Name: Step One
Brand: Jive (USA)
SKU: 26108
Price: 27.52 SGD
Availability: InStock

Performer Notes

Steps: Faye, Lee, Lisa, Claire, H (vocals).
Additional personnel: Andrew Frampton (various instruments, keyboards, bass, background vocals); Dan Sanders (various instruments); Erwin Keiles (guitar, mandolin); Mark Topham (guitar, bass); Greg Gone, Barry Upton, Dave Williams (guitar); Sean Lyons (banjo); Chris Haigh (violin); Karl Twigg (keyboards); Dan Frampton (bass); Chris McDonnell, Pete Waterman (drums); Mae McKenna, Mary Carewe, Lance Ellington, Bernadette Barlow (background vocals).
Producers: Topham, Twigg, Waterman, Frampton, Sanders.
Engineers include: Jason Barron, Chris McDonnell, Tim "Spag" Speight.
Personnel: Erwin Keiles (guitar, mandolin); Mark Topham (guitar, keyboards); Barry Upton, Greg Bone (guitar); Sean Lyons (banjo); Chris Haig (violin); Tony Coluccio (keyboards, programming); Karl Twigg, Andrew Frampton (keyboards); Chris McDonnell, Pete Waterman (drums); Bernadette Barlow, Mary Carowe, Lance Ellington, Mae McKenna (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Frampton Dan; Tim Speight; Paul Waterman; Les Sharma.
Audio Remixer: Tony Moran.
Photographer: Mike Owen.
At the start of the 21st century, the U.K. was set to invade the American popular-music landscape once again, this time with a band whose producer described them as "Abba on speed." The members of Steps came together from a number of different avenues of entertainment, including theater, cabaret, professional dance, and sports. Assuming cartoonish caricatures in the tradition of the Spice Girls, the members of Steps blend high-energy dance music with emotive vocals.
STEP ONE opens--oddly enough--with a cover of the Bee Gee's classic "Tragedy." While the slickly programmed production doesn't challenge the original arrangement, the powerful lead vocals, which are sung by a woman, suit the song perfectly. "One for Sorrow" and "Last Thing on My Mind" represent poppy Euro-dance fare at its most palatable. STEP ONE's unexpected surprise is "5, 6, 7, 8." The song, which was inspired by the line-dancing craze that swept the UK, melds country-inspired lyrics and fiddle with hard 4/4 dance grooves. STEP ONE also boasts bittersweet mid-tempo ballads like "Stay With Me" and "After the Love Has Gone." The band gets a little funkier and more subdued on "Heartbeat," and takes a crack at American-styled dance music with "Deeper Shade of Blue."

Professional Reviews

Entertainment Weekly (2/18/00, p.86) - "...re-creates the glory days of '80s Euro-bubblegum....most songs come with their own dance routines..." - Rating: B-

Album: Step One
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Tragedy
2)	Say You'll Be Mine
3)	One for Sorrow - (US Mix)
4)	Last Thing on My Mind
5)	5, 6, 7, 8
6)	Stay with Me
7)	Love's Got a Hold on My Heart
8)	After the Love Has Gone
9)	Heartbeat
10)	Deeper Shade of Blue
11)	Better the Devil You Know

Album: Step One
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Tragedy
2)	Say You'll Be Mine
3)	One for Sorrow - (US Mix)
4)	Last Thing on My Mind
5)	5, 6, 7, 8
6)	Stay with Me
7)	Love's Got a Hold on My Heart
8)	After the Love Has Gone
9)	Heartbeat
10)	Deeper Shade of Blue
11)	Better the Devil You Know