddie Arnold

Elena Paparizou - Eurovision

Elkie Brooks

Elton John

Elvis Presley

Eminem

Enrique Iglesias

Enya

Eurovision Song Contest

Evanescence

Events - Tents - Moroccan

Fergie

Fleetwood Mac

Flipp's - Pop Funk collection

Foreigner

Frank Sinatra

Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Frankie Laine

Garth Brooks

Gary Numan

Genesis

George Michael

Geri Halliwell

Girl Bands

Girl Groups

Girls Aloud

Glade alternative music festival

Glastonbury

Gloria Estefan

Grace Jones

Grammy Awards

Grant Navy Fireman

Groove Armada

Guns and Roses

Gunther + Sunshine Girls

Gwen Stefani

Haircut 100

Hank Thompson

Hellogoodbye

Her Name in Blood

Hoosiers

Intraverse

Iron Maiden

James Blunt

James Morrison

Janet Jackson

Jean Michel Jarre

Jennifer Lopez

Jessica Simpson

Jethro Tull

Jimi Hendrix

Joel White

John Denver

Johnny Cash

Johnny Mathis

Joni James

Joss Stone

Journey

Juan Thyme

Julia Figueroa

Julio Iglesias

Justin Timberlake

Karaoke    A - Z of UK venues

Kate Bush

Kate Nash

Katie Melua

Kenny Rogers

Kristina Bradford

Kylie Minogue - cancer

Led Zeppelin

Lily Allen

Linda Ronstadt

Lionel Richie

Live Aid

Live Earth Concerts

Live 8

Louis Walsh

Luciano Pavarotti

KISS

Madonna - Films and Video

Mama Hoochie Bang

Mando - Manto

Mariah Carey

Marillion

Max Jasper - Mezzowave

McFly

Meatloaf

Metallica

Michael Bolton

Michael Jackson

Mireille Mathieu

Modern Talking

MTV

My Chemical Romance

Myspace.com - Networking

Nat King Cole

Natasha Bedingfield

National Anthems

Neil Diamond

Nelly Furtado

Nirvana

Oasis

Olivia Newton-John

Paris Hilton

Patti Page

Pearl Jam

Perry Como

Peter Waterman

Petition the Prime Minister

Petula Clarke

Phil Collins

Photography

Pink - Pink Orchid Ltd

Pink Floyd

Pop Idol

Pop Music

Prince

Queen

Reading Music Festival

Record Companies

Record Producers

Ricky Nelson

Rihanna

Robbie Williams

Rod Stewart

Roxette

Roxy Music

Rule Britannia

Santana

Shakira

Shania Twain

Sharon Osbourne

Simon Cowell

Simply Red

Snoop Dog

Songwriting

Spice Girls

Stars in Their Eyes

Steps

Stevie Wonder

Sting - The Police

Stock Aitken Waterman SAW

Sugababes

Terry Wogan

The Bangles

The Beatles

The Bee Gees

The Brit Awards

The Carpenters

The Clash

The Doobie Brothers

The Doors

The Eagles

The Jacksons

The Pussycat Dolls

The Ramones

The Rolling Stones

The Royal Canadians

The Seekers

The Sunshine Girls

The Ventures

The Who

The X Factor

The X Factor 2005

The X Factor 2006

Three Dog Night

Timbaland

Tina Turner

TOP TEN - FORTY CHARTS

Tupac

U2

UB40

USA For Africa

Van Halen

Vibes From the Vine - Concert 06

Vicky Leandros

Victoria Beckham

VW tour bus - Sunshine Girls

Wei Wei

Whitney Houston

Wicked New Year Party - Alps 07

Woodstock

World Idol

X Factor Battle of Stars

YouTube.com

ZZ Top

 

 

 

 

RECORD COMPANIES INDEX A - Z

 

 

BMG

CBS COLUMBIA

CHRYSALIS

EMI

MOTOWN

RCA

SONY

UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP

VIRGIN MUSIC GROUP

WARNER MUSIC GROUP (AOL TIME WARNER)

 

 


 

Steps 3rd Album
Left to Right: Claire, H, Lisa, Faye, Lee

 

 

 

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