"O-o-h Child" by the Five Stairsteps (1970)

Dance song of the day - August 5, 2024

Today is a song intended to lift our spirits and reassure us in the face of the upheaval that seems to be happening in the world at large. It’s a fantastic song.

We’re back to dance songs of the day now that the Todd Rundgren series has completed. (I know — I miss bingeing on Todd too.) A guide to that series is on its way so you can catch up on, or revisit, any of the posts — or keep bingeing.

Another series is in the works, which I think will be equally good.

Song of the day

If you were around in the summer of 1970 and old enough to listen to the radio, you will remember this song.

It was an unsettling year in which, among other things, the Beatles disbanded, 100,000 marched in Washington in protest of the Vietnam War, and protesters were shot by the National Guard at Kent State University in Ohio. This last event was memorialized in the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song “Ohio,” written by Neil Young. If you didn’t live through it, you may want to get a sense of what a time of upheaval it was by viewing photos from that time while listening to the song here.

In the middle of all this, along comes a song to reassure us that things will get better, brought to us by five of the six Burke siblings — eldest sister Alohe, lead singer Clarence Jr, and brothers Keni, Dennis, and James. (Other brother, Cubie, would sometimes join them.)

Out of Chicago, the group was named the Five Stairsteps by their mom because they looked like stairsteps when lined up by age. By the time this song came out, they were referred to as “The First Family of Soul.”

What I love about the Soul Train performance below is how the kids have gone from being dressed like a Motown act in matching suits (like in the photo above) and dancing in a practiced style, to taking on the individualism of the late 60s and early 70s. One of them (Clarence I think) looks to be inspired by Jimi Hendrix, while another (James or Dennis) preshadows one of Michael Jackson’s famous looks.

Full of style and soul. Right on, kids.

Song credits

The Five Stairsteps

• Lead vocals by Alohe Burke, Clarence Burke Jr., Keni Burke

• Backing vocals by James Burke, Dennis Burke

Musicians

• Guitars by Hugh McCracken and Clarence Burke Jr.

• Bass by Keni Burke

• Keyboards by Richard Tee

• Drums by Jerome Brailey or Bernard Purdie - Disputed

Production

• Recorded at Allegro Studios

• Produced, written, arranged, and conducted by Stan Vincent