Words Are Not Enough/I Know Him So Well

Last updated

"Words Are Not Enough" / "I Know Him So Well"
Stepswords.jpg
Single by Steps
from the album Gold: Greatest Hits
Released3 December 2001 (2001-12-03) [1]
Recorded
  • 1999
  • 2001
Genre Pop
Length3:23
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Steps singles chronology
"Chain Reaction"
(2001)
"Words Are Not Enough" / "I Know Him So Well"
(2001)
"Light Up the World"
(2012)

"Words Are Not Enough" / "I Know Him So Well" is the fifth double A-side single released by British dance-pop musical group Steps. "Words Are Not Enough" is a new composition while "I Know Him So Well" is a cover of the 1984 song by Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson from the musical Chess (1986). Andreas Carlsson and Pelle Nylén wrote the former song while Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Tim Rice wrote the latter. "Words Are Not Enough" was taken from the group's first compilation album, Gold: Greatest Hits (2001), while "I Know Him So Well" appeared on the 1999 ABBAmania tribute album and later Steps' own The Last Dance collection (2002).

Contents

The double A-side charted at number five in the United Kingdom and number 21 in Ireland in December 2001 and was the group's last single to be released before their Boxing Day split later the same month. A music video was made for each song: an animated video for "Words Are Not Enough" and a live video for the ITV ABBAmania performance of "I Know Him So Well".

Chart performance

The single entered the charts at number five in the United Kingdom but fell out of the top 10 to number 14 the following week, making the song their last top-10 hit. It spent eleven weeks in total in the top 75 despite much lower sales than their previous singles. The sales of this single were only equaled by "Here and Now" / "You'll Be Sorry". It also peaked at number 21 in Ireland and was their last single to chart in that country.

Music video

The video for "Words Are Not Enough" was almost fully animated, apart from a brief appearance from the band at the beginning and didn't feature a dance routine much like the rest of their music videos did. The video begins with the real Claire being sucked into a magic mirror and the rest of the band following her. As they enter the magical world, they transform into computer animated characters. Meanwhile, the live Abbamania performance was used for the "I Know Him So Well" video.

Track listings

UK CD single [2]

  1. "Words Are Not Enough" – 3:24
  2. "I Know Him So Well" – 4:14
  3. "Bittersweet" – 3:58
  4. "Words Are Not Enough" (video) – 3:24

UK cassette single [3]

  1. "Words Are Not Enough" – 3:24
  2. "I Know Him So Well" – 4:14
  3. "Bittersweet" – 3:58

Personnel

"Words Are Not Enough"

"I Know Him So Well"

Charts

Related Research Articles

I Know Him So Well

"I Know Him So Well" is a duet from the concept album and subsequent musical Chess by Tim Rice, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. It was originally sung by Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson. In this duet, two women – Svetlana, the Russian chess champion's estranged wife, and Florence, his mistress – express their bittersweet feelings for him and at seeing their relationships fall apart.

<i>Gold: Greatest Hits</i> (Steps album) 2001 compilation album by Steps

Gold: Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits album released by British pop group Steps. It was released in 2001 and reached number one on the UK Albums Chart. The lead single from the album was "Chain Reaction", a cover of the Diana Ross hit; the Steps' version reached number 2 in the UK Singles chart and was the group's highest selling single since "Say You'll Be Mine/Better The Devil You Know". The second single from the album, the slow ballad "Words Are Not Enough", was released with a cover of "I Know Him So Well", from ABBAmania. The single was notably Steps' first single to have an accompanying video that was almost fully animated and did not feature a dance routine like their video for "Heartbeat". The single reached number 5 in the UK charts and was their lowest-selling single to date. A release for "Baby Don't Dance" was planned for 2002 but was scrapped due to the group's split although promotional copies surfaced before the release of The Last Dance.

Stomp (Steps song) 2000 single by Steps

"Stomp" is a song by British pop group Steps, released as a single on 16 October 2000. The song features an orchestral riff from "Everybody Dance", released by Chic in 1978. "Stomp" was the group's second and final single to hit number one on the UK Singles Chart. The track was later released in Australia, Japan, and Europe.

One for Sorrow (song) 1998 single by Steps

"One for Sorrow" is a song by British pop-dance group Steps, released as the third single from their debut album, Step One (1998). It also became the quintet's first single to reach the top five on the UK Singles Chart. Debuting at number two and spending 11 weeks on the UK chart, the song established Steps's intention to revive the ABBA sound, striking a considerable resemblance to their 1980 hit "The Winner Takes It All". A remixed version became their debut US single in 1999 and was featured on the Drive Me Crazy film soundtrack. It became Steps' only single to appear on any US Billboard chart, peaking at number 38 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart in October 1999.

Better Best Forgotten 1999 single by Steps

"Better Best Forgotten" is a song by British pop group Steps, released on 8 March 1999. It was the final single to be taken from their debut album, Step One. The song became the group's fourth top-10 hit in the UK, peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart, and it also reached the top 20 in Ireland and the Flanders region of Belgium.

Loves Got a Hold on My Heart 1999 single by Steps

"Love's Got a Hold on My Heart" is a song by British pop music group Steps. It was released as the lead single from the band's second album, Steptacular (1999). The song features Faye Tozer and Claire Richards on lead vocals. The single peaked at number two in the United Kingdom and became a top-20 hit in Finland, Flanders, Ireland, and New Zealand.

Its the Way You Make Me Feel 2001 single by Steps

"It's the Way You Make Me Feel" is a song by British dance-pop group Steps, released as their 12th single on 1 January 2001. It is the second track to be released from their third album, Buzz, and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. This was the first song the band performed following their official reformation in October 2011. The single's B-side, a cover of Marvin Gaye's "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby", was taken from the Motown Mania compilation.

Chain Reaction (Diana Ross song) 1985 single by Diana Ross

"Chain Reaction" is a song by American singer Diana Ross, released on November 12, 1985, as the second single from her sixteenth studio album Eaten Alive. The song was written by the Bee Gees and contains additional vocals from Barry Gibb. Sonically, "Chain Reaction" is an R&B and dance-pop song. According to the Gibbs' biography, the brothers had initial reservations about offering the song to Ross in case it was too Motown-like for her.

Say Youll Be Mine (Steps song) 1999 single by Steps

"Say You'll Be Mine" is a song by British dance-pop group Steps, released as a double A-side with a cover version of Kylie Minogue's "Better the Devil You Know". Steps' cover of "Better the Devil You Know" was later included as the opening track on their third studio album, Buzz (2000), but did not serve as a lead single. A limited-edition single was released as a digipack that was included with a doubled-sided poster in the sleeve. The song is the first to feature all five members on lead vocals.

Deeper Shade of Blue 2000 single by Steps

"Deeper Shade of Blue" is a song by British dance-pop group Steps, released as the band's ninth single. It is an uptempo pop song about the darker side of life and an attempt to break free. It was the fifth song to be released from the group's second studio album, Steptacular (1999). The song was originally recorded by Tina Cousins, but, aside from a few promotional 12-inch records, her version remains unreleased. The song entered the UK Singles Chart at number four and spent one more week in the top 10 before falling down the charts. After a total of nine weeks, it left the top 100.

When I Said Goodbye / Summer of Love 2000 single by Steps

"When I Said Goodbye" / "Summer of Love" is a double A-side single released by British pop music group Steps. "When I Said Goodbye" is taken from their second studio album, Steptacular (1999), while "Summer of Love" was a previously unavailable track, later included on their third album, Buzz (2000). Following its release on 3 July 2000, the double A-side peaked at number five in the United Kingdom and number 18 in Ireland.

5,6,7,8 1997 single by Steps

"5,6,7,8" is a song by British group Steps from their debut studio album, Step One (1998). It is a techno-pop and country pop song written Barry Upton and Steve Crosby, and produced by Karl Twigg, Mark Topham and Pete Waterman. It was released as their debut single in November 1997 following their being put together after each group member responded to a magazine advert looking for people to audition to be in a pop band.

Heartbeat/Tragedy 1998 single by Steps

"Heartbeat" / "Tragedy" is the fourth single released by British pop group Steps. "Heartbeat", written by Jackie James, was the first ballad released as a single by the group. The double A-side reached number one in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. The video for "Tragedy", originally a hit written and performed by the Bee Gees, contained the dance step of putting both hands parallel to the sides of the head in time with the word 'Tragedy', which became a trademark of the group.

Thank ABBA for the Music 1999 single by Steps, Tina Cousins, Cleopatra, B*Witched and Billie

"Thank ABBA for the Music" is a medley of songs originally released by pop group ABBA, performed by Steps, Tina Cousins, Cleopatra, B*Witched and Billie. The medley consists of "Take a Chance on Me", "Dancing Queen", "Mamma Mia", and "Thank You for the Music". It was originally performed during the 1999 Brit Awards, which occurred on 16 February, and its release coincided with the debut of the ABBA musical Mamma Mia!. The medley peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart in April 1999 and reached the top 10 in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and Sweden.

Steps discography

The discography of UK dance-pop group Steps, contains seven studio albums, seven compilation albums and thirty-two singles.

After the Love Has Gone (Steps song) 1999 single by Steps

"After the Love Has Gone" is a song by Steps, released as their seventh single, and the third from their second album Steptacular. The track continues the group's pop sound but has clear Asian musical influences. Claire Richards provides lead vocals.

Light Up the World (Steps song) 2012 single by Steps

"Light Up The World" is the sixteenth single from the British group Steps, released in 2012 to promote their fourth studio album Light Up the World. The track saw the group reunited with long term collaborators Topham & Twigg. The single failed to live up to the group's previous success and missed the UK top 75 entirely, charting at number 82 - breaking their string of top 5 hits that they achieved between 1998 and 2001.

Scared of the Dark 2017 single by Steps

"Scared of the Dark" is a song recorded by British group Steps for their fifth studio album, Tears on the Dancefloor (2017). On 6 March 2017, the group announced their twentieth anniversary celebrations in the form of a new single, album and accompanying tour. "Scared of the Dark" premiered on The Ken Bruce Show on BBC Radio 2 on 9 March, and was released as the lead single from the album the following day. It is a disco song written by Carl Ryden and Fiona Bevan and performed mostly by band members Claire Richards and Faye Tozer. It garnered rave reviews from music critics, many of whom praised Steps for deliberately not conforming to current musical trends and for sticking to their original sound but with a modern feel. Within twelve hours of release, it reached number one on the iTunes Store in the United Kingdom, and debuted at number 37 on the UK Singles Chart.

"Story of a Heart" is a song co-written by Swedish musicians Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and recorded by Benny Andersson's Band for their first compilation album of the same name (2009); it features vocals from Swedish singer Helen Sjöholm. British group Steps covered the song for their fifth studio album, Tears on the Dancefloor (2017). It was released as the second single from the album in the form of a remix EP on 12 May 2017, with a radio release slated for 16 June.

References

  1. "New Releases – For Week Starting December 3, 2001: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 1 December 2001. p. 23. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  2. Words Are Not Enough / I Know Him So Well (UK CD single liner notes). Steps. Jive Records, Ebul Records. 2001. 9201452.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. Words Are Not Enough / I Know Him So Well (UK cassette single sleeve). Steps. Jive Records, Ebul Records. 2001. 9201454.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 19, no. 52. 22 December 2002. p. 23. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  5. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Words Are Not Enough". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  6. "Arhiva romanian top 100 – Editia 3, saptamina 21.01–27.01, 2002" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on 13 February 2005. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  7. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  8. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  9. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  10. "The Official UK Singles Chart 2001" (PDF). UKChartsPlus . Retrieved 22 November 2018.