The Five Stairsteps
Encyclopedia
The Five Stairsteps, known as "The First Family of Soul", were an American
Chicago soul
group
made up of five of Betty and Clarence Burke Sr.'s six children: Alohe Jean, Clarence Jr., James, Dennis, and Kenneth "Keni"
, and briefly, Cubie. They are best known for the 1970 song "O-o-h Child
", listed #392 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
. Initially a teenage five-member brothers and sister vocal group made up of the offspring of Betty and Clarence Burke, The Five Stairsteps (named by Mrs. Burke who thought her kids looked like stair steps when lined up according to their age) featured lead singer Clarence Jr., Alohe, James, Dennis, and 13-year-old Kenneth ("Keni"). Most of the members attended Harlan High School. Clarence Sr. was a detective for the Chicago Police Department
. He backed the group on bass guitar
, managed them, and co-wrote songs with Clarence Jr. and Gregory Fowler.
After winning first prize in a talent contest at the Regal Theater
, The Five Stairsteps were beset with recording contract
offers. A close neighbor and family friend was Fred Cash
of The Impressions, who introduced the group to Curtis Mayfield
. Signed to Mayfield's Windy City imprint, which was distributed by the Philadelphia based Cameo Parkway record label
, their first single
was Gregory Fowler's penned ballad
"You Waited Too Long" b/w "Don't Waste Your Time," a Mayfield song. A double-sided hit in Chicago, the A-side
, "You Waited Too Long," charted number 16 in the Billboard
R&B
chart
in spring of 1966. Around the end of 1967, Cameo-Parkway folded and Windy City switched to Buddah Records
through former Cameo-Parkway executive Neil Bogart
, who joined the new label as co-president. The group's second album, Family Portrait (complete with a montage of Burke family photos), was recorded and produced in Chicago
by Clarence Jr. With the addition of their three-year-old brother, the group became The Five Stairsteps & Cubie. Family Portrait yielded two hit singles, "Something's Missing" and a cover
of Jimmy Charles
and the Revelletts' hit "A Million to One
." The group often toured with the Impressions. After signing with Buddah Records, the group was once again known as The Five Stairsteps.
In the spring of 1970, the group released their biggest hit, "O-o-h Child
" (written by Stan Vincent), which hit number 14 R&B and number eight on the Billboard Hot 100
. This disc
sold over one million copies, and received a gold disc
awarded by the R.I.A.A.
on August 1970.
The flip side of the single, a cover of Lennon/McCartney
's "Dear Prudence
," charted at number 49 R&B. The following year, the group resurfaced as The Stairsteps with two charting Buddah singles: "Didn't It Look So Easy" and "I Love You-Stop." The group appeared in the 1970 movie
The Isley Brothers Live At Yankee Stadium, a documentary of a benefit concert filmed at the famous home of the New York Yankees
featuring The Isley Brothers
, The Brooklyn Bridge
and various other Buddah Records affiliated artists. In the early 1970s, the group was known simply as The Stairsteps. Alohe was still with the group. Cubie never really sang with the group, but would grow up to be a popular dancer with the Dance Theater of Harlem etc. (NOTE: Cubie 'sang' lead on 'New Dance Craze' which was the B-Side of 1968's, 'Don't Change Your Love' - Julius Freeman) Billy Preston
introduced The Stairsteps to The Beatles
, and the group signed with George Harrison
's Dark Horse label distributed by A&M Records
. Alohe left the group in 1972 to begin a spiritual journey, and later would attend college, graduate and work at Emory University at which she was also a guest speaker. An album, Second Resurrection, was released 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 biggest hit since "Ooh Child," peaking at number ten R&B in early 1976. The follow-up single, "Passado", also covered by the group Pockets, received airplay in Chicago, New York, and other markets. Keni sang, played bass, and wrote both songs on the third single, "Tell Me Why" b/w "Salaam."
, Natalie Cole
, Billy Preston
, Les McCann
, the Emotions
, Raffi
and The Four Tops to Redman, Terry Callier
, Stargard
, Curtis Mayfield
, Bill Withers
, Linda Clifford
, Silk
, Narada Michael Walden
, Ramsey Lewis
, Dusty Springfield
, Diana Ross
and Gladys Knight
. He appeared as part of Bill Withers
' band for around this time and co-produced his album, Menagerie, which included the hit single "Lovely Day
."
/synth player
Dean Gant to record an album under the moniker The Invisible Man's Band. Featured on this self-titled debut, released in 1980 by Island Records
, was the heavily disco
fied hit, "All Night Thing," which returned the Burke brothers to the top ten on the R&B charts. The tune also cracked the top 50 on the pop charts
. Several other singles were released from this album throughout 1980, but they couldn't replicate the success of the first hit.
The following year, the band switched over to the Boardwalk
label to release a follow-up album, Really Wanna See You. While the title track and "Rated X" one of which Bassist Paris "Peewee" Ford (Rick James,BB&Q band etc,) played bass on were released as singles, neither single made an impression on the charts, and the album was not nearly as successful as its predecessor.
While no further full-length albums were released under the "Invisible Man's Band" name, the group would later release one final single, "Sunday Afternoon," under the Move 'N Groove Record Label in 1983.
by Doug E. Fresh ("Keep Risin' to the Top"), Mary J. Blige ("Love No Limit") and Ali ("Feelin' You.")
The second Changes single was "Shakin'." Changes is also notable because it includes one of the last songs by Philadelphia songwriter Linda Creed
(co-written with Thom Bell
), the mid-tempo ballad "One Minute More." Burke worked as a writer/producer (frequently with keyboardist Dean Gant and former Average White Band drummer Steve Ferrone
) with The O'Jays
, The Jones Girls
, The Whispers
, Keith Sweat
, George Howard
, Peabo Bryson
, Bill Withers
, and Perri
, among others. After meeting Expansion Records executive Ralph Tee at a Berwick Soul Weekender, Burke signed with the Sony
distributed UK label. Nothin' But Love was his first album for the label and was released in March 1998. The first 12" single was "I Need Your Love" with vocals by Burke's son, Osaze "Ozzie" Burke.
, New York
. Clarence Newton Burke, Jr. still writes and produces and has begun touring. James M. is drawing and painting. Dennis has a recording studio in his home. Keni is still writing and producing others and also has begun touring, and Cubie is teaching dance. In 1982, Cubie released the 12-inch single, "Dance For Double" on the Rissa Chrissa label. Clarence N. Burke, Sr. is a property manager and recently appeared in a play of Driving Miss Daisy. Plans for a possible reunion with at least 3 of the brothers are currently being discussed.
Of these three, Len writes original poetry and music and is following in his older siblings footsteps with a new group named lenburke.http://www.myspace.com/lenburke
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Chicago soul
Chicago soul
Chicago soul is a style of soul music that arose during the 1960s in Chicago. Along with Detroit, the home of Motown, and Memphis, with its hard-edged, gritty performers , Chicago and the Chicago soul style helped spur the album-oriented soul revolution of the early 1970s.The sound of Chicago...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
made up of five of Betty and Clarence Burke Sr.'s six children: Alohe Jean, Clarence Jr., James, Dennis, and Kenneth "Keni"
Keni Burke
Kenneth M. Burke , better known as Keni Burke, is an American R&B, soul, funk, and jazz singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist who began his career as a member of the 1970s soul outfit, the Five Stairsteps.-Five Stairsteps:As a member of the Five Stairsteps, Burke wrote the...
, and briefly, Cubie. They are best known for the 1970 song "O-o-h Child
O-o-h Child
"O-o-h Child" is a seminal 1970 single recorded and released by Chicago soul family group the Five Stairsteps, who released it on the Buddah label. Written by Stan Vincent and included on the band's The Stairsteps album from 1970, it has become the Stairsteps' signature song and has inspired more...
", listed #392 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
History
The Chicago group was dubbed "First Family of Soul" because of their successful five-year chart run; the moniker was later passed on to The Jackson 5The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
. Initially a teenage five-member brothers and sister vocal group made up of the offspring of Betty and Clarence Burke, The Five Stairsteps (named by Mrs. Burke who thought her kids looked like stair steps when lined up according to their age) featured lead singer Clarence Jr., Alohe, James, Dennis, and 13-year-old Kenneth ("Keni"). Most of the members attended Harlan High School. Clarence Sr. was a detective for the Chicago Police Department
Chicago Police Department
The Chicago Police Department, also known as the CPD, is the principal law enforcement agency of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States, under the jurisdiction of the Mayor of Chicago. It is the largest police department in the Midwest and the second largest local law enforcement agency in the...
. He backed the group on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, managed them, and co-wrote songs with Clarence Jr. and Gregory Fowler.
After winning first prize in a talent contest at the Regal Theater
Regal Theater, South Side (Chicago)
The Regal Theater, located in the heart of Bronzeville, was an important night club and music venue in Chicago.Part of the Balaban and Katz chain, the lavishly decorated venue, with plush carpeting and velvet drapes featured some of the most celebrated black entertainers in America.The Regal also...
, The Five Stairsteps were beset with recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
offers. A close neighbor and family friend was Fred Cash
Fred Cash
Fred Cash is an African-American soul singer. He is best known for being a member of the successful group The Impressions, a group in which he replaced Jerry Butler in 1960. Cash was an original member of the Roosters , the group that later evolved into The Impressions. After leaving the group for...
of The Impressions, who introduced the group to Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
. Signed to Mayfield's Windy City imprint, which was distributed by the Philadelphia based Cameo Parkway record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, their first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
was Gregory Fowler's penned ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
"You Waited Too Long" b/w "Don't Waste Your Time," a Mayfield song. A double-sided hit in Chicago, the A-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
, "You Waited Too Long," charted number 16 in the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
in spring of 1966. Around the end of 1967, Cameo-Parkway folded and Windy City switched to Buddah Records
Buddah Records
Buddah Records was founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's founding...
through former Cameo-Parkway executive Neil Bogart
Neil Bogart
Neil Bogart was an American record executive. He is perhaps best known as the founder of Casablanca Records, with Peter Guber....
, who joined the new label as co-president. The group's second album, Family Portrait (complete with a montage of Burke family photos), was recorded and produced in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
by Clarence Jr. With the addition of their three-year-old brother, the group became The Five Stairsteps & Cubie. Family Portrait yielded two hit singles, "Something's Missing" and a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Jimmy Charles
Jimmy Charles
Jimmy Charles, was an American singer with a distinctive "crying style".Charles was born in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1943. Before he sang professionally, he built up quite a local reputation wailing at churches and community functions....
and the Revelletts' hit "A Million to One
A Million to One
"A Million to One" is a song written by Phil Medley and first recorded by Jimmy Charles on his 1960 album The Age for Love. It peaked at #5 on a Promo single.-Covers:...
." The group often toured with the Impressions. After signing with Buddah Records, the group was once again known as The Five Stairsteps.
In the spring of 1970, the group released their biggest hit, "O-o-h Child
O-o-h Child
"O-o-h Child" is a seminal 1970 single recorded and released by Chicago soul family group the Five Stairsteps, who released it on the Buddah label. Written by Stan Vincent and included on the band's The Stairsteps album from 1970, it has become the Stairsteps' signature song and has inspired more...
" (written by Stan Vincent), which hit number 14 R&B and number eight on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. This disc
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
sold over one million copies, and received a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
awarded by the R.I.A.A.
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
on August 1970.
The flip side of the single, a cover of Lennon/McCartney
Lennon/McCartney
The Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership is one of the best-known and most successful musical collaborations in history...
's "Dear Prudence
Dear Prudence
"Dear Prudence" is a song written by John Lennon, and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released by The Beatles as the second track on their 1968 double-disc album entitled The Beatles, commonly known as The White Album.-Composition:...
," charted at number 49 R&B. The following year, the group resurfaced as The Stairsteps with two charting Buddah singles: "Didn't It Look So Easy" and "I Love You-Stop." The group appeared in the 1970 movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
The Isley Brothers Live At Yankee Stadium, a documentary of a benefit concert filmed at the famous home of the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
featuring The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper...
, The Brooklyn Bridge
Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge
Johnny Maestro and The Brooklyn Bridge is an American musical group, best known for their million selling rendition of Jimmy Webb's "The Worst That Could Happen" .-History:...
and various other Buddah Records affiliated artists. In the early 1970s, the group was known simply as The Stairsteps. Alohe was still with the group. Cubie never really sang with the group, but would grow up to be a popular dancer with the Dance Theater of Harlem etc. (NOTE: Cubie 'sang' lead on 'New Dance Craze' which was the B-Side of 1968's, 'Don't Change Your Love' - Julius Freeman) Billy Preston
Billy Preston
William Everett "Billy" Preston was a musician who gained notoriety and fame, first as a session musician for the likes of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and The Beatles, and later finding fame as a solo artist with hits such as "Space Race", "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing from...
introduced The Stairsteps to The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, and the group signed with George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
's Dark Horse label distributed by A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
. Alohe left the group in 1972 to begin a spiritual journey, and later would attend college, graduate and work at Emory University at which she was also a guest speaker. An album, Second Resurrection, was released in February 1976, produced by Preston, Robert Margouleff, and the Stairsteps. "From Us to You," written by Clarence Jr. and Keni Burke
Keni Burke
Kenneth M. Burke , better known as Keni Burke, is an American R&B, soul, funk, and jazz singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist who began his career as a member of the 1970s soul outfit, the Five Stairsteps.-Five Stairsteps:As a member of the Five Stairsteps, Burke wrote the...
, was the group's biggest hit since "Ooh Child," peaking at number ten R&B in early 1976. The follow-up single, "Passado", also covered by the group Pockets, received airplay in Chicago, New York, and other markets. Keni sang, played bass, and wrote both songs on the third single, "Tell Me Why" b/w "Salaam."
Disbanded
After the Stairsteps disbanded, Keni remained with Dark Horse as a solo artist. His self-produced debut solo LP, Keni Burke, was released in August 1977. The singles were "Keep on Singing" and "From Me to You," an instrumental answer to "From Us to You." Becoming an in-demand session bass player, he can be heard on everyone from Sly & the Family StoneSly & the Family Stone
Sly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music...
, Natalie Cole
Natalie Cole
Natalie Maria Cole , is an American singer, songwriter and performer. The daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, Cole rode to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be ", "Inseparable" and "Our Love"...
, Billy Preston
Billy Preston
William Everett "Billy" Preston was a musician who gained notoriety and fame, first as a session musician for the likes of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and The Beatles, and later finding fame as a solo artist with hits such as "Space Race", "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing from...
, Les McCann
Les McCann
Les McCann is an American soul jazz piano player and vocalist whose biggest successes came as a crossover artist into R&B and soul.-Biography:...
, the Emotions
The Emotions
The Emotions are an American all female soul and R&B singing group. The group was formed in its current hometown of Chicago, Illinois originally consisting of the three Hutchinson sisters, all the children of Joseph and Lillian Hutchinson....
, Raffi
Raffi (musician)
Raffi Cavoukian, CM, OBC , better known by his stage name Raffi, is a Canadian-Armenian singer-songwriter, author, essayist and lecturer...
and The Four Tops to Redman, Terry Callier
Terry Callier
Terrence O. Callier, known as Terry Callier is an American jazz, soul and folk guitarist and singer-songwriter.-Life and career:...
, Stargard
Stargard (band)
Stargard was an American three-piece female funk band, consisting of original members Rochelle Runnells, Debra Anderson, and Janice Williams. Stargard was best known for their 1977 Norman Whitfield-penned hit song " Which Way Is Up?" which served as a theme for the movie of the same name starring...
, Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
, Bill Withers
Bill Withers
William Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands"...
, Linda Clifford
Linda Clifford
Linda Clifford is an American R&B, disco and house music singer and actress, who scored hits from the 1970s to the 1980s, most notably "If My Friends Could See Me Now", "Bridge over Troubled Water", "Runaway Love" and "Red Light"....
, Silk
Silk (group)
Silk is an American R&B group, formed in 1989 in Atlanta, Georgia.-Career:Silk are best known for their hit singles, "Happy Days", "Freak Me" from their debut album, Lose Control. Another hit from Lose Control, "Girl U For Me", helped the album reach double platinum status...
, Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden is an American producer, drummer, singer, and songwriter. He was given the name Narada by guru Sri Chinmoy in the early 1970s and his musical career spans three decades, in which he was awarded several gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards...
, Ramsey Lewis
Ramsey Lewis
Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis, Jr. is an American jazz composer, pianist and radio personality. Ramsey Lewis has recorded over 80 albums and has received seven gold records and three Grammy Awards so far in his career.-Biography:...
, Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
, Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
and Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
. He appeared as part of Bill Withers
Bill Withers
William Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands"...
' band for around this time and co-produced his album, Menagerie, which included the hit single "Lovely Day
Lovely Day (song)
"Lovely Day" is a song by American soul and R&B singer Bill Withers. Published in 1977 , the song was written by Withers and Skip Scarborough and appears on Withers' 1978 album Menagerie....
."
The Invisible Man's Band
In 1979, Keni teamed up with brothers Clarence, Jr. (who first had the idea to form a new group); James; and Dennis along with keyboardistKeyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
/synth player
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
Dean Gant to record an album under the moniker The Invisible Man's Band. Featured on this self-titled debut, released in 1980 by Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
, was the heavily disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
fied hit, "All Night Thing," which returned the Burke brothers to the top ten on the R&B charts. The tune also cracked the top 50 on the pop charts
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. Several other singles were released from this album throughout 1980, but they couldn't replicate the success of the first hit.
The following year, the band switched over to the Boardwalk
Boardwalk Records
Boardwalk Records was a record label founded by Neil Bogart in 1980, after PolyGram acquired his Casablanca Records. The label had a huge hit act with Joan Jett before Neil Bogart died of cancer in 1982...
label to release a follow-up album, Really Wanna See You. While the title track and "Rated X" one of which Bassist Paris "Peewee" Ford (Rick James,BB&Q band etc,) played bass on were released as singles, neither single made an impression on the charts, and the album was not nearly as successful as its predecessor.
While no further full-length albums were released under the "Invisible Man's Band" name, the group would later release one final single, "Sunday Afternoon," under the Move 'N Groove Record Label in 1983.
Keni Burke resumes solo work
Later in 1981, Burke got a new solo album deal with RCA Records. The self-produced LP You're the Best included the singles, "Let Somebody Love You" and the title track "You're the Best." His next RCA album, 1982's Changes, yielded his biggest solo hit, "Risin' to the Top," which peaked at number 63 R&B in late summer 1982. "Risin' to the Top" has been sampledSampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
by Doug E. Fresh ("Keep Risin' to the Top"), Mary J. Blige ("Love No Limit") and Ali ("Feelin' You.")
The second Changes single was "Shakin'." Changes is also notable because it includes one of the last songs by Philadelphia songwriter Linda Creed
Linda Creed
Linda Creed also known by her married name Linda Epstein, was an American singer-songwriter and lyricist who teamed up with songwriter-producer Thom Bell to produce some of the most successful Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s.-Career:Born in Philadelphia in 1949, Creed was raised in the...
(co-written with Thom Bell
Thom Bell
Thomas Randolph "Thom" Bell is an American songwriter and producer, best known as one of the creators of the Philadelphia style of soul music in the 1970s. He moved to Philadelphia as a child.-Biography:...
), the mid-tempo ballad "One Minute More." Burke worked as a writer/producer (frequently with keyboardist Dean Gant and former Average White Band drummer Steve Ferrone
Steve Ferrone
Steven "Steve" Ferrone is a British drummer.He was a member of the Average White Band, and has recorded and performed with numerous other high-profile acts, including Slash, Chaka Khan, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Scritti Politti...
) with The O'Jays
The O'Jays
The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1963 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert , Walter Williams , William Powell , Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005...
, The Jones Girls
The Jones Girls
The Jones Girls were an R&B trio of sisters from Detroit, Michigan. They first recorded for GM Records in 1968, then recorded for Philadelphia International Records with Gamble & Huff.-History:...
, The Whispers
The Whispers
The Whispers are a long-established R&B-dance vocal group from Los Angeles, California, with a consistent track record of hit records dating back to the late 1960s.-Career:...
, Keith Sweat
Keith Sweat
Keith Sweat is an American R&B/soul, singer-songwriter, record producer, radio personality and a major contributor to the new jack swing era.-Music career:...
, George Howard
George Howard
George Howard may refer to:*George Howard , governor of Maryland, 1831–1833*George Howard , American smooth jazz saxophonist, known for his R&B sound...
, Peabo Bryson
Peabo Bryson
Peabo Bryson is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, born in Greenville, South Carolina...
, Bill Withers
Bill Withers
William Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands"...
, and Perri
Perri
Perri is a surname or given name, and may refer to:As a surname:* Christina Perri, American singer* Fortunato N. Perri Jr., attorney* Leslie Perri , American science fiction fan, writer, and illustrator* Nick Perri, guitarist...
, among others. After meeting Expansion Records executive Ralph Tee at a Berwick Soul Weekender, Burke signed with the Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
distributed UK label. Nothin' But Love was his first album for the label and was released in March 1998. The first 12" single was "I Need Your Love" with vocals by Burke's son, Osaze "Ozzie" Burke.
Later years
Alohe changed her name to Ramijimar S. Habeeb-Ullah in 1980 in OneontaOneonta, New York
Oneonta is a city in southern Otsego County, New York, USA. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, had a population of 13,901. Its nickname is "City of the Hills." While the word "oneonta" is of undetermined origin, it is popularly believed to mean "place of open rocks" in the Iroquois language...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Clarence Newton Burke, Jr. still writes and produces and has begun touring. James M. is drawing and painting. Dennis has a recording studio in his home. Keni is still writing and producing others and also has begun touring, and Cubie is teaching dance. In 1982, Cubie released the 12-inch single, "Dance For Double" on the Rissa Chrissa label. Clarence N. Burke, Sr. is a property manager and recently appeared in a play of Driving Miss Daisy. Plans for a possible reunion with at least 3 of the brothers are currently being discussed.
More siblings
Just as the Jackson family had additional siblings who were not a part of the Jackson 5, so it was with the Burke family. Clarence Burke Sr. (Papa Stairstep, as he was known) had 3 more boys named Len, Marty & Terrill.Of these three, Len writes original poetry and music and is following in his older siblings footsteps with a new group named lenburke.http://www.myspace.com/lenburke
Albums
- 1967: The Five Stairsteps (Windy City)
- 1968: Our Family Portrait (Buddah)
- 1969: Love's Happening (Curtom)
- 1970: Step by Step by Step (Buddah)
- 1970: Stairsteps (Buddah)
- 1971: The Stairsteps (Buddah)
- 1976: 2nd Resurrection (Dark Horse)
As the "Invisible Man's Band"
- 1980: Invisible Man's Band (Island)
- 1981: Really Wanna See You (Boardwalk)
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak (Pop Singles) |
Peak (Black Singles) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | You Waited Too Long | 94 | 16 |
| World of Fantasy | 49 | 12 | |
| Comeback | 61 | 15 | |
| 1967 | Danger! She's a Stranger | 89 | 16 |
| Ain't Gonna Rest (Till I Get You) | 87 | 37 | |
| Oooh, Baby Baby | 63 | 34 | |
| 1968 | Something's Missing | 88 | 17 |
| Don't Change Your Love | 59 | 15 | |
| Baby Make Me Feel So Good | 101 | 12 | |
| Stay Close to Me | 91 | - | |
| 1969 | We Must Be in Love | 88 | 17 |
| 1970 | Because I Love You | 83 | - |
| O-o-h Child O-o-h Child "O-o-h Child" is a seminal 1970 single recorded and released by Chicago soul family group the Five Stairsteps, who released it on the Buddah label. Written by Stan Vincent and included on the band's The Stairsteps album from 1970, it has become the Stairsteps' signature song and has inspired more... |
8 | 14 | |
| Dear Prudence | 66 | 49 | |
| 1971 | Didn't It Look So Easy | 81 | 32 |
| I Feel a Song in My Heart Again | - | - | |
| 1972 | I Love You - Stop | 115 | 40 |
| 1976 | From Us to You | 102 | 10 |
| 1980 | All Night Thang (as "The Invisible Man's Band") |
45 | 9 |