The 5 Stairsteps, referred to as “The First Household of Soul,” had been an American Chicago soul group made up of 5 of Betty and Clarence Burke Sr.’s six youngsters: Alohe Jean, Clarence Jr., James, Dennis, and Kenneth “Keni”, and briefly, Cubie. They’re greatest recognized for the 1970 tune “O-o-h Youngster”, listed #392 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Biggest Songs of All Time.
The Chicago group was dubbed “First Household of Soul” due to their profitable five-year chart run; the moniker was later handed on to The Jackson 5. Initially a teenage five-member brothers and sister vocal group made up of the youngsters of Betty and Clarence Burke, The 5 Stairsteps (named by Mrs. Burke who thought her youngsters seemed like stairsteps when lined up in accordance with their age) featured lead singer Clarence Jr., Alohe, James, Dennis, and 13-year-old Kenneth (“Keni”). A lot of the members attended Harlan Excessive College. Clarence Sr. was a detective for the Chicago Police Division. He backed the group on bass guitar, managed them, and co-wrote songs with Clarence Jr. and Gregory Fowler.
After successful first prize in a expertise contest on the Regal Theater, The 5 Stairsteps acquired recording contract affords. A detailed neighbor and household pal was Fred Money of The Impressions, who launched the group to Curtis Mayfield. Signed to Mayfield’s Windy Metropolis imprint, which was distributed by the Philadelphia based mostly Cameo Parkway document label, their first single was Gregory Fowler’s ballad “You Waited Too Lengthy” b/w “Don’t Waste Your Time,” a Mayfield tune. A double-sided hit in Chicago, the A-side, “You Waited Too Lengthy,” charted quantity 16 within the Billboard R&B chart in spring of 1966. Across the finish of 1967, Cameo-Parkway folded and Windy Metropolis switched to Buddah Data by way of former Cameo-Parkway govt Neil Bogart, who joined the brand new label as co-president. The group’s second album, Household Portrait (full with a montage of Burke household pictures), was recorded and produced in Chicago by Clarence Jr. With the addition of their three-year-old brother, the group grew to become The 5 Stairsteps & Cubie. Household Portrait yielded two hit singles, “One thing’s Lacking” and a canopy of Jimmy Charles and the Revelletts’ hit “A Million to One.”
The group typically toured with the Impressions. After signing with Buddah Data, the group was as soon as once more referred to as The 5 Stairsteps.
Within the spring of 1970, the group launched their largest hit, “O-o-h Youngster” (written by Stan Vincent), which hit quantity 14 R&B and quantity eight on the Billboard Sizzling 100. This disc offered over a million copies, and acquired a gold disc awarded by the R.I.A.A. on August 1970.[2] The flip aspect of the only, a canopy of Lennon–McCartney’s “Pricey Prudence,” charted at quantity 49 R&B. The next 12 months, the group resurfaced as The Stairsteps with two charting Buddah singles: “Didn’t It Look So Straightforward” and “I Love You-Cease.”
The group appeared within the 1970 film The Isley Brothers Dwell At Yankee Stadium, a documentary of a profit live performance filmed on the well-known house of the New York Yankees that includes The Isley Brothers, The Brooklyn Bridge and numerous different Buddah Data affiliated artists. Within the early Seventies, the group was recognized merely as The Stairsteps. Alohe was nonetheless with the group. Cubie by no means actually sang with the group, however would develop as much as be a well-liked dancer with the Dance Theater of Harlem and many others. Billy Preston launched The Stairsteps to The Beatles, and the group signed with George Harrison’s Darkish Horse label distributed by A&M Data. Alohe left the group in 1972 to start a non secular journey, and later would attend school, graduate and work at Emory College at which she was additionally a visitor speaker.
An album, Second Resurrection, was launched in February 1976, produced by Preston, Robert Margouleff, and the Stairsteps. “From Us to You,” written by Clarence Jr. and Keni Burke, was the group’s largest hit since “Ooh Youngster,” peaking at quantity ten R&B in early 1976. The follow-up single, “Pasado”, additionally coated by the group Pockets, acquired airplay in Chicago, New York, and different markets. Keni sang, performed bass, and wrote each songs on the third single, “Inform Me Why” b/w “Salaam.” in January 2014, the album was reissued on cd in Europe by the Solaris label, as was Keni Burke’s eponymous Darkish Horse album.
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