Originally sort of a mellow song, here is someone really belting it out. With a swinging big band, Kim, (who I've thought of as a soul singer mainly)
really rocks.
Barbara Lewis was famous earlier in the sixties for 'Hello Stranger.' This is simple, soulful pop music with a very cool production: crisp drums and nicely orchestrated woodwind on top of rhythmic guitars. Somehow the charm of the recording overrides any feeling that the chord sequence is slightly obvious. Barbara's voice is beautiful here: emotional, yet understated. A small female choir comes in to accompany her at various points. The song is remarkably tight and catchy, with a prominent bass part driving it on. The producer at Stax for this record was Ollie McLaughlin, and I'm now looking out for more stuff that he worked on.
from Many Grooves of Barbara Lewis (Stax), available on CD (Fantasy/Stax)
25 Feb 03 ·Arthur: Ollie McLaughlin was a prolific producer. Look out for 45's on the Carla and Karen labels. They where both his labels
This story-song uses an imposing repeating piano riff, 12 string guitar, a little tasteful organ, and dramatic wistful strings as it recounts someone's first, well, lay. On a hot June day/night the singer loses his virginity with a older Southern belle. The version on the Honey CD though isn't as good as the original Bobby Goldsboro vinyl- it seems too lavishly produced, and is from the Summer of '42 soundtrack.
from SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME) (UNITED ARTISTS LA-124) available on CD - HONEY (REMEMBER)
05 Aug 03 ·Arthur: Millie Jackson covered this song and takes all the saccharine out of it! 29 Apr 06 ·pottymoon: 'Summer the first time' by Bobby G doesn't have an ounce of Saccharine, it is a powerfully evocative track taking me back to when I was 19 (and that's 32 years ago!)so completely that I can smell, taste and feel everything as if I'd dropped back into 1973 from a time machine! And if you think that I write with Saccharine, then hey,I get paid for it! 30 May 08 ·commonsense: I am just listening to this tack as I am typing and it really is an excellent example for nostalgia. The way the song is constructed makes it easily slip into your mind and float downstream to past encounters...
I fell in love with this song this evening. At this point it's hard to find many words to describe it; I'm just dazzled by how wonderful it is. It's a mournful and spooky-sounding soul song, opening with some percussion, and then some harmonized background vocals, drums, brass and piano. I guess the kicker for me are the shimmering strings in the arrangement, which come in with the main vocal. The vocals are fraught with emotion, and there is a very interesting use of vocal sounds as the song fades out.
Being a Five Stairsteps novice, I'd like to know if they recorded many other tracks like this. I gather that the record was produced by Curtis Mayfield, but I've never heard anything by him with quite such a delectable arrangement. Any advice would be appreciated!
available on CD - The First Family of Soul (Buddah)
30 Sep 03 ·Arthur: The Five Stairsteps have a history going back to the mid sixties -they recorded for Curtis Mayfields 'Windy C' label and later for George Harrison's 'Dark Horse' label
Group main man Kenni Burke is still active in the music business, having co penned the much copied and sampled "Rising To The Top" and has recently (last year) visited the UK where he performed a number of PA's and recorded at least one song. I have to confess I never heard "Danger! She's a Stranger" but will make it my mission to do so! 01 Oct 03 ·tinks: oh my god, this is one of my all-time favorite songs! i can't believe i never thought to put it up. i love the backing vocals..."danger! stranger!" 16 Oct 03 ·delicado: You have excellent taste! For the record, I was able to find one other Five Stairsteps track that has a similar moody feel to it. It's called 'Something's Missing', and is almost like a prototype version of 'Danger...' 31 Mar 04 ·bobbyspacetroup: Sampled by Outkast incidentally (check out "Two Dope Boyz In A Cadillac").
31 Mar 04 ·delicado: Yeah, I read about this and checked out the Outkast song. I have to say I wasn't that impressed. I think maybe the big beat over the piano and gentle shimmering strings killed it for me a bit! 26 Apr 07 ·artlongjr: Fascinating to read the comments here...I didn't know Outkast had sampled this. I remember first hearing this song when I got their first album way back in 1981, and it is my favorite tune on there. It's a classic of Chicago soul. The strings, horns and Clarence Burke Jr.'s lead vocals and the group harmonies add up to a delightfully foreboding, almost sinister mood on this number. This came out in 1966, I also have "Something's Missing", which came out on Buddah in 1967. I keep telling everybody I know that the Stairsteps are easily the equals of the Jackson Five! They also did a terrific funk-psychedelic number in 1969 on Curtom called "Madame Mary"...I can't figure out the lyrics but it may be about marijuana! 06 May 07 ·karen: If you like "Danger She's a Stranger", you will love "You've Waited Too Long". I remember the Five Stairsteps, and they were a lot more talented than the Jackson Five (and better looking). But unfortunately they were not on a major label like Motown, but they got a lot of respect and admiration in the Black community and plenty of airplay in DC, NY, Philly, etc. "Oooh Child" was a major hit...I wonder what they are doing now and how they look.
Released in 1969; peaked in the US in 1970. I always thought it was by Stevie Wonder, but as it turns out, it's by a white California group. You've probably heard it: "I love you more today than yesterday / but not as much as tomorrow..."
A great combination of upbeat lyrics and music with a slight tinge of melancholy, as if the singer is recognizing that tomorrow isn't quite here yet and there's always the chance that his plans will be derailed...
Great horns on this and several of their other singles (e.g., "No One For Me To Turn To"), but I read somewhere that the band's lack of a concert horn section led to their demise... apparently Pat Upton (writer of this track and lead singer) has also blamed poor management or record-comany politics. Too bad.
Also check out a cool Ska version by Goldfinger on the WATERBOY (late 90s) soundtrack.
12 Jul 03 ·konsu: Bout' time someone handed this one in. I guess I take it for granted like most americans who still like AM radio... right up there with "Lovin' You" for songs that you can't sing along to without looking like a fool. 17 Sep 03 ·thewilyfilipino: It is indeed one of those unabashedly ecstatic, so-in-love songs that plaster a foolish grin onto your face. 30 Sep 03 ·Arthur: Much covered song - versions by Barbara McNair, Sam Fletcher , Barbara Acklin and Richard 'Groove' Holmes spring to mind. Pat Upton's solo stuff is very similar and if you like this one look out for anything by Robert John too. 07 Dec 05 ·Swinging London: Oh yes, a great song. Reminds me of when I had my first transistor radio.
All I've got is a very scratchy 45...time to remedy that.
This sort of reminds me of Blood, Sweat & Tears.
