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.
16 Jul 03 ·konsu: Claudine Longet did a great version of "God Only Knows" on her Let's Spend The Night Together LP from 1972 (BR-15001). Although her version is not what i'd call jazzy, more like meadow-flower California country? Nick Decaro arranged a lot of her 60's albums. 17 Jul 03 ·bobbyspacetroup: I've actually been looking for that LP. It seems to be one of the less common Claudine records... Thanks for the recommendation! 15 Mar 04 ·konsu: I was recently introduced to Four King Cousins version of "God only Knows", also an A&M product from 1967... It's more faithful vocally to the original arrangement, only it's four girls doing the harmonies! 16 Mar 04 ·Mike: James Warren (of The Korgis and Stackridge) has recorded a version of "Caroline, No" which I'd be very interested to hear. 28 Apr 07 ·artlongjr: I have this 45 by Nick DeCaro. What's weird is I heard
it before I heard the Beach Boys original, which I first listened to in 1996.
This song has been a favorite of mine ever since I first heard it on the album "Birthday" back in the 80's. It reminds me of walking along the beach with my girlfriend, looking at a gorgeous sunset. The song was written by Jim Yester, who also sings lead...the string arrangement, great vocal harmonies, lush melody and delicate guitar solo by Tommy Tedesco make this a sunshine pop classic. Jim Yester also contributed two other equally great tunes on this album, "Birthday Morning" and the stunning, majestic "Barefoot Gentleman". I recommend the entire album to fans of 1960s harmony pop-it is their most psychedelic record, hands down, and my favorite by them,although I still haven't heard their first LP yet, which others have recommended to me as their best.
27 Apr 07 ·delicado: This is a truly exquisite track. I've been listening to this album a lot recently actually. 29 Apr 07 ·eftimihn: A track so great it abolutely deserves to be recommended twice, here is my entry: http://www.musicaltaste.com/filter.php?songtitle=Rose%20Petals%2C%20Incense%20and%20a%20Kitten 29 Apr 07 ·artlongjr: I'm glad so many people like this song...you can't go wrong with this album, in addition to "Rose Petals", there is "Everything That Touches You", "Toymaker", "Hear in Here", and "The Time it is Today", all great tunes. I just wonder what the results would have been if the Association had recorded "MacArthur Park" like they were requested to at that time! 24 Jun 09 ·Major Minor: Seconded! Birthday is my favorite Association album containing some of the finest Sunshine Pop tracks ever!
A really beautiful acoustic song that I just can't get out of my head. The rhythm track consists of handclaps/taps or comething similar, it has a lovely, light guitar line and some beautiful piano. The gasp at the beginning is great too!
30 Apr 07 ·artlongjr: I have an LP of Tony's from 1969 called "Processes". Seeing your post jogged my memory on it...he sort of sounds like another of my favorite artists, Emmitt Rhodes.
This song is a classic of the psychedelic era, by a group that later became known as the Peanut Butter Conspiracy. I first discovered it years ago on a 1967 compilation album called "West Coast Love-In" which featured about four of the Ashes' songs. It was "Dark on You Now" that really wigged me out-it is an awesome, slow-paced, moody number that features the spine-tingling vocals of Sandi Robison and the prominent 12-string guitar of John Merrill. The song is incredibly atmospheric and reminds me of a combination of the Byrds and Jefferson Airplane when both of those groups were in their prime. It is also at four minutes plus quite long for the era. I listed this as being recorded in 1967 but it may have been waxed in 1966...at any rate it is surely one of the great songs of the early psychedelic era.
I have the first Peanut Butter Conspiracy album which contains a re-recorded version of this song, harder rocking and not nearly as good. The original Ashes version was recorded as a 45 for the Vault label (which also issued "West Coast Love-In").
from Spreading from the Ashes (Big Beat) available on CD - Spreading From the Ashes (Big Beat)
01 May 07 ·n-jeff: I'm sure I have this on one of the pebbles "Highs of the mid sixties" series ("volume 3 Hollywood a go-go" IIRC) although I believe they credit it as "Follow the sun", I'm sure. Great summer song. 01 May 07 ·artlongjr: That is a cover version by a band called the Love Exchange..."Swallow the Sun" is a key lyric in this
song, but I really don't know what it means!
