Steps

The Last Dance (Nov 26, 2002 - #57). Despite numerous line-up changes and a decline in mainstream success, the band are still recording and performing in the early 2000s. 5. Their greatest success came in the late 1970s/early 1980s, peaking with their cover version of The O'Jays "Now That We've Found Love", a hit single on both sides of the Atlantic in 1979. Gold - The Greatest Hits (Oct 27, 2001 - # 1) (4x Platinum). Their sound is influenced by soul, funk and disco and is considered by some reggae purists to be overly "commercial". 4. Third World is a Jamaican reggae band formed in 1973.

Buzz (Nov 11, 2000 - # 4) (2x Platinum). 3. Steptacular (Nov 6, 1999 - # 1) (4x Platinum). 2.

Step One (Sep 26, 1998 - # 2) (5x Platinum). 1.
Albums. Words Are Not Enough/I Know Him So Well (double "A" single) (Dec 15, 2001 # 5).

Chain Reaction/One For Sorrow (remix) (double "A" single) (Oct 6, 2001 - # 2) (Silver)
16. Here And Now/You'll Be Sorry (double "A" single) (Jun 16, 2001 # 4)
15. The Way You Make Me Feel/Too Busy Thinking About My Baby (double "A" single) (Jan 6, 2001 - # 2)
14. Stomp (Oct 28, 2000 - # 1)
13.

When I Said Goodbye/Summer Of Love (double "A" single) (Jul 15, 2000 - # 5)
12. Deeper Shade Of Blue (Apr 15, 2000 - # 4)
11. Say You'll Be Mine/Better The Devil You Know (double "A" single) (Dec 25, 1999 - # 4) (Gold)
10. After The Love Has Gone (Oct 23, 1999 - # 5) (Silver)
9.

Love's Got A Hold On My Heart (Jul 24, 1999 - # 2) (Silver)
8. Thank ABBA For The Music (ABBA medley performed with B Witched, Billie, Cleopatra and Tina Cousins) (Apr 10, 1999 - # 4) (Silver)
7. Better Best Forgotten (Mar 20, 1999 - # 2) (Gold)
6. Tragedy/Heartbeat (double "A" single) (Nov 21, 1998 - # 1) (Platinum)
5.

One For Sorrow (Sep 5, 1998 - # 2) (Gold)
4. Last Thing On My Mind (May 2, 1998 - # 6) (Silver)
3. 5,6,7,8, (Nov 27, 1997 - # 14) (Silver)
2. Singles
1.

It is scheduled to air in the UK during 2005. In November 2004, it was confirmed that MTV have commissioned a reality show following Lisa in the same vein as The Osbournes. In 2004, she signed a new record deal, married boyfriend Johnny Shentall, and released the single 'Get It On' as a guest vocalist for the dance act Intenso Project. Lisa was dropped from her initial record contract in 2003 after just two singles, with a third single and album consequently cancelled.

Lisa Scott-Lee has released three singles as a solo dance artist. Lee Latchford-Evans has appeared on UK reality shows 'The Games', 'The Match' and 'Celebrity Fear Factor'. In the same year she married her Danish boyfriend Jesper Irn and a year later toured the UK in the theatre production of 'Tell Me On A Sunday'. Faye Tozer reached #10 in the UK with Russell Watson on the track "Someone Like You".

Ian Watkins subsequently took the lead role in the 2003 London production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Since disbanding, Ian Watkins and Claire Richards (billed as "H and Claire") released three top 10 UK singles and a poorly performing album, which led to the duo being dropped from their record label in 2002. After the group spent much of 2001 strongly dismissing claims of a split, fans were furious and accused the group of capitalising off the success of a host of merchandise released in the lucrative pre-Christmas market. Many UK tabloid papers published the fans' disgust on their frontpages, displaying quotes taken from Steps messageboards.

In 2001, following their shock Boxing Day split, the group were heavily criticised by their own fans. More seriously, Lee Latchford Evans was criticised for the following allegedly racist remarks in an interview: "Foreign people and people from ethnic minorities should all go home so that there can be more jobs for proper English people." Steps responded (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/850520.stm) that the quote was taken out of context. Steps received some criticism for their tendency to cover other bands' tracks rather than develop original scores. Despite a brief renewed effort in 2001, Steps did not pursue a lengthy campaign for US success, instead they focused on consolidating their UK acheivements, as one of the most successful pop groups of the late 1990s and new millennium.

However, their US success was limited to a #81 peak of their album "Step One", which for the US was a hybrid of their first two UK albums. In 1999, they were the support act for Britney Spears on her first US tour. Internationally, Steps had their greatest success in Australia, New Zealand and Belgium, with #1 singles early in their career. During their chart career of four years, they placed 15 consecutive singles in the British top 10, placed all four of their albums in the top 5 and reached number one with two of them, and toured extensively to sell out crowds.

In 2000, Steps were handed a special Brit Award for being the both the best selling tour act and albums act of 1999. However, on the night the award was handed to the Scottish band Belle & Sebastian, who were assumed to be rank outsiders. Despite the allegation that a significant amount of votes for Belle & Sebastian were traced to one location, the band held onto their award as foul-play was denied by organisers of the Brit Awards. Pete Waterman, the mastermind behind the group, claimed to have been told days before the ceremony that Steps had won the award, as voted for by listeners of BBC Radio 1. In the same year, Steps were at the centre of a controversy surrounding the 'Best Newcomer' gong at the Brit Awards.

Steps were part of the ensemble that released "Thank ABBA for the Music" (a cover of ABBA's "Thank You for the Music") in March 1999, as perfomed at the Brit Awards.The other artists singing were Tina Cousins, Cleopatra, B*Witched, and Billie. They continued releasing singles and reached number two with both The Way You Make Me Feel and Chain Reaction (originally recorded by Diana Ross) before disbanding on December 26, 2001. Their second, and final number one single Stomp reached the number one position in October 2000. Over the next year they hit the top 10 several times, with songs such as Better Best Forgotten, Love's Got A Hold On My Heart, Deeper Shade of Blue (originally intended for Tina Cousins) and a double A sided single of Say You'll Be Mine with their version of Kylie Minogue's Better The Devil You Know.

Their next single, a cover version of the Bee Gees Tragedy became their first number one single in January 1999. The hit singles continued, with their cover version of Bananarama's Last Thing On My Mind, and the most ABBA flavoured of their singles, One For Sorrow, reaching the UK Top 10. Waterman's stated intention was to try to recreate the sound of ABBA and blend it with a more modern style, however their first single 5,6,7,8 was a techno line dance and though not typical of what would become their style, it became their first hit. They were seen performing by producer Pete Waterman (formerly of Stock Aitken Waterman) and signed to a recording contract on his EBUL label.

The group, consisting of Claire Richards, Faye Tozer, Ian Watkins (known as H), Lee Latchford Evans and Lisa Scott-Lee, formed on May 7, 1996. Each of their music videos were carefully choreographed, and the dance steps were included with each of their single releases. Their name was based around a simple marketing gimmick. Steps were a British pop group who achieved a series of hit singles during the late nineties and into the millennium.