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Post by Pete70s on Jan 28, 2007 13:15:19 GMT -5
After a two month hiatus, it's back! This weeks artist is one I've recently taken an interest in, due to the inclusion of several early tracks on the Cameo/Parkway box set which made me look into a greatest hits CD. I really like what I've heard so far.  The Five StairstepsA one-hit wonder to most of the world, This group was, in many ways, the original Jacksons. They had several local hits in their hometown Chicago, and placed over a dozen singles in the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts. The original group consisted of the five offspring of Clarence and Betty Burke, (who dubbed them "Stairsteps" due to their relative heights when lined up according to age). Later, young Cubie was added when he was only three years old, and the group was briefly re-dubbed "The Five Stairsteps and Cubie" for several late-60's singles. Discovered by Curtis Mayfield, who produced their early recordings for his Windy C label, the group had several minor hits between 1966-1969, among them "Come Back", "Danger-She's A Stranger", "You Waited Too Long", and "Something's Missing". In 1970, they scored their biggest crossover success on the Buddah label with "O-O-H Child", a #8 hit that still gets regular rotation on radio today. It has been sampled in rap songs (which I'm not a fan of, but I do appreciate the fact that the song is timeless enough to warrant it). They never attained such success again, however, and would later become affiliated with George Harrison's Dark Horse label, and change their name to "The Invisible Mans Band" scoring a minor hit in 1980. They left behind a legacy of great soul music, though, and deserve investigation beyond their one big hit. |
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Post by KittyKat - RIP Luciano on Jan 29, 2007 18:16:22 GMT -5
I actually recently bought the compilation called "The First Family of Soul: The Best of The Five Stairsteps" because it was on super super sale (I got it new for $3) at the local Tower Records that was going out of business last month.
I knew "Ooh Child" of course, but I can't believe the other gems on there that I'd never heard.
I've really enjoyed the tracks "Don't Change Your Love", "Behind Curtains" and "Something's Missing". I'm not sure why they didn't have more hits.
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Post by Ken on Jan 29, 2007 22:43:51 GMT -5
Very nice to see this return Pete!  I had no idea that The Five Stairsteps were a family group. I only know O-O-Child - but it's a classic - oh yeah! I am very interested in hearing more. I have the song on Ktel's 3 LP set 60 Flashback Greats of The 60's.Back around 2003 I downloaded a cover of O-O- Child that was done by The Posies - and they do a fantastic note for note rendition of the song. |
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Post by Pete70s on Jan 29, 2007 22:46:26 GMT -5
Very nice to see this return Pete! I had no idea that The Five Stairsteps were a family group. I only know O-O-Child - but it's a classic - oh yeah! I am very interested in hearing more. I have the song on Ktel's 3 LP set 60 Flashback Greats of The 60's.Back around 2003 I downloaded a cover of O-O- Child that was done by The Posies - and they do a fantastic note for note rendition of the song. Wow! The Posies covered that? I'd like to hear it! |
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Post by Dawn on Jan 30, 2007 17:33:57 GMT -5
Glad to see this feature return as well, Pete.
It's a shame that this group didn't have more success, as they had a very catchy sound, right in step with the times.
The only hit I've ever heard of theirs on the radio is Ooh Child, but I have mp3s of several of their other songs, and they're quite good. I especially like their version of Dear Prudence. I also have the single of All Night Thing, after they became the Invisible Man's Band.
That's interesting about their being affiliated with the Dark Horse label - I hadn't known that.
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Post by Ken on Jan 30, 2007 18:02:42 GMT -5
Very nice to see this return Pete! I had no idea that The Five Stairsteps were a family group. I only know O-O-Child - but it's a classic - oh yeah! I am very interested in hearing more. I have the song on Ktel's 3 LP set 60 Flashback Greats of The 60's.Back around 2003 I downloaded a cover of O-O- Child that was done by The Posies - and they do a fantastic note for note rendition of the song. Wow! The Posies covered that? I'd like to hear it! Pete, I uploaded an MP3 of the song to the "Music Click" Yahoo group. I'll keep it there for a couple of days, so you can have a chance to listen to it - enjoy |
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Post by Pete70s on Jan 31, 2007 8:07:59 GMT -5
Wow! The Posies covered that? I'd like to hear it! Pete, I uploaded an MP3 of the song to the "Music Click" Yahoo group. I'll keep it there for a couple of days, so you can have a chance to listen to it - enjoy WOW! Great cover! I especially like how they threw in a couple of bars from "Tighter, Tighter" by Alive & Kicking at the end. Got my day off to a good start! Thanks Ken! |
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Post by Ken on Jan 31, 2007 14:46:18 GMT -5
Pete, I uploaded an MP3 of the song to the "Music Click" Yahoo group. I'll keep it there for a couple of days, so you can have a chance to listen to it - enjoy WOW! Great cover! I especially like how they threw in a couple of bars from "Tighter, Tighter" by Alive & Kicking at the end. Got my day off to a good start! Thanks Ken! You're welcome, Pete! |
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Post by H2IZCOOL on Feb 5, 2007 13:05:26 GMT -5
Glad this feature is back, Pete, and now that I'm back as well, I can respond.  I'm really only familiar with Ooh Child, which I love. But I also remember searching through the "cheap 45s" bin in record stores back in the late '60s, and seeing a number of records by The Five Stairsteps and Cubie, including one with a picture sleeve that was the same as (or very similar to) the pic you posted. I had never heard of the group then, and figured they were just another set of wannabies who wound up in the cheap bin. But I distinctly remember thinking the first time I heard Ooh Child that these guys had finally made it, but what happened to poor little Cubie. -- Dumped before they got famous, I guess.  I remember the same phenomenon with the "cheap bin" with a couple other groups - The Moments and the Three Degrees. I think all of these groups had some popularity in the black community and on the R&B charts, but didn't "make it" until they crossed over. |
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Post by Laura--I wuv u all :) on Feb 5, 2007 16:37:34 GMT -5
...But I also remember searching through the "cheap 45s" bin in record stores back in the late '60s... figured they were just another set of wannabies... People actually said "wannabes" back then? I thought that word originated in the '80s. I also heard the word "wannabe" in the movie "JFK" which, although it was made in the '90s, of course takes place in the '60s. So maybe they did say it back then. |
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Post by H2IZCOOL on Feb 5, 2007 16:55:48 GMT -5
...But I also remember searching through the "cheap 45s" bin in record stores back in the late '60s... figured they were just another set of wannabies... People actually said "wannabes" back then? I thought that word originated in the '80s. I also heard the word "wannabe" in the movie "JFK" which, although it was made in the '90s, of course takes place in the '60s. So maybe they did say it back then. Laura, I honestly don't remember if they said wannabes back then or not. I didn't mean to make my comment seem like I was quoting my thought s exactly from back then. It's just that today, the word "wannabe" accurately described what I wanted to say. |
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Post by Pete70s on Feb 24, 2007 18:15:38 GMT -5
I actually recently bought the compilation called "The First Family of Soul: The Best of The Five Stairsteps" because it was on super super sale (I got it new for $3) at the local Tower Records that was going out of business last month. I knew "Ooh Child" of course, but I can't believe the other gems on there that I'd never heard. I've really enjoyed the tracks "Don't Change Your Love", "Behind Curtains" and "Something's Missing". I'm not sure why they didn't have more hits. I got that CD recently. I like it a LOT! |
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