1997 single by Steps
"
5,6,7,8
" is a song by British group
Steps
from their debut
studio album
,
Step One
(1998). A
techno-pop
and
country pop
song written by
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 by
Jive
and
EBUL
following their formation after each group member responded to a magazine advert looking for people to audition to be in a pop band.
"5,6,7,8" peaked at number 14 on the
UK Singles Chart
(one of Steps' lowest chart positions) but has become the third-best-selling single of their career in the United Kingdom, selling 365,000 copies and receiving 3,440,000 streams as of March 2017. "5,6,7,8" peaked at number-one in Australia and reached the top five in Belgium and New Zealand. Its accompanying music video was shot on a beach and features the group driving quad bikes and dancing in a bar. "5,6,7,8" was performed on
The Ultimate Tour
in 2012,
Party on the Dancefloor Tour
in 2017 and What the Future Holds Tour in 2021.
Background and release
[
edit
]
Steps
were put together in 1997 following an advert in
The Stage
magazine asking for applicants to audition for a place in a pop band. Out of the thousands who applied,
Lee Latchford-Evans
,
Lisa Scott-Lee
,
Faye Tozer
,
Claire Richards
and
Ian "H" Watkins
successfully secured a place in the band.
[1]
Latchford-Evans performs the majority of the song, while Scott-Lee sings the
middle 8
, or bridge.
[2]
It was recorded at PWL Studios in Manchester, England, and
mixed
by Lee Sharma at the same venue. Upton also
arranged
the track and played the guitar, while the banjo, violin, drums and keyboards were played by Sean Lyon, Chris Haigh, Chris McDonnell and Twigg, respectively.
[3]
Al Unsworth and Bradlee Spreadborough served as the assistant engineers and it was
mastered
at Transfermation Studios in London, England. "5,6,7,8" features all of the band members on lead vocals except for
Ian "H" Watkins
, who only performs background vocals.
[3]
Various versions of the song were included on the
CD single
in the United Kingdom, Europe and Japan, including an extended version, an instrumental and a remix by W.I.P.;
[4]
the CD single in the United Kingdom and Europe also included the B-side, "Words of Wisdom", also written by Upton and Crosby.
[5]
It was released in the United Kingdom in November 1997, and it was later included on their first greatest hits album,
Gold: Greatest Hits
(2001), the W.I.P. remix on their first compilation album
The Last Dance
(2002) and their second greatest hits album,
The Ultimate Collection
(2011).
[6]
[7]
[8]
Reception
[
edit
]
Critical reception
[
edit
]
Lucas Villa from
AXS
said that "5,6,7,8" "was the beginning of Steps' campy, feel good sounds."
[9]
Andy Coleman from
Birmingham Evening Mail
described it as a "line dancing ditty".
[10]
Gary James from Entertainment Focus noted that the song "stands out from the rest of their catalogue for being somewhat a novelty single." He added, "It’s blend of
country
,
techno
and
pop
had us reaching for our lassos and thinking perhaps
Rednex
had returned with a '
Cotton Eyed Joe
' for 1997."
[11]
Sophie McCoid from
Liverpool Echo
called it an "epic tune".
[12]
Mark Beaumont from
NME
described it as a "more traditional hoedown".
[13]
Peter Robinson of
NME
gave the song a negative review in 2001. In his review of
Gold: Greatest Hits
, he wrote "Steps were only signed for one single ? with good reason, for '5,6,7,8' was shit of the very highest order."
[14]
Similarly,
Digital Spy
writer Robert Copsey wrote that retrospectively, the track was a "bizarre" choice of lead single in his review of
The Ultimate Collection
in 2011.
[15]
In a review of Steps' best-selling songs for the
Official Charts Company
in March 2017, Copsey noted how "5,6,7,8" distinctly differs from the rest of their discography in terms of its
techno-pop
genre,
line dancing
lyrics and lack of lead vocals solely from
Claire Richards
.
[16]
Commercial reception
[
edit
]
Commercially, "5,6,7,8" debuted at number 18 on the
UK Singles Chart
on 16 November 1997,
[17]
and peaked at number 14 in its eighth week on 10 January 1998.
[18]
It spent a further nine weeks on the chart from January through to March, and re-entered the chart for one week at number 100 on 18 April 1998.
[18]
Altogether, "5,6,7,8" spent 18 non-consecutive weeks on the UK Singles Chart, 10 of which were in the top 20.
[18]
Their first top 40 hit, "5,6,7,8" was the only song of the singles they released (prior to their split in 2001) not to chart within the top 10.
[19]
By July 2012, it had become it their fourth-best selling single in their career in the United Kingdom;
[20]
but by March 2017 it had switched positions with one of their subsequent singles "
Better Best Forgotten
" to become their third-highest selling song, with sales of 365,000 copies, and is their most streamed track with 37,952,032 plays as of March 2021.
[21]
[16]
It was certified platinum on 11 December 2020 for sales and streams exceeding 600,000.
[22]
Copsey added that it is very rare for a pop band to be given a second opportunity to release more music following a top 20 debut.
[16]
Music video
[
edit
]
Set primarily on a beach, the accompanying music video for "5,6,7,8" opens with Latchford-Evans and Watkins riding
quad bikes
along the beach while Scott-Lee, Tozer and Richards drive a car on the road next to them, with close-ups of each of the female singers performing the chorus outside bathroom stalls. It is followed by a repetition of the chorus during which all of the members perform the song's associated line dancing routine, which was very popular at the time of its release,
[2]
to the music outside a bar on the beach, attracting a crowd of beachgoers. Latchford-Evans performs the first verse, with Watkins walking slightly behind him from the beach to the bar. Afterwards, the chorus and dance routine is once again repeated, during which Watkins and Richards pull two beachgoers out of the bar to dance with the group, which attracts other beachgoers to the group's performance. Latchford-Evans then performs the second verse while playing a game of snooker with Watkins while Scott-Lee, Tozer and Richards play
table football
nearby. For the final chorus, the group perform the dance routine in front of a crowd for a final time; however the setting has changed to night time and inside a different bar.
Promotion
[
edit
]
"5,6,7,8" was included on the group's sixth concert tour,
The Ultimate Tour
, in 2012.
[23]
Latchford-Evans stated in March 2017 that although the band does not like performing the song, they find new ways of performing it live as they know that it is a fan-favourite.
[2]
It is also included on the set list of their eighth concert tour, the
Party on the Dancefloor Tour
.
[24]
Formats and track listings
[
edit
]
Album version ?
Step One
[25]
- "5,6,7,8" ? 3:22
CD single ? UK/Europe/Australia
[26]
[5]
- "5,6,7,8" (Radio edit) ? 3:22
- "5,6,7,8" (Extended version) ? 4:03
- "Words of Wisdom" ? 3:52
- "5,6,7,8" (Instrumental) ? 2:52
|
CD single ? Japan
[4]
- "5,6,7,8" (Radio edit) ? 3:22
- "5,6,7,8" (W.I.P. remix) ? 3:15
- "5,6,7,8" (Extended version) ? 4:03
- "5,6,7,8" (Instrumental) ? 2:52
|
Credits and personnel
[
edit
]
A-side: "5,6,7,8"
[
edit
]
Credits are adapted from the liner notes of
Step One
.
[3]
Recording
- Recorded at PWL Studios, Manchester, in 1997
- Mixed at PWL Studios, Manchester
- Mastered at Transfermation Studios, London
Vocals
- Lead vocals ? Lee Latchford-Evans
- Background vocals ? Ian "H" Watkins, Faye Tozer, Lisa Scott-Lee, Claire Richards
Personnel
- Songwriting ? Barry Upton, Steve Crosby
- Production ? Karl Twigg, Mark Topham, Pete Waterman
- Arrangement ? Barry Upton
- Mixing ? Lee Sharma
- Engineer ? Chris McDonnell
- Assistant engineer ? Al Unsworth, Bradlee Spreadborough
- Banjo ? Sean Lyon
- Violin ? Chris Haigh
- Drums ? Chris McDonnell
- Guitar ? Barry Upton
- Keyboards ? Karl Twigg
|
B-side: "Words of Wisdom"
[
edit
]
Credits are adapted from the liner notes of "5,6,7,8".
[27]
Recording
- Recorded at PWL Studios, Manchester, in 1997
- Mixed at PWL Studios, Manchester
- Mastered at Transfermation Studios, London
Vocals
- Lead vocals ? Faye Tozer, Lisa Scott-Lee, Claire Richards
- Background vocals ? Lee Latchford-Evans, Ian "H" Watkins
Personnel
- Songwriting ? Barry Upton, Steve Crosby
- Production ? Karl Twigg, Mark Topham
- Arrangement ? Barry Upton
|
Charts
[
edit
]
Weekly charts
[
edit
]
|
Year-end charts
[
edit
]
|
Certifications
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Akenny, Jason.
"Steps"
.
Billboard
. Archived from
the original
on 9 September 2016
. Retrieved
27 April
2017
.
- ^
a
b
c
Flint, Hannah (22 March 2017).
"Steps Lee Latchford-Evans says they really don't want to perform debut single '5, 6, 7, 8' on tour"
.
OK!
. Archived from
the original
on 23 August 2017
. Retrieved
23 August
2017
.
- ^
a
b
c
Step One
(Liner notes).
Steps
.
Jive Records
,
EBUL
. 1998. 0519112.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
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- ^
a
b
Steps "5,6,7,8" (CD)
(Liner notes). Steps. Rhythm Republic. 1998. RRCD-85214.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
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link
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a
b
Steps "5,6,7,8" (CD)
(Liner notes). Steps. Ebul. 1997. 0517502.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
Gold: Greatest Hits
(Liner notes). Steps.
Zomba Records
. 2001. 9201412.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
The Last Dance
(Liner notes). Steps.
Jive Records
. 2002. 9201502.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
The Ultimate Collection
(Liner notes). Steps.
Sony
. 2011.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
Villa, Lucas (19 June 2017).
"Steps turns 20: Counting down the pop group's top 10 singles"
.
AXS
. Retrieved
20 April
2020
.
- ^
Coleman, Andy (12 May 1998). "Five Steps to pop music heaven...".
Birmingham Evening Mail
. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ^
James, Gary (11 September 2018).
"Step's Step One: looking back at their debut album 20 years on"
.
Entertainment Focus
. Retrieved
22 April
2020
.
- ^
McCoid, Sophie (20 November 1997). "Steps Back in Time to the Best School Disco; REVIEW: MUSIC Steps ECHO Arena Liverpool".
Liverpool Echo
. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ^
Beaumont, Mark.
"Steps ? London Croydon Fairfield Hall"
.
NME
. Archived from
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on 17 August 2000
. Retrieved
24 November
2020
.
- ^
Robinson, Peter.
"Steps : Gold-Greatest Hits"
.
NME
.
Archived
from the original on 19 May 2017
. Retrieved
26 April
2017
.
- ^
Copsey, Robert (11 October 2011).
"Steps: 'The Ultimate Collection' ? Album review"
.
Digital Spy
.
Archived
from the original on 7 August 2017
. Retrieved
7 August
2017
.
- ^
a
b
c
Copsey, Rob (14 March 2017).
"Steps' biggest selling singles revealed"
.
Official Charts Company
.
Archived
from the original on 1 August 2017
. Retrieved
25 April
2017
.
- ^
"Official Singles Chart Top 100 16 November 1997 ? 22 November 1997"
.
Official Charts Company
. 16 November 1997
. Retrieved
25 April
2017
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
"Official Singles Chart Top 100"
.
Official Charts Company
. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
- ^
Myers, Justin (15 March 2014).
"Official Charts Pop Gem #49: Steps ? One For Sorrow"
.
Official Charts Company
. Retrieved
11 May
2017
.
- ^
"Inside The Hit Factory: Steps' biggest singles revealed!"
.
Official Charts Company
. 2 August 2020
. Retrieved
2 August
2020
.
- ^
"Steps-5,6,7,8"
.
Spotify
. Retrieved
4 March
2021
.
- ^
a
b
"British single certifications ? Steps ? 5 6 7 8"
.
British Phonographic Industry
. Retrieved
11 December
2020
.
- ^
Barr, Gordon (9 April 2012).
"Review: Steps at Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle"
.
Chronicle Live
.
Archived
from the original on 5 August 2017
. Retrieved
27 April
2017
.
- ^
Barr, Gordon (21 November 2017).
"Review of Steps in Newcastle - has there ever been a party on the dancefloor at the arena like this?"
.
Chronicle Live
. Retrieved
22 November
2017
.
- ^
"Step One"
.
iTunes Store
. 14 September 1998
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
a
b
"
Steps ? 5, 6, 7, 8"
.
ARIA Top 50 Singles
. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
- ^
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(Liner notes). Steps. Jive Records, EBUL. 1997. 0597502.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
"
Steps ? 5, 6, 7, 8"
(in Dutch).
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. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
- ^
"Eurochart Hot 100 Single"
(PDF)
.
Music & Media
. Vol. 15, no. 11. 14 March 1998. p. 12.
- ^
"
Nederlandse Top 40 ? week 14, 1998
" (in Dutch).
Dutch Top 40
. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
- ^
"
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(in Dutch).
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. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
- ^
"
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.
Top 40 Singles
. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
- ^
"Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100"
.
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. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
- ^
"
Steps ? 5, 6, 7, 8"
.
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. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
- ^
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.
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. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
- ^
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.
ARIA
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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(in Dutch).
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
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.
- ^
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(in Polish). Archived from
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.
- ^
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.
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- ^
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.
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