Simon was born in Simmesport, Louisiana, United States. Similar to many other African-American artists from the era, Simon began singing in his father's Baptist church. He pursued his vocal abilities full-time once the family moved to Richmond (near Oakland, California) in the late 1950s. There Simon joined the Golden West Gospel Singers and became influenced by Sam Cooke and Arthur Prysock. With this, the group decided to turn secular and recorded "Little Island Girl" as the Golden Tones in 1959.
Hush Records label owners Gary and Carla Thompson urged Simon to record on his own, and in 1964 Simon scored considerable success on the Vee-Jay label with "My Adorable One". Simon scored again in 1965 on the Chicago based label with "Let's Do It Over", which landed a #13 spot on the US Billboard R&B chart. However, the Vee-Jay label folded soon after the latter song's release and Simon found himself traveling across the country singing.
Simon caught the eye of Nashville, Tennessee, R&B disc jockey John Richbourg during this time, and Richbourg not only became Simon's manager/record producer but also brought the singer to Monument Records' subsidiary label Sound Stage 7 in 1966. That year Simon released "Teenager's Prayer", which peaked at #11 on Billboard's R&B chart. Within the next two years, Simon released a string of hits: "(You Keep Me) Hanging On", "The Chokin' Kind" (Billboard Hot 100 #13), "Farther On Down The Road", and "Yours Love". "The Chokin' Kind" was written by Harlan Howard, spent 12 weeks in the charts, and had sold one million copies by 16 June 1969. In addition, Simon was given a Grammy Award in 1970 for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.
Under the encouragement of Richbourg, Simon moved to the Polydor distributed Spring Records label in 1970, which paired Simon with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. The team scored a #3 R&B hit in 1971 with "Drowning In The Sea of Love" and a #1 R&B hit in the summer of 1972 with "Power Of Love". Both songs reached #11 on the Hot 100. "Drowning In The Sea of Love" sold over 1.5 million copies and the R.I.A.A. on 6 January 1972 gave a gold disc. "Power of Love", written by Gamble, Huff and Simon was Simon's third million seller, and the R.I.A.A. awarded gold disc status on 29 August 1972.
Simon continued to release R&B hits with "Pool Of Bad Luck", "Trouble In My Home", "Step By Step", "I Need You, You Need Me", "Music In My Bones", "Carry Me", and 1975's "Get Down, Get Down (Get On The Floor)", which gave Simon his third #1 R&B hit, and also a #8 Hot 100 hit. Simon's success escalated with his writing/producing the theme tune for the film, Cleopatra Jones in 1973.
In the late 1970s/early 1980s, Simon decided to remove his tenor/bass-baritone voice from the secular music world and devote it and his life to Christianity. Simon began evangelist preaching in Flossmoor, Illinois. In 1983, he produced the album Lay My Burden Down for former Davis Sisters second lead Jackie Verdell. Simon released a gospel album titled This Story Must Be Told in the late 1990s.
In 1999 Simon was inducted as a Pioneer Award honoree by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. Joss Stone covered "The Chokin' Kind" on her 2003 album, The Soul Sessions.
Simon has had a number of his songs sampled by other artists, including OutKast, who sampled "Before the Night is Over" in their hit "So Fresh, So Clean" and Lil' Kim, who sampled Simon's "It Be's That Way Sometimes" in "Magic Stick", featuring 50 Cent. Memphis Bleek sampled Simon's "Trace Your Love" for his track "Alright" on the 2005 534 album.
Step by Step
Joe Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Step by step
I've got to get close to you
Step by step
I've got to get to know you - oh yeah
You came into my life, my gods have the rain falling from above *
You were the one for me to love
But as sudden as you came, oh, you vanished into the night - yeah
I knew my life wouldn't be complete
Oh, without you to hold me tight
Step by step
I've got to get close to you
Step by step
I've got to get to know you
My friends all tell me
Tell me you're a woman of the street
Oh, but to me, baby, you're all my eyes can ever see
If we had one night together
I'll make you understand
That I need your love, baby
And I surely wanna be your man
Let me tell you, honey
Step by step
I've got to get close to you
Step by step
Oh, I've got to get to know you - oh yeah
Oh yeah - oh yeah
Step by step...
The song "Step By Step" by Joe Simon is a classic soul tune from the 1970s. The lyrics describe the singer's desire to get closer to a woman he has fallen in love with. Despite her reputation for being a "woman of the street," the singer sees her as the only one he wants to be with. He believes that spending one night together would be enough to make her understand how much he needs and loves her.
The repeated phrase "step by step" throughout the song emphasizes the singer's determination to win over the woman he loves. He knows that winning her over will require patience and persistence, but he is willing to put in the effort to make it happen. The song also highlights the challenges that come with falling in love, such as the fear of losing the other person or being rejected.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of longing and urgency as the singer tries to bridge the gap between himself and the love of his life. Through his words, the audience can feel the intensity of his emotions and the depth of his commitment to winning her heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh yeah
The singer expresses his eagerness and excitement about connecting with the person he's talking about.
Step by step
The singer emphasizes the importance of taking things slowly and gradually in order to build a strong and lasting relationship.
I've got to get close to you
The singer prioritizes physical intimacy as a means of building emotional closeness with the person he's talking about.
I've got to get to know you - oh yeah
The singer wants to develop a deep understanding of the other person's character and personality, in addition to developing a physical connection.
You came into my life, my gods have the rain falling from above *
The singer likens meeting this person to an act of divine intervention or fate, highlighting how significant they are to him.
And I knew when I first saw you
The singer had an immediate emotional response to meeting the other person, which they believe was a sign of something deeper.
You were the one for me to love
The singer believes that the other person is his perfect match, someone he is destined to be with.
But as sudden as you came, oh, you vanished into the night - yeah
The singer is expressing his sadness and confusion about how quickly the other person left him without any explanation.
I knew my life wouldn't be complete
The singer is acknowledging how much this person meant to him, and how much he misses them now that they're gone.
Oh, without you to hold me tight
The singer feels a physical and emotional longing for the other person, emphasizing the importance of being physically close to them.
My friends all tell me
The singer is acknowledging that other people are trying to warn him or dissuade him from pursuing a relationship with the other person due to their reputation.
Tell me you're a woman of the street
The other person is being accused of being promiscuous or sexually available to anyone, which is something that's concerning to the singer.
Oh, but to me, baby, you're all my eyes can ever see
The singer wants to emphasize that he sees the other person in a different way, as someone he's really interested in and attracted to regardless of what others say about them.
If we had one night together
The singer is considering the hypothetical situation of spending an intimate night with the other person, indicating his willingness to take risks for love.
I'll make you understand
The singer is confident that he can communicate his feelings and intentions to the other person effectively if given the chance.
That I need your love, baby
The singer is emphasizing how important it is for him to receive love and affection from the other person and how much he craves it.
And I surely wanna be your man
The singer is expressing his commitment and desire to be in a monogamous, committed relationship with the other person.
Let me tell you, honey
The singer is trying to appeal to the other person's affection by using a term of endearment and implying that he has something important to say.
Step by step
The singer repeats the phrase again, emphasizing the importance of taking things slowly and gradually.
Oh, I've got to get to know you - oh yeah
The singer reiterates his desire to build a deep and meaningful connection with the other person, highlighting that he cares about more than just physical intimacy.
Oh yeah - oh yeah
The singer repeats the phrase again, emphasizing his enthusiasm and eagerness to pursue a relationship with the other person.
Contributed by Jason R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@joselebeer
When I was a kid the 1970s saw some of the sweetest soul/pop breakthrough and fill our charts in the UK. For me the best era of music
@claudettestewart3711
😊
@dnr2089
Oh my days! This is amazing. Haven’t heard it for over 40 years, but I remembered every word and nuance as soon as it started to play! 😍😍😍
@davidlondon2810
God, the arrangement on this is so good! Joe Simon's rich, expressive voice, the exquisite harmonising of the backing singers, the soaring strings and all in time to the infectious beat. Never got the recognition it deserved (US: no.37; UK: no.14).
@stephenhardy7803
Probably was a bit ahead of it's time in the UK. Probably would have done better in 75 76 . . Just my opinion .but absolutely love it
@barbaraworrall9804
Love this song, I close my eyes and I'm in a better time. Lovely stuff.
@jabeenfolan3894
Never get sick of hearing this record , takes me so back to the 70's x
@rondeneef
always loved 'in my babe's arms)
@johnflanagan7653
One of my favourites back then and it still stands the test of time.
@carolebrownlie298
OMG! Heard a tiny clip of this on TV and remembered it! Went hunting for it on YouTube. What a voice! What a song! Memories made of songs like this! ❤