Initially a teenage five-member association made up of the children of Betty and Clarence Burke, the brothers and sister vocal group took on the title "The Five Stairsteps" from Mrs. Burke, who thought her kids looked like stair steps when lined up according to their age. The association featured lead singer Clarence Jr., Alohe, James, Dennis, and 13-year-old Kenneth ("Keni"). Most of the members attended Harlan High School. Clarence Sr. was a detective for the Chicago Police Department. He backed the group on bass guitar, managed them, and co-wrote songs with Clarence Jr. and Gregory Fowler.
After winning first prize in a talent contest at the Regal Theater, The Five Stairsteps received recording contract offers. A close neighbor and family friend was Fred Cash of The Impressions, who introduced the group to Curtis Mayfield. Signed to Mayfield's Windy City imprint, which was distributed by the Philadelphia based Cameo Parkway record label, their first single was Gregory Fowler's ballad "You Waited Too Long" b/w "Don't Waste Your Time," a Mayfield song. A double-sided hit in Chicago, the A-side, "You Waited Too Long," charted number 16 in the Billboard R&B chart in spring of 1966. Around the end of 1967, Cameo-Parkway folded and Windy City switched to Buddah Records through former Cameo-Parkway executive Neil Bogart, who joined the new label as co-president. The group's second album, Family Portrait (complete with a montage of Burke family photos), was recorded and produced in Chicago by Clarence Jr. With the addition of their three-year-old brother, the group became The Five Stairsteps & Cubie. Family Portrait yielded two hit singles, "Something's Missing" and a cover of Jimmy Charles and the Revelletts' hit "A Million to One." The group often toured with the Impressions. After signing with Buddah Records, the group was once again known as The Five Stairsteps.
In the spring of 1970, the group released their biggest hit, "O-o-h Child" (written by Stan Vincent), which hit number 14 R&B and number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. This disc sold over one million copies, and received a gold disc awarded by the R.I.A.A. on August 1970.[2] The flip side of the single, a cover of Lennon–McCartney's "Dear Prudence," charted at number 49 R&B. The following year, the group resurfaced as The Stairsteps with two charting Buddah singles: "Didn't It Look So Easy" and "I Love You-Stop."
The group appeared in the 1970 movie The Isley Brothers Live At Yankee Stadium, a documentary of a benefit concert filmed at the famous home of the New York Yankees featuring The Isley Brothers, The Brooklyn Bridge and various other Buddah Records affiliated artists. In the early 1970s, the group was known simply as The Stairsteps. Alohe was still with the group. Cubie never really sang with the group, but would grow up to be a popular dancer with the Dance Theater of Harlem etc. Billy Preston introduced The Stairsteps to The Beatles, and the group signed with George Harrison's Dark Horse label distributed by A&M Records. Alohe left the group in 1972 to begin a spiritual journey, and later would attend college, graduate and work at Emory University at which she was also a guest speaker.
An album, Second Resurrection, was released in February 1976, produced by Preston, Robert Margouleff, and the Stairsteps. "From Us to You," written by Clarence Jr. and Keni Burke, was the group's biggest hit since "Ooh Child," peaking at number ten R&B in early 1976. The follow-up single, "Pasado", also covered by the group Pockets, received airplay in Chicago, New York, and other markets. Keni sang, played bass, and wrote both songs on the third single, "Tell Me Why" b/w "Salaam."s of All Time.
Alohe changed her name to Ramijimar S. Habeeb-Ullah in 1980 in Oneonta, New York. Clarence Newton Burke, Jr. still writes and produces and has begun touring. James M. is drawing and painting. Dennis has a recording studio in his home. Keni is still writing and producing others and also has begun touring, and Cubie is teaching dance. In 1982, Cubie released the 12-inch single, "Dance For Double" on the Rissa Chrissa label. Clarence N. Burke, Sr. (Papa Stairstep) is a property manager and recently appeared in a play of Driving Miss Daisy. Plans for a possible reunion with at least 3 of the brothers are currently being discussed.
On May 26, 2013, it was reported by Keni Burke on WBLS Sunday Classics that Clarence Burke, Jr., had passed away.
Before assuming the name the Dramatics, the vocal sextet comprised of Rob Davis, Ron Banks, Larry Reed, Robert Ellington, Larry "Squirrel" Demps, and Elbert Wilkens initially released two singles as the Dynamics on the Wingate imprint that saw no chart action. The group became a quintet upon Ellington's exit, and also changed their name to the Dramatics. They migrated to the Sport label and in 1967 released their first single to hit the charts, "All Because of You," which peaked at number 42 on the R&B charts. However, in spite of the exposure and limited record sales, some groupmembers became discouraged, which facilitated a major personnel change. William "Wee Gee" Howard replaced lead singer Reed, and Willie Ford of the Capitols replaced bass Rob Davis. Also during this time, the Dramatics had signed with producer Don Davis' production company.
Even though the group managed to stay together, the ensuing years were unproductive for chart action and sales. Between 1967 and 1971, the Dramatics made very little noise on the national scene. By the end of 1971, Davis summoned the group to the studio to record producer/songwriter Tony Hester's "Watcha See Is Watcha Get." The single was the Dramatics' first major national hit, peaking at number three on the R&B charts, and sustaining chart action for 15 weeks. That single was followed by the R&B Top Ten single "Get Up and Get Down."
The following year the Dramatics released "In the Rain," which was also penned by Hester. The single torpedoed its way to the number one spot on the R&B charts, maintaining that position for four consecutive weeks; the single also peaked at number five on the pop charts. Ironically, in spite of the national attention the group was receiving, another personnel shuffle was simmering.
Larry "L.J." Reynolds, who had been a member of Chocolate Syrup and was pursuing a solo career during this time, met Dramatics member Banks at the Apollo following a performance by the group. It just so happened that Howard was absent that night. Reynolds auditioned for Banks backstage; it was not too long afterwards that Reynolds, who was also signed to Don Davis' production company, began to occasionally sit in with the Dramatics during Howard's absences.
In 1973, Howard's decision to leave the group opened the door for Reynolds' entrance; Reynolds' vocal presence and permanent entry into the group was manifested with the release of the R&B Top Ten single "Hey You! Get Off My Mountain." And while Reynolds was replacing Howard, Lenny Mayes was replacing Wilkens, which spelled out identity problems for the remainder of the group. Wilkens formed his own version of the Dramatics and began touring. During this time and pending legal procedures, the name of the group was changed to Ron Banks & the Dramatics.
The Dramatics' success continued with mainly R&B Top 20 hits during the heyday of disco, cracking the R&B Top Ten just once more with "Welcome Back Home" in 1980. In 1981, Reynolds went solo; the group disband after Banks went solo in 1983. The group managed to stay active, reuniting to record new material every three or four years since the early '80s. They occasionally reunite for concert events. ~ Craig Lytle, Rovi
World Of Fantasy
The Five Stairsteps Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a world of fantasy
It's a world where I am never alone
It's a world of sheer make-believe
Where all young lovers have gone
To set their hearts?
To make life have a new face
No one intrudes on my privacy
To me it's the most wonderful place
I go there whenever I feel the need
To make life have a new face
No one intrudes on my privacy
To me it's the most wonderful place
It is where no problems lie
And lovers we all become
We live with love and never cry
'Cause in love the sum is one plus one
So come on love and follow me
To my world of
Come my love
Come to my world of fantasy
The Five Stairsteps's song "World of Fantasy" is an anthem for escaping the harsh reality of life and entering a world of pure imagination. The song opens with an infectious set of rhythmic syllables that invite listeners into a new realm where the singer never feels alone. In this world of make-believe, young lovers are free to explore their emotions without the constraints of society or the walls of physical reality.
The singer explains that they enter this world whenever they feel the need to add a new face to their life. The world of fantasy is a place of complete privacy where nobody can intrude. It is a wonderful place where no problems exist, and all lovers can become one. There is no need to cry in this world because love is the sum of one plus one. The singer encourages their lover to join them in this utopian world.
The song highlights the desire to escape from reality and seek refuge in a world where all problems disappear. It is a welcome break from the struggle of everyday life. "World of Fantasy" takes listeners on a journey through a place where love flourishes, and all is well.
Line by Line Meaning
Doo doo doo doo doo
Musical intro
It's a world of fantasy
The song is about a completely imaginary place
It's a world where I am never alone
In this place, the person never feels lonely
It's a world of sheer make-believe
Everything in this world is fabricated
Where all young lovers have gone
Only young people who are deeply in love visit this world
To set their hearts?
The rest of the line is unclear, but the world is a place where love fills the heart
I go there whenever I feel the need
The person visits this place whenever they desire
To make life have a new face
Going to this world changes their outlook on life
No one intrudes on my privacy
There is complete solitude in this world
To me it's the most wonderful place
The person considers this imaginary world the best place ever
It is where no problems lie
In this world, there are no issues or conflicts
And lovers we all become
Everyone who visits this world becomes a lover
We live with love and never cry
In this world, there is only love and no sadness
'Cause in love the sum is one plus one
When two people are in love, they become one entity
So come on love and follow me
The person is inviting their loved one to join them in this world
To my world of
Reiteration that the song is about an imaginary world
Come my love
The person is urging their loved one to join them
Come to my world of fantasy
They want their loved one to enter the world of their imagination
Contributed by Jake B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@faith9150
Chicago here 68 years old love this song. Anyone still living?
@wb7370
wow, being 62 now and remembering hearing this song being played on radio station WWRL in Brooklyn NY at age 15 bring tears to my eyes, it was a simple Windy fall day ,with leaves falling from the trees,peaceful calm days in 1969, God bless the 5 stairsteps for making perfect simple music.
@sheddski2942
mr bezo I hear ya I’m the same age as you I grew up in new England north of Boston and some of this music from back then kind of hurts but in a good way
@wb7370
@@sheddski2942 yes sir mr sheddski,how did we go from simple calm peaceful days back in 1969 to these terrible virus days now,I'm in Brooklyn were it is bad..but sir, we are still alive..god bless you and your family...
@brendaeaston1397
Being from NJ, and now almost 66 days I can never forget those days, and thankful we had WWRL to bring us all this beautiful music. #memories ❤️😊🥲
@festsmith4336
I saw them at the Apollo! They came out in front looked very Mafiosa black coats an shades! 😎
@Unfamous_Buddha
It just turned 2023. I'm 70. I always liked this. But not too many people have heard this.
@mr72rosalind
As a teen, I saw the Stairsteps at the Philadelphia, PA Town Hall dance hall around 1967, a local joint hosted by the late Butterball, a popular Philly DJ. After their show, the Steps interacted with the teens at the hop. I can still remember it like it was yesterday. Three years later, I was in Vietnam.
@motownfan3
WOW...... I REMEMBER BUTTERBALL...... I GREW UP IN JERSEY AND WE WOULD LISTEN TO HIM ON AM RADIO.......THE FIVE STAIR STEPS WERE GREAT........I'LL GET SHOT BUT I LIKED THEM BETTER THAN THE JACKSONS.......
I WAS IN FORT KNOX AND 1/2 MY GROUP WAS SENT TO 'NAM SADLY SEVERAL NEVER CAME BACK.....
PEACE
@vincentrobinson3078
Yeah , Butterball use to say “you get choice and not chance when you go to a Butterball dance”. He was one of the best MC’s , him and the ‘ Guy with the Goods ‘ , Georgie Woods !!!