Step One

Last updated

Step One
StepOne.jpg
Studio album by
Released14 September 1998
Recorded1997–1998
StudioPWL Studios (London & Manchester)
Genre
Length39:08
Label Jive
Producer
  • Mark Topham
  • Karl Twigg
  • Pete Waterman
  • Andrew Frampton
  • Dan Sanders
  • W.I.P
Steps chronology
Step One
(1998)
Steptacular
(1999)
Singles from Step One
  1. "5,6,7,8"
    Released: 27 November 1997
  2. "Last Thing on My Mind"
    Released: 17 April 1998
  3. "One for Sorrow"
    Released: 31 August 1998
  4. "Heartbeat/Tragedy"
    Released: 6 November 1998
  5. "Better Best Forgotten"
    Released: 8 March 1999
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Answers.com Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [2]
DooYoo.co.ukStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]

Step One is the debut album by British pop group Steps. It was released in the UK and Europe on 14 September 1998. The album charted at number two on the UK Albums Chart upon its release, going on to spend 64 weeks in the chart. It was beaten to number one by This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours by Manic Street Preachers, who also beat Steps' single "One for Sorrow" to number one on the UK Singles Chart with the song "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next". In February 2000, the album was re-released in the US, containing songs from both Step One and its successor, Steptacular . The tracks "5,6,7,8", "Last Thing on My Mind", "One for Sorrow", "Heartbeat" and "Better Best Forgotten" were released as the singles in UK. In 2000, the album was certified 5× Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry, and has sold over 1.4 million copies in the UK. [4]

Contents

The album contains some covers; "Last Thing on My Mind" was originally released in the 1980s as a single by British girl group Bananarama, while "Love U More" was originally recorded by techno/house band Sunscreem. "Experienced" was originally recorded by boybands The Bario Boys & Worlds Apart, and "Stay With Me" appears on Romeo's Daughters' self-titled début album. "Tragedy", which was recorded for a Bee Gees tribute album, was paired with "Heartbeat" as a winter holiday double A-side single (included on the group's second album, Steptacular ), but is also featured as a bonus track on some international editions of this album.

The album was reissued on vinyl for the first time ever in February 2024. [5] [6] It debuted at number 6 on the UK Vinyl Albums Chart. [7]

Track listing

Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Steptro"
  • Mark Topham
  • Karl Twigg
  • Waterman
0:56
2."Last Thing on My Mind"
  • Stock
  • Waterman
  • Dallin
  • Woodward
  • Topham
  • Twigg
  • Waterman
3:04
3."5,6,7,8"
  • Topham
  • Twigg
  • Waterman
3:22
4."One for Sorrow"
  • Topham
  • Twigg
  • Waterman
4:20
5."Heartbeat" Jackie James
  • Andrew Frampton
  • Waterman
4:24
6."This Heart Will Love Again"
  • Frampton
  • Waterman
  • Dan Sanders
  • Frampton
  • Waterman
3:48
7."Experienced" (H solo)
  • Stock
  • Waterman
  • Frampton
  • Waterman
3:27
8."Too Weak to Resist" (H solo)
  • Frampton
  • Waterman
  • Frampton
  • Waterman
3:50
9."Better Best Forgotten"
  • Frampton
  • Waterman
  • Topham
  • Twigg
  • Waterman
3:42
10."Back to You"
  • Topham
  • Twigg
  • Topham
  • Twigg
  • Waterman
4:04
11."Love U More"
  • Lucia Holm
  • Paul Cannell
Work in Progress3:57
12."Stay with Me"
  • Sanders
  • Waterman
4:04
Australian bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."One for Sorrow" (W.I.P. remix)
  • Topham
  • Twigg
  • Ellington
  • Topham
  • Twigg
  • Waterman
  • W.I.P.
6:53
14."Tragedy" (Hidden track)
  • Topham
  • Twigg
  • Waterman
4:30
Japanese bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Tragedy"
  • B. Gibb
  • R. Gibb
  • M. Gibb
  • Topham
  • Twigg
  • Waterman
 
14."5,6,7,8" (W.I.P. remix)
  • Upton
  • Crosby
  • Topham
  • Twigg
  • Waterman
  • W.I.P.
 
15."One for Sorrow" (W.I.P. remix)
  • Topham
  • Twigg
  • Ellington
  • Topham
  • Twigg
  • Waterman
  • W.I.P.
 
16."Better Best Forgotten" (W.I.P. remix)
  • Frampton
  • Waterman
  • Topham
  • Twigg
  • Waterman
  • W.I.P.
 

American release

Steps’ North American debut album, released in 2000, was also (somewhat confusingly) titled Step One, yet it features a different song selection than their original album of the same name. At just eleven tracks, the American edition is primarily made-up of the group’s “standout” singles, selected from both their debut album (Step One) and their second album (Steptacular).

Notably, the popular "Better Best Forgotten" was not included on this version; instead, a cover of Kylie Minogue’s 1990 single "Better the Devil You Know" was featured. Additionally, most of the “filler” tracks from the group’s original two albums were omitted, with the American release (essentially) being interpreted as a "best-of" collection for the first two years of Steps’ career, 1998 through 2000. The American edition also utilises the cover artwork from their original second album, Steptacular. The original mix of "One for Sorrow" was omitted in-favour of Tony Moran’s remix, the same version to receive airplay on American radio.

Standard edition
No.TitleLength
1."Tragedy" (BeeGees)4:30
2."Say You'll Be Mine"3:33
3."One for Sorrow" (US Mix)3:30
4."Last Thing on My Mind"3:05
5."5, 6, 7, 8"3:23
6."Stay with Me"4:05
7."Love's Got a Hold on My Heart"3:20
8."After the Love Has Gone"4:35
9."Heartbeat"4:25
10."Deeper Shade of Blue"4:16
11."Better the Devil You Know" (Stock Aitken Waterman)3:48
US singles
  1. "One for Sorrow" (US Mix)
  2. "Tragedy"

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [26] Platinum70,000^
Belgium (BEA) [27] 2× Platinum100,000*
Japan (RIAJ) [28] Gold100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [29] Platinum15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [30] 5× Platinum1,402,303 [4]
United States200,000 [31]
Summaries
Europe (IFPI) [32] Platinum1,000,000*
Worldwide2,500,000 [33]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

CountryRelease dateFormatLabelCatalogue
United Kingdom [34] 14 September 1998Standard edition (CD) Jive / EBUL 015911-2
Standard edition (cassette)015911-4
Australia [34] 14 September 1998Limited edition (CD + Dance routine booklet)Jive / Liberation MUSH33147-2
Hong Kong [34] 14 September 1998Limited edition (CD + VCD)Rock (HK)ROD-9115
Indonesia [34] 14 September 1998Standard edition (CD) Zomba Z-CD-0110798
Netherlands [34] 14 September 1998Jive / EBUL015911-2
Japan [34] 1 January 1999Jive / AVEXAVCZ-95107
Germany [34] 2 March 1999Jive / EBUL
Canada [34] 9 July 199901241-44149-2
United States [34] 8 February 2000Jive01241-41688-4
Brazil [34] 21 August 200001241-41635-2
Worldwide23 February 2024Vinyl

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  2. Answers.com review
  3. DooYoo.co.uk review
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